In short
ESPN FC’s World Cup knockout-round setup—late group drama, bracket predictions, and analysis of key teams’ performances.
Guests (hosts)
Dan Thomas (host), Don Hutchinson (former player/analyst), Stephen Iffron (analyst). Later segment features Jurgen Klopp interview via Xhaka.
Guest backgrounds
- Jurgen Klopp: former Liverpool manager; discusses coaching Mo Salah and Egypt’s World Cup progress.
- Hosts/analysts: Don Hutchinson and Stephen Iffron provide match and tactical commentary.
Key claims
- Colombia deserved to beat Portugal; Portugal were “leggy” and couldn’t control midfield; Ronaldo’s usage is questioned (too much power, not enough service; should be simplified or subbed).
- England advanced but were “uninspiring”; their back four is a concern, and they may struggle against top sides.
- Argentina’s depth is highlighted: Messi came on and scored a free kick; Scaloni made nine changes.
- DR Congo are entertaining and will test England; bracket is favorable for Colombia.
Notable examples
- Austria vs Algeria: substitute Kalasic scored in 96th minute to keep Austria alive.
- Messi: scored in his first minutes after coming on; record-setting free kick.
- England: 2-0 vs Panama to top Group L; Croatia beat Ghana to set Portugal-Croatia matchup.
- Klopp: says Salah’s risk-taking and daily work ethic drove “greatness.”
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOColombia vs. Portugal Analysis
0:04 to 0:30
Analyzing the match between Colombia and Portugal and its implications.
“It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.”
Colombia vs. Portugal Analysis
1:12 to 2:26
Analyzing the match between Colombia and Portugal and its implications.
“Let's start, shall we, with Colombia against Portugal.”
Ronaldo's Performance Under Scrutiny
2:26 to 4:42
Discussing Cristiano Ronaldo's performance and its impact on Portugal.
“I just thought he didn't really have too much service.”
Concerns Over Portugal's Team Dynamics
4:42 to 7:36
Examining the issues within the Portugal team and their tactics against Colombia.
“So the only place he has to be is in the penalty box.”
Colombia's Bracket Outlook
7:36 to 9:36
Looking at Colombia's favorable position in the tournament bracket.
“you look at PSG's Vitinha and João Neves, and you know how good they are.”
DR Congo's Victory and Style of Play
9:36 to 10:00
Evaluating DR Congo's performance and their upcoming match against England.
“So, Colombia looking good to go maybe deep in this tournament to the quarterfinals.”
England's Performance and Future Challenges
11:59 to 14:01
Assessing England's progress and potential obstacles in the knockout stages.
“A 2-0 victory over Panama guarantees England top spot in Group L.”
England's Strengths Against Better Teams
14:01 to 17:00
The discussion revolves around England's potential to excel against stronger teams in the knockout rounds.
“If that team plays France, France score two goals.”
Analyzing England's Upcoming Matches
17:01 to 18:49
The hosts analyze England's bracket in the knockout stage, focusing on potential opponents like DR Congo and Mexico.
“in their group means that England will face them in the round of 32 and then in theory it will be Mexico in the round of 16 in Mexico by the way and then you go through to the quarterfinals where it will be Brazil.”
Argentina's Performance and Messi's Impact
18:50 to 21:44
A recap of Argentina's successful group stage and Messi's influence coming off the bench.
“And it's in the altitude of Mexico City.”
Show all 25 chapters
Cape Verde's Surprising Journey
21:45 to 22:47
Discussion about Cape Verde's remarkable performance in the tournament, highlighting their unexpected success.
“Reminds me of what I was thinking four years ago.”
Exciting World Cup Matches and Predictions
22:48 to 25:55
The hosts discuss various matches from the World Cup, including predictions for upcoming knockout games.
“I'm sure they're not that bothered about that.”
Final World Cup Predictions and Matchups
25:55 to 28:01
The hosts finalize their predictions for the knockout stage and discuss key matchups.
“Remember, it was France and Spain at the start of the tournament.”
World Cup Semi-Final Predictions
28:01 to 29:29
Discussion about potential semi-final matchups and predictions for the winners.
“Like a proper game of football, that is.”
Round of 16 Matchups Analysis
29:30 to 30:59
Analysis and predictions for the Round of 16 matchups in the World Cup.
“You tossed a coin, but for me, it's France.”
Further Match Predictions
31:00 to 32:35
Continuation of predictions for various World Cup matches, including the implications.
“I'm a little surprised that they've got this far, to be honest, because they've been completely and utterly unimpressive.”
Quarter-Final Thoughts
32:36 to 34:29
Hosts share their thoughts on potential quarter-final matchups and likely winners.
“Yeah, all the things that we've been talking about since the tournament started with Ronaldo.”
Final Predictions and Legacy
34:30 to 35:58
Final predictions for the World Cup champion and reflections on player legacies.
“Nothing kills me more than telling you they're going to get to the semi-final.”
Jurgen Klopp Interview with Chaka Hisslop
36:55 to 42:06
An interview with Jurgen Klopp discussing Mo Salah and his impact on Liverpool.
“You don't need reminding how good Mo Salah was at Liverpool and the man who knew him best during his time at Anfield was Jurgen Klopp, Chaka Hisslop, caught up with the former Liverpool coach.”
Scotland's World Cup Exit and Coach Resignation
42:06 to 44:25
Discussion on Scotland's elimination from the World Cup and Steve Clarke's resignation as coach.
“It was made official today that Scotland were eliminated and accompanying that, Scotland FA released this statement.”
Debate on Coaching Strategies and Team Performance
44:25 to 48:09
Analysis of coaching strategies during the World Cup and Scotland's performance against Morocco.
“And it's OK to say, well, we could have done what Kate Verde did or DR Congo.”
Granit Xhaka's Transfer to Chelsea
48:09 to 49:41
Discussion about Granit Xhaka's move to Chelsea and its implications.
“Why don't we just do what would have been probably given us a better chance is to get the ball up there on the end of the field and do what Ireland did years ago.”
Discussion on World Cup Drama and Refereeing
50:30 to 56:00
Hosts discuss the drama of the World Cup, refereeing decisions, and team tactics.
“When she showed me, I went, do you know what he done?”
Impact of Jet Lag on Teams
56:00 to 58:05
Learn how traveling across time zones affects players' performance during the World Cup.
“That could be a game where it finishes 4-3.”
Discussion on Fashion Choices
58:05 to 58:47
Hear a light-hearted debate about the best v-neck look among the hosts.
“You don't want that yellow that Herc's wearing.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+.
0:30Colombia finish top of Group K. A goal is draw against Portugal. Upsets those that thought it would be Cristiano Ronaldo's side advancing top. In fact, it's Colombia who go through. And certainly on the easiest side of the draw. Welcome in to the ESPN FC studios. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Don Hutchinson and Stephen Iffron. What a show we have for you today. So much late drama in the late, late game as it looked like Austria would be going home. But a substitute comes on in the 95th minute. scores the equaliser in the 96th minute, Austria advance. We have the full bracket now. We will be hearing from the boys and seeing their bracket predictions later on in the show, plus an exclusive interview with Jurgen Klopp.
1:11But where do we start? Let's start, shall we, with Colombia against Portugal. Portugal fancied by many to go a long way in this competition. However, they're going to have to do it the hard way after finishing second in Group K. Colombia get the win. Congo DR advance with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan. They will play England. We'll talk about that a little later on in the show. But let's focus on Colombia against Portugal, where, Don, I think it's fair to say, 0-0 draw, but not your standard 0-0 draw. It was very entertaining. And Colombia were the better team, weren't they? I totally agree. I think before a ball was kicked, when you look at the group there, you think Portugal are on top of the group.
1:49But when they played each other today, I thought Portugal looked leggy, but credit Colombia. I thought they tried to run all over them. They got the ball in wide areas. They got crosses in. They were a threat. They had more energy. They had more quality. And they'll take the point in advance. But when you look at all the stats as well, it all bears fruit that you think. And probably Colombia should have won the game. What's going on with Portugal, Stevie? Because this felt a lot more like the DR Congo performance than the one we saw against Uzbekistan. Yeah, well, again, today going forward in the final third, they just didn't look sharp.
2:22but on top of that as well I think more worryingly for Portugal they couldn't contain Colombia in the middle of the park you see the amount of shots, 24 shots that tells you that you can't stop the opposition and so before the ball's kicked, Portugal's one of the favourites but considering what we've seen from them so far, there are question marks about them going forward and after today, I think there's question marks about them from a defensive point in the middle of the park Inevitably, there'll be questions about Cristiano Ronaldo, as there always is, Don. What did you make of Izzin back today?
2:57I didn't think he was the worst player. I just thought he didn't really have too much service. I think he's been asked to run into wide areas and come short and try and link the play. I think with Ronaldo at 41, I think you've just got to tell him, play the width of the 80-yard box, rely on Jao Felix, Ineto, Bruno Fernandes, etc. to get him service. I think you've got to simplify the game for him. He knows what he is now, Ronaldo. He's a goal scorer. has come up to nearly 1 ,000 goals. Just say to him, listen, you don't have to run back. You don't have to chase into wide areas. You're not expecting that anymore.
3:26You can't do that at 41. And the biggest question is, which will always be and go against Roberto Martinez, have you got the gumption if it's not going well to take him off? Gonzalo Ramos is sitting on the bench thinking, I'm a number nine. Is there any chance of bringing me on for five minutes? I might nick you a goal or 15 or half an hour. It's not going to happen. So you've got to say to Ronaldo, right, we are going to simplify the game for you. we're going to make it as easy as possible you can score goals, we'll get your chances You take a look at his stats they're not particularly impressive from a man who has the record that he does No If Ronaldo hadn't had Ronaldo on the back of his jersey he would have looked like an ordinary player you wouldn't have been able to spot a guy who's scored 900 and something goals and has had the career he's had See that though, Steve, two touches in the box all his work done outside the box And the thing is, as you said, you don't want him anywhere outside the box.
4:22You don't want him running in behind. Right. You know, particularly in this World Cup, he's been offside more times than I can remember because he knows that he needs to try and get a quick or get a head start on the defenders because he doesn't have the pace. And so he's running offside and then he ends up in a wide area. And why is he in a wide area? Because he's not beating anybody. He can't go past anybody. So the only place he has to be is in the penalty box. But even then, he's pretty much invisible. So today, yes, Don said he wasn't the worst. But we're talking about Ronaldo here. We're not talking about a run-of-the-mill player.
4:58We're talking about a guy who's supposed to make the difference. And certainly if you have a centre-forward who doesn't look as though A, he's going to be in the penalty box if a ball's put in, and B, he doesn't look like he's going to score a goal, why is he on the field? And he's on the field for a whole match. And let's not forget, this is a game that actually really mattered when it came to who would top the group, and we'll talk about the bracket in a moment, there was definitely an easier option. And finishing top as Colombia did does give them that to advance further in the competition without a bigger test as Portugal in a face.
5:27Yet you're playing Ronaldo for the whole game. And that's the worry, because then you question the manager, then you question the relationship between player and manager. Has he got too much power? It probably looks that way, because why is Roberto Martinez not taking him off? Why is he, and if you don't want to take him off, why are you not putting another centre forward on? Put Ramos on alongside him to take the donkey work and the leg work off Ronaldo. But it just feels as though Ronaldo's got that power where he's the captain, he doesn't want to come off, he's chasing records, he wants to win.
5:54And that's great. And he's got the ego, which is great because it tells you what a legendary player he's been. But he needs help. He absolutely needs some help. And that's either being given a partner to help him or take him off and give someone else a chance to go and get the winner for them. Because as you said, it was important that they tried to top the group. And it's a top-heavy bracket. So let's just take a look at what Portugal will face now that they finished at second. They take on Croatia in the next round and then they face Spain in the round of 16. Spain is another team that have underwhelmed us so far in this tournament.
6:27And if it works out the way that we think it will in that round of 16, that's going to be a fascinating contest. Yeah, it is. And it's kind of going to, for me, it's going to come down to who possesses the ball the best. because at their best, both of these sides have, particularly in the middle of the park, players that can keep the ball. Again, tonight we didn't see that against Colombia for Portugal. And unfortunately for Spain, that's the one thing that I think they've let themselves down with us in this World Cup so far. So it's going to be tough to pick a winner. But at the end of the day, you have to think of which team at their best should win.
7:07Right. I think you've got to go with Spain. What's wrong with them? What's wrong with Portugal, Don? Portugal. I think what Steve, you mentioned there, is having quality players. You look at João Neves and Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes. It just looks like, to me, it's a team on paper. And that's why I think, I look at them thinking they should go far in the tournament, but they're not, because they don't play as a team. And they didn't dominate the ball. When you look at that midfield today against Colombia, who were very, very good and stopped them from playing, you look at PSG's Vitinha and João Neves, and you know how good they are.
7:42Why can't they control the game like they do for PSG? That's the worry, I think, for Roberto Martinez. I think the one thing that stuck out for me tonight, I've mentioned that I thought the middle of the park didn't get its job done defensively. But the team as a unit, when they lost the ball, there were way too many holes. And Colombia is a side who, when they get the ball, they want to go forward and they want to do it as quickly as they can, which is why they're exciting to watch. Now, it didn't work out tonight. particularly with Luis Diaz you know he's a guy who every single chance he gets he's either having a shot or he's taking somebody on he's cutting inside I mean he's just he's exciting to watch but it wasn't his night to night and so in some ways Portugal were lucky that they got a point because the amount of times that Colombia got at them and we saw as I said 24 shots how you don't score with 24 shots with the quality they have but yeah so yeah Colombia for me absolutely deserve to win this game.
8:41I alluded to it at the start. Let's take a look at Colombia's side of the bracket. And it's nice. You know, obviously Argentina are in the quarterfinals if things work out. But leading up to that, they're taking on a Ghana side that you feel that are beatable. And then Switzerland or Algeria, and we saw Algeria of course, book their place just now with that 3-3 draw. But if you're Colombia, you're loving life, aren't you? You are, you are, and you have to be respectful of Garner. Yeah, no, I get that. You have to be respectful. You have to do your analysis. But when you look at the bracket there, there's no reason why they can't meet Argentina in the quarters.
9:16You know, the side of that draw is favourable. And if they play the way they did today and in the last two games, there's no reason why they can't meet Argentina. Goals. Yeah. That's going to be their only problem. As I said, they're strong at the back. They love defending. They love getting forward. They go to pace. can they get the goals? That's the one question I would have. So, Colombia looking good to go maybe deep in this tournament to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, DR Congo in this group coming from behind to beat Uzbekistan by three goals to one. Newcastle's finest. He's with a brace in that game, Don.
9:53Enough to see them advance. This was a fun match to watch because they were going for it and in the end they got what they deserved. Yeah, I mean, Uzbekistan have been the whipping boys of their group but you have to credit DR Congo I mean they've been a joy to watch haven't they I mean you know when the fans are dancing inside the stadium and the colour that you see at home and the flags and the noise and the atmosphere they create but the team match them they play forward they have a go they're exciting better teams will beat them when they go deep into the competition but when you watch them you get joy by watching them because they're a good side and they entertain DR Congo will be facing England in the next round we'll be discussing that later on and we'll also be reflecting on Lionel Messi Scoring more goals, just a reminder, extra time is when we stay late to answer some of your questions.
10:37Today is no exception. You can catch that on our YouTube channel.
10:44Right then, England advance, as do Argentina, at the top of their respective tables, but in very different manners. We'll be discussing both of those matches after this.
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11:59A 2-0 victory over Panama guarantees England top spot in Group L. Meanwhile, Croatia with a 2-1 victory over Ghana guarantees second. Croatia then through to the next round where they'll face Portugal. For England, it's going to be through to the round. Who are they playing? I forgot. Abdiakongo. Three players I use to these moments they play champions league and europa league to the end they know what it takes will we step it up the bigger the game gets the bigger we will get there is no problem growing into a tournament like this we have strong belief and trust in each other it is important we keep believing in what we can influence and what we can improve the most important thing is not to be afraid and be brave um england get the job done but again it was uninspiring is that fair to say That's very fair.
12:48And I tend to agree with a little bit of what Thomas Tuchel is saying. The contradiction to that is when they come up against better sides, they'll get beat. Because they'd done this when they went to the Euros and they got beat off Spain in the final. It was uninspiring. But they did make it to the final. Yeah, but it was a ballroom watch all the way along to the final. And then as soon as Spain come along, they'll take the ball away from them. That's when they'll struggle. This side can't beat Spain. This side can't beat France. Can't beat Argentina. Not the way they're playing at the minute.
13:15But what Thomas Tuchel is saying there is they can grow into the tournament because they've got Champions League experience, most of them. So I get that and I believe that a little bit, but they've got to improve, surely. Because when you look at, apart from Harry Kane, when you look at the likes of Bellingham, who scored today and got an assist, Morgan Rodgers, you look at the wide players on the left, wide players on the right, they should be playing better football. That's unfair. Bellingham was the best player on the team. That's what I said. I said that, but what I'm saying is, if you've got Rashford on the left or Gordon or Sakharo Madowiecki, they're good players.
13:45Some of the players have won the Premier League. Some players, a lot of the players have won, or sorry, played in the Champions League. Bellingham done his bit today, but they need more. The back four worries me. It's not the strongest back four in the competition. So they have to be a team that gets goals because you come up against the best. If that team plays France, France score two goals. But you say that about every team. Yeah, but I think it's fair when you analyse England. They're going to concede a goal. So they're going to have to score two or three goals to beat the best sides. he's saying they need to improve and I believe that they need to.
14:15Is there an argument to say there's going to be more space against teams that Don are talking about? 100%. So in that sense England will be able to play to their strengths? Absolutely. 100%. You know, we can talk about every single thing that Thomas Tuchel said that you can't argue with. If you want to be critical you can say well you know what, in a game like this you need somebody with a bit of imagination somebody with a bit more guile because this England side is not set up for players with guile. OK. And they can do something differently. This side is set up to be strong and to be at pace and then use the individual talent to win games.
14:57And they can beat anybody. England could beat anybody on the day. They could because they have got strength and pace. I don't believe that, Stevie. And when they come up against the so-called better teams, then there's going to be more space for them to use that power and use that pace. We see them struggling against teams that sit in tight because that's what they're all about. And that's why they struggled. But guess what they did? They wore them down. And that's what they're built for. They're built for either to get up teams of pace or they're going to out-muscle them and be too strong. And that's all they did today.
15:32I've never seen a team in this era when teams won't cross the ball. England fired in how many crosses today? and that is just pressure pressure pressure pressure and that's what England are all about and that's why they can beat any teams that are playing and we can talk about Spain we can sit and talk about Spain the way we're talking about England I mean Williams not even fit Jamal is he going to be 100 % you know so other than France well that's it all the other teams England absolutely are capable of beating them and on the day they could beat France as well in my opinion I don't buy it. I know what you're saying where they'll be better against better opposition because they'll be allowed to play more rather than playing against low blocks.
16:16But when you watch France play, France have got the lot. So when you say they can beat anyone. Well, they can. They can on the day. I agree with you defensively. Right, let me ask you a question. I do agree with you defensively that they can have a problem. The best version of France and the best version of England. France win nine times out of ten. Yeah, but that doesn't mean to say that they can't beat them. if we're going to sit here and say the best of everybody then well we're all going to say France but football doesn't work that way again you've got to play the game you've got to turn up and you've got to use all the things that supposedly that you have that are better than all the other teams I'm just saying that on the day England could beat anybody including France Let's just take a look at England's side of the bracket and what they have coming up DR Congo as I mentioned before finishing third in their group means that England will face them in the round of 32 and then in theory it will be Mexico in the round of 16 in Mexico by the way and then you go through to the quarterfinals where it will be Brazil.
17:17Let's start off for the round of 32. DR Congo got that draw against Portugal. They know how to play in that opening game. Am I stretching it to say this won't be a pushover? No I think DR Congo will give England the game but I think England would win. I think surely you have to have that belief if you're England, if you're Thomas Tuchel, you've got to drum it into the players and the quality that England have got. You have to fancy England will beat Congo, but they'll give them a game. Yeah, the only thing you know is Congo's not going to give it to them. Right. So they're going to have to have a level of performance that does overcome Congo, which I think they will, but it ain't going to be a walk in the park.
17:53And then the next round, Mexico, which could be a lot of fun. Listen, on a rainy Saturday afternoon at three o 'clock, England would beat Mexico every day of the week. The problem is the game's in Mexico City and that completely changes it. You know, we're talking about, or I'm talking about, one of the strengths of England is their strength. That's going to be tested. And altitude. And altitude in Mexico City, big time. That's going to be their biggest problem. I don't think Mexico, as a unit and as individuals, are close to England, really. But it's in Mexico City. and given that if I was to give you a choice between Mexico and Ecuador if you were England because we saw what Ecuador did to Germany yeah I don't think there's much between those two sides Ecuador and Mexico I don't think people who have never been to altitude or ran or tried to play football can ever understand how difficult it is and I think off the top of my head I think England have got three days to try and prepare where you need at least a week so that's going to be the conditions going to be the hardest part for England if they get Mexico I think I would rather play Ecuador if I was England.
19:03Yes. Yeah. Well, you've got the crowd behind you. Yeah. And it's in the altitude of Mexico City. Ecuador are a good, strong side. We'll have a good support. But they're one of those teams that I don't know where the goals are coming from, quite frankly. So if I was England, I would prefer Ecuador, not Mexico City. And then if England go through, then it would be Brazil? I think so. In the quarterfinals. We'll be seeing what the boys think about that in their bracket a little later on. But let's focus on the final round of matches that we saw today. Argentina making it three wins out of three, defeating Jordan 3-1.
19:41Late, late drama, Algeria against Austria. Kalasic will never have to buy a drink again, I don't think, in his life. Came on as a 95th minute substitute, scored the header to see Austria get the point that gives them second. And Algeria then in third, Jordan out without picking up a point. Let's start off, shall we, as it's Argentina, by talking about Lionel Messi, which we thought maybe wouldn't be, considering that he wasn't in the starting 11. Came on in the 58th minute and then, of course, he scored a free kick. Inevitable. It's inevitable. I mean, Scaloni made nine changes for the game. Yep.
20:19And the noise when Messi came on. And for the first five, ten minutes, he didn't really have an impact. And then he gets a free kick. first one just a sighter goes over the bar and then the one after bottom corner. At seven straight World Cup matches Lionel Messi has scored that breaks another record for him. Yeah I mean let's be honest the Jordan goalkeeper must have had a bet on Messi. Oh Stevie! Well he must have had a bet on Lo Celso as well, the first and the third goals were an absolute shocker but at the end of the day you've got to put the ball on target because if you don't do that, he won't beat any goalkeeper and Messi did that and it's in the back of the net and yet another goal, flying.
20:58It's been absolutely perfect hasn't he's opening three matches for Argentina he couldn't have written it up much better. And Dan that's the reason why you can't count this Argentina side out from going back to back because you make nine changes, yes it's against Jordan with all due respect but he comes off the bench and he just does it, he's effective, he's a different player from what he was ten years ago when he was busy and electric and getting all over the pitch now he's got the ability to come on, I mean look at the top end of the pitch when Nico Paz and Antaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.
21:26I mean, the firepower that they've got with all the changes makes this side very dangerous. Yeah, there is some depth there, isn't there, Stevie? Yeah, it does kind of smell of the last World Cup. It feels like it. Well, they're not seeing Saudi Arabia in the group stages. Yeah, I mean, that was just a kick up the backside. But I get the feeling, certainly what I'm thinking now, Reminds me of what I was thinking four years ago. That, you know, people are talking about Messi and it's a bit messy this. But the cast around them, I think, is even better now than it was four years ago. So there's no reason why they aren't going all the way to the end.
22:05Are they my favourites to win it? No. But I'll tell you what, as I say, Dan, I don't want anything to do with Argentina. Well, I tell you who will have to have something to do with them. Who would have thought this at the start of the tournament? Cape Verde. Oh, what a story. Isn't it awesome? Isn't it brilliant? I mean, you mentioned Austria before and it was legendary watching the game because it was just drama. But even Cape Verde as well. I mean, what a story. Amazing. Just brings a smile to your face when you're watching a nation that has a good go. Do you know, I don't want to bring Scotland into it.
22:36We have to. But we could take some lessons from Cape Verde about giving it a go. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, they 100 % deserve to be where they are. As you said, incredible story. Will it continue? Probably not. But you know what? I'm sure they're not that bothered about that. They got a draw against Spain, the defending champions. Lightning. Lightning. And it's strike twice. Can it? No. Sorry. Meanwhile, Algeria against Austria, you kind of thought, well, this kind of works out for both teams if it's a draw. And it's won one at half time. You could have been forgiven for thinking, or maybe that's how it will just kind of all play out.
23:19Do you know, if there's one thing you can say about this, we were all sitting going, well, you know what, if they both throw, then they get through. Yeah. There was many moons ago, Germany and Austria played a game that they obviously got together at halftime and said, right, I draw them, we're both good. Yeah. Well, you can't say about that. No, no, I suppose this is about avoiding Spain. Yeah, but it was the drama because at one point, you know, Austria were gone, 3-2 down, they were going home. Yeah. And as you said, the Sump come off the bench, probably his first touch, header, and then both of them go through.
23:49So, like, dramatic scenes. Austria against Spain. You imagine Spain will get that done in the next round. And then it's Switzerland, Algeria. Swiss. Switzerland, absolutely. Nothing to do with them. Favourite. Nothing to do with Switzerland. Yeah, they should. Get ready. Be sure to stay tuned. Gab and Jules is available, as always, over on our website as they bring you up to date with the latest goings on. From their view in the World Cup.
24:19But after the break, the bracket is now complete for the round of 32. Stevie and Don give us their picks right to the winner.
Read the full transcript
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25:48For more information, see Kalshi.com slash regulatory. So the bookies have adjusted the odds slightly as to who will win the World Cup. Remember, it was France and Spain at the start of the tournament. Argentina have moved up to second. Now Spain down to third. Somehow England are ahead of Brazil. Goodness knows how that is. Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, the U.S. And then Colombia make up the top ten. And of course, now the bracket is complete. It gives us the perfect opportunity to get the opinion of Stevie and Don as to how this is all going to play out. These are the two technology kings.
26:21Nothing can go wrong. Right, Donald. Go for it, son. Go on. I will go for it. I'm going to go Germany to beat Paraguay. And I'm going to go France. That could be a cricket score, that one. To beat Sweden. That one's a tough one to call. It's the one on Sunday, of course. Just the one game. I'm just going to lean towards Canada. and that could be a fantastic game. Netherlands, Morocco. I mean, that literally could be anything. They've impressed me, Holland. Right. And I think they're going to go through. Okay, all right. Let's keep going then. Next round of matches. Need to improve Portugal big time against a dangerous Croatian side, but I'm going to give Portugal the nod.
27:01That, I think, is the biggest given of the tournament so far. USA definitely go through against Bosnia. Okay. That's a hard one. You think so? I do because Belgium have been boring. Yeah. Senegal. Senegal. Against the US. All right. Let's go to the other half of the bracket. Brazil, I imagine. Yeah. Definitely to beat Japan. I'm going to go Harland's mob to go through. That looks like a good game, that one. Yeah, it does look good, doesn't it? 50-50, but Mexico to win. Okay. And England to beat Congo. Wow. All right. Last one. Definitely Argentina. I mean, that could be four or five, six. Could be anything.
27:43That's not easy. If Salah's fit, makes them favourites just. Okay. You never want to play Switzerland. No. You never want to play them. Switzerland. They always hang around. Okay. And to complete the round of 32, Colombia. Colombia against Switzerland. Okay. Let's take it through then to the round of 16. Germany against France. The standout tie, really. Great game. Like a proper game of football, that is. Yes, indeed. Holland. to go through right okay Portugal Spain as well yeah Spain you got Spain to do it I think so I think they've got the US against Senegal US okay well let's get to the the bottom half then shall we Brazil to beat Norway yep altitude altitude but they can beat anyone stevie England through Scotland international, Don Hutchinson.
28:38It pains me, but I think they might just do it. Okay, all right. Argentina. Yes. The beat. And Colombia. Colombia. Sorry, Stevie. All right, then. That gives us the line-up, then, for the semi-finals. Let's just take it back there. There we are. France. The beat. Holland. Okay. Spain. Sorry. The end of the road to the US. Yeah, sorry about that. Yeah. Brazil will be England. Too much for them. This is a tasty semi-final line-up. It's proper football, isn't it? Look at that. That is proper football. That is half-decent. Yeah, it's not bad at all, isn't it? All right, then. France to beat Spain in an epic game.
29:20Argentina. So we're basically going back four years. We are going back four years. So then, who wins it? France. Yeah. Make a mention of what happened four years ago. You tossed a coin, but for me, it's France. OK. Right, Stephen. I have a feeling this could be quite similar. You know what? I think you might be right as well, wouldn't you? All right. Yeah, I'm definitely going to go the German route. German route. So Germany against France, I imagine. Yeah. Yeah, and we're done again. France is kind of a complete no-brainer, that one. Now, the game on Sunday. You've got to go with Canada. Right.
29:56I'm not, unfortunately, I'm not... It's in LA, of course, no home advantage. I'm not a huge fan of what I've seen from South Africa so far. So I've got to go with Canada. What about in Monterey? Dutch against Morocco. Look, I think it's hard to argue with the Dutch. They have been pretty tight defensively and they're scoring goals for fun. I mean, when's it going to stop? Unfortunately for Morocco, not in that game. OK, let's take it down to the next part then of the round of 32. Yeah, Portugal. Portugal's got too much for Croatia. Yep. I think that's a comfortable victory. Spain, absolutely, it's going to be a comfortable victory for them against the Austrians.
30:37And again, I think this is comfortable as well. Do you think it's going to be a comfortable win? If the US go about it the way they've gone about the three games in terms of closing teams down, the desire, I mean everything has been so far pretty tickety-boo. So yeah, I think we're going with the US on this one. And then I'm going Senegal. I mean, I'm sorry, Belgium. I'm a little surprised that they've got this far, to be honest, because they've been completely and utterly unimpressive. So it's good night for them against Senegal. Right, again, we go to the second half. Brazil against Japan. Yeah, Brazil, yeah.
31:19Norway against Ivory Coast. I'm going Norway. I think Norway is going to be the surprise of this tournament. Alright, well it will be interesting to see what happens in your round of 16, as I remind you of that. I'm going to go to Mexico here. Yeah, I've said already, I don't know where the goals are coming for Ecuador. They're tight and they fight, but they're goals. And England should be comfortable winning against DR Congo. Okay. Last bit of the round of 32 then to complete. You're exactly the same as Don so far. I know, Argentina, absolutely. Yeah. Egypt, yeah.
31:58Of course I'm going for Switzerland. Switzerland. Of course I am. Going for Switzerland. Okay. No danger. And Colombia. I've got to go with Colombia over Ghana. Yep. Okay then. Yep. Exactly the same as yours, Don. Yeah, right. Yeah, so far, yeah. Okay. I think it will continue. Did you go Mexico? Right then. Yeah. Is it? Yeah. Germany, France. Germany, France, yeah. Yeah, I think this is... Good game but straightforward. Canada against the Dutch? Yeah, Canada. They're not good enough to beat the Dutch. No, I don't think so. No, not at all. So the Dutch will play France in the quarterfinal. Portugal against Spain?
32:32Portugal, Spain. Yeah, I'm going to go Spain. Yeah, all the things that we've been talking about since the tournament started with Ronaldo. And then today, I saw little problems in the middle of the park and defending as a unit. So I've got to go Spain here over Portugal. And I'm going to go with the United States against Senegal. Take it through to the quarter-finals. Yeah, quarter-finals. Okay, let's take a look at that quarter-final line-up. Yep. Oh, wait, I've missed one. See? There you go. See? He thinks me and you are going to be the problem with the tech. Brazil-Norway. Right, I'm going for the upset.
33:13Yep. I'm going for the upset. Norway over Brazil. What's your thinking behind that? I'm not... Pacquiao and Casimiro in the middle of the park don't do it for me. I'm sorry. Alright. And you've got to question Rafinha, what's the situation with him, even if he's somewhat fit, is he going to last? So, yeah, I think this is the upset of the tournament. After that, you've got to go England, Mexico, straight forward Argentina over Egypt. Yeah. And I've got to go with Switzerland, didn't I? Really? Not really, I'm going to go with Colombia. Colombia. Steve famously said nobody wants to play Switzerland.
33:56I would hardly say famously. Outside the three of us, nobody knows. France-Netherlands then. Yeah, unfortunately they've been good to watch Netherlands. Wait, you've got a restaurant. Oh, I beg your pardon. There you go, you almost did it. Unfortunately, as good as I've been to watch the Dutch, unfortunately I've run into France. Yes. That's not going to go well for them. Okay. Spain are going to end the run of the United States. They'll probably give them a decent game, but it's not going to be good enough, unfortunately, on this occasion. Norway, England? Norway, England. I'm going to go England.
34:33Wow. Yeah. Stevie. I'm going to go England. Stevie hates England, by the way. Nothing kills me more than telling you they're going to get to the semi-final. Okay. And of course Argentina will outdo Colombia. Alright then, semi-final, Stevie. France-Spain. Good semis. Yeah, I've got to go with France. Yep. Yeah. You've got to press France first. We almost gone through this. And of course... What? Oh, I thought you were going to hit England there. France, Argentina, it's insane as well. I just threw it out there a little bit. Here we go, France, Argentina. It's going to be reversed. And you agree with Don, France making amends as to what happened four years ago.
35:20They will be World Cup champions. What's your call on that, Don? Very similar, very similar bracket. What's your call on that, do you reckon? I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. Brazil, Norway? Brazil, Norway? I don't know, Steve. Norway's not great without Haaland or Odegaard, are they? It would be great. It would be great. Something I don't know. It would be amazing if they went back to life. I'm just surprised that you've gone Norway to... Yeah, I'm not convinced of Brazil. I'm just not. I mean, for Messi's legacy, if they went back-to-back Argentina... It's good. Me on me. There we go, then.
35:49Both our boys, then, saying that it will be France who will be crowned champions of the World Cup on July the 19th. Coming up after the break, we switch gears slightly as Xhaka sits down with Jurgen Klopp for an exclusive chat.
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36:46And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. You don't need reminding how good Mo Salah was at Liverpool and the man who knew him best during his time at Anfield was Jurgen Klopp, Chaka Hisslop, caught up with the former Liverpool coach. Mo Salah, who you know so well. Just text him with him. What do you want to know? First of all, how does it make you feel seeing Mo Salah and Egypt do as they did qualify for their first knockout stage in in their history do you feel a sense of um i do vacation also yeah yeah i do i saw uh i'm not sure post of sadio money yeah when when on the screen was egypt qualified one one yeah and sadio put a heart on it so i made a screenshot of it and sent it to more just in case he didn't see it and so that's the memories we share.
37:57He's an exceptional player, he's an example for so many, so so many, not only in the Arabic world, but of course in the Arabic world. I think Egypt is probably one of the countries I better don't make holiday because he made me really famous there. There's no holiday possible and yeah, yeah, yeah. We were lucky with many players, but I think with more especially because of the numbers he produced over the years they are second to none. I mean he produced such incredible numbers for you at Liverpool but at the same time we've got Steve Nickel who works at ESPN he's pulling his hair out so often Mo Salah frustrates and then produces these moments of magic what's it like coaching a player like Mo Salah and having to understand he'll produce magic but then And how do you plug those gaps around?
38:56Look, now I'm a pundit and a pundit is easy to go and put a finger in each situation. Here you should do better, here you should do better. When you work on a daily basis with him, you are used to things. I want him to try. I want him to fail. If you don't fail, you don't take risk. If you don't take risk, where's the excitement? Where's the outcome? How can you reach the next level if you don't try things other people can't do? Did he perform every day? Probably not. But I can't remember one player who did that and I'm afraid to say Steve Nickel didn't. I never saw him play but I heard about it.
39:33So no problem Steve, all fired, we all did that and you were a great player anyway. But it's just about that. Of course as a coach you stand out there and you think, yeah he could do this better, he could do that better. But looking back, we just witnessed greatness. That's the truth as well. That's the truth as well. Because most of the time he delivered in an incredible way. And most of the time he scored incredible goals. And most of the time he decided games for us. And most of the time he pushed us to the next level. He is, until today, an incredible professional. So, that's it. And none of us, nobody of us is perfect.
40:13Not Messi, not Ronaldo, not Mo Salah. they are not perfect but they are closer yeah than us did shaka just throw you under the bus stevie apparently
40:28cheers shak there you are were you good every day stevie absolutely not oh what uh it does feel a bit of an end of an era with salah leaving now doesn't it yeah i i think one of them where i I think the time was right for Mo to move on and right for Liverpool to try and go in a different direction and go a bit younger. But when you look at the stats and you look at the performances and what he won and how he made Liverpool great, it'll go down, I would imagine, when every fan picks their best ever XI, Mo Salah will definitely be in that XI. And Klopp, no matter where he goes or what he does, will always be a legend at Anfield now.
41:07Oh my goodness, yeah. I mean, to bring the Premier League title, to Liverpool after 30 years? Yeah. Wow. Not just the fact that he did it, but the way he did it as well. Because Liverpool is about winning, but it's also about playing a certain way. And he absolutely ticked every single box with his team. More of that interview to come throughout the week. Just a reminder, ESPN FC with you twice a day, three times a day, a lot. during the World Cup tomorrow, 9am Eastern on ESPN2. Be sure to join us. From Jurgen Klopp to Steve Clarke, who has stepped down as Scotland manager, will get the reaction from these two former internationals.
42:06It was made official today that Scotland were eliminated and accompanying that, Scotland FA released this statement. Steve Clarke has stepped down as a Scotland men's head coach. The country's most successful national coach has called time on his seven years in charge following confirmation of Scotland's exit from the 2026 World Cup. Just before the World Cup, by the way, he signed a four-year extension and that obviously now is in the bin. Don and Stevie had a big argument, by the way, which is very funny because Don gets quite animated when you were questioning Steve Clarke overall. and the way you approach this World Cup?
42:42Yeah, I mean, off the back of watching the team underperform, that's where I get frustrated because I just feel as though we need to lose that loser mentality of, oh, let's go into a World Cup and let's just try and beat Haiti, then try and protect everything against Morocco and Brazil. It's like, why can't we do Cape Verde? Why can't we beat DR Congo? Why can't we be Algeria? Why can't we be some of these teams that have a good go and see where it gets you? There's no problem about Scotland going home. That's not my issue. My issue is the players and the coach would have had so many regrets. The last thing you want as a player, I would imagine when you go into any cup final or a World Cup, is you go there and you choke a little bit.
43:22And it was like it was flat. And it was like just, you know, go and play well. Go and have a go and try and attack Morocco and go to Brazil. And if you get beat, you're going to get beat. But do it the right way. We're going to see loads of teams that have gone home in the next three or four days. But they'll go back with so much credit. credit Steve Clark by the way because I think he could have done the easy thing and waited for himself to be sacked so him stepping down I think shows you the type of character that he is because he's willing to do that not just wait for a payday but it does feel right to me that he has gone it's just a question of who next you know I think it's unfortunate that Steve Clark has has kind of obviously feels as though he has to resign and people shouldn't forget what what he's for Scotland, you know, 28 years since we were last at the World Cup.
44:09It's funny how people forget that so quickly. But that's their argument as to why they are so disappointed with him. It's taken us this long to get here and you served up that. Well, but at the end of the day, you have to look. The argument Don and I had was about the tools that Steve Clarke had. And it's OK to say, well, we could have done what Kate Verde did or DR Congo. But we didn't have players with the pace that they had. they had pace all over the place. We didn't have that. And not only do we not have pace, we didn't have the necessary quality to play a passing game. We don't have natural pace.
44:48Stevie, in the second game against Morocco, Stevie, the second game against Morocco, you played five across midfield, and the one guy that's got burning pace, Ben and Gann and Doak, was sat on a bench. In a five-man midfield, when you're playing counter-attack and football, who's got blistering pace? Because he's gone for the point. He's gone for a point. But why not try and go and beat them? I had no problem. Well, because they're not good enough. How do you know? Because they're not good enough to beat them. No, but Dan's point... You're talking about a team that won an African Cup of Nations.
45:16No, but to Dan's point, how do you know? And we struggled to qualify against teams. We were lucky to qualify. Yeah, I know that. How we qualified is absolutely frightening. But off the back of Dan's point... So you're going to ask players... Yes. ...who are not good enough to go open up and play. How do you know? That's a loser mentality. To Dan's point, why didn't they ever go against... You've got to be realistic what you've got in front of you. Well, they got beat. And they didn't even try. They didn't have a go. It was negative. So, because you got beat, then you can turn and say, well, we went about it the wrong way.
45:42No. If they hadn't given the goal away after two minutes and we get a 0-0 draw, we would have been saying he's done it right. It should have been 4-0. That's how we do it. They should have been 4-0 down. We needed four points to qualify. We needed four points to qualify. And we got that point by holding Morocco to 0-0. They should have been 4-0 down at half-time. Last 20 minutes, Scotland had a go. Why can't we shake this loser mentality off? Because you can't Look, we always sit and talk The question we always go is, right You're the coach Does the coach go about it with his tactics Or are the tactics dictated by what he has?
46:16Who beat Germany? Ecuador Case in point Ecuador's beat Germany Why can't Scotland beat Morocco? Because we're not good enough They are not good enough Watch my lips They're not good enough to open up and play Open Toe to toe against Morocco You don't have to be open You don't go Why do you have to go Five man midfield Against Morocco Because you wanted to get a point But he didn't get it That's what they set out To get the point But it didn't work That's why They had the five man in midfield Let me ask you a question That's why they had the five In the midfield Let me ask you a question To tell them you say Well they didn't get it That doesn't do nothing Well let me ask you a fair question That doesn't prove anything Who you got more chance Of getting a result off Morocco or Brazil because then in the end you had to try and chase and beat Brazil well you're playing the African Cup of Nations champions and you're playing Brazil who all of a sudden just from nowhere have got better so choose your poison Morocco well according to you well why not according to you but the point the point that I'm trying to make I know the point the point you're trying to make is we should have gone for it no the context is we need to shake off this loser mentality of going Morocco we can't beat them African semi-finals we can't beat them it's not a loser mentality it's not a loser mentality you've got to be realistic when you step on the field who you're playing against you've got to be realistic what's the point of being here that's not an argument it's not an argument it's not because you have to see what you've got you have to see what you've got what have I got what's my tools do I have the tools to go toe to toe against that team whoever it is and if the answer's no then you've got to figure a way out how you're going to try and do it and just because you don't get it done doesn't mean you can be Monday morning quarterback and go, well you shouldn't have done that because you got beat but we're looking at some of the teams that have qualified and you go, how have these qualified over Scotland because they've had a right good go but they also haven't been playing the number 5 and number 6 in the world in their group I don't know it depends who you're playing against on how you go about it I was annoyed that we didn't get the ball particularly in the second half of game.
48:29Why don't we just do what would have been probably given us a better chance is to get the ball up there on the end of the field and do what Ireland did years ago. Just get the ball up there, we'll fight for it up there and then we'll try and get something. That's what annoyed me. Not the way we tried to go about it, because I just don't think we had the tools to go about it any other way. Last bit of business, Granit Xhaka going to Chelsea. Great move. Really? I mean, not for Sunderland because they lost the top player, but great move for Chelsea. Isn't he like 45? Doesn't matter, he's different class.
48:58He was Sunderland's best player, he's been a brilliant signing. We've been crying out for Chelsea to buy experience. Good old Chelsea. He will be a brilliant buy for them. Good old Chelsea. From one extreme to the other. You're buying kids with nappies, and now you're buying old grannies, old grandpas with walking sticks. Good old Chelsea. Steve, he's better than that. He's a good player, but come on. From one extreme to the other. This is a Chami Alonso crawl. clearly, knowing each other from Bayer Leverkusen. So that would be interesting to see how that plays out over the summer with Chelsea's signing course.
49:33And hopefully, yeah, hopefully he's proven to the board and hierarchy trust me, I know what I'm doing. Don't just keep giving me kids. Only time will tell. There you go. Good signing. Diapers, nappies. That is it. Thank you very much, guys. Much appreciated. We are back tomorrow morning on ESPN2 at 9am. If you want to see extra time, you can do so by just going over to YouTube now.
50:04Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time, 1am Extra Time. What? Late, late night. That's how you feel like, 1am. We've been here for six hours. I would say for five and a half of those hours. We've been arguing. Stevie's been eating. You've had four courses. Do you know what you've done? You missed it, right? So you came in. I just slowed it down. I could eat that all at one go. The best thing was when Eleanor made you that big box. And it was a big, like I haven't seen the top of the way that big. Like huge. When she showed me, I went, do you know what he done? But do you know what he done, Dan?
50:33He come in, right? And he's gone. Yeah. I went, that's massive. And he's gone, that's so big. And he took half of it out the box, put it on a plate. He ate that half and then put the other half back in the box and then the other half. What was it, Stevie? Pork. Pork. Tonnut. Lovely. Peas. Yes. Some cauliflower, some broccoli. Lovely. Yeah. Nice bit of veggies. You should find it there, Stevie. I'm an athlete, isn't I? And then chips. Oh, yeah, yeah. Somebody brought fries. Our boss bought us some wings. Fries. Wings have certainly had an effect on Don. That's all you need to know. OK, let's take a look at some questions, shall we?
51:11Are they coming up? There it is. Stevie, now that Scotland is eliminated, the rest of your tournament is waiting to be eliminated. Would you prefer for England to be eliminated in the round of 32, a quick end, or lose on penalties in the final, the most painful end? Well, this is really easy because as much as much as the enjoyment would be seeing them just nearly get there and lose on penalties. Yes. I would be taking a gamble. Stress. I'd be taking a gamble for them to get that far. So the sooner the better. Did you have them get through to the semi-finals? Yeah, I think they will, but hopefully I'm wrong as usual.
51:58Well... The AUF apparently cancelled Uruguay's team charter flight home after they were eliminated from the World Cup. The players now have to take commercial flights home. Was there just too much dysfunction around the team and was the main culprit Bielsa? Bielsa very angry in his post interview. He was. Interview. He was. I mean, I don't think Valverde was pretty happy when he took him off on 55 minutes when you need to win a game. Yeah, making the team fly back on commercial. I wonder what Bielsa done. You were quite embarrassing yesterday, weren't they? Yeah, they just tried to kick Lumpster.
52:32I mean, early on, Ole done to try and kick Yamal and Spain off the pitch. That was their, like, only tactic. where I think Bielsa, who's highly regarded, Poch talks about him, Pep talks about him being like the godfather of football. And it was a bit of a... It felt like Uruguay of, what, the 50s or 60s when they used to boot players. It didn't look a good watch to me. At no stage did it ever go well, did it? I mean, right at the very beginning, there was arguments, wasn't there? Yeah. About Bielsa and the way he was running the team. Yes, yeah. Fede Valverde was brought up, you know, early on in the second half.
53:09There's clearly a lot of issues. That's an absolute joke and disgrace, by the way. Right. Absolutely. Honestly. I hope a lot of the players have got some kind words. Yeah. Because that is not on. Don and Stevie, how do we go back to Arteta boring tactics after this level of drama and excitement at the World Cup? That wasn't from me. That's not my burner. Back to long throws. Back to set plays in the Prem. We were talking about this last week. these time-saving measures have worked really well. They have, actually. And that will surely make things better if you introduce them into the Premier League.
53:45Definitely. Do you know what I think I've noticed from the World Cup, touch wood so far, is I haven't seen as much diving than I've seen in domestic leagues. Okay. I've not seen it. You know that one where, say, a right-back, a ball goes over the top in a right-back area, Stevie, and I'm chasing you down, and you throw yourself over, and the ref goes foul. Is that because of what happened to Almiron? In that opening against the US where they reversed the decision on whether or not it was a yellow club for team ring maybe or it was a corner they looked at it and they booked him for diving yeah maybe i think i think across the board though i think the referees have been more lenient which we always we always say can i not go back a little bit old school and we don't mean like 30 40 years ago yeah we mean like can i just go back 10 years where a tackle's a tackle and if the referees are good enough spot someone and dive in and just play on.
54:33I mean, there's been some fouls in the World Cup, which is going to be inevitable, where you go, you missed that one, ref. They can't do everything. Yeah, that ref yesterday was terrible. Yeah, but I think the majority of what I've watched, I've gone, I like this referee. He's allowing the teams to try and play and be competitive and get stuck in. And for me, it's been a good watch. I think across the board, they've done that. That's what I mean. Players very quickly pick up on what is going to be allowed and what's not going to be allowed. and so when you're challenging somebody and you think for one second that if you fall over the rest is going to give a foul then you'll do it all of a sudden when you start finding out that they're not giving it then you're going to A.
55:12look foolish and B. the coach and everybody else is going to go what are you doing? Cucurea had done that in the Spain game he went in for a 50-50 it was never a foul and he went down looked at the referee the referee went play on he got up and ran back you hate Cucurea there Don is one Leon Al Messi equivalent to the entire French attack in the World Cup? No, that's the worst question ever. No. What knockout stage game are you most looking forward to and what will be the biggest upset? So we did our bracket, I think you had all the same predictions for the round of 32. Yeah, and then I went to Brazil to be England, you had Norway to be Brazil.
55:49Yeah, exactly. The round of 32, I think when we were doing the bracket, you mentioned Morocco-Netherlands. Yes, I feel as though that could be a great game. Yeah. As in two attacking sides, really having a good go at each other. That could be a game where it finishes 4-3. And Senegal, Belgium, I seem to remember as well. Yeah, Belgium have been completely underwhelming. So, yeah, I'd have to go with the pace. Is it France-Germany or is that the one after? That's the one after. That's in the round of 16. And maybe that's for another time. Some teams will now be travelling across three time zones with only a few days between matches.
56:24Has jet lag ever affected your playing or training before? Will we see this affect those teams and how might they deal with it? Well, there's no question it'll affect them. You had this with MLS, obviously, week in, week out. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, when you spend so much of the day travelling and then you land on the other side and you're three hours ahead or behind, it just knocks everything off kilter. And so the less time you get to prepare, the more it actually does damage to you. And generally, it affects the legs. You know, when you're playing in a World Cup, you don't need your heart. Your heart's pumping anyway.
57:05Your brain's there. But sometimes the old legs just let you down. And so, yeah, teams that are going to be doing that travelling, 100%, that's going to be the problem. Where are your legs? Concrete legs? Like, where have they gone? Somebody's nicked them. You agree, Don? Altitude for me. Right. I'd done a pre-season down at Salt Lake City. OK. And when we got off the plane, the manager said, right, everyone for a little jog when we get back to the training camp just to get the sort of lactic acid out of your legs. And we'd done a little couple of laps around the pitch and we were blowing the morning after.
57:39It was a bit of a longer run. It was box to boxes and we could not breathe. Oh. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Training, pre-season altitude. Final question. Who pulled the v-neck look the best? Kirk, Dan, Robbo or Frank? Oh, look at this. See, Frank's unlucky there, because Frank's gone for a bit, but the mic's pulled it down a yard. Oh, Robbo, surely. I like Robbo's look. Kirk's pulling it off, though. No. I don't know about your colour scheme, you look like Kirk Stevens, like a snooker player from the 80s. Wow, that's a nice relevant reference. But it's a compliment. Remember him, Stevie?
58:13Who? Kirk Stevens, a snooker player. Nobody knows who Kirk Stevens is. You look like a snooker player. Well, there we go. That's good. You don't want that yellow that Herc's wearing. I think Herc can pull it off. Do you think so? Yeah, I think so. There we are. You look handsome tonight. Stevie, would you ever go without the tie? Let loose? No. No. Professional. I'd look stupid. Well, no, I think you'd look... Come on, what were you going to say? You look stupid anyway. Is that what you were going to say? That's what you were thinking, right? Pardon? That's what you were thinking. It's definitely not going to say that.
58:41Yeah, right. No, you people are not... I know you too, also. Shaka's throwing you under the bus. Don as well. I know. Cheers. Thanks, Tom. I've not done yet. England can beat anyone. That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. ESPN FC returns to your screens tomorrow, 9 a.m. Eastern on ESPN2. Yeah, I suppose that's today, isn't it? And we'll be looking ahead to the game between South Africa and Canada. Well, it's on different time zones.
59:22Buster Olney here for La Quinta by Wyndham. When you're on the road this summer traveling for work, your routine can fall behind faster than a 3-0 count, especially if your hotel gym is non-existent. But at La Quinta by Wyndham, every location features a full-size, fully-equipped fitness center. So whether it's cardio, weights, or a quick workout before a long day, you can stay on top of your game. No excuses, no shortcuts, just your full routine, ready when you are. And when you book at LaQuinta.com, you can earn Wyndham Rewards points with every qualified stay. Tonight, LaQuinta. Tomorrow you shine.
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From the publisher
The FC crew look back at the last day of group play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup including England topping Group L with a win over Panama. Plus, Colombia top Group K by holding Ronaldo's Portugal to a 0-0 draw. Also, Messi gets his tournament-leading 6th goal coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 win over Jordan, plus Austria and Algeria both go through with some last minute drama. And, the Round of 32 field is set, the guys make their predictions!
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