Hello and welcome to Offside: your daily recap and look forward to the World Cup. The strangest thing about day 18 was that it had only one game and it was one that would have made cricket fans feel like they were watching the first round of an ICC tournament if Cricket Canada wasn’t disbanded for gang-linked corruption.
Action Recap: Canada 1-0 South Africa
In cricket there’s an oft-repeated phrase: the intent was there. Canada had more intent, South Africa spent it looking for extra time and penalties, but Stephen Eustaquio had other ideas. Alphonso Davise proved the difference once he came on in the 75th minute and immediately lifted the mood like maple syrup on pancakes. Canada are through to the Round of 32 where they will face either the not-so-mighty Dutch or Morocco.
Matchday Action: Brazil vs Japan
June 29, 10:30pm ISTIn ‘Kill Bill’, Hattori Hanzo makes a blade for The Bride and tells her: “If on your journey you should encounter God, God will be cut.” The Japan team look sharp, like a samurai sword or a Shogun about to save the kingdom, but now they face the gods of football in Brazil, though God has been MIA since 2002.
Warrior WatchBrazil’s Vinicius Jr looks on fire, like he is being powered by a thousand racist chants. With another star, Takefusa Kubo, injured, Japan will look to Daichi Kamada for inspiration.BattleplanJapan will try to make this a game of discipline, quick passing and sudden breaks. Without Kubo, Daichi Kamada has to become the brain between midfield and attack, while Junya Ito gives them the wide outlet.
Brazil’s plan is simpler and scarier: get the ball to Vinicius Jr before Japan can set their shape. If Japan lose it cheaply, Brazil will punish one loose pass.The key battle is Japan’s neat possession against Brazil’s open-field violence. Japan need rhythm. Brazil need grass. Whoever gets their wish controls the match.Dinner table conversationJapan have already beaten Germany, Spain and England in recent years, and even upset Brazil in a friendly before. The smart money will be on Brazil, but Japan are a nation that have consistently come back from impossible odds. If they can survive atom bombs, they can upset the Samba boys.
Matchday Action: Germany vs Paraguay
June 30, 2:00am ISTGermany arrive with four World Cups, a squad full of shiny moving parts, and the nagging feeling that something in the machine is still off. Paraguay are like Billy Butcher with a crowbar but with the eternal faith that he can still kill that Homelander c****.Warrior WatchGermany will look to Jamal Musiala for magic, because even the finest German machine needs someone who can draw outside the lines. Paraguay get Miguel Almiron back, whose pace can leave teams surprised.BattleplanGermany will want the ball, the tempo and enough space for Musiala and Florian Wirtz to finally turn promise into punishment. If they score early, this could become an exercise in German admin. Paraguay’s plan is simpler: clog the middle, slow the match, win fouls, and make Germany impatient. Then release Almiron into space and see if panic travels faster than a through ball. The key battle is Germany’s control against Paraguay’s chaos. Germany need rhythm. Paraguay need mud. Whoever gets their wish controls the match.Dinner table conversationThe smart money will be on Germany, because history, talent and common sense all point that way. But Paraguay are always up for a fight. Expect them to be a spanner in the works.
Matchday Action: Netherlands vs Morocco
June 30, 6:30am ISTJohan Cruyff’s Total Football is now a museum exhibit with better lighting than the current Dutch backline. The Oranje are still dangerous, but they are no longer fancied the way they once were. Morocco, meanwhile, have gone from plucky underdogs to one of Africa’s proper heavyweights.To paraphrase Rick Blaine: of all the knockout ties in all the World Cups, the Dutch had to walk into this one.Warrior WatchThe Netherlands will look to Cody Gakpo for cutting edge and Virgil van Dijk for calm. An additional emotional thread is Gakpo’s loss of an infant. Morocco will look to Achraf Hakimi for thrust, Brahim Diaz for invention, and Ismael Saibari for the kind of nuisance value that ruins European sleep cycles.
BattleplanThe Dutch want the ball, width and enough attacking flow to make this look like football philosophy again. The problem is they have scored freely but also kept leaving the door ajar. Morocco’s plan is to stay compact, spring through Hakimi and Diaz, and make every Dutch turnover feel like a border incident. The key battle is Dutch control against Moroccan nerve. The Netherlands need rhythm. Morocco need one clean break and a crowd that starts believing in 2022 again.Dinner table conversationMorocco will always have Qatar, but they will want more than memories. The Dutch will always have Cruyff, orange shirts and enough talented defenders to build a dam, except right now the Dutch dam still leaks. If Hakimi and Diaz find the cracks, this could be the end of a beautiful run for the Oranje. Play it again, Sam: football, heartbreak and one Moroccan counterattack.Recent Offside Columns:
