Wednesday July 1 Links and Banter
Midweek! Except for folks that have an observed July 4th.
About Yesterday's Games
Norway 2, Ivory Coast 1
Kind of...: A quite fun match. Pretty close to even in all of the stats. Edge to Norway in expected goals, but extra time would've been appropriate too. Each goal featured complete excellence in one way or another. Antonio Nusa got Norway on the board first with an absolutely brilliantly targeted strike late in the first. Ivory Coast was able to level early in the fourth quarter when Amad Diallo was able to work this way through multiple defenders in the box. Sublime goal. But Norway delivered the gut punch in the 86th minute when a wonderful through ball led to essentially a one-timer in front of the net for a wide open Haaland. Norway is through to face Brazil. Ivory Coast is the victim of a tough bracket draw, but showed out.
France 3, Sweden 0
Kind of...: This went as expected. France spent most of the first half tinkering with the sports car before actually taking it for a drive. And they never really put it in top gear. But everybody was thoroughly impressed by the performance nonetheless. Next, Paraguay will try to throw some sugar in the tank and make us all hate soccer.
Mexico 2, Ecuador 0
Kind of...: The stats suggest a more even game than the final score reflects. But plenty of 38-17 CFB games end with comparable yardage totals, too. Mexico scored at the end of the first quarter, and then doubled their lead on an Ecuador turnover early in the second. And that was pretty much that.
AlmaOtter: I shared this on the game thread last night, but fuck it, sharing it again.
Ran the dog out for the end of night pee and we came across a Hispanic dude walking home. we see him at this time of night pretty regularly. He works at a local restaurant down the street. He was staring at his phone, audio playing into the darkness. I asked if they were winning.
“Mexico a dos!” He delightedly showed me his screen.
“Vamos!”
“Vamos!” he replied. He walked into the night.
—————
scene. sports are good.
Today's Matchups
England v DR Congo
Atlanta, GA. 12:00 PM ET/11:00 AM GTZ.
Kind of...: England clearly has the more talented roster, but DR Congo shouldn't be a pushover. Hopefully they don't go into full park the bus mode. Winner has to play Mexico in Mexico City for a spot in the quarters in what will be an electric environment.
MaximumSam: Harry Kane eats a steady diet of Chicken Tikka Masala, which somehow has been appointed the national dish of England. Hey, nothing wrong with that. Congo responds with Poulet Moambe, which is basically a stew where chicken parts are cooked with tomatoes and palm butter. My Kroger doesn't regularly carry palm butter, though I understand peanut butter is a popular substitute. Harry Kane would only eat the original.
Belgium v Senegal
Seattle, WA. 4:00 PM ET/3:00 GTZ.
Kind of...: I've been critical of Belgium throughout, and I think it's obvious this isn't a vintage side. Still, they won their group and are the slight favorite today. But this is the most even matchup of the three today and Senegal's losses in group stage (Norway, France) has certainly prepared them for what Belgium can bring. Should be a compelling lead-in to the main event.
MaximumSam: Throw out the waffles, as the national dish of Belgium is Moules-Frites, otherwise known as mussels and fries. Perhaps served with a side of mayo for dipping. Senegal comes with Thieboudienne, which is a fish stew made with jollof rice. Sounds good, but hard to say no to a plate full of mussels and fries.
USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Santa Clara, CA. 8:00 PM ET/7:00 GTZ.
Kind of...: Frankly, you could argue that Bosnia (and friend) is worse that each of the teams the US faced in their group. The US is expected to win this game, and a loss would be devastating. Bosnia (and friend) is a tall, rangy side, so defending set pieces is crucial. But they're not particularly fast, which is really helpful given the USMNT's tendency to open themselves up to counterattack opportunities. If the US is patient (B&H is physical and will seek to disrupt any flow), and picks their spots, quality chances should be there.
MaximumSam: The AI appointed national dish of America is the cheeseburger with fries. Which, hell yes. Bosnia and Herzegovina only get one dish, which is Cevapi. Cevapi is basically free formed sausages made out of ground meat and spices then served with flatbread. Sort of a poor man's hamburger. Give me the rich man's hamburger, please.
AlmaOtter: No no, cevapi totally rocks! Get some pita and some spicy red pepper sauce (ajvar) and some Balkan cheese and you're golden.
