Monday belonged to the draws: 0-0, 1-1, 1-1, 2-2.
At first glance, that may not look very appealing. Few things are more un-American than a draw (a tie, if you will). It’s like kissing your sister, as the oldtimers’ joke goes. And yet, we were entertained.
Ironically, it was the one without any goals at all that brought the most drama. Cape Verde, one of this expanded World Cup’s unlikely debutants, held defending European Champions Spain scoreless. FIFA rankings are inherently limited, but this was the No.2 team against No.67 in the world — the 65-place gap is one of the largest, if not the largest in World Cup history in which the lower-ranked side managed to avoid defeat. The BBC say it’s the largest. FOX Sports say it’s the fourth largest. Either way, it’s an impressive feat.
(And they almost won it at the end, too, but the set piece header from Edilson Alberto Monteiro Sanches Borges, a.k.a. Diney was straight at Unai Simón instead of into the bottom corner.)
Cape Verde’s national team are known as the “Blue Sharks”, and they certainly scared La Furia Roja straight out of the water. Not so fast, and certainly not so furious today! Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40 years young from the Portuguese Second Division, was the Man of the Match with several good saves, though none really needing to be all that spectacular. Spain did hit the crossbar once, but showcased a lot of their familiar shortcomings on this stage. “2500 passes since their last World Cup goal”, claim the BBC. I’m going to need an exact count please.
Not even Lamine Yamal, on for the final 20 minutes, could rescue them from the doldrums of tiki-taka.
By the time this game kicked off, Marc Cucurella’s hyperspeed transfer to Real Madrid had been made official, so technically, no Chelsea players were involved. (Real Madrid certainly didn’t waste any time in proclaiming that there is a Real player at the World Cup after all!) Cucu didn’t play badly at all, but we all know what it’s like when he’s your team’s best and most dangerous player in attack. That’s not a situation he’s likely to find himself in often at Madrid.
Did find this tweet rather amusing.
Belgium against Egypt was almost a letdown after all this, though Romelu Lukaku popped up with a second-half equalizer that took all of 23 seconds after his emergence from the bench. Unfortunately for Big Rom, the goal would be credited as an own goal. And unfortunately for Egypt, their wait for a win at the World Cup goes on.
Saudi Arabia and Uruguay were next, and the atmosphere at this one was quite fantastic despite the stifling Miami heat. Or perhaps because of it. Uruguay’s late equalizer was greeted with bedlam and delirium, though it was nothing less than what they deserved after dominating much of the game, and certainly the entire second half.
Iran and New Zealand closed out the day, with two goals apiece, Iran coming twice from behind to share the points. No bicycle kicks from either side, but a brace from Motherwell’s Elijah Just puts him joint-top the early Golden Boot race with the USA’s Folarin Balogun, BlueCo scouting books’ Yasin Ayari, and ex-Chelsea Big Game Kai Havertz.