Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Bark louder, little dog.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

No Justins, No Peace

This really is a full service blog.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

The words do not have to be perfect.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

You are here: Home / Sports / World Cup / World Cup:More Amazeballs

World Cup:More Amazeballs

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Folks, did you see the second match yesterday? Wow, Japan, and then wow, Belgium! What a thrill – the drama at the end, the goals – that header! – , the saves (the Japanese double!), the amazing comeback. Just glorious!

Today, we have the last of the round of 16, followed by two days of rest and then Friday things begin anew.

At 10, Switzerland v Sweden. I expect a great match and am rooting for the Swiss. I don’t know the rankings or who’s expected to win – at this level, anything can happen, and sometimes, does!

And then to close out this round, Colombia v England. With a maternal link to Colombia (long story), I’m of course rooting for Los Cafeteros. Truthfully, I expect England to win pretty easily. In their last match, Colombia got banged up.

We shall see what Fortune has to deliver today – enjoy, everyone!

 

Reader Interactions

196Comments

  1. 1.

    Nicole

    One of my good friends took a cab ride yesterday. The driver was from Senegal and they started discussing the World Cup. The driver told her he was very happy there was still one African team left in the World Cup- France.

  2. 2.

    Platonailedit

    S vs S – 0-0 or 1-1 snoozefest. Swiss have a slight edge with Shaqiri, but not enough to score a win.

    Columbia – Brits – 2-1. (for football is coming home arrogance). Hoping Rodriguez is fit to play. He is a treat to watch.

  4. 4.

    SFAW

    I realize tracking the “brackets” [quotation marks because I generally think of that term in an NCAA hoop context] and watching the “upsets” is fun and all that, but since we already know that Russia will be the eventual winner, it kinda dampens some of the enthusiasm.

    Y’all probably think I’m joking.

  5. 5.

    mali muso

    That Japan-Belgium match was so fun to watch! I really thought Japan might just pull it off, but what a finish by Belgium. I have quite a few Japanese friends and the word on FB was that perhaps the coach overreacted to criticism of their last game and kept them attacking in the last half when they should have been focused on defending their 2-0 lead. Still, they should definitely be proud of themselves. They were fearless.

    Definitely pulling for Switzerland today. I lived there for about a year after college and will always have a special place in my heart for la Suisse.

  6. 6.

    Yarrow

    Thanks for fixing the nym and email thing, Alain. It’s nice not to have to type it every 30 minutes and in every new thread.

  8. 8.

    Tony Jay

    WTF is going on in this game? Both sides look like they only rolled out of bed five minutes ago and are stumbling around gummy-eyed and yawning. Switzerland were handed that 1st minute chance on a platter and then gave the Swedes two (TWO!) gilt edged opportunities in 30 seconds.

    Yeah, can’t see this staying goalless.

  10. 10.

    Tony Jay

    Does this new World Cup ball have a helium-injection pump that only activates when in and around the penalty box? How many more nailed on chances are going to be skied high over the bar before someone gets a shot on target?

  11. 11.

    Amir Khalid

    Neither Switzerland nor Sweden is among the highest-rated teams that got to the last 16, but they’re more or less evenly matched and that usually makes for a watchable contest. Which this has been, so far.

  15. 15.

    Amir Khalid

    @Tony Jay:
    No, no, no. The Russians are using the World Cup to field-test a magnetic repulsor technology developed by weapons engineere infiltrated into adidas R&D labs and factories. When you turn it on, it deflects all shots on target away from goal. When it’s fully deployed Russia will win all the Euros and World Cups, and Spartak Moscow will win the UEFA Champions League every year.

  17. 17.

    Anonymous At Work

    How does one judge “banged up” in a game where flops are so obvious and abusive, even Karl Malone is aghast?

  20. 20.

    Tony Jay

    @Amir Khalid:

    OMG! You know what this means!?! Neymar must have swallowed the miniature prototype when he was touring the Adidas Death Factory before the tournament, so every light brush or miniscule tap he receives is intensified 1000fold by his internal magneto-repulsive field. That explains everything, including the weird colour of his hair.

    Someone cut that boy open, the safety of the world depends on it.

  23. 23.

    Amir Khalid

    I make that an own goal by Akanji: he deflected into the net a shot that his keeper was positioned to collect.

  26. 26.

    Tony Jay

    @Amir Khalid:

    Like virtually every other shot that hasn’t been aimed at Row Z it was going straight down the keeper’s throat until it twoinged off the defender’s foot.

    Not a lot of quality in this game so far.

  29. 29.

    Amir Khalid

    Red card to Lang of Switzerland. Free kick to Sweden for a foul just outside the penalty area.

  31. 31.

    Tony Jay

    Two minutes thirty seconds into three minutes of injury time, camped on the edge of the Swedish box, and Switzerland couldn’t even clear the first man to get a ball into the area. Meh.

    Right. So that’s Sweden into the Quarters. I’m off home to stock up on arrogance and entitlement before our game against Columbi… Columbin… Columbo? Whoever. 8-)

  32. 32.

    waratah

    @Alain the site fixer: I love the soccer threads. I choose my teams like you do. I played soccer with our street team growing up. They only let a girl play because they needed players. I really think our soccer rules were not proper and lots of cheating.

  33. 33.

    Amir Khalid

    @Platonailedit:
    The FIFA rankings have no connection to reality. If they did, Malaysia would be ranked around 400th instead of an unrealistic 171st.

  37. 37.

    Ella in New Mexico

    Am I the only one who isn’t suspicious that so many of the best teams in soccer have been knocked out, but Russia is still in the play?

  41. 41.

    Platonailedit

    Brit humor on bbc

    Married my Colombian wife two months ago. First relationship test. Can’t we just both go through? Either way, it’s coming home!

  42. 42.

    SRW1

    King James is out. In the next round is waiting Sweden. The semis are waving alluringly. If not now, then when, England?

  43. 43.

    Onkel Fritze

    @Platonailedit: Congratulations, I’ve got mine for 17 years now.

    Might as well root for Colombia now, it’ll save you a lot of trouble and the inevitable crushing defeat for England is coming anyway ;-)

  45. 45.

    HumboldtBlue

    Engerland 3-1, Colombia runs out of gas and Yerry Mina turns into a pumpkin.

  49. 49.

    Tony Jay

    By the conventions of some societies Mina and Sterling are now engaged to be married. That’s some – close – marking.

    And Sterling continues his unbroken run of duff last balls and rubbish shots for England.

  50. 50.

    HumboldtBlue

    England’s speed can make the difference. England needs something from this early pressure, they’re expending a lot of energy.

  51. 51.

    Amir Khalid

    England have dominated the first 15 minutes. Kane’s had a close look at goal already.

  52. 52.

    Tony Jay

    That Lingard/Trippier overlap on the right wing is something to watch. Stripping the Colombian left-back for pace over and over again.

    Good start by England. (Slaps fingers three times and invokes the anti-jinx faeries).

  53. 53.

    Amir Khalid

    Not a lot of England support in the crowd, though. Jeers everytime a red shirt gets the ball.

  55. 55.

    Tony Jay

    @Amir Khalid:

    Massive swoop by the Russian Internal Security Directorate this morning. As we speak many thousands of pot-bellied, middle class Englishmen are squinting myopicaly in the glare of Kamchatkan gulag lights wondering where the devil the match-day bus has gone and why does their mouth taste of roofies.

  56. 56.

    Tony Jay

    It would be ace of some English players stopped trying to Neymar a flash back heel or flick on the edge of the area and just pass the bloody thing to someone in red. Too many attacks are bogging down around the 18 yard box. Colombia are defending that in depth. Get the ball out wide, stretch the defence and open up a route for a good delivery. Save the fancy-dan skill set for when you’re a goal or two up and Colombia have to push up the field leaving gaps.

  61. 61.

    Amir Khalid

    I don’t think I’ve seen a ref in this World Cup use his magic spray as much as this American one has. But then again I haven’t seen a team crowd their opponent’s free kicks like Colombia are doing.

  63. 63.

    Tony Jay

    Nope. I’m the wall for an England free kick. Pushing and shoving. Colombian player rams his head into Henderson’s chest and flicks his head up into his chin. Put Henderson on the deck, referee eventually have a yellow. Don’t understand that at all. Put your head into an opponents face on purpose and it’s a straight red.

  65. 65.

    SRW1

    Ref needs to watch that the game doesn’t get out of control. Lots of pushing, shoving, and shirt pulling.

  66. 66.

    mali muso

    I haven’t been able to devote full attention (am ostensibly at work) but it definitely seems a little chippy out there.

  67. 67.

    Neldob

    Any good ideas for how to watch on my computer without signing over more than necessary?

  68. 68.

    Tony Jay

    Looks like Colombia are getting a bit frustrated with having so little of the ball and have decided to try roughing up a few England players in the hopes of drawing a reaction they can try to con a red card out of. not nice to see.

  69. 69.

    Yarrow

    From The Guardian liveblog:

    ITV footage has just showed footage of a member of Colombia’s backroom staff nudging Sterling with his shoulder as the player ran off the pitch. The staffer then walked over to the fourth official and ordered him to keep an eye out for skulduggery. That’s brazen, and more evidence of the needle that has crept into this game.

  72. 72.

    Amir Khalid

    Gareth will have reminded his players that they need to stay calm in the face of Colombia’s provocations, and keep probing the Colombian defence until a gap opens up.

  73. 73.

    HumboldtBlue

    And I agree with Gary Neville, England are far better and just need to keep their heads. Lee Dixon agrees as well.

  75. 75.

    Tony Jay

    agreed. If like to see fewer England players shaping to receive the ball with their backs to goal.

    Oooh! Penalty.

  77. 77.

    SRW1

    That stupidity could be seen coming from a mile away.

    And right next to the ref.

  81. 81.

    Amir Khalid

    Another penalty conceded to England by rugby-tackle defending. Colombia spend three whole minutes trying to put Kane off but to no avail. But his teammates are losing some of their cool.

  83. 83.

    mali muso

    Dang, yellow cards all over the place. Feels like the pitch is going to devolve into a fight at any moment.

  87. 87.

    Tony Jay

    And while the mob of Colombian players were surrounding the referee two others were deliberately scuffing up the penalty spot to make it harder to convert. There’s cynical and there’s just shitty. The referee really needs to get a grip before something nasty happens. They’re targeting certain players trying to get a reaction, simulating to try and fake a card. Really not nice to see.

  90. 90.

    Onkel Fritze

    Oh god, Colombia has to get a grip. Instead of bitching at the ref and fouling they need to get some kind of offensive game going. IF they go on like this, they’re going to have somebody sent off in the next 10 minutes.

  91. 91.

    Carolina Dave

    Flip side to “the beautiful game” is an ugly match. Two nasty squads. I’m not faulting the American ref for thuggish behavior all over the pitch

  94. 94.

    Tony Jay

    @Carolina Dave:

    Sorry, I’m just not seeing the nasty coming from England. They’re trying to play football and being goaded, fouled and intimidated by a team that knows exactly what it’s doing.

  98. 98.

    HumboldtBlue

    Why is he bringing on slow-as-molasses Eric Dier?

    Loftus-Cheek better option.

  102. 102.

    eclare

    Hope the stadium has good crowd control/security for whichever side wins and loses.

  103. 103.

    Amir Khalid

    I wish the BBC’s English commentators weren’t quite so blatantly partisan.

  106. 106.

    Tony Jay

    Vardy coming on. Good. If we’re letting them come into us then we could do with a guy whose speciality is waiting for long balls he can run into behind the defence.

    Dyer has been crap though. Should have been Loftus (Aquaman) Cheek.

  112. 112.

    Amir Khalid

    It’s one-all from a rare Colombia corner!
    ETA: I wasn’t expecting this to go to extra time. But England haven’t scored from open play today.

  116. 116.

    SRW1

    Such are the perils of the game. England haven’t done much after the 1-0, except trying to control the game.

  118. 118.

    Amir Khalid

    Is this going to be the day that England rediscover their true nature and disappoint their fans?

  119. 119.

    Tony Jay

    Said we needed a second goal to nail down a deserved win. What a crap goal to convert after dealing with their balls in the box all game.

    Knuckle down, fresh legs on, take advantage of the fact that we’re comfortably the better team.

  120. 120.

    Onkel Fritze

    Btw, my comments take forever to post after I’ve written them. Anybody else have that problem?

  123. 123.

    Onkel Fritze

    30 minutes extra. That’s a very Colombian way of doing things – doing a crappy job all along and kind of getting it finished at the very last moment.

    Btw, my comments take forever to post or don’t go through at all. Have to restart the browser to have a chance of posting. Anybody else have that problem?

  124. 124.

    Amir Khalid

    @SRW1:
    This World Cup, I have learned not to predict anything.
    ETA: But I wouldn’t rule it out.

  132. 132.

    Tony Jay

    What is the use of playing the ball out through defence when all you do then is pass the ball around through the defenders, get pressurized by their front players, panic and loses the ball around the half way line?

    Vardy hasn’t seen the ball, no one up front has. Kane is coming back into his own half looking for it. Get a bloody grip.

  134. 134.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Onkel Fritze:

    I am having no issues, that’s what I use.

    When was the last time two South American teams are the least likeable?

    Brazil are overrated and have none of the joie de vivre of past teams and Colombia are just ugly and cynical.

  135. 135.

    Onkel Fritze

    What a difference a goal makes. Colombia has discovered how to play football, England in disarray. Love it :)

  141. 141.

    HumboldtBlue

    Sweet Jesus with a giant fucking forehead, you can’t miss that, Dier!

  143. 143.

    Platonailedit

    That was what 7th or 8th corner for brits that they missed? They are supposed to be great at set pieces.

  153. 153.

    Yarrow

    Gotta love that Fox has a segment called “England Nightmares” full of disastrous penalty disasters.

  154. 154.

    SRW1

    What I don’t understand is why Columbia thought there had to be a round of catching before they played football.

  155. 155.

    Tony Jay

    @Platonailedit:

    Dude, if you keep on calling England ‘Brits’ you’re going to find a squad of the True Briton Celtic Commando Collective swimming up your toilet pipe to take a claymore to your nethers.

  172. 172.

    HumboldtBlue

    Wow. What a goddamn tournament this has been. Absolutely riveting football.

  174. 174.

    Yarrow

    Announcers said it’s the first time in World Cup history that England has won on penalties.

  177. 177.

    Tony Jay

    Jesus sweet joint-rolling Christ I don’t believe it.

    We so deserved to go through, but we never, ever win those. And when Jordan Henderson had his saved I thought that was it.

    I’m spent.

    Now we’ll totally go out to Sweden. 8-)

  178. 178.

    Onkel Fritze

    Well, fuck that. Looking at the brackets, England could go a long way now.

  179. 179.

    Amir Khalid

    Eric Dier scores his penalty, and England are through to the quarterfinals. A very emotional reaction from the BBC’s studio pundits, every one of them an England player in his time.

  180. 180.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Amir Khalid:

    On ITV, Ian Wright and Lee Dixon were in tears and Neville was choked up.

    Wait’ll you see the clip of their reaction. Priceless.

  181. 181.

    Tony Jay

    @raven:

    Well, now that you mention it…. No, I got nothing.

    I’ve been watching England lose those since my teens. Going out to that bunch of dirty wankers would have been so horrible I don’t even have words.

  183. 183.

    Tony Jay

    @HumboldtBlue:

    That was hilarious. Love it when they stop hugging, look at each other a bit “What do we do now?” And start tossing their paperwork up in the air.

    Very English.

  184. 184.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Tony Jay:

    Enjoy it. While we celebrate our realpolitik victory over youse tomorrow you can savor a key victory, the sort of win that teams that end up hoisting the trophy always seem to endure.

  185. 185.

    Platonailedit

    Now that particular monkey is off their back, Sweden should not be so hard to beat.

  186. 186.

    Leeds man

    I’m suing the England team for taking years off my life. Not a great performance from them, but they showed grit. Also: Pickford makes the #1 goalie spot his. Brilliant save near the end, even if the following corner was disastrous for us.

    Sweden is always a tough nut for England, but we made the quarters!

  187. 187.

    Tony Jay

    @HumboldtBlue:

    I will. What realpolitik victory though? I’m so scrambled I can’t think what that is.

    Kieran Trippier just got interviewed. My girlfriend took one look and gasped “What happened to his hair!?!” Then ” That’s on purpose, isn’t it? ”

    She’s right. What is going on there?

  188. 188.

    Leeds man

    @Platonailedit: “Sweden should not be so hard to beat”.

    Have you seen many Sweden/England games? Never easy. They are supremely well organized, difficult to score on, and fast on the counter. Nothing to get complacent about.

  189. 189.

    raven

    @Tony Jay: I have a dear friend who is Colombian, her nephew is there so I ws interested but there is something about England. . .maybe it’s that I have people from Marlow in my family.

  190. 190.

    Platonailedit

    @Leeds man: Not so hard doesn’t mean easy. Of course, they have to play hard to get that win. But the big momentum is on their side and so the chances of english win are better.

  191. 191.

    Tony Jay

    @raven:

    Marlow in Buckinghamshire? Ha! You literally could not get more Middle-English if you wore exclusively tweed, drank warm beer and had a friend called Mufty who owned an antique shop and solved crimes in her spare time. 8-)

  194. 194.

    Yarrow

    Still so stunned at what we all just experienced together. England winning a Penalty Shoot out in a Major Tournament. These are the feelings I imagine Id experience if I ever saw a Unicorn ?— roger bennett (@rogbennett) July 3, 2018

    LOL

  195. 195.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Bostonian:

    Yes, I got mixed up. 2006 was the Van Bommel assault and 2010 was De Jong flying kick to Xabi’s midsection in the Final in South Africa.

  196. 196.

    TomatoQueen

    @Onkel Fritze: yes very much so, on the IE/Win 7/vpn that I must use during the day (work laptop). The site is now all but completely useless during the day. Night and Fireyfox (Win7 and vpn) restore functionality. Except of course for nym saving, Puerto Rico, and Flint.
    Also, ENGLAND!

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