The World Cup final is set—and I think we could have had it much worse. Spain vs. Argentina. Two soccer powerhouses, two completely different tournament runs, and two absolutely deserving finalists.There’s also a small consolation for anyone who regularly keeps an eye on the bookmakers’ odds: even the bookies got it wrong this time. In both the semifinals—between France and Spain, and between England and Argentina—they had slightly favored the eventual loser in each match. It shows once again that even the experts don’t always have a perfect nose for the game.Yet the two finalists’ tournament runs were quite different. Spain didn’t look consistently dominant in the group stage, but improved with each round and played some truly thrilling soccer in the knockout matches. Argentina, on the other hand, initially marched seemingly effortlessly through the group stage, but had to push itself to the limit in every single match of the knockout rounds, demonstrating above all tremendous morale and a winner’s mentality.Now the grand final awaits. Will Argentina actually win its fourth World Cup title and become the first nation in a long time to successfully defend its title? Or will Spain remain unbeaten in its 38th consecutive international match and cap off its impressive streak with the World Cup title? The bookmakers see the Iberians as clear favorites this time around. But after the two semifinal matches, we know that even they are occasionally wrong.
Potti’s Playoff Compass
Right after Argentina’s match against England, by the way, I received a sign of life from our former intern in the form of a voice message. It lasted only 12 seconds.
“Argentina didn’t play badly. But if Switzerland had faced Spain in the World Cup final, Sunday would have been much more exciting.” Then the connection cut out. His phone’s battery was probably just as dead as his dashed World Cup hopes.
Yesterday’s Match: England vs. Argentina 1–2
England let their chance to reach the World Cup final slip away at the very last moment. After a largely even first half, Anthony Gordon gave the Three Lions a well-deserved 1–0 lead shortly after halftime. Until around the 70th minute, Thomas Tuchel’s team had the game well under control, defending with discipline and allowing Argentina hardly any clear scoring chances.But then something happened that I still don’t understand or can’t explain… It felt like England completely stopped playing soccer. Instead of continuing to push forward boldly, the team kept falling back further and further, handing possession and the initiative over to Messi & Co. And that came back to haunt them.With five minutes left, Enzo Fernández scored a well-deserved equalizer off an assist from Lionel Messi. England looked completely rattled afterward and could barely get the ball out of their own half. In stoppage time, Argentina finally struck with clinical precision: Once again, Messi provided the assist; this time, he delivered a pinpoint cross to the head of Lautaro Martínez, who headed it in for the 2–1 final score.As bitter as England’s elimination is—the bottom line is that, in my view, Argentina’s advancement to the final is absolutely deserved. Throughout the entire match, the Albiceleste were the more active team. On Sunday, we’ll see a dream final between Spain and Argentina: the reigning world champions against the reigning European champions; the number one and number two teams in the FIFA World Rankings. You can’t really ask for a better final than this.
I’ll be back on Sunday morning with a preview of the World Cup final and a brief recap of the third-place match between France and England (Saturday at 11 p.m.). My prediction for the match: 4–1 for France.
Yesterday’s Match: England vs. Argentina 1–2
England let their chance to reach the World Cup final slip away at the very last moment. After a largely even first half, Anthony Gordon gave the Three Lions a well-deserved 1–0 lead shortly after halftime. Until around the 70th minute, Thomas Tuchel’s team had the game well under control, defending with discipline and allowing Argentina hardly any clear scoring chances.But then something happened that I still don’t understand or can’t explain… It felt like England completely stopped playing soccer. Instead of continuing to push forward boldly, the team kept falling back further and further, handing possession and the initiative over to Messi & Co. And that came back to haunt them.With five minutes left, Enzo Fernández scored a well-deserved equalizer off an assist from Lionel Messi. England looked completely rattled afterward and could barely get the ball out of their own half. In stoppage time, Argentina finally struck with clinical precision: Once again, Messi provided the assist; this time, he delivered a pinpoint cross to the head of Lautaro Martínez, who headed it in for the 2–1 final score.As bitter as England’s elimination is—the bottom line is that, in my view, Argentina’s advancement to the final is absolutely deserved. Throughout the entire match, the Albiceleste were the more active team. On Sunday, we’ll see a dream final between Spain and Argentina: the reigning world champions against the reigning European champions; the number one and number two teams in the FIFA World Rankings. You can’t really ask for a better final than this.
I’ll be back on Sunday morning with a preview of the World Cup final and a brief recap of the third-place match between France and England (Saturday at 11 p.m.). My prediction for the match: 4–1 for France.