It was hard to watch the Czech Republic playing South Korea in Guadalajara without bitterness. In some luckier parallel universe, Ireland were playing in that game. Instead, we were watching the Czechs put on a first-half performance that was possibly even worse than their first 25 minutes in Prague.At half-time, the Czechs seemed to realise that their huge superiority in height gave them a significant advantage at set-pieces and subjected Korea to an aerial barrage. Ladislav Krejči scored with a powerful near-post charge and header that was painfully reminiscent of his late equaliser in Prague. In the parallel universe, it was Jake O’Brien scoring that goal.After Hwang In-beom turned the Czech defence and chipped the equaliser, Korea took off Son Heung-min and his replacement, Oh Hyeon-gyu, promptly scored the winner with a simple finish from a low cross. Really, how did we lose to these guys?Those empty seats, they wouldn’t have been there either. The presence of a few tricolours dotted around the arena made you wonder how many of the empties belonged to Irish fans who took a leap of faith before the playoffs, then found no takers for the now-unwanted tickets.The more you see of Group A, the more attractive the parallel universe becomes compared to this one. Whatever about Ireland beating Mexico at the Azteca, they would surely have beaten South Africa in Atlanta. It would be a surprise if a team turned up at this World Cup looking more poorly prepared.Not that Hugo Broos, South Africa’s 74-year old Belgian coach, was much in the mood for taking responsibility. “It’s just a question that this level is much higher than ... whatever level, you’re playing World Cup, you play against a good team. But I also have to tell you we played a good game ... the organisation was perfect defensively.” A good game? South Africa’s goalkeeper Ronwen Williams repeatedly rolled the ball to the edge of his own box where his defenders could not deal with the instant pressure from Mexican attackers, a crazy tactic that gave Mexico their early opening goal and nearly cost them a second. Goalkeepers do not take such risks unless the coach is telling them to do it.South Africa head coach Hugo Broos issues instructions to his players during Thursday's World Cup Group A defeat to Mexico at Azteca Stadium, Mexico City. Photograph: Yuri Cortez/ AFP via Getty Images At other times, South Africa played a high line without putting any pressure on the ball carrier, a basic mistake that led directly to Sphephelo Sithole’s sending-off. Again, this is directed by the coach. He can point to the difference in “level”, but if he doesn’t think his players have the quality to execute these kinds of tactics then you should not be asking them to do it.Rather than admit errors, Broos took credit for a surprise five-man defensive set-up that meant Mexico often struggled to “find the free man”. It’s fascinating to watch someone happily living in a parallel universe right there in front of you.In the aftermath of Thursday’s abject defeat, a clip from 2024 resurfaced of Broos discussing the level of South African football with a studio panel on SuperSport. He dismissed the host’s suggestion that the domestic league (PSL) was at a decent level.“Again, I will repeat it as much as you want. The PSL level has to increase. I’m very sorry. And not physically or whatever, but we talked about tactical discipline, organisation. I go to PSL games and I wonder, how are they playing now? There is no tactical discipline. Players are running everywhere. You can’t do that on international level. So you need the tactical discipline, you need a plan. And for me, my own opinion is, we don’t have to play any more like South Africans if you want to achieve something on a national level.”[ ‘Mexico never leaves your heart’: football-mad expats gather in Dublin as World Cup kicks offOpens in new window ]“How should South Africans play?” one of his fellow pundits asked.“Many people in Ivory Coast came to me ... and they said – you don’t play like South Africa usually play, and this is true. South African football is combinations and technical things. Yeah, but international football is so much more.”Combinations and technical things. Like you would ever catch Argentina, say, engaging in that sort of nonsense. This sounded like remarkable condescension from the guy who would go on to roll out one of the worst game plans of the 2026 World Cup.Bastian Schweinsteiger embodied Germany's mentality when they won the World Cup in 2014. Photograph: Francois Xavier Marit - Pool/Getty Images The Dutch and Flemish football cultures pride themselves on their bluntness and plain-speaking, but you do wonder if the South Africans might be better off with a coach who was better able to conceal his low opinion of their quality.Heimir Hallgrímsson has also, at times, been blunt about the flaws of the team he took over. He once said that at the start of his tenure, he assumed Irish players would win the duels and 50-50s and he conceded he was wrong for assuming that.But he has correctly identified the team characteristics Irish football fans want to see. If there is a cardinal virtue they respect, it’s effort. You want a style that resonates with the culture rather than one that cuts across it.Most of the teams that have actually won the World Cup have done this. The Argentines in 2022 embraced their traditions of fluid passing and combinations. Spain won in 2010 playing their distinctive possession style. Italy in 2006 catenaccioed so spectacularly that Fabio Cannavaro won the Ballon d’Or. Brazil in 2002 let the R-R-R front three rip.Germany in 2014 were an interesting case, winning with a new style that was heavily influenced by Dutch and Spanish ideas. But the image Germany treasures of the final in Rio was of the shattered Bastian Schweinsteiger, laid low by countless wounds yet refusing to give up. Germany loves determination football.France under Didier Deschamps play a less flamboyant style than they did in the classic Michel Platini era, but Deschamps at least had the good sense to create a system suited to the characteristics of his players.At the other end of things we have Broos, insisting his players pass out from the back, presumably because in his idea of football that’s simply the right thing to do. The players tie themselves up in knots and embarrass themselves on the grandest stage and their coach walks away saying, ‘well, I guess we weren’t up to the level’.