Prem targets, Ronaldo, USA to star in five World Cup games not to miss this week | OneFootball

One takeaway from the World Cup so far: no one on this side of the Atlantic can watch every game. But these five are essential viewing this week…

Unless you possess the stamina of Atlas on ‘roids, you will surely have learned already that it is simply not possible to watch every World Cup game. Especially if you are burdened by jobs, partners or children.

But we all must live with the consequences of our ill-thought-out life choices so, excluding the England and Scotland games you are obviously going to watch, here are five matches to make time for this week that shouldn’t interfere with our otherwise-miserable existences

France v Senegal – Tuesday, 8pm, BBC

Both 2022 finalists get their campaigns underway on Tuesday in the US but for those of us with clocks set to British Summer Time, Argentina versus Algeria at 2am on Wednesday is unlikely to be worth the hassle of facing Wednesday without sleep.

France, though, kick-off their assault on a third star at a far more reasonable hour when they open against Senegal. As they did in 2002, and we can only hope this meeting proves to be as funny as that one.

Might we see a similar upset? Well, no, because these days, it wouldn’t be a huge shock.

In 2026, Senegal are seen by many as Africa’s best hope, which Morocco’s performance against Brazil should put into context. And the chip on their shoulder prompted by the stripping of their AFCON title could make Senegal even more dangerous opponents than they already were.

Portugal v DR Congo – Wednesday 6pm, BBC

Before England finally get their World Cup underway on Wednesday night, warm up with the nation that will inevitably win the bloody thing.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Roberto Martinez’s Portugal presumably arrived in the US comfortable with their standing, outside the group of major favourites but fancied by many to shunt any of the truly big boys out of their way if necessary in pursuit of their best-ever World Cup finish.

That is currently the third place secured in 1966, but Portugal really fancy themselves 60 years on. And a glance through their squad list suggests it is not a confidence without basis.

It has been almost as long since Congo were at the World Cup finals. Then as Zaire, their last appearance was in 1974 – it did not go well. They were unfortunate to lose to Scotland in the opener, after which the squad threatened to go on strike when it emerged officials and hangers on had pissed away the money earmarked for their salaries.

They relented, only to lose 9-0 to Yugoslavia.

Which prompted Zaire’s governing dictatorship to tell the squad that if they were to lose 4-0 to Brazil in their final group game, they would not be able to return home.

That was the game that saw Mwepu Ilunga break from a defensive wall to boot a still-dead ball halfway across Gelsenkirchen. At 2-0 down, perhaps it wasn’t as daft as it looked because the bemused Brazilians only scored once more and the Leopards were allowed to go home, even if they were shunned on arrival.

So while Portugal will seek a serene start to a campaign they intend to make last the maximum number of games, Congo will be motivated to write a new World Cup chapter for their country.

USA v Australia – Friday, 8pm, BBC

Group D was the most evenly-poised pool back when the draw was made in December but either USA or Australia could secure top spot with a game to spare by the time you wake up on Saturday morning.

If USA win and Turkey fail to beat Paraguay shortly after, the hosts will have top spot secured. But if the Aussies triumph before Turkey lose or draw to Paraguay, then the Socceroos will seal first place.

All of which adds another intriguing layer to a match that already caught the eye.

All of us who stayed up to watch USA pummel Paraguay in the early hours of Saturday morning were hugely impressed by Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The ex-Spurs boss seems to have found a formula to get the most out of the hosts, and their ‘run forward, pass forward’ approach – sounds simple, doesn’t it? – was a lot of fun to watch.

Paraguay were poor, though. Against the nation perhaps most underestimated in the group, we need to see how much of USA’s opening-game success was down to their own strengths or their first opponents’ weaknesses before we get too carried away by the hosts.

Netherlands v Sweden – Saturday 6pm, BBC

We enjoyed USA 4-1 Paraguay more than Netherlands 2-2 Japan, which puts us firmly in the minority.

Despite serving up an entertaining conclusion, the Oranje and Japan both underwhelmed somewhat, especially given the pre-tournament hype. Which was not necessarily unjustified, but more was expected of both, especially Japan, who were more willing to sit in and defend deep than we assumed. They took a point, though, so absolutely fair f***s to them for it.

Being pegged back twice, especially late on when a switch to a back five offered little opportunity to go again, leaves Netherlands rueing a missed opportunity.

Sweden did not make the same mistake, admittedly against Tunisia, the weakest team in the group. But five goals scored, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres off the mark, gives the Swedes a confidence and assuredness the Netherlands lacked.

And there is more than a faint whiff of Our League about this all-European meeting, especially in Sweden’s Liverpool and Arsenal-powered attack and Netherland’s mostly-Prem defence.

Germany v Ivory Coast – Sunday, 9pm, ITV

Brazil v Haiti is the one game in the small hours of the weekend that might tempt you into swerving sleep. But eight pints of Tennants with Scotland against Morocco at 11pm on Friday night might render whatever intentions you have have around the 1.30am game as irrelevant.

Instead, make it a Sunday evening double-header, with a possible battle for the top of Group E following Netherlands v Sweden.

Ivory Coast will offer a much better gauge of Germany’s level than their opener against Curacao. And if that doesn’t get your cheeks on the sofa, then Yan Diomande should.

You might not have seen the Liverpool target make Pierro Hincapie’s head spin in the early hours of Monday morning when Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0. Manchester United’s Amad Diallo got the all-important late winner but Diomande was the star of the show.

The Ivory Coast right and Germany left may be where the game is won and lost, with Diomande joined by Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown among those in the World Cup shop window.