England vs Belgium kicks off Thursday, June 28, at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX and Telemundo, with the winner taking top spot in Group G. With both nations sitting on six points and with a goal difference of +6, it’s possible a draw could see FIFA fair-play points determine who wins the group. (England currently has one less yellow card than Belgium.)
Switzerland secured a come-from-behind victory over Serbia in an enthralling match the Swiss won 2-1. Two world-class goals from Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri secured the three points for Switzerland, but the win was overshadowed by the Shaqiri and Xhaka goal celebration.
Yep, a simple goal celebration received more attention that the victory for the Swiss.
You may be asking — why on earth would a goal celebration hold such significance? Well, strap yourself in for a bit of a history lesson.
One of Uruguay’s nicknames is La Garra Charrúa. Garra meaning claw in Spanish, the nickname signals Uruguayans' relentless disposition; the fact they are willing to use nails, teeth and claws to get what they want.
Former Uruguay player and international star Diego Forlán once told the following anecdote referring to Uruguay’s traditional tough play.
Manager Óscar Washington Tavárez would sometimes tell his players “let’s end this match playing with 11 men,” in an effort to prevent them from playing too harshly and getting a red card.
It’s been 36 years of waiting for Peruvians to see La Blanquirroja at a World Cup. Their first two matches at the tournament were nothing short of heartbreak. Their first match was a dominating performance against Denmark that will forever be remembered for Christian Cueva’s horrendous penalty miss. Peru lost 1-0. Their next match against powerhouse France was more of the same, as no Peru goal developed and the country's World Cup dreams ended.
This is where the introduction usually goes but fire the torpedoes!