54-Yard Bullseye (6/14)

A pair of teams ranked in the 40s played each other with D4-Czech Rep (#40) getting the better of home side D3-Scotland (#44) thanks to two great goals from Patrik Schick, including his 54-yard bending strike just over the running GK's head for the final score of 2-0.  Why SCO's GK was near the midfield circle is puzzling, but his desperate run backwards and falling and getting tangled into the net will be meme'd everywhere.

Schick's goal reminded me of USWMT's Carli Lloyd's midfield bomb in the WWC15 final or Zlatan's first goal with the Galaxy.  But Carli's had plenty of margin bouncing into the goal while Schick's strike just barely fit between the GK's hands and crossbar.  And to think we had golazos just yesterday from C3-Austria and C2-Ukraine.

More drama as E4-Slovakia got an own goal off the GK's back and after going up a man, the game-winner in the 69' to beat E3-Poland, 2-1.  POL's Robert Lewandowski had 5 shots but none on goal.  Each team had more than 10 shots (POL 17, SVK 11) but momentum changed when POL picked up a red card on a second yellow (unfortunately, the first yellow was very soft but the second was deserved) in the 62'.  

Like WC18, E1-Spain again dominated possession but lacked finishing as E2-Sweden held on with just 25% possession in the scoreless draw.  In WC18, three times ESP had 63% or more possession and came out it with just a 1-0 win (over Iran, no less), a draw, and another draw that led to a loss in the penalty shootout.  SWE was without an official shot on goal but had one chance that was cleared off the line by a Spanish defender, off the right post, and into the waiting arms of the GK.

ESP's draw meant home teams are just 3-3-1 with F1-Hungary and F4-Germany playing at home tomorrow.

In our closest pick of the pool, 18 picked CZE (15 SCO, 16 ties), no one picked SVK (43 had POL), and just 8 picked the ESP-SWE tie.  The unexpected results scrambled up the standings with Club Med now alone in first with 7 points after 10 matches. 11 others have 6 points while Isayoldchap remains at 2 pts.  3 went 2-1 while 26 went 0-3.