Can't Hold a Lead (6/24)

97:19 - CRO let it slip away again

CYPRESS, CA - Less than 45 seconds from securing a win, B2-Croatia once again let in a last minute game-tying goal, this time 7:19 into 8 minutes of stoppage time as the 1-1 draw sent B3-Italy into the Round of 16.  They allowed a game-tying goal to B4-Albania 4:23 into 5 minutes of stoppage time last time.  ITA still has not lost back-to-back Euro matches and stumbles into playing 2A-Switzerland in the Round of 16.  B1-Spain's B-team (10 changes) took care of B4-Albania, 1-0, eliminating them.  

Interestingly, the two ties do not eliminate CRO yet - they would need C1-Slovenia to lose 3-0, 4-1 (and SVN needs to pick up 3 yellow cards (1 pt each) or 1 red card (worth 3 pts)), or 5-1 or worse AND F2-Georgia and F4-Czechia to both lose (by any score).  So the six yellows picked up by CRO today (they trail SVN 7-4) could bite them in the butt if they lose the disciplinary points tiebreaker to SVN (if this is tied, CRO wins the overall European qualifier rankings tiebreaker being #14 to SVN's #15).  Will this be the last we'll see of CRO's Luka Modrić who missed a PK (CRO's second miss of the tourney - the only team to miss) but then scored 33 seconds later to become the oldest player to score in a Euro?

A good day for entries as all 58 picked up at least 6 of the 8 possible points today.  55 picked ESP and 18 picked the CROvITA draw.  17 went 2-0 while FC Spermicidals and Cool Guy went 0-2.  All 58 got both ESP and ITA into the Round of 16.  That meant 17 got the max 8 points and two got 6 of 8 pts.  There is a 5-way tie for first (30 pts) with El Buenísimo and Germany Minus One joining 21goals, Disabling Below Jobs, and Toast at the top. Cool Guy is still last with 19 pts.

Shopping around Costco as my son had his weekly scout meeting and saw the USA crest on Michelob Ultra beer cases.  It's sort of sad all these beer companies are combined as this is an Anheuser-Busch  product.  Even Kona Big Wave, which I like, is part of their brand products.  Oh well, I wore my authentic 2022 home ITA jersey with Euro 2020 winners and Nations League patches and oddly, Puma's authentic is very thin, made of Ultraweave technology.  I'd go a size up on these.

As a bonus from last night, saw the SpaceX launch from home and at 8:47, you could clearly see the rocket and even the first separation as it streaked very brightly in the evening sky.  I'm sure we could see it here every couple months or so but this is the first time I timed it correctly.  Pretty cool watching it from our second story window before going outside.  Yes, I was still wearing my USA jersey!