2026 WC USA (et al): Worldwide Opponents Watch [all R's]

Kane I think was just an injury. He scored something like 44 goals in 45 games for Bayern this past season. He’s still one of the top 9s in the world.

I think it was a combination of coming into the tournament with an injury and just being exhausted from the number of games he’s had to play over the last few seasons. Also he loves to drift back but that doesn’t work if Bellingham and Foden are trying to occupy the same space (and there are no runners for him to try to set up).

 

Why do you think I posted what I did? His grandfather and I are citizens of the same nation (which I just returned from on Thursday).

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England’s last 6 goals at Euro 2024:

◎ Bellingham v Slovakia: 0.05(xG)
◎ Kane v Slovakia: 0.22(xG)
◎ Saka v Switzerland: 0.03(xG)
◎ Kane v Netherlands: Penalty
◎ Watkins v Netherlands: 0.06(xG)
◎ Palmer v Spain: 0.03(xG)

Relying on screamers, unsustainable.

— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) July 14, 2024

 

Might have been true today but I was commenting more on the style of play throughout the tournament.

Better for the sport if a team as a talented as England or France for that matter are not rewarded for playing so conservatively.

We are not talking about a team like Greece in 2004 which did the best with what they had.

 

Spain very much deserved this. They were the best team all tournament and they beat last Euros finalists (England and Italy), the hosts (Germany), and the two European teams who made it the furthest in the World Cup (France and Croatia).

There was a moment where it looked like England might steal it, but the right team won.

 

Winning this without Pedri or Gavi? Gotta be one of them if nothing else.

 

Yep, England should have won the '21 Final, this final, while England has the better pool, and better XI and bench, they NEVER play like it, and not surprisingly, the team that played far better in a far more difficult group and path to the final, played the better game.

England finally ran into a team where they couldn't get away w/bull---- late game heroics after playing like total --- and not surprisingly lost.

Good for Spain, avenging the Swiss, and Slovakia (and the Dutch to a lesser extent).

I remain convinced that England have wasted 2018-2024 far more than Belgium wasted 2014-2020 ('21). Belgium generally played hard and well and were beat by better teams at the WC (Messi's Argentina, Neymar's Brazil in the Quarterfinals of WC's), at the Euro's they had far less excuse, especially in 2016 (losing to freaking Wales) and in '21 (Losing to Italy), but still, 3 of their losses were to powerhouses or an eventual champion.

For me, England received a cake knockout draw at WC '18, a cake Euro draw at Euro '21, and another cake draw at Euro '24 (the WC '22 draw was the only difficult one, and as I argued at the time, England would have been better served finishing in 2nd to avoid France)....In the end its interesting how similar this is to Belgium: both Belgium and England lost to legit sides at the WC, but at the Euro's they've really underperformed despite easy knockout draws. Like Belgium in 2016, I think England will really come to rue the early Euro defeats where they were beaten by vastly inferior sides in talent (Wales and Italy), and never had a chance quite as good afterwards.

At this point, despite all the talent, Spain has clearly caught up, France still has more talent, if an equally untalented coach, and Germany appears to have woken. The time to win that title? It may already have passed. Couldn't have happened to better fans.

 

Booo, please no.

 

It's gonna be Spain, France, Germany and England again as the favs, I think Brazil is too much in the weeds to get that kind of long and I expect Argentina to fall back to 1998-2010 levels (admittedly they were awesome in 2006, better than Italy and France that tournament, just grossly unlucky with the goalkeeper injury) post Messi. We'll see. I had Spain as the winner in this (boy did it pay well, still paid at 6-1 and 5-1 odds as recently as late June compared to the stupid England odds entirely based on their rep, yokel fans, and their path) and I think Colombia, like Spain, is playing way better than Argentina right now but can they make it hold up? Are they gonna be tired out like England was tonight on a day less rest and after a chippy as hell game. We'll see, but I do see Colombia as playing better soccer than Argentina so far in this tourney.

I'd suspect that France and Spain are the shortest odds going into WC '26, England right behind, and then Germany. Argentina has a chance if they win tonight and continue their strong qualifying momentum.

 

Hmm, Colombia has looked fantastic too, otoh, have they played anyone of quality? Not really other than Brazil in a game neither team really needed, and Uruguay in a mess of a match. Yeah, Spain was definitely the best though, and in fairness, France has the most talent and if they fire their coach and who knows, maybe get Pogba's suspension lifted, they could get right in the mix. I wonder if Zidane is going after that gig.

 

Yep the fact that Deschamps and Southgate, despite having the most talent in the world the past half decade haven't won squat with their cynical tactics is a win, especially w/Spain having won this thing playing mostly pretty soccer.

 

I had Spain to win it since their defenestration of Croatia (in, in many ways, the most difficult game they played (Croatia came very close to scoring numerous times) and the rest of their group foes. They were the only powerful side that looked like they wanted to play and win, in regulation, every single game. Too many other powers looked like they were playing for pens (England, France in particular), only Germany seemed to play with as much bloodthirstiness.

Well deserved, I don't think England were going to win though, the goal gave them energy, and they picked things up, the game got kind of stretched for a few, but England was obviously more tired, and even getting through extra time w/o eventually giving something up due to them losing their legs was distinctly possible. I'm very glad Spain won, I did not want England's idiot fans, or this kind of hideous soccer being rewarded. It's one thing if you're a long shot that's shocked the world with defend and some luck tactics, but when you're littered with the talent England has, EVERYWHERE, and you still play like total ---, game in and game out, and just try and grind its disgusting and needs to be quashed, and it was. Good. That's now 3 straight tournaments for France and England where there crap tactics have not been rewarded. Very good news, the bad news, unfortunately, is that if England had gone out in the humiliating fashion that was deserved, against Slovakia, maybe these guys would've gone back to the drawing board, but these clown teams finishing 2nd and 3rd/4th (France) doing this bull----, may ensure they try it again in '26.

 

In spite of all their talent, France don't really have an outstanding passer in midfield.

 

Pogba was definitely a loss for them and Mbappe said as much (as he said something along the lines there’s no point in him running in behind as only Pogba was making those passes).

Also hurt was the lack of ability by Nkunku to stay healthy.

 

Spain v Colombia in their current form would be a fascinating match.

So glad Spain won today, and it seems insane that just to equal the best run of result for their country they need to win 2026 World Cup AND 2028 Euros.

Whomever manages England next (if it's not Southgate) has to figure out the problem of making Jude/Foden/Saka/Palmer fit on the pitch together somehow and also figure out striker with managing egos or just hoping someone elevates above Kane.

 

I was actually surprised at how "disrespected" Spain was in advance of this tournament. In my smaller soccer group, I won the pool betting on Spain, pre-tournament. For some reason, people did not seem to think that Spain had the chops, and I could not understand from where this idea was coming. England had a FAR easier draw than Spain, and did not look anywhere near as impressive.

 

All the next England manager has to do is insert Palmer into the lineup and they'll be a better team.

 

Spain was also easily the best team in Euro2020 (held in 2021). They outplayed the eventual champions Italy in the semis but lost on pks.

 

Another tournament England loses. Thanks for doing the world a massive favor, Spain.

 

I think it will be either Potter or Pochettino if Southgate leaves.

I also think they need to figure a system with balance and not putting guys in positions which doesn’t take advantage of what they’re good at versus trying to shoehorn in all the big names in a way that doesn’t make sense.

And give guys like Trent Alexander Arnold an opportunity and maybe be a bit less conservative.

 

My daughter moved to London a few years ago and has started to refer to England as "we." As in "we" played really well. It is a terrible thing. I need to find a history book that can remind her about the redcoats and Hessians.

 

The problem is you can really only play two of Bellingham, Foden, Saka, and Palmer. Maybe three if you want to play Bellingham as an 8. Either way a new coach has to be willing to make some tough decisions.

 

Bellingham makes sense as an 8 for England. It is not a bad problem to have too many good players. But an in-form Palmer should be in there for them.

 

I think the biggest mistake was not benching Kane. The guy is still good but Bellingham, Foden and him all occupy the same space and weren't consistently providing options or space for each other. It's a captainship thing, I think, because he clearly didn't have issues dropping other veterans.

I think it is also worth exploring benching Foden or Saka. Both are super talented, but Foden was not effective on the left side, and you've got to figure out how you want to play.

Play Bellingham forward and central like Madrid does -- he's arguably the best player in the world there, so don't move him for Foden -- pair him with Palmer/Watkins and then bookend the wingers with guys who can get the ball to those two to score.

Foden doesn't fit with that gameplan, really.

I mean, look at Spain. Lamal and Williams are skilled but they aren't traditional Spanish guys. They are speedy take-on artists. They have a crafty 10 in Olmo, and they don't even have the strikers England has but they are so much more dangerous because everyone has their place and role. Yes, they also have a better midfield -- and even moreso with Gavi and Pedri, but the attack for Spain was so much better because it is spaced better and has real role clarity, IMO.

 

I think the thing is by playing him at the 8 you’re taking him out the position he plays with his club which he has done at a very high level. Do you really want to do with one of your best player?

Which is compounded by Declan Rice being better as an 8 than as a 6 (which is how Arsenal sees it).