World Cup

THEY were the sort of words that you might expect Jose Mourinho to deliver on the eve of an epic match: Self-assured, decisive and bullish.Gareth Southgate might not quite have the charisma and bombast of Mourinho but — in his own quiet, measured way — the England  manager was oozing with confidence ahead of the World Cup quarter-final against France.
England boss Gareth Southgate addresses the mediaCredit: Reuters
Southgate told us he had picked his team to face the world champions as early as Monday — and it is expected to be unchanged from the side which ruthlessly disposed of Senegal in the last 16.
He was adamant that his side have improved significantly since the last World Cup.
He demanded  his men ‘stand up’ and ‘nail’ this fixture and insisted they are ‘not ready to go home’.
And after his own decision- making was widely questioned when England tossed away leads in the 2018 World Cup semi-final to Croatia and last year’s Euros final against Italy, he sounded full of self-belief about his own qualities too.
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Southgate is England’s Special One. 
It is a cast-iron fact that he is the most successful Three Lions manager for over half a century.
Now, his words — if not his manner — have the smack of  vintage Mourinho about them.
Asked whether he had decided on his formation, there was no suggestion of any dithering over possibly   switching to a five-man defence — and it would be an extraordinary curveball if he moved away from his 4-3-3 now.
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Southgate said: “We decided on Monday. We’d already watched all the games of France, we’d already reviewed our game against Senegal.
“So we were very clear on the right path — because then you’ve got to deliver that through the week.  
“I know people think I have a preference for a certain system, but if anything my preference has always been 4-3-3, I just don’t think it’s always been appropriate for us to get the best out of the team.
“The job is not just to have a  philosophy, the job is to win football matches.  You can have a philosophy  — but if you’re going home at the start of the tournament, then the philosophy doesn’t wash really.”
Gareth Southgate is starting to sound like Roma coach Jose MourinhoCredit: Getty
How England are expected to line up against France
Spain and Germany  stuck rigidly to an idealist version of possession football and they are now at home doing their Christmas shopping.
Southgate’s England have always been flexible and pragmatic. Going into the quarter-finals, no side had scored more goals or kept more clean sheets at this World Cup.
And Southgate is confident  his blend of wise old heads and fearless youth are capable of handling one of the biggest matches of their lives against Kylian Mbappe and Co at the Al Bayt Stadium.  
He said: “We have got individual players with big-match experience and I have no fear about the young ones, because they are just going to go and play.
“In big games, big players step up and they can be decisive. We have been doing that in this tournament.
“On these nights, you’ve got to have men who stand up and take on the challenge. That’s the bit  we’ve got to prove to people.
“If you asked me four years ago were we quite ready, I’m not sure.
“Now I feel differently — and that’s because we’ve got evidence over a long period.
“I have confidence in the players, we are in a good place.
England’s gym is dominated by the slogan We didn’t come this far just to come this farCredit: Getty
“So when France have those moments, which they are bound to have — and we are going to have similar moments — we must be steadfast and continue to be brave.”
Regarding his own abilities and experience, Southgate is a man  comfortable in his own skin.
So comfortable  he won’t attempt to give a Churchillian pre-match team talk — in fact, he won’t make any speech in the dressing-room.
Southgate added: “By that time my work is done, so I leave it to Harry Kane and the players.
“When I was a player, a lot of times managers spoke before kick-off, and I thought ‘I’m ready, all you can do now is mess it up for me!’
“If we don’t win, I know where the buck will stop. But that’s fine, I’m the manager, I have to take responsibility.
“I feel good about where I am on my decision-making and  my energy — my excitement for the game.
“I’d be an idiot if I hadn’t learned in five years managing some of the biggest games in world football,  the most high-profile players in Europe.
“And, going through the experience of having one of  the most high-profile jobs in the country, you learn quite a lot.”
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On the prospect of this being the last match he takes charge of at a World Cup, Southgate said: “It is not the stage where we are ready to go home.
“And it is not the point where we are even thinking of going home.” More

NICOLAS OTAMENDI celebrated right in the Netherlands players’ faces after knocking them out of the World Cup.The Argentina defender was with his team-mates on the halfway line when Lautaro Martinez dispatched the winning penalty in the shootout.
Nicolas Otamendi and the Argentina players goaded their Dutch rivals after the shootoutCredit: AP
Edgar Davids was involved as Denzel Dumfries was sent offCredit: Rex
But that was not the end of the fiery drama.
Otamendi, 34, made a deliberate beeline in front of the heartbroken Dutch stars.
The ex-Manchester City man goaded his rivals by cupping both ears with his hands.
Fellow Argentina stars Leandro Paredes, Gonzalo Montiel, Angel Di Maria, German Pezzella and Alexis Mac Allister all sought out the Netherlands as they raced past to join Martinez.
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And that caused yet another flashpoint as tempers boiled over one final time after an epic quarter-final.
Bungling referee Mateu Lahoz brandished more yellow cards after the end of the shootout – including two for Denzel Dumfries as he was sent off – as the two teams and backroom staff clashed.
That took the record tally of bookings up to a whopping 18.
Paredes saw yellow when he scythed down Nathan Ake then booted the ball towards the Dutch bench on 88 minutes trying to close out the win in normal time.
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He was immediately hounded by the Oranje subs as a mass melee broke out while Virgil van Dijk brutally barged him to the ground.
Both sets of players grew increasingly frustrated with Lahoz’s performance.
And even with his World Cup dream alive – thanks in large part to goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s heroics in the shootout – Lionel Messi was not happy.
The Argentina captain, whose side face Croatia in the final four, fumed: “I think that Fifa cannot use this referee for this type of match because he is not up to the task.”
Virgil van Dijk sent Leandro Paredes flyingCredit: Reuters
Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream is still aliveCredit: Reuters
Both teams were frustrated with the refereeCredit: Getty More

ARGENTINA’S quarter-final clash with the Netherlands was halted by a half-naked pitch invader.Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, also known as VitalyzdTv on Youtube, stormed onto the pitch during the second half.
Vitaly Zdorovetskiy streaked during the second half
He was quickly apprehended and escorted off the pitchCredit: Getty
Vitaly has history for streaking at big eventsCredit: Getty
Security quickly intervened to stop the American influencer, with several stewards carrying him off the pitch.
Vitaly stripped down to his boxers which bore the message: “Vitaly the goat.”
The 30-year-old had the same words written across his chest and torso.
It was likely Vitaly was once again trying to publicise his porn site ‘Vitaly Uncensored’, though those attempts ended in vain because TV cameras did not broadcast his streaking efforts.
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The YouTuber has form for pitch invading at major events, including the 2014 World Cup final.
Five years later his then-partner Kinsey Wolanski streaked at the Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham.
Kinsey wore a one-piece that left little to the imagination to promote the Vitaly Uncensored site.
Vitaly then pulled off the same trick at the cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand a month after that.
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On that occasion he enlisted the help of his mum Elena, though she failed to make it past the boundary and onto the field of play.
Vitaly’s streaking may have distracted Argentina who threw away a 2-0 lead late on.
Wout Weghorst sent the game into extra-time with a dramatic last-gasp strike and penalties were needed to separate the sides.
Lionel Messi scored but Emi Martinez was the hero with two saves to deny Virgil van Dijk and Steven Beghuis to send Argentina through to the semi-final, where they will face Croatia.
Kinsey Wolanski streaked during the 2019 Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham
Wolanski’s actions saw her gain 2million followers on InstagramCredit: Alamy Live News More