The World Cup has actually played out as a “summer version of March Madness,” delivering “an epic Final Four of blue bloods who have all proven they can go the distance: France, Spain, England, and Argentina,” according to Robinson & Clegg of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Never before in the modern history of the World Cup have the top-four ranked teams in the world all reached the semifinals. It is “even more remarkable considering the fact that the largest ever field means that each have played an extra round.” What makes this lineup “so compelling is that the two semifinals couldn’t feel more different, with something for every kind of sports fan.” On one side is France vs. Spain, a “highbrow matchup for the soccer purists.” On the other is England vs. Argentina, a “shot of pure adrenaline, straight to the veins.” The first semifinal, in Dallas on Tuesday, “pits two of the most technically and tactically sophisticated teams at the tournament against each other in a duel that feels more like a chess match.” The other half of the bracket “is closer to a bout of no-holds-barred mud wrestling, with a side of psychological warfare.” In 20 years at the top of the game, Argentina F Lionel Messi has “never before faced the Three Lions.” That “will finally change” on Wednesday in Atlanta (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/12).
STATUS QUO: USA TODAY’s Nancy Armour wrote upsets in the World Cup, much like the NCAA Tournament, “are great fun in the early rounds,” but when it gets down to the semifinals and the finals “we want order restored.” Armour: “We want to see the top teams and the star players because, odds are, that’s going to give us the best games.” FIFA, “to its credit, recognized this.” With the expanded tournament adding another knockout round, FIFA “could change the rules to delay meetings between the top teams until the end of the tournament.” Armour: “So long as they won their groups, the top four teams would avoid each other until the semifinals” (USA TODAY, 7/12).
GOLDEN RACE: The AP’s James Robson noted five of the tournament’s six top scorers “are still standing and others could yet force their way into the race for the Golden Boot.” France F Kylian Mbappé and Messi “lead the way” with eight goals each. England MF Jude Bellingham and F Harry Kane have six each, while France F Ousmane Dembélé is on five (AP, 7/12).
ON TOP OF IT: In London, Matt Lawton reported police in Atlanta “have been made aware” of the historical context of England’s World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with the authorities “preparing for a complex operation mindful that there will be limited segregation inside the 75,000-seat stadium.” While England supporters have “been praised for their conduct at this tournament,” there is “continuing dialogue” between the U.K. Football Policing Unit team in the U.S. and the local law enforcement agencies. Officers are “expecting a 50-50 split in terms of fan numbers thanks to the expat communities from both countries.” There is a “huge Argentine diaspora” in the U.S., especially in Florida, with “many now expected to travel to Atlanta before the game.” England numbers are also “expected to swell,” with more fans traveling out from the U.K. and more expats heading to Georgia (London TIMES, 7/12).
CLOSING TIME: REUTERS’ Michael Church wrote France taking on Spain will “mark the end for one key participant in Tuesday’s match: the Dallas Stadium pitch." It “took five years of research to perfect the surfaces used across the tournament,” and for the renowned stadium in Texas, that involved cultivating a full-sized pitch on top of the field used by the Cowboys. By the time either France or Spain have jetted off to N.Y. to begin their preparations for the decider, Dallas Stadium pitch manager Ian Craig and his team “will have begun dismantling the playing surface” (REUTERS, 7/12).
TOO HOT TO HANDLE: ESPN.com’s Mark Ogden cited sources as saying that FIFA and FIFPRO are “maintaining an ongoing dialogue during the World Cup amid concerns over playing conditions during the tournament,” with the global players’ union “aiming for specific talks to secure established protocols about excessive heat for future competitions.” England‘s quarterfinal win against Norway on Saturday kicked off with temperatures inside Miami Stadium measuring 91 degrees Fahrenheit. The Wet Bulb Globe temperature (WBGT) was 88 degrees Fahrenheit at kick-off time, “several degrees higher than FIFPRO’s recommended cut-off point” of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. FIFPRO recommendations state that games “should delayed or postponed” if the WBGT exceeds the cut-off point, but as it stands, there is “no accepted or agreed cut-off point between FIFA and FIFPRO.” Both semifinals will kick-off at 3pm ET in air-conditioned stadiums in Dallas and Atlanta. Sources have said that discussions between the two organizations have “taken place during this tournament” with “the hope of establishing firm rules and regulations” (ESPN.com, 7/12).
