Futbol

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Japan beat Colombia 2-1, people may die.

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Australia played Denmark to a 1-1 draw, that's gotta be a moral victory for Australia.

Russia and Uruguay have already advanced from their weak (Egypt, Saudi Arabia) group.

https://scores.nbcsports.com/worldcup/standings.asp

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Powerhouse France squeaked by Peru 1-0, does advance but vulnerable?

Iceland just held Argentina to a 1-1 tie despite blistering and unrelenting 2nd half attacks by Messi and Argentina, Iceland! The parties there must be epic. Croatia is leading the group after beating Nigeria.

Croatia beat Argentina 3-1. It's close to advancing. An Iceland win over Nigeria tomorrow may knock Argentina out. Oh my. Argentina lost to Germany 1–0 in the 2014 final.

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Iceland Switzerland just held Argentina Brasil to a 1-1 tie despite blistering and unrelenting 2nd half attacks by Messi Neymar and Argentina Brasil, Iceland Switzerland! The parties there must be epic. Croatia Serbia, ick, is leading the group after beating Nigeria Costa Rica, darn.

The talking heads say that the refs screwed Brasil, they did show lots of examples.

Whoa, Brasil barely dodged the bullet by scoring twice in injury time to win 2-0 over Costa Rica.

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Croatia beat Argentina 3-1. It's close to advancing. An Iceland win over Nigeria tomorrow may knock Argentina out. Oh my. Argentina lost to Germany 1–0 in the 2014 final.

Nigeria won 2-0, Croatia advances, Nigeria is in 2nd and advances with a win over Argentina. I don't have anything against Argentina, but I do like underdogs and chaos. Iceland still has a shot. If it beats Croatia, unlikely, AND Argentina beats Nigeria, it goes to goal differential between them.

France has advanced.

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German newspaper: 'Sorry Mexico. Today we build the wall.'

Opps, that worked about as well as Dolt .45's wall.

Lozano, Mexico top (defending champ) Germany in thrilling Group F opener

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!

Comments:

tomorrow's header: second time berlin wall gets taken down

Will Trump Tweet Congratulations to Mexico?

North America, represent....

Mexico hangs on to win 2-1. It will take a bizarre set of circumstances for it not to advance. Poor South Korea, maybe the toughest group getting Mexico, Germany and Sweden. It's knocked out.

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Mexico hangs on to win 2-1. It will take a bizarre set of circumstances for it not to advance. Poor South Korea, maybe the toughest group getting Mexico, Germany and Sweden. It's knocked out.

Germany barely ekes out a 2-1 win over Sweden with seconds left in injury time, darn. Mexico could still get knocked out by the 2 of them, but probably not.

Trivia: 3 of the last 4 defending champions have been knocked out in Group Play, but with Germany only having South Korea left to play I think the Sweden-Mexico loser is in the most trouble.

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England crushed Panama 6-1. It and Belgium advance, Panama and Tunisia are knocked out. I didn't have favorites in this group.

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Colombia beat Poland 3-0 and knocked it out of the WC. Western Hemisphere, represent!

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Spain dodged a humiliating bullet by tying the game vs. Morocco at 2-2 in injury time.
Iran tied the game vs. Portugal at 1-1 late in injury time.
Spain advances, Portugal barely advances over Iran, Morocco and Iran go home. Christianity beats Islam, again.

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Powerhouse France squeaked by Peru 1-0, does advance but vulnerable?

Peru beat Australia 2-0, its 1st WC win in 40 years.
Denmark held France to the 1st 0-0 tie of the WC.
Denmark and France advance, Peru and Australia go home.

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Croatia beat Argentina 3-1. It's close to advancing. An Iceland win over Nigeria tomorrow may knock Argentina out. Oh my. Argentina lost to Germany 1–0 in the 2014 final.

Nigeria won 2-0, Croatia advances, Nigeria is in 2nd and advances with a win over Argentina. I don't have anything against Argentina, but I do like underdogs and chaos. Iceland still has a shot. If it beats Croatia, unlikely, AND Argentina beats Nigeria, it goes to goal differential between them.

Iceland lost. Argentina got its golden goal with 10 left in the game, beat Nigeria 2-1, advances while Nigeria and Iceland go home.

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Mexico hangs on to win 2-1. It will take a bizarre set of circumstances for it not to advance. Poor South Korea, maybe the toughest group getting Mexico, Germany and Sweden. It's knocked out.

Germany barely ekes out a 2-1 win over Sweden with seconds left in injury time, darn. Mexico could still get knocked out by the 2 of them, but probably not.

Sweden beat Mexico 3-0, ut-oh . . . BUT, South Korea with nothing to play for but pride beat Germany in injury time 2-0, one an empty net goal due to German desperation.

Trivia: 3 of the last 4 defending champions have been knocked out in Group Play, but with Germany only having South Korea left to play I think the Sweden-Mexico loser is in the most trouble.

4 of the last 5, I think they said that Germany has never been knocked out in group play before. #1 in the group Sweden and Mexico advance. Perfect.

I'm pretty sure that the rumors that Germany will invade Poland out of frustration are untrue.

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Iceland Switzerland just held Argentina Brasil to a 1-1 tie despite blistering and unrelenting 2nd half attacks by Messi Neymar and Argentina Brasil, Iceland Switzerland! The parties there must be epic. Croatia Serbia, ick, is leading the group after beating Nigeria Costa Rica, darn.

The talking heads say that the refs screwed Brasil, they did show lots of examples.

Whoa, Brasil barely dodged the bullet by scoring twice in injury time to win 2-0 over Costa Rica.

Costa Rica had already been knocked out, showed heart by playing Switzerland to a 2-2 tie.
Brasil knocked Serbia out with a 2-0 win, Brasil and Switzerland move on, cool.

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France and Argentina play each other Saturday thanks to Argentina coming in 2nd in its group. One traditional powerhouse favorite is sure to get knocked out. Hmmm, I don't hate either, but would like to see them both gone for the underdogs' sake.

Uruguay (1st) and Portugal (2nd, barely) also play each other Saturday. I like them both and don't have a favorite in this game, either.

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... South Korea with nothing to play for but pride beat Germany in injury time 2-0, one an empty net goal due to German desperation....

I forgot to mention that the South Korean goalie played brilliantly. An amazing save by the Japanese keeper vs. Poland reminded me.

I really want Senegal, the last possible African nation, to beat or tie Colombia to advance from this group.
Then, it would be nice if Japan wins or ties to continue Asian representation in the WC.

Edit:
Japanese lost to Poland 1-0, but Poland was already knocked out.
Senegal lost to Colombia 1-0, Colombia comes from behind to win the group.
http://scores.nbcsports.com/worldcup/standings.asp
I was trying to figure out why Japan advanced and Senegal didn't. Evidently there are "fair play" points.

"However, it was the Lions of Teranga (who) were eliminated from the 2018 World Cup for picking up just one more yellow card than Japan, who they finished level with on points, goals scored and goals conceded."

They also tied head-to-head. I've heard it suggested, but never implemented, to decide ties based on corner kick differential, which is an indicator of nonscoring superiority. Never knew that yellow cards could be so critical.

I never got many yellow cards in my "career". It's difficult for a goalie to get one, even when it's deserved and even when it's a non-tall and thus more aggressive goalie like I was. We get some extra protection, intentionally or not, like QBs.

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France and Argentina play each other Saturday thanks to Argentina coming in 2nd in its group. One traditional powerhouse favorite is sure to get knocked out. Hmmm, I don't hate either, but would like to see them both gone for the underdogs' sake....

France topped Argentina, 4-3, arguably the most exciting game of the WC so far. The star was Kylian Mbappe, scored 2 and played an important role in another French goal.

He scored a goal against Peru at the 2018 World Cup and became the youngest French goalscorer at the World Cup at age 19.

19! He's the son of immigrants, a father from Cameroon and an Algerian mother. I hope the French are throwing that in the face of Marine Le Pen and other reichwing bigots.

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Uruguay (1st) and Portugal (2nd, barely) also play each other Saturday. I like them both and don't have a favorite in this game, either.

Uruguay beats Portugal, 2-1. The group leaders win the day, South America and Europe are balanced. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo lose on the same day, that probably doesn't happen often. (France's Kylian) Mbappé has stated that growing up he idolized Cristiano Ronaldo. Ouch.

Uruguay plays France in a week, go Uruguay.

Spain vs Russia and Croatia vs Denmark tomorrow. Go Spain and Denmark.

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Spain dominated almost every offensive category:
Shots 25-7
Shots on Goal 9-1
Fouls Committed 5-19
Ball Possession 75%-25%!

However, Russia's defense hung tough, it scored both regular time goals - one for Russia, one for Spain - it kept extra time scoreless, and it won the penalty kick shootout. Crap.

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1-1 tie again, penalty kicks again, the Danish keeper stopped an impressive 2 tries, this after a PK save late in extra time, the Croatian keeper stopped an unheard of 3 tries, crap again.

I'm 0-2-2 in Knockout Stage games.

Go Croatia vs. Russia.

Tomorrow:
Go Mexico vs. Brasil!
Belgium vs. Japan, no preference.