World Cup Love and Loathe: Hydration Breaks, What's happened to Son, Raul Jimenez's moment.
With the World Cup underway, here’s a column of some of the most important moments of this summer’s World Cup. With inspiration from The Mismatch, my favorite basketball podcast, here are the things I’ve loved about the days’ round of matches, and things I’ve loathed watching. It will be a tournament ot remember, have this be your morning companion as well (Until the LA Galaxy is back in action).
Love: Raul Jimenez’s World Cup moment
The emotion on the face of striker Raul Jimenez showed how much the moment meant to the 35-year-old.
He suffered a fractured skull injury in 2020, and doctors told him it was a miracle that he was able to keep playing soccer. He was a top striker in the Premier League at the time, but his long recovery period took the form out of him. Jimenez was never able to reach that level again. He also recently lost his father, who would’ve enjoyed seeing his son lead the line for Mexico.
It was surprising for me to learn that Thursday’s match was Jimenez’s first-ever start at the World Cup for the former Fulham striker. Henry Martín getting starting minutes in Qatar will never make sense to me, but that’s probably my anti-Club America bias showing.
Nonetheless, no other player on Mexico’s squad deserves that moment. Jimenez has worked hard to get back to being a reliable Premier League goalscorer. It’s clear the quality is still there with his ability to not just finish chances but also provide great hold-up play on the ball.
Loathe: Hydration Breaks
“The game is gone.”
“Utter Woke Nonsense”
Those are the phrases that came to mind during the new mandatory hydration breaks at the World Cup.
It’s not that players are getting these moments to refuel and hydrate in the North American summer, but rather the real intentions of these three-minute breaks.
Even Stevie Wonder could see that these breaks are solely for more advertainment money and for broadcasters to profit from selling these slots in the middle of the action. It would be great to see some replays or maybe see the coaches talking to their players.
In the opening game, Fox missed some game action once it came back from the commercial break. It also happened in the South Korea – Czechia match.
Adding this element to games is just unnatural. It’s going against the soul of the game. Shout out to Telemundo for not putting commercials and keeping the feed on the game.
Love: Erik Lira
Who doesn’t love a number six who gets into tackles and is a no-nonsense kind of player?
That’s pretty much who the Cruz Azul midfielder is.
He won the ball back to set up Mexico’s first goal and added that element of physicality to disrupt South Africa’s moment in possession.
He’s a player who will likely get a move after the World Cup. He’s above Edson Alvarez in Javier Aguirre’s eyes, which is no small task.
Loathe: Red Card Chaos
This might be the one and only time in my lifetime where there were more red cards than goals in a game.
Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane got reds for South Africa, and Cesar Montes completed the trifecta by getting sent off in the final minutes of the game.
Personally, I hate seeing red cards. They change games by making the match more pragmatic. The game becomes predictable, and one side usually plays in slow surrender.
South Africa was always going to lose this game, but I’d like to see them keep trying and playing with the ball. It’s the football purist in me to want to see both teams go at it equally.
Loathe: What’s LAFC done to Son
It was a sad sight to see Heung-Min Son struggle in South Korea’s 2-1 win over Czechia. The once elite attack was visibly a step slower and not as sharp in the final third.
It’s no surprise when you realize that he’s not found the back of the net in MLS play. His only goals this year have come in the Concacaf Champions Cup. It’s a sad sight to see him struggle this much, given he’s the main focal point for his country.
I’ll be keeping my eye on if this is just who Son is on the world stage, or maybe this was the tune-up match he needed. In-Beom Hwang is stepping up to be the hero for Korea as he recorded a goal and an assist to get the come-from-behind victory.
Clip of the Day
South Africa had its “Deer in Headlights” moment in the opening match of the World Cup.
They struggled to play out of the back, the body language from their players was bad, and two red cards set the negative tone to start the tournament.
Here is a clip from South African TV where the pundits are literally speechless.
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Prediction of the Day
The USMNT will beat Paraguay 3-0. I have a feeling in my body that Friday will be a special day for U.S. Soccer.
This has been four years in the making. It’s an opportunity that this national team knows it must not squander.