2025 Champions League (semifinals)

Arsenal 0-1 Paris St-Germain

Paris St-Germain 2-1 Arsenal

Arsenal was on fire earlier in this tournament, but PSG cooled them off right quick. In two games, Arsenal's attack was non-existent, only a single late goal on their tally sheet. PSG was the better team on both sides, controlled the ball, controlled the tempo and rather easily won both of these matches. Good games but PSG was the clear better team in both matches. 

Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan

Inter Milan 4-3 (ET) Barcelona

Whoa! I spent a week telling my soccer-phobic friends that if they were only going to watch one soccer match this year, it should be that first match between Barca and Inter. Now I've got to implore them to watch TWO games this year because that second match was even better! Inter opened the scoring in the 1st leg with a masterful opening rush that started with them getting pushed back to their own goal line, then punting to midfield, connecting on a quick pass, a swift push up the wing, which led to one of the loveliest (cheeky!) backheel goals I've ever seen. So, the first minute of the game pretty much got you ready for a barn burner. The next 219 minutes were pretty good, too! Coming in I thought Barca was the best team in the tournament, but Inter has really impressed me. Inter's attack is strong, their defense is holding up and they ran past the best team, so they are a deserving finalist. 

Final

PSG - Inter Milan

Gonna be a good one. PSG has the star power but Inter just keeps getting it done against top flight competition, so I'm going with Inter.

2024 Copa America (Final)

Argentina 2-0 Canada

Okay, I will try to say something nice about Canada: their transition defense is actually pretty good, that is their ability to go from defense to offense had Argentina on their heels early on in this match. Argentina could only probe so deep, but when they lost possession, Canada was quick to put pressure on Argentina's goalie. (Okay, done with that) But Canada couldn't score and--let's be honest: the first time Argentina got anywhere near Canada's goal, they scored. Argentina didn't dominate the match so much as they got their early lead, then just ran the clock out. The second goal wasn't even necessary, just a bonus. Kudos to Canada for getting this far, a nice deep run in a world class tourney like the Copa is a good thing (I sure wish USA, for example, had done it); but I'm not ready to anoint Canada as the next great world power of soccer. They've got nice athletes, they push the ball forward with a quickness and...well, that's about it. Good for you, you did better than us. 

Uruguay 0-1 Colombia

In keeping with what the Copa has been so far, this was a very chippy match, both sides squawking and chirping from beginning to end (and, well, even beyond the end as some of the Uruguayan players went into the stands to fight with the crowd--not a good look, guys!). This was the first match where it really stood out to me that they were playing on a (American) football field rather than a proper soccer pitch (has that been the problem all along with this tourney?). Everything seemed very narrow, all the action compressed and built around running lanes instead of vast wide openness on both sides. I thought Uruguay had the best possession and generally had the better chances (though Colombia missed two wide open looks late that would've sealed the victory) but they didn't finish their best looks and they're going home. 

Final

Argentina - Colombia

This is the best non-Brazil match up that could've been put together, so the Copa looks like a success. Argentina is in a groove. But they aren't necessarily great and that groove could be a rut that just hasn't been challenge by worthy competition. The man of the competition (IMHO) so far as been James Rodriguez--that guy has been great! Best team versus best single player--throw in a potato and you got yourself a stew! Looking forward to this, I expect this to be (of course) a very chippy game, curious to see how the ref comes out of the gate. Argentina is the better team but if they strut around, they will get stung. But if they score before halftime (I think they will), the 2nd half might be a rock fight for the ages. Yeah, this is gonna be a tough one, no matter how you slice it. I got Argentina, I think they're the best and they will bring it. 

2024 Copa America (Quarterfinals)

Argentina - Ecuador

I've been impressed with Ecuador, they hold well in the midfield, not intimidated on defense and they've got real scoring punch up front. Argentina is arguably the favorite from here, but I think Ecuador makes them work. I'll go with Argentina, but I can see this going to Extra Time, possibly PKs.

Venezuela - Canada

Canada is lucky to be here, while Venezuela has been murdering people. I expect this one to be over by halftime, Venezuela should win rather easily. 

Uruguay - Brazil

Ohhhhhhh, this'll be a good one. Brazil still looks so fluid in possession, but hasn't looked all that great at goal scoring. Uruguay is downright feisty, won't be afraid of Brazil at all and can definitely hang at both ends. I'll go with Uruguay.

Colombia - Panama

Well, Panama isn't that great, they just found the sweet spot of USA's weakness. As for Colombia, they look pretty damn good and I think they're gonna destroy Panama.

2024 Copa America (after 2 games)

Group A

Peru 0-1 Canada

Rather even match between two so-so squads, Canada got the late goal off a nifty breakaway, but honestly that was really the only noteworthy moment of the whole match. 

Chile 0-1 Argentina

Felt bad for Chile's keeper: one moment of chaos during a corner kick shortly before the final whistle and he goes out with the L even though Chile dueled Argentina nicely for (almost) 90 full minutes. Seriously: Argentina's keeper had to work a lot harder than Chile's for the most part. These might be the two best teams in the tourney, but Argentina got the W and Chile did not.

Which game to watch next? The winner of Chile-Canada moves on to the next round (Canada benefits from a draw), whereas Argentina is in and Peru is out.

Group B

Ecuador 3-1 Jamaica

Ecuador is a spicy little number, for them to buffalo their way through Jamaica's beefy backline multiple times is impressive. Jamaica has no offense at all but that defense is stout, so for Ecuador to touch them up three times is noteworthy. Not sure if Ecuador will be able to hang with Brazil or Argentina, but I can see them ripping right though USA or Mexico.  

Venezuela 1-0 Mexico

Very chippy match, don't know what happened between these squads but they were talking shit and delivering cheap shots all the way through. One of those rare matches where I kinda felt sorry for the ref, who had to play the role of babysitter for 90 minutes. Mexico has a real scoring problem, they're good on D and strong in the midfield but around the goal, they don't look scary at all. They even missed a PK and several chances in the last 10 minutes or so (furious action down the stretch). Are they in a funk or is this who this team is now? Venezuela is a nice team, got the PK they needed (the correct call) and secured this victory after stealing a W from Ecuador. So far, so good for them, not sure they're this good, but we'll see. Curious to see if Mexico can find their scoring touch, if not they'll be bounced right soon. 

Which game to watch next? Ecuador-Mexico will be a good one, Ecuador has the upper hand (and I think is the better team), so Mexico has one last chance to pull it together. Venezuela is on to the next round and Jamaica is heading back to their beautiful home.

Group C

Panama 2-1 USA

Ouch! This one hurts. USA had a goal taken off for offsides (the right call) early in the match, felt like we'd get another one and we did--but only after Weah was sent off for a red card (bonehead play, man, the guy was trying to get under your skin and you let him do it). Even though we were a man down, we still had the lead and it felt like we were in good shape. But Panama tied it up rather quickly on a nice rip from the top of the box (it didn't feel like it was going in, but it eluded the keeper). Even though Panama out-fouled USA by a wide margin, they didn't receive their equaling red card until after they'd taken the lead. I didn't think the ref was interested in a USA victory and I wonder why they only added 4 minutes even though there was a goal, a red card, numerous subs and an extended replay on a bogus penalty call--dude, they added 6 minutes to Venezuela-Mexico and nothing happened in that game! But, to get down to it: USA had a stupid and damaging red card, sloppy play from the goalie (really should've had that second goal) and the defense just couldn't hold its shape. There's plenty to complain about but USA had their chances, they were still the better team, and they couldn't keep Panama out of the goal. Panama played the chippy game and it worked for them.

Uruguay 5-0 Bolivia

(Didn't get to see this because Fox pre-empted it for the presidential debate. Ugh! The problem with Democracy is it just leads to elections)

Which game to watch next? Well, I'll be watching USA-Uruguay no matter what, but we need Bolivia to have a strong performance against Panama (eh, could happen), to give the Americans a chance to move on. Uruguay is already in, perhaps they mail it in and give the USA a real chance to get a good W (eh, could happen).

Group D

Colombia 3-0 Costa Rica

Yeah, Colombia was just better than Costa Rica, who clearly played their best possible match against Brazil and is probably saving their next best effort to score a big W from Paraguay.

Brazil 4-1 Paraguay

Brazil has been scuffling lately (5-4-5 in their last 14 matches) and they actually started kinda slow here, missing a PK and hitting the crossbar at point blank range. But once they found the scoreboard, it was all Brazil after that. Paraguay's goal was a lovely strike early in the 2nd half but they couldn't muster more than that and the game was already by then anyway.

Which game to watch next? Brazil-Colombia will be the fun one, especially since they both seem to have found their mojo. There is a chance that Costa Rica sneaks past Brazil, not likely but it does suggest Brazil needs to bring their best game (which I think they will). Brazil-Colombia is gonna be a good one, maybe even an all-timer.

2024 Euro Soccer (Round of 16)

Switzerland - Italy

You wanna say that Italy is the better team, but I dunno, Switzerland has some decent shot creators up front and while Italy is a nice team, they haven't blown me away. This one's a tossup, I'll go with Italy.

Germany - Denmark

Denmark is fine, Germany is my fave to win the whole tourney. I'm going Germany.

England - Slovakia

England has more talent and should be the better team side, but Slovakia is wily, sturdy in the back, this is a tossup.  I'll take England (in PKs).

Spain - Georgia

Spain is second only to Germany, Georgia is probably the 16th best team remaining. Gotta go with Spain.

France - Belgium

Interesting match. France strikes me as not as good as they should be, Belgium has felt that way to me for a while now. France is probably the better team and the more grounded team, but Belgium still has a ton of talent and can score goals. This feels like PKs, so I'll go with Belgium.

Portugal - Slovenia

Portugal looked so much better than everyone else in their group that it's actually hard to tell how good they are. Slovenia is fine but Portugal should take them.

Romania - Netherlands

Two pretty good teams, I feel like the Netherlands is bringing more goal scoring, gotta go Netherlands. 

Austria - Turkey

I kinda like Austria, whereas I thought Turkey got further on luck than on skill. Gotta go with Netherlands. 

2024 Copa America (after 1 game)

Group A

Argentina 2-0 Canada

I was relatively impressed with Canada's defense, they did a pretty good job of keeping the Argentines bottled up around midfield and brushing aside their attempts to go through or over their back line. Canada even had a coupla nice counters, too (not enough....but some), though their finishing skills don't seem to exist. Only a matter of time before Argentina scores, right? Yup, early in the 2nd half they hit pay dirt, then flat fucking dominated the possession for the rest of the game, kinda felt sorry for Canada's goalie (actually he was pretty great, not that anyone would notice). They tacked on another one late--you knew that was coming--but if Canada had avoided the first goal, at least the 2nd half could've been more exciting. Argentina may well be the favorite in this tourney, Canada may well be the worst team in this tourney (but played okay in the opener), I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that way.

Peru 0-0 Chile

It felt like Peru was maybe half as good as Chile, but since Chile was only playing with half-effort, it made for an even match. I liked Peru's effort but Chile's talent was clearly better. And yet, Chile's lack of intensity marks them as a team I don't have much faith in. I don't see either of these teams beating Argentina and I can see both of them beating Canada, so, in short, I got nothing out of this game in terms of projecting either of these teams.

Group B

Ecuador 1-2 Venezuela

Ecuador lost a man to red card (gnarly play, I would've redded him, too), but managed to take the lead before the half. Venezuela was better in the 2nd half and were able to net two goals to move on. Not the most overwhelming performance against a 10-man team, but Venezuela got the win, can't front on that. As for Ecuador, well, they were probably the better team and maybe we'll see in their next game or.... I dunno, maybe not. Venezuela eventually looked like the better team but it took a while and even then they were playing against a side that was a man down. I thought both of these teams were just okay.

Mexico 1-0 Jamaica

Tough result for Jamaica, I thought they defended really well. Mexico's goal was a piece of chaos that swung the Jamaican defense from side to side but they only lost shape for a second (that's all it took). Otherwise Mexico had trouble getting looks or even looking all that dangerous around the goal. Also, Jamaica scored a banger of a goal (that was a nasty pass!) that got waived for offsides (close but the right call). Jamaica played hard but couldn't get the result, Mexico was okay but got the joy from their one good chance. Jamaica has a good defense that may well stand up against Ecuador and Venezuela, but I'm not sure they get wins, more likely just draws. Mexico should find more opportunities against their South American counterparts, I think I'd go with Mexico to win this group.

Group C

USA 2-0 Bolivia

USA fairly well dominated but seemed only mildly dangerous around the goal. Pulisic scored on a lovely little looper from the corner of the box around 2 minutes in. Balogun added another before halftime (nice finish). Otherwise, I found USA to be competent on offense but not all that effective getting forward, though I liked bombing the defenders up the sideline; I fear for the counterattack, but we're gonna have to score to win, so might as well as risk it. And Bolivia was just not very scary at all, good enough to parry our attack but I never worried about them scoring. USA was fine, hate to complain about a relatively dominant 2-0 win, but I was hoping for 3-0 and it felt like we could've gotten it and just didn't, hope that doesn't come back to haunt us. USA plays Panama next, never sure what to make of them. Bolivia plays Uruguay and I can't imagine they'll get a positive result. 

Uruguay 3-1 Panama

Uruguay pretty well dominated the 1st half but they only scored once, a nice rip from the corner of the box (a lot like Pulisic's goal, actually). But I thought Panama outworked them after halftime. After a few decades of casual CONCACAF watching, I would dub Panama one of those trick-or-treat teams: some years they're pretty good and other years they are fucking awful and I have no idea what makes them good or not good, so you never know what you're gonna get with them (Jamaica, too, always has good athletes and sometimes their athletes are pretty good at soccer and other years....they're not). So in the 1st half, I just thought Panama sucked. I can't recall how many times I muttered, 'what the hell was that?' when, after a nice string of passes, someone boots the ball out of bounds 20 yards downfield. So many crappy passes that I just assumed this was a suck version of Panama. So I was kinda shocked at how good they were for about 30 minutes or so coming out of halftime: they connected on passes, moved the ball convincingly upfield, got good looks on goal and were legit flustering Uruguay's defense. But around the 80 minute mark, Panama ran out of steam. Even when they did maintain possession, their creativity would vanish and they just had nowhere to go. It wasn't a shock that Uruguay eventually scored another goal late--the shock was how bad Uruguay was for most of the 2nd half: they were chasing the ball, they never developed much control at all and were dictated to by Panama in a way I wouldn't have thought possible based on the 1st half. But they added another garbage time goal so the scoreline looks more like what it should have, I guess, but, man, Uruguay did nothing for long stretches of this game. As for Panama, will they get walked over by USA (like the 1st half) or will they stiffen and push the Americans backward (like the 2nd half)? I'm not sure and even though I'm pretty sure the Americans are better, the next match could go either way. Uruguay should handle Bolivia easily, but USA will be a challenge is they play as lackadaisical as they did here. 

Group D

Colombia 2-0 Paraguay

Yeah, that's about right. Colombia was just better than Paraguay, though my gut feeling is that Colombia didn't play their best game, they were better in possession and on defense, never really felt like Paraguay was going to score. Colombia was, let us, say casually dominant, but I'm curious to see them against Brazil and Costa Rica. As for Paraguay, I think they're going to struggle going forward, hard to imagine them coming out of this group.

Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica

Wow, this was maybe the most captivating scoreless draw I can remember. Brazil dominated possession--dude, I'm fucking positive that Costa Rica never even touched the ball in the 1st half!--and yet, they never seemed particularly dangerous around the goal. Well, save for the goal they scored that was waived off for offsides (hmmm....didn't look off to me and there were curiously few replays considering how long they were looking at it), but otherwise, Costa Rica was stout in the back. So is Costa Rica this strong (at least on defense) or did they just play their best possible match? (Not sure) Did this Brazil side come against a strong game plan or do they have trouble scoring? (I'm inclined to go with the former more than the latter, but we'll see). This is the most interesting group, I'd say.

2022-23 Champions League Final

Manchester City 1-0 Inter Milan

Very defensive game, not a lot of chances on goal for either team, got really chippy in the 2nd half. I thought the ref lost control in the 2nd half, let both sides get physical and he started making random foul calls instead of clamping down. But this was the right outcome. 

Coming in Man City was the better team, they had the better run and though Inter fought their way to the Final, I thought Man City would win in a tight one and they did. The goal was a bit of brilliance in a long stretch of weirdness in front of the goal, but man for that bullet shot to find its way through the crowd was amazing. 

Nobody dominated, there was no clear MVP and even saying Man City was the better team is pretty minimal. Inter's best chances came in the heavy-chaos time after Man City took the lead and it made for a fun watch but not a lot of goals. 

I kinda still think Real Madrid was (or should've been) the best team but Man City choked them out in the semifinals and that can't be ignored. So Man City was truly the best team throughout and this was the right result. Inter had a good run--and beating AC Milan along the way must've been a dream come true.

Great W for Manchester City, your 2022-23 champs. 

2023 Champions League Quarterfinals (1st leg)

Benfica 0-2 Inter Milan

Benfica felt like the stronger team in the 1st half, though both teams seemed roughly equally dangerous around the goal. But Inter was able to find the goal soon after halftime and really changed the shape of Benfica's attack. Inter got a late PK to pile on that I thought was flaky: yeah, it hit the defender's hand but I didn't think it was that meaningful, especially considering that the ref chose to neglect a physical challenge in the 1st half that would've given Benfica penalty. I don't find Inter to be wildly better than Benfica, but hard to go against them heading back home with a 2 goal advantage. 

Manchester C 3-0 Bayern Munich

Man City was just better all over the field. Bayern is in a weird place: they're still solid but they're not as dominant as they've been for the last decade or so, they panic-fired their new coach (which I thought was not necessary) and they no longer look untouchable in the Bundesliga. I still say they're one of the finer teams in Europe but trying to come back 3 goals down against Man City is gonna be tough (whereas I would've given them a puncher's chance in the Lewandowski days). If Man City gets a goal, I don't see how Bayern can even get lucky in the return match.

Real Madrid 2-0 Chelsea

Real Madrid was more comfortable in possession, more dangerous around the goal, and once Chelsea went down a man, their counter attack chances faded badly. Chelsea didn't get rolled but it never felt like they were in this game. Chelsea needs their best game of the year to move on--not impossible but Real looks too good right now. 

AC Milan 1-0 Napoli

Napoli's possession was better but Milan's counter attack (particularly in the 1st half) produced a slew of good scoring chances. Napoli was probably the better team and I wouldn't be surprised to see them have a stronger result back at home, but Milan was more dangerous around the goal (they may regret not adding a second goal).  This one is still up in the air, I can totally see Napoli rocking Milan in the 2nd leg.

2022 World Cup

France 4-3 (PKs) France

Weird game, probably the most lopsided 3-3 tie I've ever seen in any sport. Put it this way: France had 3 goal scoring chances and they scored all three of them, while Argentina had four million chances and scored three of them. Mbappe had a hat trick and came up big when the time was right, but Messi controlled the game and moved the ball forward for 120 minutes. Argentina more or less dominated the first 70 minutes or so, then France got a PK and a quick follow up (mirroring Argentina's scores from the 1st half) and the game got tight. But, even still, Argentina was the better team, had the better midfield control and was more dangerous around the goal. 

Fun game, the last 40 minutes or so of game time was gripping stuff, but Argentina was clearly the better side throughout and Messi the indisputable MVP.

2022 World Cup (Semifinals)

Quarterfinals

Brazil 1-2 (PKs) Croatia

Brazil really let this one slip away. If they had put their effort into a for-real half court offense, controlling possession and pushing toward a ball control attack, I'm frickin' positive they would've scored goals. This would've left Croatia no hope but a searching counterattack, which I just don't think would've worked. Brazil scored first in OT but they couldn't parry the final Croatian push and then missed PK after PK (which is pretty un-Brazil, no?).  Croatia is a nice team, loads of veteran savvy and pride and while they don't have the depth of talent that Brazil possesses, Croatia was able to put together a cohesive game plan and Brazil didn't. 

Netherlands 2-3 (PKs) Argentina

Thought it was notable that all that Dutch youth wilted in OT and the Argentines dominated the attack late. Felt like the Dutch had their chance to establish the tempo early (nope) and still they could have come on late (got an equalizer, but I was thinking of a game winner or at least a dominant possession attack), but they didn't do either of those things, nor did they do anything in OT. So Argentina is moving on, the veteran savvy still getting it done (though I'm still dubious of how good they actually are). 

Portugal 0-1 Morocco

Not the most exciting game. Morocco got their goal (nice header off a long cross) and they made it hold up. I thought Portugal was old and that Morocco was underrated and that's how this match played out. 

France 2-1 England

Man, France was the better team with the deeper talent but England had their chance to extend the match but Harry Kane missed a late PK (ouch, that one's gonna hang in English lore for a long long time) and France is moving on. France has so much talent all over the field, Mbappe still has another level to get to (watch out, Morocco!), and that offense can score a ton real fast. France is the best of the remaining sides, not a slam dunk, but I'd say they're the team to beat. 

5) Brazil (this is disappointing, this team could've won it all and they didn't even score on Croatia in 90 minutes nor did they keep their advantage or shine out in PKs; Brazil has been weird for, like, 20 years now, they still got the talent, but are they ever going to find the coach that pulls it together?)

6) England (loaded with stars (but is that the same as 'talent'?), feels like they had a disappointing run but I'd say top 8 is a pretty good result; this could be one the old head teams in 2026)

7) Netherlands (good young squad, definitely could've bested Argentina, they just didn't; I'm guessing they'll still be good in 2026)

8) Portugal (one last run with the old guard, feels like this team will totally different in 2026)

Semifinals

Argentina - Croatia

Two oldhead squads that shouldn't have made it this far--and one of them is to going to the Finals! I dunno, man, this match could go in any direction, I can see either team getting hot and winning big, I can see either team stealing it late, I can see either team winning in OT or PKs. This one is wide open, I suspect the Man of the Match will be someone unpredictable. 

France - Morocco

France is the better team, Morocco's goalie has really been kinda great so far, if he can keep them in the match, then Morocco can certainly pull off the upset. But I don't think that happens, I think (unlike Brazil), France will concoct the proper game plan and will execute it to victory. Feels like France might drop bombs on the Moroccans late, we'll see, but this could an onslaught for the French.

2022 World Cup (Round of 16)

Netherlands - USA (The Dutch have the pedigree but USA is producing players now that don't know they're not supposed to win; Netherlands is nice but not that great and they're coming in with the expectations; we'll see; I'll take USA (but obviously because I'm a homer))

Argentina - Australia (I thought this Argentina side might be too long in the tooth to get it done and when they got stung by Saudi Arabia in the opener, it felt like the end was neigh; but they're righted the ship and look pretty damn good again; Australia, on the other hand, is big and tough with not a lot of skill on the ball; I'll take Argentina)

France - Poland (France looks good, Poland looks okay; France has world class talent on the bench, Poland has Lewandowski up front; France is the better team but if they falter and Poland can get the ball forward, this has upset potential; but I'll take France)

England - Senegal (Senegal isn't bad while the English aren't as good as they think they are; this is toss-up, the English probably fancy themselves the favorite but I'm not sure; I'll take Senegal)

Japan - Croatia (Croatia is another team that looks old to me, Japan is sneaky and they just keep working; Croatia should have more talent, but that might doom them; I'll take Japan)

Brazil - South Korea (I like South Korea but they're not Brazil; I'll take Brazil)

Morocco - Spain (Hey, man, Morocco has played well to this point, but they may have just been in a disappointing group; Spain has moments of looking like the old magic, but I feel like they haven't played a complete game yet; I'll take Spain)

Portugal - Switzerland (I think Portugal played above themselves in group, I can see them crashing back to earth at some point; on the other hand, I don't think Switzerland has enough spice to really put in on them; I'll take Spain)

Bottom 16

17) Tunisia (man, they were good, thought they'd advance, kinda surprised they didn't; really solid on both sides)

18) Cameroon (beat Brazil, competed well against weird Euro squads, little more luck and they could've moved on)

19) Ecuador (good scorers, they were dangerous, just got unlucky down the stretch)

20) Germany (fell asleep against Japan, got lucky against Spain, finally busted out at the end of the Costa Rica match; flashes of German-ness but not enough to get it done)

21) Uruguay (still kinda scary up front, almost made it through; didn't love them but they weren't bad; last rodeo for the Suarez-Cavani combo, I presume)

22) Costa Rica (weird run, not a bad team but never got going) 

23) Saudi Arabia (beat Argentina, didn't do much else, but they beat Argentina)

24) Iran (gave away the first match but still played hard for two games; strong turnaround)

25) Mexico (just couldn't score, never seemed dangerous around the goal)

26) Ghana (nice team but didn't make the most of their chances; really should've been better, which is kinda promising)

27) Serbia (weird team, weird energy, weird group)

28) Wales (one PK was almost enough to fuck up the World Cup for USA, but otherwise they were non-existent on the pitch)

29) Denmark (I dunno, they did nothing)

30) Belgium (my pick to win it all, biggest disappointment of my lifetime; these guys sucked when they could've won the whole thing; something is seriously wrong with this team)

31) Canada (Yeah, outplayed Belgium for 90 minutes (well, 89 minutes an 55 seconds) but two games later, that seems like a major disappointment instead of a rallying cry; Canada was never particularly good on either side)

32) Qatar (Oh man, they sucked at everything! Shocking, too, because I thought they'd be kinda good and...they were not)

2022 World Cup (after 2 games)

Top tier (France, Brazil)

These two are gonna be hard to beat. Right now, I'd say this is your final (or semifinal, at least). 

Pretty good (Ecuador, Senegal, England, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal)

I was impressed by Ecuador's scoring ability, they are legit dangerous around the goal. Likewise with Senegal--that's gonna be a good match! Winner is in, loser is almost certainly out. 

England must have felt pretty good about putting the wood to Iran (who looked listless in that match), but must've felt pretty awkward about their lackluster draw against USA (thought USA was better but they each walked away with a point). Will there be nerves against Wales? I doubt it but they could really use the W. 

I wasn't sure what to expect from Spain and while I was reasonably impressed with them running it up against Costa Rica, I took that result with a grain of salt. They were better than Germany and if they'd held on to the W, they'd be riding high. As it is, they look good to move on but they need a positive outcome with Japan and that won't be a gimme. 

Switzerland showed off a solid defense against Brazil and pretty good offense against Cameroon. They need a positive result against Serbia to move on, so what's their plan? I think they're a solid team but they'll need to take control to be dangerous going forward.

Portugal is already through to the round of 16 and they look pretty good, but I haven't been blown away by them. Not sure if they'll bring maximum effort against South Korea.

So far so good (Netherlands, Iran, Poland, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Costa Rica, Croatia, Morocco, Cameroon, Serbia, Ghana)

Netherlands are nice, not blowing me away but they're on their way to the next round. 

Iran has had a rugged run in this tourney, reflecting the political unrest back home. Their performance against England is arguably the worst anyone has played so far. But they bounced back with a good W against Wales and are staring down a win-and-in match against the great Satan (well, I don't know that USA is that great). Iran's legacy has the widest variance at the moment, they may look back on the 2022 World Cup with great pride or great shame. We'll see.

Poland is nice, competent, the more they get the ball to Lewandowski the better off they are. Not completely sold on them but any team with Lewandowski has a shot at moving on. 

Argentina's opening L to Saudi Arabia will go down as one of the great upsets of all time in the World Cup group phase. But they righted the ship against Mexico--well, sorta: two moments of brilliance netted them two goals but honestly the other 89 minutes were pretty even. My initial thought was that Argentina was the team that brought the old squad one year too long, but it could be that this Mexico crop is just kinda disappointing. I'm not sure I'm in on Argentina just yet, it is very possible that they are too old. 

Saudi Arabia snuck two quick goals (both beauties, incidentally) to shock Argentina, so this team has pretty much already earned a lifetime of blow jobs regardless of where they go from here. These guys are playing on house money, not sure if they're any good at all.

Japan is a nice squad. When they tied up Germany I thought they earned their draw, but when they got that 2nd goal, I was impressed at their ability to stand up to a (hmmm...."better"....let's say "more talented") side. I thought they were merely unlucky against Costa Rica and now even after a full-on shocking upset, they're still playing for their lives against Spain. They'll need another big steal to keep going.

Costa Rica got shell shocked by Spain, but I think they just had a bad day (I like Spain but even I was like, 'they're not this good'). They rebounded nicely against Japan and have to face a German side that's been backed into a corner--a match that will be a fun one because both teams got nothing better to do than fight to the death. (I can totally see Costa Rica sneaking through)

Croatia is another in the 'are they too old?' discussion. I haven't made up my mind. They looked sluggish against Morocco and exposed Canada as possibly the worst team in the tourney. So are they any good? Will Belgium finally show up and play or can Croatia go ahead and make their plans for the round of 16? Not sure. 

Serbia is nice but let's be honest: they're Poland without Lewandowski and that's not so sexy.

Morocco, Cameroon, Ghana: three African representatives have had good moments and bad moments. They've shown that they can hang and possibly score, each of them has a solid W. Not sure which ones move on, though. 

Lucky to still be alive (USA, Mexico, Denmark, Tunisia, Germany, South Korea, Uruguay)

USA played well against Wales and England but couldn't outscore either opponent, now they must--MUST--beat Iran to move on. I think the Americans are in the top 16 but we'll see if they actually make it. 

Mexico just doesn't have much scoring threat in that lineup, which is odd because they're always kinda spicy. They should beat Saudi Arabia but they need to score some goals (and get lucky) to move on. 

Denmark just couldn't find the goal against Tunisia (who isn't bad) and got beat by a better team in France. They've got to beat Australia, which they are capable of doing, to move on. 

Tunisia is a hard working side but I'd be shocked if they got a worthwhile result against France. Nice team but not superlative. 

Germany got unlucky against Japan and lucky against Spain. I don't recall ever seeing a German side that needed "luck". Where is this team? They've clearly got the talent but they have yet to pull it together. 

South Korea is a nice team, though not particularly dangerous up front. I wouldn't be surprised to see them snag a W against Portugal but that might not be enough. 

Uruguay just couldn't take control against Portugal or South Korea and I don't see them beating Ghana, either. There's always at least one team that brings their old stars back one time too many, looks like Uruguay could be one of those teams. 

Not good (Australia, Belgium, Wales)

Australia is like bigger tougher Canada: they play hard but they're just not particularly good at soccer.

Belgium was my pre-tourney pick to win it all and...uh...that ain't happening. They had one brilliant moment against Canada and made it hold up (got lucky many times in that match) but never did anything at all against Morocco, who legit outplayed them for 90 minutes. Belgium is still alive but unless DeBruyne and Wittsel get it going, this team will be one of the biggest disappointments of recent years.

Yeah, yeah, I get it: it was a penalty, there's no overturning that call. (*) Fine. But getting fouled in the box that one time is all they've done in this tourney so far. 

Bottom of the barrel (Qatar, Canada)

I was surprised how bad Qatar was, they looked pretty good to me in last summer's friendlies, but, man, they stink at everything.

Canada outplayed Belgium for about 89 minutes and 55 seconds but couldn't find the net and then just ran out of gas after an early strike against Croatia. Canada has never been particularly good at soccer, just being here is their peak. 

(*) All I'm saying is Zimmerman was playing the ball, while Bale was just looking for a foul. Not overturning the call, I get that, but it was a lame play. 

2022 Champions League (Round of 16, 2nd leg)

Bayern Munich 7-1 (agg 8-2) Salzburg

Obviously, Bayern is the better team but Salzburg played so well in the 1st leg that it made the return match interesting...but that didn't last long. That first PK was a legit call and the match was probably over 10 minutes in. But that second PK was a lame call--and not clearly a penalty anyway--and to fall behind by two goals so quickly was the backbreaker. This was followed by one of the weirdest goals I've ever seen and it was was clear that Salzburg was in for a flogging. When Bayern added another goal before halftime, well, the second half was hardly worth watching. Bayern added another goal early in the 2nd. After that there was a long stretch where Salzburg played well and looked good on the attack (though the ref did them no favors) and poked in a goal, but, come on, man, Bayern was barely paying attention and when they did wake up, they knocked in a coupla more goals on the way out. A laugher early and pretty much all the way through. No one is shocked that Bayern is moving on. 

Liverpool 0-1 (agg 2-1) Inter Milan

I expected Milan to bring it and while they were better than the 1st leg, I thought Liverpool played better, too.  Liverpool hit the post a few times and were just generally more dangerous around the goal. Back and forth action but only the one goal (outta nowhere, too, a lovely rip that knuckled away from the keeper) and though Liverpool wasn't able to find the goal this time, that 1st leg was enough to get it done. 

Real Madrid 3-1 (agg 3-2) Paris St. Germain

Wow...fucking wow. Just when this match felt like it was wrapped up, Karim Benzema (for my money the only guy besides Modric that did anything for Real all day) scores a 15-minute hat trick and Real is moving on and PSG is fighting amongst themselves. Weird game. PSG dominated the 1st half and then clearly felt asleep in the 2nd half when Benzema started wrecking shop. Real is loaded with stars and they got the hat trick they needed, but PSG was the better team for 85% of this match up, so feels like we got robbed even though it seems like the better team won.

Manchester City 0-0 (agg 5-0) Sporting CP

(Didn't watch, seems like I didn't miss much)

Manchester United 0-1 (agg 1-2) Atletico Madrid

I always forget how much talent Man U has and early on in this match they casually dominated possession and really looked good on the attack. But, they never got any better than just looking good. And when Atletico found the goal right before halftime, it kinda felt like the game was over (...and it kinda was). Atletico is good and Man U is still just so disappointing. 

Ajax 0-1 (agg 2-3) Benfica

Fun game. Man, Ajax played hard all the way through, very aggressive on-ball defense, flying all over the place, desperate to score but they just never found the right opportunity. Benfica broke through on a corner and that was all it took. A little surprised Ajax couldn't find the goal--they played so hard!--but both teams were pretty even throughout both legs, so this is a reasonable result. 

Juventus 0-3 (agg 1-4) Villareal

Close game until it all kinda fell apart for Juve. Villareal got a PK (50/50 call, ref let it go live but I wasn't surprised when he called it on the replay). Juve's best bet seemed to be to get their own PK but the call just never came (yeah, Juve was quick to flop in the box, probably wore out their chances to actually get a call). Then Villareal scored on a corner and then another PK and it looked like a rout when really it was just a burst of awesome in an otherwise pretty even game. Villareal was the better team all in all, they felt more dangerous around the goal and just a more consistent attack. 

Lille 1-2 (agg 1-4) Chelsea

(Didn't watch, caught the highlights, looked like Chelsea was the better team as in the 1st leg)

2021-22 Champions League (Round of 16)

They had to re-do the draw but here's the official matchups when Champions League returns in February. I'm ready to go now, but 6 more weeks of NFL action will be a nice way to kill time til the real soccer comes back. 

FC Salzburg v Bayern Munich

Sporting CP v Manchester City

Benfica v Ajax

Chelsea v Lille

Atletico Madrid v Manchester United

Villareal v Juventus

Inter Milan v Liverpool

Paris-St. Germain v Real Madrid

2021 UEFA Nations League (semifnals)

Okay, I'll be honest: I have no idea what the Nations League tournament is, but this is a brilliant final four, so I'll take it.  This is an in-between World Cups filler event, I suppose? Doesn't really seem necessary as all the continents have tourneys in the interval, but whatever, more top level soccer is fine with me. Two great games, looking forward to two more.

Italy 1-2 Spain

Both teams started off this match in full-on defensive mode, felt like not much was gonna happen. But that dissipated pretty quick when a beautiful cross (breathtaking! Kelly to Reed, Aikman to Irvin, Brady to Moss kinda shit!) found the goal and it was on. Spain connected once more in a lovely series of passes that ended with a killer header back across the goal right before halftime. I thought Italy kinda dominated after halftime but they were only able to cut the lead in half (on a killer breakaway). Hey, man, great game, glad I stumbled on to this. 

Belgium 2-3 France

Unlike the first game, this one was wide open chaos from the get-go. Belgium found the goal first when the keeper got caught leaning the wrong way (like a baserunner getting picked off of first). Belgium connected again right before halftime on a nifty move by Lukaku to get himself open at the goal. (One could argue that the keeper probably should've saved both goals but I'd say the first one caught him off guard and the second one had some serious power on it at point blank range, neither of them were as easy as they may have looked sitting on your couch at home) Mbappe came alive in the 2nd half and found Benzema in the box, who had a perfect off-balance lefty touch in traffic, to get on the board. Then Mbappe scored the PK that tied it up (gotta say: didn't look like foul to me at first but the replay was clear that it was the right call). Lukaku had a goal waived off for off-side late (brilliant finish but he had a step on the defender, didn't he?), then Pogba doinked one off the crossbar soon after, then after all that France found the goal with a nice run up the right side leading to a cross to the other side of the field, which caught the defense all out of shape and that led to the game winner. Started crazy, ended c

crazy, good stuff in between. Another fun game.  

2021 Gold Cup (final)

Mexico 0-1 (OT) USA (117th)

Fun game! Good back and forth action all the way through . Kinda what I thought it would be: Mexico was more confident in midfield and got to goal more regularly, but their chances weren't really any better than the USA's. USA was getting quality rather than quantity, but I still expected quantity to win out in the end. Around the 70th minute, Mexico kinda slacked, USA finished strong but couldn't find the goal before OT. I thought Mexico kinda dominated the 1st OT period then kinda disappeared in the 2nd OT. 

Set play from about 40 yards out, nicely dropped at the spot, Robinson got up, caught the keeper out of position and guided it home in the 117th minute. Nice finish. Hey, I thought the Americans were capable of stealing it but until the 2nd OT, I still expected Mexico to figure it out. 

Good W for USA. This isn't their top squad, still a level up this team can go. That may well be true for Mexico, too. I thought they handled themselves well, the relationship between USA-Mexico has always been based on the border: games in USA tend to see the Americans winning, games in Mexico City are just death to the Americans, as brutal a homecourt advantage as any I've ever seen (think Duke at Cameron Indoor against non-conference opponents). I would've thought Vegas was kinda neutral territory at this point, but USA stayed with it and got the late win, always nice to bring home the trophy. 

I think both these teams are gonna be strong next year in Qatar. The world is a suddenly weird place, USA challenging at a World Cup is not something anyone's ever seen before, I wonder if we're there yet. Ditto for Mexico, they compete well internationally but seem to sputter in the same spot, weird world, man, a bust out Mexican performance might be on the horizon. 

I feel like Mexico and USA have been through a weird reality the last 15 years or so: the individual talent keeps getting better and is vastly better compared to 15 years ago but the team play is not any more cohesive or threatening or likely to win games. I understand that the rest of the countries of the world are going through a similar thing but I still feel like USA and Mexico are positioned to develop more talent at a more reliable pace than any other country (until China figures it out). But why doesn't that translate to more wins? Why doesn't that evolution of talent bring a similar evolution of successful application of talent? What is USA soccer missing? And can Mexico significantly challenge for a World Cup before USA? Qatar is the next place we'll find out.

2021 Gold Cup (semifinals)

Qatar 3-2 El Salvador

2 mins in El Salvador has an unfortunate giveaway in the midfield, offense turns to defense, Qatar has two guys going forward, they cross up the defense, leaving a lane for a 3rd guy streaking through, who gets himself all alone inside the box and finishes a nice rip past the diving keeper. A few minutes later, Qatar scored from 20 yds out (one of those cold blooded upper 90 shots you'd see in old Brazil highlight videos), just nasty, just completely outta nowhere, gets himself a bit of space and rips the upper 90, just a thing of beauty. El Salvador was shellshocked and Qatar just took it to them for about 60 minutes and when Qatar goes up 3-0 on a PK early in the 2nd half, El Salvador finally woke up and balled out for the last 30 mins. Fun game! El Salvador gets on the board in the 63rd min, after a nice overhead pass sneaks inside the offside trap and the dude up front got a nice shot and he ripped it. A coupla mins later, they came right back down and drilled another and it was a game for a while.  The Salvadorans had the tying goal waived off for offside (correct call), but they attacked and made it a game. But that first 60 mins, man, Qatar looked like a hit squad. 

Honduras 0-3 Mexico

Yeah, Mexico was just better. They attacked better, defended better, countered better, controlled better...they were just better. It was only a matter of time before they found the goal and when they did, they piled on quick and were up by 3 goals at halftime. The 2nd half, as you might imagine, was a snooze. I watched Honduras in the group play and they looked all right to me, so I'm thinking Mexico is really rounding into shape and is planning on winning this Cup. 

Costa Rica 0-2 Canada

Canada looked in control in a way that Canada normally does not, but I suspect Costa Rica is not at their best. Canada is a nice squad but I don't think they're gonna give Mexico much of match. 

USA 1-0 Jamaica

Jamiaca always has blazing speed and good athleticism and they used both in their full court press that kept the Americans on their heels for long stretches of the match. I thought USA countered it pretty well, held possession and moved forward effectively and for the most part kept Jamaica away from scoring chances. When USA finally got the lead in the 2nd half, they held it by maintaining effective possession down the stretch. I know that this is not USA's 1st team, I'm not sure if the other countries brought their A-team or not. This feels like a good W for USA.

Semifinals

Qatar v USA

If Qatar comes out blazing the way they did against El Salvador, USA is gonna be in some trouble. And they might still be. As dominant as Qatar was in the 1st half of that quarterfinal, I thought they whiffed on a lot of good chances...so are they the kinda team that whiffs a lot or are they they kinda team that gets up early and then farts around? I dunno. I would suggest that USA not find out. I think USA bunkers in, counters to a fast break offense, and generally just tries to keep Qatar away from goal. I could see a match where Qatar dominates possession, only for the Americans to steal the game late with athletic play...or I can also see penalty kicks. I'll take USA 1-0 in regulation (but its anyone game in OT).  

Mexico v Canada

Mexico is built for tournaments like this, Canada has already looked better than I've ever seen them in my life. Could it be that Canada is ready to announce itself in the Gold Cup world? I doubt it. I'll take Mexico 2-0. 

2021 Gold Cup Quarterfinals (predictions)

Qatar v El Salvador. Uhh....no idea. Qatar (the 2022 World Cup host) is a team worth getting to know, you will definitely see them next summer (next summer?) at the World Cup. But I didn't see any of their group games, so I got nothing. El Salvador seems like a pushover squad, but they've always got one pain in the ass dude that will steal your game if you left him. So I'll go ahead and say El Salvador 1-0. 

Mexico v Honduras. This one should be fun. I caught Mexico's draw with Trinidad (even contest, both teams had chances and whiffed) and Honduras 3-2 Panama was a fun one, lots of action all over the field. Over the years, as I've gotten ever more impressed with Mexico's on-field talent, I get less impressed with their overall team play; the steady accretion of talent has yet to make the team overall better (just like USA). Mexico is surely the better team at probably just about every position, but I doubt the talent gap is wide enough that Honduras can't snatch a W. I'll take Mexico but I expect this to be an old fashioned tussle. I'll say Mexico 2-1.  

Canada v Costa Rica. Canada's talent has steadily developed over the years but Canadian soccer has never struck fear into anyone. Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe, Suriname and Jamaica to get here, not the most overwhelming lineup but they knocked down everyone put in front of them. I gotta go with Costa Rica 2-0. 

USA v Jamaica. Like Mexico, USA had steadily improved its soccer development infrastructure over the last 20 years but I don't feel any grand shift in strategy or tactics, if the talent is so much better, why aren't we seeing it on the field? Jamaica always has speed and surprise but USA should be able to outlast them. I'll say USA 1-0.

(*) Pretty basic observations. I watched all the USA group games and a handful of others, but I'm not back on my soccer game just yet. How is World Cup '22 going to happen? Is the Sport schedule back on track...or did I celebrate prematurely?

2021 Euro/Copa Finals

Peru 2-3 Colombia

Fun game! The danger here was that either Colombia would mail it in or that Peru just wouldn't be up to putting on a show. Neither of those scenarios came to pass, although it took Colombia a while to get going. Peru was up 1-0 at halftime because they were able to stretch Colombia's defense out of shape and took advantage with a sick strike the keeper couldn't get to. Colombia, on the other hand, could not find its way through Peru's defense in the 1st half, but stepped up their game after halftime. They tied it up early on a sweet free kick from about 25 yards out (just snuck through the wall, man) and took the lead after a brilliant kick out pass from goalie to forward. Peru snuck in a corner late, felt like PK's were coming. But Colombia connected on a brilliant rip from outside the box in extra time, to steal the W. Great finish to a really fun game. The 2nd half was non-stop action, lot of good rips on goal, some good saves, too.  

Argentina 1-0 Brazil

Compared to the 3rd place game, the Championship seemed rather subdued. Both teams played well but both defenses really kept the danger at bay. Except for one play, when the Brazilian defense got beat over the top by DiMaria, who had way too much time and space to leisurely float it over the keeper, neither team really came close to cracking the backline. Oh, a moment or two here and there (Brazil had a goal taken off for offside--the correct call--and Messi had a wide open look late that he just fell asleep on), but considering the sheer amount of hall of famers on the field, there was surprisingly little danger and it never really felt like anyone was gonna take control of the match. Not surprised that one goal is all it took, but the play itself was a weird brain fart of the Brazilian D, in an otherwise air-tight match. 

England 1-2 (PKs) Italy

Wow! What an opener for the English, barely even settled into their seats and they score on their first possession, while the Italian defense is still getting warmed up. The rest of the 1st half was a bit of a snooze, England kept trying to establish control, Italy had a coupla so-so chances. England scoring so quick, though, pushed Italy into hero ball much earlier than they had anticipated, which I thought made the 2nd half kinda exciting. England didn't attack much, Harry Kane, for example, I thought was mostly invisible. That could be because the Italian back line was outstanding (long a wall of Draymond Greens!) or it could be because England was just half-assing their way to OT. The PK's did not go well for England, but that's just how PK's go, man, the trick is to not be in the situation. Both teams played well throughout the tourney and the Final was a good one. Great win for Italy! 

2021 Euro/Copa Semifinals

Brazil 1-0 Peru

I thought Peru kinda sucked, a little surprised Brazil was only able to score once on them. And I thought the ref was favoring Brazil, too, so it was a strangely amazing performance for Peru to not get slaughtered. Brazil is better at every position, this was never really much of a match. 

Italy 2-1 (PKs) Spain

I thought Spain was generally the better team, more dangerous around the goal and seemed more comfortable in possession. Italy's goal was a nice one, caught the keeper in no man's land and punished him, but even then I figured Spain would still score and they did. Once it goes to PK's, it's anybody's game and Italy is moving on. 

Argentina 2-1 (PKs) Colombia

Fun match. I was impressed with Colombia, they did not shy away from the Argentines and really seemed to enjoy taking the physical game right at them, even though Argentina scored quick and seemed to secure the game right away. Both teams had good chances, though Argentina missed on a couple that would've really haunted them if they failed to move on. But Argentina is moving on, so no harm done. 

Denmark 1-2 (OT) England

I thought England was the better squad and this was the right result. But Denmark had their chances and that game-winning goal was a rebound off a saved PK--inches away from Denmark making it to penalty kicks. Good match, Denmark hung in there but I thought England was the stronger attacking side. 

Good weekend of soccer ahead--and the Gold Cup starts Saturday!

Peru v Colombia

I gotta take Colombia. This could be one of the classic trap games: Colombia left it all on the field against Argentina and doesn't care about 3rd place, while Peru feels like they underperformed against Brazil and wants to make the most of their remaining shot at a South America power. (You see that in college football all the time: a team thinks they've got a shot at a championship, suffers a bad loss late, then mails it against New Mexico State in the Car Care Bowl and everyone forgets that they actually had a good season)  But I don't see it here. I think Colombia is really much better than Peru, wouldn't be surprised to see a decisive scoreline in this one. 

Argentina v Brazil

(Man, who would've guessed...?) This is a classic Brazil side in that they are so wildly talented that they don't even seem all that interested in winning. This Argentina side, on the other hand, seems kinda old to me, like it's gonna take all they got to get past Brazil. This should be a good one simply because I think Argentina is gonna be fighting til the last second and Brazil is so casually awesome that they still might previal. I was gonna go with Brazil, but I think I just talked myself into Argentina. They don't do extra time in the Copa, would not be at all surprised to see this go to penalty kicks--and to be a super exciting shootout at that. 

Italy v England

The English are the home favorites and they have generally looked better than everyone they've played so far. Italy is the sneaky underdog--not a place the Italians often find themselves--that outplayed the #1 Belgium but then looked lackluster against a rather overrated Spain. I think Italy plays a good game, keeps it interesting throughout, but I'll stick with England to pull it out late. This'll be another good one!