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False Asunción

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 Hands up who saw that coming? Exactly. If there was going to be a surprise last night, I'd have expected Japan to deliver it, not Paraguay seeing off Germany on penalties. In fact if you'd told me that was going to happen, I' have assumed you'd spent longer in the sun than Shearer and Mowbray clearly have. Did they run out of factor 50 or what?

Japan started the night off vs Brazil. Their football is so neat, tidy, progressive and well-organised that I had a feeling they would go far. But the canary squad came on strong and ultimately deserved their late win. Japan's confidence seemed to drain as the night went on. Vinicius Jr was particularly lively and almost scored what would have been goal of the tournament. On paper the tournament will be better off for Brazil still being in it. But there's more to come from Japan. There is something pure in their stated ambition to have it won by the year 2050; and they seem to have a style, structure and culture where that might just work. Certainly they seem less reliant on individuals than nearly every other team in the tournament.

The main course of the night was Germany v Paraguay; and it is easy in retrospect to forget how awful the first half was. The match momentum chart looked like it had glitched. All Germany, and the Paraguay opener seemed to occur in a momentum vacuum. But as the second half progressed, it became clear something could be afoot. Paraguay seemed to flick into 'take this to pens' mode, and it was brilliant to see. Sitting deep. Fouling with no pretense at doing anything but fouling. As we entered extra time, things got more and more desperate and blatant - it was an object lesson in South American disruption football. If Musiala could time his tackles, he'd have definitely got a red for his attempted revenge, had he connected as he wanted. They were rattled. The rest is now history and the aura that surrounds the German team is surely now shifting. No last 16 for three World Cup tournaments in a row now.

I was asleep for Netherlands v Morocco, but the highlights showed that to be an absolute belter, and Morocco looked like deserving winners of a game that could have finished 5-4. The penalty shoot out was blessed with another Arsenal player fail. We love one of those (except for Rice, Eze, Saka, Madueke until August, please).

Now I'm settled into Ivory Coast v Norway. Close battle. England tomorrow, and here's hoping we follow the Paraguayans and have a national holiday granted if we progress...


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