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The tournament openers for both Poland and Colombia weren’t all that great for two very different kinds of reasons. Now, in the second of their three group stage games, both countries are just hoping to keep their World Cup campaigns alive.
We have a Juventus derby in the final game of the day today in Russia. Both Wojciech Szczesny and Poland and Juan Cuadrado and Colombia are coming off losses in the World Cup openers. And with the way Group H is shaping up and Japan and Senegal having already played one another by the time the two Juve teammates take the field against one another, this could very well be an elimination game of sorts. The winner will go into the group stage finale on Thursday with three points and a chance to advance, while the loser heads into their final game in the group stage knowing that their time in Russia is pretty much up unless there’s absolute chaos.
While chaos can be fun — especially since there’s Italy in the tournament so a lot of us can just sit back with a bucket of popcorn and watch — it’s probably what neither team prefer.
So, this second Juventus Derby of the World Cup brings us two nations fighting — hopefully not literally, though — to stay alive in Russia. (Also something that can be taken a few different ways. This is on the football field, of course.)
As much as others will be feeding into the English hype train — HEY HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT HARRY KANE AND KIERAN TRPPIER? HAVE YA? — we will focus on the bianconero battle that will be the final game of the day.
And, just in case you’re wondering, after this set of games is concluded, we’re about to get four games a day for the next four days as group stage play reaches its conclusion.
Good times, good times.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Group G — England-Panama: 8 a.m. Eastern Time, 5 a.m. Pacific (NBC link here)
Group H — Japan-Senegal: 1 1 a.m. Eastern Time, 8 a.m. Pacific (NBC link here)
Group H — Poland-Colombia: 2 p.m. Eastern Time, 11 a.m. Pacific (NBC link here)
HOW TO WATCH
Television: England-Panama will be shown on Fox Sports 1; Japan-Senegal and Poland-Colombia will both be shown on FOX (United States); TSN4, TSN5 (Canada); UTV, STV Scotland, ITV1 UK (United Kingdom)
Online/mobile: Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (links above); Fox Sports Go (United States); TSN GO, RDS GO (Canada); The ITV Hub (United Kingdom)
Note: This post will be updated daily as the main World Cup viewing and off-topic thread here at BWRAO. Stay tuned to BWRAO for posts regarding Juventus’ representation in Russia as well as any transfer-related happenings that take place before, during or after the day’s schedule comes and goes.