occasional posts by risa aratyr
In their final Group Stage match, tiny Slovakia, competing as an independent nation for the 1st time ever, was pitted against Italy, the current World Cup champions and 2nd most successful nation in World Cup history. While FIFA rankings may not mean much on the day, the 29-country gap between 34th place Slovakia and 5th … Read more WC Fields — Slovakia v Italy
Danmark, delig Danmark… farvel, farvel. I know it’s breaking young Sorcha Fatooh’s heart, but the Japanese caught the Danes out not once, but twice in quick succession — two stunning free kicks before 20 minutes were gone. It would’ve been plenty to put them through, even after Denmark (barely) equalized on a penalty kick, but … Read more WC Fields — Denmark v Japan
What a weird game. They tried to market it as “Brother against Brother,” because of the 1/2-sibling relationship between Kevin Prince (Ghana) and Jerome (Germany) Boateng. But that wasn’t it at all. It was more like Ghana against themselves. FIFA has instituted simultaneous starts to these last group matches, with the intention of preventing teams … Read more WC Fields — Ghana v Germany
Yes, this post is just slightly out of chronological order. I put off writing about the game so I could bask, simply bask in the golden glow of relief, pride and satisfaction. Yes, oh yes, indeed. I root for the Three Lions. What about my home team, the USA? Well, I’m warming to them, now … Read more WC Fields — Slovenia v England
End to end action, brilliant play, but no finishing 1st half. End to end action, brilliant play, an eff-ing remarkable 2nd half. First the Sockeroos slotted home 2 goals in 3 minutes. Serbia looked done for, then they pulled a goal back. The last 5+ minutes of the game were a genuine thrill ride. They … Read more WC Fields — Australia v Serbia