I know that not many of you are huge fans of the international break, given that it’s so early on in the new season and we’ve had our fair share of international football in the last few months, but international football still has an aura about it.
We were treated to some high-class football at the Copa America Centenario and Euro 2016, which went on to prove the world-class football on show in the international arena. Players do tend to ease off in the international breaks, but for some, it is the perfect platform to grab attraction of top clubs.
Let’s take a look at 5 things we learned from the international break
#1 New manager, but same old England
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Former Sunderland boss, Sam Allardyce, who plotted the Black Cats’ dramatic escape from relegation, was appointed as the new England boss, following their humiliating defeat to Iceland in Euro 2016 Round of 16. The English team lacked confidence, and for a team which needed some shuffling around, Allardyce fielded 8 of the 11 who took the field against Iceland.
Manchester United and England skipper, Wayne Rooney put in yet another ineffective performance as he was deployed in a midfield role. He got better when he was sent higher up the field, and managed to register England’s first shot on target in the 64th minute against 10 men Slovakia.
Also Read: EPL 2016-17 : Ruud Gullit says playing Wayne Rooney in different positions has hurt his game
Adam Lallana’s late 96th-minute goal gave the Three Lions’ a 1-0 win over Slovakia, but it was far far away from convincing. However, there were a few positive for the English fans. Stones looks a solid prospect at the heart of English defense for years to come, and England looked a lot more threatening with Dele Alli’s introduction in the 64th minute.
Big Sam still has a lot of work to do before England’s next encounter against Malta in a World Cup Qualifier fixture.
#2 Argentina will be really glad Messi came back from retirement
Besides the fact that Messi is one of the best footballers in the history of the beautiful game, Argentina looked really pale and out of ideas in their 2-2 draw against Venezuela. Messi had to sit out with a groin injury, and even though it was a huge blow, Argentina was tipped to run over lowly-rated Venezuela.
Earlier in the week, Messi’s late winner inspired Argentina to 1-0 win over Uruguay in the top of the table clash. Going into the game, Venezuela were placed at the bottom of South American qualifiers, and Argentina was at the top. The underdogs found the net twice within half an hour, and it took an 83rd-minute winner from Manchester City centre-back, Nicolas Otamendi to save Argentina the blushes.
The Argentine side is filled with superstars from Paulo Dybala, Sergio Aguero, and Gonzalo Higuain, among others, and yet they look like a very unsettled team without their skipper. Argentina would have been in a huge spot of bother, had Messi stayed put on his retirement plans. La Albiceleste will hope the Barcelona wizard is fit in time for their next match against Peru.
#3 Brazil looks like a more rejuvenated unit
It has been a tough few years for Brazil football. Brazilian fans’ have been used to years of dominating international football but since their 2010 World Cup loss to Netherlands in the quarters. In their quest of winning the 6th World Cup title, Brazil suffered a humiliating 7-1 loss in the semis of their home World Cup.
The Canarinho’s didn’t have much luck in the Copa’s either, getting knocked out in 2015 Copa America and as early as group stages of Copa America Centenario. Brazilian football looked down and out till a month back. In the last month, they managed to win their first-ever Olympic Gold, and being an Olympic gold medalist has certainly given Neymar and the rest to up their game a level or two.
Brazil was languishing outside automatic qualification places at the start of international break, but with wins over Ecuador and Colombia, the Canarinho’s are a point away from pole position. Brazil registered a 2-1 win over Colombia and a convincing 3-0 win against Ecuador. Brazil is certainly on their way to revival.
#4 James Rodriguez proves his worth
The Real Madrid man was linked to a number of clubs, after falling down the pecking order in the star-studded Madrid side, including the likes of Chelsea and PSG.
James Rodriguez scored in both of the qualifying matches against Brazil and Venezuela. Although Colombia did narrowly miss out against Brazil, James’ goal was vital to their 2-0 win against Venezuela. David Ospina was also really impressive in goal for Colombia.
Rodriguez would have certainly strengthened his claim for a place in Champions League holders’ starting line-up with impressive performances in the international break, but the Colombian needs to make full use of whatever limited opportunities he gets.
#5 Uzbekistan may finally qualify for their first-ever World Cup finals
The 55th placed team in FIFA rankings have been in the footballing scene for quite some time now, and they’ve experienced a number of heartbreaking losses to be denied a World Cup spot.
The team from the Middle-East are currently in pole position of the Asian qualification leg, thanks to wins over Syria and Qatar. Uzbekistan are currently 5 points ahead of 2nd placed Korea DPR, and look set to seal automatic qualification for 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Years ago, Uzbekistan had qualified for a play-off for a spot in 2006 World Cup, and even though they won 1-0, the result was overruled due to a refereeing mistake. Five years down the line, they lost out in a thrilling penalty shootout, 8-9, against Jordan. The Uzbeks may finally make their entry on the grandest stage of all.
