This year’s World Cup wasn’t the easiest to get hyped for. It barely felt like it was happening until sometime last week. Perhaps the world’s biggest football tournament felt a little inconsequential in the face of many dire, real-world situations.
Which brings me to another major mental hurdle: the ‘Trump’ of it all. Without getting too political, the idea of glorifying America right now makes me feel as comfortable as pre-ordering the new Diddy record.
Yet despite all my reservations, I have managed to get plenty of enjoyment out of the first weekend of action. Do I think that patience is going to be tested by the elongated format in the coming weeks? Sure. But I think the organizers will be pleased with how things have gone so far. Crucially, all three of the host nations have conducted themselves admirably, putting themselves in solid positions heading into the remainder of the group stage. The continued success of the host nations will fan the flame of public interest (particularly in the North American sectors). So, here’s a little recap of the fortunes of this year’s host nations.
Kicking things off with a bang
Thursday’s marquee opening match between Mexico and Bafana Bafana turned into a painful evening for South African viewers (those hoping for something akin to the 2010 1-1 draw were left sorely disappointed). Personally, I think that the South African media have been a little harsh on the team. I honestly think it boiled down to shocking management. Hugo Bross was inexplicably defensive in the opener, opting for an uneasy 3-5-2 that felt more like a 5-4-1. He left attacking talents such as Mofokeng and Appollis on the bench and had youngsters playing in uncomfortable positions. I mean, this is hardly an elite Mexican name featuring marquee names such as Rafael Marquez and Chicharito.
Mexico thrive on the chaos
But Mexico were more than up to the task of exploiting Bross’ tactical naivety, pressing them high up the pitch and forcing them into a litany of errors. Julian Quinoes was the beneficiary of some lackadaisical South African defending, slotting home from a turnover deep in enemy territory. Bafana Bafana toiled hard for the remainder of the first half, flying into tackles with occasionally amateurish overeagerness. They shot themselves in the foot just after the break, with Sithole sent off for impeding Guiterrez when he was bearing down on goal. Mexico made Bafana pay, as veteran striker Raul Jimenez nodded in at the far-post to put the result beyond doubt. Chaos ensued in the closing stages of the match, with Mexico and SA each receiving a red card (setting a World Cup record of three red cards in an opener).
Canada show fight to reel in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canada don’t have the footballing heritage of Mexico, nor do they have the gung-ho jingoism of the United States. But that didn’t stop them from making plenty of noise in their opener, coming back from a goal down to grab a vital point against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fans were treated to some star-studded entertainment ahead of kick-off, with proud Canadians Michael Bublé and Alanis Morrisette amping up the home faithful. But the lower-ranked Bosnian players responded well to Sergej Barbarez’s pre-match instructions, putting the home side under pressure with their set-piece superiority. And Jova Lukic made the pressure count, heading home after a deft Sead Kolasinac flick. Les Rouges grew into the game, and Jonathan David should have equalized after the bar ricocheted to him. The 76th minute introduction of Cyle Larin would prove decisive, as he neatly equalized in the 78th minute to send the Toronto crowd into raptures.
USA ignite World Cup fever with 4-1 win over Paraguay
But’s let’s face it, it was the United States’ 4-1 victory over Paraguay that truly elevated the profile of this year’s event. The game drew 16 million viewers in the US alone, more than doubling the previous record of 7.8 million viewers achieved against Wales in the 2022 World Cup. Sure, those numbers may pale in comparison to what the Knicks achieved when winning the NBA Finals this past weekend. But it just feels like this tournament may tap into the American consciousness in a way that Beckham- and even Messi- couldn’t quite achieve.
Balogun leading the line
As for the match, Mauricio Pochettino’s side put down a real marker on Friday night. They played with dynamism and fluidity, dominating the game from start to finish. Folarin Balogun- not the first ex-Arsenal man to do bits at this World Cup- was incredible, netting a brace and causing general havoc with his pace and clever runs. With the new expanded format, where the eight best 3rd placed finishers qualify for the final 32, USA have almost guaranteed qualification with such a high-scoring victory.
