OT World Cup Day 6 Open Thread
Everyone recovered sufficiently? What a night for the USMNT. Here we go on Day 6:
Group H
Belgium - Algeria 12pm EDT (ESPN / Univision / Watch ESPN)
Group A
Brazil - Mexico 3pm EDT (ESPN / Univision / Watch ESPN)
Group H
Russia - Korea Republic 6pm EDT (ESPN / Univision / Watch ESPN)
...bad memories of 2002.
Mexico is struggling early...can't gain posession, lots of ugly fouls, etc. They look nervous out there. Either way, no goals yet.
save of the tourney--live at least. can't wait for the replay
Ochoa is so good...that was magnificent.
Absolutely ridiculous stop. Don't know how he did that.
The goal line technology thing made that save seem even better.
tournament. Messi and Pirlo have also have had big impacts.
I thought Van Persie and Robben were pretty good too--do you disagree?
he is a gremlin on food after midnight
Dani Alves: "How can that be a foul? I have the ball after clattering through both of Ayun's legs."
Every time I have glanced at the game, Mexico is ripping a shot high. Just get the ball on net.
There's been a lot of that in this tournament, and it's the third tournament in a row that shots have crosses have been off target high for the first week. Did they screw around with the ball again? It's not nearly as bad as the last two cups, but it's noticeable.
Roy Roundtree = Roundtreundo
I called him that for the remainder of his career here
this is legit keeper work.
Another great save.
Mexico looking better. Yellow for Ramires and a dangerous free kick for Mexico
Holy smokes - how did Mexico survive that?
Kick save and a beaut!
if they have any chance of winning this tourney (legitametely and without heavy heapings of help by the refs)
How did this Mexican team struggle so much to qualify?
Is Fred the worst Brasilian striker ever to lead the line? What a donkey.
as their two best players are forwards
into leadership and all that, but there were lots of off-field issues with the team during qualifying. of the very distracting kind. i think that played a huge issue--this team is clearly more talented than any of the other concacaf teams.
hulk, neymar, ronaldhino, and pele. it's a cultural thing
Brazilian's pick one name to go with...Fred's whole name is Frederico Chaves Guedes
i hate dish with a passion
Univision streams for free or WATCH ESPN has it, too
Dangerous free kick for Mexico after a yellow from Thiago Silva. Here we go.
dos Santos drills it right into the wall.
...for being terrible actors.
Wow. Thiago Silva is lucky to stay on after that tackle. That was orange at best.
Kickoff 6pm EDT
I expect this match to be really competitive. Yes, these teams are in the World Cup! It's taken them long enough to play.
Russia
Akinfeev, Ignashevich, Glushakov, Kokorin, Berezutskiy (c), Shatov, Zhirkov, Samedov, Fayzulin, Eshchenko, Kombarov
Korea
S R Jung, S Y Yun, Y G Kim, H M Son, C Y Park, Y Lee, J C Koo (c), K Y Han, S Y Ki, C Y Lee, J H Hong
They are very skilled and athletic, and use space really well on attack, but are very unimpressive in defense. Mexico is solid-to-good, and certainly well-coached. But this is the second time we've seen Brazil struggle against middling opposition--what happens when they face an elite team, like Argentina, Germany or the Netherlands? Germany is bigger and more physical than Brazil, but just as skilled and athletic, and I can't help but think Messi, Robben and van Persie would all run circles around the Brazilian back four.
is the player of the tourney so far
as well as set up a couple of others.
taking on 2-3 players all game
Half of goalkeeping is position...everyone knows when a goalkeeper is out of position. He was right where he needed to me.
that ball is going in if he doesn't get his right hand up in time. that's a less than split second reaction and real impressive.
It's a good save, but in the pantheon of great saves, it's not up there. Getting his hands up is like a n'oh shit an object is flying right at my face stop it' type reaction. The type that the brain barely actually processes. His first one where he had to dive, track and get a hand up there on another close strike was far more impressive to me. Basically, if it was the US and not Brazil, this blog wouldn't be talking about a good save, but rather saying "You have to put that header literally anywhere else than exactly where the keeper is standing. You're 4-5 yards away. Anywhere else and there is absolutely nothing the keeper can do to stop a goal". But that's, like, just my opinion, man.