International Magpie Roundup: Sept. 25 through Sept. 26

The last international break before the 2022 Qatar World Cup has arrived. It sucks because that means there is no Magpie football going, but it also does not suck, because that means there is Magpie football just around the corner, and oh, that also means that there are some International Magpies worth writing about!

Anyway, here’s a recap of all that went on between Sunday, Sept. 25, and Monday, Sept. 26, with more updates to come in the following days as games keep getting played.

Photo by Harriet Lander/Copa/Getty Images

Nick Pope & Kieran Trippier (England)

Match: ENG vs Germany (UEFA Nations League)

It was all good... until it wasn’t anymore. England came back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 with a few minutes to go after Harry Kane hit one from the penalty spot. Then, darkness. Nick Pope deflected a shot into the feet of Kai Harvertz and the German didn’t forgive the Magpie putting the ball inside of the goal and sending it to the back of the net. Sheesh, these Three Lions.

Pope started and played the full 90 minutes even though he might have liked to get subbed off before committing that game-deciding error. Kieran Trippier kissed the pine once more and for the second time in the past two games and didn’t come into the pitch for just one single minute.

This is it for England in the top-flight of Nations League football as they were relegated last weekend after losing to Italy by a score of 1-0. Trippier has been of Gareth Southgate’s main men for a long time but he decided to drop him to the bench... and see what the results were.

Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images

Chris Wood (New Zealand)

Match: NZ vs Australia (International Friendly)

Second leg of the back-to-back between Kiwis and Aussies. Second game that the former lost. Second match they were defeated by a 2-0 score. New Zealanders can’t catch a break. And do you know who could definitely not catch it? Newcastle’s striker Chris Wood.

Wood, as he always does, started for his nation but only got to play 32 minutes before getting subbed out after picking up a rib injury. I don’t even want to talk about that because even if the arrival of Alexander Isak turned Wood into an ancillary piece on Eddie Howe’s squad, it’s not that the Magpies boast loads and loads of depth in the senior team, let alone in the forward line—and, of course, Isak is also banged-up now with Callum Wilson expected-but-not-confirmed to return for the clash against Fulham next weekend.

Poor Wood explained it himself. “I went in for a collision and something popped in my rib. It hurt to run and breathe so I had to come off.“ Never wanted to be Chris Wood. Now, I think I want it even less than I did before. Sheesh.

Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images

Bruno (Brazil)

No Match: Injury update

Not the greatest news coming off Brazil’s training camp in France as Chris Waugh from The Athletic reported on late Monday that “Bruno Guimaraes is returning to Tyneside for assessment by Newcastle United’s medical staff after suffering a thigh injury while on international duty with Brazil.“

We already knew that Bruno had suffered an injury while abroad but things got a darker twist yesterday as Brazil decided to send Bruno home instead of—as it was initially expected—having him play and feature against Tunisia at the Parc des Princes tonight (Tuesday).

Bruno missed Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Ghana last Friday and will now have to fight for a position in the final World Cup squad playing for Newcastle United and without having logged a single minute in the last international break before the tournament to be held between November and December in Qatar.