World Cup Love and Loathe: Ochoa's Farwell, South Korea's horror show, and Who likes Steve Clarke?
The Azteca says goodbye to Memo Ochoa, Clarke concedes Scotland are going home, Ancelotti's Brazil is finding its feet, and South Korea never found Son
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: Adiós Memo
Players who define a generation hold a special place in the hearts of football fans. Mexican Goalkeeper Memo Ochoa falls into that category without a doubt.
The iconic hair and spectacular performances at World Cups have made him a fan favorite across the globe. It was only fitting that his football farewell happened at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. It’s the arena in which he made his career debut and where the final chapter of his career took place.
The roars of the crowd when Ochoa entered the pitch late in the second half were those of admiration and celebration for a country icon. He didn’t make a single save, but the crowd cheered each time he cleared the ball away.
As I wrote with Maya Yoshida’s farewell game in Japan, it’s hard to always have the perfect send-off in football. Everyone rarely celebrates a player’s achievements for one last time with no baggage. Ochoa got that moment, and it was beautiful to see one of my childhood idols feel the appreciation that he deserves.
Loathe: Steve Clarke
An inspiring manager is key to really making a team run through a wall. In Scotland’s case, I don’t know how the team can stand manager Steve Clarke.
Following their 3-0 loss to Brazil in Miami, Clarke was pretty blunt about the team’s chances of advancing as one of the best third-place teams.
Aside from Clarke saying he believes the squad is going home, the rest of his interview was full of short answers and expressing his disappointment with his players.
Clarke is free to have his opinions, but it’s clear to most people that the tactics of the squad are the real reason for this lackluster performance. Scotland has some genuine quality in their squad, and there is really no need to play so conservatively in the attack.
If I were a player in that locker room, I’d be wanting this to be the last game Clarke managed. He’s not inspiring, and he’s not the type of leader who deserves to have the incredible support of the Tartan Army.
Love: Brazil is getting better
On the other side of that result, Brazil is getting better with each passing match. Carlo Ancelotti is making progress with Seleção at the right time.
The scoreless draw with Morocco at the start of the group stage was worrying. The lack of creative flair and chemistry was obvious for all to see. The Hati match provided a good bounce back, but it was expected. The win over Scotland saw more creativity and a good performance for all 90 minutes.
The most important thing is that Vinícius Jr. is in the form of his life for Brazil. The Real Madrid star has been so inconsistent with Brazil, but with Ancelotti in charge, he’s playing his best football at the World Cup.
Neymar made an appearance late in the game. He obviously was a step behind the rest, but this gives the fanbase a moment to appreciate Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorer.
This doesn’t mean that I think Brazil is going to make a deep run. There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, but this is a good step in the right direction for one of the premier football nations.
Loathe: South Korea’s Performances
Watching Lee Kang-in fall to the floor as frustration and sadness take over is exactly what most Koreans were feeling. South Korea’s 1-0 loss to South Africa was one of the shocking results of the tournament as the Asian side failed to secure second place in Group A.
The performances from Hong Myung-bo’s side have been poor to watch from a team that has quality around the pitch. Aside from the second half against Czechia, there really aren’t many positives to take away from the group stage.
Son Heung-min’s fit on the team has been the main issue that’s holding the Korean side back. He’s gotten a few touches in the final third, and the team struggles to get him chances in the box. He came off the bench for Korea in their last game, but that didn’t do much to jumpstart his attacking presence.
It was a disappointing showing from a team that many thought would go through to the next round. Now their fate will be decided by how the rest of the third-place teams do.
Clip of the Day
I can’t really show anything else other than the scenes at the Azteca with Ochoa. One final goodbye for the Mexico fans at the cathedral of football.
Prediction of the Day
Ready for Chaos?
My prediction is that Group E will be thrilling until the end. Ecuador needs a win over Germany to get through, while the Ivory Coast just needs a point over Curacao to secure its spot. I can see one of these teams playing spoiler and causing the table to look pretty crazy.