1) I found this article about the New Sobriety movement of interest. As someone who's had maybe a dozen slushy cocktails in my life, the idea of having them without alcohol sounds like a real plus. I am glad, though, that there's a health movement afoot to label alcohol as the risky substance it is. But apparently sometimes addictive behavior just finds a new outlet.

2) While I'm sure FIFA decided to expand World Cup participants for financial reasons, I was pleased that so many more countries would be able to watch their players represent them on the world stage, and relish the victories, however they came. But the group stage always tends to lead to exhaustion and this is even more true with so many more games. I'm quite ready for this stage to be over. This six games a day thing is just crazy.

South Africa versus South Korea. Some timely saves by the South Korean keeper, especially the rebound save at 29 minutes.

A save by the South African keeper at 59 minutes kept things scoreless.

But at 62 minutes, a cross from South Africa to a player near goal shot right past a dropping defender, and slid past the reaching keeper for the right side of the goal.

Only one yellow card late in the second half against South Korea. And at 92 minutes, the South African keeper caught their last chance at a goal.

Czechia versus Mexico. I know Mexico has some talented players, so I was rather surprised that it took until the second half before they scored a goal. And a satisfying finish at that, beginning with one Mexican player contesting a ball with three Czechs, a quick pass to another player who raced down the field and eluded a pursuer, and then slowing just to avoid the offside and prepare the shot into goal past the keeper.

Once the dam was broken though, at 60 minutes Mexico made another run. They were in the midst of opposing players, who apparently didn't stop two teammates from separating out, making a pass and then shooting it at goal. The keeper rushed the player and kicked at the ball, but the player, who fell, was able to pop it over him. A Czech player kicked it into the Mexican player, and the other Mexican player hit the rebound into goal before the keeper could get back to it.

And then there was the final goal at 93 minutes, when Mexico ran along the side, did a quick pass to a passing player, who ran up to the keeper. The keeper managed to deflect it only to have it land at the feet of another Mexican player, who passed it backwards, to someone who shot it past the various defenders and the empty goal, since the keeper was still on the ground.

Paraguay versus Australia. Some serious sunglare on that field. Didn't seem to impact the Australian player who had a pretty accurate shot to goal at 37 minutes. Caught by the keeper, but still.

Same with 46 minutes, looks like it just bounced off the keeper.

Australian player got yellow card at 46 minutes for an obvious foul.

More of a challenge from Paraguay in the second half, but not very good finishes.

In the end, Australia never got any farther either so the game finished as a scoreless draw.

Tunisia versus Netherlands. Didn't even take 3 minutes for the Netherlands to score. The long ball across was a bit chancy but it hit in all right.

To have gotten a second one at 6 minutes from their free kick play, to a header to a kick, was very tight.

From what I've seen, the Netherlands seems to be the team to beat in this tournament. They don't seem to have been challenged by any of the other teams. I'm sure they'll struggle more in later rounds, but they seem to be playing very easily.

That said, Tunisia did manage to score at 53 minutes off of its corner kick, to a header down into goal.

Netherlands got its own corner kick into goal at 61 minutes. Kind of amazing, a glancing header redirected it just enough to get it into goal.

At 75 minutes, Tunisia had a very close chance with a distant shot to goal that they would have scored at, had the keeper not gotten a hand to it.

The Netherlands free kick at 77 minutes could have gone in too, with a less attentive keeper.

Ecuador versus Germany. Wow not even 2 minutes in, Germany got a goal shot through the penalty box crowd.

But what a great distant shot for Ecuador to get a goal. At 8 minutes Ecuador got such a distant shot, Germany was clearly unprepared. Beautifully done.

Ecuador got a yellow card at 43 minutes, but then Germany got one a minute later. Foul against Ecuador by Germany but not the penalty they wanted. At 49 minutes another Ecuadorian player got a yellow card instead.

Pity for Ecuador that at 72 minutes they couldn't take advantage of the German keeper being out of goal, and their second attempt didn't go in.

Ecuador got their second goal at 77 minutes though, when a corner went to a header and then deflected into goal.

Yet another yellow card at 89 minutes, and Germany was pressing hard for a second goal. But in extra time they still weren't able to close the deal.

Curacao versus Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast managed to land a goal at 6 minutes, with an Ivory Coast player forcing his way through several defenders, and passing to another player in front of goal who shot it into the corner.

At 63 minutes Ivory Coast batted the ball around for a while and then passed to a runner entering the penalty box, who shot it straight into the corner of goal.

Curacao had various possibilities at goal, but nothing that could get past the keeper or into the net.

Japan versus Sweden. A Swedish player got a yellow card at 31 minutes, but all through the first half neither team was able to score.

In the second half though, Japan took its chance at 55 minutes with the pass to a player in the penalty box, who shot it straight into goal past an unprepared Sweden.

Their lead didn't last long however. At 61 minutes a Swedish player shot from the corner of the penalty box, which got deflected into goal by the Japanese keeper, who couldn't control the ball.

He did however manage to keep out the kick at 64 minutes.

A Japanese player got a yellow card at 76 minutes. A yellow card was given to a Swedish player at 84 minutes, possibly for the play I saw where a Japanese run was interrupted.

The Japanese keeper kept them in the game at 92 minutes and again at 93. The game ended tied. Honestly, I'd expected Japan to do better.

Watched all of United States versus Turkiye. An early goal for the US, they'd already had two attempts on goal, one from a corner, and the corner shot from near goal certainly seem to set the tone. Except that before 10 minutes Turkiye scored as well -- a joint run, a pass and then a shot past the keeper into goal, actually an easier process than the US had.

A foul on a Turkish player resulted in a yellow card for the US player. Then at 30 minutes Turkiye showed the weakness of the US defense once again, by having a fairly easy shot into goal.

Three goals in the first half already suggested a lively game, and the second half started out with another US goal. It started with a throw in, which a US header picked up with a kickback to another US player, who shot it seemingly direct at the keeper. But he had moved to the right, so it went in.

There was a lot of movement in this game, which made it more interesting to watch. Although the missed US chances were frustrating, the Turkish team had some chances of its own, which were concerning given the tied score. As the game neared the end, I was just hoping it would stay a tie.

But of course, Turkiye pulled a Wrexham and got a goal in the very last minute. The throw in got passed twice, and then passed to someone who attempted a goal, but luckily for them, landed the ball at the feet of a Turkish player far to the left who was completely unmarked. He shot the ball across past the keeper, who was at his feet, and three defenders in front of goal, to a teammate who tucked it into the right side of the net.

Not an encouraging result in exiting the group stage.

Uruguay versus Spain. Spain's goal at 41 minutes was an impressive thing in terms of the reaction time of the Spanish player. But the actual goal was a bumble from the Uruguayan keeper.

The Spanish keeper at 52 minutes was much quicker and more accurate when he jumped out to grab a ball before any further play could happen near the goal.

There were a couple of yellow cards being handed out in the 50th minutes, the control of the game seem to be slipping away from the ref.

The Spanish keeper kept out another ball at 85 minutes which would surely have been a goal

At 92 minutes there was nearly a fight and the ref himself was very exercised, yelling at a Uruguayan player. There was a yellow card but I never saw who got it. However there was another challenge in the last minute of the game and the ref gave a red card to the Uruguayan player involved in the last fracas.

So there was certainly drama, but given the 1-0 score not the hoped for kind.

Senegal versus Iraq. Senegal got a goal from a corner kick at 3 minutes. Then a shirt grabbing foul on a goal run by Senegal meant a red card for an Iraqi player.

Senegal tried to score a goal around 13 minutes but the keeper kept it out decisively.

A yellow card came out for a foul on a Senegalese player.

At 42 minutes the Iraqi keeper made another good catch for a ball that had entered the goal area from a corner kick.

The second half did not look better for Iraq. There was a kick at 52 minutes that was well done, but caught by the Senegalese keeper. Ditto a minute later, by the Iraqi keeper.

But at 55 minutes Senegal got past the first rebound against the keeper to kick in a goal.

At 58 minutes a shot from distance ended up in the top corner of the net. So now Iraq was three goals down. At 70 minutes, a Senegalese player kept the ball from going out of bounds, and another tipped the header to an unmarked player at the edge of the penalty box who kicked it into goal.

Looks like there was another yellow card against Iraq at 74 minutes.

Two more saves by the Iraqi keeper, before an Iraqi player making a charge down the field was tripped by a Senegalese player, who got a yellow card.

At 81 minutes, Senegal made it look easy by kicking a pass right past the backs of running Iraqui players and out of the reach of the Iraqi keeper.

Senegal got another yellow card around 90 minutes but also got a goal kick that went nowhere. By extra time I imagined it could be over soon enough for Iraq, but their keeper defended the goal one last time in the final minute.

Overall an impressive performance by Senegal, even if not against the strongest of teams, who was further hampered by playing a man down most of the game. They can clearly get the shots when given the chance.

Norway versus France. France nearly scored 30 seconds in but the ball hit the underside of the top bar and it bounced back out of goal. It sure looked in to me but I guess it was just the angle.

Norway kept out a goal before 4 minutes by rapid good decision-making by its keeper.

France then had another shot from distance at 6 minutes that went into the top left of the net.

Norway picked up a yellow card a few minutes later, and they were able to take a shot at the French goal from distance, but it went straight into the hands of the keeper. They then missed another excellent chance due to an inaccurate kick.

At 19 minutes, another distance kick from France was kicked from outside the penalty box and went straight in

But Norway actually managed to get a goal at 20 minutes, in a counter-run against the French goal which. It was also made from farther back in the penalty box.

31 minutes, some foot play, and a shot into goal from France. It was hard to believe he could get it past so many people, but the Norwegian defenders were simply not in the right place.

Another hat trick in the World Cup.

Norway got a penalty kick in the second half and the French keeper kept it out.

The French keeper kept out another Norwegian chance at 72 minutes and they were unable to capitalize on the rebound.

Another yellow card on the French player at 73 minutes.

The French team got to celebrate one more goal at 93 minutes with a slow cross to a player in front of goal, who simply headed it to the right and just outside the keeper's grasp.

Overall France made it look easy. I actually saw more of the quality from this team in this game than their earlier ones.

New Zealand versus Belgium. At 10 minutes in, it looked like New Zealand had done an own goal after foiling a Belgian kick. A Kiwi player got a foot on it to get it back out of goal, but it definitely passed under the bar.

There was a potential handball against New Zealand, but a review showed that it was simply the player's momentum moving his arm.

At 27 minutes Belgium scored in a confusing way. A corner kick was picked up by a player in front of the net, who slid down to the ground and somehow managed to get the ball past defenders. I couldn't even see it.

Then a yellow card for a New Zealand player in the 40th minutes,

The second half continued much as the first. Belgium kept pressing on the New Zealand goal and at 49 minutes was able to score again. Running the ball into the penalty box, surrounded by New Zealand players, the first kick rebounded back to him and he was able to, in a high kick, get it past the keeper before the keeper could even react.

Another New Zealand player received a yellow card around 54 minutes for pulling on a Belgian player making a run, and knocking him to the ground.

New Zealand didn't get a corner until 58 minutes, and wasn't able to make anything of it.

A Belgian striker was denied at 65 minutes when the ball rebounded on defenders, but at 66 minutes, a lost pass by a teammate ended up at his feet and seconds later was kicked into the far right corner of the goal.

The Belgian press continued into the 80th minutes, and New Zealand looked to be denied any further chance. But at 83 minutes they were able to get in front of the Belgian goal via a corner kick that went out to a player just outside the penalty box. He kicked the ball past such a group of people that I suspect the keeper could not see it in time to stop it.

But at 85 minutes Belgium got another goal from a cross from side reaching a header in front of goal. The keeper went up but the header went down to bounce in.

And it wasn't even over yet. At 94 minutes Belgium got yet another goal from distance. Ouch.

Egypt versus Iran. Iran's keeper rushed out to push a ball away at 4 minutes, but a rebound went past him and the three defenders in goal.

Iran was able to get a penalty kick at 10 minutes in but the Egyptian keeper kept it out. It was just too slow

They had more luck at 13 minutes when some play in the Egyptian penalty box led to a kick at goal that the keeper got his fingers on, and another player managed to get it past him at an impossible angle into goal.

There were two yellow cards, one against Egypt and one for Iran before 20 minutes in.

Another yellow card against Egypt at 41 minutes. And another yellow card against Iran at 44.

As the second half began, the teams looked fairly even. A yellow card against Iran around 82 minutes but the teams were back and forth fairly regularly. As they went into extra time there was a yellow card against Egypt.

Although Iran scored there was a VAR check that disallowed an Iranian goal. At first it might seem due to an inadvertent handball after a free kick play, but that player passed the ball to another one who kicked it in goal. The goal was considered off side! This seemed ridiculous to me and a sad ending for Iran.

In the end the 1-1 score stood.

Cabo Verde versus Saudi Arabia. This game seemed to show that teams which were very strong on defense and could hold other teams to a tie or scoreless, were not necessarily good scoring teams, even when they had the chance against a weaker opponent.

Case in point Cabo Verde, which all the way through the first half was unable to score, mostly due to inaccurate shots. In a few cases they did exercise the Saudi Arabian keeper.

There was a yellow card against the Saudi player in the 60th minutes, but the Saudi keeper made sure they didn't score soon after. So while in the second half the preponderance of Cabo Verde challenging the Saudi goal continued, there was still no joy.

Another yellow card came in the 92nd minute against the Saudi player, but nothing changed the nil-nil score.