World Cup Drama and Early Exits

Genuine semi-final contenders or just home-nation pretenders? It’s difficult to tell with the USA team at the moment given the nature of their opposition so far.

Australia were the latest Group D lambs to be held up for sacrifice, and were duly dispatched in Seattle with a minimum of fuss. Coach Mauricio Pochettino can now start planning for what comes next.

World Cups have always been as much about team drama off the pitch as on it, although even by those standards openly calling for Cristiano Ronaldo to quit when your partner is his teammate is another level, even if it is what most people are thinking he should do.

Meanwhile, the Tartan Army is still in Boston although going behind to Morocco after just 71 seconds probably wasn’t part of the plan for the day’s festivities.

They are halfway through the game in Foxborough, but here’s a brief look at what else happened overnight.

History not quite repeating