Hopefully after I’m dead and buried, but it doesn’t look good 
Senegal looks better so far, though. 33 minutes in.
Haha!
Why do they keep the clock running during the commercial time out hydration break? That seems really silly.
Unlimited subs would really liven up the game, in my view, but I’m only a casual watcher.
Definitely. That Senegal forward is quite zippy, and France has been sloppy.
Unlimited subs would favour teams with deeper benches, so France in this WC for example would be almost guaranteed to win.
It would cut on surprises like Spain-Cape Verde for example if the middling Cape Verde players have to face waves of superior fresh Spanish players.
Wait, they do?
Yes, they do, that’s one of the quirks of football. The clock is never stopped, like in basketball. But the two minutes for water breaks will be put into extra time.
Fair. On the other hand, maybe Team USA would focus more on skills and less on fitness.
Yes. Originally, it was only used when really necessary – very hot days, but every game in the WC this time will have them, so they’re essentially commercial timeouts.
5 subs started during Covid and has since been formalized in the five major leagues plus the MLS.
Damn! I swore after the last time I would not get nervous again for the world cup, after all all I could ask for had been given to me…
But noooo, 5 hours to the debut and I’m getting the jitters, it’s not fair!.
The obscure Argentinian football blog I follow, that represents the darkest corner of our fandom had one comment, showing profound respect for the national team’s past achievement and glory:
Argentina? They’re playing at half speed, but they should WIN… or else DIE
ETA: IOW the famous Irish-Argentinian player Ganen O’Mueran.
I can’t believe Senegal just missed that open netter.
Agreed. Senegal has had two really good chances. Hit the post on the first and then totally missed the empty net right before halftime. A goal there, obviously, would have been huge.
LOL Mbappe, what a scrub.
I agree with the NO PENALTY call on the field and am glad they confirmed it instead of overturning it.
tfw when you have arguably the best right winger in the world and you instead have him playing as a midfielder…
I’m rooting for Senegal here but that should have been a penalty.
I can’t see the match (not on on-air tv and I’m on the work computer which precludes more errm “inventive” solutions) but The Guardian says it should be a penalty.
On the theory that you can trip someone by getting in their way w/o contact, or are they claiming contact?
Yeah, there was absolutely contact.
I didn’t see contact.
Was just about to say that France is penetrating way easier than Spain did and Senegal wouldn’t be able to hold and there we go.
Mbappe now 3 back of Klose.