Tag Archives: Belgium

The Briefing: Portugal’s Ronaldo dilemma, Azzurri blues, and who could still qualify?

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Gennaro Gattuso gestures during the defeat by Norway
“Welcome to The Briefing, where The Athletic discusses three of the biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s football. In this edition, focused on the World Cup qualifiers, Portugal hammered Armenia without Cristiano Ronaldo, Troy Parrott delivered a moment that will live long in the memory of every football fan from the Republic of Ireland, and Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy were beaten by Norway, who completed a perfect qualification campaign. Here’s what happened in the world of football over the international break. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)

World Cup qualifying: Germany shocked in Slovakia, but Northern Ireland win

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Slovakia celebrate their second goal in the shock 2-0 win over Germany.
“Germany, four times the champions, suffered their first away loss in a World Cup qualifier after their shock 2-0 defeat by hosts Slovakia in Bratislava on Thursday in Group A. The Germans, who have set a goal of winning the 2026 World Cup, had never before lost a World Cup qualifier on the road in 52 matches, and they have now lost their last three consecutive games, after defeats by Portugal and France in the Nations League in June.  … Poland’s Aston Villa full-back Matty Cash fired home a late equaliser to ensure his side held the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in Rotterdam, a major boost to their hopes and a dent to Dutch ambitions. A thunderous right-footed shot from the English-born defender in the 80th minute was as much as Poland deserved after a strong second-half performance, having been a goal down at half-time. …”
Guardian

The Champions League: All 36 teams ranked and reviewed

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“It is just 90 days since Paris Saint-Germain claimed their first Champions League with a 5-0 thrashing of Inter… and now the draw for the 2025-26 edition is upon us. Plenty has changed in the interim. Managers have come and gone, hundreds of millions have been spent (and that’s just at Liverpool) and Chelsea have somehow become world champions despite not even being part of Europe’s elite competition last season. So, with the Champions League line-up for this year’s tournament now complete ahead of today’s draw in Nyon, how do we assess each of them? This is our definitive — but also entirely subjective, and extremely debatable — ranking. ….”
NY Times/The Athletic

Football Architects: Double-diamonds and late developers – inside the rise of Belgium’s golden generatio

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“For one of the key architects of Belgium’s golden generation, his aim was simple — ‘I want to teach the most difficult football.’ Bob Browaeys sits back in his chair at the Belgian FA’s base in Tubize, just south of Brussels. The 56-year-old coach is affable, a former goalkeeper with huge hands and a propensity to push his seat away from the table in excitement when he talks. This is a space-age facility — underlighting in the boardrooms, 11 first-grade pitches, and the literal footprints of the country’s former greats leading towards its doors. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)

Best of 2024 from The Athletic UK: Our staff pick their favourite pieces (by their colleagues)

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“We didn’t expect to write about flowery wallpapers in 2024, that’s for sure. Or Taylor Swift. We did expect to write about Jurgen Klopp, Erik ten Hag, and Lamine Yamal, and Andy Murray retiring. It was a wild old year in the world of sport and we wanted to take a moment to look back at — and celebrate — the excellent work of our writers over the past 12 months, covering not just football (soccer), but tennis, the Olympics, the Paralympics, and athletics, too. We wanted to know what they liked, too, so we asked them to nominate articles, podcasts or videos produced by their colleagues and tell us why. So here are all the pieces of work selected by writers, editors and producers on The Athletic UK and North American soccer staff (the editors in the U.S. did their own version of this, too). Enjoy! …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)

Johan Cruyff and the incredible wallpaper drawings that explain modern football

Why are France not scoring goals from open play at Euro 2024?

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“Didier Deschamps is a glass-half-full sort of fella. France’s three goals so far at this summer’s European Championshipconsist of two own goals and a penalty. But after the 1-0 win against Belgium in the round of 16, Deschamps said: ‘My only regret is the number of shots we had and tried to put too much power into them, and they went off target. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve done, to be in the quarter-finals again.’ …”
NY Times/The Athletic

France 1 Belgium 0: Are the French improving? Was De Bruyne wasted deep? What now for Belgium?

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“France are into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 — despite having mustered only a penalty and two own goals in four matches to reach the latter stages of the tournament. The substitute Randal Kolo Muani’s late shot took a wicked deflection off Jan Vertonghen to defeat Belgium in a dour contest in Dusseldorf as Didier Deschamps’ side forced passage rather unconvincingly into a last-eight tie against either Slovenia or Portugal. The centre-half’s own goal was the ninth of the finals to date. Daniel Taylor, Peter Rutzler and Mark Carey analyse the key talking points from Dusseldorf. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
NY Times/The Athletic: France still striving to coax the best from Antoine Griezmann

Euro 2024: Ranking every team in the group stage – England 13th, Georgia 5th, Austria 2nd

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Romania
“The group stage of Euro 2024 is done. Opinions have been formed, conclusions drawn, rash predictions (revised from your pre-tournament rash predictions) have been made, players/teams/managers have been written off as chumps and losers or hailed as the next geniuses of the game. But who has been the best team at the tournament so far? There is a natural way of determining who’s been good and who’s been bad: specifically, who’s qualified and who hasn’t. However, that’s a little dull, isn’t it? It doesn’t take in the nuances of entertainment and subjectivity; just because you progress to the latter stages of a tournament doesn’t mean people want to watch you play football. So here’s a definitive ranking of the 24 teams who have done battle at Euro 2024. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Slovakia 1 Romania 1 – Heavy rain and genuine excitement as both sides progress to last 16

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“Romania and Slovakia came into their final Euro 2024 group game today knowing that a draw would take them both through to the last 16… but the match did not begin sedately. There were 11 shots in the opening 25 minutes and the last of them resulted in a Slovakia goal — via a powerful header from Ondrej Duda. By half-time, Romania were level, thanks to an equally emphatic penalty from Razvan Marin. The two sides continued to trade blows into the second half, in a match further enlivened by lightning, heavy rain and one of the themes of the summer: a questionable pitch. Despite several close shaves, there was no more scoring, meaning we got the draw many expected, but in a significantly more exciting fashion than most imagined. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Guardian: Dignity reigns on stormy night as Romania and Slovakia battle into last 16
NY Times/The Athletic – Ukraine 0 Belgium 0: Qualified success for Belgians, heartbreak for Ukraine
Guardian: Belgium booed despite edging through as Ukraine receive heroes’ farewell

Belgium 2 Romania 0: Lukaku denied again, a 73-second goal and the tightest of groups

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“Belgium came into their game with Romania on Saturday as the only team yet to score at Euro 2024, but they fixed that particular issue after only 73 seconds, with Youri Tielemans scoring his nation’s quickest goal at a major tournament. Domenico Tedesco’s side dominated the remainder of the first half, but they couldn’t add the second their pressure deserved. For their part, Romania improved significantly after the break, but an entertaining game was sealed when Kevin De Bruyne latched onto a long kick from Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels to make it 2-0. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Guardian: De Bruyne and Tielemans sink Romania to get Belgium back on track

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku endures another painful 90 minutes at a major tournament

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“Romelu Lukaku wants to be considered one of the best strikers in the world and, by most metrics, he is. The 31-year-old has been a consistent scorer at every club he has played for and has had moments when he has appeared world-class. Unfortunately, the Belgian is prone to performances like Monday’s against Slovakia, when he looked a long way short of that exalted level while his team surprisingly lost 1-0 in their opening Euro 2024 group game. Domenico Tedesco’s side arrived at this tournament unbeaten in 14 matches (10 wins) and with an attacking plan catering to Lukaku’s strengths. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Euro 2024: 24 fans from 24 countries preview the tournament

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“Fans from across Europe share their predictions for the Euros. Most are tipping France or England to be champions …”
Guardian

Oldest squad? Most caps? Player call-ups per club? Here’s your ultimate Euro 2024 data guide

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“One player arrives at Euro 2024 with the best goals-per-cap rate, and it’s not Cristiano Ronaldo. One player will break the record as the oldest men’s player in European Championship history, and it’s… not Cristiano Ronaldo. Nearly one in five players competing in Germany play their club football in one country, but which one? Allow The Athletic to sprinkle some data-led seasoning on top of your tactical insights before the summer’s tournament, breaking down the make-up of each squad and providing some curious tidbits to fuel your excitement before the games begin. This is your definitive data guide to the squads at Euro 2024…”
NY Times/The Athletic

Euro 2024: F – Belgium, Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia

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Belgium Euro 2024 squad guide: Talisman Lukaku, Bakayoko one to watch – but Courtois left out “The manager: Marc Wilmots and Roberto Martinez finished empty-handed despite having Belgium’s golden generation in their prime. Now, Domenico Tedesco has the task of trying to claim the national team’s first major silverware with its remaining stars now the wrong side of 30 and their successors still growing into their potential. Belgium are yet to lose a game since Tedesco took over in February 2023, with the new man typically setting up his team in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Ukraine Euro 2024 guide: A strong squad and La Liga’s top scorer – but the war weighs heavy “The manager: There was an element of destiny to Sergei Rebrov becoming Ukraine’s head coach. Andriy Shevchenko had a go, leading his country at the last European Championship, but his former strike partner and fellow national hero took over in 2023. If it was a sentimental appointment, you can understand why: if ever a national team needed an emotional connection to its manager, it is Ukraine right now. The war with Russia is into its third year and they have not played a genuine home game since March 2022. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Romania Euro 2024 squad guide: Iordanescu has a settled defence but Coman could star “The manager: The name of Romania’s coach might ring a bell. Probably not from his playing career: Edward Iordanescu was a journeyman midfielder who shuttled around a series of relatively minor Romanian clubs. Maybe not even for his coaching career either: he won the league with CFR Cluj in 2021, but otherwise there’s not much that would stand out to an outside observer. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Slovakia Euro 2024 squad guide: A familiar blend of experience led by a former coffee-seller “The manager: There can’t be many more unusual stories in international management than Francesco Calzona. Calzona didn’t have much of a playing career to speak of and, in fact, split his younger days between amateur football and selling coffee. He eventually became part of Maurizio Sarri’s coaching staff at five clubs, including his most successful years at Napoli, which is where the seeds of his appointment as Slovakia manager were sown. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Ranking the best and worst Euro 2024 home kits: a diaper, a wrestling outfit and a beautiful QR code

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“The European Championships are almost upon us. Where the continent’s best and brightest gather to decide once and for all (or until 2028) who is the top dog. You have probably done all your research on the players and the teams and the tactics, so now it’s time to judge their outfits. And we’ve got some bad news for you folks: this has not been a vintage year for home kits. Too many templates, too many dull shirts, not much to get you excited about. And then there’s the kit that will make the players look like they’re wearing a diaper. So read on, and judge for yourselves…”
NY Times/The Athletic

Euro 2024 favourites: how England, France, Spain and others are shaping up

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Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi has earned a first senior Spain.
“The last international break before the end of the European club season will give those national teams who fancy their chances of winning Euro 2024 a vital opportunity to try out new players, and maybe swing the axe at a few of the old guard, too. France — World Cup finalists in 2022 — will be looking to finesse a seriously impressive squad, Euro 2020 runners-up England will be plotting to go one better this time around, while tournament masters Germany will be desperate to improve on the disappointments of the last European Championship and World Cup. The Athletic assesses how those teams and the tournament’s other big hitters are shaping up… ”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)

Euro 2024 state of play: How the eight favourites are shaping up with 100 days to go

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“Do England have enough cover at centre-back to be contenders? Will Kylian Mbappe’s reduced minutes at Paris Saint-Germain as his summer exit looms have an impact on France? What about the Euro 2024 hosts — can Julian Nagelsmann settle on a system and starting XI with only 100 days to go until Germany kick things off against Scotland in Munich on June 14? And, most importantly, will Italy’s players be allowed to play Call of Duty between their games? Our experts look at how the eight favourites are shaping up ahead of this summer’s tournament…”
The Athletic

Euro 2024 draw analysis: Spain, Italy, Croatia in toughest group, England happy, France v Netherlands

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“A virtual ‘group of death’ for Spain, Italy and Croatia, a kind draw for England and a juicy meeting between France and the Netherlands were some of the highlights of the Euro 2024 draw. Our expert panel of James Horncastle, Raphael Honigstein, Matt Slater, Dermot Corrigan and Mark Critchley assembled to offer their verdict on what lies ahead in Germany next summer — from the players who can make the tournament their own, which group they consider the toughest, and, crucially, who they are backing to win it. …”
The Athletic
W – UEFA Euro 2024

World champions but second: Why Argentina are below Brazil in FIFA’s world rankings

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“Argentina will not go into 2023 as FIFA’s number one ranked team. Fresh off lifting the World Cup, you might expect Lionel Scaloni’s side to move top of the leaderboard but they have had to settle for second. It is Brazil — one of the sides knocked out in the quarter-final in Qatar – who have retained top spot, their only consolation from a rather forgettable fortnight. …”
The Athletic

How FIFA Silenced a World Cup Armband Campaign

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Belgium’s foreign minister, Hadja Lahbib, wore a One Love armband into a V.I.P. box, where she sat near the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino.
“The opening match of the World Cup was only hours away when the leaders of a group of European soccer federations arrived for a meeting at the luxury Fairmont Hotel. The five-star property, converted into the tournament headquarters for FIFA leadership, was an unlikely setting for a fight. But with the matches about to begin, it would have to do. By then the federations and representatives of FIFA had been meeting on and off for months about a plan by the group of national teams to wear multicolored armbands with the message ‘One Love’ during their matches at the tournament in Qatar. …”
NY Times

Richarlison, Messi and Pulisic: Three Stunning Goals Frozen in Time

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“We take a closer look at three memorable goals from the group phase of the 2022 World Cup. See the critical moment when each ball was struck into the net. …Richarlison’s Wonder-Strike. In Brazil’s opening game, Richarlison leaped into the air and scored his second goal of the match with an acrobatic scissor kick. Brazil went on to finish at the top of the group, advancing to the round of 16 to face South Korea. …”
NY Times
NY Times: Watch Christian Pulisic Send the U.S. Past Iran and Into the Knockout Rounds
NY Times: Belgium’s Long-Ball Goal Sinks a Determined Canada
NY Times: Germany’s Late Equalizer Revives Its World Cup Hopes

The inside story of how Belgium’s World Cup turned toxic

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“In the blissful early stages of his tenure with Belgium, Roberto Martinez came up with an idea. People had kept telling him the language barrier was a persistent problem in Belgian football, creating a natural divide between those from the Flemish-speaking north of the country, such as Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Kevin De Bruyne, and those whose first language is French, such as Axel Witsel and Eden Hazard. …”
The Athletic (Video)

How Belgium got it so badly wrong at this World Cup

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“Coming into this tournament, Belgium had something of a harsh reputation as underachievers. After all, this was supposed to be Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’. And before we consider whether it was truly golden, it’s worth pointing out how clearly defined this generation is. Extraordinarily, all eight of Belgium’s all-time most-capped players were in this World Cup squad. It seems that the golden generation tag has become so over-used that neutrals now actively want those sides to fail. And if you’re really a golden generation, shouldn’t you win gold? …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Belgium knocked out, Croatia through in second, Lukaku’s misses and misery (Video)
Guardian: Roberto Martínez exits as dreams of golden generation end with whimper

Morocco kept Hazard and De Bruyne quiet – this tactical tweak helped them do it

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“As the final whistle blew at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, it felt as though it could have been the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, or Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca. The Morocco fans made it feel like a home game as their team got the better of Belgium on Sunday to add three points to their tally in Group F of this World Cup. … This time, it was Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard’s turn. Against Morocco’s regular 4-3-3, Belgium’s 3-2-4-1 made complete sense. By using twin No 10s in Eden Hazard and De Bruyne, Roberto Martinez’s side could theoretically overload Sofyan Amrabat in the centre of the pitch, and find their two star players between the lines. …”
The Athletic

‘This is a dream’: Morocco fans ecstatic after Belgium win

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“The atmosphere before kick-off was electric. Fans of the Atlas Lions, as Morocco’s national team are known, had gathered early outside the 44,000-capacity Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday, hoping to experience a historic upset. There was a carnival-like atmosphere with a DJ playing Arabic songs to get the crowd warmed up for the World Cup’s Group F clash. Morocco, ranked 22 in the FIFA standings, were taking on the star-studded Red Devils of Belgium, one of the tournament favourites and ranked second in the world. …”
Aljazeera (Video)
The Athletic: Kevin De Bruyne is right – Belgium are too old

Belgium 1-0 Canada: Two Golden Generations Enter, One (Kind of) Emerges

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“We’ve been hearing about Belgium’s golden generation for going on two generations. Much of the world is just learning about what might be Canada’s. … The first 15 minutes – and much of the first half – belonged to Canada, amassing 1.43 xG in that opening spell alone. That’s more than Belgium conceded combined in all eight of the first halves in their qualifying matches (1.42), but Canada weren’t able to convert with Alphonso Davies’s 10th-minute penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois. It was the first on record saved at a World Cup by a Belgian keeper. …”
The Analyst
Guardian: Belgium run ragged by Canada but Michy Batshuayi strikes to grab victory

The Radar – The Athletic’s 2022 World Cup scouting guide

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“Welcome to The Radar — the World Cup edition. Last year, for Euro 2020, we profiled 60 players that people were talking about — or would be by the end of the competition. Thirty-four of those players have since moved club. More teams means more players, so for the World Cup we’ve upped that to 100. The result is below, a carefully crafted guide to some of the best footballers on show in Qatar listed alphabetically by country — the heavyweight names, the rising stars and the under-the-radar players who could be coming to an elite club near you. …”
The Athletic

World Cup 2022 Group F guide: Free-scoring Belgium, cross-heavy Croatia and Canada’s cutbacks

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“What tactics do Belgium use? What is Canada’s weakness? Which quirk should we look out for from Croatia? The 2022 World Cup is nearly upon us and The Athletic will be running in-depth tactical group guides so you will know what to expect from every nation competing in Qatar. Liam Tharme will look at each team’s playing style, strengths, weaknesses, key players and highlight things to keep an eye on during the tournament. …”
The Athletic (Video)

World Cup 2022 Groups: The Predictions

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“The 2022 World Cup is finally here, with the tournament in Qatar being the first held in the months of November and December since the first World Cup finals in 1930. The 22nd men’s FIFA World Cup tournament will see 32 teams battle it out in the group stage after qualifying via five different regions – Asia, Africa, South America, North America/Central America and Europe (no nation from Oceania qualified). From there, 16 will make it through to the knockout stages. …”
The Analyst

World Cup provisional squads explained: What are the rules and will they be made public?

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“A month from today, it all begins. The World Cup in Qatar looms ever larger on the horizon and the countdown is on to the first of 64 games that will crown a winner at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday, December 18. Doubts persist over the suitability of Qatar to host this World Cup, as well as its readiness to welcome more than one million visitors, but the biggest names in football are about to descend on a tiny Gulf nation that’s half the size of Wales and roughly as big as the US state of Connecticut. …”
The Athletic
The Analyst: World Cup 2022 Guide to Each Group

World Cup 2022 news round-up: Nkunku and Lewandowski shine as Argentina put faith in Scaloni

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“Club football is back and with fewer than 50 days for players to find form and fitness before the World Cup kicks off on November 20, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, Leandro Trossard of Belgium and USA forward Ricardo Pepi laid down a marker at the weekend. Off the pitch, coaches are already being rewarded before the tournament kicks off with Wales extending Rob Page’s contract and Argentina set to keep Lionel Scaloni as head coach until the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. …”
The Athletic

World Cup 2022 power rankings: how the 32 look with two months to go

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“With most teams having played their final matches before the tournament in Qatar, who appear most likely to lift the trophy? …”
Guardian

World Cup health check: The issue each country must address before Qatar

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“The September international break is normally relatively relaxed — a chance to tweak tactics and focus on formations. Not this time. For almost all 32 competing nations, this is the final set of international fixtures before the World Cup begins in Qatar on November 20. So that you can go into the break feeling prepared, The Athletic has identified one issue every team need to try to fix this break…”
The Athletic (Video)

What the Champions League Is Lacking

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“PARIS — There will be stories, of course. There are always stories. The Champions League delivers them so frequently and so reliably that it is impossible to dismiss the nagging suspicion that all of this might just be scripted, the product of some complex simulation being run from a secret lair in Nyon. Robert Lewandowski, clad in the blue and red of Barcelona, will return to Bayern Munich, only a few weeks after forcing his exit. Manchester City’s visit to Borussia Dortmund will see Erling Haaland standing once more before its Yellow Wall, that great force of nature no longer at his back but marshaled in his face. …”
NY Times
The Athletic: Champions League draw analysed – The biggest games, the shocks in store, the toughest groups

Belgium’s Next Noa Lang: Three Breakout Stars

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“Noa Lang is a sort of commodity who has lit up the league in his stint with the champions of Belgium. He formed dangerous partnerships with the likes of Bas Dost and Charles De Ketelaere and has become unplayable on his day. I think he knew that this season was himself ‘closing the curtain’ on his time in the Belgian Pro League, an utterly underrated first division which has been dominated by Club Brugge in recent years. It was primarily Noa Lang, not the managers — Ivan Leko, Philippe Clement and most recently Alfred Schreuder —  who stole the show and made the key interventions on the way to another championship. …”
Football Paradise

The 2022 World Cup draw analysed: ‘The Group of Dark Arts’, favourites France and that song

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“Cringe-inducing cartoon meant to engage with no youngster we have ever met? Check. Song-and-dance routine combing local colour with avant-garde twist? Check. A massive advert for the official ball (the fastest ever, no less)? Yep, we had that, too, and several speeches, a first performance of the first song from the official Qatar 2022 album and a very contrived moment with France manager Didier Deschamps and a young lad who was in the crowd in Moscow four years ago. The 47 minutes of preamble before the draw for the 2022 World Cup at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre flew by! …”
The Athletic (Video)
NY Times – World Cup Draw Highlights: Matchups Let Teams Look Ahead to November
Guardian – World Cup draw: group-by-group analysis for Qatar 2022 – Jonathan Wilson
NY Times: World Cup Draw Brings Certainty. Now Comes the Hard Part.
The Athletic: With a marquee World Cup meeting vs. England, USMNT has a chance to change its perception writ large
BBC – Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: What are the draw highlights? (Video)

The World Cup Draw Is Friday. Here’s How It Works.

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“The World Cup field is almost complete. On Friday, soccer teams will learn the answer to the critical question they and their fans want to know: Who will they play when the tournament opens in November in Qatar? The World Cup draw — part gala, part pep rally, part math seminar — will deliver intriguing clashes of styles, testy political collisions and, if past events are any guide, a few uncomfortable moments. But given the stakes of the draw, it is also one of the biggest events on the global sports calendar. Here is a look at how it works. …”
NY Times
NY Times: Who Has Qualified for the 2022 World Cup? (Video)
NY Times: Your World Cup Questions, Answered
The Athletic – 2022 World Cup odds: France, Brazil are co-favorites ahead of the draw; England, Spain right behind

2022 World Cup: List of Qualified Teams for Qatar, Updated Standings, Playoff Brackets

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“Qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is reaching its conclusion, as countries compete to fill the remaining spots in this year’s showcase on the sport’s greatest stage. … It was determined on Nov. 26 which regions will be paired for the playoffs, whose format has changed. Another wrinkle to qualifying is the expulsion of Russia due to its nation’s invasion of Ukraine. .. Nevertheless, the draw for the 2022 World Cup will occur on April 1, with the March 31 FIFA ranking being used to determine the pots. …”
SI
FIFA World Cup: Which teams have qualified to Qatar 2022? Full list of all 32 nations

Brighton’s Brussels Blueprint: Union Saint-Gilloise

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“In the outskirts of the south of Brussels, an underdog story like no other is taking place. After an almost half-century exile from the Belgian First Division A, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise sit top of the table in their very first season back in the top-flight for 48 years. However, this is not a typical tale of the rise of a minnow, this is the renaissance of a fallen giant. With 11 league titles to their name, Union Saint-Gilloise are the third most successful club in Belgium. …”
The Analyst

ESPN FC 100: Messi, Lewandowski, Oblak among No. 1s; Premier League has most representatives

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“For the sixth consecutive year, ESPN presents its annual ranking of the best men’s players and coaches in world soccer! Welcome to FC 100. As always, rankings are broken down into Top 10 lists for positions, plus a countdown of managers, in order to present the most meaningful look at talent on the pitch and the sideline. Whereas last year was dominated by Liverpool and Bayern Munich — the clubs combined for eight of the 10 No. 1 spots — the leaders in this year’s edition are spread across six teams, with none having more than two men on top of their respective category. …”
ESPN (Video)
Go to: Goalkeeper | Right-back | Centre-back | Left-back | Central midfield | Attacking midfield | Winger | Forward | Striker | Manager

Who Has Qualified for the 2022 World Cup?

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“With a year to go, almost half the field for the 2022 World Cup is set. Thirteen countries have already booked their places for the tournament, which opens in Qatar next Nov. 21: some with ease, cruising through qualifying, and some with a touch more drama. Quite what the tournament, riddled with scandal and concern from the day Qatar was announced as the host, will be like cannot yet be known. The identities of the teams who will contest it, though, are remarkably familiar. Most — if not quite all — of the traditional contenders are already there: a 10-country-strong European contingent led by France, the defending champion, and Belgium, officially the world’s best team, as well as the likes of Spain and England and Germany. They have been joined by the two great powerhouses of South America, Brazil and Argentina. …”
NY Times

World Cup 2022: ranking the top 10 contenders a year before Qatar

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“With just over a year to go until the World Cup kicks off, 12 teams have qualified alongside hosts Qatar. All four semi-finalists from 2018 have sealed their spots and are joined by former world champions Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Spain, while recent European champions Portugal and Italy still have more to do. With most of the big hitters now able to prepare for the tournament, we assess where they stand as the countdown to Qatar begins. …”
Guardian
The Athletic: CONCACAF World Cup qualifying: Where USMNT, Canada, Mexico and Panama stand with six matches left
World Cup 2022 Power Rankings: France & England the early favourites as Portugal & Italy falter

World Cup 2022 qualification: Who will be in Qatar and who is in play-offs?

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Gareth Southgate’s England are heading to Qatar 2022, while Wales and Scotland have a play-off place secured
“England have qualified for the 2022 World Cup finals while Wales and Scotland are heading to the play-offs along with some surprising names. European champions Italy and Portugal will also have to go through two rounds of play-off games next March after failing to win their respective groups. Heading to the World Cup so far are: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland. The Netherlands, Norway and Turkey are the three teams left who can still qualify automatically. The winners of each group secure a place at the World Cup, with the 10 runners-up joining two Nations League teams in the play-offs, where three further places are up for grabs. …”
BBC

The Tactics behind Union Saint-Gilloise’s Belgian Title Challenge

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“The Jupiler Pro League (Belgian first division A) has largely been dominated in recent years by just a handful of teams. You would have to go back to 1997 to find a champion whose name isn’t Club Brugge, Gent, Genk, Anderlecht, or Standard Liege. If you travel all the way back to 1935, you enter an era dominated by Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. USG won three titles between 1932 and 1935, and after hibernating for over 70 years, they are back at the top of the table. Only promoted last season, they currently lead perennial champions Club Brugge by 4 points. … Many interesting dives into the rise, fall, and resurrection of the club under Brighton chairman Tony Bloom have been written. Few though have studied the tactical setup of USG though, and how manager Felice Mazzu has swept aside the heavyweights of the Benelux. There’s a wholesome uniqueness about the attack, and a riskier edge to their defence. …”
Breaking The Lines

UEFA World Cup qualifying scores: Poland end England’s winning streak; Spain, Germany notch victories

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Poland 1, England 1
“…In a night of relatively low drama most of the big guns of European football eased to a further three points, not least Germany, who looked impressive in swatting aside Iceland 4-0. An early goal from Serge Gnabry set Hansi Flick’s side on course for a win that takes them four points clear in Group J before Antonio Rudiger, Leroy Sane and Timo Werner found the net, the latter only after wasting a string of presentable opportunities. After two games in which they dropped points the visit of Lithuania came at a good time for Italy with new Juventus striker Moise Kean netting a first-half brace. Their lead in Group C had been looking precarious after a draw against Switzerland but they had Northern Irish goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell to thank as he saved a penalty that meant Northern Ireland held the Swiss to a goalless draw in Belfast. …”
CBS Sports (Video)
BBC – World Cup 2022 qualifying: Who is close to qualifying? Who are the surprise packages?
Guardian: Szymanski denies England as Poland snatch late draw after Kane’s opener
ESPN: England’s draw in Poland keeps Three Lions on track for Qatar 2022, but they’ll need complete performances to vie for World Cup

Spain Loses World Cup Qualifier For The First Time In 66 Matches, 2-1 Against Sweden

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“The Spanish national team tasted defeat for the first time in 28 years in a World Cup qualifying match after they lost to Sweden 2-1 on Friday in Stockholm. Sweden came back from a goal down to defeat Spain who lost a World Cup qualifying match after 66 games undefeated. The defeat means that Spain have lost a World Cup qualifying game after 66 matches and 28 years. During this undefeated run, they also managed to win 10 in a row before the 2010 World Cup which they ended up winning. A defeat that Luis Enrique would not have excepted as his men had done well in the Euro 2020 having made the semi-finals where they lost eventual Champions Italy on penalties. …”
Republic World
YouTube: Sweden stuns Spain 2-1 in World Cup qualifier | WCQ Highlights | ESPN FC
UEFA: European Qualifiers: England and Belgium rampant, Sweden stun Spain

Introducing ‘expected threat’ (or xT), the new metric on the block

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“By this point, you’ve probably heard of the term expected goals (or xG). If not, familiarise yourself. It’s the poster-boy of the football analytics movement, going from being included in the box-score on shows such as Match of the Day and Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football to shaping how those within the game think about chance creation. It even influences scouting and recruitment. It’s become something of a meme too, with Brighton’s well-documented gap between goals and xG dominating the discourse for Graham Potter’s side in 2020-21. …”
The Athletic

UEFA Euro 1972 Final

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“The UEFA Euro 1972 Final was a football match played at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on 18 June 1972, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 1972 tournament. It was the fourth UEFA European Football Championship final, UEFA‘s top football competition for national teams. The match was contested by West Germany and two-time tournament finalists, the Soviet Union. En route to the final, West Germany finished top of their qualifying group which included Turkey, Albania and Poland. After beating England over a two-legged tie in the quarter-finals, they progressed to the final after defeating tournament hosts Belgium in the semi-final. The Soviet Union won their qualifying group which included Cyprus and Spain, before beating Northern Ireland in the two-legged quarter-final and Yugoslavia in the single-match semi-final. …”
Wikipedia
EURO 1972: all you need to know (Video)
YouTube: West Germany v USSR: 1972 UEFA European Championship final highlights

Pep Lijnders’ Euro 2020 tactical diary: A young genius, why Grealish is dangerous and what went wrong for France

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“Euro 2020 has been an absolute triumph for the collective. I’ve loved watching it every step of the way. I’ve loved the commitment of so many teams to an attacking style of football. I’ve loved the tactical battles between different systems. I’ve loved the sight of supporters back inside stadiums across Europe and the atmospheres that have been generated. Credit to England and Italy for making it this far. They deserve to be there. I wouldn’t bet on the outcome of Sunday’s final. It’s too close to call. Two evenly matched, well-balanced teams. …”
The Athletic (Audio)

Euro 2020: our writers select their highs and lows from the tournament

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“Italy’s performances and goals from Patrik Schick and Paul Pogba illuminated a wonderful championships. Sadly, some England supporters let the country down. Match of the tournament. Ed Aarons: It was going to take something to beat Spain’s thrilling 5-3 victory over Croatia after extra-time but the sequel on a crazy Monday evening was even better. Paul Pogba’s elaborate celebration having scored France’s third goal came back to haunt him as Switzerland scored twice in the last 10 minutes to force extra time before Kylian Mbappé missed from the spot to eliminate the star-studded world champions. …”
Guardian

Were these the best games at UEFA EURO 2020?

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Spain celebrate their fifth goal in the absorbing 5-3 win against Croatia
“From group stage thrillers to knockout phase goal fests, UEFA EURO 2020 has been jam-packed with pulsating contests from start to finish. We decided to pick out our favourites ahead of Sunday’s final at Wembley Stadium – do you agree these were the choice cuts? …”
UEFA (Video)

No Semifinalist Is an Island

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“Kalvin Phillips came home, for the first time, as a fully fledged England international with four jerseys as souvenirs. He had asked his new teammates to autograph one, destined to be framed and mounted on a wall at home. Two others were reserved for his mother and grandmother, as tokens of gratitude for years of support. The final one he earmarked as a gift for the man who, he felt, deserved the bulk of the credit. A couple of years earlier, Phillips had been a promising but inconsistent midfielder in the Championship, England’s second-tier league. Now, despite having not yet played a minute in the Premier League, he had been called into a gathering of the country’s finest players. Without the intervention of Marcelo Bielsa, the Leeds United manager, Phillips said, none of it ‘would really have been possible.’ …”
NY Times

How Italy Has Rampaged Through Euro 2020

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“The new-look Italy has survived its sternest test. Since Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, manager Roberto Mancini has rebuilt the national team by emphasizing quick passing, high pressing, and, most of all, goals. The culture shift has worked better than anyone could have dreamed. Italy was on a 31-game unbeaten streak going into Friday’s match against Belgium. The advanced numbers approved of its form; the eye test liked its cohesion and the speed with which it drove at the goal after forcing turnovers. Italy flooded opposing nets during the streak, scoring four, five, six, seven, and nine goals at various times. It was the complete opposite of the dour, boring Italy teams that had earned reputations for defensive cynicism and attacking opportunism for generations. …”
Slate (Video)

Tactical Analysis: Czech Republic vs. Denmark

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“First off, it would be appropriate to finally bury the common narrative that this Danish team has made it this far into the Euros as a response to the Eriksen situation. Apart from being almost cynical in nature, that argument does Kasper Hjulmand’s side a huge disservice. Denmark are very, very good. They overcame an extremely difficult group thanks to a valiant, relentless display in a 4-1 win, then they steamrolled a Welsh team that looked solid in defense to set up this quarterfinal game against an odds-defying Czech side. And, with their 2-1 win, they once again proved to be an adventurous unit, with flying wingbacks who create overloads and find pockets of space (as shown by Joakim Maehle’s deep run and exquisite trivela cross to set up Kasper Dolberg for the second goal). …”
Beaking the Lines
Tactical Analysis: Belgium vs. Italy
Tactical Analysis: Switzerland vs. Spain

At Euro 2020, Calculated Risks Reap the Greatest Rewards

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“Euro 2020 may be the most arrogant and audacious major tournament in soccer history. It is certainly the most counterintuitive. It’s being played amid a global pandemic, brought on by a virus that is particularly spiteful and startlingly contagious. Yet our beloved sport has chosen not to remain within its cities and ride out that storm, but to swagger out of the gates and meet it. The plan for Euro 2020 to be staged in multiple countries at once, effectively a festival of burning fossil fuels, was a concern for environmental activists long before COVID-19 came on the scene. …”
The Ringer

Lorenzo Insigne’s stunning goal a defining moment for the new Italy

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“If we needed one moment to sum up Italy’s transformation over the past four years, it arrived in the 44th minute at the Allianz Arena. Lorenzo Insigne’s goal was a thing of beauty, cutting in from the left and curling the ball from the edge of the area into the far corner of the net with such precision that Thibaut Courtois had no chance. The forward had started his run from the halfway line. This was Insigne distilled, a goal that he has scored countless times down the years. The finish might not always be so flawless, but the ambitious dribble, the move inside and the right-footed shot across goal have been foundation stones of a career. You could accuse him of being too predictable, but like Arjen Robben in his prime, Insigne has learned that it does not matter if defenders know what dance you’re doing if they still cannot match your steps. …”
Guardian
NY Times: Belgium’s Golden Team Searches for a Silver Lining
ESPN (Video)

Belgium 1-0 Portugal: Ronaldo draws a blank, Hazards come to the fore, Pepe loses his cool (again)

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Thorgan Hazard
“Cristiano Ronaldo had the all-time men’s international goal scoring record and the Euro 2020 quarter-finals in his sights, but he hadn’t reckoned on a stubborn and resilient Belgium side, who defended solidly and provided the game’s most outstanding moment of technical quality. Here, The Athletic’s Liam Twomey and Tim Spiers pick through the major talking points… The stage was set for Cristiano Ronaldo. His team, his tournament, his Euros, his next goal record… but for once, he failed to take the spotlight. … But while the elder Hazard brother’s improved rhythm should be cause for optimism among Belgium supporters, he wasn’t the hero of this particular night. Thorgan shattered Portugal’s ultra-cautious game plan from 25 yards with one magnificent swish of his boot late in the first half. …”
Belgium 1-0 Portugal: Ronaldo draws a blank, Hazards come to the fore, Pepe loses his cool (again)
Guardian: Thorgan Hazard strike sinks Portugal and puts Belgium in quarter-finals
Guardian: Cristiano Ronaldo exits but does not have the look of a man whose race is run – Jonathan Wilson
NY Times: Relief for Belgium Comes at Ronaldo’s Expense

EURO 2020: tactical trends

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No team has pressed or had the ball as much as Spain but that did not help them beat Sweden in their opening game
“Thirty-six matches played, with 94 goals scored at an average of 2.61 per game. It is a ratio lower than the 2.93 recorded in last season’s UEFA Champions League, yet this is no surprise for the UEFA technical observers analysing the action at UEFA EURO 2020. Their reflections on the opening fortnight of action point to less risk-taking than in the European club competitions with a tendency towards three centre-backs and low blocks – arguably motivated by the wish to avoid early elimination. …”
UEFA (Video)
Tactical trends from the Euro 2020 group stages: What we’ve learned

The Case for a 32-Team Euros

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Portugal found a way through to the round of 16.
“Thomas Vermaelen’s header hit the ground first and then rose before colliding with the post near the corner where it meets the crossbar. As the ball spun out, sideways toward the middle of the goal, Lukas Hradecky, the Finland goalkeeper, was still turning around. It was all happening in the blink of an eye. Instinctively, Hradecky reached out a hand to try to swat the ball away. In that instant, on his fingertips, a substantial portion of Euro 2020 hung. Had Hradecky been able to claw the ball away from his goal, away from danger, Finland might have been able to hang on, to keep a vaguely interested Belgium at bay, to qualify for the knockout stages of the first major tournament it has ever reached. Denmark, playing simultaneously in Copenhagen, might have been sent home. …”
NY Times