It Keeps Getting Better and Better

Argentina getting a very familiar look at Mbappe's back.

After the best group stage in memory concluded, I expected a few cagey, slow paced games as teams tried to edge their way into the quarter finals.  Today's action was anything but that.  France and Argentina put on a thrilling display in their 4 - 3 shootout.  19-year-old Kylian Mbappe became the first teen to score two goals in a World Cup game since Pele in 1958.  His amazing speed and the lightning French counterattack were too much for Argentina to handle and they picked up yellow card after yellow card as they desperately grabbed the French track stars to prevent goal scoring opportunities.  Argentina never gave up and scored on a long range effort by Angel DiMaria before half time and then took the lead just after the game restarted.  France sustained their pressure though and scored three second half goals, including my goal of the tournament by Benjamin Pavard.  If you missed his goal, you should definitely watch it.  Argentina scored in added time to draw within one goal and had a final chance to score just before the final whistle blew, but in the end France will advance and Argentina are out.

Game two was also a thriller featuring an Edinson Cavani goals in each half, both of the highest quality. Portugal scored between the Cavani strikes on a well worked team play that resulted in Pepe heading home from close range.  Uruguay had already surrendered their first goal of the tournament and it looked like Portugal might get a second but in the end it was Uruguay's night.

So France and Uruguay are today's winners and that means Rachel extended her lead to nearly 5 points over Gray, who lost his first team (Portugal) today.  Evan moved into third, just a half a point behind his brother.  Kelley didn't fall far and is still in fourth place, but she did lose a valuable piece of her arsenal with the Portugal loss.  Uruguay moved Emilie into her highest place of the summer at 9th, but the loss of Argentina puts her at a huge disadvantage to climb much higher. Dawn and Rick are encouraged by France's victory and hope to see Les Bleus continue their fine form since none of the BISERGSers ranked higher than the siblings have them.  Lindsay also returned to the top 10 thanks to the French success.  Annika, Levi, Lisa and Katee all started the day in the top 10, but didn't have teams playing and dropped slightly as a result.

The World Cup says goodbye to Messi and Ronaldo on the same day and the BISERGS must sadly say farewell to Axel and Brian.  Thanks for playing you two.  Axel had two teams play today and the cruelty of the BISERGS dealt a double blow to his promising combination of Argentina and Portugal. Things didn't work out well for Brian at all this summer.  Argentina's loss is only the most recent in a series of disappointing results and as it stands, Brian's only chance to avoid last place this summer is for Belgium to beat Japan by 18 goals.

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