You can’t defend the indefensible

What will they be making of this World Cup in Italy?

Of all the tournaments to miss, it had to be the one without a decent defence in it.

Forget being bitten by Luis Suarez, this will be real football anguish for the great Giorgio Chiellini.

There has hardly been a game in which any sort of faith could be placed on centre-backs getting their head to the ball when a corner or free-kick comes into the box.

Time and time again runners aren’t tracked, second balls are picked up by attackers and the dead-ball goals keep coming. They have all been at it – from the hot favourites Brazil, down.

If there was one goal that summed up the defensive ineptitude in Russia it was Portugal’s early winner yesterday afternoon.

Five minutes into the game, presumably with their manager’s tactical instructions ringing in their ears, the best header of a ball in world football today – some would say, ever – was granted the freedom of Moscow to stoop – yes, stoop – and bury a corner kick!

Eleven per cent of all goals in Brazil four years ago came from corners. That was considered high at the time. Expect the bar to be raised considerably higher.

The team that succeeds in bucking the trend could be the team that ends up winning the whole thing.