The best players, manager, referee, goal, and game of this World Cup
Check out my friend Andrew’s YouTube channel, “This Was a Movie”: “An ongoing series of overly-elaborate film essays focusing on peculiar films on the bizarre periphery of film history.”
The channel won’t just review horror movies, Andrew assures me.
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All rightie! This is my list. My First XI are italicized.
Goalkeepers: Bounou (Morocco), Livaković (Croatia), Szczęsny (Poland).
Left-sided defenders: Estupiñán (Ecuador), Théo Hernandez (France), Mazraoui (Morocco).
Right-sided defenders: Dumfries (Netherlands), Hakimi (Morocco), Molina (Argentina).
Central defenders: El Yemiq (Morocco), Gvardiol (Croatia), Otamendi (Argentina), Saïss (Morocco).
Defensive midfielders: Brozović (Croatia), Casemiro (Brazil), Kovačić (Croatia), Tchouaméni (France).
Attacking midfielders: Gapko (Netherlands), Griezmann (France).
“Mixed-use” midfielders: Amrabat (Morocco), Idrissa Gueye (Senegal), Leckie (Australia), Modrić (Croatia), Valverde (Uruguay).
Left-sided forwards: Mbappé (France), Perišić (Croatia).
Right-sided forwards: Álvarez (Argentina), Saka (England).
Central forwards: Giroud (France), Messi (Argentina).
Yes, I realize I’ve listed thirty players even though a roster is supposed to have just twenty-six. Feel free to draw four of the non-italicized players out of a hat and demote them to “alternate player” status.
Meanwhile, I’d like to add two more alternates: Aboubakar (central forward, Cameroon) and Méndez (defensive midfielder, Ecuador). They were flawless, except that they earned suspensions for accumulating yellow cards; Aboubakar accumulated two in the same match.
Not to be too patriotic, but I really don’t think that anyone apart from Hernandez and Mazraoui was a better left fullback than Estupiñán, even though he only played in three games and his third game was a letdown. (I chalk that performance up to a faulty tactical scheme.)
Besides, he was robbed of a goal.
Most valuable player: Messi.
Best-all-around player: Modrić.
Outstanding young player: Bellingham (England), with 19 years. One could make a case for Gvardiol, who is only 20 (almost 21).
Outstanding old player: Pepe (Portugal), with 39 years; he is of the immortals.
Best managers: Dalić (Croatia) and Regragui (Morocco).
Best referee: On the whole, I was most satisfied with Wilton Sampaio of Brazil. Szymon Marciniak, of Poland, will take charge of the final; he, too, is deserving.
Best goal: There were lots of excellent short-range goals in this tournament. Brazil seemed to specialize in them. But I suppose the best one was Argentina’s third goal against Croatia, scored by Álvarez and assisted by Messi.
Best game: Brazil vs. Croatia (quarterfinal).
Bonus award – best commentator: I watched on Telemundo/Peacock. My favorite commentator was the Uruguayan Sebastián “El Loco” Abreu.
The channel won’t just review horror movies, Andrew assures me.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
All rightie! This is my list. My First XI are italicized.
Goalkeepers: Bounou (Morocco), Livaković (Croatia), Szczęsny (Poland).
Left-sided defenders: Estupiñán (Ecuador), Théo Hernandez (France), Mazraoui (Morocco).
Right-sided defenders: Dumfries (Netherlands), Hakimi (Morocco), Molina (Argentina).
Central defenders: El Yemiq (Morocco), Gvardiol (Croatia), Otamendi (Argentina), Saïss (Morocco).
Defensive midfielders: Brozović (Croatia), Casemiro (Brazil), Kovačić (Croatia), Tchouaméni (France).
Attacking midfielders: Gapko (Netherlands), Griezmann (France).
“Mixed-use” midfielders: Amrabat (Morocco), Idrissa Gueye (Senegal), Leckie (Australia), Modrić (Croatia), Valverde (Uruguay).
Left-sided forwards: Mbappé (France), Perišić (Croatia).
Right-sided forwards: Álvarez (Argentina), Saka (England).
Central forwards: Giroud (France), Messi (Argentina).
Yes, I realize I’ve listed thirty players even though a roster is supposed to have just twenty-six. Feel free to draw four of the non-italicized players out of a hat and demote them to “alternate player” status.
Meanwhile, I’d like to add two more alternates: Aboubakar (central forward, Cameroon) and Méndez (defensive midfielder, Ecuador). They were flawless, except that they earned suspensions for accumulating yellow cards; Aboubakar accumulated two in the same match.
Not to be too patriotic, but I really don’t think that anyone apart from Hernandez and Mazraoui was a better left fullback than Estupiñán, even though he only played in three games and his third game was a letdown. (I chalk that performance up to a faulty tactical scheme.)
Besides, he was robbed of a goal.
Most valuable player: Messi.
Best-all-around player: Modrić.
Outstanding young player: Bellingham (England), with 19 years. One could make a case for Gvardiol, who is only 20 (almost 21).
Outstanding old player: Pepe (Portugal), with 39 years; he is of the immortals.
Best managers: Dalić (Croatia) and Regragui (Morocco).
Best referee: On the whole, I was most satisfied with Wilton Sampaio of Brazil. Szymon Marciniak, of Poland, will take charge of the final; he, too, is deserving.
Best goal: There were lots of excellent short-range goals in this tournament. Brazil seemed to specialize in them. But I suppose the best one was Argentina’s third goal against Croatia, scored by Álvarez and assisted by Messi.
Best game: Brazil vs. Croatia (quarterfinal).
Bonus award – best commentator: I watched on Telemundo/Peacock. My favorite commentator was the Uruguayan Sebastián “El Loco” Abreu.