top of page
Search

Joy for Xavi's Barcelona, USMNT's Redemption, and Italy's Recurring Nightmare

Writer's picture: Tristan FiguerasTristan Figueras

Hello and welcome to Early Doors Football! Quite a lot has happened since I wrote a general news article, so there is plenty to discuss. While I think I cover most of the blockbuster topics, there are certainly some things I left out. If you want to hear my thoughts or discuss anything not brought up in this article, shoot me an email or make a comment and I will be happy to get back to you. With that said, let’s take a look back at the shocking result of one of the biggest games in the world, El Clasico!



Barnstorm at the Bernabeu


On March 20th, the world surrounded their televisions to watch Barcelona take on Real Madrid. Despite Barca being in good form, Real were still considered the favorites by the majority. Coming off their unbelievable comeback against PSG and sitting top of La Liga, they looked like formidable opponents.


Xavi had different plans. Barcelona started the match strong, and in the 29th minute, Aubameyang converted a cross from Dembele. 1-0 quickly became 2-0 when Araujo rose highest on a corner kick. Carlo Anchelloti and his men returned to the locker room bamboozled, and unfortunately for the Madrid fans in attendance, they came out in the same fashion. Ferran Torres and Aubameyang added to the tally in the first 6 minutes of the second half, which allowed Barca to cruise through the rest of the match. It was a truly remarkable display from the Blaugrana, while Real were left to take a long hard look at themselves. Xavi is really showing his tactical prowess, as he nullified Madrid’s attack completely. This is the kind of game that can be a turning point for a club long-term, so I think we may look back in a year or two and pinpoint this match as the moment Barcelona began to reestablish themselves as a dominant force in Europe.


On the flipped side, Real Madrid have had a reality check. It is worth noting Benzema was missing from this match, so that undoubtedly affected them heavily. Something that was concerning, even ignoring the scoreline, was the way in which Ancelloti looked to cope with the Frenchman’s absence. Rather than slotting in another striker, he went with Luka Modric as a sort of false nine, which obviously did not work. When Real Madrid pressed, Kroos and Modric formed a two to lead the press, but it left a lot of space for the rest of the midfield to cover. Of course the likes of Jovic and Mariano could never fill the boots of Benzema, but it would have allowed Real to remain in their usual shape. The backline was left horribly exposed, which could have Tuchel licking his lips as the Champions League quarter final is around the corner. Madrid will still waltz to the La Liga title, but this match serves as a reminder to Real Madrid that they still have some frailties that can be exposed.



USMNT Book Their Ticket for Qatar


Despite a poor qualifying window, the United States did enough to qualify for the upcoming 2022 World Cup. A 5-1 win at home to Panama proved vital, as the USMNT drew and lost to Mexico and Costa Rica respectively. In my view, these matches left a lot to be desired. While the result against Panama was fantastic, I was really disappointed with our performances in the other two matches. In fairness, the Costa Rica match was essentially a friendly, as the Central American side needed a 6-0 win to change the finishing order. They certainly fought harder than we did, and deserved to win the match 2-0.


I was more concerned with how we played against Mexico. From what I could gather, the fans had very different opinions on how good we actually played, but regardless, I was not happy with the 0-0 result. Looking at this in the most basic fashion, we should be disappointed to not win, due to the fact Pulisic and Pefok missed two glorious chances. Looking deeper, I just think we were far too passive, particularly in the second half. While I absolutely agree that we needed to stay resolute at the back, we reverted to a 5-4-1 midway through the second half, with no intention of going forward. With the attacking talent we have, there is no reason for us to not AT LEAST make a concerted effort to counter attack. Additionally, Mexico was nowhere near their best. On multiple occasions, we were able to win the ball back high up the pitch, so I think we should have continued to press in a similar fashion, at least early in the second half.


At the end of the day, we qualified, and that is what mattered. It would have been a travesty if we missed out for the second time running, so I am relieved and excited that I will get to watch my country at the World Cup this November. While I admittedly have my doubts about our long-term future with Berhalter in charge, now is not the time for harsh criticism. Following the World Cup draw, we have slotted into Group B alongside England, Iran, and the winner of the final European playoff (One of Wales, Scotland, and Ukraine). I think this is a reasonable group for us, but I will give more in-depth thoughts in the future.



Italy’s Nightmare Returns


Unlike the United States, Italy shockingly missed their chance to return to the World Cup after missing out in 2018. After finishing second in their qualifying group, they had an opportunity to redeem themselves through the playoff system. The Italians were set to face North Macedonia, which on paper, was a very straight-forward game. As the game continued to tick by, Italy could not convert any of their chances, despite having boatloads. In the end, they racked up an astounding 32 shots, but none hit the back of the net. North Macedonia defended resolutely, and in the second minute of added time, scored a long range goal to break the hearts of Italy.


In the aftermath, Roberto Mancini has confirmed he will be continuing as their manager. As odd as it may be, considering it is a catastrophe for Italian football, I think it is the right decision. Mancini has transformed the way the team plays, and while it is inexcusable for such a high quality team to miss the World Cup, I think the result against North Macedonia can be considered unlucky. I will be intrigued to see how the Federation reacts and looks to improve, in order to ensure such a dire error does not happen again.


Well that is all of the news I wanted to cover today! I very much look forward to analyzing the World Cup, so there will be many articles on the tournament as it gets closer. As always, there is a plethora of news and I cannot cover it all, so feel free to leave a comment or send me an email and I would be happy to discuss. Thank you for reading, and have a fantastic day!


16 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Yorumlar


bottom of page