Credit: Pixabay
The World at Play and the US isn’t there. Ah, gee..
Saudi Arabia and Russia are kicking it off, opening the games, June 14. How humorously ironic, our arch-« enemies » from the past-present, not that anyone in the US cares, because we are building The Wall and we aren’t in The Games. I bet that Russia wins the opening match. I’ll be watching. It is decidedly agreed by the soccer powers that the hosting country (Russia 2018) will make it to the semi-finals, at least. That’s the least one can do for the hosting country, n’est-ce pas?
Like we boycotted the Russian Olympic Games of 197whatever…because they were warring with Afganistan, god bless them, the English tried it and failed, we tried it and failed…too bad Afganistan doesn’t develop their soccer league, they would champion! And even though the Russians are hacking our computers and influencing our politics, according to the press who are quoting The Initials (NSA, CIA, FBI..), we still, or perhaps because of, didn’t make the playoffs.
Is that the fault of Trump? I thought they liked him? well, God bless America, my home sweet home. Better luck in four years.
Now, take golf, an international sport for the upper classes in which Mr. Turmp invests. A Scottish invented game, green fields and little balls. Trump’s kind of game. You look at an aerial photo of San Diego, and the La Jolla Country Club golf course stands out like a shining emerald surrounded by golden dry everything else. I guess when we are all thirsting, we can go drink at their sprinklers.
Anyways, America, keep it up. Even though informed parents are probably withholding their kids from brain concussions from American football and toxic exposure from recycled tires artificial turf fields (Trump enterprises probably invested in that too, although we wouldn’t know because we don’t see his tax statements), perhaps our era of sports dominance is over and we will become an intellectual nation, perhaps even as good as the Russian hackers, the « first into space” nation?
Go Portugal, Mexico, Iran, Iceland, Uruguay, Peru, Costa Rica, Nigeria, Serbia, England, and all the others, and France, my personal favorite, an ex- « intellectual « nation, now, thanks to the amazing and wonderful Zidane winning their first Word Cup in 1998 and still today with his brillant coaching in Spain, an international soccer threat. Will the French come back and save us in our next revolution ? Let’s hope so.
***
The qualifying teams are listed below.
GROUP A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay
GROUP B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco and Iran
GROUP C: France, Australia, Peru and Denmark
GROUP D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria
GROUP E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia
GROUP F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea
GROUP G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England
GROUP H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan
Here’s the Group Play TV schedule (subject to networks changes, all times PDT):
(Telemundo and NBC Universo carry the Spanish broadcasts, matches streamed live on fuboTV)
Thursday, June 14
8 AM – Russia vs Saudi Arabia (Group 1), Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, FOX
Friday, June 15
5 AM – Egypt vs Uruguay (Group A), Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, FS1
8 AM – Morocco vs Iran (Group B), St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, FOX
11 AM – Portugal vs Spain (Group B), Fisht Stadium, Sochi, FOX
Saturday, June 16
3 AM – France vs Australia (Group C), Kazan Arena, Kazan, FS1
6 AM – Argentina vs Iceland (Group D, Spartak Stadium, Moscow, FOX
9 AM – Peru vs Denmark (Group C), Mordovia Arena, Saransk, FS1
Noon – Croatia vs Nigeria (Group D), Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, FS1
Sunday, June 17
5 AM – Costa Rica vs Serbia (Group E), Samara Arena, Samara, FOX
8 AM – Germany vs Mexico (Group F), Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, FS1
11 AM – Brazil vs Switzerland (Group E), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, FS1
Monday, June 18
5 AM – Sweden vs Korea Republic (Group F), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, FS1
8 AM – Belgium vs Panama (Group G), Fisht Stadium, Sochi, FS1
11 AM – Tunisia vs England (Group G), Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, FS1
Tuesday, June 19
5 AM – Colombia vs Japan (Group H), Mordovia Arena, Saransk, FS1
8 AM – Poland vs Senegal (Group H), Spartak Stadium, Moscow, FOX
11 AM – Russia vs Egypt (Group A), St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, FOX
Wednesday, June 20
5 AM – Portugal vs Morocco (Group B), Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, FS1
8 AM – Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia (Group A), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, FOX
11 AM – Iran vs Spain (Group B), Kazan Arena, Kazan, FOX
Thursday, June 21
5 AM – Denmark vs Australia (Group C), Samara Arena, Samara, FS1
8 AM – France vs Peru (Group C), Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, FOX
11 PM – Argentina vs Croatia (Group D), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, FOX
Friday, June 22
5 AM – Brazil vs Costa Rica (Group E), St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, FS1
8 AM – Nigeria vs Iceland (Group D), Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, FOX
11 AM – Serbia vs Switzerland (Group E), Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, FOX
Saturday, June 23
5 AM – Belgium vs Tunisia (Group G), Spartak Stadium, Moscow, FOX
8 AM – Korea Republic vs Mexico (Group F), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, FOX
11 AM – Germany vs Sweden (Group F), Fisht Stadium, Sochi, FOX
Sunday, June 24
5 AM – England vs Panama (Group G), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, FS1
8 AM – Japan vs Senegal (Group H), Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, FOX
11 AM – Poland vs Colombia (Group H), Kazan Arena, Kazan, FOX
Monday, June 25
7 AM – Group A: Uruguay vs Russia, Samara Arena, Samara, FOX; Saudi Arabia vs Egypt, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd FS1
11 AM – Group B: Iran vs Portugal, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, FOX; Spain vs Morocco Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, FS1
Tuesday, June 26
7 AM – Group C: Denmark vs France, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, FOX; Australia vs Peru, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, FS1
11 AM – Group D: Nigeria vs Argentina, St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, FOX; Iceland vs Croatia, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, FS1
Wednesday, June 27
7 AM – Group F: Mexico vs Sweden, Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, FOX; Korea Republic vs Germany, Kazan Arena, Kazan, FS1
11 AM – Group E: Serbia vs Brazil, Spartak Stadium, Moscow, FOX; Switzerland vs Costa, Rica Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, FS1
Thursday, June 28
7 AM – Group H: Senegal vs Colombia, Samara Arena, Samara, FOX; Japan vs Poland, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, FS1
11 AM – Group G: England vs Belgium, Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, FOX; Panama vs Tunisia, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, FS1
ROUND OF 16
Saturday, June 30
7 AM Fox/FS1: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up (Match 50)
11 AM Fox/FS1: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up (Match 49)
Sunday, July 1
7 AM Fox/FS1: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up (Match 51)
11 AM Fox/FS1: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up (Match 52)
Monday, July 2
7 AM Fox/FS1: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up (Match 53)
11 AM Fox/FS1: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up (Match 54)
Tuesday, July 3
7 AMFox/FS1: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up (Match 55)
11 AM Fox/FS1: Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up (Match 56)
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, July 6
7 AM FS1: Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner
11 AM FS1: Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner
Saturday, July 7
7 AM Fox: Match 55 winner vs. Match 66 winner
11 AM Fox: Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, July 10
11 AM Fox: Quarterfinal 1 winner vs. Quarterfinal 2 winner
Wednesday, July 11
11 AM Fox: Quarterfinal 3 winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner
Saturday, July 14
7 AM Fox: Semifinal 1 loser vs. Semifinal 2 loser (Third-place match)
FINAL
Sunday, July 15
8 AM Fox: Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner
Micaela Shafer Porte
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yeah, so I called it, France won the World Cup, so happy, Go France, lead the world again, with your “savoir vivre”, (knowhow to live) y’all should know that French is one of the 5 international languages of the UN (United Nations based in New York City )notably on your passport, if you have one, if not, get one! and travel, see the world, America is made of the world’s citizens, so why have we become so boringly insular? everybody’s families are immigrants somehow, Americaus, get out there and share your roots with your roots.. I’m sure it would do you some good to remember where you came from, and nat-ams (native Americans) too… on this planet only micro-organisms are “native”, everything else moves around, and around and around…