Rory Smith
Posts
The Premier League Is Back, With Quite an Act to Follow
The Premier League will play on Boxing Day because the Premier League always plays on Boxing Day. But the title race changed over the World...
81 Minutes in, Two Big Goals and One Big Rewrite
The Times’s chief soccer correspondent hoped for a “boring” World Cup final. He didn’t get one.
For Messi, and Argentina, the (Extra) Wait Is Worth It
It looked like another title might have slipped through its fingers, but Argentina, and its star, claimed the ultimate trophy.
How Argentina’s Favorite Song Became the World Cup’s Soundtrack
The song, Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos A Ilusionar, has been a constant refrain in Qatar.
It’s the World Cup Souvenir Everyone Wants. Getting One Is the Hard Part.
A game-worn Lionel Messi jersey is the most coveted collectible in Qatar. Good luck getting hold of the one (or two) he wears in the...
When World Cup Reality Isn’t What It Seems
In Qatar, where the line between the artificial and the authentic has blurred or evaporated, it was the people, as always, who defined the tournament.
The World Cup Has Swapped Suffering for Style
A common language and a common goal have resulted in a homogenizing of the World Cup’s teams, and a rise in parity.
Why Don’t More Underdogs Contend for the World Cup Title?
Roster depth and a punishing schedule are just two of the factors that teams like Morocco and Croatia must overcome.
Keeping the National in National Team Coach
There is nothing in the rules that requires a World Cup team to be managed by someone born, raised or otherwise connected to that country....
Keeping the National in National Team Coach
There is nothing in the rules that requires a World Cup team to be managed by someone born, raised or otherwise connected to that country....