Almost immediately from the restart, the lifeline that the match had needed was either found in the locker room or in some moment of inspiration on the pitch, I could tell this forty-five minutes would be different.

The most glaring one is that the local club opened their newly rebuilt stadium just in time for the beginning of the season. Beijing Guoan spent the previous three seasons at a temporary ground in the west of the city. And this new stadium, built on the grounds of the old one, was purpose-built for the beautiful game. As anyone would imagine, the buzz around the new ground led to a sellout for the opening match back in April and that sentiment has continued ever since.

It was an intense affair played between two serious teams with compelling arguments for winning the whole thing. Argentina on the downswing after the high of the late 80s. The Netherlands nearing their apex–maybe they could have been champions of at least one tournament in the late 90s if not for the magistery of a Zidane-led France.

Some could argue the spectacle Sunday was merely an elaborate showpiece meant as a passing of the torch. From Lionel Messi to Kylian Mbappe, teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, a French superclub bankrolled by the Qataris. One great to the next. Though, we’d be remiss not to note that Mbappe was already a World Cup winner–having won his first four years ago in Russia.

Thirty-two years later, I find myself unable to get excited about the world’s biggest sporting event. The crown jewel in any four-year sporting cycle. Bigger than March Madness. Bigger than the Olympics. Bigger than the Super Bowl. Bigger than the Champions League Final. But, the context surrounding this edition of the World Cup seems to have seeped into a sporting event meant as a temporary salve for society’s troubles.

What’s the point of fandom if you’re only on board when it’s easy? Liverpool’s rough start to the season certainly engenders some despair, but if we were honest, we saw this coming last season.

Team Melli punches their ticket to Qatar.

When defenders go to ground, they know there are only three outcomes. A foul, the attacker gets by, or they win the ball. In the match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool this past Sunday, the match official got it right.