World Cup Recaps and Previews, Friday June 19: Six and Ooooooooh Caaaaanadaaa
USA USA USA USA!
About Yesterday's Games
USA 2, Australia 0
AlmaOtter:
Kind of...: The own goal was earned, and this was a worthy, though admittedly choppy, win. A better squad than the Aussies might have pressured the US via counters (or, more accurately, done more with the opportunities the Aussies sought to create). But, let's not quibble. This is the best USMNT of our lifetimes (unless you were alive in 1930). Good enough that next Thursday's game vs. Turkiye is meaningless as the boys have already clinched the group.
AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE: THE GAME VS. TURKIYE IS UTTERLY MEANINGLESS. IF YOU THINK GETTING 9 POINTS IS IMPORTANT...IT'S NOT; LAST CHAMP TO GET 9 IN GROUP STAGE? BRAZIL, 2002. COME OUT OF GROUP PLAY HEALTHY AND WITH NO RED CARDS.
MaximumSam: Socceroos successfully sent back to their island prison. Next up, dispatching the Ottoman Empire.
Morocco 1, Scotland 0
Kind of...: The better, faster team won. Scotland wasn't hopeless, they were just clearly the inferior squad. Morocco is effectively guaranteed to get through. Scotland, with 3 points in hand, finishes with Brazil. Challenge issued.
MaximumSam: They should have awarded a point for beer drinking.
Brazil 3, Haiti 0
Kind of...: Brazil netted three first half goals and it felt like they could name their total. They, somewhat unluckily, didn't score in the second, and you could see why their fan base has been so negative (besides that just the way they tend to be). Brazil's four points mean they're all but guaranteed to go through. R32 matchup shouldn't tax them too much. But a deep run will require better form.
Paraguay 1, Turkiye 0
Kind of...: Turkiye may well the disappointment of the event thus far. Viewed as the best squad in the group, they've been outscored 3-0. They were really unlikely against Australia, who they outplayed. But they were absolutely toothless last night (0.0 expected goals) despite Paraguay only having 10 men for the entirety of the second half, and have been officially eliminated. That's right, the USMNT/Turkiye match that was supposed to decide the group is meaningless for both teams. Nice work, Turkiye...
MaximumSam: Sorry about your luck, Turkey. Should have named your country after a better bird.
Today's Matchups
Group F: Netherlands (0-1-0) v Sweden (1-0-0)
Houston, TX 1:00 PM ET, 12:00 GTZ.
Kind of...: Sweden played so well last time out that Tunisia fired their coach. In theory, this could be a wide-open joyful match. But Netherlands has shifted away from their free-flowing glory days, and Sweden (with Japan remaining) might be content to hunt for a draw and preserved their goal differential by not being too aggressive. Come on boys, give the fans what they want!
Group E: Germany (1-0-0) v Ivory Coast (1-0-0)
Toronto, Canada. 4:00 ET, 3:00 GTZ.
Kind of...: Ivory Coast earned the win over Ecuador last time out. And they still have Curacao left, so six points, and no worse than second in the group is well within their grasp. They'll play to win, but not "play to win above all else." Germany netted seven vs. Curacao and today will be a good chance to see how much of that was "Germany is sneakily a legit contender" and how much was "Curacao is not so sneakily not very good."
Group E: Ecuador (0-0-1) v Curaco (0-0-1)
Kansas City, MO. 8:00 ET, 7:00 GTZ
Kind of...: Ecuador should win this. If they do, and Germany beats Ivory Coast, then winning the group is still a possibility for Ecuador. However, they're a defense-oriented side, which made it's less likely they'd win the necessary tiebreakers. Still, they should win today, and that will keep them alive.
MaximumSam: Ecuador has been practicing in Columbus. Maybe we can slip Jeremiah Smith out there.
Group F: Tunisia (0-0-1) v Japan (0-1-0)
Guadalupe, Mexico. 12:00 AM ET, 11:00 PM GTZ
Kind of...: Tunisia was awful vs. Sweden. Fire your coach awful. Japan is quite good. I won't be awake to see this, I suspect. But when I wake up and check the score, I'll be stunned if it's not there points for Japan.
