They are just running into a different quality than they have faced - their last 2 matches against the automatic qualifiers (Canada and US) were both after CONCACAF qualification was otherwise settled. Playing two forwards against this higher level of quality is folly, especially against a team like Spain that will happily keep the ball in midfield in for 75 minutes.
Damn, 3-0 after about 30 minutes. This could head toward humiliation.
Banging the bosses daughter.
Spain are looking strong.I
Itâs a big problem for the better sides in CONCACAF. None of them are good enough to play proactive football on the big stage against good sides, but that style of football they have to develop to not get shown up here is insufficient to get them through qualifying against notably worse sides who play against them like big underdogs. It makes it difficult to develop a real identity that is transferable form one situation to the other.
That Asano winner reminded me a little bit of this goal by Landon Donovan against Slovenia in 2010. Just skip to about 50 seconds.
My biggest takeaway so far is that Landon Donovan really hates Joel Campbell.
Thatâs a good way to put it. I donât think Canada quite faced that situation, because no one had Canada finishing top of qualifying until quite late. Teams were coming to Canada home games trying to play like they were favourites and dominate the ball.
Canada will do well to get a point from this group.
Think Davies is injured for them tonight as well, theyâre midfield and defence looks tragic.
Spain looking better than I thought. Ok, letâs see what they do against a better side, but Busquets, Gavi and Pedri is an excellent midfield, keeping the ball, breaking lines, creating chances.
Early days, but England, France and Spain are the best three Iâve seen. Iâm looking forward to getting a look at Brazil.
Argentina might regroup and could still do well. Germany have a tougher task, as they face Spain next. They might be going home early.
What the heck do they feed kids in Spain man. Gavi ffs. I feel for Costa Rica. Donât think they had five minutes on the ball.
Japan have a decent side on paper and the J League is a decent league.
Itâs also their part of the world given it a few miles. In fact this has come at the end of their season as opposed to usually coming inbetween.
Something else to consider.
Germanyâs gap in playing is getting bigger if they go out first round thatâs almost 3 months without national or club football 
We donât even have that ever in England and to be honest Iâm not sure what I would do especially with no transfer window or cricket/Baseball. (Forgot about Covid, then again that was less than 3 months I think, especially for the return of Germany ironically).
I think Spain are well on course to smash all sorts of passing records here.
You donât see many games with teams making 90%+ accuracy nevermind 93.
532 successful passes that half.
reminder they beat Japan last week. who just beat Germany.
sooooooâŚ
We forget that this Spain played the last Euroâs semis and was actually better than Italy for a lot of the game.
This is a good side, Enrique is a very good coach.
Problem is of course that itâs not Spain from 08-12, so everything after that looks kind of sad. But this side is better than the last Del Bosque side, which was too much possession and not enough energy/penetration.
Needs to be looked at in this context.
God, the US/Fox coverage is just so terrible.
The commentary for the first Japan goal had some woman analyzing the technique for the shot for a good 60 seconds "not much action on that strike. thatâs what allowed him to make such good contact. Thatâs what allowed the power. And on and on and on.
Asensioâs goal, they kept wanting to tell us how difficult a technique it was. Really? I thought these guys were doing stuff that any schmo with a pair of boots could do? Who knew they were actually good at what theyâre doing? 
Laura Woods is on another level.
A point! I just want a goal!
Just want to comment on all the empty seats we are seeing in games.
Apart from the oft stated issues with the host nation, thereâs no culture of football. Consequently thereâs not enough passion or interest.
It is bought and paid for, and is all rather plastic. Itâs like the Emptihad, on steroids. It should serve as a warning to the governing bodies who are so keen to sell the game. You just canât buy passion.
A deep football culture comes though many years of organic growth, and along the way there are highs, lows, and lots of blood, sweat and tears. It all amalgamates into a football culture, where people then care, passionately.
The population and culture is just not there to make this the spectacle that it should be. But if Infantino measures success in terms of dollars in his bank account, then yes, Iâm sure it will have been a successful World Cup.
That may well prove to be a bit far fetched too although David and Larin arenât the worst partnership in the world.
