The World Cup in Qatar is now heading into the knock-out stages. Say whatever you like about the event but it has produced some amazing displays of beautiful football. More importantly, the teams that have played the most amazing game.
The spate of giant killings is part of a healthy sign. It shows that the global pecking order of world soccer is not a stagnant thing. The minnows of world soccer have been working hard to get themselves onto the world stage and the tournament in Qatar provided them with an opportunity to show that. It also has been a message to the powerhouses of world soccer that they can no longer take the smaller players for granted.
If you boil down football to its basics, the idea is to put the ball into the other guy’s net and ensure that the other guy does not get the ball into your goal. Keeping possession of the ball does make it more likely that you may score but possession without action is pointless. The second point is that small countries can score when they refuse to be intimidated by the bigger player. The Saudi-Argentine game is a good example. Argentina was up a goal at half-time, courtesy of Mr Messi. One might have expected the Argentinians to “shut the gates” after halftime and to save their energy for future and stronger opponents.One of the key points he makes is that the players should focus on marking Mr Messi rather than being in awe.