Normally a backpass that gets picked off like that is a major gaff. But that forward anticipated the play beautifully and the defender didn't see him coming because of his other defender blocking the view.
^Fair point, it was a good play by the striker. That said if you out shoot a team 22-7 while having 65% of the possession and that is how you lose, I am going to call it a big gaff.
The final is Japan v Qatar. Nice to see Qatar improving. At this rate they won't embarrass themselves in 2022.
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Normally a backpass that gets picked off like that is a major gaff. But that forward anticipated the play beautifully and the defender didn't see him coming because of his other defender blocking the view.
Qatar proving if you want to improve your national team throwing a ridiculous amount of money at it really helps.
This is also a big FU to the UAE who are part of the ongoing sanctions against Qatar. The Qataris had to fly to the tournament via Kuwait, any non-football team citizens were not allowed in the country, and tickets were not allocated to their supporters as per AFC policy. Their victory is especially impressive when you consider playing in one of the most hostile environments imaginable.
Interestingly we get to see both Qatar and Japan again soon as the invitees to the Copa America in June.
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god I hate our government sometimes. The Austrian FA wanted to nationalize Burnley striker Ashley Barnes, who has an Austrian grandmother and would have been eligible for our NT. And he was very eager, too. And despite months of positive signals, the MPs knocked it down today because Barnes hasn't contributed anything to Austrian football. Being a PL regular works against him here - if only he played in our pathetic beer league instead!
bit of a surprise news coming out of Germany: Jogi Löw has decided to drop Bayern stars Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller from the national team. Those players will not be selected again.
Well I think when I look at Sterling, I would want Foden to stay at Man City as long as Pep is there. Pep gets the chequebook manager label, but how he's developed Sterling into one of the very best wingers in the world is gonna pay dividends for England. Gotta hope the same for Foden, and he should be starting soon you'd hope, David Silva is old and not bald anymore, better for Foden to play more.
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Pep doesnt really play youngsters though, unless they are already established, sterling is playing great, he was at liverpool too
Sancho and maffeo both were ready for playing time, and he instead paid for players and stifled development
Foden has made 10 sub appearances and that's in a year where kdb has been injured so hes only started 7 games, d silva still has at least a year left, b silva, mahrez, sane, sterling all ahead of him too. Hes at least another year away, at best, from playing regular football
He can leave next summer too like sancho on a free I believe, if its abroad (england would be a tribunal), so this summer could be interesting, imagine they dont want to lose another young player like sancho
