DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP
July 2, 2018  | By David Bianculli

Fox, 10:00 a.m. ET

 

If you’re not watching this year’s World Cup yet, you’re missing one of the most unpredictable and exciting soccer tournaments ever played. Traditionally, the World Cup is where experience and defense make all the difference – but in 2018, it seems, anything can happen. The defending champions didn’t even make it to the Round of 16. Then, on the first day of knockout play, the game’s two biggest global superstars were eliminated, along with their squads. And yesterday, in one game, the lowest-ranked team still standing – host country Russia – managed to advance, beating Spain, one of most dominant teams of the last decade. (Maybe Russia managed the win because an obvious penalty at the end was not called, opening the host Russians to charges of affecting the results, but there you go.) Then, in yesterday’s second game, Croatia vs. Denmark, the teamed traded goals in the first four minutes of the game – read that sentence again – then battled without scoring again in regulation, or in overtime. That game, like Russia vs. Spain, went the full distance, then to penalty kicks. And Croatia, not Denmark, advanced, when its goalie stopped more penalty kicks than his counterpart. Wow. And today, we have two more games, broadcast by Fox. Up first is Brazil, the most decorated team in World Cup history, against Mexico, at 10 a.m. ET. Then, at 2 p.m. ET, it’s Belgium vs. Japan.

 
 
 
 
 
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