Wake up, it’s match day! Well, at least it is for Argentina and Egypt. For the United States, not so much. The Belgians were even wearing their fancy Magritte kits when they dealt the final blow(s). Ceci n’est pas un red card. Oh, it hurts!
Let’s get to it.
MATCH PREVIEW: A MEETING OF KINGS
It’s been a fun time around Atlanta Stadium for the past three weeks, but now it’s a new level of real.
Tuesday is the final day of the Round of 16, and we’ll soon have our eight teams for the World Cup quarterfinals.
A little about Argentina
- Argentina are the reigning World Cup champions. They beat Spain for the title in the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
- Two words: Lionel Messi. Heard of him? Living legend, top World Cup goal scorer of all time? At 39 years old, this is Messi’s final World Cup bid. Good thing he’s already got one under his belt.
🇦🇷 Poetic Argentina fact: The Argentine National Team is called “La Albiceleste,” or the “white and sky blue,” after their iconic jerseys which mirror the Argentinian flag.
A little about Egypt
- Egypt is making a historic run. This is Egypt’s fourth World Cup, and definitely its most successful. The team notched its first World Cup win ever earlier in the tournament against New Zealand, then another against Australia.
- Two words: Mo Salah. He’s Egypt’s answer to Messi. Salah holds goal scoring records in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, and is all-around Egypt’s golden son.
🇪🇬 Poetic Egypt fact: The Egyptian National Team is nicknamed “The Pharaohs,” because of course they are, why would they not be?
⚽ READ MORE: Egypt looking to continue its historic run
What to watch for
- Tuesday’s match is actually the first time Messi and Salah will meet in international play.
- Argentina is favored, but that’s not the whole story. Argentina is ranked No. 2 on FIFA’s world rankings, and Egypt is No. 24. However, La Albiceleste got a mighty scare last week when they scraped by 64-ranked Cape Verde in a dramatic 3-2 match. They aren’t the only team that’s faced lower-ranked opponents and found the task much harder than anticipated.
MATCH DETAILS
Match time: Noon at Atlanta Stadium. Doors open three hours before start time.
Weather: Hot and humid, what’s new? It will be about 85 degrees by match start, and around 90 when it ends.
A SAD DAY FOR TEAM USA
The U.S. men’s national team lost to Belgium on Monday in an entirely forgettable match full of errors and somehow more painful than even the 4-1 final score suggests.
None of it felt good from the beginning. A recap of the red card scandal that preceded the match:
- U.S. striker Folarin Balogun was issued a controversial red card during the USMNT’s Round of 32 game against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
- Red cards render a player ineligible for their team’s next match. That’s a big deal, since Balogun is an extremely important player and top goal scorer for the U.S.
- Surprise! A few days later FIFA says they suspended Balogun’s red card, freeing him up to play against Belgium.
- President Donald Trump, meanwhile, publicly said he called FIFA and asked them to take another look at Balogun’s red card.
- Such political interference is, for many reasons, a very big no-no in the sport. FIFA said Trump’s actions didn’t influence their decision, but Trump and his inner circle continued to talk about it as if Trump had tangible influence.
Anyway, by the time Team USA took to the pitch in Seattle, they had lots of new critics. Things didn’t get any better from there.
🇺🇸 R.I.P ‘Country Roads:’ How the Denver hit became the USMNT’s unofficial anthem
A VERY FUNNY QUOTE
Metro Atlanta's employers have a unique opportunity this summer. Keep your offices open. Encourage your teams to commute as usual by car or MARTA and let them experience a global moment happening across our region.
Atlanta has actually done a good job managing World Cup traffic through planning, strategic closures, lane finagling and other best practices. Lots of companies have helped ease the crush by letting employees work from home on match days.
However, Metro Atlanta Chamber CEO Katie Kirkpatrick says “enjoying the World Cup atmosphere” and “trying to get to work on time” can be contemporaneous activities.
🚇 READ MORE: How commuters, companies are handling World Cup traffic
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
🏴 Aw, thanks England! England fans couldn’t stop complimenting Atlanta Stadium when they were in town to see England beat Congo in the Round of 32. One of their biggest raves? The industrial-grade air conditioning.
🟥 The other red card controversy: Refs are handing out red cards when players cover their mouths. The practice may seem strange, but it’s to prevent racist or abusive language between players.
Who’s up next?
Atlanta’s last World Cup match is July 15. It’s a semifinal, so good luck getting last-minute tickets for less than the cost of a midsized sedan.
The potential teams are:
Team 1: Norway or England
Team 2: It will be a lot easier to say after today’s games are over, but it’s winner of (Argentina or Egypt) vs. (Switzerland or Colombia)
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Kick It. Questions, comments, ideas? Drop us a line.
Until next time.