Hello and welcome to another edition of Offside. The term “shot heard round the world” was popularized by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his poem Concord Hymn, whose first stanza was: “For the rude bridge that arched the flood/His banner to the April breeze unfurled/Here once the assailed farmers stood/And fired the shot heard around the world.“The reference is to the opening volley at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, which sparked the American Revolutionary War and laid the foundations of the modern American state. Now, more than 250 years later, three days before America’s big celebration, another shot was heard around the world, fired by an Englishman who, in his own way, very much embodies American exceptionalism.England were struggling against DR Congo, who were looking for a route to one of the famous shocks of the World Cup after beating a hapless Jordan Pickford at his near post. England have not won a knockout match after going behind since 1966, when they bowed out in West Germany before lifting their only World Cup. But England has never had a striker like him Harry Kane.His first goal came after Declan Rice moved to right-back, an area where England looked vulnerable after Thomas Tuchel decided to leave the most creative right-back in the world in Trent Alexander-Arnold. Rice passed to substitute Anthony Gordon, who floated the ball for Kane to head home with enough power to beat a keeper who had looked impenetrable until then. But it was the second goal that changed everything. Kane received the ball again from Gordon, took a first touch to get past the defenders and hit a shot with such power that no keeper in the world could save it. There is a joke from the philosophy of Don Tzu who says that if you don’t know what you’re doing, neither will your enemy. Kane didn’t even look up as he threw the blow that was felt everywhere.
Now, on the balance of the evidence, it could not be back at home, even if Harry Kane in the ranks, you never know, because this was a goal of England that will be remembered and revisited forever, like the celebration of the dentist of Paul Gascoigne, the free-kick of Beckham against Greece or dribbling similar to Maradona of Michael Owen through the entire Argentinian team. As the DR Congo coach said, it took the best striker in the world to beat them.Next are the co-hosts of Mexico in their holy land: the Aztecs.Meanwhile, the last vestiges of Belgium’s Golden Generation staged the craziest comeback of the tournament so far, coming back from 2-0 down, before scoring the last goal in World Cup extra-time history in the 125th minute from a penalty that will be discussed ad nauseam. Belgium was the better team for 85 minutes, had better chances and will wonder if the football gods have condemned to be sacrificed at the altar of dodgy penalties, like the AFCON final.And finally, the United States survived a red card to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0. It was nervy at 1-0, but Tillman scored with a stunning free-kick to make things safe for the US. Was it a red card? It was one of those days when VAR did not cover itself in glory, with many people looking at three big decisions.
What VAR?
VAR has robbed football of its happiest moment: the release of retaken energy after a player has scored a goal. Now, after a player scores, he waits to see what a guy in a room full of cameras thinks before he starts celebrating. So when VAR gets it wrong, it’s doubly annoying. And yesterday, there were three flagrant incidents.Earlier, Harry Kane was denied a stonewall penalty, with the referee waving it off. What was glaring was that the referee didn’t even decide to send it for review, with ESPN’s VAR review saying it was a deserved penalty. Second, Belgium received a penalty in the 125th minute, and it seemed to everyone that the first contact was outside the box.And finally, Balogun’s red card also looked strange. The referee did not give a red during the live game and then decided to check a tackle that was accidental or reckless, even if it is not violent or malicious. The slow-motion replay made it look worse, but it was the FIFA bureaucracy that decided his fate because it dictates that a player cannot receive a yellow card once a foul has gone to VAR and the on-field referee has reviewed it. Madness? It certainly feels that way.
Action of the day: Spain vs Austria
July 3, 12:30 PM ISTSpain are the reigning European champions, they have the most talented teenager in Lamine Yamal and a team that can probably pass the ball in their sleep, with their eyes closed, while catching up on the morning paper or any other permutation or combination. Austria, on the other hand, is a drilled and disciplined team led by Ralf Rangnick.
Watch WarriorFor Spain, the obvious answer is the man who plays as if he is possessed by the ghost of Johan Cruyff and baptized by San Messi. For Austria, it is his organizer David Alaba, who will try to keep his team from panicking when Spain moves the ball.Battle planFor Spain, it’s simple: keep the ball, stretch Austria and let Yamal do his thing. But the trap is also simple: don’t go for ball-walking tactics where every pass looks good, every triangle is applauded by coaching nerds, and Austria always has enough time to put eight bodies between the ball and the goal. Spain will have to move Austria from side to side quickly enough for gaps to really open up, then attack those gaps before Rangnick’s red shirts reset the furniture. The key is Pedri and Fabián Ruiz. If they dictate the pace, Spain can turn the match into an exercise in positional torture: a switch to the right, an overload, a Yamal isolation, and suddenly the Austrian defender is defending a teenager with the whole Internet watching. Austria has to stop that first pass at midfield. Sabitzer and Laimer need to get close enough to make Pedri play backwards and force Fabián Ruiz to receive under pressure, because once Spain’s midfield is facing forward, the press is already half dead.The best chance for Austria is to make control of Spain uncomfortable. Press the first build-up, trap the ball wide, fail first if Yamal turns, and make Spain play at a speed they don’t choose. They can’t just retire and admire the geometry, because Spain will eventually find the only passage that makes the whole block look like IKEA furniture after a missing screw. The party is basically this: Spain needs possession with teeth. Austria needs pressure with timing. If Spain picks up the pace, Yamal becomes the show. If Austria breaks that rhythm, Spain can become a very elegant team looking for a door that refuses to open.Dinner Table LineYamal is God’s gift to football, but Rangnick’s system could be the Antichrist that stops the Chosen in his tracks.
Action of the day: Portugal vs Croatia
July 3, 4:30 am ISTThis is a battle of veteran legends of Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić. One is 41, the other is 40, although the real battle will be in the midfield, while one will wonder if Roberto Martínez will do the obvious thing and leave Ronaldo. After him, Portugal has some of the greatest creators of football in Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. Ronaldo may be one of the greatest to ever play the game, but he’s become a slow-aging albatross around the neck of a talented team because no one wants to tell the emperor he can’t hack anymore.Watch Warrior
Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes (8) plays the ball during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Colombia and Portugal in Miami Gardens, Florida, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Bruno Fernandes is one of the few players in the world untouched by the conformity of football, and he can create something out of nothing, but the men in front of him have to be better. For Croatia, it will be a question of whether they can remove another rabbit from the perpetual motion machine called Luka Modrić.Battle planPortugal do not want Croatia to control the center of the park and need Vitinha and João Neves to play in the middle of the midfield. Rafael Leão and Bernardo Silva will look to force Croatia’s defenders back and give Bruno Fernandes the ball between the lines. The problem, as usual, is the Ronaldo rate: if every attack becomes a cross aimed at Cristiano Ronaldo, Croatia will accept that all night because Joško Gvardiol and the central defenders can defend the box much more comfortably than they can defend the runners who arrive late.Conversation at the dinner tableTalking point: Portugal have more firepower, but Croatia are the masters of dark magic in the FIFA knockout rounds.
Action of the day: Switzerland vs Algeria
July 3, 8:30 am ISTThe fascinating thing about it is that it is the Vladimir Petković Derby. Algeria manager Petković coached Switzerland from 2014 to 2021 and knows the players he will face.Watch WarriorGranit Xhaka remains Switzerland’s main man, while former Man City winger Riyad Mahrez will look to provide the magic dust.Battle planSwitzerland will try to make this a sermon Xhaka where Riyad Mahrez did not say. Algeria have already shown a weakness against long-range shots, so the Swiss plan should be brutally obvious: park bodies around the D, recycle the ball through Xhaka and Freuler, and keep asking the Algeria keeper annoying questions from 20 yards.The Algerian plan must be disturbed. Petković knows Switzerland too well to pretend there is a secret trap under their midfield. The path is simpler: stop the first step in Xhaka, crowd the center, force Akanji and the Swiss defenders to distribute in a hurry, then quickly break through Mahrez, Ibrahim Maza, Amoura and Gouiri. Switzerland as order. Algeria needs to make the game as if someone has changed all the traffic lights at once.The key flank is Algeria’s right versus Switzerland’s left. If Mahrez keeps getting one-on-one moments, the Swiss will start to age in dog years.Conversation at the dinner tableAlgeria wants history. Switzerland wants routine. Reality would beg to differ with one of them.