Tuchel is right about England's DNA. If anything things are worse in that respect than five years ago, due to English football's huge shift towards intensity & set-pieces. Controlling a PL game has become impossible, so don't expect control from England. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/746...

Thomas Tuchel was right – England’s DNA doesn’t allow them to control matches

Head coach's comments may have provoked a spiky reaction, but recent Premier League trends suggest he was correct

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The best thing about the hosting of World Cup 2026 was the climate - too hot for the pressing-above-everything approach that is the scourge of club football. The beneficiaries were the star attackers, the ball-playing midfielders, and in turn the viewers. www.nytimes.com/athletic/746...

High temperatures at the 2026 World Cup meant less pressing – and better matches

In an era when physical football is dominating the club game, a decent fix is playing matches where relentless sprinting isn’t possible

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For all the moans that modern football has become homogenous, Spain v Argentina in the World Cup final represents two entirely contrasting approaches to building a team. One is very much system-first, the other is based entirely around Messi. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/745...

Why the World Cup final is a battle between individualism (Lionel Messi) and teamwork (Spain)

Teamwork often seems a more successful and sustainable approach in modern football. But when the individual is Messi, anything could happen

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Same old England. On first viewing I thought Tuchel’s subs were disastrous. On second viewing, the retreat happened beforehand, a consequence of Argentina pushing on & England being exhausted. The three defensive subs did make sense. Analysis here…⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/744...

England’s problem at major tournaments? They’re still just too English

Thomas Tuchel ended up adjusting to the tendencies of his players rather than changing their playing identity

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Morocco didn't put up much of a fight but France played the game perfectly - maintained four attacking players, let Hakimi wander forward and then attacked into his space. Also some good counter-pressing which has been a feature of this World Cup. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...

How France are playing four proper attackers and not conceding chances at this World Cup

France are playing an unusually attacking team with four proper attackers but still not conceding chances. This is how

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Another World Cup, another round of “the European dominance is collapsing!” after a couple of results...then another last eight dominated by Europe. The emergence of serious challengers from around the world, anticipated for decades, still hasn’t happened. www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...

Europe is dominating another World Cup. That does not look like changing anytime soon

With six of the eight quarter-finalists coming from Europe, the continent's grip on the world game has tightened

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A battling performance from England but they also adjusted well tactically - to the challenge of altitude and then to going down to ten men ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/742...

How England coach Thomas Tuchel adjusted to the problem of altitude – and going down to 10 men

England had significant setbacks at the Azteca but adapted - and Thomas Tuchel's tactics secured an iconic World Cup victory

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Argentina lost the lead four times on their way to success in 2022. They lost the lead twice against Cape Verde tonight. Do they switch off too much when ahead? Report from a sensational game in Miami. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/742...

Argentina keep winning World Cup games but why do they make it such a struggle?

The world champions have made a costly habit of switching off just when they look in control

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A fairly common theme of World Cup-winning sides over the past 40 years: they start the tournament with four attackers, but drop one to bring in an extra central midfielder early in the knockout stage. Will Didier Deschamps do the same? www.nytimes.com/athletic/740...

France have Mbappe, Dembele, Olise and Doue. Will Deschamps dare to keep playing them all?

World Cup history, and the coach's recent past, suggest that one of their fabulous front four will be sacrificed for safety (and success)

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An article on Japan, how they constantly find a wing-back free at the far post with a late diagonal ball, and how this is essentially the same strategy those three Japan players used in that game against 100 school kids. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/740...

How Japan’s strategy for overcoming 100 schoolkids might help to eliminate Brazil

Hotaru Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Kiyotake and Yosuke Ideguchi taking on 100 schoolchildren on a full-sized football pitch may be in evidence today

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A big win, a heavy loss and then a creditable draw. Sweden are a bit confusing - even to Anthony Elanga who didn’t realise that a draw took them through to the knockouts www.nytimes.com/athletic/739...

Sweden are the most confusing side at World Cup 2026. Just ask Anthony Elanga

Sweden are, put bluntly, really confusing

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Austria's (often effective) counter-pressing broken by Argentina's ability to work the ball up to Messi and switch play to the opposite side. Oh, and he scored two goals too and became the outright top goalscorer in World Cup history. www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...

This version of Argentina is built for Lionel Messi. But can that plan win this World Cup?

The tournament's top scorer does almost no defending these days and his team rely on him for goals. For now, suits Argentina just fine

nytimes.com

Netherlands 5-1 Sweden was the most tactically interesting game of the World Cup so far. Formation changes led to massive swings in momentum. Analysis ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

Netherlands 5-1 Sweden: How the most tactically interesting game of the World Cup unfolded

Graham Potter and Ronald Koeman both made several system changes during a complex game in Houston

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Two own goals in two games for the United States. A little lucky, sure, but the focus on attacking quickly down the flanks and hitting low crosses / cut-backs across the six-yard box means there are more own goals in football these days. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

Why World Cup own goals are on the rise

In the age of expected goals, perhaps the next step is calculating expected own goals — as cut-backs make them more increasingly likely

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Bellingham is a strange player. He’s a “No 10” who never really thrives between the lines and is more effective either higher or deeper. On the evidence of the Croatia game Tuchel might have worked out how to use him best. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

Jude Bellingham is everything Thomas Tuchel wants in his England No 10

With Jude Bellingham, England play a certain way. He might have the number 10 on his back but he is rarely in classic No 10 positions

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Possibly no-one else apart from me cares about this but: these days, FIFA lists the USA as finishing 3rd at World Cup 1930. There was no third-place play-off. For years, they & Yugoslavia were listed as joint-third. So why the revisionism? And DID they finish third? ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...

FIFA says the USA finished third at World Cup 1930… but did they?

Records often show the USA as having come third at the first ever World Cup, but clarifying this is more complex than you might expect...

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There’s an unusual number of top managers at this World Cup, compared to previous editions when it felt like it was full of managers 15 years past their peak years. Amid the intensity of 2026 club football, is international management now more rewarding? www.nytimes.com/athletic/733...

There are more elite managers than usual at this World Cup. Why?

Managers such as Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti could be coaching in the Champions League rather than the World Cup

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32 teams to 48 teams fundamentally changes the World Cup. Here are the probable ramifications: more rotation, more defensive play in the first two games, Africa the major beneficiary. And other things. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/732...

The World Cup has expanded from 32 to 48 teams. This is what that will mean

The number of matches at the summer's tournament will increase from 64 to 104 with a new round of 32, and will impact results and approaches

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A summary of the 2025-26 Premier League season through 10 matches, taking in all 20 teams. Not a vintage season, but one with very clear themes. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/729...

Decoding the 2025-26 Premier League season in 10 matches

Michael Cox picks 10 games that sum up the campaign for the 20 sides who competed in the Premier League

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Antoine Semenyo is a great FA Cup final winning goalscorer: someone who made his FA Cup debut as a sub away at (now) tenth-tier Met Police, who was part of a proper giantkilling when Newport beat Leicester, and is now the hero at Wembley. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/728...

Antoine Semenyo’s journey from Met Police FC to Wembley and a fitting FA Cup final winner

Semenyo's backheeled finish against Chelsea capped an unlikely rise from his FA Cup debut seven and a half years ago

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I have finally achieved my dream of writing about snooker - I was at the longest frame in Crucible history yesterday, and here's why the crowd were right to get stuck into the referee a bit and force the issue www.nytimes.com/athletic/724...

An attempt to explain PSG 5-4 Bayern, probably the most entertaining game I’ve ever been at. “It is a moment to congratulate the players, the two sides, and all of those present here,” said Luis Enrique. I will take it. www.nytimes.com/athletic/723...

Extreme pressing, relentless dribbling and deep runs: PSG-Bayern was a higher form of football

This Champions League semi-final's first leg was crazy but played just how both managers wanted: relentlessly end to end and high-tempo

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Nico O'Reilly was key to Man City's gameplan yesterday. His unpredictable positioning caused Arsenal's press problems, and his runs inside Doku into the channel led to good chances. The two factors came together for the winning goal. (free to read) ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/721...

How Nico O’Reilly helped break Arsenal’s press – and their hearts (Gift Article)

After scoring the goals that won City the Carabao Cup against Arsenal, this was an even more significant performance from O'Reilly

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There might not be many shots to save at the Etihad tomorrow. But the key to the game might be testing the goalkeepers, Donnarumma and Raya, in terms of aerial ability and distribution respectively. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...

Premier League title showdown will test Raya and Donnarumma’s ability – and bottle

For all the talk of 'bottle' around Sunday's Premier League showdown, it is the two goalkeepers who have faced the biggest mental challenges

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Women's World Cup qualifying: Spain have only lost 3* times in their last 24 - all against England. They play into England's hands when they use a proper No9. Surely they need to be a bit cleverer. *one was a draw and a shootout defeat www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...

Spain need to be more Spanish to beat England

To beat England, Spain must play less like their opponent and embrace their true style once again

nytimes.com

Everyone used to despair at short corners - but in the context of this Premier League season of they now feel quite refreshing. Here’s how Man City used them to cause Chelsea problems. www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...

How Manchester City’s renewed love of short corners helped unlock Chelsea’s defence

Teams have become so accustomed to defending inswinging corners that they are possibly leaving themselves exposed when they are taken short

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Arsenal into the Women’s Champions League semis again - but should probably consider a more cautious system when they get there. www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

Why Arsenal may need to show a bit more caution in the Champions League semi-finals

Chelsea may be out but they revealed some defensive weaknesses in the Arsenal team that future opponents may be able to exploit

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A mad way to qualify for a World Cup: 0 wins from 6 qualification group games…but a Nations League C victory in 2024 got them into the playoffs. Throw in an “away” semi at a neutral venue and a scrappy win tonight. But Sweden have done it, and maybe they’ll be good! www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

Sweden are among the least deserving World Cup qualifiers this century — but they could still be a force

The most important goal of Sweden's bizarre World Cup qualifying campaign was arguably scored in UEFA's Nations League in November 2024

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Man City's two goals at Wembley stemmed from their plan to overload the right flank - Silva/Cherki theoretically playing centrally but often overlapping Semenyo. Quite funny to see them almost fighting each other to reach a Rodri crossfield ball. www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

Surprise rotations and clever passes: How Pep Guardiola got the better of Mikel Arteta at Wembley

At times in recent seasons it feels like Guardiola has strayed from his principles but this match showed what his sides are all about

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10 seasons at Man City for Guardiola. 5 times they've started the Champions League as favourites. Only 3 times they've reached the semis. 1 European Cup. Considering City's domestic performance during the last decade, it's reasonable to have expected more. www.nytimes.com/athletic/712...

Ten seasons, one Champions League. Should Pep Guardiola have done better in Europe with Man City?

They have been England's premier side domestically for a decade but, as Michael Cox explains, something has been lacking in Europe

nytimes.com