I don’t think Switzerland will be able to hunker down quite as effectively as they did against Spain.
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.
Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.
We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.
This fight is for everything.
Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.
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A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.
A dilettante blog from the great progressive state of West Virginia.
Let there be snark.
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If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?
You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.
Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity
It’s the corruption, stupid.
Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.
Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?
No one could have predicted…
All your base are belong to Tunch.
Pigs & Spiders
I am pulling for the Swiss in this one. I need them to go into the second round and lose easily to Portugal. Though, after this morning’s performance, I’m feeling pretty comfortable with my pick for Portugal to take the cup.
Punchy
Can I put some Swiss in my Chili?
Stroszek
Still laughing about that Ronaldo goal.
Go Chile!
Face
Sports OT:
Federer getting smoked right now at Wimbeldon. Down 2 sets already, but looking to win the 3rd set.
Carry on with your football discussions.
Morbo
Getting a little card happy over there, isn’t he?
Onkel Fritze
Another ridiculous red card. Congrats to the Swiss – it’s just one of those refs.
Bullsmith
Another glorious day at the world diving championships. I especially enjoy how the refs reward players who exaggerate the most.
Crusty Dem
World Cup 2010 – come for the soccer, stay for the atrocious refs.
And I thought NBA refs were bad/crooked.
Crusty Dem
@Bullsmith:
Apparently that last dive earned a 6.0 from the Saudi judge.
Shalimar
I don’t know about a yellow card in-game since the ref doesn’t always have a clear view. But count me firmly in the camp that says there should be a review after matches and anyone found to have put his hands to his face in agony even though he wasn’t actually hit in the face should get a 2 match ban. It’s just pathetically embarrassing for the sport that they act so poorly.
Morbo
@Face: And Roger wins the fifth set 6-0. Good omen, I suppose.
ETA: Nope, not so much.
Stroszek
Gooooooooooooooal!
You Don't Say
@Face: Federer wins in 5th but says afterward he should have lost. Could tell he felt bad for Falla. But, hey, Federer is supremely fit.
handsmile
How’s this for sporting hoodoo: at virtually the exact moment (literally a matter of seconds) that Switzerland was setting a new FIFA record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal at the World Cup, Roger Federer was stroking the final point in his five-set victory in the opening round at Wimbledon.
I will never again belittle Swiss engineering.
By the way, I suspect the answer to that new bit of World Cup trivia might win one a few pints in future barroom bets.
Punchy
Onto Spain v. Hondorus….does Spain win by 4, or 6?
JohnR
They came pretty close, and at a man down for most of it, at that. That ref was even more enthusiastic than his fellows this time around – is FIFA paying them by the card this year or what?
“..does Spain win by 4, or 6?”
I’m actually calling it no more than 1 goal difference for Spain, and quite possibly a draw…
Ian
Not sufficient — they should be straight up removed from the tournament. Blatant cheating is inexcusable.
cmorenc
I’ll give the referee much credit for yellow-carding an egregious dive in the 92nd minute by Chile’s ironically named striker “Jorge ValDIVIA”. He had a clean opportunity to simply step over in-stride a prone Swiss defender’s legs after a missed tackle (without any need to jump or alter his stride really) – but instead dragged his feet along the ground so his toes collided with the Swiss player’s leg and made the classic two-footed fall that should always raise the issue in any alert referee’s mind whether the player is deliberately diving. This isn’t always the case with two-footed falls (sometimes it really is due to a bona fide foul), but all too often enough it’s a sign of a dive, and should always be regarded with critical scrutiny and skepticism by the ref before deciding to give the fallen player a call of a foul.
cmorenc
@cmorenc: I should have mentioned that the yellow-carded dive I discussed in my previous post involved a blatent attempt by Chilean striker Jorge Valdiva to sell a “foul” inside his team’s attacking penalty area, and win an unearned PK. This is indeed an egregious unsporting form of cheating, and so I’m especially glad the ref had the stones to recognize it and card Valdiva for it.