Hey everyone, welcome to the third edition of the much loved World Cup Wednesday. The thing you may be questioning right now at this very moment is: Why is World Cup Wednesday on a Monday? Great question. It’s just sounds weird doesn’t it? Well, here’s the reason: Why not? It’s always good to mix things up a little, you know? Just be a little spontaneous every now and then. Who knows what’s next? Flashback Friday could be on a Tuesday, or Mystery Monday could be on every fourth Saturday. Yeah, that should liven up the blog a bit. Nah look I’m just kidding around. The real reason is that the 2nd Round of the Group Stage has concluded, and the 3rd Round begins tonight, or tomorrow morning really. So, like last week, I’m going to go through and review the 2nd Round, and touch on what to expect from the Final Round of the Group Stage.

Russia v Egypt: Russia dominated the game after Egypt’s captain put the ball in his own net. The Russians scored another two, and whilst they conceded a penalty converted by Egypt’s star player Mohamed Salah, it had no impact on the match, with the host nation taking out the match 3-1, leaving Egypt to resign to the fact that after 28 years of attempting to get back into the World Cup, their dream was over. You’ve got to really feel sorry for Egypt, they did so much to keep themselves in the tournament. Russia now progress to the Round of 16, although there will be a fight for the top spot against Uruguay.

Portugal v Morocco: You’ve really got to feel sorry for Morocco too. They were solid against the Portuguese this week, and they really played well, making it surprising that they didn’t win the match. However, a few bad calls, and a header from Ronaldo in the first few minutes of the game unfortunately put Morocco in a position no team would want to be in. A 1-0 win put Portugal in a fairly good position on the Group B ladder, however they will have to ensure they beat Iran in their final game of the Group Stage in order to ensure they progress to the Round of 16. Morocco ,on the other hand, are out of the tournament.

Uruguay v Saudi Arabia: It was somewhat surprising that Uruguay didn’t score a lot against Saudi Arabia, considering the battering Russia gave them in their previous match. However, Saudi put up a fight, and kept Uruguay at bay most of the game, with striker Luis Suarez only scoring in the 23rd minute to win the match. This means that Uruguay are safely through, although they will play Russia to determine who gets the top spot of Group A, and Saudi Arabia are out of the tournament.

Iran v Spain: Iran have played quite well so far at this World Cup, and they kept that going against Spain, holding them off until the 54th, however, at least keeping them from scoring multiple goals. Iran are still very much in this tournament, and if they manage to beat or draw with Portugal this week, they may be able to progress to the Round of 16. Spain on the other hand only need a win or a draw this week against Morocco to progress.

Denmark v Australia: Now this was an interesting one. Australia knew they needed to get a result from this match, and Denmark were looking to guarantee themselves a spot in the Round of 16. And after a tense start for Australia, which saw them go down 1-0 within 7 minutes after Christian Eriksen scored off a volley, the Socceroos fought back to gain a penalty, again from a handball in the box, the second time they’ve done so in this World Cup. And after Jedinak converted once again, it was 1-1, and Australia began to fight harder. They dominated the second half, and were unlucky not to score, leaving the match as a draw. Australia now have a tough scenario to face, and will most certainly fight hard to win against Peru, hoping meanwhile that Denmark get beaten by France. This will be interesting.

France v Peru: Peru managed to play quite well against the French, continuing to favour a possessive style of football, not giving the ball up too easily. However, after making numerous attempts on goal, France managed to finally put one on the back of the net, with a strike from teenager Kylian Mbappe winning France the match 1-0. Peru is now out of the tournament, however have one left to play against Australia, and they will probably be looking to win for honour. France are safely through to the Round of 16, however, a win against Denmark would help them secure the top spot and potentially put Denmark out of the tournament.

Argentina v Croatia: Argentina were very much off their game in this match. Star player Lionel Messi was making barely any impact on the match, and after a costly mistake from goalkeeper Willy Caballero, Argentina’s game just got a whole lot worse. Croatia furthered their lead in the second half, with a brilliant wonder goal from Luka Modric, and an added time goal from Ivan Rakitic, easily beating out the Argentines 3-0. Croatia are now safely through to the Round of 16, whilst Argentina are facing a tough challenge to progress this week.

Brazil v Costa Rica: The Costa Ricans played a much better match this time, holding Brazil off for the entirety of regular time, and putting in a good effort themselves to score. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was brilliant between the posts, and played a great match, however it wasn’t enough to stop the Brazilians scoring two goals in the 91st and 97th, putting Costa Rica our of the Cup, and Brazil in a position where they need to beat Serbia this week to guarantee themselves a spot in the Round of 16.

Nigeria v Iceland: Nigeria played the match of their lives this Round. Striker Ahmed Musa was just too good for the Icelandic keeper, managing to net two goals in the second half to put Nigeria in a good position, but they aren’t safe just quite yet. Iceland, despite missing a penalty and losing 2-0, are not out of the tournament either, making this Group probably the most interesting one to watch.

Serbia v Switzerland: The Serbs started the match well, putting themselves in the lead early in the 5th minute. However, the Swiss made sure that they didn’t let the match slip from their grasp, with a goal from Granit Xhaka in the 52nd, and a last minute goal from Xherdan Shaqiri right on the 90th, putting Switzerland in a decent position on their Group ladder, however they need to get the win against Costa Rica to ensure they progress. Serbia are not yet out of the tournament either despite the loss.

Belgium v Tunisia: Belgium are really shining this year. This game was probably the best match of the Round. Belgium converted an early penalty, then put in a second goal in the 15th. But Tunisia struck back and put one in the back of Belgium’s net just two minutes later. Belgium put the score up to 3-1 just in half time, before adding two more to that in the second half, with a late goal from the Tunisians making it 5-2. Belgium now progress, while Tunisia are out of the tournament.

South Korea v Mexico: The Mexicans continued their winning ways this Round, after a penalty and a goal from Javier Hernandez was enough for them to win the game despite a late goal from Heung Min Son. Mexico are in prime position tor progress, however they are not completely safe just yet. The South Koreans are also not necessarily out, however it will take a minor miracle for them to progress from here.

Germany v Sweden: Sweden put the Germans on edge after scoring the opening goal of the match late in the first half. But the Germans fired back in the second, with an early goal in the second half bringing the scores level, before a last minute goal from a free kick saw the Germans take all three points. Germany now must win their final Group Stage match to progress, whilst Sweden must do the same.

England v Panama: There’s really not much to say about this one. England dominated the game from start to finish, and the Panamanians were lucky not to get a few red cards with the types of fouls they were conceding, and after two penalties. Credit to them for scoring a goal, however England were the better team. The 6-1 win now sees England progress, with a match against Belgium deciding who takes top of the Group, whilst Panama are out of the tournament.

Japan v Senegal: This was a tight match. Senegal provided the opening goal once again, with the Japanese levelling the scores late in the first half. The next goal didn’t come until the second half, with Senegal putting another one in in the 71st, only to see Keisuke Honda level it up again seven minutes later in the 78th. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, meaning that neither team is safe just yet, and both have to get results in the Final Round.

Poland v Colombia: Colombia played a great match, dominating the Polish, and putting three in the back of the net to win the game outright 3-0. This means that Poland are out of the tournament, although they could still have an impact on who progresses when they play Japan in the Final Round of the Group Stage, whilst Colombia will have to get a result from their final match of the Group Stage.

Highlight Of The Round: There were three games which really stood out this Round. Croatia’s win against Argentina was amazing to watch, and Luka Modric’s goal was a wonder to behold. Belgium v Tunisia was probably the most entertaining match of the Round, with a 7 goal thriller keeping the crowd in awe, and some amazing goals were scored. And England’s brilliant defeat of Panama, with 5 goals in 24 minutes in the first half, making the game so lively and so great to watch. I’ll add as well that Australia put in a really great effort this Round, and they should be commended for putting up such a great fight against Denmark, dominating the second half of the match, and hopefully they’ll be able to go one step further in their match against Peru.

Biggest Upsets: There was only really one major upset this week, that being Croatia’s big win against Argentina. Although both teams are highly skilled and play well, Croatia dominated the match and managed to put three past Argentina to win the match completely outright. It was a brilliant match for Croatia, and left Argentina questioning what went wrong.

Who’s Out?: After two Rounds of the Group Stage, 8 teams have been eliminated, although they will still have to play their final Group Stage matches, some of which could have an impact on who progresses to the Round of 16. The 8 teams who have absolutely no chance of progressing to the next round, and who will be heading home after this week are: Egypt (Group A), Saudi Arabia (Group A), Morocco (Group B), Peru (Group C), Costa Rica (Group E), Tunisia (Group G), Panama (Group G), and Poland (Group H). South Korea appear to be out of the tournament, however there is still a very very slight chance that they will progress.

On Argentina: Argentina have made an attempted coup on their head coach Jorge Sampaoli after their loss this week, and the coach, whilst being allowed to stay on for the rest of the World Cup, will be sacked after Argentina’s World Cup concludes.

Controversy: Three Swiss players are being investigated by FIFA after their goal celebrations against Serbia this Round. Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Stephan Lichtsteiner are all under investigation for their celebration which involved linking their open hands together by the thumbs to make them look like a two headed eagle, a sign of rebellion and defiance against Serbia due to the players’ roots with the Republic of Kosovo. The World Cup is not supposed to be used as a stage for political reasons, and an investigation is under way.

Groups To Watch: There are two Groups in particular to keep your eye on this week, Group D and Group G. Both have all four of their teams still in with a chance at progressing to the Round of 16, so will be interesting to watch.

What To Expect From The Final Round: The Final Round of the Group Stage will be an interesting one. Some matches will be for pride, some will be for the top of the Group table, and others will be to secure a spot in the Round of 16. Groups B, C, E, F and H all have three teams vying for a top two finish, and Groups D and G have four. You can expect a lot of good matches this week, and many close ones. With so many teams going into the Final Round of the Group Stage fighting for a spot in the Round of 16, they will be fighting hard to ensure they aren’t eliminated from the tournament. And with all the games for each Group being played at the same time in order to prevent any teams from knowing what they have to do to progress, each team must fight like their lives depend on it to make it through. This should be a good one.

JJ

Hey everyone, welcome to the first bi-weekly Short Story Sunday. This’ll be exciting, because it’s the day when I get to share a story that I write, and you get to see a bit more of the creative side of myself and the blog, taking a break from the more journalistic and analytical side. So I give to you the first Short Story Sunday. Enjoy!

Bryan

It was a fairly warm day in the forest. The trees rustled in the slight wind that was creating a nice soft breeze for all the inhabitants of this dense space of living. This was one of those somewhat rare days in which the sun would come up and spread some warmth through the tall thick of the trees, warming up those who lived in this vast habitat. And one of those individuals was Bryan.

Bryan had lived in the forest for pretty much his entire life so far. His parents had raised him here, he had learnt how to hunt, how to fish, how to swim, how to behave, all the things that came with growing up. Despite the forest being somewhat dreary and a bit of a dull place to live, he didn’t mind it, because it was home, and that’s what really mattered after all.

The only thing that wasn’t the greatest about living in the forest was the somewhat intense fluctuations in the weather. Sometimes it was nice and warm, but at others, in particular in the winter, it was just really cold. In fact, some days it was beyond freezing. It was tough when it was cold, because it was quite difficult to maintain any warmth, most of which was dispelled by the biting winds, and the frosty chill of the night. That was the other thing. It was at night when the forest was at its worst. It was comparable to living in ice, and you’d do anything you could to conserve any shred of heat that was left, to let that heat, that feeling of warmth, spread over yourself so that you could protect yourself from the bone-chilling cold that spread out, possessing the pitch black that surrounded the dense woodlands in their deepest, darkest hours. But realistically, Bryan had no issue with it.

Bryan enjoyed his life. He loved going swimming, particularly on the more heat intensive days of the year, although he wouldn’t stray from a good swim even on some of the more frigid days in the forest. He loved fishing in the rivers that ran through the woods, and the Great Lake that covered a large portion of the centre of the dense thickets. Bryan was particularly jovial when he caught a fish or maybe even a few. He would be particularly pleased with his catches, even the smallest ones, consuming anything he caught.

Hunting was, however, what Bryan enjoyed most about his life. He loved hunting. There was something about the thrill of searching and chasing that made life so much more enjoyable. Wandering through his own homeland, his own neck of the woods per say, scavenging for something to kill and eat. It could be a deer, or a moose. Sometimes he would be quiet and sneak up on his prey, others he would go all guns blazing chasing after it to kill it. Although stealth was often favoured over brazen charging. But his parents, particularly his father, had taught him well, and he had killed many a deer in his time. He really did enjoy venison. It was one of the finest meats in his opinion. It was always a special treat for Bryan when he managed to successfully hunt and kill a deer, and he really did enjoy the meal he had shortly afterwards. But on from that.

This particular day, Bryan had been walking through the woods, his homeland, when he picked up a strange sound in the distance. He was currently on a hunt, and thought it may be a stray deer wandering through the forest. It would make his day if he could track it and successfully locate and kill it. He decided to be stealthy, and tread carefully through the thickets so as to not scare off this potential catch. He needed to be cautious that the deer, if it even was a deer, did not hear him coming and run away before he reached it. It would be a terrible shame if he was to lose out to a special meal of venison tonight. He thoroughly enjoyed it when the meat reached his mouth, and it really satisfied his hunger come meal time. So it would be a very special day if he could succeed in this mission now.

Continuing on his way, tracking his hunt through the woods, Bryan finally came to somewhat of a clearing, where he sighted a deer standing rigid directly across from his own position. He made sure to tread very carefully now, making sure not to alert the deer to his presence. He was hidden just behind a few bushes, so he was out of sight, invisible to the deer that was grazing in the forest green across the way. He was so close now, so close to a successful hunt. He made a decision, and began to move slowly and quietly, edging silently through the trees and the bushes, on his way to achieving yet another kill, and bringing home with him a delectable meal. He was now in prime position, in a bush just behind where the deer was. He could see it clearly now, with its head down in the lush green grass of the forest. This was when Bryan was in his element, heart racing, adrenaline pumping around his body, the thrill of the hunt taking him over, possessing him. He was filled with excitement at this moment, ready to make the kill. But then, almost out of nowhere, he heard a loud bang, his head jerking around to try to detect where it came from. Unable to ascertain its location, Bryan returned his vision to the deer to find it lying on the soft grass, bright red blood trickling from its side into the blades of grass it had fallen onto. Bryan couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His hunt had been plucked from his own hands just as he had been about to take his opportunity. He had now lost that, the deer lying dead with a bullet in its side, and so he decided to wait until the bullet’s owner came forward before he made any sudden move, lest he take a bullet himself attempting to take the deer before its killer arrived.

He stayed hidden in the bushes, and saw someone appear in the distance, coming forward to claim their kill, to take the deer away, probably to have a spectacular meal of venison themselves. He watched and waited, saw the killer getting closer, rifle slung over his shoulder, the gun now behind him, resting on his back. Bryan took a moment to consider who this man was, why he was here. He now turned his attention back to the man, saw he was now standing over the deer. He had pulled some ropes out of a bag he had been carrying with him, ready to tie the deer up so he could drag it along with him better. As he bent and began threading and tying the ropes, Bryan decided to take his opportunity to take this meal from the unidentified man. So Bryan walked out of the bushes he had been hiding in for the last few minutes, and made his way over to the deer and the man. The man noticed him coming and a look of deep, immense fear presented itself on his face. He dropped the ropes and began to fumble for his hunting rifle, but Bryan was already close, close enough to at least swat the hunting rifle far away from him. Bryan took a moment to look the man up and down, considering what he was about to do. But this was for a meal of succulent venison, and he wasn’t about to allow this man to pry his food away from him. So Bryan, being unrelenting in his nature, and doing what his father had taught him to do in these situations, pounced onto the man and began attacking him, leaving him lying lifeless on the soft, dewy emerald grass. Then he turned and grabbed the deer, dragging it away with him out of the clearing and all the way back to his neck of the woods. Why, you may ask? Because Bryan wasn’t an innocent human being. Bryan was a bear, and that’s what bears do.

Hope you enjoyed it!

JJ

Hey everyone, welcome back to Flashback Friday. This week we’ve had a fair amount of news around the world, so, as always, let’s get right into it.

We’ll start with some World Cup news. Round 1 of the Group Stage is over, and around 2 is well underway, with an upset or two already occurring. And I’ll be wrapping Round 2 in an article on Sunday. However, just a bit of news that you may or may not have heard, Croatian player Nikola Kalinic was sent home by head coach Zlatko Dalic after he refused to come on as a substitution towards the end of Croatia’s match against Nigeria. The player claimed to have a back injury and told the head coach he was unable to play, and was subsequently sent home. And in some more recent news from the Australia v Denmark game last night, Australian striker Andrew Nabbout will likely be unable to play in future World Cup matches this tournament after dislocating his shoulder after falling and landing on it badly last night. Meanwhile, Tim Cahill and the Australian supporters are questioning why he wasn’t brought on, however it may be due to the better striking options in terms of pace. It’ll be an interesting equation for Group C as well next week, but more to come on that later in articles to be published early next week.

To some world news now, and there’s been tensions in the US this week, with the US Government, particularly President Trump’s Administration, being slammed for separating immigrant children from their parents/families who are crossing the Mexican border illegally. The children are taken away and fostered out, while their parents are sent to prison for crossing the border, being labelled as criminals. Between the beginning of October 2017 and the end of May 2018, approximately 2700 children were separated from their parents and families, with around 1995 of those occurring in the last six weeks of that period alone. According to some mothers and families, they were told by Border Patrol agents that took their children that their children were being taken for a bath, but hours later they were still gone, and also that ‘their families would not exist anymore’ and that they would ‘never see their children again’ which is absolutely appalling. After days of protest, of people taking swipes at the Trump Administration and the rest of the US Government for allowing this to happen, US President Donald Trump finally signed an executive order to keep families together while they are detained. However it is still unclear as to what will happen to the children already separated from their families. This comes just days after the US also pulled out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, criticising them for a ‘cesspool of political bias’ against Israel.

In more local news, and the Australian Parliament is still a chaotic mess. This week has seen Pauline Hanson support the company tax cuts that she practically forced former One Nation Senator Brian Burston to resign for supporting. Hanson has flipped on these tax cuts so many times, and she finally conceded to supporting them yesterday when the Senate passed the tax cuts in a vote of 37-34. They will now have to be passed by the House of Representatives, who will most likely pass them with ease as the Liberal National Government have the majority. The other big news this week in Parliament is that Clive Palmer has relaunched his old Palmer United Party as the United Australia Party, claiming in a media conference on Monday that the Party has already gained the support of 20000 people over the weekend. And former One Nation Senator Brian Burston, who formally announced his quitting One Nation and his intentions to be an independent in the Senate only shortly before joining Clive Palmer in his media conference to announce he was joining the United Australia Party, and that together they would ‘Unite Australia’. This had people questioning if he had practically just lied to the Senate, with 2GB radio host Ray Hadley raising the question on his radio show on Monday morning. Clive Palmer has also suggested that he is considering coming back into the Parliamentary fold and running for a seat in the House of Representatives in the next federal election, claiming his ‘assets have not been frozen’. This should get interesting.

A bit of breaking news now, and former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has once again been jailed, after being in and out of jail for a year or so. However, this time he has been found guilty of rigging a council election after being convicted of over 100 counts of electoral fraud back in April this year, and has subsequently been sentenced to 21 months in prison, with a non parole period of 11 months, meaning that will be the minimum time he will spend in prison.

And now to a bit of entertainment news, and this week saw the annual MTV Movie and TV Awards in the US. The big winner was Black Panther and it’s incredible cast, with Chadwick Boseman taking out the award for Best Hero and Best Actor In A Movie, Michael B. Jordan taking out Best Villain, and the film itself taking out the coveted Best Movie Award. One of the best moments however was when Chadwick Boseman invited hero cop James Shaw Jr., the beyond brave police officer who disarmed a gunman at a Waffle House without being armed himself, saving many lives in the process, up to the stage to thank him, and gave him the Best Hero Award to keep for himself, saying that ‘this is gonna live at your house.’ And another highlight, something a little more humorous, was when Michael B. Jordan gave his acceptance speech, and said at the end of it that ‘Chadwick Boseman personally asked me to ask y’all to stop asking him to say Wakanda Forever out on the streets, y’all taking the forever thing a little too seriously.’ Something the Black Panther fans should understand there.

And that’s a wrap for the week. There has been a lot more news, but I can’t really cover everything, and I have a lot of articles and a short story to work on for release in the coming days. So thanks for reading again, enjoy the week ahead, and I’ll be back next week to wrap the news of the week.

JJ

Hey everyone. So, Round 1 of the Group Stage has concluded, and what a World Cup this is shaping up to be. There’s been big wins, big upsets, close matches, technological controversy, debatable calls by referees, injuries, and so much emotion. And we’ve only just started Round 2. It’s absolutely mental. So let’s get into a bit of a review of Round 1.

Russia v Saudi Arabia: Host nation Russia made a brilliant start to their World Cup campaign, taking out a 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia. In reality however, it’s not that Russia were amazing, it’s that Saudi Arabia were just really bad. The defence made mistakes that shouldn’t have occurred, and gave Russia too many opportunities to score. Russia deserved this win, well done to them.

Egypt v Uruguay: What a game this was. Egypt, without the talent of their star midfielder Mohamed Salah, played the game of their lives, holding off Uruguay’s star forwards Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Both teams were strong in their defence, especially the Egyptians, however the game could’ve gone either way with both teams becoming sloppy in their attack. Uruguay did well to get the 1-0 win, with a goal right at the end, but Egypt should be commended for a match well played.

Morocco v Iran: This was one that was always going to be close. Iran having never broken out of the group stage, and Morocco playing their first World Cup match in 20 years, this match could have easily ended in a draw. But Morocco made a big mistake, and an own goal off the head of Bouhaddouz in the last minute of the game cost them the match. 1-0 to Iran.

Portugal v Spain: A match that just kept providing goals. Spain scored three pretty great ones, in particular Nacho’s goal in the 58th minute. However, Portugal, with their one man team of Cristiano Ronaldo, managed to keep the score level, as Ronaldo converted from a penalty, scored another, and converted from a free-kick. Neither team could be separated at 3-3.

France v Australia: Everyone expected Australia to be dominated in this game against a world class team worth around 307 million Euro (481.7million AUD). But Australia held their own, and they played probably their best football ever seen in a World Cup. Conceding a penalty from a VAR reviewed decision, a debatable one at that, Australia went 1-0 down, but levelled with a penalty of their own after a handball by Samuel Umtiti. However, a lucky goal off the crossbar that just made it over the line won France the match 2-1. Well done to Australia though on a job well done.

Argentina v Iceland: What a match this was. After Aguero put one in the back of Iceland’s net, the World Cup debutants fought back and levelled the score with a fantastic goal of their own, and held Argentina to a draw, with goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson making the save of his life, denying star player Lionel Messi a penalty. They should be congratulated for a stellar debut performance. 1-1.

Peru v Denmark: It was always going to be a tough start for Peru, having not qualified for a World Cup for 36 years, a long wait for the opportunity to play on the world stage. They played a decent match against the Danes, and they were managing to hold them off, however Denmark were always going to be the team with more experience, and it showed with a goal from Poulsen in the 59th minute, taking out a 1-0 win to go to 2nd place in their group.

Croatia v Nigeria: Croatia were always going to be the better team in this match-up. However, they didn’t necessarily score goals of their own volition, rather making the best of opportunities and mistakes gifted to them by the opposing side. Nigeria gifted Croatia an own goal in the 32nd minute, and then practically gave the game away when they gave away a penalty in the 71st, one which star midfielder Luka Modric converted with ease, giving Croatia a 2-0 win and top spot in the group.

Costa Rica v Serbia: A close match, but one which proved the Serbs to be the better side. Costa Rica did their best to hold off the Serbs, with goalkeeper Keylor Navas performing well between the posts. However, it wasn’t enough to keep the Serbs at bay, with a goal from striker Aleksandar Kolarov proving a winner for the Serbian team, who took the game 1-0.

Germany v Mexico: I think everyone expected reigning champions Germany to get an easy win here. But the Mexicans weren’t going to go down easy, and they fought amazingly, dominating the game, with their counter attacks being something else, the Germans struggling to hold them off. And they got their reward in the 35th minute, with a stellar goal from Lozano putting them ahead of the champions. A clear cut penalty denied in the 69th minute put the crowd on edge, however, the Mexicans took out the match, making it Germany’s first loss in an opening match in 36 years. Mental.

Brazil v Switzerland: A match where the Swiss team seemed to have one objective: whatever you do, don’t let Neymar do anything spectacular. Something they did by constantly fouling him, equaling the record for most fouls on one player, being 10. Brazil played some really top quality football though, and Coutinho put a stunner in the net in the first half. But Switzerland managed to equalise, and despite some bad fouls that pulled three yellows, and a clear cut penalty in which a Swiss defender wrapped his arms around Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, which was however not called, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Sweden v South Korea: One of the tightest matches of the Round. Sweden dominated most of the game, however the Koreans managed to hold them off, with their keeper jumping and diving to make some brilliant saves. However, a decision reviewed by the VAR in the 65th minute gave Sweden a penalty, and Granqvist converted it to score the only goal of the match, getting Sweden an all important 1-0 win.

Belgium v Panama: Not a lot was expected of Panama coming into this their first ever World Cup Group Stage match. And Belgium showed their strength, netting three against the debutants. A match won easily by Belgium, putting Panama in a tough position in the Cup.

Tunisia v England: Coming off the back of a stellar qualifying campaign, England were the favourites going into the match, and they managed to hold off Tunisia, winning 2-1, with Harry Kane proving his worth throughout the match, scoring both goals for the English side.

Colombia v Japan: This was an interesting match. Japan coming in as an Asian team against one from South America, it was so unlikely that Japan would actually manage to hold their opponents off, let alone win the match. After an early penalty from a handball off the hand of Colombian defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez, who was subsequently given the first red card of the tournament, leaving Colombia with just 10 men on the field. But Colombia struck back with a goal from a free kick just making it over the line before the first half was finished. Yet it was not enough, as a header from a Keisuke Honda corner midway through the second half put Japan ahead 2-1, a lead which they held right to the end to be the first Asian team to win a match against a South American one in a World Cup, and causing an upset for the Colombians.

Poland v Senegal: What a match this was. African nation Senegal were not at all seen as going to be able to edge European nation Poland. But after an own goal from Poland’s Cionek, and a follow up goal in the second half from Niang, Poland were at a loss to keep Senegal at bay, only scoring one goal, coming from Krychowiak in the 86th minute, but it was already too little too late. Senegal became the first African nation to win a match at the 2018 World Cup, 2-1, causing one of the major upsets of the tournament, and their coach Aliou Cisse, the youngest at the World Cup being 42 years of age, ecstatic.

Highlight Of The Round: There were two highlights for me this Round. First, Iceland’s spectacular World Cup debut. Their goal, Hans Halldorsson’s brilliant penalty save, denying Lionel Messi from the spot, and the way in which they managed to hold their own against one of the top teams in the world. Second, Mexico’s major upset defeating the reining Champions Germany in their greatest ever World Cup match. Watching them win it was purely a thrill. Well done to them. *Just going to add a third highlight, that being Senegal head coach Aliou Cisse’s celebration after the team’s second and winning goal of the game. With his dreadlocks and cool sense of style, he is being called the coolest man at the World Cup. What a guy.

Bittersweet Moment Of The Week: In a match that Egypt played so well defensively, holding back Uruguay’s impressive forward line, it was overall bittersweet. When Giménez put one in the back of the net in the 89th minute, the looks on the Egyptians’ faces was one of heartbreak, especially for Mohamed Salah, who had been smiling and laughing on the bench for much of the game, watching his team play so well. It was particularly disheartening for him considering he appeared ready to play and wanted to be brought on, but was left off the whole match.

Biggest Upsets: This World Cup is proving to be one of many many upsets. The major upsets of the first Round of the Group Stage came against all the big name teams. Spain and Portugal couldn’t break a deadlock. World Cup debutants Iceland held world number 5 team Argentina to a draw. Switzerland managed to stave off Brazil and force a draw against them. Asian nation Japan fought off South American nation Colombia in a 2-1 win. Poland were left stunned by Senegal in a 2-1 win for the Africans. And, in the biggest upset of the Round, Mexico dominated Germany to take out a 1-0 win against the current reigning World Champions. This World Cup is probably the most unpredictable one we’ve seen yet.

Controversy: We all knew that this World Cup was going to be different, the biggest change being the addition of new technology in the form of the Video Assistant Referee, commonly known as the VAR. And it was only a matter of time before it started to cause controversy in what is the biggest sporting event in the world. There have already been a number of calls made that have been a result of VAR reviews, with some decisions being questionable. There have also been situations in which the VAR isn’t used, but really should have been. For example, when Gabriel Jesus was brought down in the box by a Swiss player, and when Javier Hernandez was brought down in the box against Germany in the 69th minute. The VAR should have been used to review both of these situations, and a penalty call should have been made. The penalty call for France against Australia, when Australian defender Josh Risdon made a tackle just inside the box was also debatable, with different angles showing whether or not he touched the ball. The other thing to takeaway from this Round was the standard of refereeing. Some players got away with some bad tackles this Round, while other lighter tackles were punished. In particular of note were the bad tackles made on Brazil’s Neymar, with Behrami and Granit Xhaka getting away with some fairly dirty play, Xhaka going straight for Neymar and pulling on his shirt to bring him down when he had a chance to get forward and potentially set up or score a goal, an offence that was given nothing more than a warning. Some players even got two warnings. Also, a Colombian player, Carlos Sanchez, was given the first red card of the tournament after a hand ball in the box, whereas French defender Samuel Umtiti did not receive a punishment for the same offence, with only a penalty being given. Not sure if all the referees are on par in terms of punishment and judging tackles made throughout their matches.

Noticeable Statistic: You’ll notice that many of the best teams in this tournament, the best teams in the world, which are the teams you’d expect to get wins and take the three points that come with a win, are all sitting on one point or less. Portugal, Spain, Argentina and Brazil are all sitting on 1 point each after being held to draws by their opponents (where Spain and Portugal played against each other), and Germany, the reigning, defending Champions of the World Cup, are sitting on 0, after failing to gain even one point from their opening match against Mexico. Interesting to see this occur in the first Round of the Group Stage. And it’ll be even more interesting to see if this continues to occur throughout the next two Rounds of the Group Stage.

Do or Die: Going into Round 2, there are a number of teams who are facing the prospect of being knocked out of the tournament. The teams which must not lose their games include: Egypt and Saudi Arabia from Group A, Australia and Peru from Group C, Germany and South Korea from Group F, Tunisia and Panama from Group G, and Colombia and Poland from Group H. Losing their matches this week may prove to put them out of the tournament in the Group Stage.

What To Expect From Round 2: Going into Round 2, I’d expect many more upsets, and the potential for some teams to secure their places in the Round of 16 early. Don’t always expect the top teams to perform well just because they’re ranked highly. And expect more from Iceland. They seem like a team that could really make something out of this opportunity and take it as far as possible. And I wouldn’t doubt them actually winning a match against Nigeria or Croatia for that matter. I’d also keep an eye on Australia. They look like they are doing everything they can this year to get to the Round of 16, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they manage to just get out of their Group and through to the next Round, potentially getting wins against Denmark and Peru. Overall, expect the unexpected, and be prepared for anything to happen.

Note: Most of this article was written before Egypt played Russia early this morning. With Egypt’s loss, they will be knocked out of the tournament if Uruguay win or draw their match against Saudi Arabia tonight, which is likely.

JJ

Hey everyone, it’s the first bi-weekly Mystery Monday. A day on the blog where the post could be absolutely anything. There could be one post, there could be multiple posts. It could be a story, an article, or something completely different. You never know what’s going to happen. That’s why it’s called Mystery Monday. It’s a mystery. Exciting, isn’t it?

So today, on the first ever Mystery Monday, I have for you (drum roll please) …………. Poetry! Yes, poetry. This is one I composed quite recently. It just sort of popped into my head and I wrote it down. Hope you like it and enjoy!

Freckles

A layer of speckled dots peppered across a soft, smooth surface,

Some huddled together,

Others spreading out,

Making their home in a small part of a vast land.

Some taking refuge on a face, an arm, a leg,

Each like a small grain of sand sprawled along an expansive beach,

A front for the vast ocean that sometimes spills over onto the shore,

Dampening these minuscule flecks.

Like a thousand shining stars glowing in the night sky,

Forming a map against their unique backdrop,

Each of them in their own way making it unique,

Making it special.

Many have them,

Some cover them up,

Some like to have them on display,

But each of these tiny faint spots add a unique beauty to their owner,

Setting them apart,

Making them different,

Making them special.

Some have more than others,

Some don’t have any at all,

But these little spots,

In all their wonder,

Are a brilliant sight,

Scattered across their surface,

Like sprinkles atop ice cream,

Adding a marvellous extra layer,

To an already spectacular individual.

A marvel to behold,

These infinitesimal specks,

Interspersed over a soft, silky layer of skin,

Instilling individuality,

Creating uniqueness,

Making someone special.

There you go, hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more posts in the coming days. And for all those who are questioning whether or not there will be a World Cup Wednesday this week, I can now exclusively reveal that the answer is yes. I’ll have maybe one or two feature articles this week too. Get excited!

JJ