Tears of Neymar and Ronaldo: what do you remember about the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup

Croatia – Brazil

Everyone who truly loves football has their own Brazilian national team. For me, this is the 1998 team. In which the great players were gathered: Roberto Carlos, Taffarel, Ronaldo, Cafu, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Emerson, Ze Roberto, Dida. And my very, very favorite football player is “bisho”, “the beast” Edmundo (although the cariocas call him Edimundo). In the spring of that year, a month and a half before the start, I was lucky enough to attend a friendly match between Brazil and Argentina at the Maracana, filled to capacity and floating underfoot like an ocean, when almost a hundred thousand fans began to jump in its stands. That match the Brazilians lost 0-1, and it was the harbinger of the shameful devastating defeat of the Selecao in the final of the 1998 World Cup with a score of 0-3 to the French, who became world champions for the first time.

I had the opportunity to meet the great Bebeto several times at the 2010 World Cup and even take a couple of interviews with him. But that final with the French and that defeat from the Argentines “crybaby” refused to remember flatly.

There are also enough stars in the modern Brazilian national team. Neymar, Richarlison, Vinicius, Casemiro, Thiago Silva… But they don’t have that gloss, enthusiasm, a sense of their own greatness, like the players of the 1998 team. No courage is visible. Yes, they smashed the South Koreans, yes, they tortured the victory over Serbia and Switzerland and “leaked” Cameroon. In 1998, the national team made its way to the World Cup finals also not easy, but then there was still more courage, and the self-confidence that turns into narcissism is off the charts among today’s Brazilians. The football god doesn’t like that. He loves diligence and work, rewards perseverance and patience.

And the Croatian team was just like that in the quarterfinals with the Brazilians. Focused and diligent, attentive and patient. When by the 30th minute it became clear how the Croats were forcing the Brazilians to chase them in an attempt to take the ball away, it became clear that Tite had problems.

I watched this game with my mother, who is also an ardent Selecao fan – she and dad have lived in Brazil much longer than me. And during the break, my mother said to me “Brasil akabo”, which meant “finita la comedy” – a comedy with all these pigeon dances and dances of celebration of goals. Strictly following the instructions of Zlatko Dalic, the “iron” veterans Modric, Perisic, Kramaric, Brozovic, Lovren and diligent youth Pasalic, Kovacic, Sosa and Guardiola dried up the game, managed to bounce back after Neymar’s goal in stoppage time. And in the penalty shoot-out, the Brazilians faltered, missing twice on goal. And they went home, having failed to fulfill the request of the king of football, Pele, to bring the sixth championship star from Qatar.

Netherlands – Argentina

After a very logical and very boring match between Croats and Brazilians, the match between the Dutch and Argentines was a gift. There was already a real football carnival, which can be seen almost every day on the beaches of Rio.

The head coach of the Dutch, the great Louis van Gaal, hid to the last that he had cancer, not wanting to distract his guys from football and qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar. This is also a feat, a vivid example of devotion to our favorite game. When a common cause, the common victory is more important than personal interests.

It is not surprising that the match was so tense that FIFA opened several disciplinary cases against the Argentine players after it ended. Otamendi and Paredes were overjoyed at the victory, demonstrating disrespectful behavior towards the Dutch. Paredes at the end of the match marked an attack on the bench of the Netherlands. Martinez and Messi criticized the referees, and in the course of the post-match television interview, Messi also shouted rudely at Weghorst. Who scored the second goal – just a crazy ball – in the last second of added time to the second half, sending the game into overtime. To then, as in the previous match, to reveal the winner in the penalty shoot-out. The hero of which, no doubt, was Damian Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper of the English Aston Villa and the Argentina national team.

This match also had a Russian trace. The eight-year-old young football player Markel from Naberezhnye Chelny brought Lionel Messi to the game. As his mother told the Russian media, for this Markel had to go through a big competition, and Messi, having learned that he was the idol of our young compatriot, shook his hand before the game with the Dutch.

It only remains to add that the semi-final Croatia – Argentina will be very interesting.

Morocco – Portugal

The role of the individual in the history of both entire states and individual teams has always been one of the most interesting subjects to study. Ronaldo, in his greatness gradually breaking away from reality, almost overshadowed the Portuguese national team. But she is very good in Qatar. 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos is the new bright star of Portuguese football. His hat-trick in the 1/8 final match with the Swiss is worth a lot. But Ronaldo and his whims overshadowed all other Portuguese collections. Although were those whims? Or was it the journalists, in pursuit of sensationalism, inflating insignificant phrases and meaningless snippets of conversation? Now it doesn’t matter anymore, because they had a negative impact on the head coach Santos and his team.

Ronaldo started the match with Morocco on the bench. And now, for the rest of his life, Santos will have to answer one question: was this decision the right one? After all, even with all his troubles, Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of our time. And the outcome of this fight could have been different.

Is it fair for Morocco to reach the semi-finals? Without a doubt. The best confirmation of this is the second goal of the Moroccans against Costa. A 1-0 victory could still spark gossip about the accidents of football life. But 2:0 is already convincing. And on business.

In general, if there were no Moroccans in Qatar, then they should have been invented. They are the decoration of the championship, the very icing on the cake of the tournament, without which the holiday would not be complete. And their journey into the history of world sports is just beginning.

England – France

It was perhaps the most anticipated match of the quarterfinals. How much has happened in one and a half hundred years between the football clubs and the teams of these two countries, how much has been played and said, it is impossible to even imagine. And every meeting of the French and the British on the football field deserves special attention.

Deschamps’ team in Qatar is striking in its power. Enough has been said about this. Against her background, the British did not look as convincing. Kane, Bellingham, Maguire, Rice, Henderson, Walker are undoubtedly good players. But they simply do not reach the level of Mbappe, Giroud, Griezmann, Dembele, Rabiot, Kunde, Chuameni.

And this is the most amazing thing. After winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the French were criticized a lot for not being able to extract proper dividends from their victory and French football is in crisis. This was especially talked about in the fall of 2020 and in the spring of 2021. And it seemed that Deschamps’ team simply could not defend their championship, as the Brazilians did in 1962 after winning the World Cup-58.

However, the French are now, after the relegation of the Brazilians, the most important favorites for the championship. Any other outcome of the championship will undoubtedly be a sensation. Because the French are ready to tear anyone who comes between them and the Cup. Neighing like a horse over Kane, who did not score a decisive penalty, Mbappe is the best illustration of this mood.

But the Moroccan team is on the way for France. The team of the former French colony, the hope of the entire Arab world, the deus ex machina of the 22nd World Cup. It will be more than a game. It is a pity that we will be able to see this match only once in a lifetime. But for this alone you can be grateful for the World Cup-22.

Croatia and Argentina, France and Morocco already on Tuesday and Wednesday. Look forward to!