Mikel Merino gives Spain the pass to the World Cup semi-finals

England’s plan for the World Cup quarterfinals is clear: stop Erling Haaland. The Norwegian forward has seven goals in the tournament, only surpassed by Mbappé and Messi. On Saturday, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, they face an English team that knows that the task is titanic.

“Has anyone ever stopped Erling Haaland?” asked midfielder Morgan Rogers. “I’m not sure, but let’s try.”

Not even his Manchester City teammate, Nico O’Reilly, has a magic formula. His proposal is simple: prevent him from receiving the ball in dangerous areas. “He is dangerous in the area, a real threat. First they have to give him the ball there,” he explained.

Two elite forwards

The conversation cannot ignore Harry Kane. The Englishman has six goals in the tournament. His coach, Thomas Tuchel, described him as “in the best shape of his life.” The Haaland-Kane duel will be a chapter apart: both are the main offensive weapons of their teams.

The Norwegian coach, Ståle Solbakken, recognized the magnitude of the match: “Kane is England’s asset; Haaland is ours.” The match defines a ticket to the semifinals against Argentina or Switzerland.

Haaland, born in England when his father played for Leeds, feels the emotional burden. “It’s super special because I play in England, I was born there and I will face City teammates,” he said. Nine Norwegians play for English clubs, so familiarity will be high.

Haaland’s goals in the tournament have come in spurts: two in 14 minutes against Iraq, two in 10 against Senegal, two in 11 against Brazil. His ability to finish in key moments is what worries England the most.

“Everything is at stake,” O’Reilly summarized. On Saturday it will be known if the English plan works.

The Argentine team breathes a sigh of relief after an agonizing comeback against Egypt (3-2) in the round of 16. Lionel Scaloni’s team overturned a 2-0 deficit in 13 minutes, but defensive doubts persist.

The numbers that worry

“They scored four goals against us in the last two games. It bothers us,” admitted defender Cristian “Cuti” Romero. Argentina is unable to maintain the level shown in Qatar 2022. The defensive solidity, key to winning the title, has suffered.

The next obstacle is Switzerland, a team that has never reached the World Cup semifinals. The duel will be on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Swiss captain Granit Xhaka declared: “We know that Argentina has virtues, but so do we. Tomorrow it will be talked about on the pitch.”

Messi and the headline doubts

Lionel Messi missed two penalties in this World Cup, accumulating four misses in his World Cup career. It will be the 10 himself who decides if he continues kicking. Argentina has other performers: Lautaro Martínez, Gonzalo Montiel and Leandro Paredes.

Scaloni still defines the right side between Nahuel Molina and Montiel, and the center forward between Julián Álvarez and Lautaro. Against Egypt, Montiel improved the attack on the right and assisted Messi to make it 2-2. Lautaro entered the complement and scored the winning goal.

Switzerland has only conceded three goals in five games. The defense, led by Manuel Akanji and Gregor Kobel, will be the main challenge. Argentina does not report injuries; Switzerland will miss Johan Mazambi due to knee problems.

The winner will face the winner of Norway-England in the semifinals on Wednesday in Atlanta. The Albiceleste seeks to become the first two-time champion since 1962.

The Panamanian Football Federation (Fepafut) began evaluations on the future of coach Thomas Christiansen. The contract of the Danish-Spanish coach ended on June 30, just after Panama’s participation in its second consecutive World Cup, where it failed to score goals or add points.

Manuel Arias, president of Fepafut, declared at a press conference that a process is underway that includes both the renewal of Christiansen and the search for a new strategist. “Every effort is made to make that happen,” he said, referring to the continuity of the 53-year-old coach.

Jaime Penedo, former goalkeeper and sports director of the federation, supported the coach’s management: “We are satisfied with the results.” Christiansen, who holds the record of 92 games in charge of Panama, took over in 2020. In his first cycle he did not qualify for Qatar 2022, but in the second he achieved a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Results and reviews

In the World Cup, Panama fell to Ghana (1-0), Croatia (1-0) and England (2-0). Although they were eliminated again in the first round, the team showed greater solidity than in Russia 2018, when they were beaten by Belgium (3-0) and England (6-1), and lost to Tunisia 2-1.

“I feel proud of how we have competed in this World Cup,” Christiansen said. However, analysts and fans questioned his call. Criticisms include the absence of a young Botafogo attacker and the inclusion of players with previous injuries, such as midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla, who did not play minutes in the tournament.

The final decision on the coach must be ratified by the new managers who will be elected at the end of the year, according to Arias.