goals, goals, goals

There were four World Cup matches, two in the Copa América, and some Men's World Cup qualifiers. One match stood above the others, Chile-Mexico in the Copa. This is a good place to see all six of the goals in the 3-3 draw, plus you get to hear Ray Hudson screaming and babbling as only he can (the video clips for some reason are not in chronological order):

Chile and Mexico Share Spoils in Thriller

In the WWC, both Group A matches ended in draws, so Canada and China are through, the Netherlands are well placed in the "best 3rd-place race", and New Zealand goes home. In Group B, the expected teams coasted. Thus, Germany and Norway advance. Thailand has a slim chance in the 3rd-place race, and the Ivory Coast goes home winless, having been outscored 16-3.

Now it's the Americans turn. The USA faces Nigeria, and a win sends the team through. They are currently atop the group, and could still advance even if they lose, but Nigeria is unlikely to win. Meanwhile, Australia advances with a win or draw against Sweden, while the Swedes need a win. (Again, there's always the third-place route.)

Finally, Kate Fagan wrote an excellent piece for ESPN:

FIFA Targets Female Players with Gender Verification Guidelines

Think about the subliminal message here: Being a woman -- or even like a woman -- is essentially a disadvantage. And being "like a man" is supposedly so advantageous that FIFA has created a policy to expose any female athlete deemed "too manly."

Today's viewing is made difficult because the USA-Nigeria match begins at 5:00, but Argentina-Uruguay in Copa América begins at 4:30. I'll probably take in half-an-hour of Messi, then switch to the USA.