The Quarter Finals as seen from Row Z

The Big Four find a way

Hello

Two things from the weekend I can’t get my head around. One, I watched a film called Backrooms which played about with liminal spaces. Two, there was competitive Scottish football being played before Wimbledon is finished. That is just not right and beyond checking the full times I gave it a swerve (bit easier when you don’t have a Premier Sports subscription anyway). Today is the first day in a long while with no sport to watch. Sky Sports are already broadcasting live from Royal Birkdale but that’s just a bunch of guys titting about on the range. It’s actually quite refreshing but at the same time I’m salivating over the upcoming World Cup semi finals.

Here’s my take on the quarter finals from my Row Z vantage point.

It seems like forever ago that France played Morocco. Yet again France didn’t really get out of second gear and they didn’t need to as the Moroccans took such a half arsed approach that they seemed to admit defeat at kick off.

That being said, we still had the drama of Mbappe missing a penalty.

Then scoring a spectacularooni just because he can.

The lad Dembele popped in a second and that was that.

Friday gave us Spain v Belgium. Bit of a surprise to see Belgium being so competitive or perhaps it was Spain being less than inspiring.

Sad times for Belgian goalies as a crocked Courtouis had to be replaced by The Lamminator of Man Utd and he went and spilled one into the path of supersub Merino.

France v Spain it is then for Tuesday night.

Now then. To the sweltering heat of Miami for England v Norway.

A game of moments. Big moments. Like Norway’s opening goal gave us another glimpse of Harry Kane’s dark side.

The Overflap were quick to weigh in.

Soon after Norway should have gone two nil up but Sandy Sorloth had other ideas.

Then there was England’s equaliser. Some say the goalie’s punt hit the Spider cam wires. FIFA say different.

Pretty conclusive. But what did The Overflap think?

Jude Bellingham was the main man yet again. What a handsome talent he is. Unless you’re Tommy Tuchel.

They obviously don’t get on but both are winners so it works.

The last of the quarter finals was at 2am and I didn’t manage to stay awake for it. Thank the Football Gods that Switzerland didn’t make it through. Julian Alvarez curled in an absolute beauty in extra time to plonk Argentina into the second semi final against England.

So the top four “seeds” are the last four standing. Infantino will be ecstatic and I suppose we should be too. But what do the guys at The Rest Is Bollocks think?

Is it though?

Cheers

Keith