The Guardian: Grant Wahl was a kind, wise champion of the voiceless in soccer ⚽️
He supported writing he believed in; stories published not for clicks, but for awareness. He used his privilege, power, & position for good, even when it was a detriment to himself
RIP, Grant
World Cup quarterfinals, day 2 ⚽️
– Morocco 🇲🇦 1, Portugal 🇵🇹 0: wow. not the red & green team I expected to win, but they withstood the onslaught
– England 🏴 1, France 🇫🇷 2: the English put up a tough fight but (quelle surprise) blew it on a missed penalty
World Cup quarterfinals, day 1 ⚽️
– Croatia 🇭🇷 1, Brazil 🇧🇷 1 (4-2 PKs): a long, cautious game that finally had some goals, then another shootout upset
– Netherlands 🇳🇱 2, Argentina 🇦🇷 2 (3-4 PKs): the South Americans survive despite a dramatic late comeback by the Dutch
my niece, the developer advocate, writing at DEV: “I shouldn’t have to make a business case for treating people with respect. If you don’t already understand why that’s important… I don’t know how to explain to you that being a developer means you have to care about other people.”
in case anyone else is going through ⚽️ withdrawal today – you can get a fix via UEFA Women’s Champions League games, streamed free on YouTube. Lyon, Arsenal, Bayern, & Barcelona, and that’s just today’s games (there’s another good slate tomorrow)
World Cup day 17, round of 16 ⚽️
– Morocco 🇲🇦 0, Spain 🇪🇸 0 (3-0 PKs): the upsets are not behind us! a stunning result sees Spain completely shut out, even in penalties (!)
– Portugal 🇵🇹 5, Switzerland 🇨🇭 1: no Ronaldo, no problem, & no energy wasted on extra time
speaking of reading & writing – another thing I’m looking forward to is Typewriter Tarot’s Book Coven discussion of Kathryn Harlan’s Fruiting Bodies (free, on Zoom, Thu 12/8). I’m not always big on short stories but this collection was deeply strange & really good 📚 ✏️
just signed up for my friend’s new email newsletter: Lauren O. Reads & Writes. don’t subscribe, too, and definitely don’t enter to win a free book (you’ll hurt my chances) 📚
World Cup day 16, round of 16 ⚽️
– Japan 🇯🇵 1, Croatia 🇭🇷 1 (1-3 PKs): ET & PKs don’t always mean evenly matched teams, but these were. Croatian GK with amazing 3 saves
– Brazil 🇧🇷 4, South Korea 🇰🇷 1: a couple of real beauties for Brazil end a tough day for AFC teams
for all the true terribleness of how & where this World Cup is being hosted, I cannot resist this kind of melting-pot goofiness 😍 ⚽️
World Cup day 15, round of 16 ⚽️
– France 🇫🇷 3, Poland 🇵🇱 1: Polish looked good at times, & got a very late consolation goal, but were no match for Les Bleus
– England 🏴 3, Senegal 🇸🇳 0: the English win without breaking a sweat; are the upsets behind us now?
one of my favorite songs of all time, by one of my favorite bands of all time: Little Miami, by Wussy:
with all the birds that make a circle
are you not more than of these
🎵
Saturday’s beer: Martin House Brewing’s Put That Cookie Down
⭐️__ __
an “Imperial Sugar Cookie Ale with Lactose and Vanilla” – I like a sweet beer, but, wow, maybe not quite this sweet 🍺
[TMI update: I wound up with some kind of stomach bug overnight, and this didn’t taste any better on the way back up. I suppose nothing would, ha ha, but I’m afraid this rating is going down to 1 star, and I’ll be giving away the last two cans of this stuff 🤢]
World Cup day 14, round of 16 ⚽️
– Netherlands 🇳🇱 3, USA 🇺🇸 1: sometimes there are surprising upsets; sometimes not. looking forward to seeing this US team in 3.5 years
– Argentina 🇦🇷 2, Australia 🇦🇺 1: two more English-speaking nations out as Argentina score three (1 o.g.)
World Cup day 13, Group G finale ⚽️
– Serbia 🇷🇸 2, Switzerland 🇨🇭 3: Shaqiri & his Swiss get the upper hand on the Serbians, and make it out of the group
– Cameroon 🇨🇲 1, Brazil 🇧🇷 0: Cameroon with a symbolic win & 2nd-yellow goal celebration, but Brazil advance
The Guardian: Referee Stéphanie Frappart disrupts narrative to make World Cup history ⚽️
In taking charge for Germany’s showdown with Costa Rica in final round of Group E games, Frappart became the first woman to officiate in a men’s World Cup and it felt decidedly normal
World Cup day 13, Group H finale ⚽️
– South Korea 🇰🇷 2, Portugal 🇵🇹 1: South Koreans upset Ronaldo’s already-advancing side & they’re through!
– Ghana 🇬🇭 0, Uruguay 🇺🇾 2: a nail-biter, after South Korea took the lead. Uruguay’s lack of goals before today sent them home
World Cup day 12, Group E finale ⚽️
– Japan 🇯🇵 2, Spain 🇪🇸 1: I wonder if La Roja took it easy, so they’d face Morocco next (instead of Croatia)
– Costa Rica 🇨🇷 2, Germany 🇩🇪 4: they eventually did all they could, but the Germans get seats on the WTF Happened Express home
World Cup day 12, Group F finale ⚽️
– Croatia 🇭🇷 0, Belgium 🇧🇪 0: a must-win for Belgium for much of the game… but they didn’t. shock exit
– Canada 🇨🇦 1, Morocco 🇲🇦 2: the Canadians tried to play spoiler but end with zero points; the Atlas Lions finish atop (!) Group F
World Cup day 11, Group C finale ⚽️
– Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 1, Mexico 🇲🇽 2: poor Mexico, so close, losing the 6th tiebreaker with Poland… until KSA got one late
– Poland 🇵🇱 0, Argentina 🇦🇷 2: Szczęsny’s save of Messi’s PK was a highlight, but kind of meh for a marquee matchup
World Cup day 11, Group D finale ⚽️
– Australia 🇦🇺 1, Denmark 🇩🇰 0: Aussies send poor Eriksen & his Danes home
– Tunisia 🇹🇳 1, France 🇫🇷 0: not that France was trying too hard, but I loved the scenes of Tunisia fans celebrating the win even though they’re eliminated
World Cup day 10, Group B finale ⚽️
– Wales 🏴 0, England 🏴 3: sad to see the Welsh end so flat, as England comfortably win Group B
– Iran 🇮🇷 0, USA 🇺🇸 1: Pulisic scores & then gets subbed out hurt as the US squeak through to face the Dutch on Sat.
World Cup day 10, Group A finale ⚽️
– Netherlands 🇳🇱 2, Qatar 🇶🇦 0: hosts flame out with a grand total of 1 goal and 0 points; Dutch finish top of Group A
– Ecuador 🇪🇨 1, Senegal 🇸🇳 2: Ecuador just needed a draw, & had it for a minute… but the Lions of Teranga advance
World Cup day 9, 2/2 ⚽️
– Brazil 🇧🇷 1, Switzerland 🇨🇭 0: Brazil look dominant though they only get one; they’ll advance
– Portugal 🇵🇹 2, Uruguay 🇺🇾 0: Portugal will also advance; La Celeste still goalless in this tournament (plus CR7 hilariously steals credit for 1st goal)
World Cup day 9, 1/2 ⚽️
– Cameroon 🇨🇲 3, Serbia 🇷🇸 3: sometimes the lowest-profile, least-famous teams put on the best show; a good game with a fitting result
– South Korea 🇰🇷 2, Ghana 🇬🇭 3: another exciting goalfest from non-marquee teams sees the Black Stars stay alive
World Cup day 8, 2/2 ⚽️
– Canada 🇨🇦 1, Croatia 🇭🇷 4: Canadians start strong, but once the Picnic Tablecloths start clicking, forget it. a shame Canada’s out
– Spain 🇪🇸 1, Germany 🇩🇪 1: an exciting, high-tension draw. Spaniards were menacing but Germany scrounged a point
World Cup day 8, 1/2 ⚽️
– Japan 🇯🇵 0, Costa Rica 🇨🇷 1: I loved this: after a 7-0 loss in first game, Los Ticos withstand the Japanese onslaught & steal one late
– Belgium 🇧🇪 0, Morocco 🇲🇦 2: another upset sees the Belgians looking flat (again); paying for it this time
Emmylou, by First Aid Kit, played live for its namesake 🎵
Saturday’s beer: Goose Island Beer Co.’s Bourbon County Coffee Stout (2022)
⭐️⭐️⭐️
picked up along with two other variants on release day yesterday. a little sharp but tasty af 🍺
World Cup day 7, 2/2 ⚽️
– France 🇫🇷 2, Denmark 🇩🇰 1: Eriksen’s Danes give the French a scare but Mbappe takes care of le business
– Argentina 🇦🇷 2, Mexico 🇲🇽 0: Messi helps his team to an essential win over El Tri (& caps a day with no 0-0 draws! hey, no draws at all!)
World Cup day 7, 1/2 ⚽️
– Tunisia 🇹🇳 0, Australia 🇦🇺 1: Socceroos get one early & withstand the onslaught to keep their WC hopes alive
– Poland 🇵🇱 2, Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 0: Lewandowski & Szczęsny keep the lid on the underdogs from a country that should never host
World Cup day 6, 2/2 ⚽️
– Netherlands 🇳🇱 1, Ecuador 🇪🇨 1: another unimpressive Dutch game; Ecuador looking scary. best part: this result knocked out Qatar
– England 🏴 0, USA 🇺🇸 0: Yanks held their own against a tough team, if not looking their best today, either
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