Thank god for that, That's the Group games over and done with at last!! I'm not being funny, but that seemed to go on forever, it's gonna be July in a minute and we are only at the first knockout stage. It might have taken what feels like a month to get here but this is where it all gets exciting, this is where the best football teams will or should get through to the latter stages, there should be no more negative football, no more low blocks, just winner takes all, fight to the death football with no doubt loads of extra time and penalties thrown in for good measure.
There hasn't been that many shocks so far, and probably other than Turkey, who were eliminated with a game to spare, there isn't any big team that has gone out at the group stages. I suppose that is just how FIFA would've wanted it to be. Despite this there has been a few surprise packages getting through to the second round. Cape Verde despite not winning a game, South Africa getting through despite being absolute dog shit in their first game and of course Dr Congo after their impressive draw against Portugal. A few notable absentees from the last 32 could be South Korea, Czechia, Uruguay and of course bonnie Scotland.
Of course most people predicted that Scotland wouldn't get through after there 1-0 win over Haiti, it seemed at the time that it wouldn't be enough and so it proved to be. Although Steve Clarke's men had a very hard group to try and navigate their way out of, there must've been real belief that given that only 4 teams out of the 12 3rd placed teams would miss out, that this time Scotland would finally bury their unsuccessful past and reach the promised land of knockout football in a major competition for the first time in their history. Alas though it wasn't to be and it tops up that they would've needed to either of secured a point against Brazil or Morocco or beaten Haiti by about 6 goals, lets be honest even if they had, had Dalglish, Bremner, Souness, Law, Gemmill, Jimmy Johnstone, Jimmy Krankie, the Proclaimers, the Big Yin and Big John McGinn, I still think they would've missed out on goal difference. The one good thing about Scotland's failure though is, well for Scottish fans, is that Steve Clarke has resigned. So there you go every cloud and all that. Maybe in two years time when the Euro's come to Britain, the Jocks can finally get this monkey off their back, obviously we don't know who will be leading them to history but it will be David Moyes, wont it.
Any way the only other home nation in the World Cup this year is England, and although qualification hasn't been easy the 3 lions have roared into the last 32 doing exactly what was expected of them, which was finish top of the Group. Tommy Tickles selections for this tournament are still being questioned by pundits and fans alike, and I get it a bit considering that we appear to have a small crisis at right back, but I have to say that Tuchel will live and die by his decisions, he didn't call up Trent because he saw Trent in the picking order at right back behind James, Livramento, Quansah and Djed Spence, so even when Livramento got injured and had to leave the squad if he had called Trent up he still would've been 4th choice. Quansah going off injured against Panama is unlucky but I'm sure Tickles has a plan if both he and James are ruled out for the game against Doctor Congo. Put it this way I would rather be in this situation under Tommy Tickles than under Gareth Southgate. This right back situation could end up being what everybody blames, when we eventually get knocked out and Tuchel's stubbornness and lack of foresight will be called into question. I won't be questioning it because I believe our current manager has what it takes to win a tournament with England and I strongly believe that his stubbornness and his self belief is what will make him successful. Time will tell of course and given how shit my predictions have been so far, we will probably get humiliated by Doctor Congo, Tommy Tickles will get the sack and the papers will have a photo of him with a 2 litre bottle of Um Bungo photoshopped on his face.
The next week sees some good match ups in the round of 32, it kicks off on Sunday night with Canada looking to progress past the underwhelming South Africans. Netherlands v Morocco is a corker in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Brazil v Japan could be tasty, France v Sweden should be straight forward for the French, Belgium v Senegal could cause a shock as could Ecuador and Mexico, despite Ecuador struggling to qualify, they may adjust to knockout football better and at least give the free scoring Mexicans a bloody nose, Ivory Coast have been good to watch and their game against Norway will be hard to call. Will Portugal and Ronaldo ease past Croatia and can Cape Verde do it again and take Messi and Argentina to a penalty shoot out. Its starting to get serious, it's all or nothing, it's shit or bust. This is what the World Cup is all about, and now I'm starting to get excited.
Up the football!!