It’s getting interesting folks!
Today, three games on deck (all times Eastern):
At 8, Belgium v Tunisia. Belgium will work hard to win; I have little hope for Tunisia. Wonderful country, people, and food, but their team isn’t the best this year!
At 11, South Korea v Mexico. I’d put money on Mexico if I gambled. South Korea is a good team, but Mexico has an energy this year and, having secured the US-Mexico-Canada combined hosting duties for 2026, they’re working towards that event.
To close out the day, Germany v Sweden at 2. Both teams are quite good; Germany is returning champion but not doing as well as they’d have expected.
Two fun facts about the middle match:
- During practice matches and recent training, the Korean team swapped jerseys to make it harder for opposing (mostly European) players to learn which players had which strengths and weaknesses since they know that for many Europeans who’ve had limited contact with Asians, “they all look alike”. Clever.
- There was a small earthquake measured when Mexico scored a goal in their last match. Literally – seismographs measured a small earthquake in Mexico City as millions of folks jumped up and down! Apparently, a similar, if smaller, earthquake was measured the day before when Ecuador’s team scored. Crazy.
Enjoy the games and the day everyone!
Amir Khalid
Also, Tunisia is the country that gave us some of the Star Wars franchise’s most iconic locations.
Steeplejack
Current weather in Moscow for Belgium-Tunisia: partly cloudy, 83°, 38% humidity at 3:35 p.m.
ThresherK
@Amir Khalid: Wasn’t much of “Life of Brian” filmed there also?
Unlike the last few World Cups I have a fulltime day job, so the FS1 replay of one game at 8pm every night has been a blessing. Now all I have to do is avoid the water-cooler talk.
Platonailedit
Not many previous champions seem to be up to the mark in this edition. Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain all struggling.
Platonailedit
Nigerian Musa’s both goals should be on the best goals list.
Onkel Fritze
I really like this Belgian team. They could go a very long way this world cup.
Davey C
I think this might be the most uptempo match I’ve seen yet in this World Cup. Really exciting to watch!
The Pale Scot
M. Alain, the pageys are barely loading, please feed the gerbils!
Amir Khalid
One of the weirder controversies of World Cup 2018.
SRW1
Belgium making some noise when most of the pre-competition favorites are awfully subdued. Not convinced of Portugal yet, but Belgium seems for real.
smintheus
Ecuador?
Belgium has been as impressive as France. I’m hoping that Russia will not turn out to be as good as its record suggests, though.
cmorenc
Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne is the personification of what a top-quality attacking-minded midfielder is – if I had my pick of all the players in the world to be on a starting 11, De Bruyne would be on my squad. Yeah, even though the Argentine team around Messi simply isn’t good enough this time around to help showcase Messi’s talents, I’d find a spot for him too in my starting midfield.
Gator90
Go Mexico! Just because.
Captain C
@smintheus: So far Russia’s beaten a Saudi team that’s probably the worst in the tournament, and an Egypt team whose star and most dynamic player is coming back from injury and is probably not 100%. We’ll see what happens when they face Uruguay, their (Russia’s) first real test. Also, Russia will most likely face Spain or Portugal in the round of 16, which will probably not end well for them.
SRW1
Against South Korea it’s gonna be Mexico’s role to make the game. How well they manage that job is gonna tell how far they might make it at this WC.
Alain the site fixer
@The Pale Scot: I submitted a ticket as nothing else can be done by me. The issues affect me too. My one question to anyone experiencing issues, is, are you using Comcast? Because when I use a VPN, the site doesn’t seem to have the same issues but that may just be luck and not something of note.
cain
How can I stream worldcup? I don’t have ESPN or any of these other networks. I really really don’t want to pay for the privilege. I’m not that big of a sports fan. I suppose I can hit a sports bar and watch it there. I know a place.
I’ll b in Spain in 10 ten days! Will be there for a 10 days or so attending a conference and then doing some exploration. But it’s going to be party central there because Europe goes nuts uring world cup. Can’t wait to imbibe that energy, especially when it is the shitter here.
When I get back, I’ll be finally employed again! Even better, my compensation is back to what it was before the first time I got laid off.. so parity! Working for a company that has been formed for the public good.
The Ancient Randonneur
I’m on my phone and the site is loading just fine.
Amir Khalid
Russia has chosen the World Cup as the ideal time to propose raising the retirement age above median life expectancy.
SRW1
@Amir Khalid:
The oligarch class doesn’t come for free.
HumboldtBlue
@Platonailedit:
second goal was a worldie.
HumboldtBlue
@cain:
Use an ad blocker and you can use beastfeeds
HumboldtBlue
@cmorenc:
His play in the Premiere League this year was nothing short of sublime. There was only one team he struggled against and that was Liverpool who managed to beat Man City three times (twice in Champions League play, mind).
Everything about his game is delicious.
Another Scott
@cain: Excellent news! Congratulations!
My wife J and her twin are going to Spain in October for a vacation. They are very much looking forward to it. (First time visiting for them.)
Cheers,
Scott.
burnspbesq
Well done, Mexico.
Was it really 16 years ago that Marquez got sent off for trying to disembowel Cobi Jones? Bastard can still play.
Origuy
@cain: Great news about the job. Have fun in Spain. If you have the time, go see the Alhambra in Grenada. It’s a little out of the way and the trains to get there were slow when I was there, but that’s been years. Toledo is an hour from Madrid and is worth a day trip. Better yet, stay there overnight and be there when most of the tourists leave.
Amir Khalid
Amazing. Sweden 1-0 Germany. If die Mannschaft loses this match it’s out.
burnspbesq
Neuer saves Germany’s ass right before halftime.
Germany doesn’t seem to have any idea how to unlock a disciplined Swedish defense.
Amir Khalid
Sweden almost score a second goal with the last touch of the first half, but Manuel Neuer manages a diving save.
Calouste
@Amir Khalid: Nah, seen this too many times in previous tournaments. Germany will score a late equalizer, win the next match 1-0, and then before you know it they’re in the semi-finals again.
Amir Khalid
Die Mannschaft have woken up and equalised early in the second half. Now they’re taking the game to the Swedes.
Omnes Omnibus
Boateng off.
Amir Khalid
A second yellow for Jerome Boateng, Germany down to 10.
Steeplejack
And Boateng is sent off with a second yellow!
I was just in the process of writing that the Swedes seem to have collapsed into defense. On the few occasions in the second half when they have taken possession they have been very, uh, tentative, to say the least. But this could change things.
Tony Jay
You go out for a little meal for a niece’s 30th birthday and when you come back Germany are in real danger of going out of the World Cup in the group stage.
This….. doesn’t happen. They almost have to score or the world may end, it’s – that – much of a black swan thingie.
Tony Jay
Dear me the Swedish goal is blessed by the Norse God of No Way.
Germany’s last chance.
And it’s in!
Omnes Omnibus
Jebus!
Amir Khalid
2-1 Germany! Well, well, well!
Leeds man
Why the hell didn’t Sweden have a defender at the far post? That was SOP in my playing days.
SRW1
That kindda drama usually knock-out phase only. But then knock-out phase came early this year for Germany.
Steeplejack
Damn. Sweden was heating it up after they got the one-man advantage, but for Germany to win on that last-minute goal is really salt in the wound.
smintheus
Durmaz should never play again for Sweden. He has been terrible in substitution in both of Sweden’s games.
Amir Khalid
@Steeplejack:
As the British say, they wouldn’t dare put that in Roy of The Rovers.
Tony Jay
Now Sweden are stuck with the prospect of having to beat Mexico in the last game because Germany will probably get something out of their game with South Korea.
Unless they don’t. God knows with this group. South Korea could well take advantage of Germany’s obvious weaknesses and all Sweden will need is a draw. Chances are Germany get out of the group in second and play Switzerland, probably.
tobie
I’m in Germany right now and my take on the game is more political than athletic given how little I know about soccer/football. From what I’ve seen Germany doesn’t seem to have the magic touch they had four years ago. Be that as it may, the political tide here is definitely turning toward the right and Angela Merkel is taking a lot of heat from the right flank of her party and then the AfD for her decision to take in Syrian refugees. The fear of an economic downturn because of Trump’s trade war is also very real. So I feel like anything that makes Germans feel good right now is important. Happy people are hopeful people and less prone to right-wing hate-mongers.
cain
Holy shit, that was one hell of a finish. Germany manages to maintain being in the world cup. It does seem odd that they had overtime though. But kudos for getting that last kick in and beating out Sweden it seconds to go. Amazing!
cain
@Another Scott:
Strangely enough the last time I was in Europe when World Cup was going on, was in Spain. Although I was in Barcelona. That was incredible, the pageantry, the energy.. I was blown away by the whole thing. Since then, I’ve been following world cup as much as I can. This is probably the first time I’ve started watching since the beginning.
I find it really sad that sports like this is behind a pay wall. People who can’t afford $200 cable packages can’t watch. This is why people, kids especially have switch to twitch.tv to watch other people play video games. The next generation are not going to be so deep into football and basketball at least in the U.S. That’s a tragedy.
otmar
Aw Bugger.
I hate those late goals for Germany.
Amir Khalid
@Steeplejack:
Not just a last-minute goal, but a last-kick-of-the-match goal! Germany were very very lucky.
Steeplejack
@cain:
All three games today were on “regular” (network) Fox.
The weekday pattern so far has been that the day’s first game is on Fox Sports, then the second two are on regular network Fox. No paywall for those.
Steeplejack
@Amir Khalid:
Yeah. I feel very sorry for the Swedes.
Dunno why, but the Germans seem sort of like assholes this time around. Just a vibe. Maybe I just haven’t yet found my gutsy underdog team to root for.