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!

Stoppage Time Magic (6/23)

100th minute stunner

DON KNABE PARK, CERRITOS, CA - Minutes from an upset and minutes from a 0-0 draw, dramatic goals by A1-Germany in the 90'+2 (1:04 of 4 minutes added stoppage time) to tie A4-Switzerland to win Group A and by A3-Hungary in the 90'+10 (9:31 of 10 minutes due an injury) to stun A2-Scotland 1-0 and stay alive, the first of the simultaneous group games is off to a great start.  The Swiss finish 2nd and HUN sits in 3rd with 3 points (but a bad goal differential of -3).  

HUN's win means we lose the possibility of 2-point SCO making the Round of 16 but we still have the possibility of 2-point C1-Slovenia doing the improbable (would need B4-Albania, B2-Croatia, F2-Georgia, and F4-Czechia to all lose).  For the second time, SCO had zero shots on goal and is the only team to do this.

25 got HUN's win and 15 picked the SUIvGER draw.  All 58 had GER advancing and 49 had SUI.  Five went 2-0 in the matches while 23 went 0-2.  49 got both teams advancing while 9 got just one (GER).  El Buenísimo (4th-Tied, 22 pts), BlueIsTheColour I (10th-T, 21), Matt's Mostly Wrong (10th-T), Salah (23rd-T, 20), and Rainman (35th-T, 19) all got the max 8 points today.  At the top, it's a 3-way tie for first with 21goals, Disabling Below Jobs, and Toast tied with 23 pts.  Carseroni (52nd-T, 16), Danglish (57th, 14), and Cool Guy (58th (last), 13) all just got 3 of 8 points.  If HUN were to advance later, 34 entries had them in the Round of 16.  19 lost SCO as a R16 team.

After dropping my kids off for tennis (they hate us as we have finally hit the 90F mark), at Don Knabe Park a lot of white tents were being set up for the SMAP Unit for Humanity grand celebration (it said it started at 7 am or 10 am (Health Fair) but only a few tents and few attendees were there).  We are right next to a large Indian community so lots of meditation and yoga services being offered.  Since the USMNT started today, I wore my official 2016 away USA jersey, one of the nicer darker jerseys that look good in a casual setting.  Good to watch the USMNT win 2-0 but should have routed Bolivia who were very poor.  Hopefully goal difference doesn't come into play.