THIS IS THE WORLD CUP SEASON

England draw. Scotland get Brazilians

Season 2 Episode 6

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0:00 | 18:08

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Joel and Nige are back 

England draw

Ronaldo breaks a new WC record and Portugal smash Uzbekistan 

First big match of the tournament Scotland v Brazil




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SPEAKER_01

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Jude Bellingham.

SPEAKER_00

Good evening, everyone. Um, yeah, like second game fever, you know, the same, same as always with us. It feels like I think in all the tournaments I've been to, it's been the same, you know, decent performance to start and a good win. And then just the second one frustrated a little bit with um with how they defended, how they set up, you know, credit to them. Uh they got exactly out of the game what they what they played for, couldn't quite break them down. And um, even with all the corners, all the possession, all the trying to kind of um shots on goal from distance, but it's one of those things it happens. Um, it's important for us and for you guys as well not to not to get too negative, not to get too he up on it. Um we'll prepare, we'll watch the watch the footage, see where we could have been better and prepare for Panama. So I think he pretty much said it all.

SPEAKER_01

Thanks for thanks for listening, and we'll see you after the Scotland game.

SPEAKER_02

Good night, everyone. Good night, God bless. Right. I don't want to be all negative, but we said a couple of episodes ago we need to stop talking about the players that could have been there because he's got a good bench, and uh, you know, after the first game, we were absolutely buzzing. I mean, you know, it was coming home. They did create a few chances. Yes, uh Garner defended really well, to be fair. You know, they did. There was a couple of times you know, Harry Kane had three players on him. It only takes him a second to create, doesn't it? And their keeper made a couple of good saves as well. But I am disappointed if I'm honest. I'm disappointed. We should have won, we should be beating teams like Garner.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, but Garner set up to do exactly what they did. It's not what it was like watching, it was like watching Man City and say a Burnley, something like that.

SPEAKER_02

This is exactly what I said in the pub you're playing. This is like watching City because we're literally against many, many teams that when when they don't actually have a go, the fans are getting frustrated. You're waiting for one of your creative players to just find a gap and someone to take a chance. And you know, sometimes games like that, it just comes from a set piece or whatever, and you know, O'Reilly was unlucky when he hit the bar. Uh Harry Kane on the rebound, you know, on another day you'd have buried that right at the end. You know, Mark Gay, I mean it was slightly off target, but you just thought we were gonna go and nick something all the way to the end. We're in the game, and and you thought we were gonna the winner was coming.

SPEAKER_01

It's coming. It's coming. It's not coming home, but it's coming. Was it a penalty, yes or no? Conza.

SPEAKER_02

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

We've seen him given. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, there was that. What do you think about Jordan Pickford coming out? I thought that the ref got the right decision. They didn't really, they weren't really asked about looking at it. But it was a bit sort of calamity Jane, wasn't it? You know, coming out as a bit sort of panicky.

SPEAKER_02

It was just silly, really. Unnecessary. What's going on with First Saka? I know he came in, he had a bit of a knock and what have you, but is he that good that you know you take him and just knowing that when we well, hoping that when we qualify, he's gonna be fit, and then he does start. Surely Saka should be starting on the right hand side.

SPEAKER_01

Everything always goes against me. I jinx everything. I sent you the artwork for this episode, which was somewhere along the lines of England breeze past Ghana. And uh and I sent it to you, and it was like, oh, I was like, You cursed it. I was waiting for the subs a little bit earlier. Um, I'm not massively down on it because if you're gonna throw a nil-nil in, you might as well throw it in now and we're through, and we'll probably finish top of the group. When is Ivan Tony gonna play? And I thought this was his game towards the end, stick him on for 20 minutes before the end. That's all I personally thought. Uh, just the way the game was going, because it was getting far too predictable. It was like one of those teams that you've watched in the Premier League for a season, and just towards the end of the season, everybody's working out exactly what you do. And and you've got to give Garner so much credit.

SPEAKER_02

They had a game plan, you know, it's worked out for them, they've got the point. I mean, they could have had a penalty, we could have lost that game last night. That's the harsh reality. Man for man, in every position, we've got a better team.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I do get that, but you know, we've got um you know Thomas Partey, who was who was in there that uh Jed Spence refused to shake his hand, but that's a different match.

SPEAKER_02

That was a bit that was a bit weird. I mean, the thing is as well, at first I was I mean, I knew he was going to be up against uh Semenya, and you know, he's rapid, he's got pace, so I understand him bringing Jed Spence. Uh he's rapid, he created he did create a few a few chances as well. He he linked up quite well with Anthony Gordon. Personally, I'm not convinced with the two wingers that are starting. For me, that's where you win your games, and I think we've got better players on the bench.

SPEAKER_01

Alright, okay. So when you saw Rashford come on, he looked lively again, didn't he? I did hear somebody on, I think it was Talk Sport, Real Madrid, I'd be checking their receipts and see if they can return him within 28 days when talking about Anthony Gordon.

SPEAKER_02

Exactly. I mean the thing is it was it was it that bad for you or no, it it wasn't that bad. I don't want to be negative. I was unconvinced that we were gonna get the result against Croatia, and we did, and I think Croatia are a better team than Ghana. I really felt going into the pub that we were gonna roll them over. And also, I don't know whether I'm comparing England to some of the other teams. I know it's got a completely different um yeah, the wrong thing to do, but we're seeing some very exciting football, albeit against some very poor opposition.

SPEAKER_01

Uh um just looking at player ratings and stuff, and and they're all pretty similar. Jed Spence and Mark Gaye seem to be coming out on top here. Bellingham was rated lowest, along with Declan Rice. I mean, it wasn't his best game, Declan Rice by any means. He looked like he was carrying a little knock, and and towards the end, going down the tunnel, he had some heavy strap him.

SPEAKER_02

He's not there to score the goals, although he did have a couple of good opportunities. Top of the group, Panama next.

SPEAKER_01

And if yeah, and and Panama are already out, so I I think they will play a very similar way to Garner, but now if you're manager of Panama, you go in there and you say, Look, lads, I'll give you all a chance here, just go out and enjoy yourselves, represent your country, which means it'll be a much more open game. Like last night, you could I think there'll be a few goals now. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't score either. You know, I can I can see a 3-4-1 or something like that. Now people go, What? 3-4-1? We can't beat Ghana. But Ghana was set up for that draw, and if they could have nicked it, that would have been great. And the handbrake was definitely off. We were trying, we just couldn't get past them.

SPEAKER_02

And again, to be fair to Thomas Tuchel, he made the changes when we were all screaming for the changes. We didn't have to wait till the very end of the game. He made a few, uh, you know, he brought O'Reilly on in like the I think it was about the 60th minute, about an hour, when he brought Saka on. And to be fair, I was crying out for those two players, and they were the first two that he brought on as well. And Rashford, I was just a little bit disappointed that he waited till three minutes to to bring him on.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I think he was he just thought like the rest of us, it was gonna be a city uh or that Barcelona Vol where you just nick it at the end. One of those you've backed him against uh Elche or somewhere like that, and you go, they're gonna they're gonna get a goalie, and they never did. Um there's not too much to talk about. There were no light shockers apart from Harry Kane missing that goal. He's done so much good over the years, you know. He's he's gonna he's gonna be leading scorer. Uh, you watched the Portugal game beforehand, um former Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, twice, now broke the record for scoring in six World Cups, which is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_02

Fair play to him. Say it like you mean it. The weird thing for me with this World Cup is because they've increased the amount of teams that are there, it's great, it's amazing for the countries, they get an opportunity, and it's absolutely fantastic. But these goal scoring records um are just gonna go so much quicker now, goals scored in a World Cup. There's so many rubbish teams.

SPEAKER_01

What's Harland on? Is he on five? Messi's on five, uh Ronaldo's on two, Kane's on two, and you're looking at these, and they were they were creaming themselves on um the BBC last night about our FIFA will be happy because all of the goats have turned up. And it's like, well, well, no, because they're the main goal scorers of their teams, and essentially, without being disrespectful, you are playing lower opposition. If a pre-season friendly, Man United, play um Staleybridge, and your striker is Shesko, you're expecting him to get seven, and you play four of those games where he's pre-season, he scored 24 goals. Exactly. You know what I mean? It's it's very similar to that.

SPEAKER_02

I love seeing all the fans uh from all around the world gathering together. I mean, you know, the Norwegian fans are just absolutely another level, aren't they? With this row, do you see them take over Times Square? Yeah, yeah. It was just unreal, unreal images uh that we're seeing. And you know, I I love the carnival that is the World Cup, but need to mention Mbappé, he is absolutely insane. And and again, I know that they played against Iraq, who aren't, you know, there's serious levels between those two teams, but that cheeky goal from distance was just unreal from Mbappé. He's just it's just amazing, isn't it? To even think to do that at a World Cup.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and uh, so we're sitting here thinking, well, I am as a Man United fan, I'm sitting here thinking, go on, Jose, you don't want him. Get him gone. I reckon he'd fit in right well at Man United.

SPEAKER_02

He'd fit in well anywhere.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_02

Have you? I mean, listen, I know we're gonna keep it about the World Cup, but what is going on? Have you heard any signings for United yet or not? Um sorry, Nights, you're breaking up.

SPEAKER_01

You're breaking up exactly. You're breaking up here, Nigel. You break you break it up. Um just get your business done nice and early. Well, haven't we got land secured for our 100,000 seater new stadium? Well, that's great news, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure how many goals he's gonna score. I think this is for another day, Nigel, because I'm happy today. I've got two ciders in the fridge, cooling down.

SPEAKER_02

It's 30 plus degrees. There's nothing to not be happy about. And the thing is as well, like I say, we've got a a very, I would say definitely the easiest of the uh of the games to come against Panama on Saturday. Uh looking forward to that. And uh, you know, we we will qualify, as you said, top of the group, or where we are at the minute.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, Nigel, third game. Are you resting? Are you going for the players that ain't gonna play? Is Jordan Henderson getting a run out? Is Big Dan Byrne getting a run out? Um what we doing here? Because I'm I don't know what goes on in Tuchel's head. What would you do? Because Harry Kane will want to play, won't he? Because he wants the golden boot, he want to break the records.

SPEAKER_02

If we finish top of the group, then you get an easier opponent in the next round. So we need to finish top of the group. I don't think we can uh rest players at this stage. Um and also I don't think players really necessarily need a rest. I if anything, I'd start Rashford, and if Saka's fit, I'd start Saka on the other side.

SPEAKER_01

I only play it on football manager, and if I'm at this point where you've qualified, you would at this point, the people who have got on the plane, because I know what's gonna happen, if Jordan Henderson goes out there and doesn't play one minute of a game, it's gonna be you should have taken Cole Palmer or Phil Fodden, he would have been there when we get knocked out the semis or whatever. So he's got to start some of these players or at least give them 20 minutes. I mean, what's the point of bringing Ivan Tony? Get you know, having him queue up to get to get his passport and get his uh visa and everything so he can get into the country and then not bother with him and after justifying his decision by saying that it's because he plays in the warm weather and everything, and last night it was chucking it down, right? It was air conditioned and the grass was really long. Oh, the hydration break yesterday. Uh I know they had to go it on TV, but it was ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02

You know, have you seen Phil Neville's not Phil Neville's uh interview? No, no, he he loves the hydration break. Does he actually see it? Yeah, he said that he thinks it's gonna be something that's in the Premier League in a couple of years. He said that it'll definitely be in the Champions League very soon. I mean, I think it will be. He thinks it makes the game better because when a coach can coach even more during a game, it makes for a better game of football.

SPEAKER_01

Well, I'm gonna say now, and I won't name him because I think he's probably gone back to his house now to self-harm, realising he said this. A very, very famous broadcaster, sports broadcaster who's been around for years and well respected, he referred to uh the first quarter of the game today. Meaning we now have four quarters. And and and I think he's probably said that, and you know you get that awful feeling inside when you've said something that you shouldn't have said. And he's going back going, oh shit, I've just oh my god. Right. Do you know what though it is? It's right. It's all about the money, it's all about the advertising. And I've told you before, if you can get a hooky stream of the American feeds, that is when they take the breaks. They've got a three-minute clock there, and they take the breaks on that. We'll be right back, powered by Dodge, and then you've got two or three Burger King ads or whatever it is, or a messy with his crisps, David Beckham, and then it's straight back, and and football is becoming less important. Like you watch American football in the States, and they go on for 47 hours. And it's not because of that, it's because every time there's a breaking player, there's bloody adverts.

SPEAKER_02

I'm not a fan, I'll be honest with you. It just does my head in. It's an opportunity to go for a week if you're at the pub.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Right, um, tonight then, tonight, and uh it's probably the best game on paper so far. Not because of where they're ranked in the in the world, but bear in mind Ghana are ranked, was it, third um 73rd or something, which I think is completely wrong. They're much higher than that, they should be. So tonight it's Scotland versus Brazil. Now, if you could create a party, you would put a load of drunk Scots together and a load of Brazil people, Brazilians who love their partying and dancing and just, you know, the carnival atmosphere. I think there'll be absolutely no trouble at all tonight, whatever the score. This will be just the biggest party ever, whatever happens. And I think everybody from around the world will just say how great the fans are.

SPEAKER_02

My mates out there at the minute, exactly what you've just said: Scottish fans, Brazilian fans having the time of the life together, just having a right good time. Listen to this little clip that he sent me. You know, you can hear the bagpipes in the background.

SPEAKER_01

But the the thing that I've heard all week is like uh you've got something like this, and then you can hear the bagpipes in the back with that! Hey, okay, come on, right then, darling. What do you see? And then once again, you're fancy drop of whiskey. Do you know what? I think honestly. I think it's gonna be great tonight.

SPEAKER_02

Now, do you think they've got a chance, Scotland, or what? I mean, obviously they've got a chance, but do you think they can do it?

SPEAKER_01

That's why I'm staying up night. I've got to be up at four o'clock in the morning. The kickoff is 11 o'clock tonight. But I'm gonna stay up because I don't believe they've got a chance. No. But I want to believe they've got a chance. Now, if Brazil go 3-0 up in 20 minutes, I'm in bed. Yeah. If Scotland go one nil up, I'm probably not going to bed. You're opening a can. I'm opening a can and get an Uber in the morning. I'll just I'll just take I'm just taking the day off. In all seriousness, come on then, what we what we've got to go for. I mean, because this is this is a big game. I mean, just to be there, just to watch this, just to have Scotland there. And also, don't qualify, finishing third.

SPEAKER_02

I'm gonna say 2-2. It might come one of those uh games where Scotland just finds some magic and they do in big games when they really, really need to. And I think they'll want it more than Brazil, even though it's a World Cup, even though Brazil have got better players. I just think Scotland are gonna give it everything. This is their cup final at the World Cup.

SPEAKER_01

They won't know what's what's it in, will they? You know, you know when you play one of those random teams in I don't say Champions League, but I can't remember what that's like for a while. You know, in the Europa League, and you play one of those random teams, you don't even know which country it's in, and you turn over and up, Jesus, they're rapid, or you've done all your homework and everything. You don't know what to expect in this. You don't know what to expect, but the the whole thing is just it's just wild. I'm I'm watching these things now. Sky Sports have this gone. This is this is live now, right? This is just Scottish people, brilliant, Brazilian people, all dancing, all dancing together. It's a sea of blue and yellow. Yeah. And this is what? Twelve hours before kickoff, the Vancabus is coming.

SPEAKER_02

It's amazing, it really is. Do you know what as well? The best thing about this stage of the tournament as well is that we get two games at the same time in every group because obviously it's uh wrapping up the group stages. So England are playing on Saturday, Norway, France on Friday. Now, do you know that is gonna be insane?

SPEAKER_01

I think Norway may have found their level without having a go at your main Viking, but I think they've looked good so far just because of who they've played. I think France will put them in a box, keep it shut, and Haaland's not getting a touch. There are too many teams in this competition. But once we get past this now, and this is where the proper stuff starts, isn't it? A-less teams playing A-less teams.

SPEAKER_02

Exactly. This is where it gets tasty, and this is where everybody jumps on the bandwagon. And this is where teams actually really put a shift in. You can't play for a draw, you've got to go out and win. When it's knockout stages, that's how it is, and that's when the football becomes even better.

SPEAKER_01

That's when I think England will be at their best. I went in with both feet right at the start at the World Cup, and then thinking it was going to be brill the whole way through. You've got to take your peaks and troughs, haven't you? And I've watched a few of the overnight games. Um I got up this morning, watched a bit of the um Columbia game this morning. Columbia look half decent, you know. I mean, you know, they're not going all the way, but they look half decent. So we'll do, um come back before the weekend, we'll uh review the England game. Uh or preview the England game, should I say. If something major happens tonight and Scotland go and win 6-0 or something, we're back on tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02

But there's some tasty fixtures over the next couple of days, so we might end up dropping a couple of episodes.

SPEAKER_01

And just before we go, uh Harry Kane has been in talking about last night. Uh yeah, obviously, I think it was uh Gambling Country. Uh it's a fumble night, it's funny. It is funny.

SPEAKER_02

He sounds like he stayed up for the Scotland game. Have a great night.