The piano (cont.); World Cup notes
The piano has been moved to the kitchen, its likely resting-place for as long as we live in this house.
Now we must learn to play the thing.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
What follows is highly selective.
Ivory Coast 1, Ecuador 0: An even, chaotic contest decided by an 89th-minute goal. Chaos doesn’t favor Ecuador. Our strength is tidy defending.
Piero Hincapié had trouble marking 19-year-old Yan Diomande. The goal came from an attack down that flank.
Thrice we hit woodwork. Our attacking woes continue. I will say, it’s hard when foulers aren’t penalized. The Ivorians were spared a couple of second yellow cards.
Brazil 1, Morocco 1: Has-been vs. emerging superpower. The same is true of their respective continents. The Moroccans were breathtaking in the first half; having established their superiority, they ceded the initiative. Brazil had a single brilliant moment.
Australia 2, Türkiye 0: The most entertaining game so far.
(Some would choose the Netherlands vs. Japan [2–2].)
I love watching the Turks. They attack at breakneck pace, slickly, all game long. But the Australians defended stoutly and landed two counter-punches.
USA 4, Paraguay 1; Germany 7, Curaçao 1; and Sweden 5, Tunisia 1: Three blowouts that tell little about the winners (and not much more about the Tunisians, who fell apart late but weren’t consistently bad).
Mid-half hydration breaks, twice per game: I am sick of them.
Now we must learn to play the thing.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
What follows is highly selective.
Ivory Coast 1, Ecuador 0: An even, chaotic contest decided by an 89th-minute goal. Chaos doesn’t favor Ecuador. Our strength is tidy defending.
Piero Hincapié had trouble marking 19-year-old Yan Diomande. The goal came from an attack down that flank.
Thrice we hit woodwork. Our attacking woes continue. I will say, it’s hard when foulers aren’t penalized. The Ivorians were spared a couple of second yellow cards.
Brazil 1, Morocco 1: Has-been vs. emerging superpower. The same is true of their respective continents. The Moroccans were breathtaking in the first half; having established their superiority, they ceded the initiative. Brazil had a single brilliant moment.
Australia 2, Türkiye 0: The most entertaining game so far.
(Some would choose the Netherlands vs. Japan [2–2].)
I love watching the Turks. They attack at breakneck pace, slickly, all game long. But the Australians defended stoutly and landed two counter-punches.
USA 4, Paraguay 1; Germany 7, Curaçao 1; and Sweden 5, Tunisia 1: Three blowouts that tell little about the winners (and not much more about the Tunisians, who fell apart late but weren’t consistently bad).
Mid-half hydration breaks, twice per game: I am sick of them.
