May France crush Paraguay

Former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert may have been a great goalkeeper, but his opinions are provocative and nasty. Before Paraguay face France in the last-16, Chilavert has said that Paraguay are facing an African side and not France. While one could ignore this comment as coming just from a bitter old man, the worst part is how many South Americans of European descent agree and even applauds this nonsense. 

In fact, only three players on the French squad are born outside France. One in Italy, one in England, and one in the DR Congo (only the latter is in fact in Africa). 

In the meantime, five players in Paraguay’s squad are born outside Paraguay…

What really bothers these people is that France have players of African heritage. They are the same type of people who more than 100 years ago complained bitterly when Uruguay was the first country to use players of African heritage. People on the wrong side of history.

Because let us face the truth: the entire Franch team is thoroughly French. Many players are French of African heritage, and while I am not French, I am as a European proud of our diversity and inclusion whereby we accept people of any heritage as our compatriots who work, struggle, and celebrate together (I am deeply aware that not everyone agrees on this in Europe… ).

Chilavert and his people will never understand that.

Almost one hundred players in the World Cup are born and raised in France; in fact it speaks to the greatness of France and French football that they today produce footballers of a quality and skill that benefits the world of football. 

Players of a quality that Paraguay will never produce.

I hope that the French team crushes Paraguay today and sendes them crying back to their hero, Chilavert.

VIVE LA FRANCE!

Argentina out

I am going to say something nobody likes to hear: Cape verde are not a very good team. Yes, they qualified for the World Cup, they tied Spain, they tied Uruguay, and tied a very poor Saudi Arabia to luckily end second in their group. This was a surprise, yes, but was built on the luck of facing the poorest Uruguay side in history, as well as a Spain on its worse day in decades.

Facing Argentina, defending “world champions”, the Cape Verdians scored two goals by Dutch players Deroy Duarte and Sidney Lopes (we are unlikely ever to hear more about these players in the Bulgarian and Turkish league respectively), with the latter perhaps the best goal of the tournament. 

In the end Argentina won 3-2 after extra time, talking away the spiring sensation, but everyone is giving Cape Verde credit, when the result should be assigned exclusively to Argentina being a poor side that relies only on Messi and a bunch of overrated second-rate players who have no reason to call themselves “world champions” any longer. Argentina should destroy a team like Cape Verde 8-0; anything else is inacceptable. 

This predicts the end of the road for Argentina, who will be facing Egypt in the next match. 

Too many teams in the World Cup; too many teams that add nothing to football quality.

When in Spain

Today I happened to be in Madrid, Spain, and enjoyed a boring match that Spain won 3-0 over Austria. Mikel Oyarzabal scored two, Pedro Porro one, to give Spain an easy victory against an Austrian side that added nothing to the tournament.

Just another proof that 48 are too many teams.

We have not yet seen what Spain are capable of. Future champions usually pace themselves for the important matches; it would appear to be what Spain is doing.

Arrogance

There is a big difference between self-loathing and humility. Self-loathing is the result of a mixture of arrogance and inferiority complex. Humility is about being sure of your own abilities, but recognizing your limits, and especially admit when others are better. All things indicate that Joshua Kimmich lack humility: In an interview after Germany's elimination, Mr. Kimmich was full of self-loathing, saying that they had lost to teams that had no "world class".

I supported Germany against Paraguay and thought that they deserved to win until I heard Mr. Kimmich's arrogant comments. They sound particularly arrogant for a team that for two World Cups did not qualify beyond the group stages, and this world cup barely did, only to be defeated by a team that Mr. Kimmich ranks below his own "world class level". 

From Mr. Kimmichs comments I now believe that Germany lost because of arrogance and lack of humility. Again and again we see that you cannot underestimate any team, but that is a lesson that Mr. Kimmich and Germany appear to ignore again and again. That is a lesson that will take years to learn, specially because they have players like Mr. Kimmich, who thinks that you can win games by name alone, instead of by the skills that they obviously lack.

After being disappointed at Germany's defeat, I must at least thank Mr. Kimmich for opening my eyes again as to why I should not be disappointed.

Mexico in ecstasy

 Mexico is in the last-16 after eliminating Ecuador 2-0, on two great goals by Julian Quiñones and Raul Jimenez. The first half of the team was fantastic. With their incredible home crowd in the legendary Azteca stadium the Mexicans look like one of the best teams of the tournament, and surely expectations are growing as they advance. Javier Aguirre's starting lineup was very offensive and seemed to take the Ecuatorians by surprise; it looked as if they home team would crush the South Americans, but second half they stood back comfortably as Ecuador made some feeble attacks.

There was never a doubt about who would win. 

Mexico will face either England or DR Congo in what will be a huge hurdle for both sides. But it will also be Mexico's last match in the Azteca, as future games will move to the USA if Mexico advances. This will be interesting to see, but Mexico are celebrating that they are perhaps one fo the best teams in the world in their mighty home stadium.