Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp expressed disappointment following the World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa. He referred to the performance of both teams as subpar, criticizing the quality of play on such a significant stage.
Klopp, who previously managed Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, did not hold back in his critique of the match. He stated that the level of football displayed was far below expectations for a World Cup event.
In his opinion, tactical shortcomings were evident throughout the game. Klopp remarked:
“That was just bad tactics! Neither team played well.
When your opponent is down to ten men and you’re playing with nine, and they still catch you on the counterattack—
Why? Because the defense was sitting way too deep. This problem persisted throughout the match.
South Africa didn’t capitalize on it at all. It was a match of very low quality.”
Despite Klopp’s harsh assessment, the match made World Cup history by featuring three red cards, and Mexico managed to secure a victory against Hugo Broos’ South African side.