Back to Back PSOs (7/7)

CAMARILLO PREMIUM OUTLETS, CA -- 1D-Croatia was determined not to go PSOs again and became the first team to score in Extra Time to take a 2-1 lead.  But 2A-Russia, which had survived on PSO as well, answered back and the match ended on a 2-2 tie. There was a scare in that the CRO GK seemed to pull a hamstring minutes before Extra Time and stayed in and was tested right way and made the saves.  Host RUS started the PSO first and things went well until their ET game-tying savior, Mario Fernandes, became the first person this tourney (62 PKs) to completely miss the target, his shot going wide left.  CRO closed out for a 4-3 PSO win to make their second semifinal and first since '98.  Teams who kicked first in the PSO are now 0-4.

2G-England rolled over
1F-Sweden, 2-0, to make their first semifinal since '90.  Of the four semifinalists, ENG is the only team that has lost a match.  Never got so many compliments on my 2009-era Beckham English national team shirt with a few shouting "It's coming home!".  The Outlet is definitely diverse with a lot of soccer fans.

Alyonuska (30th-T, 92) lost RUS as her champ which means only 13 entries have their champ still alive:  BEL (7), FRA (4), and ENG (2).  7 picked ENG and no one picked CRO meaning 7 went 1-1 and 72 went 0-2.  Flying Elvi is still in the lead (105) but he is being chased.  Walleye moved into a tie for 4th (101) as one of 2 to get 3 of 4 Semifinalists (USA 2026 WC Champs was the other (22nd-T, 94)) while 19 only got 1 correct.

Flying Elvi, Walleye, and Stillcryin4USA (16th-T 96) are the only three entries that can win the pool.  Considering all the favorites have bowed out, it's amazing no one has clinched money yet.  14 can still win money with Walleye with the best chance (62.5%).  Final Four possibilities are now available as well as the Bonus possibilities.

Quarterfinalists (W-L-T Pts - (GD - GF))

BEL 5-0-0 15 (9 - 14)

FRA 4-0-1 13 (5 - 9)

CRO 3-0-2 11 (6 - 10)

ENG 3-1-1 10 (7 - 11)

Eliminated (W-L-T Pts - (GD - GF))

5.  URU 4-1-0 12 (4 - 7)

6.  BRA 3-1-1 10 (5 - 8)

7.  SWE 3-2-0 9 (2 - 6)

8.  RUS 2-1-2 7 (4 - 11)

 9. COL 2-1-1 7 (4 - 7)

10. ESP 1-0-3 6 (1 - 7)

11. DEN 1-0-3 6 (1 - 1)

12. MEX 2-2-0 6 (-3 - 3)

13. POR 1-1-2 5 (0 - 6)

14. SUI 1-1-2 5 (0 - 5)

15. JPN 1-2-1 4 (-1 - 6)

16. ARG 1-2-1 4 (-3 - 6)