show for a while, had it stored on my calendar as out of all
the shows you've done so far. So let's have a go
at picking off combined
starting eleven best 11 of the tournament. So far from
the group stage,
Nick, I know you and I have been chatting about this. So do
you want to kind of go through position
by position? And Andy
will kind of get your take as well? Because
in Nick, and I were sharing notes a little bit just to try
to figure out
what's going on because there are so many different ways.
Ways you can go with this but the goalkeeper situation. Nick
voice Chesney is either stand out.
Yeah, that's who I had
the big panel. These stop
to saves on the same penalty of
yes, call that a rarity. I thought that was pretty darn
exceptional and they're not there without him. And I don't
think there's an argument in any other direction
and if you agree.
Yeah, I do. You have that kind of singular moment. Of course,
I think it would have,
it would have been airtight had Poland. Done a little bit more
in the group stage but to have that moment, something that
nobody else had probably separate them just a bit
because
everybody else
did. No team made it through, except for
the u.s. with just one goal, conceded, am I right in
thinking that? So you there was a lot of goals scored.
It was one more. But yeah, yeah. Okay, there's ill
Yeah,
yeah, yeah.
And the u.s. is only a penalty, right? So no goals, conceded
and open play. So, Matt, Turner & Co Fair Play and that
reflects who I've gotten defense, I've gone
what about going for their formation. Why is like a 4312
for my team at least but I've gone with such you know deaths
that right back.
I think he's been excellent for the US team but also, I don't
really know. Look, at around her tournament, it hasn't
really been a standout right back from other teams. I guess.
Akemi from Morocco probably worth of shell,
but Nick who've you got. I actually I'm calling this a 343
because I couldn't think of a right back.
So even though I have Jordi Alba, will call him
a midfielder from Spain. My back three is Romain. Size from
Morocco. Caledonia coulibaly from Senegal
and Rosco Guardiola. All from Croatia. Who someone's going to
pay like a hundred million dollars for?
Yeah, we thought he's gonna go to Chelsea overseas. Might
still do so, but it's priced at just gone up, probably about 20
or 30 million at least, right? And in the years old,
yeah, he's incredible composure. Obviously, the mask
looks amazing as well. I think that scares the heck, out of
most forward to come up against him. But yeah, I've got,
I've gone for him as well.
And Andy, tell me if this, I don't know, this is biased
because we watch these teams a lot.
I've gone for Harry McGuire.
Tim ream to make up my back for and
ream kind of playing as a left sided. Sent a backslash hybrid
roll with the because I just think it is up to be in there.
That's the only way I could shoehorning in, but I didn't
think I would be
picking Harry MaGuire be in this team but he's been
pretty exceptional for England, if not their best flyer.
Yeah, Maguire was solidream was solid as well. And I think you
can make a case that while they probably were not did not do
the most spectacular defending of anybody. In the group stage,
they were rocks back there for both of their respective.
Sides. Tim ream obviously filled a very specific role.
What you can do on the ball for the us and that is allowed them
to be as good as they have done and
Harry McGuire. You know, I what is it about? The England shirt
he struggles. So mightily for Manchester United. He pulls on
that white shirt of the Three Lions
and suddenly, hey, you know, slab is back.
Yeah, it's ridiculous. The songs about emigrate as well.
So I always enjoy go to England, gangs in here and
those chats, Nick him a field are going for
casimiro. DeYoung and Bruno fine. This will become 4.
Well, this is where I want to point out that I had it. My own
self-imposed rule that that I didn't ask you to go by where
I could only have one player per Nation. I had have 11 different
nations represented,
which is one of the reasons otamendi didn't make my Center
back or because I have Alexis McAllister sporty, huge goal,
I think continues to impress. And if you're a Premier League team
that thinks maybe you could buy him
off of Brighton.
You're seeing him around quote unquote better players and he's
one of Those guys who looks even better. So I had Alexis
McAllister, Tyler Adams
and cheating a little bit, because yeah, he's
a midfielder. But as we see with Manchester United, it's a lot
of pressing Bruno, Fernandez. Yeah,
he's been excellent. He's, but I knew you'd get brought in
player in that somehow that's
absolutely happening.
I had the any disagreements agreement.
I like all those names there, I would also mention Rodrigo
Benton core and that's complete, Spurs biases aside as
well. I'm not hungry, really informative why and to see him
go off after just 34 minutes in the final game
on Friday was really disappointing. Hopefully
there's nothing there but I think that probably had
a little bit of an effect on that performance and whether they
could have maybe gotten a third or fourth goal there and
the game. So
I think he deserves a mention for sure
and to Bellingham I'm just going to say as well. He's been
pretty decent didn't really show up against the US Opening
game was good
game against Wells. Good. I think they're kind of found
the right position for him now, England. So I'm hoping he kicks
on as well. Another great teenager coming through up top.
I've gone for Nessie
underneath and back pay
and Kodiak po. So
I know I'm messy, kind of will split opinion a little bit. Are
you just in there because of his name? But I think when
the moments you kind of stood tall even though he missed a penalty
against Poland, I think he was pretty excellent in that game,
getting on the ball movement and of course against
Mexico, which really was the big one for Argentina to
Win and get them going in the tournament. He delivered that
moment of class in that game. So Nick, who Did you go for
your fort?
First of all? Yeah, I thought messy was
phenomenal. I left him out because he missed the penalty
and, again, my rule,
but led by the way, led the group stage in expect expected
goals, tied with him, Bobby
and let it in expected goals on target. So, this isn't just
a guy who shoots he's figured out when to do it, but I left him
out in favor of the guy, I thought It was honestly
the best player in the tournament
and that was Antoine Griezmann.
He is looking reborn. He's been very well rested because of his
contract status before at Atlético Madrid brought
bought it out. He was going only 45 minutes a game. So
I have him, I have gakupo and then retire. Listen.
Who
is it? First of all, that goal feels like it. Hit that goal
has a spot in the 11. It could have been.
It's ten guys in Richard Allison's goal,
but I thought he's just been very good in a bridge.
He'll Brazil shirt, another one who has been even better for
closed country than club and he hasn't been bad for Club is
Andy can attest definitely.
Okay, let's go through some other Awards head best player.
I've gone for killing and back pay. Anybody agree with that
this river that I like it. I went with, I went with
Griezmann with the Bruno, Fernandez a close second
and I would throw out
a real dark horse named here
and, you know, not not got the, the cachet or the notoriety but
enter Valencia
was a monster during the Upstage for Ecuador. I mean
I would put him into a best 11. Probably honestly, he was that
good. He got three goals and he was the constant threat for
a team that you know, came very, very close to pulling off
something miraculous. So I think he deserves a mention in
there, but bi probably goes
from about by in the end just for
his all-around contributions,
best team so far which team has really been. The best is that
we changed our mind about it. I've gone with Brazil
obviously, they lost the camera room much change. But I think
that kind of
Looking so dominant and just so calm. And
just not really bothered to be in the World Cup. They just
like, yeah, whatever we do this little time, this is nothing to
us. So anybody else Nick? I mean there's almost a
Powerhouse is flexing their muscles to.
I mean I would probably tell you that in terms of the team
that I think has the best chance of winning it and you
know lost a game that meant absolutely nothing.
We both mentioned the same player are different players
from the same team as a player of the tournament. That means
that teams doing pretty well. So Dance is high up on my list.
No, 4-1, win over Australia.
Looking a heck of a lot better after we saw what the socceroos
can do.
And again, spare a thought for unbeaten Morocco, who in
a pretty tricky group
allowed one goal to likes of Croatia Belgium in Canada.
Wow, that's pretty incredible. What about you Andy best team
sofa?
I think it's France. Brazil. Until we know if Neymar
is back in at what like what level of name
Marv. We're going to get in The Knockout rounds. I've had big
questions about them since he's gone out a one-nil victory over
Switzerland and they lose one note to Cameroon on the final
day. I know they rotate it a lot but I have some questions
about whether they're going to be able to create chances
and I do not have that question
about France. We know they're going to score goals,
can they defend? I think might be a little bit of a question
once we get to the latter stages, but those two teams
I feel, it feels right that they would meet in. Just that
epic Clash at this tournament.
About the best game because we have a lot of contenders for
this but the best game of the tournament so far. I went for
this is what I was expecting. Too much from this game
Over The Cameroon three, Serbia three,
it was the early morning game.
Yeah, it was kind of our thinking, I'll be a bit sleepy
in the game was and they just burst into life and it had
absolutely everything and just swung back and forth. Great
goals, great drama,
that's the game I went for but I could have been any of
Ghana's games I think as well, because They'll know
them and South Korea
and Japan's comebacks,
just crazy. But I'm going to go for a Cameroon
against Serbia from a pure chaos perspective, Nick, which
one you going for?
Yeah, that's that's the thing I can't help but look to
the final day and that's almost like cheating because of all
the drama that's been built into it by the first 110
days of the tournament.
So seeing that I'm actually going to go back to day one.
Well I guess these day one. Yeah. Saudi Ba Argentina
for a team dominating for messy, getting his goal and
Saudi Arabia. The pure joy on their faces when they won that
game. I think Saudi Arabia is often their players and their
soccer team
football team. They're reduced to a political regime and to
see them as human beings just knowing what they did.
I thought that was pretty cool.
Yeah, they got like a National Day
celebration holiday,
right? That doesn't happen often after a, when I woke up
for any team that doesn't win the entire
fire tournament. So
that shows how much that meant, Andy? What's your selection
pick? A Japanese, come back
pain, Germany doesn't matter. I both of those comebacks just
truly incredible from a team that
that has long been a dark horse, a lot of tournaments and
I think a lot of people have expected a little bit more from
in years past and to see them finally really come good in to
do it against who they did it. As well.
It feels like this was a real coming-of-age tournament for
Japan.
Okay let's move on to the breakout star. I did some of
this
I went and listed quite a few players,
my breakout star.
I'm gonna let you guys say yours first because I'm
intrigued to see who you say. How are we defining break out.
I think it's either really surprised us get could be
somewhere. Like Bruno, Fernandez for me is in the mix
because I didn't expect him to get back to his levels that you
hadn't when he
first arrived at man unite it all.
It could be some like, cognac poll on this day.
For the first time
or just someone like Suitor for Australia, has been an absolute
man-mountain in defense and you would never have expected that.
So yeah, there's different ways different ways
but you can take it any way you want in terms of how you pick
your breakout star, who you're going for around it.
Muhammad could use, obviously, a player who, you know, for
Ghana, kind of ran the show in the middle of the field. He's
at ix4
first Club. All right. Now,
and it feels like
that. It's a player who turned in three performances at this
tournament that got himself a move in January, somebody's
going to come in. I think in and pay a nice little sum of
money
twenty-two-year-old, kind of all actions Central Midfield,
we might see him pop up in the Premier League here in a few
weeks. I think he had that kind of tournament with the pedigree
of being @ix,
Muhammad, quddus, 2022, World Cup, breakout player to me.
Nick, who do you choose? I had a bunch as well. Like you,
I didn't know.
There are two names that I think we're kind of Couldn't
tell if they were cheating, and I know Andy. It seemed to be
hedging in the same way with GAC Po, and he's one of them
for me, I think we pay so much attention to
the transfer rumors that to us.
But to the most of the rest of the world, he's a breakout
player, I think. And the same thing could be said for for VAR
D, ol,
but the name I want to throw out there is from Cameroon
JC cast a lot. O
as a centre-back, had a goal and an assist,
you might may even more.
I do you always wonder if
If it's a guy who's going to catch the attentions of
of their of a bigger Club even though he's at a
decent sized club and not.
But it's a good player. He's a really good player in a big
kid. I'm glad you said that because yeah, that was on my
list as well and then
ya must see Allah Moosa. Adams Bellingham
ream we mentioned
and he mentioned chaos and it
and then Chesney as well. So there's different levels.
I think young players old players guys just kind of having a real
break. So, I like that award, I like that award because it can
go
very,
very different ways. I think. I only put it, let's, let's look
at teams that really struggled to finish off on and then maybe
a favorite moment. Overall, most disappointing team
I think, Germany or Denmark would take that. And it might
be a bit harsh on Germany. We actually look at their expected
goals and all those kind of stats, then
they just basically like it couldn't finish and that's what
did it, did them and then the tournament and why they're out
again at the group stage. And then Mark, I just thought were
putrid, they were terrible, I don't know what happened.
They are again, another team that's a dark horse number 10,
ranked team of the world. And who do you have
Belgium and now? Just because they didn't get out of
the group, but even even in the games they got results. They
look so incredibly poor, you
imagine a team that has Kevin De bruyne in it playing that
way. And we actually saw it at the World Cup on the biggest
stage. So to me, it's got to be Belgium. Even against Canada
who finished the group with zero points,
it's still don't have one ever in their history.
Even buy them, they were completely outclassed. No played.
Thousands, great shout Nick.
I want to go with Belgium as well, but I don't want to throw
a shout-out for someone who up to their game, in the first
game of the tournament and then just stop doing much of
anything and Canada. Really? Let me down
that first game. I was so charged and I think Joe thought
I was going to say someone else there. But I was so charged up
for them, for concacaf, for what they did against Belgium
and it turns out Belgium stinks and Canada. Also,
you know, their Achilles heel was what we said. Said, their
Achilles heel was going to be and maybe that shouldn't make
them disappointing. But didn't they make us think they were
going to shock the world for about 60 to
90 minutes and then
just didn't really show up.
Yeah, I was totally gonna say Spain as well. After that big
city milk almost like they scold all the goals for
the tournament in that one game and since then they haven't quite
look the same. So
who knows? Most disappointing player? I'm going with Belgian
player, Kevin De bruyne, ER,
again might be heart.
He, you know, just looked sluggish it.
Never really gotten the ball when just didn't you know like
what is that man city looks like he's gonna
he's really upset if they just give away a cheap pass and he
just didn't seem to have that same desire and E and there's
down. I can't explain it. But one of the best players in
the world, I was looking forward to seeing him
and the World Cup so much and he's out deservedly so and
I thought it was terrible.
Yeah.
Have we considered Kevin Burns tired? I mean,
yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it's going to be be a lot, you know,
situation. For a lot of players coming out of this tournament
and so maybe it turns into a bit of a blessing
in disguise, all throughout not a player,
but a name that was very disappointing. Tata Martino
and obviously has gone as Mexico head coach.
And it just he never had a hold or a control or any kind of
belief from that Squad whatsoever from the start of
this tournament. It was very evident when they took
the field and now there's a long long road forward to
a little bit of Revolution. I think down in Mexican soccer
absolutely Nick. What about you?
A little bit of a mix between two Strikers, but one I just
thought was unlucky and Darwin Nunez.
I just expected a lot from him. I thought it was going to be
his coming out party. I really like what we've seen from
Liverpool even though the numbers aren't there, but I'm
going to go for Jonathan David
again. I I think we expected a lot from Canada and if they
finish their chances or he was in a better position to get
the job done as someone who
has been linked as right up in there with Polo sick as
the concacaf player. Playing in Europe right now and I hate
doing this to Canada but it really was disappointing to see
them pretty much all apart. Okay? We got ten seconds
each on this favorite moment and I'm going to go
and probably still will guys. Is
the way
that the USA played against England was actually, one of my
favorite moments from the group stage and just kind of prove
that they belonged at the top table of
teams in this world. So go ahead guys. Nick you go next.
Just going to cheat and say the political
got me out of my See, second place very close. Second was
the messy goal to break through against Mexico? Andy,
the final whistle USA, Iran confirmed. The u.s. is place.
I mean, how can it be anything other that we waited eight
years for them to get back? They did it. And now they're
in the in the last 16
definitely, and you know,
hats off the so many great upsets Japan.
So, Australia, the u.s.
Morocco. So many teams in the last 16 that we didn't think
would be in there. So great torment so far. Lots of A
moment from a u.s. perspective I'm happy, we're talking about
favorite moments from them
being right out there in a tournament because that means
they're doing well and hopefully this is just a start
of their World Cup.