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The Best Chromebooks Are Doing Their Best to Course Correct<div><p class="paywall">I was delighted to see that the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 didn’t skimp on a crappy touchpad. That goes a long way toward improving the experiencing of actually using the laptop on a moment-by-moment basis. I wasn’t annoyed every time I had to click-and-drag or select a bit of text. This one’s biggest weakness is definitely the screen, which is true of just about every cheap Chromebook I’ve tested. The colors are ugly and desaturated, giving the whole thing a sickly green tint. It’s also not the sharpest in the world, as it’s stretching 1920 x 1200 pixels across a large, 16-inch screen. But in terms of usability and performance, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 is a great value, combining an Intel Core i3 processor with 8 GB of RAM and a 128 GB of storage. For a Chromebook that’s often on sale for $350, it’s a steal.</p><p class="paywall">While we’re here, let’s go even cheaper, shall we? Asus has two dirt-cheap Chromebooks that I tested last year that I was mildly impressed by. The <a href="https://www.wired.com/review/asus-chromebook-cx14/" target="_blank" class="text link">Asus Chromebook CX14</a> and CX15. Notice in the name that these are not “Chromebook Plus” models, meaning they can be configured with less RAM and storage, and even use lower-powered processors. That’s exactly what you get on the cheaper configurations of the CX14 and CX15, which is how you sometimes get prices down to as low as $130. I definitely recommend the version with 8 GB of RAM, but regardless of which you choose, the both the CX14 and larger CX15 are mildly attractive laptops. You’d know that’s a big compliment if you’ve seen just how ugly Chromebooks of this price have been in the past.</p><p class="paywall">With these, though, I appreciate the relatively thin bezels and chassis thickness, as well as the larger touchpad and comfortable keyboard. The CX15 even comes in a striking blue color. The touchpad isn’t great, nor is the display. Like the Acer Chromebook Plus 516, it suffers from poor color reproduction and only goes up to 250 nits of brightness. It only has a 720p webcam too, which makes video calls a bit rough. But that’s going to be true of nearly all the competition (and there isn’t much).</p><p class="paywall">Of the two models, I definitely prefer the CX14 though, as it doesn’t have a numberpad and off-center touchpad, which I’ve always found to be awkward to use. Look—no one’s going to <em>love</em> using a computer that costs the less than $200, but if it’s what you can afford, the Asus Chromebook CX14 will at least get you by without too much frustration.</p><p class="paywall">Whatever you do, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/bad-amazon-laptops/" class="text link">don’t just head over to Amazon</a> and buy whatever ancient Chromebook is selling for $100 for your kid. It’s worth the extra cash to get something with better battery life, a more modern look, and decent performance.</p><p><h2 class="paywall">Other Good Chromebooks We’ve Tested</h2></p><p class="paywall">We’ve tested dozens and dozens of Chromebooks over the past years, having reviewed every major release across the spectrum of price. Unlike Macs and Windows laptops, Chromebooks tends to stick around a bit longer though, and aren’t refreshed as often. I stand by my picks above, but here are a few standouts from our testing that are still worth buying for the right person.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-iJvQnD cOWUYC asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContainer-fnduJP iaVSwI asset-embed__asset-container"><span class="SpanWrapper-kFnjvc eKnjjD responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-gaAbQ hXaxHA asset-embed__responsive-asset"><picture class="ResponsiveImagePicture-jKunQM gjCCFj AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-gaAbQ hXaxHA asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image"><img alt="Image may contain Computer Electronics Laptop Pc Computer Hardware Computer Keyboard and Hardware" loading="lazy" class="ResponsiveImageContainer-dkeESL cQPiWi responsive-image__image" srcset="https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_120,c_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png 120w, https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_240,c_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png 240w, https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_320,c_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png 320w, https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_640,c_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png 640w, https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_960,c_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png 960w, https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_1280,c_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png 1280w, https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_1600,c_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png 1600w" sizes="100vw" src="https://media.wired.com/photos/6849bbb0ec6c1ab24bbd68b2/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/Acer-Chromebook-Plus-Spin-714-Front-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.png"/></picture></span></div><p><span class="BaseText-fEwdHD CaptionCredit-cUgOGk iQbGEh hRFzlA caption__credit">Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster</span></p></figure></div>#Chromebooks #Correctchromebooks,laptops,buying guides,google
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By breakfast, the World Cup semifinal had already begun. Hotel lobbies, elevators and street corners around downtown had become meeting points for two of football’s most passionate travelling nations. Argentinians, draped in sky blue and white, cradled their morning mate long before the first beer found its way into their hands. England supporters, wrapped in the white of the Three Lions, preferred to begin the day at the nearest pub, where breakfast arrived mostly in liquid form.
They exchanged smiles, songs and the occasional jab, but beneath the banter was the unmistakable tension that only England against Argentina can summon. This was never just another World Cup semifinal. It was a rivalry that had travelled from Antonio Rattín to Diego Maradona, from David Beckham to Lionel Messi, and was now in Atlanta for the latest battle.
Match Report –Argentina beats England to reach final
Argentina appeared to understand the emotional assignment from the opening whistle. There was an extra spring in every stride and greater force in every collision. Its players clattered into challenges, chased lost causes and celebrated tackles.
More than four decades have passed since the Falklands War, but in Argentina, the islands remain Las Malvinas, part of a national wound that has never completely healed. The 1982 conflict lasted from April 2 to June 14 and ended with Argentina’s surrender. Six hundred and forty-nine Argentine servicemen, 255 British personnel and three civilians were killed.
The dispute has endured across politics, public memory and football. For many Argentinians, an encounter with England cannot be separated entirely from the young men who left for the South Atlantic and never returned.
Maradona understood that instinctively. Four years after the war, he scored twice against England at the Azteca, first with the Hand of God and then with perhaps the greatest goal the World Cup has ever witnessed. Maradona would later describe the victory as revenge. For Argentina, those four minutes in 1986 are more than sporting history. They became part of the country’s mythology.
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Maradona’s image has appeared across stadiums in the United States, along with those of Messi, the heir who eventually delivered the trophy Diego had once lifted. His name has been sung from Dallas to Atlanta, invoked not as a distant memory but as a continuing presence.
After Argentina’s dramatic victory over Egypt in the round of 16, the players sang and danced in their dressing room to La Cuarta Estrella (The Fourth Star), the anthem that has followed the team through its title defence.
“I’m Argentine from the cradle to the grave,
For Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last one,
Argentina, I want to see you become champions again.”
The words place the Malvinas, Maradona and Messi within the same national story, where sacrifice, memory and football are intertwined.
On Wednesday, Argentina played as though it all still mattered.
And when the victory was finally secured, there was a connection between the past and present. Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolas Otamendi unfurled a banner reading: “ Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, or “The Malvinas (Falkland Islands) are Argentine.”
It was neither an incidental gesture nor an improvised celebration. It was a message delivered after England was defeated again.
Long after the final whistle, Argentina’s players and supporters remained united in celebration. The team stood facing the sky-blue-and-white end, singing and dancing with those who had followed it across cities, time zones and thousands of miles. Players drifted towards the tunnel only to return, lured back by another chorus from the stands.
For Argentina, England has never been just another opponent. Forty-four years after the Falklands War and four decades after Maradona transformed this rivalry forever, another generation had carried that history into another World Cup final.
Published on Jul 16, 2026
By breakfast, the World Cup semifinal had already begun. Hotel lobbies, elevators and street corners around downtown had become meeting points for two of football’s most passionate travelling nations. Argentinians, draped in sky blue and white, cradled their morning mate long before the first beer found its way into their hands. England supporters, wrapped in the white of the Three Lions, preferred to begin the day at the nearest pub, where breakfast arrived mostly in liquid form.
They exchanged smiles, songs and the occasional jab, but beneath the banter was the unmistakable tension that only England against Argentina can summon. This was never just another World Cup semifinal. It was a rivalry that had travelled from Antonio Rattín to Diego Maradona, from David Beckham to Lionel Messi, and was now in Atlanta for the latest battle.
Match Report –Argentina beats England to reach final
Argentina appeared to understand the emotional assignment from the opening whistle. There was an extra spring in every stride and greater force in every collision. Its players clattered into challenges, chased lost causes and celebrated tackles.
More than four decades have passed since the Falklands War, but in Argentina, the islands remain Las Malvinas, part of a national wound that has never completely healed. The 1982 conflict lasted from April 2 to June 14 and ended with Argentina’s surrender. Six hundred and forty-nine Argentine servicemen, 255 British personnel and three civilians were killed.
The dispute has endured across politics, public memory and football. For many Argentinians, an encounter with England cannot be separated entirely from the young men who left for the South Atlantic and never returned.
Maradona understood that instinctively. Four years after the war, he scored twice against England at the Azteca, first with the Hand of God and then with perhaps the greatest goal the World Cup has ever witnessed. Maradona would later describe the victory as revenge. For Argentina, those four minutes in 1986 are more than sporting history. They became part of the country’s mythology.
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Maradona’s image has appeared across stadiums in the United States, along with those of Messi, the heir who eventually delivered the trophy Diego had once lifted. His name has been sung from Dallas to Atlanta, invoked not as a distant memory but as a continuing presence.
After Argentina’s dramatic victory over Egypt in the round of 16, the players sang and danced in their dressing room to La Cuarta Estrella (The Fourth Star), the anthem that has followed the team through its title defence.
“I’m Argentine from the cradle to the grave,
For Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last one,
Argentina, I want to see you become champions again.”
The words place the Malvinas, Maradona and Messi within the same national story, where sacrifice, memory and football are intertwined.
On Wednesday, Argentina played as though it all still mattered.
And when the victory was finally secured, there was a connection between the past and present. Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolas Otamendi unfurled a banner reading: “ Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, or “The Malvinas (Falkland Islands) are Argentine.”
It was neither an incidental gesture nor an improvised celebration. It was a message delivered after England was defeated again.
Long after the final whistle, Argentina’s players and supporters remained united in celebration. The team stood facing the sky-blue-and-white end, singing and dancing with those who had followed it across cities, time zones and thousands of miles. Players drifted towards the tunnel only to return, lured back by another chorus from the stands.
For Argentina, England has never been just another opponent. Forty-four years after the Falklands War and four decades after Maradona transformed this rivalry forever, another generation had carried that history into another World Cup final.
Published on Jul 16, 2026
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
By breakfast, the World Cup semifinal had already begun. Hotel lobbies, elevators and street corners around downtown had become meeting points for two of football’s most passionate travelling nations. Argentinians, draped in sky blue and white, cradled their morning mate long before the first beer found its way into their hands. England supporters, wrapped in the white of the Three Lions, preferred to begin the day at the nearest pub, where breakfast arrived mostly in liquid form.
They exchanged smiles, songs and the occasional jab, but beneath the banter was the unmistakable tension that only England against Argentina can summon. This was never just another World Cup semifinal. It was a rivalry that had travelled from Antonio Rattín to Diego Maradona, from David Beckham to Lionel Messi, and was now in Atlanta for the latest battle.
Match Report –Argentina beats England to reach final
Argentina appeared to understand the emotional assignment from the opening whistle. There was an extra spring in every stride and greater force in every collision. Its players clattered into challenges, chased lost causes and celebrated tackles.
More than four decades have passed since the Falklands War, but in Argentina, the islands remain Las Malvinas, part of a national wound that has never completely healed. The 1982 conflict lasted from April 2 to June 14 and ended with Argentina’s surrender. Six hundred and forty-nine Argentine servicemen, 255 British personnel and three civilians were killed.
The dispute has endured across politics, public memory and football. For many Argentinians, an encounter with England cannot be separated entirely from the young men who left for the South Atlantic and never returned.
Maradona understood that instinctively. Four years after the war, he scored twice against England at the Azteca, first with the Hand of God and then with perhaps the greatest goal the World Cup has ever witnessed. Maradona would later describe the victory as revenge. For Argentina, those four minutes in 1986 are more than sporting history. They became part of the country’s mythology.
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Maradona gave Argentina one of football’s defining moments. Messi ensured the story would continue, not as a replay but as another chapter. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Maradona’s image has appeared across stadiums in the United States, along with those of Messi, the heir who eventually delivered the trophy Diego had once lifted. His name has been sung from Dallas to Atlanta, invoked not as a distant memory but as a continuing presence.
After Argentina’s dramatic victory over Egypt in the round of 16, the players sang and danced in their dressing room to La Cuarta Estrella (The Fourth Star), the anthem that has followed the team through its title defence.
“I’m Argentine from the cradle to the grave,
For Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last one,
Argentina, I want to see you become champions again.”
The words place the Malvinas, Maradona and Messi within the same national story, where sacrifice, memory and football are intertwined.
On Wednesday, Argentina played as though it all still mattered.
And when the victory was finally secured, there was a connection between the past and present. Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolas Otamendi unfurled a banner reading: “ Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, or “The Malvinas (Falkland Islands) are Argentine.”
It was neither an incidental gesture nor an improvised celebration. It was a message delivered after England was defeated again.
Long after the final whistle, Argentina’s players and supporters remained united in celebration. The team stood facing the sky-blue-and-white end, singing and dancing with those who had followed it across cities, time zones and thousands of miles. Players drifted towards the tunnel only to return, lured back by another chorus from the stands.
For Argentina, England has never been just another opponent. Forty-four years after the Falklands War and four decades after Maradona transformed this rivalry forever, another generation had carried that history into another World Cup final.
Published on Jul 16, 2026
Mar 21, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) reacts after a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye fractured his left foot during a workout on July 8, the team announced Wednesday.
Gueye, 23, underwent surgery Tuesday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex in Atlanta to repair the fracture. He will be re-evaluated in three to four months, according to the Hawks, who start the preseason on Oct. 5 against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
Gueye played a career-high 77 games last regular season (eight starts) and averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. He averaged 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 8.3 minutes as a reserve in six playoff games last season.
For his career, Gueye averages 4.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 15.4 minutes over 116 games (36 starts) since his rookie season of 2023-24.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Gueye in the second round (39th overall) of the 2023 NBA Draft out of Washington State. Six days later, he was part of a three-team trade involving the Boston Celtics that landed him in Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Hawks #Mouhamed #Gueye #breaks #foot #workout">Deadspin | Hawks F Mouhamed Gueye breaks foot during workout Mar 21, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) reacts after a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
#Deadspin #Hawks #Mouhamed #Gueye #breaks #foot #workout
Mar 21, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) reacts after a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye fractured his left foot during a workout on July 8, the team announced Wednesday.
Gueye, 23, underwent surgery Tuesday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex in Atlanta to repair the fracture. He will be re-evaluated in three to four months, according to the Hawks, who start the preseason on Oct. 5 against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
Gueye played a career-high 77 games last regular season (eight starts) and averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. He averaged 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 8.3 minutes as a reserve in six playoff games last season.
For his career, Gueye averages 4.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 15.4 minutes over 116 games (36 starts) since his rookie season of 2023-24.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Gueye in the second round (39th overall) of the 2023 NBA Draft out of Washington State. Six days later, he was part of a three-team trade involving the Boston Celtics that landed him in Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in last days, and the main event for the entire month-plus of action is about to begin. The final between Spain and Argentina is set to take place on Sunday afternoon, with hundreds of millions of eyeballs glued to TV screens as we crown another champion of the world.
There’s no shortage of drama or emotion when it comes to Spain and Argentina. We have what is likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, while Spain is looking to anoint Lamine Yamal as the next Messi for both Barcelona, and the national team. Let’s dive into what we think will happen in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Mark Schofield: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been dominated by superstars. Erling Haaland became a household name here in the United States thanks to a captivating blend of personality and skill. Kylian Mbappé continued his run at the record books with a dazzling string of performances. Jude Bellingham vaulted England deep into the knockout rounds with a legendary stretch of play. Lionel Messi is, well, Lionel Messi.
But through it all, even though Spain has a few premier talents on their roster, what makes La Roja dangerous is they look like the best team.
This is a side that yes, has Lamine Yamal but it is Mikel Oyarzabal leading the way in the goal chase, as the Real Sociedad forward who leads Spain in goals. Their buildup play has been masterful — a staple of Spanish teams year-after-year — but they have found the quality in the final third that was perhaps most evident on their second goal against France, this beauty off the foot of Pedro Porro following a lovely touch from Dani Olmo:
This is also a side that still has yet to concede a goal at the World Cup.
Now I know, Messi and Argentina look inevitable. The comeback against Egypt. The comeback against England. It feels like they are marching to yet another title, even if they have yet to play a perfect 90 minutes. If they do against Spain, they will be tough to beat.
But … consider Luis de la Fuente. The Spanish manager has just two losses during his tenure in charge. One was a loss to Portugal, on penalties, in the UEFA Nations League.
The other was a loss to Colombia in a friendly.
James Dator: There’s always a degree of emotion that comes into play when picking a game like this, but I have to put aside the romanticism of Argentina and just focus on what makes logical sense — which is the reality that Spain has been playing this tournament on an entirely other level.
If you went back in time to mid-June and said “Lamine Yamal won’t be that impactful in the World Cup” the consensus would widely be that Spain would get eliminated in either the Round of 16 or the quarter-finals. Instead, we’ve witnessed La Roja play a peerless game that has befuddled everyone they’ve played against thus far.
Look no further than what happened to France in the semi-finals. That was a team dripping with unbelievable scoring talent, and they were befuddled against the Spanish defense. I don’t buy that this was some mammoth collapse by France, as much as Spain had built an impenetrable wall that never lost its shape. Some of the best footballers in the world tried everything to generate chances, yet only managed to get four shots on target. If that’s all you can get with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé, well, I don’t like the chances of anyone else.
Even with Lamal not making an impact, the ever-present counterattack threat of Lamal going off freezes teams from taking risks. This plays directly into Spain’s strategy, and they will choke you out with the long game. It gives me pause whether Argentina can push the pace through their wing play and get the soft opportunities in the box that they were given late in the game against England. This is an entirely different beast to face, and I think Spain can run them out of the park.
#World #Cup #Final #instant #prediction #Spain #Argentina">World Cup Final instant prediction for Spain vs. Argentina #World #Cup #Final #instant #prediction #Spain #Argentina
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in last days, and the main event for the entire month-plus of action is about to begin. The final between Spain and Argentina is set to take place on Sunday afternoon, with hundreds of millions of eyeballs glued to TV screens as we crown another champion of the world.
There’s no shortage of drama or emotion when it comes to Spain and Argentina. We have what is likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, while Spain is looking to anoint Lamine Yamal as the next Messi for both Barcelona, and the national team. Let’s dive into what we think will happen in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Mark Schofield: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been dominated by superstars. Erling Haaland became a household name here in the United States thanks to a captivating blend of personality and skill. Kylian Mbappé continued his run at the record books with a dazzling string of performances. Jude Bellingham vaulted England deep into the knockout rounds with a legendary stretch of play. Lionel Messi is, well, Lionel Messi.
But through it all, even though Spain has a few premier talents on their roster, what makes La Roja dangerous is they look like the best team.
This is a side that yes, has Lamine Yamal but it is Mikel Oyarzabal leading the way in the goal chase, as the Real Sociedad forward who leads Spain in goals. Their buildup play has been masterful — a staple of Spanish teams year-after-year — but they have found the quality in the final third that was perhaps most evident on their second goal against France, this beauty off the foot of Pedro Porro following a lovely touch from Dani Olmo:
This is also a side that still has yet to concede a goal at the World Cup.
Now I know, Messi and Argentina look inevitable. The comeback against Egypt. The comeback against England. It feels like they are marching to yet another title, even if they have yet to play a perfect 90 minutes. If they do against Spain, they will be tough to beat.
But … consider Luis de la Fuente. The Spanish manager has just two losses during his tenure in charge. One was a loss to Portugal, on penalties, in the UEFA Nations League.
The other was a loss to Colombia in a friendly.
James Dator: There’s always a degree of emotion that comes into play when picking a game like this, but I have to put aside the romanticism of Argentina and just focus on what makes logical sense — which is the reality that Spain has been playing this tournament on an entirely other level.
If you went back in time to mid-June and said “Lamine Yamal won’t be that impactful in the World Cup” the consensus would widely be that Spain would get eliminated in either the Round of 16 or the quarter-finals. Instead, we’ve witnessed La Roja play a peerless game that has befuddled everyone they’ve played against thus far.
Look no further than what happened to France in the semi-finals. That was a team dripping with unbelievable scoring talent, and they were befuddled against the Spanish defense. I don’t buy that this was some mammoth collapse by France, as much as Spain had built an impenetrable wall that never lost its shape. Some of the best footballers in the world tried everything to generate chances, yet only managed to get four shots on target. If that’s all you can get with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé, well, I don’t like the chances of anyone else.
Even with Lamal not making an impact, the ever-present counterattack threat of Lamal going off freezes teams from taking risks. This plays directly into Spain’s strategy, and they will choke you out with the long game. It gives me pause whether Argentina can push the pace through their wing play and get the soft opportunities in the box that they were given late in the game against England. This is an entirely different beast to face, and I think Spain can run them out of the park.
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