Peru v Denmark at noon, and Croatia v Nigeria at 3pm EDT. FIFA liveblog at the Google link.
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Mostly because I hate to put up a naked post, Ishaan Tharoor at the Washington Post, “How the World Cup reflects the world”:
“Time is that irritating inconvenience between soccer matches.” That’s an almost-certainly apocryphal line, usually attributed to the French Algerian philosopher — and handy schoolboy goalkeeper — Albert Camus. But whatever its provenance, it rings true as the World Cup gets underway in Russia.
No event commands as large and as rapt an audience as this tournament of 32 national soccer (yes, friends abroad, The Washington Post mandates that I must write “soccer”) teams. And there’s no single event that so dramatically captures the global imagination. For the next month, across the planet, interest in non-World Cup happenings will dry up, officegoers will skip work, politicians will don and hide behind the national shirt, and time will stand still — at least for 90 minutes at a go…
For much of the viewing public, national teams now play second fiddle to the popular professional leagues that have carved out lucrative audiences around the world. Kenyans or Indians often feel as much loyalty to a team in Manchester as any Mancunian — and probably more than they feel for any of the far poorer clubs at home.
And the character of the national teams themselves often reflects a reality that transcends the nation-state. France, one of the tournament favorites, has drawn the bulk of its strength from its minority and immigrant communities, linked to the wide sweep of the French post-colonial world. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of the Moroccan team was born in Europe.
“The tournament is not so much an exhibition of different national identities as it is a reminder of how casually ideas and tactical fashions in football cross borders,” wrote my twin brother, Kanishk Tharoor, for the New York Times.
At a time when populists champion a nationalist future, the World Cup can deliver a snapshot of a world at ease in its pluralism. “The success of this festival of nations relies a great deal on energies that cross borders and remove people from their national roots,” Kanishk wrote. “It suggests that there is actually a false dichotomy between ‘globalism’ and ‘nativism.’ In both soccer and life, it is perfectly possible to be a proud representative of your nation while being helplessly, incurably global.”…
efgoldman
Fewer than 50 comments since before six this this morning. Yup, sure is a lot of demand.
raven
@efgoldman: @efgoldman: Go away .
efgoldman
@raven:
Everybody already did
HumboldtBlue
Day 3 is going to have to do something very special if it wants to come close to matching the fun of Day 2.
Christian Eriksen is a good player but he aint Ronaldo.
Then again, he is from Middelfart, Denmark.
Mr Stagger Lee
This is a comment from the morning matches, I think Argentina 2018, is Brazil 2014, they are skating on their reputation, Messi or no, I would be very concerned if I was a Boca Junior or River Plate or even a Newel’s Old Boys fan right now.
Mnemosyne
Reporting in from the Happiest Place On Earth — G is in line for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride while I rest my bum knee. We have FastPasses later for Radiator Springs Racers, and then I’ll get some for Soarin’ Around the World.
The World Cup coverage was on the TV where we had breakfast. I don’t know who the bald guy with a ukulele singing songs about the World Cup on Telemundo’s morning show was, but he was very cute.
Gin & Tonic
@efgoldman: Quality, not quantity.
smintheus
The World Cup is in Russia only because Putin’s nationalism causes him to bribe his way into holding international sporting competitions. FIFA is infinitely bribeable.
It’s fitting that this Cup’s line up of countries is one of the weakest since the last time the World Cup was held in a brutal dictatorship (1978). We’ll see whether Putin follows Argentina’s example and bribes other countries along with referees to throw matches to Russia. The 1978 WC final match was one of the most obviously dishonest WC games ever.
lahke
Not going to waste a day like today on staying in to watch TV.
Mr Stagger Lee
@smintheus: Imagine Donald Trump and Sepp Blatter(if he was still there) discussing the bid for 2026 World Cup The sleeze would be so nasty you need so high level protective suits to clean up.
Mike J
@Mnemosyne: They have a Guardians of the Galaxy ride in Tijuana?
Was going to go sail today since good wind is forecast, then I discovered the pilot light on my water heater won’t stay lit and there’s a puddle of water under it. So a day of plumbing. Happily, one of my neighbors for whom I often do neighbor IT support is a retired union plumber.
eclare
Just tuned in…
ETA> Morning games on the DVR
Chyron HR
@efgoldman:
Ha ha, well said, friend! I can see that we are in the presence of a latter-day Wilde.
HeleninEire
@efgoldman: Everyone knows you’re back ;)
Anne Laurie
@efgoldman:
Everyone seems to have lingered in the Early Morning Open Thread. Shocking! A Balloon Juice post staying on-topic!
And welcome back, irregardless, old jackal-friend!
terraformer
I absolutely adore this game. Ever since I first saw competition in 1994 – the last time the US was World Cup host – I have been an avid follower. The beautiful game. It is another example of something the rest of the world does that we’d do well to emulate here in the States. Can’t wait until 2026.
HumboldtBlue
@terraformer:
1986 got me hooked. I had just moved to California and watched World Cup games on Univision. I missed most of 1990 because of military service but was right back in the thick of it for 1994. I have been an avid follower of Liverpool and the PL for the past decade as well.
eclare
Nigeria has a nice national anthem.
SRW1
Besides the 1-2 defeat to France in Russia, Australia today also lost 21-26 at home in rugby to Ireland. I suspect the latter is the one that hurts more.