Jonathan Wilson's Blog, page 110
July 11, 2019
Nigeria could claim glory in a Cup of Nations higher on drama than quality | Jonathan Wilson
Nigeria are in the semi-finals of the Cup of Nations. A week come Friday, they could win the trophy for the second time in six years which, given they had won it only twice in the first 55 years of its existence, would be in some bluntly statistical way the most successful period in their history. Yet nobody can seriously believe this Nigeria side to be anywhere near the stature of some of their sides of the past. Nigeria’s record of underachievement in the Cup of Nations always seemed slightly freakish; it may be that this current spell of achievement comes to seem equally weird.
That’s not to say that Nigeria don’t deserve to be in the semi-finals, where they face Ivory Coast or Algeria. After a lackadaisical defeat by Madagascar in the final group game, when qualification had been secured – only their second defeat by African opposition in three years under Gernot Rohr – they have come through dramatic ties against Cameroon and South Africa.
Related: Nigeria into Africa Cup of Nations semis after late winner against South Africa
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July 8, 2019
Brazil break free from the Neymar imbalance to win Copa América | Jonathan Wilson
Brazil winning a Copa América at home cannot be said to be a surprise. They have hosted the tournament five times now and, after beating Peru 3-1 in the final on Sunday, they have won it five times. But to suggest this was some sort of procession, a pacing out of the inevitable, would be misleading, and would ignore why, 12 years after Brazil’s last success in a major competition, this felt so significant.
It is not just that this showed Brazil could handle being favourites, that they did not choke on the expectation as they did so spectacularly in the World Cup five years ago. It’s that they won with a largely modern, progressive style of play and, most importantly of all, that they did so without Neymar. This was a victory for Tite and all for which he stands.
Related: Brazil end Copa América drought with victory over Peru in final
Related: Brazil 3-1 Peru: Copa América 2019 final – as it happened
Continue reading...July 6, 2019
Ricardo Gareca bids to join rare group by leading Peru to Copa América title | Jonathan Wilson
Related: Peru set up Brazil clash in Copa América final after resounding win over Chile
Jack Greenwell was born in Crook in the Durham coalfield in 1884. His career as a football player took in just two clubs: Crook Town and Barcelona. But as a coach he was a visionary, leading Barça for seven seasons before becoming an evangelist for the game in South America.
Related: Lionel Messi accuses referee of Brazil bias after Copa América defeat
Continue reading...July 4, 2019
England's heartache, USA v Netherlands and Frank Lampard – Football Weekly Extra
Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and Chris Paouros discuss the Women’s World Cup semi-finals, the Copa América, Gold Cup, Afcon, Frank Lampard returning to Chelsea and Batman
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We look back at the last few days in football, starting with the end of England’s journey in the 2019 World Cup, at the hands of the United States, the favourites to win Sunday’s final against European champions the Netherlands.
Continue reading...July 3, 2019
What is a foul? Lionel Messi’s anger highlights controversy surrounding VAR | Jonathan Wilson
There was a time before VAR. There may be a time after VAR. But this is the age of VAR and nothing can ever happen but that VAR is central to the discussion. The thought that VAR may end controversy has proved laughably misguided; if anything it has made the controversies worse because incidents that would have been seen as a referee making an understandable call in a difficult situation are perceived as being part of a wider failure of process, which is a small step from all-out conspiracy.
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, Brazil’s 2-0 win over Argentina in the semi-final of the Copa América would have been regarded as nothing more than a hard-fought and slightly fortuitous victory for the home side. The discussion would have been of Gabriel Jesus at last scoring his first competitive goal for his country and of the effectiveness of his link-up with Roberto Firmino, who added the second on the break after incisive and determined work from the Manchester City forward.
Related: Lionel Messi accuses referee of Brazil bias after Copa América defeat
Continue reading...England crash out after shift in tactics and failure to fix defensive flaws | Jonathan Wilson
One of the great puzzles of the World Cup was that England had managed to get through the first five games conceding only one goal. Fluent as they had been at times from an attacking of view, the defence has been a major worry and in the end it undid them against by far the best team they had faced in the tournament.
Steph Houghton’s capacity to pop up with last-gasp interventions has papered over the cracks but goalline clearances are never an effective form of defence for long.
Related: Phil Neville calls for ‘smiles not tears’ after England’s World Cup ends
Continue reading...June 27, 2019
Brazil and Argentina should fear Copa América giantkillings | Jonathan Wilson
Hello nemesis, old friend. For Brazil and Argentina, the Copa América quarter-finals feel as if they are playing out of a series of psychodramas in which they must face both an old enemy and their own greatest neuroses and failings. Paraguay and Venezuela may have nothing like their long-term history of success, but they do have recent history of causing the giants problems.
For the third regular Copa América in a row, Brazil will meet Paraguay in the quarter-final (at the bonus Centenario edition in 2016, neither side made it out of the group.) One is the most successful nation in World Cup history, the other has never got beyond the last eight; one has won five Copas América in the past 30 years, the other has not won it in 40; one boasts as its most-capped player the three-times World Cup champion and Champions League winner Cafu, the other the former Sunderland centre-back Paulo da Silva. And yet Paraguay eliminated Brazil in both 2011 and 2015.
Related: Copa América: where the quarter-finals will be won and lost
Continue reading...June 24, 2019
Cameroon chaos, England's under-21 exit and Buffon to Leeds? – Football Weekly
Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and Tim Stillman discuss England’s win over a fuming Cameroon side, the Under-21s’ early exit, Copa América and the Africa Cup of Nations
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We start with England’s last 16 World Cup win over Cameroon, which will be best remembered for the the furious reaction to two VAR decisions which went against England’s opponents. Suzy Wrack joins us on the phone to give us the in-stadium view of events in Valenciennes.
Continue reading...June 20, 2019
Argentina are floundering and Messi problem is not the biggest one | Jonathan Wilson
The only positive for Argentina, and it is a dubious one, is that it could have been worse. A draw against Paraguay means they will probably advance to the quarter-final of the Copa América if they beat Qatar on Sunday – but there are no guarantees either that four points will be enough even for a best third-placed finish or, on current form, that they will beat the Asian champions. This was an extremely fortuitous point after another dismal performance.
Again, Argentina were painfully disjointed. Again, it was almost impossible to discern a plan. Again, there was little attacking flair and panic at every counter. Little wonder Sergio Agüero and Nicolás Otamendi have gone grey with the stress.
Related: Lionel Messi penalty salvages Copa América point for Argentina
Related: Brazilians are falling out of love with their distant, expensive football team
Continue reading...June 13, 2019
Argentina's chaotic Copa América planning puts Brazil in driving seat | Jonathan Wilson
The hosts are tipped to win the tournament but, as we saw in 2014, the pressure of the home crowd can cause them problems
The good news for Argentina is that Conmebol have handily arranged another Copa América for next year, one they will co-host with Colombia, so the thought that this year’s Copa might be Lionel Messi’s last chance to win a senior international tournament has already been defused. The bad news is that no matter how many new tournaments keep on being invented, it’s now 26 years since Argentina won any of them and it seems increasingly likely that the golden production line that brought five Under-20 World Cups in seven tournaments between 1995 and 2007 and Olympic gold in 2004 and 2008 will remain forever unfulfilled.
Argentina’s preparations have been typically chaotic, almost as though they’re still stunned by what happened at the World Cup when they were beaten 4-3 by France after a fraught group stage from which they only qualified via the implausible medium of a late goal in their final game from Marcos Rojo. When the best laid plans go awry so often, the thinking seems to be, why bother laying them at all?
Related: Japan, Qatar and the history of guest teams at the Copa América
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