Just Win Not Draw (7/31)

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, BOY SCOUTS, CYPRESS, CA - Co-Host B1-Australia needed to win to guarantee a spot in the Round of 16 while B4-Canada needed just a draw so it was AUS coming on hot getting a VAR assisted goal in the 9' en route to a 4-0 win, eliminating the defending Olympic Champions as B3-Nigeria just needed to lose not as badly as CAN, and drew B2-Rep of Ireland, 0-0 to clinch 2nd.  

Earlier, C2-Japan needed to win to win Group C while C1-Spain just needed a draw or win.  JPN let ESP have all the passing (925 to 625) and possession (68%-21%) and on their first three attacks/counterattacks into the final third, great finishing put JPN up 3-0 before the half.  A great 4th goal after wresting the ball from the sideline made the final score 4-0 as JPN finished the group with 11 goals with no goals allowed.  C3-Zambia, ranked #77, broke through with 3 goals in beating C2-Costa Rica, 3-1.  ZAM's second goal off a PK was the WWC's 1000th goal scored.  

I really needed to get the stink of watching the LA Galaxy blow a late 1-0 and lose 2-1 off an own goal and deflected blocked shot to Vancouver as LAG blew chance after chance.  JPN, had just 8 shots, 6 on goal, and scored 4.  Each one was just a breakaway where you saw the play build up (like most times) but with precision finishing.  Think of JPN's slash line of 8/6/4 compared to ESP's first match of 46/14/2 (one was an own goal).  Efficient.  Wore my 2012 JPN home jersey, the women's one with the pink line ("All Support for Japan"), 2011 WWC winners patch, and gold star while admiring the beautiful dusk after that crappy game in Carson.

E1-USA only needs to draw to advance... not a good omen (see CAN and ESP above) and if they do win but lose on goal differential to E3-Netherlands (let's hope E2-Vietnam's 5'-5" GK keeps playing like a superstar), a #1 v #3 R16 matchup with G1-Sweden is a high possibility.

Group C concluded with Kds911 (3rd-Tied, 38 pts) the only one to pick both JPN and ZAM to win and with 46 having ESP in R16 and 45 JPN, the only one to pick up all 8 points in Group C.  31 went 0-2 and three just got ESP or JPN, but not both.  44 got both.  Leader Eggman 2 (3rd-T) and last place Tiny Destroyer (47th, 24) each only got 3 of 8 points.

Group B concluded with BigRedMessiUSA (19th-T, 35) and More$ (3rd-T) the only two to get both AUS's win (picked by 20) and CRC-NGR draw (6).  23 went 0-2.  All 47 had AUS (barely) in their R16 but no one had NGR (45 lost CAN), meaning BigRedMesssiUSA and More$ got 5 of 8 points in Group B while 23 got 3 of 8.  

Combined, Hawkeye and Vlatko Better Win are tied for first with 39 points with six tied for 3rd with 38.