At the World Cup, certainties disappear and everything (or almost) is still possible

IS the marmot world championship. The second one round in the elimination rounds he largely denies what had happened just a few days earlier: whoever had won often finds himself defeated. And vice versa: betrayed by momentum, the national teams that have entered everyone’s mouth undo Penelope’s canvas that they had built with difficulty or shrewdness, in a complex game of the goose where the dice force them to go back to the start. Only ninety minutes from final decisions, bazinga! Saudi Arabia gives way to already dull Poland instead of continuing its wave, and Japan that had done the feat gives in to Costa Rica, in turn returning from a 7-0. These are just the most glaring cases: England first at force 6 then at freezing temperatures, Iran certainly prevails not as favorite against the physique and gritty Wales, Tunisia which had bridled Denmark gets surprised by the modest Australia all running. In the reversal of fate, Argentina given up for dead resurrects – despite playing worse than against the Saudis – and Ghana wounds 3-2 after perishing by the same score (Korea deserved much more in two games). As with every exception, there is always one rule: Ecuador was not a flash in the pan, Belgium already miraculously healed by the referee against Canada shows all its structural limits, from aging and change of season still in progress. If the Devils at the end of the cycle are seriously suspected of an early exit, much of the credit goes to Regragui’s Morocco, perhaps the most beautiful reality of this tournament: for years we have been waiting for the simultaneous explosion of many of his talents, in all departments, endowed with genius equal to indolence. The boom arrived in Qatar, i.e. in favorable “environmental” conditions (the cheering in the stands was reminiscent of the Casablanca derby) and at the appropriate age to determine: not only Hakimi, Ziyech, Amrabat but also the iron central couple Aguerd-Saïss who didn’t let a draft pass. It’s a game, thank goodness, as cheeky and cheerful as an Arab revolution ten years ago. By counterintuition, the ignorant 4-4-2 of the Canadian gymnastics also deserves to be mentioned, also interesting in perspective.

If all football schools now know how to get on the pitch, who jumps the man anymore? Son Heung-min tries, the North Africans Ezzalzouli and Boufal live there and for a few minutes, in the endless recoveries, they recall the Ahmed Bahja of Usa ’94. Few, however, try to earn a penalty as soon as they enter the area: they know that the very taxing “semi-automatic” offside (oh my God) and the now inevitable Var are ready to backfire with every single action, producing more injustices in the results than to the real progress of the match. Is this condensed and slightly fluid calcium what we want? We wanted the November sun, and we only saw it halfway, in al-Wakrah, during Cameroon-Serbia; we wanted the final showdown in the chess match between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi for the best in the previous decade, and for now (after many worries, it’s not over yet) the partial smiles on the Argentine, more man-team than the egomaniac of Madeira.

In the meantime, the world championship of the sons and brothers is developing in the stadiums-containers in the shape of a Bedouin tent or a fishing net: after Tim Weah’s goal and the substitutions between the French Hernandez, Eden and Thorgan Hazard are on the field at the same time, while who knows if Nico and Iñaki Williams will face each other in a possible next Spain-Ghana. Thuram Jr. will perhaps be useful to France, no longer the Qatari goalkeeper Barsham, brother of the Olympic champion Barshim in singular parallel with the Croatian Vlašić. Commentary quirks, one would say: Adani is definitely a no, but Stramaccioni is a surprise yes.

More revelations? The psychedelic uniform of Korea, and those who are unfamiliar with the Eredivisie or the Champions League groups will have fallen from the moon to see the young Ghanaian Kudus, with great prospects ahead. On the other hand, Denmark and Uruguay bite the brakes by just one point: the former, returning from a brilliant third place at Euro 2020, have not yet unleashed their considerable potential. But now the bell is ringing for them, who are forced to beat Australia to relaunch themselves. And in all or nothing, inside or out, the Celeste in the face of Ghana (her colored curve is beautiful) lives yet another legendary appeal: classicism against confusion, Giorgio Morandi or Jackson Pollock for a place in the sun. Luis Suárez is still there, twelve years later: the train of history also passes by his feet, it will only be clear on Friday whether that track leads to the past or to the future.