Letter Fifteen | 12/4 | Russ
Cape Town
Dear Lack,
When I was in East London last week I watched a handful of matches with my grandfather. As you know, he is not a fan of soccer. But, because he has taken an interest in this project, and because there was little else on, I managed to get him to watch a few of the matches (I will forever have a lasting memory of the two of us lying side-by-side on his bed watching Saudi Arabia/Senegal and eating biltong, the iconic South African dried meat that I know you despise).
Anyway—at various points of us watching the matches together, my grandfather would turn to me and ask for clarification on specific rules. How does one take a throw in? What constitutes a foul? And, of course, how does offsides work? For as long as I’ve been a fan of soccer, this particular rule has been a sticking point for many of my family members. Which is something I understand. Offsides can be confusing.
It is therefore funny to me that the institution of VAR, a technology meant to make offsides more understandable, more accurate, more “scientific,” has in fact made the concept far more confusing. You wrote about this so well in your last letter. For anyone who has spent time with you long enough to hear you go on one of your delightfully entertaining rants about [insert anything Ryan Lackey gets angry about here], reading your last piece reminded me of those moments of vitriol. I look forward to hearing them in person later this month when we see each other in Portland.
In your last letter you wrote the following: This is the best USMNT I’ve ever witnessed, but they lack both the subtlety and the mercilessness of the top sides.
As I was watching the US/Netherlands match, I couldn’t help but notice the difference in composure. You’re right: The USMNT played better than I can ever remember. They’re also a young side, so the prospect of greater success moving forward is exciting. I’m inclined to attribute this youth to the lack of composure, the chaotic, frenetic style of play we witnessed in each of the USMNT’s matches. But then I think of players like Pedri or Jamal Musiala, who are twenty and nineteen respectively, and suddenly that claim becomes pretty weak.
(I realize I just compared a team to two individuals…OK, maybe disregard that last point).
So—what is it? The three goals that the US let in against the Dutch were all due to poor man-marking (the first two goals were almost exactly the same: a low, diagonal cross to the top of the box from the right side met by an incoming Dutch player). But this, I think, is fixable. What is a greater concern for me is the lack of creativity moving forward. For all the talent that the USMNT possesses on the attacking side of the ball, very rarely did it feel like they were on the verge of scoring. In short: Their play in the final third needs work. The problem is that I’m not sure how one goes about fixing that.
After the match I was chatting with Joe. He asked me if I could remember the USMNT ever scoring a beautiful goal. We went back and forth: Weah’s goal against Wales was nice, his finishing touch deft. It wasn’t beautiful. Landon Donovan’s goal against Algeria in 2010 was iconic. It wasn’t beautiful. Jermaine Jones’ strike against Portugal in 2014 came after Portugal failed to properly clear a US corner kick. It was opportunistic and electrifying. It wasn’t beautiful. Is there one you can think of?
I’m also keen to see Argentina continue in the tournament. I’m not sure how they’ll fair against a stolid Dutch side, but it’ll no doubt be entertaining.
I just got home from watching France/Poland that finished 3-1 in favor of France. France were dominant in their dismantling of a Polish side that created one exciting moment in the first half (I’m also happy for Lewandowski that he added a couple of World Cup goals to his list of accolades this tournament). But the major talking point coming out of the match has to be the indescribable brilliance of Kylian Mbappé. He is freakish, alien. Watching him reminds me of watching Giannis Antetokounmpo play basketball. Seeing Messi play is still somehow relatable. It’s sublime and I could, of course, never replicate it, but I can understand it. Mbappé is just unfathomable. His combination of speed, power, and skill remind me of a video game avatar with maxed out stats. Unreal.
As I write this there are about ten minutes left in the England/Senegal match. England are winning 3-0 and I’m sure you’ll understand that I’m disappointed. Senegal play with such joy. The positivity of their fans brings a smile to my face. They will be sorely missed.
I don’t dislike England. Maybe it’s because I spent a significant part of the last decade following the English Premier League, but there’s a closeness I feel for some of these English players that I don’t feel for, say, an Italian player from Serie A or a German player from The Bundesliga. I suppose when you watch certain players weekly and those weeks turn into seasons, it’s natural that you’ll get accustomed to their presence and the rhythms of their play.
Before I go, I wanted to share this piece from The Athletic by Chloe Morgan, English lawyer and goalkeeper for Crystal Palace. In the piece, Morgan highlights how teams, by refusing to wear the One Love armband, have failed their LGBT+ fans. Morgan writes:
Not wearing it was a missed opportunity to partake in a small gesture which would have shown solidarity and support. The gesture itself; one player wearing one armband in one game and incurring one yellow card was not going to create huge waves or mark the welcoming of a new era of football’s relationship with the LGBT+ community, but it was something. It was an incredibly small price to pay, a defiant stance.
Just a reminder for myself that there are more important things than beautiful play.
Apologies if this letter seemed truncated and untidy. I am waist deep in grading and writing report card comments for over a hundred students. Tomorrow we have Japan/Croatia and Brazil/South Korea. I’m pulling for the two Asian teams.
My best,
Russ