Germany 4, Mexico 1
This semifinal never was in doubt. The Germans claimed a strong lead, 2 goals to 0, by minute 8. They let the Mexicans keep the ball during the rest of the game. The other goals were incidental.
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Chile 0 (3), Portugal 0 (0)
I recall those shocking days when Russia and Qatar were awarded the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Everyone in the West screamed bloody scandal. Especially the English. … And now, it’s reported that Prince William, his Prime Minister, and their cronies negotiated an illegal trade of votes with officials from South Korea (another bidding nation).
Gloat, gloat, gloat.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Today, Portugal and Chile played the first semifinal game of this Confederations Cup. I turned it on and viewed it for ten minutes. “No goals in this game,” I foresaw.
I watched Netflix. Then I turned the game back on and viewed during minutes 83–90. Still no goals. I regretted my decision to report on the tournament.
The announcers kept saying what a good game it’d been. Maybe they were right. I couldn’t tell.
The thirty-minute extra time started slowly and finished with a flurry of attacking. The Chileans should have been awarded a penalty kick, but VAR did not intervene. Then, twice, they struck the goalposts.
The shootout was more straightforward: three shots, three goals for the Chileans; three shots, three misses for the Portuguese.
Gloat, gloat, gloat.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Today, Portugal and Chile played the first semifinal game of this Confederations Cup. I turned it on and viewed it for ten minutes. “No goals in this game,” I foresaw.
I watched Netflix. Then I turned the game back on and viewed during minutes 83–90. Still no goals. I regretted my decision to report on the tournament.
The announcers kept saying what a good game it’d been. Maybe they were right. I couldn’t tell.
The thirty-minute extra time started slowly and finished with a flurry of attacking. The Chileans should have been awarded a penalty kick, but VAR did not intervene. Then, twice, they struck the goalposts.
The shootout was more straightforward: three shots, three goals for the Chileans; three shots, three misses for the Portuguese.
Australia 1, Chile 1; Germany 3, Cameroon 1
Because I went to church, I didn’t watch either of yesterday’s Confederations Cup games.
Karin filmed this half-minute video of Ziva and Jasper. They’re observing a fly.
Karin filmed this half-minute video of Ziva and Jasper. They’re observing a fly.
Mexico 2, Russia 1; Portugal 4, New Zealand 0; New York City FC 2, New York Red Bulls 0
Today’s Confederations Cup games were played simultaneously. I watched Russia vs. Mexico, which was shown on regular TV.
The Russians started well. Two of their attacks should have resulted in penalty kicks. Neither the referee nor the VAR system awarded any foul, however.
The Russians scored the first goal after a frantic sequence. One shooter struck the upright. Another saw his shot blocked. A third shooter missed the ball altogether. He did manage to slip the ball to the eventual goalscorer.
At that time, the Russians led the group. Things looked quite rosy for them. But then the Mexicans scored with a looping, headed shot.
In the second half, the Mexicans corrected their tactical imperfections. They scored again with another looping, headed shot. The assist came in high and long – all the way from the Mexican defense – and, as he lunged for the ball, the goalscorer was kicked in the chest by the Russian goalie.
VAR disallowed a third Mexican goal. … One of the best Russian players was red-carded. … The Russians looked very tired. … Finally, the whistle was blown, and the host nation was eliminated from the tourney.
At the same time, Portugal defeated New Zealand.
Then FOX showed an MLS contest between the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC. The announcers called it the “New York Derby.” Only, they didn’t say “Derby,” as in “Kentucky Derby”; they said “Darby,” which is how the English pronounce the word. They also talked about the “Texas Darby” – Houston vs. Dallas – as well as other MLS “Darbies.”
Wankers.
The Russians started well. Two of their attacks should have resulted in penalty kicks. Neither the referee nor the VAR system awarded any foul, however.
The Russians scored the first goal after a frantic sequence. One shooter struck the upright. Another saw his shot blocked. A third shooter missed the ball altogether. He did manage to slip the ball to the eventual goalscorer.
At that time, the Russians led the group. Things looked quite rosy for them. But then the Mexicans scored with a looping, headed shot.
In the second half, the Mexicans corrected their tactical imperfections. They scored again with another looping, headed shot. The assist came in high and long – all the way from the Mexican defense – and, as he lunged for the ball, the goalscorer was kicked in the chest by the Russian goalie.
VAR disallowed a third Mexican goal. … One of the best Russian players was red-carded. … The Russians looked very tired. … Finally, the whistle was blown, and the host nation was eliminated from the tourney.
At the same time, Portugal defeated New Zealand.
Then FOX showed an MLS contest between the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC. The announcers called it the “New York Derby.” Only, they didn’t say “Derby,” as in “Kentucky Derby”; they said “Darby,” which is how the English pronounce the word. They also talked about the “Texas Darby” – Houston vs. Dallas – as well as other MLS “Darbies.”
Wankers.
Australia 1, Cameroon 1; Chile 1, Germany 1
Two good games today. The first was dominated by the Cameroonians, who, failing to win, hurt their chances of advancing to the second round. Defending, they made their opponents seem quite toothless (the Australian striker, Tim Cahill, whom the announcers covered in glory, hardly got any touches). But when they were attacking, the Cameroonians weren’t precise enough; and with one clattering foul, they gifted the Australians the penalty kick which was the tying goal.
In the second match, the veteran Chileans employed their usual suffocating press against the youthful German B-team. It brought them their early goal. Then they kept on employing the press, and the Germans passed their way through it and scored their goal.
What I’d like is for the Chileans to reach the final and to be whalloped so hard by this German B-team that they fall apart in World Cup qualifying. Ecuador needs someone to overtake.
(If you are not Germany, and you don’t have a factory of talent to depend on, these useless little tournaments lead only to distraction, despair, and death.)
In the second match, the veteran Chileans employed their usual suffocating press against the youthful German B-team. It brought them their early goal. Then they kept on employing the press, and the Germans passed their way through it and scored their goal.
What I’d like is for the Chileans to reach the final and to be whalloped so hard by this German B-team that they fall apart in World Cup qualifying. Ecuador needs someone to overtake.
(If you are not Germany, and you don’t have a factory of talent to depend on, these useless little tournaments lead only to distraction, despair, and death.)
Portugal 1, Russia 0; Mexico 2, New Zealand 1
I was occupied with tutoring, and so I missed Portugal’s victory over Russia. It seems to have been a dull contest. The Portuguese scored early and then defended all the rest of the game.
I did get to watch Mexico vs. New Zealand, which was entertaining. In the first half, the Kiwis disrupted the Mexicans’ attacking rhythm. Also, Chris Wood, a truck of a forward, gave the Mexican defenders fits. He eventually scored a goal. The second half was very different. The Mexicans realigned themselves tactically; came out at full speed; and scored twice, due to the slipperiness of Javier Aquino, their tiny winger.
In stoppage time, the two teams got into quite a scuffle. The referee ordered a long break so he could consult the Video Assistant Replay system about whom to punish. I was licking my chops – I thought he’d give out several red cards – but he didn’t give out any.
I did get to watch Mexico vs. New Zealand, which was entertaining. In the first half, the Kiwis disrupted the Mexicans’ attacking rhythm. Also, Chris Wood, a truck of a forward, gave the Mexican defenders fits. He eventually scored a goal. The second half was very different. The Mexicans realigned themselves tactically; came out at full speed; and scored twice, due to the slipperiness of Javier Aquino, their tiny winger.
In stoppage time, the two teams got into quite a scuffle. The referee ordered a long break so he could consult the Video Assistant Replay system about whom to punish. I was licking my chops – I thought he’d give out several red cards – but he didn’t give out any.
Father’s Day; Mexico 2, Portugal 2; Chile 2, Cameroon 0; Germany 3, Australia 2
I didn’t watch yesterday’s games. I was in Goshen, Indiana, attending a Father’s Day event. I gave my father-in-law a card, and he gave me a book of Abraham Lincoln’s speeches that he bought during a recent trip to Washington, D.C.
I, Karin, and Karin’s sister, Lily, walked for an hour down a pleasant creekside path in Goshen. I wondered how it would be to live in that city. Where would I work? There are some Mennonite colleges in the area. Could I be a good Mennonite? I doubt it. I have too much feeling for the nations.
These are the games I missed:
Mexico 2, Portugal 2;
Chile 2, Cameroon 0.
One thing made the news: Video Assistant Replay, which is being tested during this Confederations Cup. It led to the annulment of this Portuguese goal (and, I believe, to the validation of a Chilean goal that the referee initially had annulled).
Its use did not seem intrusive. I opposed VAR before this tourney, but now I’m coming to favor it.
Today Germany and Australia played. The Germans got an early goal. The Australians equalized near the end of the first half. The Germans – few of them habitual first-teamers – responded with a flurry of excellent play, quickly scoring two more goals. But not long afterward the Australians punched in another goal, keeping the Germans from leaving them in the dust. All around, it was a good show.
I, Karin, and Karin’s sister, Lily, walked for an hour down a pleasant creekside path in Goshen. I wondered how it would be to live in that city. Where would I work? There are some Mennonite colleges in the area. Could I be a good Mennonite? I doubt it. I have too much feeling for the nations.
These are the games I missed:
Mexico 2, Portugal 2;
Chile 2, Cameroon 0.
One thing made the news: Video Assistant Replay, which is being tested during this Confederations Cup. It led to the annulment of this Portuguese goal (and, I believe, to the validation of a Chilean goal that the referee initially had annulled).
Its use did not seem intrusive. I opposed VAR before this tourney, but now I’m coming to favor it.
Today Germany and Australia played. The Germans got an early goal. The Australians equalized near the end of the first half. The Germans – few of them habitual first-teamers – responded with a flurry of excellent play, quickly scoring two more goals. But not long afterward the Australians punched in another goal, keeping the Germans from leaving them in the dust. All around, it was a good show.
Russia vs. New Zealand
I was eager to watch this game.
Gone from my thoughts was the flaccid Russia of last year’s Euros.
Gone was the blundering Russia of the 2014 World Cup, whose players, under Capello, were fearful.
I hoped to see the slick Russia of the 2012 Euros, the Russia that put four goals past the Czech Republic (before being dumped out of that tourney by the Greeks).
New Zealand, I thought, would be the ideal victim for such a Russia.
Unfortunately, I missed the first half. I got the kickoff time wrong and turned the game on rather late.
The Russians were ahead, 1–0, but only because New Zealand had scored for them. Empty seats blighted the stadium in St. Petersburg. From his V.I.P. box, Putin cast an irritated scowl.
As I watched, it became clear that these Russians were no better than, say, Peru. (The FIFA rankings have them beneath Venezuela, but that’s not right.)
The Kiwis were vastly worse, though. They looked like a team of schoolboys. Their only standout was their goalie, who made some startling saves. (His club, in Germany, is in the third division, and so I hope that this tourney brings him wider notice.)
But the onslaught could not be held back. Around the 70th minute, a neat maneuver resulted in a tap-in for the Russians. Such was what I’d hoped to see.
Gone from my thoughts was the flaccid Russia of last year’s Euros.
Gone was the blundering Russia of the 2014 World Cup, whose players, under Capello, were fearful.
I hoped to see the slick Russia of the 2012 Euros, the Russia that put four goals past the Czech Republic (before being dumped out of that tourney by the Greeks).
New Zealand, I thought, would be the ideal victim for such a Russia.
Unfortunately, I missed the first half. I got the kickoff time wrong and turned the game on rather late.
The Russians were ahead, 1–0, but only because New Zealand had scored for them. Empty seats blighted the stadium in St. Petersburg. From his V.I.P. box, Putin cast an irritated scowl.
As I watched, it became clear that these Russians were no better than, say, Peru. (The FIFA rankings have them beneath Venezuela, but that’s not right.)
The Kiwis were vastly worse, though. They looked like a team of schoolboys. Their only standout was their goalie, who made some startling saves. (His club, in Germany, is in the third division, and so I hope that this tourney brings him wider notice.)
But the onslaught could not be held back. Around the 70th minute, a neat maneuver resulted in a tap-in for the Russians. Such was what I’d hoped to see.
Yet another Confederations Cup
It used to be that in each four-year cycle, the world would get to peek at an Oceanian team only twice: (1) during a brief World Cup qualification playoff, which the Oceanian team would lose; and (2) during the Confederations Cup.
This year, however, there are two traditional Oceanian teams in the Confederations Cup: New Zealand and Australia. The latter team defected to Asia some years ago and recently won the championship of that continent. But we all know better. Australia is not in Asia.
An honorary third Oceanian contestant is Chile, by virtue of its claims upon Easter Island and Antarctica.
Like Oceania, Europe supplies three contestants: Russia, Portugal, and Germany. The field is rounded out with Mexico and Cameroon.
So much for the contestants. Now, their division into groups.
A: Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, and Russia.
B: Australia, Cameroon, Chile, and Germany (this is the Group of Death).
Notice that alphabetically Group B has the first four teams, and Group A has the last four. This is appropriate, just as it is that an Oceania-heavy tourney should be played in Russia. It’s the World Turned Upside-Down.
I plan to report on this important tourney.
This year, however, there are two traditional Oceanian teams in the Confederations Cup: New Zealand and Australia. The latter team defected to Asia some years ago and recently won the championship of that continent. But we all know better. Australia is not in Asia.
An honorary third Oceanian contestant is Chile, by virtue of its claims upon Easter Island and Antarctica.
Like Oceania, Europe supplies three contestants: Russia, Portugal, and Germany. The field is rounded out with Mexico and Cameroon.
So much for the contestants. Now, their division into groups.
A: Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, and Russia.
B: Australia, Cameroon, Chile, and Germany (this is the Group of Death).
Notice that alphabetically Group B has the first four teams, and Group A has the last four. This is appropriate, just as it is that an Oceania-heavy tourney should be played in Russia. It’s the World Turned Upside-Down.
I plan to report on this important tourney.
Warriors vs. Cavs
Karin & I have been watching the NBA finals. There’s a lot about basketball that I don’t pretend to understand. But one thing seems clear: the Warriors are better now than last year. (The Cavaliers also seem to have improved, but it’s harder to be sure of this since lately they’ve been getting thrashed.)
The Warriors were excellent last season, but this year their winning percentage may actually turn out to be higher. Which makes sense, because this year, as perceived by my own innocent eyes, the Warriors are playing better.
Let’s count up the Warriors’ victories and defeats from these seasons.
Last year’s regular season: 73 victories, 9 defeats (the best-ever NBA regular season).
Last year’s postseason: 15 victories, 9 defeats.
This year’s regular season: 67 victories, 15 defeats (very good, but well below the all-time summit).
This year’s postseason, so far: 15 victories, 0 defeats. A victory in Game Four of the finals would secure a perfect 16–0 postseason for the Warriors, which would be an NBA record.
Also notable, however, are the Warriors’ combined victory-to-defeat ratios in each of these last two years.
Last year, in total, the Warriors won 88 games and lost 18. That is, they won just above 83% of their games. And this year? If they win Game Four, their combined record will be 83 victories and 15 defeats. They’ll’ve won above 84% of their games. And even if they lose Game Four, they can still finish with a better percentage than last year as long as they win Game Five.
These Warriors still wouldn’t have as good a combined percentage as the 1996 Chicago Bulls, the team whose famed regular season (72–10) the Warriors eclipsed a year ago. That’s because, in the 1996 postseason, the Bulls won 15 games and lost 3. Their combined record that year came to 87 victories and 13 defeats. That is, they won 87 games out of 100.
And those SuperSonics whom the Bulls played in the finals, they weren’t featherweights, either. One of them was a thorn-in-the-flesh perimeter defender, and the other was an all-around beast of a player from Elkhart, Indiana, just down the road from us.
The Warriors were excellent last season, but this year their winning percentage may actually turn out to be higher. Which makes sense, because this year, as perceived by my own innocent eyes, the Warriors are playing better.
Let’s count up the Warriors’ victories and defeats from these seasons.
Last year’s regular season: 73 victories, 9 defeats (the best-ever NBA regular season).
Last year’s postseason: 15 victories, 9 defeats.
This year’s regular season: 67 victories, 15 defeats (very good, but well below the all-time summit).
This year’s postseason, so far: 15 victories, 0 defeats. A victory in Game Four of the finals would secure a perfect 16–0 postseason for the Warriors, which would be an NBA record.
Also notable, however, are the Warriors’ combined victory-to-defeat ratios in each of these last two years.
Last year, in total, the Warriors won 88 games and lost 18. That is, they won just above 83% of their games. And this year? If they win Game Four, their combined record will be 83 victories and 15 defeats. They’ll’ve won above 84% of their games. And even if they lose Game Four, they can still finish with a better percentage than last year as long as they win Game Five.
These Warriors still wouldn’t have as good a combined percentage as the 1996 Chicago Bulls, the team whose famed regular season (72–10) the Warriors eclipsed a year ago. That’s because, in the 1996 postseason, the Bulls won 15 games and lost 3. Their combined record that year came to 87 victories and 13 defeats. That is, they won 87 games out of 100.
And those SuperSonics whom the Bulls played in the finals, they weren’t featherweights, either. One of them was a thorn-in-the-flesh perimeter defender, and the other was an all-around beast of a player from Elkhart, Indiana, just down the road from us.
Vonnegut
June is marching along, and I find myself not having posted any entries.
Ziva and Jasper have been fighting with especial savagery. Why? Who knows. The good thing is, when I talk to them, they calm down and nicely sit near to each other. This reaffirms C.S. Lewis’s view that Man is the proper authority over the Beasts.
I’m reading God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. It strikes me that Kurt Vonnegut and I have a similar tripartite heritage (or karass): Ecuador, Indiana, and Cornell (not, for Vonnegut, in that sequence).
It’s the first time since 2009 I’ve read anything by that Hoosier.
As a consequence of reading Vonnegut, my thinking has been distinctively aphoristic. Today I came up with this definition:
Ziva and Jasper have been fighting with especial savagery. Why? Who knows. The good thing is, when I talk to them, they calm down and nicely sit near to each other. This reaffirms C.S. Lewis’s view that Man is the proper authority over the Beasts.
I’m reading God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. It strikes me that Kurt Vonnegut and I have a similar tripartite heritage (or karass): Ecuador, Indiana, and Cornell (not, for Vonnegut, in that sequence).
It’s the first time since 2009 I’ve read anything by that Hoosier.
As a consequence of reading Vonnegut, my thinking has been distinctively aphoristic. Today I came up with this definition:
Scholarship: Inquiry that pretends to discern which mortals have been important, and in what order.(If that isn’t sufficiently original, please tell me the source so that I can know to whom it should be credited.)