Month: November 2022

  • World Cup Dispatch (Update): Germany v Japan

    I have come into this match at the start of the second half, so I didn’t see Germany score its lone goal. The conventional wisdom here is that Germany should win this match, as Germany is one of the powerhouse nations when it comes to football. But, remember that the 2018 Cup was a disaster for Germany, so there are still questions lingering about this team. Now, Japan does have its work cut out for them, but by no means are they a long shot in this match. Since 2002, Japan has been fielding competitive teams in international play, and the only way you get better is by competing more.

    And watching Japan in this second half, they are coming across as the more aggressive team. They are fighting for every ball, and have had at least three really good scoring chances. Then, Japan’s goaltender, GONDA, just had four major stops in a series of shots from…

    And now Japan just scored! It’s 1-1, and Japan does look like the more relaxed team out there, as Germany looks edgy.

    Let’s see how the next 10 minutes go.

    UPDATE:

    WOW! Japan did it! Better than a draw, they beat Germany! The last twenty minutes were all Japan. That’s not to say that Germany didn’t threaten, but Japan’s defense was iron tight. GONDA, Japan’s goalie, was amazing! He seemed to be everywhere. But I also have to point out that Japan’s defense on Germany’s set plays are corners was impressive. This was not a weak German team, but Japan wore them down, like the old rope-a-dope, and then just took over at the end of the match.

    That was fun! That was a lot of fun to watch!

    (And, thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this post. If you could do me a favor, hit that like button over there. It will help me out, with rankings and stuff.)

  • World Cup Dispatch: Mexico v Poland

    Full disclosure; I was running errands when this match started. (See, I needed to get the last of shopping for Thanksgiving done, which meant a run to Trader Joe’s, then to Old Navy to exchange some pajama bottoms, then to Whole Foods for a specific cheese that the wife needs for the big meal, and finally I went to neighborhood Key Foods to shop for dinner. Not that this has anything to do with anything, I just wanted to share it.) By the time I got home it was halftime, and the consensus was that Poland was holding their own against Mexico, as the score was 0-0.

    In the second half, I was able to catch, what for right now is the save of the Tournament. Lewandowski was fouled in the box, which gave him a penalty kick. Standing in front of goal for Mexico was their clutch goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. I remember Ochoa from to 2018 Cup, and he kept that Mexican team together, even as they started to faulter in the group stage back then. This time around, Ochoa kept his legend alive as he blocked Lewandowski’s kick, and the huge crowd of Mexico supports exploded in cheers! In the end, as the matched in a draw, Ochoa saved his team, and has kept them alive with one point.

    Looking at Group C, I never thought Argentina would be sitting at the bottom, nor did I think Saudi Ariba would be alone at the top. I know it’s early, and a lot can still happen.

    (And, thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this post. If you could do me a favor, hit that like button over there. It will help me out, with rankings and stuff.)

  • World Cup Dispatch: Argentina v Saudi Arabia, and Other News

    I’m excited about the World Cup, but I’m not so rabid that I would get up at 5am to watch the first match of the day. My friend Shawn might, but not me.

    And then Saudi Arabia goes and creates the first upset of the Tournament. Oh, Messi, always the bridesmaid at World Cup, even with a goal in the 10th minute. But at the end of the day, props to the Saudi Arabian squad, because they clearly believed they could win.

    As for other matches, I’m looking forward to Mexico v Poland. I have lots of respect for the Mexican team, as they have been the bane of Team USA’s existence. Yet, I feel a level of loyalty to our continental neighbor, as Mexico has a huge football fan base who does believe they should the first North American men’s team to win a Cup.

    In other World Cup news, team Iran did not sing their national anthem at the opening of their match against England yesterday. Apparently, the team is standing in solidarity with Iranian women, and the protests back in their home country. It’s an important gesture that the team is making on the world biggest sporting stage, as we shouldn’t forget about the brave and courageous women of Iran who are standing up, and being murdered but the authoritarian Iranian regime, for demanding their basic human rights. This also shows that no matter how hard Qatar and FIFA try, you can’t stop all the protests.

    (And, thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this post. If you could do me a favor, hit that like button over there. It will help me out, with rankings and stuff.)

  • World Cup Dispatch (Update): USA v Wales, and other Stuff

    It’s halftime and Team USA is up 1-0 over Wales. That was a pretty goal by Weah and I am sure it is a huge weight off the team after scoring it. Over the first half of the game, USA has been the more aggressive team, fighting for every ball. I was put off at the start of the match by the Referee, as the two yellow cards he handed out to Dest and McKeennie within two minutes of each other seemed rather heavy handed. Things are looking good, but I will feel a lot better once we get the three points.

    I did feel bad for Senegal going down 0-2 to the Netherlands. I would like to know how those tricky Dutch always produce good teams for such a small nation?

    The other thing I noticed today as I ran errands around the neighborhood – There are no signs that the World Cup is going on. In Cups past, for the Men and the Women, there are signs, bunting, banners, and all sorts of things out on store fronts and in the streets. This time around, there is nothing. I know the timing of the Cup isn’t the best for us in the States, with Thanksgiving and Christmas happening. But still, I was expecting to see something out and about.

    UPDATE:

    That didn’t end the way I wanted it to. Yup, can’t foul Bale in the box; he’ll make you pay. And now Wales is all charged up, and will go out there gunning for Iran. That leaves the Welsh with a point off of us, three off of Iran, and then I see them losing to England, for a total of four points. And USA is also playing for 4 points. They have 1 now, and sadly I don’t think they will beat England. That means it will come down to the final match against Iran, which should be a win. But, this is the Wold Cup, and I can see Iran pulling out a tie for national pride and all of that stuff. The path to the knockout round just got harder for Team USA, but not impossible. They just need to score a ton of goals from here on out.

    (Hey! Please, if you are enjoying this blog, take a minute to give a like. You can share this post or leave a comment, but most people don’t do that. Following me; well, I won’t say know to that.)

  • World Cup Dispatch: England v Iran

    First of all, I don’t know if this will be a running series or not. I’m watching the World Cup, and we’ll see how often I write about it.

    Second, I would like to again pay homage to my friend Shawn, who in the Summer of 2002 took the time to make me a convert to the world of international football.

    Third, I am going to try to watch as many matches as possible, but I will put a preference on the teams that I normally follow; USA, England, Mexico, and South Korea. I may drop in on some others, but this will be my primary focus. If they all get knocked out of the tournament, then I might stop following… you know, like a true fan would.

    Right now, I have been watching the England v Iran match since the 30th minute. We are in stoppage time right now, and England is up 3-0. Iran doesn’t look terrible, it’s just that England looks like a well-oiled machine. I mean, they scored three goals in ten minutes, and Kane hasn’t taken a good crack at goal yet, so this could be a very long day for Iran. If I was the rest of the group, I would say everyone needs to find a way to gum up the Kane/Sterling duo of England, or this will just turn into a fight for second. Being that they have just gone in for halftime, I don’t see Iran coming back to earn a draw let alone a win. I know, really stepping out on a limb with this take.

    And so, my World Cup 2022 journey has started. Just like when it was in Russia last time, there is a feeling of hypocrisy blanketing this tournament. Not only because of the blatant bribery that took place for Qatar to get the Cup, but another authoritarian nation gets to put on a façade to the world that they are a modern, open, and free country. This will be an issue I will be wrestling with for the length of the tournament, and I am sure this won’t be the last time that I mention it.

    Let’s see how this play out.

    Oh, Second half started and Saka scored again. 4-0 England.

    Wait Iran, just scored! Holy crap! It’s 4-1, but at least Iran is still fighting.

    (Hey! Please, if you are enjoying this blog, take a minute to give a like. You can share this post or leave a comment, but most people don’t do that. Following me; well, I won’t say know to that.)