KBO

Maybe it’s just me showing my age, but to my mind that didn’t hold a candle to Richter in 1996.

Great piece as always, Michael. Although the line about Italy and Spain both falling to South Korea buries the lede a wee bit, no?! (In this house we still curse the name Byron Moreno…)

You should probably consider hiring a “rules expert” who isn’t sight-impaired.

As angry as I am at the ref, I’m angrier at Bastoni. Just a sickening display, culminating in him celebrating the sending off. If there aren’t consequences in the form of a ban, it will just send a signal that blatant simulation is to be encouraged.

Out of curiosity, how are you defining playoff teams? Magic, Heat (x2), and Warriors are all top 8 in their conferences.

Would love to hear more about this. Have you written about it elsewhere?

We’re only nine years away from a 25th anniversary Working on a Dream box set, featuring five different outtakes of Queen of the Supermarket. (Which, to be clear, I would snap right up.)

Unfortunately it's a disgrace, as expected. The promised "cheaper" seats are limited to a handful per stadium; meanwhile unlimited resale is permitted, and FIFA takes a 15% fee from each of buyer and seller on every ticket.

I very much support your broader point, but I don't think you want to be looking to FIFA for inspiration. I think "do the very opposite of what FIFA does" is always the right answer, including in respect of ticket sales.

And in a week or so, Trey Yesavage will be the sixth!

I’m not sure that an 18-game qualifying marathon at the end of which 70% of the participants qualify for the WC is any less absurd!

I don’t follow the Whitecaps closely so I’m not familiar with that incident. I’ll leave it to Caps fans to keep a running tally of decisions for and against them; I was simply commenting on that particular video.

That’s the most scandalous part to me. The VAR acts as an advocate for the (incorrect) outcome instead of letting the ref come to his own decision. It even extends to his choices of which angles to show the ref. Shame the video cuts out before we see why the ref finally folded.

Only a referee with absolutely no sense for the game would give a penalty like that. Such a terrible way for a semifinal to be decided.

And congrats on the Flamengo win, too! Lovely to see my old pal Danilo scoring a goal.

Spot on Filipe. I’ve noticed a tendency towards this sort of thinking. There is obviously much to be critical of with the CWC and FIFA more generally, but the implication that we as soccer fans should feel guilty about supporting our teams is bullshit.

But even in that respect they’re light years apart. Nothing can ever compete with that disgrace. Brazilians have the (justified) sense that they ARE soccer; Leafs fans can be a bit delusional but nobody believes that about a team that hasn’t won shit in 60 years.

Yeah, no. This isn’t within a billion miles of Brazil losing a World Cup semifinal at home 7-1. Among other things, the Leafs will be back in the playoffs next year; Brazil won’t host another World Cup till long after we’re all dead.

Not even trying to hide their disdain. It’s hilarious.

It’s great for football and pretty good for basketball. Terrible for soccer, unfortunately. It’s the only thing I miss from Twitter.

Totally agree. I think the injury risk is the only credible argument against it. This notion that we should be against the trade because it will make us better next year is utterly bizarre. What kind of weirdo wants to willingly sign on to a multi-year tank?

I was in Italy for the 1990 WC and remember the funereal atmosphere after the semifinal loss, so I know what you’re talking about!

Does Paolo Rossi still haunt your dreams?

This is unacceptable Pete erasure!