The Two Robbies Daily: Poch's USMNT, Tuchel's England & Haaland vs Gabriel
The Robbies preview another huge day in the Round of 16, discussing why Mauricio Pochettino has transformed the USMNT's belief, how Thomas Tuchel can guide England past Mexico, and the key battle between Erling Haaland and Gabriel as Brazil take on Norway.
Video Transcript
Welcome back to the Two Robbies Daily, where we take a look at some of the fascinating match-ups in the round of 16.
Let's start with Mexico versus- England, Rob.
And a lot of talk about the altitude- of course, for their Estadio Azteca.
Iconic.
Their record is amazing.
Let's look at it a little bit differently.
Okay.
And what might Thomas Tuchel do with his team selection to mitigate some of this, Mexican advantage?
Well, I think when you look at, at the game, if, if I take my, my points, the two wide players haven't necessarily, played well.
The right-hand side of the pitch, if I think of, of Jed Spence and, and, Bukayo Saka, or Madueke, has not functioned that well.
So it's, it's whether personnel will come into the game.
And, and it's interesting, Rob, 'cause I think for Thomas Tuchel, who's usually a man with a plan, substitutes are gonna be a key time in this game.
And I'm talking who do you put on, when do you put them on, and why are you putting them on?
I think now with these, these water breaks, I, I think managers will absolutely treat games as four, I'm gonna say, quarters, right?
And I think there'll be a team selection for the first part of this.
And given- So to the water break, we, we're basically saying.
Yeah.
I think that'll be the, the message.
But, but even, even not thinking about that particular break, I think he'll start with the team specifically to be solid initially.
If there's one thing we know about Mexico- they start very, very quickly, and they can put teams away in the first half.
So when I think about a Marcus Rashford, right, there's a time for him in this game.
It's not at the start for me.
It's somebody like Anthony Gordon who, who's more diligent, has got a good engine.
He'll come back and, and create that bank of four.
He'll help his fullback out.
He will be a, more of a guy for that initial, I guess, first half.
The right side, again, it Who works harder of those wingers?
He's definitely gonna play Elliott Anderson and Declan Rice as holding players.
It probably will be Bellingham, though he might wanna go with Morgan Rogers initially, for energy.
And then it, back to your point, second half, that's when we're gonna see the game change.
History says that Mexico sometimes tire a little bit in the second half.
Like, like they put so much into the first half.
Then I wanna see Marcus Rashford break- and running in behind on the counterattack.
Then I wanna see other options, and our best winger on the right side will probably be Saka, to attack a slightly more tiled, tired Mexico.
What I would say though, and you talk about that first period i- in, in the first half that, you know, there was talk that when, when England played Ghana, they couldn't break down a low block.
I'm thinking that Thomas Tuchel in this team, at times, might have to go low block- Yeah early in the game- Absolutely to stop Mexico- Their, their initial energy playing with pace- Yeah going along with that energy, and work themselves into the game as, as the game goes on.
Yeah.
So altitude will play a part, but substitute selection will also have a big say.
No doubt one of the biggest games of the round of 16, Portugal versus Spain.
Iberian derby.
Two quality football teams who can, both maybe feel that they've got a chance of, of winning this one.
When I look at Portugal, Rob, they haven't played particularly well.
Crept their way past Croatia last ti- last time out.
And with all those names, with all that quality, I just feel there's a big game in them.
I'm kind of wondering i- if it is against Spain.
Yeah, you're saying it could be a, a shock of the round.
I think it could be.
I think it's gonna be a very tight game, gotta be honest.
I think there's gonna be a zillion passes from both teams.
Yeah.
We know there's stars in, in this match up.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the- player that, you know, the whole thing of substituting him was like, "Oh, how's he gonna react?"
The drama- Yeah from Ronaldo, and he took it pretty well.
He's, he's sort of high-fiving everybody as he came out of the field.
Of course, then they went on a- and, and the, the guy that came on scored a goal.
Scored, yeah.
So it is gonna be tight.
But, let's think about a, a kind of a long shot here in terms of the odds.
So Ronaldo to score, Lamine Yamal to score- but Portugal to go through- To win is plus 1854.
That's, that's So that's, I mean, that would be an amazing game with the, the scorers, the stars scoring the goals and Portugal going and finding their way through.
I just think that Spain are warming up.
Mikel Oyarzabal, somebody that we- Yeah don't talk about too much, but we've tried to talk about him in our, in our show.
he's finding form, and I think Spain go through.
Well, it'll be the, it'll be the last dance for, for Ronaldo either way- Could be if, if he doesn't, if he doesn't get that win.
So yeah, interesting game.
One to look forward to.
I gotta say, one of the games of the round, USA versus Belgium, Rob.
We know there's history there.
We know that Belgium knocked the US out many years ago, tournaments ago.
but the way that the US have played- and also the way that Belgium are looking, again, with some aging stars- Yeah I really fancy USA, with the euphoria, with the fan support, with this, this, the way that they're playing with no stress, no worries, total freedom.
It- What do you think?
Well, is, the only worry would be Balogun missing at the top end of the pitch.
Yeah.
He's out, suspended, got the red card last time out.
So they're gonna have- There's a decision to be made by the coach to find a solution.
There's a decision.
But I think we're at the space where we trust in Poch now, Rob.
Yeah.
And we trust in the, in the football, the maturity.
And to that point, even though U- United States versus Belgium, you'd probably say in terms of just pure football sense, Belgium might have the edge.
For the USA to win, for Christian Pulisic to score, and over 2.5 goals in this game, you can get that for plus 357, Rob- Yeah.
I, I, I- Which is, is a decent bet.
It's a decent bet because I think that's very possible, particularly in the way that both teams play.
They're not, they're never gonna be known for being defensively, defense-first teams.
They've got players that can create and score.
I think we're gonna see goals in the game, yeah Another fascinating game from round 16, Brazil versus Norway.
Two teams I think who've got better as the competition's gone on.
two teams that have s- forwards that can be headline makers.
Vini Jr. started well for Brazil, got four goals.
Erling Haaland has got five for, for Norway, and they've given service for degaard- can and will deliver.
Yeah, these teams both score goals.
There's no question.
They've got creativity, they've got brilliant forwards to do that part of it.
Both of them aren't brilliant defensively.
I think Brazil defend with possession.
They, they possess the ball really, really well.
Norway, I worry about that a little bit more.
But in terms of star players, they've got 'em.
And here's, here's a bet for you.
Erling Haaland to score, Vini Jr. to score, but Norway to go through as +1390.
So it's- it's quite, it's quite the long shot, really- Yeah for that all to happen.
But that's good value.
And you, I do see goals.
I see plenty of talent on the Norway side to upset Brazil that will be going in as favorites.
Yeah.
We know the support is amazing from those Brazilian, fanatics of, of watching the national team and, and they'll be favored.
But I just got a sneaky feeling that Norway are gonna be awkward, and Erling Haaland can run in behind Brazil.
And you said about the matchup with Gabriel is- fascinating, the club and country situation there.
so I think it's gonna be a brilliant game.
Okay, Rob, next one, Switzerland versus Colombia.
again, I, I think it's gonna be a tight game.
Yeah.
I would favor Colombia.
I, I just Given some of the players that they've got, I'm a huge Luis Daz fan.
Of course, the former champion with Liverpool in the Premier League.
Jhon Arias is another player that they've got.
James Rodrguez, of course, we saw at Everton.
Yeah.
Daniel Muoz, the, the Palace right-back.
And when watching Colombia play, there's so much energy about them.
Again, well-supported South American team.
I just think that energy and the pace of those front players is gonna be too much for Switzerland.
And it's a Swiss team that, again, that, that will have, I think, again, have, have been difficult to play against i- in the competition.
Well set up.
We know Granit Xhaka, middle of the park.
The likes of A- Akanji, defensively, we, we know his qualities from, from his time at, at Manchester City.
And there's been a bit of a star rob, for, for Switzerland, Johan Manzambi.
He's been the star guy who's played with all versatility, can play central, can get forwards, got three goals in the competition, plays his football at Freiburg.
And there is already suggestions that Newcastle are talking to him- Yeah and he's been linked to Newcastle, maybe as, as, as a replacement for Tonali, who's looks like he's Spurs bound.
But this is a Switzerland team, Rob, that it's almost like writers off at, at your peril.
Yeah.
although I do quite just fancy Colombia 'cause of their attacking threat, but this will be tight.
Yeah, I think Manzambi is particularly interesting.
Can play all across the front line, even as a central midfield player.
I would say he has to have a huge game for me.
I think S- Switzerland are steady Eddies.
Got Embolo, haven't they, up top- Yeah as well, who, who scored similar goals over, over the tournament.
Someone has got to be outstanding, and I think Manzambi's probably the, the best possibility for them to be outstanding.
