The undisciplined, unpredictable, mercurial, fascinating, intimidating, captivating Mario Balotelli is the kind of player who can turn football games into electrifying experiences. He leads Italy in a classic match-up between European powers.
The Live Wire
Costa Rica 3, Uruguay 1: Magnificent Upset
The despicable Luis Suarez, the Liverpool striker, one of the greatest players and most repulsive human beings in world football, will lead Uruguay to what may be yet another impressive run in international competition, again on Brazilian ground.
Colombia 3, Greece 0: Juan Valdez Beats Zeus
Colombia can be among the surprises of the tournament, and they’re playing in a group that favors it: anyone in Group C can win it, anyone can advance.
Chile 3, Australia 1: The Mapuche Gods Have It
So, while Iraq falls apart and the United States considers a summer air campaign there, it’s time for the day’s third match, a free-wheeling affair between lowly but beer-swilling Australia and tightly disciplined Chile, whose spoiler capabilities should not be underestimated.
Spain 1, Netherlands 5: Rematch, Beauty and Dethroning
This is the treat of the day: a rematch between the 2010 World Cup finalists, a game Spain won 1-0 at the end of a violent and too often ugly game. Spain these days feels like Rodney Dangerfield in Brazil: it’s getting no respect despite its crushing record in the past eight years.
Mexico 1, Cameroon 0: Nothing To Lose
An evenly matched game between two formerly competitive teams that don’t have it this year, and barely qualified, which should make this a lot more fun than it deserves to be: in essence neither team has anything left to lose and can make a stepping stone of the other.
Brazil 3, Croatia 1: An Undeserved Gift To the Host Nation | World Cup 2014
As an opening match Brazil-Croatia didn’t lack entertainment or tension, two of the absolute requisites of any football game, but it lacked skill and spontaneity, it absolutely lacked poetry and justice.
George Will’s Sex Assault Chauvinism
The oft-reported number of sex assault in college is likely too inflated, but when columnist George Will insisted that women who say they have been raped assume a “coveted status” on campus, it was as nasty a remark as Steve Robinson imagines has ever made it past Will’s editors. A counterpoint.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Calling For Volunteers to Beef Up Its Citizens Observer Patrol (COP)
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre is looking to expand the Citizens Observer Patrol, known as COP, to increase its corps of 52 volunteers. The Sheriff’s Office is also looking for donations of boats to improve its marine patrol division.
In Memory of D-Day:
Walking Omaha Beach
Let me tell you about a very lucky trip I had a chance to take with my wife and child about a year ago, to Omaha Beach in Normandy. I’d been wanting to go there for 30 years. I consider it part of my transformation, as an immigrant, into an American, like traveling the 50 states and being a Yankee fan.