A terrific final half-hour of the first half gave Cascadia victory against the “hosts” Barawa in an ultimately heated Carshalton, on Saturday, both on and off the pitch. Indeed, the win not only kept the north-western North Americans in the tournament, after a heavy opening game defeat, it helped facilitate quarter-final qualification for both teams in by far the tightest of the four groups.

Cascadia struggled in the opening quarter hour to deal with Barawa’s pace and Diego Costa tribute act, Staines Town’s Mohammed Bettamer up front (a late addition, reportedly controversially, to the squad). But once their mountainous centre-back duo got to literal and metaphorical grips with Bettamer, the Cascadia midfield took control and took a hugely-deserved half-time lead.

And they held on with a degree of comfort during an increasingly scrappy and fraught second 45 minutes, before their joyous full-time whistle celebrations put a temporary dent in the tournament’s friendly reputation, with Barawan officials taking none-too-kindly to the North America yelping all around them, as the victorious Cascadians descended on their dug-out.

Bettamer nodded Barawa ahead from the marvellously-monikered Gianni Chrichlow’s far-post cross on nine minutes. But Cascadia were inspired by the goal and then the twin-threat down the flanks of lanky left-back Charlie Gregory and, from the stand anyway, the Xhedran-Shaqiri-esque Calum Ferguson (left-footed, arse sticking out when he ran).

Barawa’s defence became more desperate and disorganised. So, Cascadia’s 35th-minute equaliser was long overdue, Gregory’s cross side-foot volleyed home by appropriately-monikered number nine Josh Doughty. And their first-half stoppage-time second goal was a bit desperate and disorganised, Hector Morales bundling the ball home after a Ferguson corner bobbled around the six-yard box for way too long.

Sadly, this summarised the second half, as both sides (and, latterly, the referee) visibly wilted in the heat. Cascadia appeared reluctant to throw more than three players forward as a matter of policy. Barawa appeared to overhit their final pass by a yard as a matter of policy. And there were no second-half chances until the 75th minute, when Cascadian centre-back Jordan Wilson’s downward header bounced over a gaping goal.

Barawa had changed tack by then, Courtney Austin moving from right-back to centre-forward, having played at right-back LIKE a centre-forward. And they should have had a penalty on 79 minutes when Ayuub Ali was upended just inside the box, which may have exercised Barawan minds when the two entourages ‘met’ at the final whistle, especially since Cascadia looked the likelier scorers as the clock ran down.

Doughty and Barawa’s Crawley Town midfielder Aryan Tajbakhsh saw red for their part in the post-match prangs. This could hamper both teams’ progress. But it could also give the two players a much-needed rest, as both looked possible semi-finalists, until Carshalton’s tropical heat took control.

‘Games coming thick and fast’ is an over-used cliché. But World Football Cup games have come thick and fast since Thursday and will do so until Saturday. And here we are at the knock-out stages, five days in. You could almost hold a 48-team event in a fortnight at this rate… no, I’ll stop there. Don’t want to give Fifa ideas. Though, as CONIFA currently only has 47 members, qualification rounds could be….NO… sorry.

Momentum has deservedly gathered behind this tournament. Smatterings of mostly players’ family and friends, such as watched Padania/Matabeleland on Thursday were, by Saturday at Colston Avenue, the sort of crowd I’ve grown used to seeing at Carshalton Athletic’s home games there. While attendances at North London’s Queen Elizabeth II stadium have apparently broken records for the new Enfield Town ground, which will surely be broken again, as it hosts Saturday’s final.

No-one’s going home early either, as there’s a mini-competition for the teams already knocked out, to specifically define ninth-to-16th places. So, Tuvalu and Matabeleland and Tuvalu both, joyously, have life beyond Matabeleland’s 3-1 win against the Pacific Islanders yesterday. We may even yet see one B. Grobbelaar esq on a pitch, which will be…something.

The tournament has provided a crash course in geopolitics for fans keen to learn. Liberal sophisticates will have engaged with numerous global national identity struggles, greater-known (Tibet, Northern Cyprus) and lesser-known (Kabyila, whose autonomous movement’s first president, Ferhat Mehenni, popped into their game against Western Armenia at Enfield); while perhaps being puzzled at what Cascadia is and why and being uneasy at Padania’s links to Italy’s Northern League, a more right-wing organisation than the one featuring Bishop Auckland and West Allotment Celtic. I assume.

My geopolitical lesson was suitably less sophisticated. Personal puzzlement at being surrounded by scousers in matching yellow tracksuits at Carshalton on Saturday slowly dissolving as it dawned on me that “how else would people from the Isle of Man speak? Look at a bloody map!”

The biggest ‘shock’ non-quarter-finalist is holders Abkhazia, who paid the price for beating no-one but Tibet in their group. Despite an extensive schedule of warm-up matches, Panjab only edged second place in their group, grateful for the penalty which gave them the required point against the unbeaten but unambitious United Koreans of Japan (two nil-nils and a one-one), having missed the penalty they’d won in their first attack.

Padania were the only group stage 100%-ers; top scorers, too, although playing Tuvalu AND Matabeleland certainly helped that. Western Armenia and Karpatalja were also unbeaten group winners. But Barawa, Cascadia and Ellan Vannin (Isle of Man) beat each other in their group, with the Manxmen paying for only beating Sri Lankans Tamil Eelam by two goals, losing out on a quarter-final spot on goal difference, despite tonking Cascadia in their opening game.

Padania were the last tournament’s runners-up. And being ‘host nation’ in London is hardly an advantage for Somali-based Barawa (although Cascadian fans respectfully limited their cries of “you’re supposed to be at home” to one token effort, designed successfully for cheap laughs only). So, the Flag-of-St-George kitted northern Italians are likely favourites. But the form book for this competition is sketchily written. So, I’ll say no more.

Please check www.conifa.org for this week’s inordinately packed schedule of matches.