Welcome back to the 90 Minute Breakdown! It’s been a while since we last met, and we’ve got a lot to cover.
Games
This week was all about the international break, as players left their club teams to represent their countries. In North America, the CONCACAF Nations League took center stage. Panama stunned the United States in the semifinal with a strike in the fourth minute of second-half injury time from Cecilio Waterman. The whole Panamanian squad celebrated on the sidelines — right next to an unsuspecting Thierry Henry. Easily the coolest moment of the tournament. In the final, Panama faced Mexico and fell 2–1 after a class performance from Raúl Jiménez and the rest of the Mexican squad.
In South America, the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers were, as always, fiery. Argentina beat Uruguay 1–0 with a stunning goal from youngster Thiago Almada, taking them to the top of the table. Brazil beat Colombia thanks to a stoppage-time goal by Vinícius Júnior, and they now sit third behind Ecuador, who defeated Venezuela 2–1. As per usual, South America’s qualifiers are proving to be the toughest in the world.
Over in Europe, Spain knocked out the Netherlands to reach the Nations League after a wild penalty shootout, with a 5–5 aggregate score. They’ll face France in the semis after Les Bleus beat Croatia. The other semifinal will see Portugal go up against Germany. Portugal sealed their spot after a thrilling win over Denmark, where Francisco Trincão emerged as the starboy.
Quick flashback to England, where I missed covering one of the biggest domestic tournaments last week: the Carabao Cup final. Newcastle, who hadn’t lifted a trophy in 70 years, beat Liverpool in a historic win to take the title.
In La Liga, Barcelona pulled off one of the season’s best comebacks against Atlético Madrid.
Atleti started strong with goals from Julián Álvarez (45’) and Sorloth (70’). But Lewandowski pulled one back in the 72nd minute, followed by a Ferran Torres header in the 78th. When it seemed like the match would end in a draw, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal scored a beauty from outside the box in the 92nd minute. Torres then sealed the 4–2 “remontada” with a second goal in the 98th.
And in a historic moment, Real Madrid’s women’s team beat Barcelona’s women for the first time in club history, 3–1.
Opinion
This international break highlighted a growing tension between players and media figures. Dutch legend-turned-pundit Rafael van der Vaart’s uncalled-for criticism of Lamine Yamal before Spain’s match against the Netherlands is one example. “I see things that are starting to bother me a little,” he said. “Pants a little lower, not making much of an effort, superficial gestures … at that age, you have to prove it every minute and in every game.”
Yamal’s response? A goal in the second leg, followed by a cheeky celebration mimicking the exact behavior Van der Vaart criticized. He stood nonchalantly next to Nico Williams, pants slightly lower.
He then posted photos on Instagram with the caption, translated to English, “pants down, goal scored, missed penalty, and in the semifinals … vamos, Spain.”
Here’s the thing: Let the players be. Media’s job should be to share the magic of the sport — not tear down young talents. Critiques like Van der Vaart’s aren’t insightful, helpful or necessary. Lamine Yamal is 17 years old, already considered one of the best in the world and clearly knows how to respond on the pitch. Let him play.
