SPEAKER_01 0:11

So the World Cup twenty twenty six is coming to a close. We've got four teams left. We've got the fluent French, the slow Spanish, the aggressive Argentinians, and the cheating English. Welcome to the Puncer World Cup podcast. And obviously, as always, we have Alex with us today. What do you think about that little opening for me there?

SPEAKER_03 0:35

Uh that was good. Not bad, actually. I wasn't expecting that one. But actually, it's funny because here in Toronto, I watched the um, they call it the TSN Toronto Sports Network, and it's um Stephen Caldwell and Kevin Kilban. They're up, they're going at it back and forth on the in the studio with, oh, so how's your slow Spanish doing? You know, and all this. So when you said it, obviously straight away I started laughing.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

I mean, I think uh the fluent French and slow Spanish is pretty accurate. I mean, France have looked very fluent and fluid and very good, and Spain have been like the same old usual kind of Spanish things that we've seen. Aggressive Argentina, Argentina haven't been that aggressive though, and the cheating English is obviously just a bit of a pop. Uh that goal that shouldn't have been encountered the other day. But uh no, thanks for thanks for joining us today. I mean, did you enjoy? Did you watch all the quarterfinals?

SPEAKER_03 1:32

Yeah, good to be back, good to be back to always talk about that thrilling, thrilling uh late end to the week and uh uh the weekend. Yeah, was um was good. As soon as New W to be fair, as soon as Norway scored, I I I kind of thought, well, you know, here we go again, kind of thing. I I can I can see England getting a goal, but it's just if hopefully Norway don't get that second one, because I could see the English mentality might then start saying, Oh, oh shoot, we're challenged here, you know. And so, you know, as soon as I saw the the first one go in, and I because it wasn't a sort of an open play goal, it was one of them sort of half shot, half-cross, and I've been there and done them too. I thought Pickford for being outstanding as he's been, that was a really weak uh you know movement and stuff off his line to let that go in. So that was a bit of a a wake-up call, and then you know, super dude comes back, uh comes back again. Um so uh no, it was a good, it was good. It wasn't as thrilling as Mexico game, it was quite it was a bit boring at stages where you're thinking, This is you know, this is the quarterfinal, guys. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 2:32

Norway I've got nothing to I read that the the temperature was like 30 degrees or something, but the the it fell to like 42 degrees or something, so you can it obviously played a part. The game, I mean, I don't think any of the quarterfinals were particularly interesting to be honest. Yeah, that's right. I thought they were all I mean France Morocco seems like years ago now, but that was a terrible match. I thought I thought it was just really boring. I thought Morocco were really disappointing. I expected a lot more from them. Then um Spain-Belgium again, just I mean, Belgium probably deserved a draw, maybe to go to penalties, maybe, but like I mean, I thought that one might come to penalties to Spain-Belgium. Yeah, that's it looked like it was going that way, I thought. Um and I guess we should start with the France-Spain game uh on Tuesday night. I mean, from a Bucky's point of view, France are obviously favourites, they have been. I mean, the one of the results of because this is obviously the first World Cup that's ever been seeded, and as a result, we haven't really seen too much changing in the prices. So, as the teams have narrowed down, as a teams have whittled down, France are still in it, so they're still the favourites. Um yeah, so naturally enough, they're the favourites against Spain. Um, the bookies have them around 29-20 looking at odds checker there, 41% probability to win that game. Uh Spain, right 29%. Um, so they kind of fancy Spain or a draw uh at around 30% each. So yeah, I mean it's if it should be a great game in terms of two modern teams. Um how do you see it?

SPEAKER_03 4:24

Yeah, I I definitely I definitely see them being very cautious to each other. So I I I I hope it's gonna be a thriller, but I'm thinking um the two coaches very tactically are aware of how the World Cup's been going, in the sense of, you know, if you unleash everything in attack for France and then you leave Spain to sort of wiggle the way through in their in the French defense, with especially with their clean cut short, medium little passes are very good around the box. So I think it's not sort of where they play a medium long pass, like De Bruyne plays it through and they can read it a little bit, they can anticipate it. Spain, they're not, they're bringing all the they're they're they're bringing all the numbers all the way up, and then they're doing these little half little passes through the little gaps and things, and then they're in, you know. So I think Deschamps will be very like, oh, okay, we gotta we've got to watch this. Um I would like I would really go with you and like an upset and and Spain Spain to win it, can they? Yes, they can, but they would have to really change their game plan from what we've seen from the group stage all the way to the the knockout to the quarterfinals because we've got to remember, right? They've only won 1-0 both games, didn't they? The last two, the knockout and quarterfinal. Yeah, one-zero, one-zero. So you've got to there's some reason for that. So you've kind of got to look at, you know, they only got one against Portugal, um, and they got one against um Belgium. So, and Marino again, it's the same player who came off the bench. So it wasn't actively the live starting 11 players that got the goal. Um, and Bappe, can you stop him? Does he want to be sort of like told, like, okay, you've got to tactically sit back a bit? He's saying to Deschamps, I want to be golden boot. So when someone's got eight goals already, you know, could he get two more this game and have 10, you know, um to get to the final? And then obviously we don't know what's gonna happen there. But I don't know, I'm really a bit stuck on it. But I think France, I yeah, in form all the players, a bit more consistency, showing their their individual presence and their positions. I think France will I can see maybe like a 2-1. I can see Spain getting a a a small goal, something like that, an easy sort of goal in and around the box.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

So I think I should say um obviously the the Spain result was 2-1, so they scored two goals, but it was very much like we suggested before the game, where we thought like Spain would dominate, and then suddenly Belgium get a goal, and that's kind of what happened. And this is the issue with Spain, isn't it? It's like it's been the issue with them for so long where they dominate a game, they create chances, they don't take them, they have possession, kind of goes nowhere, they might get one goal, but ultimately they're always vulnerable to a moment of magic, and it's been said a few times like this tournament is about moments, you know, it's gonna be won, the games will be won in moments, and it can be lost in moments, and I think Spain they're on that knife edge, you know. I could easily see them dominating the game against uh France. I think uh Jamal is getting better. I don't I still don't think he's gonna be in his full uh fitness he was out for three months or so before the World Cup. So like five games, six games isn't enough to get that fitness up, but he is getting better, he will cause trouble, and France aren't particularly strong in the fullback. Like if it's Lucas Digner, who probably will be. I don't think he's particularly strong at that in um in that fullback position. So there's opportunities for Spain, but they're always vulnerable. And like you say, when you have Mbappe up front, I mean the game is gone in two minutes. In the way in the way, Mexico kind of lost the game in two minutes to England. You could see something similar with France and Spain.

SPEAKER_03 8:03

And the thing is as well, Lucas, uh we haven't questioned the um the Spanish mentality for a comeback, they've never been behind. So we don't we haven't we what we don't know, we don't know. So it's kind of like we're only seeing what is in front goal. 1-0, uh Spain just scored again for 2-1. Um, they obviously they only conceded that goal against Belgium as their first one in the World Cup. Sometimes you get the advantage for having these Argentinians and English having these shocks. 1-0 down, penalty, red card. Like Spain have just been very like you go into a room and the piano is kind of playing, nothing's really going on. You know, you're not sort of so you don't so we don't know what what really is making them switch and react and go into a rage mode like we've seen Argentina do it, we've seen England do it, we saw Mexico react, you know, we've seen we've seen um Paraguay obviously do their thing when and making the French react in a so Spain, that's why I'm a bit sort of saying, well, if they sh if they show a bit more uh a bit more dominance of uh characters, um I know of course they've won, so I could be questioned to say, like, well, they've just won and that's it. But um sometimes you need that knife edge, you need that that World Cup thriller excitement before you get to the final. And and I think you know, when we go back to Brazil '98 and France in the final, um Brazil didn't really have anything, uh, comebacks, they didn't have a shock, they just glided through, of course, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, uh, you know, but France, France had young players like an Henri, and now it's an Mbappe kind of thing as well, where you know, they're just saying, like, we're coming here to score goals and we want to win the tournament. And you can kind of see that that collective presence that they have. So I'm gonna go with yeah, with with France, and I think Mbappe, I think we'll I can see him getting a one goal minimum. I probably think he's gonna get two against Spain. I just have a feeling where the Spanish back line will will will crumble down if when he starts doing his his uh his individual brilliance that he has.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Yeah, I'm like the last thing I say on Spain, I think like if push comes to shove, I I think France will win the game. But one of the other things about them with Spain, which I never really considered when I picked him as pre-tournament favourites, was Kubarsi playing centre half, and he's obviously young. Um Barcelona centre half, he he does very well, like he's very good on the ball, and I can understand why why Barcelona wants him why he plays for Spain, but just he's not particularly physically strong, and he's coming up against like Mbappé, you know, and but I I can imagine Mbappé just having an absolute field day against him. Uh, because he's got the good he's got a good feeling, France have a good feeling, he's gonna be up for it, and and Cubarsi he just strikes me as some like I feel a bit sorry for him because he's so young and he's been like put right in front of like this train rattling down the tracks, and he's it's up to him to stop it, you know. And I'm like, oh I don't know about you, mate.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

The thing is, Mbape, Mbape is one of them guys as well, he's got that arrogance of like Henri, where they want to do that to you, they can see your fit, they can like other strikers, you know, like a boat camp or something. We'll just do his own brilliance. He's not, but I do like that about the enrichs and the Mbappes. They're like, no, no, no, I want to I want to make you have nightmares. Like I want to have in your face, I can see in your face, boy, that when I do this skill on you, I'm gonna do it again on you in a minute. So so that's why with the Paraguayan players doing it to him, he Mbappe was actually humiliating them with the skill and stuff like that, and I can see he liked that a bit more. That he's his individual brilliance, not the shot, nothing like that, just the skill when he done the step over and then the nutmeg on the player, and then just like I think he's he's gonna have a field day a little bit uh with with him.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

So yeah, yeah. So okay, we're halfway there. We said last week this would be the final lineup of France, Spain, England, Argentina would be the like the dream semi-final lineup, um and obviously England, Argentina. We got that as well. Uh, according to the bookies, England are the favourites. Uh, and then I'm not surprised by that. Uh they say 45% chance of winning that game. Uh, Argentina didn't get 21 to 10 to win. Um, so yeah, I mean, you obviously watch both games, and I think it's pretty clear that one team seems to be kind of in a better place and than another.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

Yeah, it's it's uh absolute. I don't even know. There's so many words you can even say blockbuster, Titanic game, um absolute chaos is gonna arrive. Will football go out the window? Uh 100%. I think two chill don't even start with whatever, because as soon as they as soon as the first tackle comes in from Enzo Fernandez on on Bellingham, the the fireworks, every all hell's gonna break loose, so don't try and slip her back into a 5-3-2, and it's just gonna be like absolute carnage. Because it, you know, uh this is this is uh they last played each other at uh 2002, and now obviously football has evolved again. Um we because we that last World Cup, you still had some of the big characters in there, Pablo Aymar. I think Batastuta still played his last legs in the 2002 World Cup. Um Veron. And Veron, you know, so you had all the the global, but now it's like Argentina, they're a bit more bit more mellow in the names and stuff, but obviously they're big, big players. I think they're I think they're they're focused on the occasion. And I think when a whole of Argentina, it's the occasion, they're not trying to think, oh, will Messi do something. They know he can do it. I just think it's like we we've got to beat them, you know, however we do it, just just all of us, all ten of you on the line in the corner, just throw the ball in and just you know, chaos, V A R, and then the bench is gonna start fighting. Um, you know, it's just and then and that's exciting. That's what you kind of want from Argentina Holland game in the uh in that semi-final. And Argentina have that way of like intimidating, kind of like saying, you know, we belong in the semi-final because we know we do, but now we have to do all of our dirty tricks, everything, not just about football, you know, like uh intimidate them on the bench, everything through, you know, just just this whole sort of um you know chaos that's that's going to arrive, and and hopefully the the English, you know, give it back as well, and they don't just sort of stand off too much. Um now winning-wise and result-wise, I mean I can I could see I can actually picture England sort of winning 2-1. I've just got that feeling that uh it they'll either go 2-0 up and then they'll be on the back foot, and Argentina will score, and it will be like, oh my god, like now we have to. And then it that's when I think Argentina's luck will be over from all of the knockout, the quarters where they just rode themselves back. All of their fans were their 11th man. Um, you know, even the kit man was like probably ready to come on and think he was a player. Um, and I just think that this might be that last little bit. Now I can contradict myself and turn around and just Messi just Messi and the guys just wipe England out. You know, clean chances, you know, two's two zero in England are chasing the game. But uh, I think England, if they want to, if they want to be after all these years of the stupid uh it's coming home uh bullshit stuff, if they want to do it, then this is where this is it, you know, and yet do they have the young players' energy like a Bellingham to to make history and to to be on this stage now? Um and I know it's a lot of pressure, but that's what they're paid for. That's what they're that's what they that's their jobs, as as as Pino says. So if they if they go and deliver, Kane didn't do nothing much last game, did he? So maybe he he disappeared, he went a bit quiet. We know Messi's been a bit sort of, but he pops up anywhere. Kane, one clear chance in front of goal, yeah. Most likely the chances are it's 95% it's going to be a goal. Can we keep relying on Bellingham? If they double up on him in midfield, give him a bit of a nasty shock, a bit, a big, big tackle, someone to come in and take a yellow card and then obviously sub him out. If they if they do a big hit on Bellingham, that's what Argentina will do. They'll do a big dirty trick. First half, you know, clatter him, really make him rattle. That yellow card that gets given, take him off at halftime, bring another one on, do the same, clatter Bellingham again. And you're you're talking about 70% of the English team is Bellingham.

unknown 16:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

I'm being brutally honest. I mean, I'm not saying the other guys haven't put in a shift and they haven't, you know, but you know, Anthony Gordon, hit and miss. Yes, he assisted Bellingham for the first goal, a great little pass through into the box. But has he how how has his 1v1s been they've been so so? You know, I think Rashford needs to be on there as well to wind up the Argentinians more with his skill and pace. Um, Gordon can be targeted easy, he can be intimidated. Like, you know, I can see him going down the line and then getting chopped and arriving on the sideline somewhere like that and then being intimidated. Um, I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

I think that's a really good uh really good matchup, actually, whether it's Anthony Gordon or Rashford against Molina there. Molina loves that. He'll be he'll be so up for it. Like all Argentinians will be, but especially Molina, he will love that.

SPEAKER_03 17:19

Yeah, yeah, and I think so. I'd I'd like to see Rashford start for mix it up because they're probably they're probably doing the analysis on on uh Gordon. And I'd like to see that quickly voom. Rashford's in the 11, and he's just given freedom to I've been Saka's been a little bit annoying. It seems like he's playing an Arsenal style, like he just keeps coming in and doing this little step inside. You're not doing anything. Go 1v1, like go, you know, do what Lamalle Yameen does. Go inside with your left foot and cut in and with your right foot and cut it back or something. Like I hate that standing on the box and he cuts back. It's like, well, any player can do that, you know. So it's you know.

SPEAKER_01 17:56

Um it's interesting though. I think Saka I agree with you, he's not been at his best, but he's so much better than Maduweki. And I was so surprised that Madaweke started. But I guess that's right, you keep starting the same Madocki, like he's I think that I've heard people say it's to do with managing Saka's at uh minutes that he's not fully fit, or that he's fully fully fit, but he can't load too much, you know. Um so I guess that's an important consideration, and probably an example. Probably so it's one of those things that if England win the World Cup, they'll come back to and say, Oh well, Tuca managed this really well. It was because he relied on his data, and they said don't start Saka in the quarterfinals, but start him in the semi-finals. It's one of those things, you know. Yeah, yeah. In terms of Argentina, though, I'm really I'm really happy. Obviously, I want Argentina to win, and uh, I'm really happy though that Julian obviously, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:50

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 18:53

I would like Argentina to win. Obviously, I would like Argentina to win, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Yeah, so um, but I am really happy that Julian Alvarez was the kind of match winner the other night because it shows I think for Alvarez for one for one um point of view, but then just for the rest of the Argentina team as well to understand that look, it doesn't have to be completely reliant on Messi. As great as Messi is, he did nothing, he was very quiet the other night. I can't believe he played the whole game because man, he looked every one of those 39 years by the end of it, you know, like he wasn't moving, he's just old. And at the end of the day, I I mentioned it last week. We heard before the tournament that Argentina has found a way to play, a style to play without Messi, and they weren't reliant on him anymore, and that he would unlikely play, but he's playing every minute of every game, and he's obviously gonna play, but at least now we know that Alvarez can do it when it matters, and he did it the other night, and he did it in such an incredible way. What a goal! Yeah, no. So, I think that is a big thing for Argentina. I think it would give them a lift. I think the the camp will be in a really good mood. I've been man, I've been seeing I've been watching so much Maradona content the last two days, you know. Just but more interviews, just talking about games against England, and and this is what it's gonna be. I imagine they're all going to be having that this week, you know. And then from the England by England point of view, Bellingham. I mean, it's been the Bellingham story, hasn't it? But it is funny you mentioned you can see England, you think Argentina will score, you can see England getting a goal and then sitting back, and that's always the issue this England team have. If they do score, there will always be uh parts of the game where they give up possession and the other team can kind of take their time, work out, work angles, create chances. And Argentina are a dangerous team to allow them to do that because they do they might not be France, but they do have Messi, they do have Alvarez. And so if you're giving them the time on the edge of the box to create angles and to create opportunities and passes, I mean they could damage you, you know.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

No, 100%. I mean, remember the couple of them counter-attacks in transition with Norway when the ball just went over the top, and it was like one England defender there. And I was thinking, oh my god, this is gonna be 2-0 Norway. Um, you know, and but but going back to the to the to the Messi, yeah, I agree. And I think even Messi saying to himself, oh I can't wait to get back to the MLS. Like, this is a bit high intensity now. I'll just turn 39. I didn't I didn't expect all this to be happening, you know. Like, and um, but the good thing is, is obviously Scaloni um knows is Messi can just he's he's probably saying, like, listen, you do you you do do what you like, but you're gonna be a decoy no matter what, because you're the most dangerous player in the world still at 39. Alvarez is the one that can now have your old role about just roaming around, uh, because now he's got that feeling of form, especially score, and that that unbelievable goal. Messi's a decoy, so so it'll probably be like Dan Byrne or John Stone's being like, oh, hold on a second, Messi's all the way over there, right? Who's gonna go and pick him up? And then you've got Alvarez just coming running through Riot through. Through the through between the John Stones and Dan Byrne or Conza or whoever it might be. So I think that Messi's just going to play a role of like you know, dropping into the midfield, floating out to the right, just floating there, arriving to the box late. No one picks him up. Who goes with him? Do your man mark him or just overload the numbers defensively in the box to get more protection order? So I think there will be that sort of plan. Um, and then, like you know, I mean they're so collectively together, Argentina, like you said, they're 100% probably watching all these motivational videos in the dressing room of Maradona standing there in the 1990 World Cup, you know, when he was that face that he had standing in when all the Italian fans were were abusing him. And then obviously he was he was saying under his breath, he was like, Hijo de puta, hijo de puta, he was doing that, you know, he kept saying it to himself. Like, and if if you get that, all of them with goosebumps standing there saying there that you it's hard to stop mentally saying we're doing this for Diego, like that's that's another level of like of emotion and and passion that is like I can't England can't pull out any of that because they're they're not in that mindset. They're obviously knowing here we are again, semi-final, who's it against? Oh my god, like the biggest rival in I know Argentina-Brazil, but you they play a lot because Copa América. But Argentina and England is probably the biggest rival in national team football. Um so England mentally, yes, they're gonna they're gonna play, you know, a few passes here, a bit of this, a bit of that, you know, a few shots here and there, but they're gonna have to really come out and and just dismantle their mentality with Bellingham doing crazy runs through the middle, long strides, uh Kane getting early shots off, the 1v1s with Mad Wiki, and Gordon really saying, like, you've got to run at them, don't keep playing this ball back. You know, this cutback, and they play it back again, and then everyone gets behind the ball, and it's kind of like, well, you know, what's happening? Really, you've got to come at them, like Egypt did in a way, not so much uh talent-wise, but they got the two, they got the two goals. Um, so me being in two chill shoes, I I'd only say that the only way you can stop them is by really like running at them and really getting at them straight away.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

Yeah, that's the thing. I think England's best tactic is 100%, it's be aggressive, it's be really in their face. It's similar to what France's uh performance guess Paraguay was like, like not that Argentina would be that type of aggressiveness, although it'll be an element of that, but just having that French approach where we we stand up to it, we don't react to it, and we hammer them, we just go, we run at them because Argentina are not going to be able to compete with that if that happens, if England do that. And that's what I think. The only thing I'd say, sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 24:42

No, no, I was gonna say just on the back of that, is analysing their their starts, their first half starts to Cape Verde, like the athleticism, they couldn't, you realize that's Argentina's weak spot. They couldn't they couldn't keep up because even though they fouled them, they carried on going again and again, and that's Argentina's biggest weakness. They're like, Jesus Christ, they keep coming, now it's on the right, he's coming, he's running outs. Now he's played onto the left, and he's running at us, and you see clearly that's when they get unorganized and they scramble, you know. So it's it's it's when you play two left to the right, to the right, to the left, and then Argentina just get behind the ball, they wait, they move up slowly, and then you know, they're just but that's their weakness uh for me.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

No, it definitely definitely is. Uh, but then my question for England would be: do they have are they set up to apply that type of pressure because they want space as well to run behind? Argentina will likely not like Argentina the other day against Switzerland were happy enough. Well, whether they were happy enough or were forced into it, but they gave up a lot of position, a lot of possession, and as a result, position as well. So they sat quite deep. They really struggled with him bolo until he got sent off. They really struggled with him. I mean, like you say, is the physicality and the directness. It's a different chance with England, Kane will be up there, Kane drops off a lot, and then let Bellingham the space to run to run in behind. And at the moment, there's probably no one better in the world at at making that run in behind and arriving and just in time and scoring. Yeah. So, but my my concern for England would be just whether they're actually set up, where they can build that base. Like I don't know if Deccan Rice will start or not, but in my opinion, he's not the type of midfielder who is good in those situations where you just have this kind of relentless pressure because he plays like he's got great qualities, don't get me wrong, but he's not a he's not a front foot midfielder. He it's a lot of side passing, a lot of slow down, a lot he's he's good, he's great at covering ground, but like when when the onus is on the team, whether it be Arsenal or England, and those incisive passes, getting the ball into Kane, he's he's not that type of midfielder. Anderson, I don't know him as well. I've seen him play, he looks good, but again, I get the feeling. Yeah, yeah. But I kind of get the I kind of get a Stephen Jarrett kind of feel off. His greatest Stephen Jarrett, it's kind of like so far. I'm seeing a Stephen Jared without the goals kind of feeling where a lot of those nice looking passes, a lot of energy, but maybe I don't know if he'll have the kind of incisiveness in his passing as well. Those short, not short, but low, hard passes into the front man and into the wingers, you know.

SPEAKER_03 27:20

Yeah, well, I think I think the big the big one as well would be uh because I saw Anderson making some of them. Did you saw them diagonal passes he played out to the right wing? Really, of course, shows off his technique, shows off his 115 million price tag. So at least he's showing something for that for that transfer to Man City. Um, but uh for me, um as as a as a coach and obviously looking at it, I I don't know. I'd I'd probably I know it's hard to say why change a winning formation 100%. Why change it? Because then obviously you're you have to be responsible for that. But then I'd think, well, this is a semi-final. Do you really need four, two, three, one as in the two holder midfielders, Declan, Rice and Anderson? Is Messi that dangerous at the moment in the box? Yeah, but you can see clearly when they when you block everything, Messi just plays it back out. He doesn't really want to get involved. But having two holding midfielders, you know, maybe just having the one, you know, and choosing between Rice and and Anderson, I'd probably go with Anderson at the moment with that energy that he's he's got that little bit something extra at the moment because Rice is overloaded from the Premier League season and the Champions League late uh final. I I don't know, I'd think I'd I'd probably go into a three up top kind of thing, four four three, three, something like that. Um, and letting the two, the Bellingham and and and whoever it might be, uh, just sort of getting forward a bit more and joining, you know, in the wing.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

If you're gonna play uh Colby Mainu, I think he'd be ideal for this type of game, you know.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Yeah, I mean it was good to see that Jed Spence, a bit of an unknown sort of player, but you see, you've got to use like that. He got in the box, he dribbled whether a penalty or whether it's a penalty or not. You know, he got he made that chance, and obviously some refs exactly. Some refs might be like, oh, you know what, that's a penalty. But you've got to encourage them, you know, keep keep them players in the half spaces, um, Rashford next to Kane and and uh Saka just inside a bit and let them fall backs really get around. You know what I mean? Because they England do have attacking fullbacks, and I think you know it's just but I know it's a game where they touch your is not gonna want to give up too much of the tactics he's already used. So the players start getting confused and then it and it becomes you know a shit show against Argentina. So you know, 4-2-3-1 again, probably the same lineup, and obviously now it's just about the mentality uh tactics, not tactics is in play and you come out and this and that. I think it will be more like the occasion is is is is is bigger than the tactics.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Yeah, so and I I I think the great thing from our point of view, looking ahead to the game, is it's pretty clear that both Scaloni and Tuchel very different types of managers, but it's pretty clear that they've they've picked their teams that there's not there's not going to be too much change. So I think we're pretty safe in assuming that this is gonna be an amazing game because I don't think I don't think we're gonna get to the game day and suddenly Ivan Tony is starting, and yeah, and even Ivan Tony's like like what yeah, who Tony starts then he starts doing the I didn't sleep too well last night, too chill.

SPEAKER_03 30:18

Listen, uh you know, I was up late with Anderson and the TV on loud, and I just feel that you know that's when all the all the jitters start coming out, you know.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

The Saudi League, the Saudi League is good, you know, it's just like it's it's been a while.

SPEAKER_03 30:32

It's kind of like and then and then you say to the co then you start giving suggestions to the coach, you're like, um, so I'm thinking, like, if you want to throw me on at like 78 minutes, um, I'll be ready, boss. You know, I'll be I'll be ready if you want to do that, you know.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

70 78 minutes or even 115 minutes just before penalties, you know. Just get me in there.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

I'll be I'll be ready. The headache will be way gone because Bob Fisjo has given me the talonola, so don't worry, Tuchu. I'll be I'll be ready in them minutes, you know.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

I know because who who haven't we really seen? Tooney hasn't played, has he? Tony? Tony hasn't played.

SPEAKER_03 31:02

Um as Watkins came on, didn't he? That was I think he just came on.

SPEAKER_01 31:06

I think he came on, but I don't uh yeah. I think I think from an England point of view, the two ones that you might have expected to see a bit more are Colby Mainu. Um I probably would I would have expected to see more Eze. I don't know. I feel I don't know how many games he started, but I feel like he hasn't started the games, has he?

SPEAKER_03 31:25

No, Eze hasn't started any. He came on. Um yeah, he came on. Mainu hasn't played. Rashford's made three appearances, I think it is, if give or take, if I'm right. Um, and he'd done pretty well coming on. And um so and who else, I mean, sort of we're missing in there. Saka obviously has been in in uh in the second half all the time.

SPEAKER_01 31:45

It's kind of been a bit Morgan Rogers has been coming on, he's been doing well when he has come on. Um but yeah, I mean look, I've before finishing up as well. I think just a bit more in Argentina as well. I think um Scaloni has obviously he's made his change. I think Paredes has come in and he's helped Argentina. He's playing that kind of base of the midfield and he's been managing his situations pretty well. He's a very experienced player, knows what he's doing. Um, and I think he could maybe be given the job of managing Bellingham. Um, and I think that's great because I think he's the type of player Bellingham won't enjoy, uh probably getting a few kicks, like you said, the yellow cards. I think Paredes is clever, he's very good at that stuff, um and he's a good footballer. But I'm still disappointed with I'd love to have seen maybe Nico Paz, who's uh in the squad, he's young, he looks really good, just from the highlights I've seen, but he looks exactly like the type of player that Argentina are missing at the moment. And I think what they're missing is that player who can really link up with Messi, really link up with Alvarez. That's right. Because at the moment, McAllister, I know he scored the goal the other day, but he looked, I was watching him, I was thinking he's become a Premier League, he's become he's been Anglified or whatever the term is. He doesn't look like a traditional Argentina Argentina midfielder. It doesn't play is safe. It's kind of like, oh yeah, I'll get the ball, I'll open up, I'll play to the fullback, I'll get the ball, I'll open. And then it's not what you expect from Argentina midfielders who maybe don't do things unorthodox for what we would have grown up seeing in Europe, you know, where playing the one-two, playing the ball around the corner, going for the the third man run. I mean, all these little things that you want from an Argentina team. I just don't think McAllister's giving it to them. You know, as great as his goal was, his header was the other night. I just wonder if he's almost too English fied, English for for Argentina.

SPEAKER_03 33:54

I think that's what football has evolved when it comes to going players going back to their national teams. You know, they they uh you have to be aware of that player plays that's his home country at the moment where he he he plays his trade. So if you're playing 55 games for Liverpool, you can't suddenly become Argentinian again. Like in a in in five games in five games in a World Cup. You you you'd need a season to play 15 games in a row for Argentina, you get that a bit more flow going on of how how the other players. So that's where I think a lot of the the World Cup teams, like especially like a Brazil, it Brazil was a half French, half Premier League team, or whatever it might be. And you could see clearly there was no identity of players getting that that rhythm, that bit of samba feeling of it apply, unpredictability constantly. And going back to exactly uh as as you said, that that link up player, that famous, famous name before it gets to the Messi and the Batistutas up front and before was Rick Wellme, Aymar, like cutting through the midfield and that beating two players, cutting it back. Then you play it into Messi, and then it's like, oh my god, uh Véron obviously had his magic of like playing them them 40-yard balls right into someone's feet, and then it's like wow, what a pass. And now, of course, you know, McAllister with with uh great respect for you know what a football player. You're you're just tossing 11 for Argentina, you're starting 11 for Liverpool. Um of course he he won the last World Cup, but you're right, he's he's more sort of saying, like, like listen, I can't I can't bomb forward and start beating two players, and then me and Messi do a little you know ticky-tacker there, and then suddenly, but Raquelme and Aymar with a Messi, like that, that that was basically, you know, like wow, like who do we stop here? Um that's what we've all missed, I guess. Messi, um you know, and you've always had the the big name centre backs for Argentina, and then you're just just missing that that that midfield, you know, status, someone that is like, don't worry, you know, I've got this as well. And DePaul as being poor, I think sometimes you've all got a question, you know, like when they drop off to the MLS with respect to the MLS, sometimes they're in that new lifestyle, they're in like kind of like, well, I'll be selected because I'm still a I'm still a player status kind of thing, but you gotta, you know, you gotta see, and that's what I like about Tucill. He's like, listen, uh Cole Palmer, you were poor all season. I know you're Cole Palmer and you you've got your glitz in the glams. Trent, are you a Real Madrid superstar? And um Foden just because you're you know, they said he said, No, none of you are coming. So it's with Argentina, you sort of drag in DePaul to come to the World Cup. And could you have could you have selected someone else that has that that rage to show Argentina, like, you know, I'm playing for you know Boca Juniors, maybe like I'm I'm ready for this occasion.

SPEAKER_01 36:35

So it's an interesting chance Scalone has whether even if it comes after this World Cup, because uh he obviously has to move players on now, and the kind of honeymoon period is over for Scaloni where he came in, nobody wanted him to get the job at Argentina, he got the job, won the World Cup, and then they won the Cope America, they've been brilliant, they qualified for the World Cup, and then this World Cup they're getting they've got through to semi-finals. So, look, it's another good successful World Cup for him, but it's clear at this point that the team now has to evolve, yeah. And hopefully, and that's gonna be his job, or maybe he walks away, maybe he says, I've done what I can, and it's time for someone else. But there's a change coming, and I think that's a chat for another day, but um but it does present some interesting questions for the semi-final against England. And on that, so who are you betting your life savings on?

SPEAKER_03 37:31

Well, there isn't any life savings, so we're gonna come up with that.

SPEAKER_01 37:34

Well, if you save between now and kickoff, you might get 20 quid together, you know.

SPEAKER_03 37:38

I was gonna say 15 at most, but um I am gonna do it. Uh England, England are gonna I'm just I'm just in 90 minutes or is it going extra time? No, 90 minutes. I think because they're taking it if if and not and dragging it on the conversation now, but if you start going into that that extra time, you're you're in danger zone. It's it's it's it's a red card, it's a penalty, it's everything is even more chaos.

SPEAKER_01 38:05

The only thing I'd say, and again, I don't want to like we should wrap up now, but the only thing I'd say with that is some of the extra time's been pretty boring, and I think it's because the the heat like Norway. I expected Norway to come hammer England there for the last right. I couldn't delete it, but they could, they they were so tired. I think that was a big factor for them, you know. I think they just didn't have it in their legs anymore, and so they just kind of whimpered out, which was really disappointing. So I think if it get gets to extra time at this point, I'm almost saying it's going straight to penalties. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I I'm I'm gonna back Argentina, fuck it. I'm gonna I'm gonna break out the credit card.

SPEAKER_03 38:43

I was surprised at that one. I was thinking, you know, England. I thought you might have favoured them, but you know, we're not gonna do it, are you?

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Nah. All on Argentina, all right, Alex. Well, thank you. Uh we turned this around quickly enough. We managed to squeeze nearly 40 minutes out of it, which is pretty impressive. Yeah, but let's catch up in a few days ahead of the World Cup final. And until then, enjoy the semi-finals.

SPEAKER_03 39:10

Yeah, yeah, you too. Cheers, Luke. Catch you later. Adios. Adios