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First things first, this will once again be a World Cup-heavy edition, but not as heavy as last week. Also, Nick Fogle came back through to put a bow on our NHL Playoff coverage! We talk about the Carolina Hurricanes’ win, whether the ratings backed up our theory about the size of the market not mattering, and what to expect from the NHL Draft!

Now, to the sports!

Is there another straight white man who hates America as much as Jesse Marsch? The former USMNT player and assistant coach appeared to be headed for the USMNT head coaching job before the baffling decision was made to retain Gregg Berhalter after the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup. When Berhalter was finally let go, Marsch said he was no longer interested in the job because of how he was treated during the application process.

In a delightfully spiteful move, he took the job to lead co-host Canada instead. The spite didn’t stop there, as Marsch used his pre-opening match press conference to talk about how his Canadian players had more pride in representing their country than the US teams he assisted did. Universal healthcare will do that. Canada’s draw in that opening match against Bosnia-Herzegovina was the country’s first-ever points scored at a World Cup. They’ll look for their first win here against Qatar.

The Americans did seem pretty proud after an impressive 4-1 win against Paraguay as Folarin Balogun looked like the most impressive thing we’ve claimed from the Brits in, well, 250 years. They face off with the Socceroos, who also won their opening match. The winner of this one will be in the Group D driver seat.

The Scots snuck past Haiti for their first World Cup win in 36 years, which, as a 37-year-old, really isn’t that long. They find themselves atop the Group C table after Brazil and Morocco battled to a draw. Anything other than a loss here puts them in a solid position to advance out of the Group Stage for the first time ever. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news? The Moroccans are nearly 80 spots higher than Haiti in the international rankings. So yeah, we’ll see!

I spent some time during my season preview brainstorming non-Olivia Miles Rookie of the Year candidates. That was a waste of time. Just over a quarter of the way into the season, Miles is not only the best rookie but also in consideration for All-WNBA recognition. She has the Lynx atop the league standings without MVP candidate Napheesa Collier. Golden State is the best defensive team in the WNBA, but Miles broke Caitlin Clark’s rookie record for 3-pointers made in a game the last time they played. Have the Valkyries figured out a way to slow her down?

For me, the most frustrating types of teams to watch are the ones whose failures can be blamed on something other than talent. The Atlanta Dream fits that bill, with their main issue being a predisposition to lackadaisicalness. In these teams’ first matchup earlier this season, the Atlanta rollercoaster was in full effect. A sleepy second quarter saw Atlanta facing a 9-point deficit at halftime, which they promptly turned into a 1-point lead in just under 6 minutes of 3rd quarter action. Unfortunately, they shrugged away the rest of the game as Indiana ended up winning comfortably. This roster is still figuring things out, and they are certainly looking forward to the return of All-Star Bri Jones. However, all of the talent in the world isn’t going to do anything if they can’t stay locked in for 40 minutes. Tap in to see if they do.

Who is to blame for my not knowing Yan Diomande before this tournament? The 19-year-old Ivory Coast star helped lead his team to a 1-0 win over Ecuador by simply being the fastest man on the pitch. His activity wore down the Ecuadorians, and Amad Diallo took full advantage with a clutch goal in the 90th minute. The Germans had an impressive showing of their own, winning 7-1 against Curacao. Diomande, Diallo, and the rest of Les Elephants will provide much more of a challenge.

As I watched Japan’s first match against the Netherlands, where they scored a late goal to snag a draw, I thought to myself, “Ya know, I’m not necessarily a soccer expert, but this team feels more exciting to watch than the rest.” After some light research, it appears I’m not alone in my assessment. Here’s one such article that does a good job of breaking down tactically what they are doing to generate that excitement. If you’re trying to watch this one in anything other than the Pacific Time Zone, Japan possesses exactly the type of playing style needed to stay up and watch them.

Before this, my only knowledge of Cape Verde overlapped with my lifelong obsession with hurricane season. However, I am now quite possibly the biggest fan of their goalie, Vozinha. The 40-year-old (!) played like an absolute wizard as he kept tournament favorites Spain from scoring. As the final whistle blew to seal the deal on the historic draw, Vozinha’s emotions came pouring out on the pitch. Here’s what he said when asked about it during the post-match press conference:

How could you not want this guy to do well? And, as an American, how could you not be painfully embarrassed by the current state of our country? Imagine gatekeeping a country that holds UFC fights in front of the worst people society has to offer on the White House lawn.

The 30th anniversary of the WNBA’s first game featuring the two teams that kicked things off! Looking back at this is wild. What do you mean we didn’t have an established women’s professional basketball league? Now, attempts were made, but none had the backing of the NBA, which appears to be the great separator between the W and leagues, such as the ABL, that did not survive. The WNBA has come so far, fresh off of agreeing to a record-setting CBA, that you could argue that the NBA’s continued involvement could be more of a hindrance these days. I’m very much hoping to be wowed by how the league honors the women who carried the W through those early days. Tune in so we can be wowed together!

In case there was any doubt about Messi being the GOAT, he opened up Argentina’s title defense with a masterful hat trick in their 3-0 win against Algeria. He is now tied with Miroslav Klose as the all-time leader in World Cup goals scored. Strong chance that he claims sole possession of that record in this one.

Make sure you don’t blink when Messi sets that record, because he’s merely keeping it warm for Kylian Mbappe. After scoring two goals in France’s opener, the always-exciting Mbappe is just two goals behind Messi. This is especially wild considering that he’s a decade younger. There’s no telling where this record ends up when he’s finished.

If Mbappe has any competition for the title of world’s best striker, it’s Norwegian Erling Haaland. The 6’5” behemoth fired in two goals in Norway’s opening win against Iraq. How far can he carry them in the country’s first World Cup appearance since 1998?

Despite some of the worst injury luck you could imagine, the Braves just keep chugging along as the NL East leaders. ATL native Matt Olson’s power resurgence has led the way. He’s on pace to hit 40+ homers after back-to-back seasons of failing to hit the 30-home-run mark. Speaking of power, Drake Baldwin hit the longest home run of the MLB season in his return from injury. He was having an All-Star season before sitting out the last month, so they are certainly happy to have him back. Baldwin’s 1 home run in that game is half as many as Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. has hit all season. Tatis Jr. is currently in the middle of a 14-year, $340 million contract.

Portugal has some work to do after a surprising tie against a gritty Congo team. When it comes to the World Cup, megastar Cristiano Ronaldo is more Carmelo Anthony than Kobe Bryant. He needs some big performances the rest of the way to turn that around, and I’m not sure he’s got the legs for it.

I’ve just watched Harry Kane score two goals in the first half of England’s opening match against Croatia. He’s pretty good. Seems like a decent reason to watch.

Don’t look now, but Shohei Ohtani’s bat is heating up. After a somewhat sleepy start to the season, Ohtani is batting .345 with 8 homers over the last month of action, including a solo shot that was the only run in the Dodgers’ victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. As a reminder, he’s also doing this while being the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young. I cannot believe we get to watch him play baseball.

Barring a miracle, this will probably be Haiti’s final match. Last week, I talked about how they overcame turmoil in their country that forced all of their qualifying matches to be played on the road. The country is one of many targeted by the Trump administration’s bullshit that has made it hard for them to even enter the US. They were also forced by FIFA to change their uniform design due to it being “too political.” On top of that, they found themselves on the wrong end of several controversial decisions in their 1-0 loss to Scotland. Hell of an experience for them, and it won’t get any easier against a tough Moroccan squad, but hopefully, they can hold their heads high and take pride in their performance.

Remember when Phoenix drilled Las Vegas in their season-opening Finals rematch? Did we hallucinate that? The wheels have completely fallen off as they find themselves very firmly in lottery territory. It turns out that sitting on your hands during free agency with an aging team isn’t a fantastic strategy. Now, there’s a lot of season left to turn this thing around, but it’s time to start turning. What better way to build some confidence than a road win against a Fever team that is suddenly red-hot?

As always, thank you for reading! Make sure you’re subscribed so you get this in your inbox first thing Thursday mornings! Also, share with your friends! See you next week!