Saturday, July 14, 2018
Check out some pics & videos from the public screening of
the July 2nd
Quarterfinal Round of 16 game of Belgium v. Japan in Bruge,
Belgium (Flanders). We timed it to be in Belgium to watch them
play a
quarterfinal knockout game.
A fun atmosphere with thousands of people, where
the rest of town seemed empty. The place was
full of beer stands, and like what you saw from
other public viewings of games, there tended to
be
Monday, July 2, 2018
As the knockout phase of the 2018 World Cup unfolds, I
think back to the previous Euro and World Cup, when I was tracking some rising
stars that were mysteriously (or otherwise) left off their countries’ World Cup
Rosters this time around. Here’s a
quick look at some unfortunate circumstances and puzzling moves by international
managers:
Dimitri Payet (France) – One of the key performers for France in the Euro
2016, wizarding midfielder Payet was in tears as he
Saturday, June 30, 2018
[ Foster's Football Brew: Euro 2012 | Euro 2016 | WC 2018 ]
 |
| Eric Foster, Erica Mapa, Reza Amidi, Alejandro Aragon |
The
Argentina match against Nigeria (26-JUNE) was surreal... 64.5K fans, about 80%
of which were Argentina supporters. As if it were a home game with AFC
Championship Game-like atmosphere in St Pete.
 |
| Fan Fest |
Got
to spend one hour walking around World Cup media center and Fan Fest in Moscow's
Red Square from 3-4am in morning during
Saturday, June 16, 2018
ARGENTINA doesn't have a
stand-out rising star, and certainly no one closely resembling the next Messi.
And there's the rub...the sun is setting on La Pulga and his generation, and
they'll have to win with the usual suspects.
Two unproven youngsters I should mention would be Giovani Lo Celso and
Paulo Dybala.
At age 24, Dybala is a
mainstay striker for Juventus, scoring 22 goals in 33 matches.
But with Argentina, he has but 8 caps, and his natural position is
occupied by a moored teammate...Leo Messi.
Perhaps he gets at least one substitution opportunity during the World
Cup round robin stage...a small window of time to generate an impact.
Lo Celso, on the other hand, may not even make an appearance.
Only 22 years old, the midfielder notched 4 goals in 32 PSG appearances
this season...this rising talent may have to wait til 2022 to make an impact on
Argentina’s fortunes.
BRAZIL.
Getting a roster spot for this team is tough, given the
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
PREDICTING HOW FAR 10 SQUADS WILL GO
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|
Germany
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Star Power. Depth. Team Chemistry. Experience. A history of winning. Well-coached. Some of the many reasons Germany is a tournament favorite once again. The only thing missing from the 2014 iteration of the Defending Champs is Philipp Lamm, their maestro midfielder and leader who retired surprisingly young. And how does Germany’s semi-finals bracket look? Until the semi-final game, where they are likely to play Spain, there are teams they’ve dominated (Argentina) and another pair of teams Germany will simply outclass (Colombia & England). Italy, the one team that has historically given Germany fits (and defeats) in the World Cup, didn’t qualify… another reason Germany’s chances of repeating are looking bright. The winner of Spain vs. Germany may be the eventual champion.
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Spain
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La Roja Furia cruised thru their qualification, winning all but one game, which was a draw, and meanwhile sent Italy packing. Spain has its 2010 WC & 2012 Euro Championship team stalwarts at defense (Ramos & Pique) and midfield (Iniesta) complemented by a newer, yet seasoned stars at all positions, including goal keeper De Gea and a healthy poaching striker in Diego Costa. They’re firing on all cylinders, dominating possession and scoring plenty of goals while keeping clean sheets. Spain’s depth is also an insurance policy, preventing untimely injuries from derailing their campaign. A clear Top 4 squad this year.
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France
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France isn’t a dark horse, but perhaps I’m giving them more credit than they deserve when I say they are a Top 3 favorite to win the whole thing. Young, energetic, hungry, and talented, France has a roster that has matured, and still on the rise. Although they narrowly lost in Extra Time to Portugal at the Euro 2016 Championship, they were clearly the better side for the first 90 minutes of that game. The favorites sometimes
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