From Martin
Morning Myles,
Enjoyed the World Cup to this point already but it definitely went up a level yesterday as all the teams gave their absolute everything and the more talented teams opened up their toolboxes.
Argentina vs France was frenetic. The pride of the Argentina team was such that it masked their huge deficiencies in talent for much of the game, sheer determination just about holding back the French rapier attacks, and given more of a boost to effort by Di Maria bending swerving drive from the memory banks, only outdone by the sweetest strike of this tournament from Pavard, nothing better than a drive with perfect cut on it, the flat trajectory truly is beautiful.
France has the Rolls Royce engine in Mbappe,.
The fuss is valid, the kid is fluidity in motion and a physique that is still to mature, compared to Henry many times in game. Henry was an inconsistent lightweight winger at same age and 6 years away from finding his excellence
Messi? Felt for him, how could he be expected to carry a team that poor? France simply ignored everyone else and a crowd was always there in waiting when the great man got the ball?
Aguero, why not start? Madness,
Messi needed to play deeper and have Aguero keeping defence honest, would have made no difference to result but shocking all the same
Onto Uruguay vs Portugal and Portugal played quite well, as did Ronaldo but that core of the Uruguay team is solid, experienced, near unbreakable, and with perfect shield in Torreira, a player Wenger would never have looked at as he is a blunt instrument.
No finesse in Torreira. He sits in position, he grinds, he is relentless in spoiling attacks.
He is everything Arsenal and the back four have missed since Gilberto left. Torreira will make everyone around him better.
Suarez? Never criticised him even in the biting times as knew deep down would have him in heartbeat in my team, and actually glad we missed on him as what a waste that would have been, he deserves to be at Barcelona. But the complete forward, selfless in effort and relentless pursuer of goals with every trick in book in his own Arsenal.
Cavani got the plaudits but Suarez is the main man.
Anyone who wins World Cup will need to get past Uruguay as I think they going to final. As a unit they are the best team in the competition.
Not the best collective of players but the best team.
Today has a lot to live up to.
Myles says:
I think Croatia will beat Denmark by one goal in an extremely tight and scrappy game.
I’d love to predict that Modric and Rakitic will walk it.
But it won’t be that easy.
If Spain had not sacked their manager they’d beat Russia 3-0.
Today? Who knows? They might wobble and fail.