Oh dear, Spain, the world champion, is out after only two games. It was my favorite, too, but I guess it makes things interesting. I’m sure there’s deep gloom and incomprehension in Iberia today. Sadly, didn’t see the game as I had visitors.
Which team shall I favor now? Netherlands, who are playing well (3-2 over Australia yesterday)?
Here’s today’s schedule. I’d like to watch England vs. Uruguay, but my duties preclude me from watching all but the 5 p.m. game, but that one is Japan vs. Greece.
Here are all the highlights and goals of the Spain-Chile game. Chile’s first drive starts about 2:00 (a beautiful goal), the second, a tap into the net after a failed free-kick, is at 3:40. Claudio Bravo, Chile’s goalkeeper, was great.
As Sid Lowe noted at The Guardian:
Spain’s era came to an end at the Maracanã, graveyard of great expectations. This was not 1950 and Iker Casillas is not Moacir Barbosa, nor is Charles Aránguiz Acides Ghiggia, but it was historic. The world and double European champions became the first team to leave the 2014 World Cup, knocked out of a major tournament for the first time in eight years.
As the second half slipped away, so did Spain’s vital signs. Casillas, the captain who lifted the trophy four years ago, wore a haunted look. Diego Costa, the man Spain had ‘signed’, had departed to insults, unable to score. And Xavi, the ideologue of a philosophy this team espoused, never even took to the field. There was symbolism in his absence. He will probably not be back; Casillas may not be either. Between them they have 289 caps and every medal there is.
There was a certain sadness in seeing a golden generation end it this way, broken and beaten, but there was joy in being caught up in the dynamism of a Chile team that may yet make an even greater impact on this tournament. There was joy in their fans too.
And the Google Doodle continues to be both animated and about the World Cup. Click on the screenshot below to see it:
Not an auspicious day to become King of Spain!
🙂
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/18/spain-crown-prince-felipe-on-brink-of-becoming-king
Let us hope this one does not kill elephants…
I don’t think Holland are playing that well, Aus gave them quite a scare, but they’ve got Robben and van Persie so they always have a chance against anyone.
Still, the World Cup is of course usually won by the team with the best defence, not the team that plays best.
van Persie is out for the next match, after getting two yellow cards. But I think the Dutch are going to be very hard to beat.
Netherlands already has two wins, so the next game is not vital for them. If he’s got to sit out, it’s an OK time for it.
Exactly. Holland needs to use the next game to improve their defense a little and rehearse for the Second round. But both Holland and Chile will want to win in order to avoid Brazil. So it should be quite a fun match.
I think this year the winner is particularly tough to predict. Germany might have been the most convincing in the first game so I guess I would place my money on them if I was a betting man. Hoping for some more underdog successes too. A brand new World Cup winner would be the best.
Where did that video originate? A coworker came in while I was playing it, and says their Russian is very bad.
Altidore will not play for the USA against Portugal.