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Every team has played once at this 2019 World Cup, and we now have a little bit of an idea what to expect of these teams as this tournament continues. There are three games on the slate today, each with interesting story lines.
Nigeria and South Korea kick things off, with Group A both teams having suffered heavy losses in their opener. Nigeria was beaten soundly by Norway, in a match that was either a stunning indictment of Nigeria, or a signal of intent from an Ada Hegerberg-less Norway. I don’t think there’s any in between here, and even though a 3-0 scoreline is hard to discount, I think it says more about Nigeria than it does Norway.
South Korea got plastered by the hosts, France, by a score of 4-0 in a game that could have easily gotten more out of hand. France is obviously very good, so that was a bad barometer by which to judge South Korea, but I fully expect them to lose this one too, because they looked surprisingly bad organizationally, and that does not bode well for them going forward.
I’d be surprised to see anything more than a two-goal difference between these two teams, and it’s a game that Nigeria should win. But since the loser of this game is going to be essentially eliminated from the tournament, just not mathematically, I expect both teams to dig really deep, and we might see an open, entertaining contest.
Location: Stade des Alpes (Grenoble)
Kickoff time: 9:00am Eastern
Available TV: Fox Sports 1, NBC Universo
Available streaming: If you subscribe to fuboTV via this link, your friends at B&RU get some cash!
Here are your other options: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer Match Pass, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Universo Now
For listings in other countries, check out LiveSoccerTV.com.
The second game of the day is the most intriguing. Germany was the better team in their match against China, but it took a second half goal by Giulia Gwinn to earn all three points in a game in which Germany dominated every statistical category, but not the scoreboard. Since that game, Germany has learned that midfield talisman Dzsenifer Marozsan has a broken toe, and she’s been ruled out for the remainder of the group stage. It may not end up being a difference maker for Germany, who should get out of this group with ease even with out Marozsan, but it’s a potentially crushing blow if she’s out any longer.
On the other side of the pitch will stand Spain, who sputtered out of the gate and fell behind in the 25th minute to South Africa, only to come back and win 3-1 in the second half. It took one Jenni Hermoso penalty, a South Africa red card, a second Hermoso penalty, and an 89th minute Lucia Garcia goal to truly flatter the winners.
This matchup presents an opportunity to see whether either of these teams can grab control of the group, and whether Germany can do so without their best player.
Location: Stade du Hainaut (Valenciennes)
Kickoff time: 12:00pm Eastern
Available TV: Fox, Telemundo
Available streaming: If you subscribe to fuboTV via this link, your friends at B&RU get some cash!
Here are your other options: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer Match Pass, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
For listings in other countries, check out LiveSoccerTV.com.
Finally, we get to the hosts. France and its fans must be on cloud nine after cruising to an easy, but impressive victory in their opening match. It was an expected outcome, and Korea did not offer much in terms of attack.
Not much was expected, on the other hand, from Norway. With the enormous and unforgettable absence of Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg, expectations would have to be adjusted. But winning 3-0 over Nigeria, who should not have been that bad, makes me wonder whether this iteration of Norway might make some noise in the knockout stage.
Make no mistake about the fact that France should win this match. This is Norway’s opportunity to show how good it actually is, against what might be the tournament’s best team.
Location: Allianz Riviera (Nice)
Kickoff time: 3:00pm Eastern
Available TV: Fox, NBC Universo
Available streaming: If you subscribe to fuboTV via this link, your friends at B&RU get some cash!
Here are your other options: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer Match Pass, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Universo Now
For listings in other countries, check out LiveSoccerTV.com.
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What are you drinking?: Wednesday in these parts is Wine-sday, so I’ll probably be having a demi-sec Bordeaux blanc.
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