I don’t know about you, but I’m having a fantastic time so far. It’s been a bit of a balancing act trying to juggle my responsibilities as a loving father of four children ages five and under with the fanatical devotion that surfaces once every four years. Add to that the joys of being able to introduce the elder small ones to the beautiful game in its most epic form, and we have quite the experience all around.
At time of writing, things have been entertaining. Mexico handled South Africa, but three
players were sent off in that opening match. Czechia went up 1-0 on South Korea that first night, only to see Korea pull off a memorable 2-1 comeback win. Canada went down early to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but were able to salvage a draw thanks to a Cyle Larin strike that deflected off his defender. That night, the USA steamrolled Paraguay 4-1, you may have heard about it. Then on Saturday, Switzerland put a penalty kick past Qatar and looked all set for three points, only to allow an own goal in the final minutes to settle for a draw – the first time Qatar has ever earned a point at a World Cup. Morocco took an early lead over Brazil thanks to Alisson being caught out of position, and Morocco seemed to be on the front foot, but Vini Jr. was able to manage a stunning curled equalizer to save a point for Brazil. And as I write, Scotland is clinging to a 1-0 lead over Haiti. Haiti have been threatening, creating more chances than I expected of their team.
Today, we turn to Group E and F. In Group E, Germany are the clear favorites, with Ecuador seen as having a chance of pushing their way through to win the group. Both of them will be looking to take care of business: Germany against Concacaf “minnow” Curaçao (minnow hardly feels the right term, they’ve risen above that level, but my knowledge of fish wanes), and Ecuador with what looks like a trickier matchup against Côte d’Ivoire, who look like the third-best team in the group.
In Group F, we have two strong teams meeting immediately as Japan meets the Netherlands. They will likely be vying for control of the group, although Sweden could wrest it from their hands, and Sweden seems like it has the easier opening match against Tunisia.
So, what will the games have in store for us today? Stick around, drop your comments, and have a great time.
How to watch
Germany vs Curaçao (Group E)
Location: Houston, Texas
Kick-off time: 1 pm Eastern, 10 am Pacific
TV and streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX One, Fubo
Netherlands vs Japan (Group F)
Location: Dallas, Texas (technically Arlington)
Kick-off time: 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific
TV and streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX One, Fubo (free trial)
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (Group E)
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kick-off time: 7 pm Eastern, 4 pm Pacific
TV and streaming: FS1, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX One, Fubo
Sweden vs Tunisia (Group F)
Location: Monterrey, Mexico (technically Guadalupe)
Kick-off time: 10 pm Eastern, 7 pm Pacific
TV and streaming: FS1, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX One, Fubo
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