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I’m Mike Goodman and Saturday’s Golazo Starting XI newsletter starts off on a sad note as we mourn the sudden passing of Grant Wahl. I knew Grant a little, you couldn’t not if you were in the American soccer media community. And like many others, I have stories of Grant being kind and generous with me when he absolutely didn’t have to. So, it’s with that in my mind, that I’ll turn to covering the rest of the World Cup and continuing to bring you all the sport that he and I, and all of you, love. You’ll be missed Grant.
CBS Sports issued the following statement: “We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic passing of Grant Wahl. Grant was an exceptional journalist and a tremendous friend, colleague and ambassador for the game of soccer. Grant’s impact and imprint on the soccer community within the U.S. and globally will endure for years to come. All of us at CBS Sports offer our heartfelt condolences to Grant’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, his family and friends.”
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? The Forward Line
Argentina and Brazil’s paths diverge
In some ways it’s ironic that Brazil are going home while Argentina advance. Both teams were heavily favored, both teams took the lead, thanks to awe-inspiring moments from their iconic superstars. In Brazil’s case, Neymar scored an absolutely stunning goal deep in stoppage time. For Argentina, it was Messi playing the assist before extending his side’s lead and converting a penalty. And then the defenses let their superstars down by conceding late goals. And you could certainly argue that Argentina were both comparatively less dominant and also had the bigger collapse. But it’s Messi and company who get to play on while Neymar’s heroics get relegated to trivia.
Here’s James Benge on Neymar’s heroic moment that wasn’t:
Benge: “… What Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and even Luka Modric have had are several of those moments where they have taken the spotlight on the biggest stage. Since leaving Barcelona, where he masterminded La Remontada and for whom he was playing when he won Olympic gold in 2016, Neymar has not. On Friday, he might have, only for it to be torn out of his grasp by Croatia’s first shot on target, Bruno Petkovic’s shanked effort that deflected off Marquinhos and beyond Alisson’s glove. If there were any points in this sport for artistic merit then there would be no way that goal could draw the Croatians level with the stunning strike that seemed to have broken their resistance.”
But, as soccer reminds us time and again, it’s not who plays prettier or even who plays better that matters in the end. It’s all down to who puts the biggest number up on the scoreboard. And for that reason, in the semifinals, Messi and company get Croatia, the team that hasn’t won a World Cup knockout stage in regular time since 1998. A Croatian team that is now in their third semifinal of the World Cup since that stretch began.
Craving more World Cup coverage? Listen below and follow House of Champions, a daily CBS Sports soccer podcast, bringing you top-notch analysis, commentary, picks and more during the big games in Qatar.
More on Argentina’s win and Brazil’s loss:
? Midfield Link Play
England vs. France have next
It’s going to be hard to top the first two quarterfinals for spectacle, but England vs. France are sure going to try. We’ve got tons of preview coverage for you, Here’s Jonathan Johnson on why France’s defense may be a problem against the Three Lions.
Johnson: “No clean sheets at all this tournament is a concern and when you consider that captain Hugo Lloris has bailed his back line out with key saves against the likes of Denmark and Poland at critical junctures in the game, then Deschamps’ can be grateful that the statistics are not worse. In fact, crucial defensive contributions from the likes of Theo Hernandez also prevented that against the Polish.”
Let’s get to some more links:
The sports world remembers Grant Wahl.Can Kyle Walker stop Kylian Mbappe?Johnson and Benge answer five burning questions about the England vs. France showdown.House of Champions: The crew react to Friday’s remarkable games and explain why we should stop calling Croatia underdogs.Argentina were not happy with how their match against the Netherlands was refereed.Remember, you can catch all of Endrick’s matches in Brazil as well as the Champions League, Serie A, WSL and more on Paramount+ — get 50% off the annual plan with promo code ALLYEAR!
? The Back Line
Best bets
Two more quarterfinals, two more picks. All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Morocco vs. Portugal, Saturday at 10 a.m. ET? THE PICK: Morocco (+475). I believe in Morocco’s defense. And while I also believe in Portugal’s attack, this is a big price to get for a team that already shutdown Spain’s passers. The big question is can Morocco find a goal somewhere. But one moment of Hakim Ziyech magic and Morocco could be the first CAF team ever to make it to the semifinals. SportsLine has you covered with picks here.England vs. France, Saturday at 2 p.m. ET? THE PICK: England (+200). I picked them before the before the tournament and there’s no going back now. Of course I picked them because I thought they’d have a comparatively easy path to the final and here they are with France in the quarterfinals. But that’s not the point. I said it’s coming home, so we’re betting on it coming home. SportsLine has you covered with picks here.