Heya, it’s me again today, subbing for PJ. No real need for explainers, it’s the World Cup, let’s keep swimming.

Note: I will also be sure to put up a match thread tomorrow for the USMNT game, for those able to commune live in the blog comments.

On to the news!

We’re gonna start with just a few content pieces that exemplify that fun and connection of the World Cup, though the selection will be more limited in volume than Wednesday’s edition.

Just a small British bloke enjoying a brownie dessert

Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” once famously asked, “What have the Romans ever done for us?!” In Jordan’s case, provide a pretty gob smacking venue for a watch party that they can enjoy.

In what feels like a ribald premise for a British comedy similar to 1990’s “Nuns on the Run” starring Eric Idle, this is actually a very wholesome story of how charity led to comradery in an American nunnery.

On to the regular news links

Portugal have a Ronaldo problem (again) after draw with Congo DR– ESPN

Ronaldo’s play and Roberto Martinez’ decision to build around him are drawing criticism after Portugal, who really should be considered one of the favorites, drew DR Congo 1-1 yesterday. While it’s not exactly difficult to grasp that a 41 year old player might not be what he once was, perhaps no criticism landed quite like that of France and Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry. Credit to the quality that DR Congo exemplified, as well.

Four Takeaways From England’s Very Un-English World Cup Win– Sports Illustrated

Croatia scored some remarkable and clutch goals to stay in the match, but England eventually overpowered the 3rd place team of the 2022 World Cup with powerful attacking potency. Harry Kane joins the Golden Boot race with his brace, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford opened their accounts, as well. I do recommend the extended highlights on Youtube, if you missed the match.

Ghana 1 – 0 Panama: Late, late Yirenkyi goal wins chaotic match – as it happened– ESPN

Ghana may have won the match, but it should be noted that the smaller CONCACAF nations to qualify have done themselves proud. From Panama making this a dog fight against a historically dominant Africa side, to Haiti giving Scotland something to truly sweat about, to Curacao leaving German fans with a far clearer memory of a goal they conceded than the 7 they put away, this is why the game is played on grass, and it does seem that some hard won respect has been gained.

Colombia squeeze past dogged Uzbekistan to open World Cup campaign with victory– The Guardian

Uzbekistan had its own defiant loss registered late last night, as they forced Colombia to pull out all the stops to overcome them.

Today’s matches are as follows:

Czechia vs South Africa at 12 PM Eastern on FOX

Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina at 3 PM Eastern on FOX

Canada vs Qatar at 6 PM Eastern on FS1

and

Mexico vs South Korea at 9 PM Eastern on FOX

Now, to some of the coverage ahead of the USMNT’s vital matchup with Australia tomorrow:

USMNT’s Christian Pulisic remains day-to-day ahead of World Cup clash with Australia– Yahoo

Steven Goff takes on one of the hardest challenges a journalist can encounter, and that’s collective obfuscation by an insular organization. He does it well, providing an indication that the injury that necessitated Pulisic’s exit from the Paraguay match is very much still a concern. If he’s not fit for tomorrow, it does provide Mauricio Pochettino some headaches as the US coach mulls over his lineup for that vital contest.

Berhalter says Pochettino taught USMNT ‘what we’re about’– ESPN

That’s Seb Berhalter (and Tim Weah) talking about the mentality drilled in by Poch. There’s another Berhalter I know of who might be, erm, interested in these quotes…

The education of USMNT goalkeeper (and Harvard grad) Matt Freese– ESPN

I’m just gonna say it: Matt Freese’s origin story is a LOT more interesting than I expected.

Why USMNT star Tyler Adams is building ‘mini-pitches’ across the country– NBC4 New York

It’s this sort of real work and development that can yield results for the future of the sport in this country, and Adams deserves plaudits for that.

How Much Do the USMNT Players Get Paid for the 2026 World Cup?– Sports Illustrated

Other considerations aside, I do think it’s really sad that Diego Luna didn’t get his check. That’s a life changing amount of money that I do think his contributions this cycle warranted.

Seattle’s World Cup ticket prices for USMNT-Australia match are skyrocketing– The Seattle Times

Just when you thought it was all good news for the USMNT’s strong start in the group, you are reminded: Oh, right, dynamic pricing is cancerous.

Türkiye battle Paraguay as World Cup early exit threat looms– Daily Sabah

Reminder that it’s not just the US and Australia in our group. After stunning defeats in their opening group stage matches, Turkiye and Paraguay prepare for a battle to keep their tournament hopes alive. The game kicks off at 11 PM Eastern tomorrow on FS1.

And finally, in case you haven’t been exposed to the most remarkable thing I’ve ever seen a host city do for a foreign nation, this is a great explainer. Algeria’s flag. Take a bow, Lawrence.

That’s all I’ve got! One-up me in the comments, and have a great sporting day!