The World Cup hits full gear on a massive Saturday
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Note: This is story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
It now feels like we’re well underway in the World Cup with matches coming thick and fast.
After the USA’s dominating win yesterday (more on that here), attention turns to an exciting fixture list for Saturday. We’ll see the mighty Brazil flex its muscles and watch Scotland return to the World Cup stage for the first time in 28 years.
Scottish fans have been enjoying the run-up to the team’s opener, packing out bars in Boston and singing their way around the city. However, one supporter has had to work harder than most to be there and that’s where we’ll start today’s edition.
The Main Thing: A Scotland fan’s long walk across the US
There’s been a lot of negativity around this year’s World Cup and, in truth, rightly so. But then you meet people like Craig Ferguson, and you get reminded how remarkable humans can be.
The 22-year-old has been on an epic voyage, walking over 3,000 miles in 109 days from Los Angeles to Boston, just in time to watch his beloved Scotland face Haiti in its World Cup opener later today.
But the Scot didn’t just take on the challenge for the fun of it. He has also raised over $1 million for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), a charity that supports people struggling with their mental health.
Ferguson’s journey was in honor of his best friend’s dad, Russell Campbell, who took his own life when Ferguson was in his early teens. It was also inspired by his love of the Scottish national team.
“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 told CNN Sports on Thursday as he started one of the final 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.”
Time to turn the party on
Ferguson, who walked every step wearing a kilt, has had the support of a friend throughout the challenge but has only really gotten global recognition in recent weeks.
The buzz enabled him to hit that $1 million target, which might have felt a bit ambitious in LA all those miles ago.
Now, he’s even on the radar of the Scottish government and was greeted in Boston by hordes of Scotland fans who have flocked to North America this summer.
“I’d say I’m done,” he said when asked whether he’ll miss walking over a marathon every day.
“It has been very surreal, and obviously the support has come in now, and all of that media attention is really ramping up, which makes me so unbelievably proud.
“But the money is one thing and it’s great because it’s tangible and you can see how much money is getting donated and that’s amazing.
“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 finished, Ferguson’s attention will turn to soccer. He’s going to stay in North America until Scotland’s campaign is over and is looking forward 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 said, describing his love of the game and the Scotland national team.
“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.”
Brazil vs. Morocco
When? 6 p.m. ET
Where? New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
This is a very appealing group game and one that may well decide the winner of Group C – in fact, it’s the first of our 10 group stage matches to watch. Brazil has the better squad on paper, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha among a host of top-class talent. Not to mention 34-year-old Neymar who, despite being way past his prime, carries with him a touch of magic.
Under new boss Carlo Ancelotti, the Seleção are being considered a dark horse for this tournament, but they will come up against a team with far better recent World Cup form in their opener.
Morocco reached the semifinals in Qatar and has since been – controversially – named champion of Africa. The team has a real sense of unity, as well as a sprinkling of class led by experienced defender Achraf Hakimi.
If you watch any soccer on Saturday, make sure it’s this game.
Scotland vs. Haiti
When? 9 p.m. ET
Where? Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium), Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA
Don’t overlook the other Group C game, though. This, for me, is what the World Cup is all about – two nations so different from each other, battling for the same goal.
Scotland is playing its first World Cup since 1998 and qualified for this summer’s competition with a magical display in the playoffs. The squad features some real class in its ranks as well, led by captain Andy Robertson, Napoli star Scott McTominay, and one of my favorite players at the moment, John McGinn. Scotland is a passionate soccer nation and many will be staying up until 2 a.m. local time to watch this match.
Haiti, meanwhile, is the second-lowest-ranked team at the World Cup and will find it tough to progress through the group stages. The one advantage it does have, though, is being more familiar with playing in warmer climates – something which could hold the Scots back.
Given the other teams in this group are Brazil and Morocco, this is a must win game for both Scotland and Haiti.
The emotion of the World Cup
The USA often gets a lot of grief for not being a proper soccer-playing nation. The passion on display after the game with Paraguay shows just what the victory meant to the USA fans.
Quote of the day
“Dreamy. It was dreamy.”
From my colleague Dana O’Neil in Los Angeles:
He was, at his core, the perfect person to summon the right word to describe the USA’s opening game in the World Cup.
Born in New York to Nigerian parents, Folarin Balogun speaks with a British accent, courtesy of a childhood largely forged in England. He is, in other words, what America once prided itself on being – a melting pot of cultures cooked together to create the greatest of flavorful stews.
Lately, in a world grown more complicated, that homespun notion has grown conflicted. The United States often feels more fractured than fraternal, a search for commonality hard to find in a land of boundaries drawn harder each day.
But here, in a city that prides itself on make believe, the country came together to celebrate something everyone can still get behind: Being good at sports.
Read Dana’s analysis 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 like it’ll be an amazing game – but these are often the matches that provide the most entertainment.
Switzerland went unbeaten throughout the qualifying process to reach North America, despite not having to face any major nations. It will once again turn to captain Granit Xhaka for inspiration, with the central midfielder proving in the Premier League this season that he still has the talent to live with some of the best players in the world.
Qatar, host of the last World Cup, will just look to improve on its performance last time out, in which it lost all three of its group matches and scored only one goal.
Australia vs. Turkey
When? Midnight ET
Where? BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Depending on where you are in the world, this is either a Saturday or Sunday game for you. Regardless, it’s going to be a cracker.
I feel ahead of every World Cup, everyone always picks Turkey as the dark horse and it’s no different this year. After all, the team features one of the brightest young talents in world soccer in Arda Güler and some of the most fervent supporters on the planet. It’s the team most likely to challenge the USMNT for the top spot in Group D.
Australia, meanwhile, is kind of the same as always. Progress for them looks like getting out of the group by any means necessary and hopefully winning its first World Cup knockout game. The squad definitely lacks star power, but the nation always has a unity that makes it a tricky opponent on the world stage.
The final whistle
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for every team at this year’s World Cup.
Ahead of its first group game against Croatia on Wednesday, England’s preparations have been rocked by a reported robbery involving some of their equipment.
According to British media reports, balls and some of the players’ boots (Editor’s note: Cleats, for the American audience) were stolen while being shipped from the team’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,” local police said, per Reuters.
“The investigation is ongoing. Two subjects of interest were taken into custody pending further investigation.”
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