World Cup Update, June 13

Yesterday's Results:
Brazil 3, Croatia 1

Three thoughts on the game:
- Brazil didn't look like the odds-on favorite to win the World Cup in this game. Certainly not for the first 15-20 minutes. During that time Brazil looked like a team that had spent the last 2 weeks reading their own press clippings. When Croatia took the game to them, they seemed surprised, and it cost them an early goal.

- That said, when pressed they did respond. For the better part of the first half after the own goal, Brazil carried play and attacked with a vengeance. Croatia also got sloppy in their own end repeatedly, which is a great way to blink and suddenly have given up a couple of goals. While the Croatian keeper had some very nice saves, none of the goals were world-beaters and it really seemed like he could have done better on at least 2 of the 3 Brazilian goals.

- Finally, if this is the quality of refereeing we can expect in this World Cup, it's going to be a very long and trying month. If this is simply the refereeing we can expect in Brazil's games, the other 31 teams may as well go home. The penalty call was atrocious, the only just decision from that play would have been a yellow card to Fred for a shameless dive. (As an aside, I love soccer, especially world class soccer, but then something like this happens and it's difficult to argue with the soccer haters who dismiss the sport in large part because of the diving) And while the penalty is bad enough, the vast majority of 50/50 calls/no calls went Brazil's way too.

Here is Fred's dive that led to a penalty:


Today's Games: 
Mexico vs Cameroon (12:00 PM, ESPN2)
Spain vs Netherlands (3:00 PM, ESPN)
Chile vs Australia (6:00 PM, ESPN2)
note, all games are available streaming on ESPN3/the WatchESPN app

Updated Tables

GROUP A
TEAM	GP	W	D	L	GD	GF	GA	PTS
Brazil (3)	1	1	0	0	2	3	1	3
Mexico (20)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cameroon (56)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Croatia (18)	1	0	0	1	-2	1	3	0
GROUP B
TEAM	GP	W	D	L	GD	GF	GA	PTS
Spain (1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chile (14)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Netherlands (15)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Australia (62)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0