Russia World Cup 2018
- How happy was Japan when they beat Colombia?
- England's travelling support is more of a platoon than an army in Russia, but so far they have had an unexpectedly wonderful time. According to this article by the well-established Football Supporters' Federation, the scare stories have proven to be totally unfounded as English fans have been welcomed with open arms by the locals.
- I have not had the chance to go through all the official World Cup songs, which of course are usually dire but now and again throw up a World in Motion. Anyway, having enjoyed the happy music of Senegal in that friendly West African country, I gravitated quickly to its 2018 official song, featuring its most famous musician Yossou N'Dour.
- Seven facts about Lev Yashin, the greatest Russian footballer and perhaps the greatest goalie of all time. Incidentally, the Black Spider said the secret to his success was this:
- Mexico captain Rafael Marquez will not be winning any Man of the Match awards or giving any post-match interviews at the World Cup, thanks to corporate America.
- Pitch-side sponsors at Russia 2018 are not the usual bunch - FIFA's old pals Adidas, Coca-Cola & Hyundai are there, but so are some large Chinese companies almost unknown in the West like Hisense, Vivo and Wanda. What is going on? The Economist explains it is all part of China's plan to rule the world, as well as hosting the 2030 World Cup.
- The Guardian takes an in-depth look at the dozen 2018 World Cup stadia, but how about viewing them from beyond the Earth:
Russia Related
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile