Goals, assists, records and an extraordinary ability to improve with age. At what point do we finally accept that Harry Kane is genuinely world class?
There is something quite extraordinary happening with Harry Kane. At an age when most strikers are beginning to lose a yard of pace, drop deeper to conserve energy and contemplate the lucrative business of winding down their careers in the Middle East, Kane appears to be getting better.
The ...
After days of hype, endless previews and enough dramatic music to invade a small country, game day finally arrived. It started exactly as expected, with Argentina demonstrating that football is as much about psychology and gamesmanship as it is about passing the ball. There were niggling tackles, theatrical tumbles, mysterious injuries that disappeared the instant possession changed and constant conversations with the referee. Actual football ...
The Pub Was My First Mistake
After some pressure from my stepson, it was off the chaise longue and down to the pub for last night’s game, a decision I would later come to regret. One side of the pub was watching a television around two seconds ahead of the side I was sitting on, which meant cheers, groans and anguished cries were erupting before I had any idea what had happened. There is nothing quite like watching a dangerous attack ...
I should probably start this post by admitting that one player, amongst many heroes last night, stood out as a towering example of why Thomas Tuchel is an elite football manager and I am a Chaise Lounge enthusiast.
Anthony Gordon.
Thunder, Rain and Mexican Fire
As rain delayed the start of the match, nothing could dampen the crackling atmosphere inside Mexico’s fortress. This was never going to be a polite little kickabout. It had ...
Welcome to Football’s Highest Exam
England face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, which is not ideal if you were hoping for a relaxing early Monday morning, a gentle stroll into the quarter-finals, or a football match that doesn’t also resemble a science experiment.
The Azteca sits around 2,240 metres above sea level, which is roughly 7,200 feet in old money. That means the air is thinner, the lungs have to work harder, and footballers ...
