Note: This is story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by NCS Sports, our each day e-newsletter on all issues World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
It now appears like we’re effectively underway within the World Cup with matches coming thick and quick.
After the USA’s dominating win yesterday (more on that here), consideration turns to an thrilling fixture record for Saturday. We’ll see the mighty Brazil flex its muscular tissues and watch Scotland return to the World Cup stage for the primary time in 28 years.
Scottish followers have been having fun with the run-up to the staff’s opener, packing out bars in Boston and singing their means across the metropolis. However, one supporter has needed to work more durable than most to be there and that’s the place we’ll begin at the moment’s version.
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The Main Thing: A Scotland fan’s lengthy stroll throughout the US
There’s been a lot of negativity round this yr’s World Cup and, in reality, rightly so. But then you definitely meet folks like Craig Ferguson, and also you get reminded how exceptional people might be.
The 22-year-old has been on an epic voyage, strolling over 3,000 miles in 109 days from Los Angeles to Boston, simply in time to observe his beloved Scotland face Haiti in its World Cup opener later at the moment.
But the Scot didn’t simply take on the problem for the enjoyable of it. He has additionally raised over $1 million for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), a charity that helps folks fighting their psychological well being.
Ferguson’s journey was in honor of his greatest buddy’s dad, Russell Campbell, who took his personal life when Ferguson was in his early teenagers. It was additionally impressed by his love of the Scottish nationwide staff.
“I have been emotional the past few days, and I think that is probably just the realization of it all being over, and all of the hard work that it’s taken to get here,” Ferguson instructed NCS Sports on Thursday as he began one of many last legs of his journey.
“I genuinely don’t think anyone will ever really be able to comprehend just how much effort, how many miles and walking have gone into getting me to this point.”
Ferguson, who walked each step sporting a kilt, has had the help of a buddy all through the problem however has solely actually gotten world recognition in latest weeks.
The buzz enabled him to hit that $1 million goal, which could have felt a bit bold in LA all these miles in the past.
Now, he’s even on the radar of the Scottish authorities and was greeted in Boston by hordes of Scotland followers who’ve flocked to North America this summer time.
“I’d say I’m done,” he mentioned when requested whether or not he’ll miss strolling over a marathon on daily basis.
“It has been very surreal, and clearly the help has are available in now, and all of that media consideration is actually ramping up, which makes me so unbelievably proud.
“But the cash is one factor and it’s nice as a result of it’s tangible and you may see how a lot cash is getting donated and that’s superb.
“But a thing I’ll never be able to account for is how many people have listened to this story and it’s made their day, or it’s really inspired them to go and do their own challenge, or to get up out of bed if they’re feeling that way, to go for a walk and try and clear their head. I would like to hope that there have been a few.”
Now that he’s completed, Ferguson’s consideration will flip to soccer. He’s going to remain in North America till Scotland’s marketing campaign is over and is trying ahead to turning “Walking Craig off” and turning “Party Craig on.”
“Football is a universal language. You kick a football to a young kid, and before you know it, language is not a barrier anymore,” he mentioned, describing his love of the sport and the Scotland nationwide staff.
“It’s that understanding of what it means to be Scottish. It’s not just the kilts, the bagpipes, the Irn-Bru and the ginger hair. That’s a part of being Scottish, and that’s an incredible part that we wear with pride, but it runs so much deeper than that, and it’s now showing that culture at a World Cup.”
When? 6 p.m. ET
Where? New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
This is a very interesting group recreation and one which will effectively resolve the winner of Group C – in reality, it’s the primary of our 10 group stage matches to watch. Brazil has the higher squad on paper, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha amongst a host of top-class expertise. Not to say 34-year-old Neymar who, regardless of being well beyond his prime, carries with him a contact of magic.
Under new boss Carlo Ancelotti, the Seleção are being thought-about a darkish horse for this match, however they are going to come up towards a staff with much better latest World Cup type of their opener.
Morocco reached the semifinals in Qatar and has since been – controversially – named champion of Africa. The staff has a actual sense of unity, in addition to a sprinkling of sophistication led by skilled defender Achraf Hakimi.
If you watch any soccer on Saturday, be certain that it’s this recreation.
Scotland vs. Haiti
When? 9 p.m. ET
Where? Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium), Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA
Don’t overlook the opposite Group C recreation, although. This, for me, is what the World Cup is all about – two nations so totally different from one another, battling for a similar purpose.
Scotland is taking part in its first World Cup since 1998 and certified for this summer time’s competitors with a magical show within the playoffs. The squad options some actual class in its ranks as effectively, led by captain Andy Robertson, Napoli star Scott McTominay, and certainly one of my favourite gamers in the intervening time, John McGinn. Scotland is a passionate soccer nation and lots of will probably be staying up till 2 a.m. native time to observe this match.
Haiti, in the meantime, is the second-lowest-ranked staff on the World Cup and can discover it robust to progress via the group levels. The one benefit it does have, although, is being extra aware of taking part in in hotter climates – one thing which might maintain the Scots again.
Given the opposite groups on this group are Brazil and Morocco, that is a should win recreation for each Scotland and Haiti.
The USA typically will get a lot of grief for not being a correct soccer-playing nation. The ardour on show after the sport with Paraguay exhibits simply what the victory meant to the USA followers.
Fans react after USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay
Fans shared their reactions after the US males’s nationwide staff beat Paraguay 4-1 within the opening spherical.
“Dreamy. It was dreamy.”
From my colleague Dana O’Neil in Los Angeles:
He was, at his core, the proper particular person to summon the suitable phrase to explain the USA’s opening recreation within the World Cup.
Born in New York to Nigerian dad and mom, Folarin Balogun speaks with a British accent, courtesy of a childhood largely solid in England. He is, in different phrases, what America as soon as prided itself on being – a melting pot of cultures cooked collectively to create the best of flavorful stews.
Lately, in a world grown extra sophisticated, that homespun notion has grown conflicted. The United States typically feels extra fractured than fraternal, a seek for commonality exhausting to seek out in a land of boundaries drawn more durable every day.
But right here, in a metropolis that prides itself on make imagine, the nation got here collectively to rejoice one thing everybody can nonetheless get behind: Being good at sports activities.
Read Dana’s evaluation from last night’s USA win.
Qatar vs. Switzerland
When? 3 p.m. ET
Where? San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi’s Stadium), Santa Clara, California, USA
Now, on paper, this doesn’t sound prefer it’ll be an incredible recreation – however these are sometimes the matches that present probably the most leisure.
Switzerland went unbeaten all through the qualifying course of to achieve North America, regardless of not having to face any main nations. It will as soon as once more flip to captain Granit Xhaka for inspiration, with the central midfielder proving within the Premier League this season that he nonetheless has the expertise to dwell with among the greatest gamers on the earth.
Qatar, host of the final World Cup, will simply look to enhance on its efficiency final outing, during which it misplaced all three of its group matches and scored just one purpose.
When? Midnight ET
Where? BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Depending on the place you’re on the earth, that is both a Saturday or Sunday recreation for you. Regardless, it’s going to be a cracker.
I really feel forward of each World Cup, everybody at all times picks Turkey because the darkish horse and it’s no totally different this yr. After all, the staff options one of many brightest younger skills in world soccer in Arda Güler and among the most fervent supporters on the planet. It’s the staff probably to problem the USMNT for the highest spot in Group D.
Australia, in the meantime, is type of the identical as at all times. Progress for them appears to be like like getting out of the group by any means mandatory and hopefully successful its first World Cup knockout recreation. The squad positively lacks star energy, however the nation at all times has a unity that makes it a tough opponent on the world stage.
It hasn’t been clean crusing for each staff at this yr’s World Cup.
Ahead of its first group recreation towards Croatia on Tuesday, England’s preparations have been rocked by a reported theft involving a few of their gear.
According to British media stories, balls and among the gamers’ boots (Editor’s observe: Cleats, for the American viewers) had been stolen whereas being shipped from the staff’s pre-tournament camp in Florida to its World Cup base in Kansas.
“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” native police mentioned, per Reuters.
“The investigation is ongoing. Two subjects of interest were taken into custody pending further investigation.”