There appear to be three sorts of games at this World Cup. There are the games in which the stronger team batters the weaker team (Spain, England, France). There are the shocks, in which the stronger team is undone by an opponent that is slightly better than it has anticipated (Saudi Arabia, Japan), and there are the evenly matched games in which nothing much happens (the others). With just one shot on target (plus two that hit the post), this was very much in the third category.
The temptation is to come up with a tenuous grand theory as to why this should be. There is barely any data but, still, let’s indulge ourselves. Could it be that all three types of game are the result of the lack of preparation time, four weeks compressed into four days? Some sides, having played in continental competition last year and comfortable with how they intend to play, are still in rhythm from their domestic seasons and so hit their stride immediately.
