Jonathan Liew's Blog, page 24
July 9, 2024
De la Fuente salutes Lamine Yamal’s ‘touch of genius’ and ‘insatiable’ Spain
Luis de la Fuente reflected on Lamine Yamal’s “touch of genius” in one breath, and then in the next eulogised about the “26 geniuses” he had at his disposal. On one point, however, he was more than clear: as his Spain side marched into the Euro 2024 final, to face either England or the Netherlands on Sunday, there is more to come from them.
“Insatiable,” was how De La Fuente described a group of players who arrived in Germany perhaps a little under the radar, but have grown and improved into the tournament. “This may surprise you more than it surprises us,” De La Fuente told the assembled media after beating France 2-1 in Munich. “We knew the raw materials we had. We knew the quality of these footballers.
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Lamine Yamal’s wonder goal leads Spain past France and into Euro 2024 final
Maybe this is how new empires rise. Out of the ruins of the old, with fresh visions and fresh blood, a supremacy that creates its own logic as it goes, until it begins to feel inevitable. Spain have taken the hardest possible road to Berlin, conquered Italy and Croatia and Germany and now France: their longest winning streak since 2010, a first final since 2012, and perhaps the strongest indication yet that this is a team worth remembering.
Indeed to anoint Spain as worthy finalists is to damn them with crushingly faint praise. In a way they have made this tournament, perhaps even saved it: shown that amid a fatberg of low blocks and tired, malfunctioning attacks it is possible for football to express as well as extinguish. Their women are already world champions and on Sunday the men have a chance to emulate their model: a little craft, a little graft and just a sprinkling of magic.
Continue reading...Euro 2024: semis arrive with Spain v France, plus England and Netherlands news – as it happened
On the other hand, Spain have been the most exciting team left in the tournament. The winger duo of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal have gone viral for their skills, dance moves and now their baby photos?
France’s top goalscorer so far is Mr Own Goal. The only goalscorer on their team is Mbappé who scored his spot kick against Poland in the group stage. Maybe we’ll see a return of the forward’s World Cup final spirit in the game tonight.
Continue reading...Euro 2024: semis arrive with Spain v France, plus England and Netherlands news – live
On the other hand, Spain have been the most exciting team left in the tournament. The winger duo of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal have gone viral for their skills, dance moves and now their baby photos?
France’s top goalscorer so far is Mr Own Goal. The only goalscorer on their team is Mbappé who scored his spot kick against Poland in the group stage. Maybe we’ll see a return of the forward’s World Cup final spirit in the game tonight.
Continue reading...Kobbie Mainoo has quietly solved England’s age-old midfield problem | Jonathan Liew
Teenager has played with uncanny maturity and offers the sort of control on the ball that has long eluded the team
Hang on, roll the tape back. Play it again. Shock as Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford left out of England squad. England players using £421 smart ring to boost Euros hopes. Fury over Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer comments on podcast. Some men throw beer cups at Gareth Southgate (and miss). Jude Bellingham in hot water over “obscene gesture”. Nineteen-year-old runs England midfield in first international tournament. Bellingham fined over “obscene gesture” but escapes ban. Southgate hits back at critics. Southgate fumes over tactical “leaks” in media.
Did you spot it? Did you need another look? Like the famous viral video of the moonwalking bear, there are times when it’s easy to get lost in the noise, in the distractions, to follow the loose threads, and ignore something quite unusual happening right in your field of vision. Like Kobbie Mainoo, who in the time it took you to read this paragraph has already played three passes and slipped down the defender’s blind side to make himself available for the return.
Continue reading...July 8, 2024
England are somehow one game away from the Euro 2024 final – Football Daily podcast
Max Rushden is joined by Barney Ronay, Jonathan Liew and Jonathan Wilson to preview the semi-finals, including England v Netherlands
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On the podcast today; England are somehow within one game of the Euro 2024 final. It’s Gareth Southgate’s third semi-final in four tournaments, but how do we assess this one and how, if at all, will his approach change from here?
Continue reading...July 7, 2024
Euro 2024 diary: polyester, parkrun and how England squad might vote
Our reporter juggles salty bread and dodgy iPad feeds on his way around Germany’s transport network
Continue reading...July 6, 2024
England lose control and embrace the chaos to rise from the canvas again | Jonathan Liew
Southgate’s plans are in tatters but his side are in the semi-finals and none of it makes the slightest sense
It’s the second half of extra time, and about 107 minutes have been played, or maybe a couple, or maybe four months, it’s hard to tell. Eberechi Eze, who is now England’s left wing-back, dribbles out of his penalty area under pressure and pumps a long, hopeful, hopeless ball up the left flank.
Harry Kane, who is nothing if not eager to earn his 26th touch of the night, duly chases it. The angle is against him and there are no teammates remotely nearby, and Manuel Akanji is breathing all over his shoulder blades, but Kane manages to keep the ball in. And keeps going. Over the touchline, off his feet, and straight into the England dugout, where he is wrapped up by Gareth Southgate.
Continue reading...July 5, 2024
Portugal v France: a galactic battle lost in the black hole of one man’s ego | Jonathan Liew
This Euro 2024 clash could have been an all-time great quarter-final, and instead a part of it was stolen
Even his absence feels like a kind of presence. The cameras continue to seek him out. The fans in the stands in their replica Manchester United tops screech a little louder, scowl a little harder. The less he does, the more important he becomes. The more he disappears into this game, the heavier it feels, like a black hole sucking everything into its vortex.
And ultimately Portugal too. The sabotage is complete. One of the most talented squads ever assembled at this level of football disappears into that self same black hole, a Vegas-era Elvis act ultimately notable only for its ability to make us gawp and keep gawping. It’s too awful to watch. It’s too awful not to watch. The clock ticks into its third hour, the second quarter-final suspended like a sentence that can never end, and yet with the knowledge of exactly how it ends. Meanwhile, Gonçalo Ramos and Diogo Jota sit on the bench.
Continue reading...Sweet triangles and high balls: where Switzerland thrive and struggle
Granit Xhaka probes deep in midfield but Murat Yakin’s side are happy to concede the lion’s share of the ball
The past four goals Switzerland have scored in this tournament have come from their left side. In terms of buildup play, they are the most lopsided team remaining in the tournament, directing 45% of their attacks up the left flank and 21% through the centre. With the left-sided centre-half Ricardo Rodriguez often stepping forward to join the attack, combining with Michel Aebischer and either Dan Ndoye or Ruben Vargas on that flank, opposition teams have found themselves suddenly overloaded, most notably Italy in their 2-0 humbling in Berlin last Saturday.
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