England — Argentina

Imizuzu engu-35, iNgilandi ibibukeka sengathi ingase iphumelele ukweba umqhudelwano. Kwase kwenzeka imizuzu emihlanu yokugcina — futhi isikolo sakhombisa indaba ehluke ngokuphelele kunaleyo eyayiqhubeka ubusuku bonke eMercedes-Benz Stadium e-Atlanta. Masikhulume iqiniso elibuhlungu. I-xG ye-Argentina ibingu-1.84 kuya ku-0.53 yeNgilandi. Lokho akulona umdlalo oseduze — lokho kuwukuvimbezela ngokuhlasela okukodwa okungenathemba okwashaya inethi. Isikolo sokugcina esingu-2-1 cishe yilokho kanye umdlalo obukufanele. INgilandi yahlosisa ukuminyanisa, yadedela ibhola ngamabomu futhi yathemba ukuma kwayo kwezokuvikela. Engxenyeni yesibili ukubamba kwayo ibhola kwehle kwafinyelela ku-28%. Kwasebenza kwaze kwaphela. Ukushaya kuka-Anthony Gordon ngomzuzu wama-55 — umzuzu wekhwalithi yomuntu ngamunye — kwanikeza iNgilandi umkhondo i-xG yayo eyayingenalo ilungelo lokuyisekela. Ithuba elilodwa elikhulu, igoli elilodwa. Okumangalisayo kungaba yigama. Kodwa ukuvikela umkhondo ngokubamba ibhola okungu-36% kufana nokubamba igagasi ngezandla zakho. I-Argentina ibinezi-shot eziyi-15, amathuba amathathu amakhulu — futhi yamosha amabili kuwo. Lokho kungabi namandla kwagcina iNgilandi iphila isikhathi eside kunalokho eyayikufanele. U-Lionel Messi, olinganiselwe ku-8.24, wayeyisisekelo esingaguquki — ethola izikhala, elula ibhlokhi yeNgilandi ehlangene, efuna izinqumo kubavikeli asebevele bekhathazekile. Ubuthakathaka besakhiwo seNgilandi baba yingozi lapho u-Declan Rice ephuma ngomzuzu wama-82. Igebe phakathi kwezinhlangothi zokuvikela nezaphakathi lagcwala ngokushesha. I-Argentina yadinga imizuzu emithathu kuphela ukuyithola: U-Enzo Fernández walungisa isikolo ngomzuzu wama-85, u-Lautaro Martínez wakugcwalisa ngomzuzu wama-90. Okungokwemvelo, okungenakugwenywa, okulungile. I-Argentina nayo ayizange iphelele — amakhadi aphuzi amathathu ngaphambi kwehora, amathuba amabili amakhulu amoshwa, ingxenye yokuqala eyayingenalo amandla okushaya amagoli ayewafanele ngokubamba ibhola. INgilandi ebukhali ngabe yakujezisa lokho. Isikolo sibonisa umdlalo. Igoli leNgilandi alibonisi ukusebenza kweNgilandi — futhi lelo yiqiniso elinzima okumele balihambise ekhaya. Ingabe ukuhlela kweNgilandi kwezokuvikela kwakuyisu elinesibindi noma ukuzinikela okungenangqondo? Futhi ingabe umkhuba we-Argentina wokuwamosha amathuba amakhulu uyakukhathaza ngaphambi komdlalo wokugcina? Ku-FootLegion amagoli esizwe sakho ahlala nawe phakade. Shiya imibono yakho ngezansi.