Yesterday’s World Cup games had some fun in them; France handled Peru despite being dour to watch at times, Denmark looked good early against Australia but eventually blew it with a draw and...nothing else, right? Right?
Well, not really. Argentina after a draw with Iceland in the first round of Group D matches, were throttled by Croatia 3-0. The Argies crumbled, with Willy Caballero providing a howler of high degree. Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Ever Banega and Paulo Dybala were all on the bench at the start of the game and they were missed. Afterwards, Jorge Sampaoli blamed the players, Sergio Aguero and Javier Mascherano dismissed his comments, and Leo Messi wondered why he came back to the national team in the first place. More on this later.
Brazil vs. Costa Rica
What to watch for: Brazil Brazil Brazil, right? Well, they hardly impressed and in fact, drew with their first Group E opponent (Switzerland), Costa Rica played OK as far as you’re accustomed to seeing, but didn't threaten much against Serbia in a 1-0 loss. The Ticos could CONCACAF their way into some result if the backline that includes former MLS defender Giancarlo Gonzalez can stifle the loaded Brazil attacking lineup that includes Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus, but it’s a tall order.
Location: Krestovsky Stadium (Saint Petersburg)
Kickoff time: 8:00am Eastern
Available TV: Fox Sports 1, Telemundo
Available streaming: Fox Sports Go, Telemundo
Nigeria vs. Iceland
What to watch for: Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr is saying that they will not lose today. And all the Iceland team did was defend, thwart Messi on a PK and walked out with a draw. Simple, right? I mean, it’s difficult, not impossible, but if Iceland wants to continue their Cinderella story, a win over Nigeria and their really cool jerseys (thus eliminating the Super Eagles), would give Iceland a three point lead over Argentina with a not small goal differential to overcome come the final group D games Tuesday. Sure, root for chaos, but narrative like this demands its encouragement, and avoiding the possibility this could be a bore.
Location: Volgograd Arena (Volgograd)
Kickoff time: 11:00am Eastern
Available TV: Fox, Telemundo
Available streaming: Fox Sports Go, Telemundo
Serbia vs. Switzerland
What to watch for: Straightforward for the Serbs; win and Group E is clinched, facing a Group F runner-up that could potentially be Germany or Mexico, and attempt to do it against a Swiss team whose have only lost once (to Portugal) since being eliminated by Portugal in the 2016 Euros, going 10-1-1 in competitive matches since. It will be a tough get for the Serbs but is potentially the most intriguing and possibly most entertaining game of the day on paper, but like the saying goes, that’s why they play the games.
Location: Kaliningrad Stadium (Kaliningrad)
Kickoff time: 2:00pm Eastern
Available TV: Fox, Telemundo
Available streaming: Fox Sports Go, Telemundo
For listings in other countries, check out LiveSoccerTV.com.