It isn’t especially surprising to me that Netherlands beat Brazil. That Brazil would look so bad in falling was unexpected, to say the least. Brazil played defense this Cup, for a change, but got conservative in every other way and didn’t really find a rhythm to reach their potential. That always seems to be the problem whenever Brazil lose. If they win, they can be majestic; if they lose they can’t find their ability.
And then Uruguay beating Ghana in perhaps the most heartbreaking fashion was tough to watch. Ghana are one of the youngest teams in the tournament, so they’ll be back, but how badly will this haunt them?
Missing the penalty kick to win in the final moment of the game to bring on the penalty kick tiebreakers. To lose after 120 minutes — where they largely controlled the game — must be devastating. Uruguay should be crushed in the semifinals, Ghana are crushed in one of the most bizarre finishes you could conceive.
Spent the afternoon at the pool. Met some neighbors with an almost-five-year-old who’s learning to jump off the side and a two-year-old who has no fear in the water. We were swimming with The McAlisters before dinner. We got out of the pool in time to catch a late seat at Jim N Nicks, where the kitchen was slow, the restaurant was dead and we filled out fake comment cards.
When you’re starving after the pool a slow kitchen isn’t what you’re hoping for. That just means more cheese biscuits. Elizabeth found a recipe for them the other day. You can steal it here. The barbecue house now offers, under “scratch-made trimmings,” fresh cut fruit. Frut at a barbecue house. That’s crazy talk.
