Boring

No world cup post today.  Just composed a post about a customer service interaction I had this week, but it was incredibly boring so I deleted it.  Let's just say that trying to update the phone number associated with your supermarket club card so that you can access your online account is not as easy as it should be.  Exciting stuff right.  

USA 2-0 Bosnia

I don't have any comments on the England game, after another extremely underwhelming performance against an inferior opposition that they somehow managed to scrape a win from.  I'm actually looking forward to their next game playing at altitude against Mexico in front of 90,000 Mexican fans at the Azteca.  That should be a great spectacle, and a great atmosphere.  Instead, a few comments during the US game:

- Hilarious that they continue to play a sped up version of the Star Spangled Banner as the national anthems

- It's not just extra commercial breaks, but I noticed during the US game that they had a sideline reporter.  This is very common in US sports, but weird during "soccer" games and an example of the further attempted Americanization of our game

- I notice that when Alexi Lalas is not in the studio, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovich are SO much more relaxed and happier.  I thought it might just be an act for publicity, but no I think they genuinely don't like him (which I can thoroughly appreciate - I have to mute the telly or change channels whenever he is on)

- It seems like David Beckham appears in every other advertisement during the World Cup (especially during the hydration breaks) - advertising everything from Home Depot to Bank of America.  It's bewildering since he has so little personality.

- I still don't like the expanded format of this World Cup.  But I fear it is going to stick around, because it has made for some very tense and very enjoyable matches.  While some of the bigger teams like England and Brazil flatter to deceive, a number of the "smaller" countries have really shown up.  And the host countries have done surprisingly well to all still be alive.  But I'd be really surprised if it isn't another France-Argentina final.

- 3 knockout games in 1 day is way too much.  It should be 2 matches a day at most, featuring the games where the winners play each other in the next round.

- Seattle will now host its biggest ever sporting event, and the biggest "soccer" match in US soccer history, on Monday.  And another reason to enhance its reputation as the best World Cup atmosphere in the US.

Sleep

I really should get a new mattress.  But as a temporary (?) fix, I have got myself a mattress topper.  And not a cheap one - but that's OK, because I think I can claim it as a wellness expense at work.  And so far so good.  I haven't been waking up with back or shoulder pain, something I had been suffering from prior to having the topper.  The one drawback, the memory foam mattress topper I got must have a depth of about 3 inches.  So that on top of my mattress makes my bed look weirdly tall, and it also means that my fitted sheets don't really fit properly.  But that is a compromise I can live with if it means a better night's sleep. 

Penalty Kicks

I had forgotten about the sheer brutality and cruelty of penalty shootouts.  And we had two of them today.  How did I ever survive England's numerous penalty shootout losses from the 1990 World Cup through to the 2020 Euros?  What anxiety and heartbreak to endure.  I remain convinced I will never see England win a major tournament in my lifetime.  Tragic.  

Cutlery

I seem to have an alarming habit of (accidentally) throwing away cutlery.  At least that is the only explanation I have for why some of my forks keep on mysteriously disappearing.  I have seemingly lost one over the last week.  And this isn't the first time.  I could've rooted through the trash trying to find it, but I suspect it's long gone in the last trash collection.  It's not like I have a particularly expensive or noteworthy cutlery set - we are talking Amazon Basics rather than silver sterling here - but still rather annoying.

England 2-0 Panama

Mental health is important.  It's something I struggle with and need to take more measures to address.  Well, it started today with a small step.  At quarter time of the England-Panama game, I switched to watching the other game going on at the same time.  Watching England play is bad for my mental health.  Their ineptness is incredibly frustrating, incredibly stressful, and incredibly unhealthy.  They absolutely suck, and I hope they don't progress far (which they won't based on the last couple of performances).  I'm supporting Team USA from now on.

Pride Night

As I write this, Egypt and Iran are currently playing at "Seattle Stadium" in the World Cup.  I'm not actually watching the game, I'm watching the other one that is being played simultaneously.  But I wanted to mention the Seattle game because it is somewhat controversial.  It is the only official "Pride Match" in the World Cup.  A fact protested by both Egypt and Iran - where homosexuality is criminalized.  Nonetheless, and somewhat surprisingly, they've allowed rainbow flags in the stadium.  Much to the chagrin of the two teams.  But probably making for a very colorful spectacle.  But as I say, I have no idea as I'm not watching the game and I haven't seen any pictures or highlights from it either.  I don't actually know how well attended the game is either.  But I imagine it's quite a heady mix of Egypt fans, Iran fans, pride supporters and protesters downtown this evening.