Here we go again! The quadrennial celebration of all things football that unites the world. A beacon of all things great in the world where billions of people excitedly gather to watch sporting history.
Sadly this time around, the only thing the world is united on is a feeling of meh. There’s no debate to be had, this stinks. The corruption, the sportswashing, the human rights. It stinks for the players - what should be their crowning professional achievement and all they’re hearing is they’re either saying too much or not doing enough. It’s a no win situation. And in that vein, I finish the final episode of FIFA uncovered on Netflix and take 3 showers and hunker down to try to just focus on the football. After all, this is what it’s supposed to be about, so let’s make a start on this blog to take our game back!
It’s been an eventful 4 years since last time. Certainly the last host venue didn’t age well….dang, focus on the footie… let’s talk Gareth. This might be a continuation of the feeling of meh. Amazing gradual progression in major tournaments has been forgotten on the back of a long winless streak and a defence including Harry Maguire who despite becoming a professional internet meme, doesn’t have a viable replacement to put him out of his misery. But, hope springs eternal. As I try to figure out who is going to win groups including Spain & Germany, and France & Denmark, it’s clear that England have a very winnable group. With the preparation run up to the start of the tournament being shorter than Sepp Blatter’s list of life regrets, a team playing themselves into form during the group stage will surely be the profile of the successful team, and England have a great chance to do that. They also have an equally plausible chance of failing to score against an Iranian defence which was miserly in qualifying, and freezing under pressure against the US and Wales who will be fired up to beat their over-hyped opponents. Here’s hoping for the former.
The other thing working in England’s favour is the volume of distractions off the pitch. Usually we’d be subject to extensive analysis of England’s failings, Phil Foden’s WhatsApp messages, or Jack Grealish’s pre match partying. So far Ronaldo is England’s player of the tournament, taking away the tabloid column inches with his Man Utd hissy fit. Well played Ron!
And that’s about it for now. Ready to get started… Panini album slowly inching towards completion, with my boys still desperately seeking Jordan Pickford (let’s hope he turns up both figuratively and sticker-wise), winter World Cup schedule has been entered into the work calendar (week one being a holiday week here in the US certainly giving us something to be thankful for!), and wallchart has taken pride of place.
Let’s just hope FIFA disappear into the background… although I have about as much confidence on that as Grealish might now have on securing his pre-match vodka.. as I sign off, a last minute beer ban and Infantino’s cry for help as a repressed ginger. Oh my.
It all leaves me thirsty for more. More football, less FIFA. Let’s play.
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