OK, I am going to hand you over to John Brewin, who has the MBM for Morocco v Spain over here …
I will see you here again tomorrow. Enjoy the games!
World Cup 2022: build up to the final last-16 ties in Qatar – as it happened
This article is more than 1 year old
- Monday games: Morocco v Spain, Portugal v Switzerland
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Updated
Tue 6 Dec 2022 09.54 EST
First published on Tue 6 Dec 2022 03.04 EST
Live feed
Key events
Fernando Kallas for Reuters has this assessment of Spain’s starting XI againt Morocco which kicks off in about 40 minutes time:
Spain coach Luis Enrique made a surprise change in his team to face Morocco in the World Cup last 16 on Tuesday, starting midfielder Marcos Llorente at right back in place of the injured Cezar Azpilicueta.
That was the only switch from Spain’s normal first-choice starting 11, the one Luis Enrique used in the 7-0 win over Costa Rica in their opening group match in Qatar.
The 33-year-old Azpilicueta did not recover from a thigh injury suffered in Spain’s last game against Japan, and Luis Enrique opted for Llorente ahead of Dani Carvajal.
Winger Marco Asensio will play as centre forward, with Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo in support.
Spain: Unai Simon, Marcos Llorente, Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets (c), Gavi, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio
Jacob Steinberg is in Doha for the Guardian, and reports on the latest situation with Raheem Sterling:
Raheem Sterling will take more time to decide whether to return to Qatar before England’s World Cup quarter-final against France after the burglary of his Surrey home.
Sterling missed England’s victory over Senegal after flying back to the UK due to a “family matter”. Jewellery and watches were among the items stolen at the home of the Chelsea winger, who is understood to have been left “shaken” by the break-in and left fearing for the safety of his fiancee and children.
It remains to be seen whether Sterling is comfortable with returning to England’s World Cup camp. The 27-year-old has been a key player for Gareth Southgate, whose side face France on Saturday night, and has scored 20 goals in 81 caps.
As it stands Southgate must prepare for the task of facing the world champions on the basis that Sterling is not available. However England are not short of options in attack. Sterling has lost his place since the start of the tournament and Southgate has revealed that the former Manchester City player was not due to be in the starting XI against Senegal.
Read more here: Jacob Steinberg – Raheem Sterling to take more time over decision on England World Cup return
Croatia may be heading to their third World Cup quarter-final in their sixth appearance at the tournament, but coach Zlatko Dalic has given it a bit of the old “we’re not worthy” in some quotes for the media ahead of meeting Brazil on Friday. Reuters quotes him saying:
Brazil is the favourite, let’s face it. Brazil is the most powerful and the best national team at the World Cup.
What I’ve seen so far, when you take a look at their selection of players, their quality, skills and value, then it is indeed terrifying.
I think we have a great exam ahead of us, a tough task against the team which plays great soccer with so many good, quality and fast players.
Brazil have self-confidence, a splendid atmosphere in the team, which is visible, as well as top players … However, we will not give in. I think we have nothing to fear
We need to enter the match with much faith, self-confidence and looking for our chances, enjoy the occasion of playing Brazil, that’s it. If only it were the final.
It is a great team, but I believe that we can challenge them, we need to be smart … The match is not 50-50, but we are also not outsiders.
Spain’s players have been looking rather swish in their pre-match walkabout of the pitch at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayya.
There’s a strong fashion element among the fans as well.
Team news: Morocco v Spain
Morocco have never made it beyond the second round before, but come into this game unbeaten and only having conceded one goal. Selim Amallah is in for Abdelhamid Sabiri in the only change to the team that beat Canada 2-1 last time out.
Morocco: Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Nayef Aguerd, Romain Saiss (c), Sofyan Amrabat, Selim Amallah, Azzedine Ounahi, Hakim Ziyech, Soufiane Boufal, Youssef En-Nesyri
Spain are having an odd World Cup, having absolutely thumped Costa Rica to set down a marker, then ended up only narrowly squeaking through their group thanks to that shock defeat against Japan. They are seeking their first quarter-final berth since they won the thing in 2010. Llorente and Laporte are back in the side, but Morata drops to the bench, which won’t do much for his golden boot aspirations. Pedri, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres are also all back in the starting XI.
Spain: Unai Simon, Marcos Llorente, Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets (c), Gavi, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio
The officials today are referee Fernando Andrés Rapallini (Argentina) being assisted by compatriots Juan Pablo Belatti and Diego Yamil Bonfá. The fourth official with that humdinger of a sponsored sign to hold up will be Raphael Claus of Brazil.
At the controls for the MBM action for us is John Brewin …
I’ll be keeping this blog running until kick-off to mop up any other World Cup news as it emerges.
Morocco have arrived at the stadium for their first knockout match in a World Cup since 1986.
Right, Martin Belam back here now. I can confirm this was pretty much what the dog’s face looked like when I dragged her out of her bed out into the cold for forty minutes so I could get a nice cup of gentrified Walthamstow coffee.
We are probably about half an hour away from some team news ahead of the Morocco v Spain clash, which kicks off at 3pm GMT at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan. We are already getting some images through of fans gathering at the Souq Waqif in Doha.
Incidentally the Fifa World Cup website is giving these as “possible starting XIs”, so make of that what you will:
Morocco: Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd, Romain Saiss, Noussair Mazraoui, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofiane Boufal
Spain: Unai Simon, Jordi Alba, Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Cesar Azpilicueta or Dani Carvajal, Pedri, Sergio Busquets, Gavi, Ferran Torres, Marco Asensio, Dani Olmo
What a rollercoaster year Richarlison is having: from almost being relegated with Everton (it was he more than anyone else who helped keep them up, mind), to moving to Spurs and looking like he was going to miss the World Cup through injury, to starring on the biggest stage. If he carries on scoring at this rate, he could be Mbappé’s biggest rival for that shiny collection of golden World Cup gongs.
10/10 - Richarlison has scored as many goals (10) in nine appearances for Brazil this year as he has in 37 appearances for Everton and Spurs. Possessed. pic.twitter.com/M45islBxIA
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 6, 2022
Sticking with the young French superstar, Eric Devin has penned this piece asking whether Mbappé could make a bit of history by scooping all the shiny trophies on offer in Qatar.
Not since Paolo Rossi at the 1982 World Cup has a player won the Golden Ball, Golden Boot and World Cup. Before that only Garrincha in 1962 and Mario Kempes had completed the trio. Now, though, Kylian Mbappé is on course to upend the poor correlation between individual awards and team success. There has been little doubting his talent, especially after he played such an instrumental role in helping France secure the title in 2018, but this season has been tougher for Mbappé, with the sizzling form of Messi and Neymar leaving him a little in the shade.
Hello, Gregg here. I’ll be keeping the blog ticking over while Martin walks his dog. Let’s start by having a look at the race for the Golden Boot. If France beat England, it really does look like Kylian Mbappé will have himself a fancy new golden slipper doesn’t it? He might even have done enough already – five goals has been enough to win it at two of the past five World Cups.
South Korea/Japan 2002 Ronaldo (Brazil) 8
Germany 2006 Miroslav Klose (Germany) 5
South Africa 2010 Thomas Muller (Germany) 5
Brazil 2014 James Rodríguez (Colombia) 6
Russia 2018 Harry Kane (England) 6
Mind you, he still needs another eight goals just to equal the all-time Golden Boot record set by his compatriot Just Fontaine back in 1958, who ended on a ridiculous total of 13. Four goals in the third-place playoff skews that total somewhat though.
John Brewin has put together today’s Football Daily, and has this to say on the topic of Brazil’s dancing:
At previous World Cups, the thought of the Seleção playing their jogo bonito samba-style and other overused cliches in front of empty seats would be unthinkable, but plastic blue lids were freely visible for the 974 BoxPark recyclable stadium’s final stand. But thank Gianni Infantino for the sight of the Seleção playing their jogo bonito samba-style and other overused cliches, to make the Human Rights World Cup feel like an actual real Copa do Mundo. From Leônidas da Silva to Didi, to Clodoaldo to Denilson and his mates juggling to Sergio Mendes in an airport for a footwear manufacturer, Brazil have always brought the moves. “We have 10 different dances,” roared Richarlison at full-time. His goal, Brazil’s third, included their coach, T1te, adopting the John Sergeant/Gregg Wallace dad-dancing role.
Cue furrowed brows from Proper Football Men in the gantry, Roy Keane and Graeme Souness not missing their cue on ITV. In Ireland, another Didi, Hamann, joined in on RTÉ. “The dancing in the first half, and then taking the keeper off,” he wailed, after T1te had extended the party to include third-choice goalie Weverton. The Wev’s second-half arrival meant every member of the 26-man squad has played at this HWRC. But will Brazil still be dancing against Argentina, and before that, Croatia in the quarters? The PFM hope not, after such disrespect to the game. But Gianni’s fun franchise really needs them to keep doing so.
Get the rest of Football Daily here: Brazil bring their dancing shoes to furrow the brows of Proper Football Men
It wasn’t just Brazil’s players who were celebrating their win yesterday – and let’s be honest it looked like Brazil could have pushed on and scored more if they’d really wanted to – but their fans were going wild as well. Here are some of the scenes …
Much debate to be had about Brazil’s dancing celebrations yesterday. TV pundit Roy Keane, from the famously dance-shy Ireland, was among those very vocally thinking it was all a bit much, and disrespectful to a South Korea team who were giving their best in a World Cup knock-out match.
Korea’s goal scorer Paik Seung-ho was pretty relaxed about it though, and has said:
I don’t think it’s a lack of respect. They enjoy that and I respect it. I like it too. They can celebrate how they like. They are great players and that’s the way Brazilian football is: they enjoy it. You have to understand that and enjoy it too. We don’t have choreographed celebrations quite like them but we do have some.
I was just reading my colleague Alex Hern’s TechScape newsletter about “ChatGPT, the viral AI tool that may be a vision of our weird tech future”, and so I thought I’d try it and see if it is near to putting me out of a job yet.
I asked if it could “write a paragraph for a Guardian live blog previewing Morocco v Spain at the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar?”
The computer said it couldn’t really, as “I don’t have information about current events or the ability to predict the outcome of events, such as the results of a soccer match”, but then went on to say “I can provide general information about Morocco and Spain that could be used in a preview of a soccer match between the two teams”.
So here goes …
Morocco is a country in north Africa known for its rich culture and history. The Moroccan national soccer team, known as the Atlas Lions, has qualified for the World Cup on five occasions. Spain, on the other hand, is a European powerhouse in the world of soccer. The Spanish national team, known as La Roja, is a two-time European champion and has one of the best records in international soccer. In a match between Morocco and Spain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, fans can expect to see two teams with very different styles of play facing off on the field.
I mean, is it any less insightful than when I predicted England v Iran would be an unsatisfactory and tense win for the Three Lions in the opening match? Or yesterday, when I suggested Croatia and Japan might serve up “a classic”?
Japan put in one of the worst World Cup penalty shootout performances since Switzerland managed to get knocked out in 2006 by Ukraine without even converting one after the undisputed dullest game in World Cup history. There are some great pictures on the news wires just dropping of Japan on media duties in the wake of it today, with the team not looking anywhere near as dejected as they did last night.
Well, OK, there is some dejection on display there as well.
The English-language publication The Asahi Shimbun is carrying some quotes from the team, in particular from Yuto Nagatomo, the 36-year-old veteran defender who was playing in his fourth World Cup. He told the media:
I want people to give praise to the younger players who fought until the last minute, and to the players who kicked the penalties with courage. I don’t think Japan was inferior to Croatia. Not at all. We fully displayed our strength.
Kaoru Mitoma, who missed Japan’s second penalty, seems to be heaping some of the blame on himself. He said “I am responsible. I caused trouble. I was ready to carry the torch from people like Nagatomo, and I put myself up for the penalty shootout. I thought I was resolutely prepared. But maybe it just wasn’t enough.”
He went on to say “I must become a player who can make the team win. A great player is the one who can perform big at the World Cup and lead the team to the final eight. I will come back in four years and go for it again.”
Portugal’s social media manager is posting relaxed pictures of the squad all smiling in togetherness. Not in the picture: C Ronaldo.
😄🤝😁
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) December 6, 2022
⏳ 𝗣𝗢𝗥 ⚡ 𝗦𝗪𝗜.#VesteABandeira #WearTheFlag #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/7iF8nce9qP
Reuters is carrying a report saying that Moroccans have been flying into Qatar for their team’s knockout World Cup match against Spain on Tuesday even as fans already in the country have been scrambling for tickets, adding to demand for seats in a potential challenge for the organisers.
The last Arab and African side left in World Cup, Morocco has been willed on by some of the most impassioned fans at the tournament, many of whom live and work in Qatar and are hoping to see their team advance to its first quarter-final.
Desperate to attend the match against 2010 champions Spain, more than 1,000 Moroccan fans gathered at the official ticketing office on Monday night. Reuters journalists saw at least two scuffles and riot police deploy as the crowd swelled. One fan said many had left empty-handed.
Some said they had come after seeing social media posts saying the Moroccan embassy and football association would distribute free tickets. Reuters could not reach the Moroccan football federation for comment.
The Moroccan embassy said on Twitter that it had handed out 500 tickets to Moroccans living in Qatar. The Moroccan football team’s official Facebook page had said Fifa had made 5,000 extra tickets available for Morocco fans.
Some have struck lucky, saying they had got tickets from the Moroccan football federation. One of them was Mohammed-Tayyeb Muhyi, who said he got his ticket after landing in Qatar on Tuesday. He said he had neither a flight nor a match ticket 24 hours earlier.
Another Morocco fan, Houda Belkadi El Haloui, who has been in Qatar for three weeks, said she also got a ticket from the football federation after it called her and told her to collect it from a coffee shop.
“I had a chance to get one, but I am very afraid for my other brothers and sisters that they will be blocked outside the stadium. I’m very afraid. I hope the Moroccan supporters will understand that there is a problem … I ask them to stay calm.”
Former England striker Ian Wright has delivered a slapdown this morning for people on social media who have been picking up on former England striker Eni Aluko dropping a maths clanger live on air during the Brazil match last night on ITV in the UK.
I've made countless mistakes live on air. The replies to this are horrible. You man are so pressed by women in football that you take pure pleasure in this. Grow up. https://t.co/QEwMl4ek9Q
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) December 6, 2022
Cameroon soccer federation president and former star player Samuel Eto’o was filmed apparently kicking a man to the ground in an altercation outside a World Cup stadium early Tuesday.
AP report from Doha that Eto’o had paused to pose for photos with fans near Stadium 974 after Brazil beat South Korea 4-1. Footage circulating on social media showed him then reacting to comments by a man holding a camera.
The former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward was initially held back by people in his entourage then got clear and appeared to aim a kick at the man, who fell backwards to the ground.
Eto’o has been in Qatar as president of the soccer federation of Cameroon.
AP say that Fifa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Cameroon federation did not immediately answer phone calls or respond to messages seeking comment.
Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the World Cup, and its government did not immediately respond to questions about the incident.
Some sources on social media are suggesting that the man, who had been filming Eto’o, was an Algerian YouTuber who was attempting to question him about the controversial World Cup qualifier between Algeria and Cameroon earlier this year. After a number of incidents during the second leg of the playoff, Algeria had unsuccessfully appealed for the match to be replayed.
Whisper it, but there are only ten games left of this World Cup. And one of those is the third place play-off that belongs in the dustbin of history. Here are the remaining confirmed fixtures and permutations:
Tuesday 6 December
R16: Morocco v Spain (3pm GMT, Education City Stadium)
R16: Portugal v Switzerland (7pm GMT, Lusail Iconic Stadium)
Friday 9 December
QF1: Croatia v Brazil (3pm GMT, Education City Stadium)
QF2: Netherlands v Argentina (7pm GMT, Lusail Iconic Stadium)
Saturday 10 December
QF3: Morocco or Spain v Portugal or Switzerland (3pm GMT, Al Thumama Stadium)
QF4: England v France (7pm GMT, Al Bayt Stadium)
Tuesday 13 December
SF: Netherlands or Argentina v Croatia v Brazil (7pm GMT, Lusail Iconic Stadium)
Wednesday 14 December
SF: England or France v winners QF3 (7pm GMT, Al Bayt Stadium)
Saturday 17 December
Third place play-off: Losing semi-finalists (3pm GMT, Khalifa International Stadium)
Sunday 18 December
Final: Winning semi-finalists (3pm GMT, Lusail Iconic Stadium)
Xherdan Shaqiri has been dobbing in his teammates ahead of the 7pm GMT kick-off against Portugal later today. Breel Embolo gets nominated as the funniest member of the squad, but also the one who is always late. Ricardo Rodriguez gets slated as worst singer, while coach Murat Yakin is awarded the rating of least funny. Shaqiri was certainly displaying more of a sense of humour in this video than was seen on the field against Serbia, that’s for sure.
Xherdan Shaqiri spills the beans on his Swiss teammates 🤣 #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/rt4ks0cfhQ
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2022
Yesterday it became clear that Saudi Arabia were all set to host the 2027 Asian Cup, after India pulled out of bidding for hosting duties. John Duerden from AP reports some additional details this morning.
Saudi Arabia is set to be officially confirmed as 2027 host in February when the Asian Football Confederation meets in Bahrain. It will be the first time that the country has staged the continental competition.
“People forget that Saudi Arabia has hosted many international events including the 1989 World Youth Cup and three editions of the Confederations Cup,” Hafez Al-Medlej, a former member of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation and the AFC, told domestic media.
“The 2027 Asian Cup will be one of the most successful Asian competitions given Saudi Arabia’s ability to host sporting events and this will show that the country will be able to host the World Cup in the coming years.”
India’s football federation said the Asian Cup in 2027 didn’t fit its strategic priorities. “India has always been a wonderful and efficient host to big tournaments, which was amply demonstrated in the recently concluded FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup,” AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said in a statetment.
“However, the Executive Committee has decided that the overall strategy of the federation currently remains on focusing on the fundamental goals to strengthen our football at every level from grassroots to youth development.”
World Cup host Qatar was awarded the 2023 edition of the Asian Cup after China handed back its hosting rights, citing the Covid-19 pandemic. That tournament is expected to be pushed back to January 2024.
Saudi Arabia are thought to be involved in plans for a cross-federation bid for the 2030 World Cup, with either Morocco or Egypt as co-hosts, or a three-way bid that would involve Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece.
If you woke up this morning with a burning desire to see Jack Grealish and Declan Rice pinging the ball across a swimming pool to each other while just wearing shorts, then today is your lucky day.
Can't get enough of it ⚽️🔥@JackGrealish x @_DeclanRice pic.twitter.com/DqyxFv4Kr6
— England (@England) December 6, 2022
Fifa has highlighted a couple of quotes on their website ahead of the 3pm GMT kick-off today between Morocco and Spain.
It features Luis Enrique, with defeat to Japan clearly on his mind, saying: “If against Morocco we have the fortune to go in front, Morocco will risk it all at full pelt again. We have to show more strength in the moments when the opposition is pressing us.”
And the website quotes Morocco forward Zakaria Aboukhlal saying: “I am very happy to have reached the last 16. We do not want to stop here. We want to go further and, God willing, we will keep going. We are very happy for Moroccan fans. We see many people who came here from Morocco. I would like to thank them.
“I am very happy with the way Arabs here are helping one another. We were happy when Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina. We also felt when we defeated Belgium and Canada that other Arab countries were happy for us.”
Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff agrees to leave post after Qatar failure
Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff has become the first casualty of their first-round World Cup exit in Qatar after agreeing to leave his post two years before his contract ends, the DFB said on Tuesday.
Reuters reports that former Germany international Bierhoff, who had been in his post as team director for the last 18 years, was widely criticised following their second consecutive shock early exit at a World Cup. His post was concerned with the public relations aspect of the team as opposed to coaching responsibilities.
“Oliver Bierhoff has won a lot of merits for the DFB,” said DFB president Bernd Neuendorf in a statement. “Even if the last few tournaments lagged behind the sporting goals that had been set, he will be associated with big moments.”
Bierhoff played a part in helping Germany win the last of their four World Cup titles in 2014 and Neuendorf said his efforts would not be forgotten.
“He will always be linked with the World Cup success in Brazil,” he added. “Even in turbulent times he always followed goals and visions.”
Germany crashed out of the group stages at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and failed to advance past the round of 16 at Euro 2020. They will be hosting the next European championships in June and July 2024.
Jacob Steinberg is in Doha for the Guardian, and today he has tackled the subject of England’s teenage sensation – Jude Bellingham:
He was outstanding when England beat Iran in their first game at the World Cup, opening the scoring with a beautiful header, but he was even better against Senegal. It was Bellingham who carried England when they went through a rocky period during the first half against the African champions. He whipped up the fans, urging them to make more noise. He won back possession. Eventually Bellingham drove through the Senegal defence and calmed England’s nerves by setting up the opening goal for Jordan Henderson.
It was ridiculous. At one stage Bellingham picked up Harry Kane and told the England captain to put a missed chance behind him. This is not normal teenage behaviour. English football loves its mavericks but Bellingham does not really fall into that category. He is on the path to superstardom but there is no sign of the fame going to his head. It is rare to see him lose his cool on the pitch. He focuses on making the team better and lets his talent create the headlines.
Read more here: Jacob Steinberg – Jude Bellingham: England teenager with maverick gifts but a steely focus
Morocco will be hoping for more scenes like this later today.
Achraf Hakimi gives the best hugs after a win 🤗 #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/EH9QURkM0t
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2022
Speaking of Lionel Messi, Reuters has a report from Melbourne this morning that Australia midfielder Cameron Devlin did not play a minute of the World Cup but left Qatar with one of its biggest prizes after exchanging jerseys with Argentina’s number ten after their round of 16 match.
Devlin, who plays for Hearts in Scotland, swooped after the Socceroos were knocked out 2-1, with Argentine talisman Messi scoring a goal in his 1,000th match.
“I went on and consoled all the boys first and then shook Messi’s hand,” Devlin told reporters at Sydney airport after arriving back from Qatar.
“No one had said anything so I just tried my luck and he said, ‘I’ll see you inside,’ and that’s what happened. (I wanted) one of the other boys to have the opportunity first, but no one took it, so I thought why not?” said the 24-year-old Devlin.
“I don’t know if (mine) will be on his wall at home or maybe still on the ground in that changing room but I’m not fussed – it’s more that I got his. I was surprised he even took mine. He definitely wouldn’t know who I am, but he’s a nice enough bloke and a humble enough bloke to still show that respect.”
Argentina will be back in action on Friday, in a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with the Netherlands, which will evoke memories of the 1978 final at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Former England defender Anita Asante writes for us today that Lionel Messi is thriving off the responsibility of creating a fairytale World Cup swansong:
It’s almost like he has a gravitational pull and he himself has a gravitational force, pulling and twisting and managing the movement of the ball like it’s a part of his orbit. He has such a continuity in his movement when he’s on the ball, when he’s dribbling with that close-ball control with such effortless grace. His first touch, which is nearly always sublime, means he doesn’t ever give you an inch of space. Often as a defender you’re counting on putting pressure on at the first touch, if it’s a poor touch you have a chance of stopping them. However his first touch is often so good that defenders are stopped dead in their tracks, and he’s able to just skip by them.
One of the only ways to defend against Messi is to do it in numbers. I would want to pull in the defenders around me, drag my wing-back in, have my centre-back close to me, maybe my deep-lying central midfielder offering support and focus on trying to get in the way of those passing lines that he so often finds. But the problem is that he also thrives in those situations. He sucks players towards him. He wants three or four players swarming him with pressure and when that happens he finds the pass. He knows where the space is, he knows where his spare man is, and he’ll find him. If it’s not that, he’s drawing the foul and then we all know what he can do with a free-kick.
Read more here: Anita Asante – Messi is thriving off the responsibility of creating a fairytale World Cup swansong
You were probably off doing something fun, but straight after Brazil’s domineering performance against South Korea yesterday, we locked Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertson, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan and Ben Mabley into the Guardian Football Weekly pod until they had properly discussed it for your further delight. You can listen to the episode here …
Preamble
We now know that one side of the draw pits the Netherlands, Argentina, Croatia and Brazil together, while the other features France, England, and whoever comes out on top of today’s two games, which look set to be very entertaining.
Morocco face Spain at 3pm GMT at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan. Spain’s boss described losing to Japan in the group stages as “a punch in the face”, so heaven knows how Luis Enrique would take a defeat to his country’s African neighbours. Loyalties will be tested in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta that sits at the northern tip of Morocco. For their part, it is Morocco’s second ever trip to the second round, and their coach Walid Regragui is bullish about their prospects. “Why shouldn’t we spring a surprise?” he asked the media yesterday.
The Cristiano Ronaldo soap opera rolls back into town for 7pm GMT, where Ronaldo + Portugal face Switzerland. The Swiss emerged from their group after a fiery encounter with Serbia which saw Fifa open more charges against the Serbs amid some ugly scenes from Serbian fans. Switzerland haven’t graced the quarter-finals since hosting the tournament in 1954. Portugal’s coach Fernando Santos said he can’t guarantee Ronaldo will be captain today, and he’ll decide his team when he gets to the stadium. Which sounds … sub-optimal.
Join me for the buildup to all that, plus the fall out from yesterday’s penalty shootout horror show for Japan against Croatia, and Brazil’s “stop, stop, he’s already dead” moment against South Korea. I’ll probably mention England as well along the way. Do drop me a line at martin.belam@theguardian.com