The world cup is broken

Joy, and despair, in one frame.

The world cup is broken, yes, I said it.

This started way before the tournament had even begun, there was very little in terms of hype about the world cup, there wasn’t even a proper theme song. Not like 2010 when Shakira’s hips had us doing the Waka Waka, even the opening theme to the games was heavily sampled from the game of thrones opening theme, they was very little uniqueness about Russia’s big summer special.

The tournament started with little fuss, a routine win for the hosts, then came some pseudo shocks. Germany were sucker punched by Mexico, and Spain and Argentina were held by Portugal and Iceland respectively, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, were the shocks of the first round of group matches in 2014 about to be repeated? Sadly, they weren’t. 

Argentina and Spain both scraped through, notwithstanding an almighty effort by Nigeria and Morocco respectively. Aside from the elimination of defending champions Germany, there wasn’t much to get excited about in the group phase. The games started early in the afternoon when most people were at work, the referees spent more time starring at monitors then actually officiating, and Africa was eliminated. For the first time since 1982, there was not a single African team in the knockout stages, it was a familiar pang of disappointment. White North African teams offered little, a spark from Mo Salah failed to ignite the Pharoahs, Tunisia were docile, and Morocco only showed some fight when it was too late. There was a depressing air about Africa’s fortunes at the world cup, a melancholy last felt in 2010 when the whole continent mourned in unison as Asamoah Gyan crashed his penalty against the post, a pain exponentially tripled by Luis Suarez’s celebration. Every single African was inconsolable, what had we done to the football God’s to deserve this? 8 years later and the football gods had unleashed their wrath upon us again, most of us decided to support the team we most identified with, Allez les blues!

The world cup is broken, someone needed to throw it in rice!

The first knockout round compounded the situation, the giants and so called GOAT’s fell, one by one like dominoes. Spain slain by a heroic Russia, spurred on by home support, Portugal bundled out by Suarez and Cavanni, nothing Cristiano Ronaldo did could save his beloved Portugal. Argentina blitzed by an inspired France, Kylian Mbappe showing that he is not the next Thierry Henry, but the only Kylian Mbappe. Messi, Ronaldo, and Diego Costa were all sent packing. The only giant standing was Brazil, if it wasn’t for a swash buckling clash between Belgium and Japan I would have written the world cup off and fast forwarded to Qatar.

The world cup is broken; was there anything or anyone to redeem it?

Cometh the hour, cometh the men! It was time for those who so long cowered in the Shadows of Messi and Ronaldo to step forward, and they did. Belgium, buoyed by the dribbling wizardry and the ballerina balance of Edin Hazard, in addition to the silky smooth through passes of Kevin De Bryne, they bundled Brazil and their woeful talisman Neymar out. An England team devoid of any stars, but steeped in team spirit last seen at Euro 96 held their nerve and showed their mettle to outlast a Colombian team that at time resorted to the dark arts of Soccer and a Swedish team that epitomized the meaning of efficiency, was football finally going home? Then, there was Croatia, led by their combative pair of Modric and Rakitic, Croatia showed equal measure of finesse and grit to put their hand forward for the ultimate crown. Completing the last four was Uruguay, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts best told the South American team’s story. Uruguay were perfecting was Italy had so long monopolized, nick a goal and then lock the door and throw away the key, Uruguay were like a wall, an impenetrable great wall of soccer warriors marshalled by the great defensive general Diego Godin.

The world cup is broken, and it was fucking brilliant. 

The last four was played like chess. Belgium pressed and were the aggressors in their semi against neighbours France, the French pushed back, finding space and using some silky touches to drive at the heart of the Belgian defence, it was rather strange that the game was settled by a header. France was through.

The other semi saw England take an early lead against Croatia, it seemed as their team spirit would take England to their first final since 1966, but Modric denied them, pulling the strings as his team came back to steal the game in extra time and book their first final in their history. 

The world cup is broken, and it is utterly brilliant.

As I write this, Belgium have finished third and we await the grand finale, France Vs Croatia.

Let the best team win.