Maybe This Just Isn't a Great Time for Us?
We might be the baddies.
Mexico v South Africa
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico. 3:00 ET, 2:00 GTZ. FOX.
MaximumSam: We are so back. The World Cup is one of my favorite sporting events, maybe my favorite sporting event. I first watched it when on paternity leave for my oldest daughter (who is, oh my, 20). Not having anything better to do while sitting at home holding her, it was either daytime soccer or soap operas. I chose soccer and have been hooked ever since.
Here's the deal though. I don't pay attention to jackshit in soccer outside of the World Cup. I have no idea who plays on the teams unless they played in the last go round. Don't ask me for analysis. I'm just here for the drama.
Kind of...: In one of the comment threads earlier this week (late last week?), somebody declared that Michigan is the England of college football. Wrong. But...
Yeah, let's run with this for a while. We can get to England later. And we can get to who Michigan is later, too. But, with respect to today's, um, fixtures, here's what I will declare:
Iowa is Mexico.
Skeptical? Let us count the ways:
1) Until 2022, Mexico had a run of seven straight World Cup appearances where they got out of group stage, but lost their first knockout round match. Iowa hasn't had a losing season since 2012 and basically goes 9-4 or 8-5 every year, but hasn't won an outright B1G title since 1985 (the year before Mexico's last QF appearance).
2) Estadio Azteca gives Mexico a decided home field advantage. Iowa has a history of big time upsets in Kinnick (especially at night).
3) While Mexico has had their fair share of offensive talent (at least by CONCACAF standards), they are more than happy to go up 1-0 and then "park the bus." Kirk Ferentz definitely approves.
5) And, yeah, per the CONCACAF reference above, the late great Big Ten West WAS basically the CONCACAF of college football: a lot of fun for people in the region, but not anything taken seriously in the higher-rent districts of the sport.
Thanks for conceding that I nailed this. But, you may inquire, what does that make the rest of the old Big West? Glad you asked. Let's talk tomorrow. [AO: This is what those in the business call A Tease.]
South Korea v Czech Republic
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico. 10:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GTZ. FOX.
MaximumSam: This 10 pm stuff is bullshit. I want to get up and watch live soccer at 6 am while getting drunk. I had actually planned on going to a game until I saw the ticket prices. Holy got dang. Television is fine too.
Kind of...: South Korea is +160 and Czechia is +180 so pretty evenly matched. Consider this data point #1 for testing the "European teams don't do well in the heat" narrative. As Czechoslovakia, there was much World Cup success (runners-up in 1934 and 1962). But in the last 30 years, there has only been one appearance, and it ended in the group stage.
South Korea is making their 11th straight appearance, and finished 4th in 2002 when they were co-hosts. But that impressive seeming streak is also because the AFC is not exactly a hotbed of soccer powerhouses. Nonetheless, South Korea is good enough to win a match in the expanded knockout round if they get out of group stage, which they should. (Second place finisher in this group gets second place from Group B, likely Canada or Switzerland.)
