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Mondays suck, but the World Cup doesn't, and there are three matches on tap today. I know we're all excited to watch Germany and Portugal duke it out, and perhaps some of you are curious to see how Iran might fare against Nigeria. I know I am. But I also know that most of you are waiting for the late one, the great one, the one match to rule them all: United States vs. Ghana. Revenge. The must-win for the Yanks.
As before, this thread will open before the first match and run straight through the USA match. Join us and discuss the action as it unfolds.
The Games
Germany vs. Portugal, 12 PM ET - A lot of pundits have these guys as #1 and #2 in Group G, despite its status as a Group of Death. The first prediction is probably solid. Gary Lineker once said: "Football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win." That'll probably happen here, too. Plus, Ronaldo's got a splinter in his knee or something and cries every fifteen minutes at training these days. That said, Die Mannschaft (what a name) plays like a relentless attacking machine, and if you don't want to watch that, you don't want to watch soccer.
Iran vs. Nigeria, 3 PM ET - Here's an interesting match. Nigeria plays good defense and hits with speed on the flanks, and Iran is...well, no one really knows what Iran is. Word on the street is that they qualified out of Asia by playing strict, organized defense and conceding a lot fewer goals than everyone else, but they don't score much, either. This has the makings of a really boring match featuring a bunch of players you've never heard of, but should be interesting for the novelty of "hey, that's Iran!"
United States vs. Ghana, 6 PM ET - REVENGE. Seriously, though, if you aren't nervous about this match, you aren't American. Ghana's still a good team with a lot of pace and talent, and the Yanks are inconsistent and inexperienced, with more questions in the back than I can remember in the last decade. But, whatever, 'Murica. Let's get drunk.
Steve's Drinking Scale
I might crack a drink at noon, and maybe I'll have had a couple by three, but you know I'll be RAGING AT SIX WITH ALL Y'ALL. I got a big bottle of Clown Shoes Crunkle Sam in the fridge, and I'm gonna grab some other stuff this afternoon. Maybe some Anchor Steam, the only beer style (steam beer) that is truly, uniquely American. It's gonna be a six out of five beers on the scale today.
How Do I Watch?
Your best friend is LiveSoccerTV if you can't figure out the channels. Also, if you're in the Providence or Boston areas, check out AO: Providence's watch party at Spats Pub, and also the AO: Boston watch party at the Banshee in Dorchester. I've been to both venues for watch parties with both organizations, and you won't regret it.