FIFA World Cup™ on FOX Programming Highlights: Saturday, June 23
Today’s Schedule & Results (all times ET):
- Belgium def. Tunisia, 5-2 (WATCH: 90 in 90: Belgium vs. Tunisia)
- Mexico def. Korea Republic, 2-1
- NOW: Germany vs. Sweden (FOX)
- 4:15 PM – NOSSA CHAPE (FOX)
- 7:00 PM – WORLD CUP NOW (Twitter)
- 11:00 PM – FIFA WORLD CUP TONIGHT (FS1)
- 12:00 AM – FIFA WORLD CUP TONIGHT (FOX / airs at midnight in all U.S. time zones)
ICYMI Friday on FIFA WORLD CUP TONIGHT
Today’s Top Quotes:
FOX Sports lead studio analyst Alexi Lalas expects Germany to play tough today:
“I think the worst thing that could have happened for Sweden and for South Korea is Mexico beating Germany. You poke that bear and things can happen. I think that Germany’s looking to make a statement today. That whole German mystique and that innate characteristic of confidence and efficiency and ruthlessness, that’s got to be in full effect today
“It’s not a panic – it’s, all right, we are Germany, and tonight we show why we are the defending champions.”
FOX Sports studio analyst Kelly Smith agrees:
“Germany are a tournament team. They win when it matters. They don’t panic.”
FOX Sports lead game analyst Stu Holden, who is on the call for Germany vs. Sweden, agrees:
“I’m not ready to write this German team off yet, and I think they are going to have a commanding performance today.”
Former Mexican National Team goalkeeper Moises Munoz is pleased with Mexico’s performance:
“This is what they needed to do. They did not lift that foot off the gas pedal. They were patient enough, had possession of the ball throughout the entire game, they knew when to counter-attack.”
Lalas says this Mexico team is fun to watch:
“This was another wonderful performance. I know there are a lot of U.S. Men’s National Team supporters out there that want nothing to do with this Mexican National Team, but I’ll tell you what – they are making it difficult to dislike this team. With the way that they are playing, with the individual talent that they are showing, with the results that they are getting – the style in which they go out – this is an exciting team to watch.”
FOX Sports game analyst Mariano Trujillo says that the entire Mexico team deserves Man of the Match honors:
“The team will be the Man of the Match, because they have worked so hard defensively; focused and sharp the whole game.”
Trujillo breaks down Chicharito’s second-half goal:
“Korea throwing numbers up front, Javier Hernandez showing his experience. Not panicking in front of goal. Probably not the cleanest finish, but it counts the same.
“Credit to Chucky Lozano … This goal is 60 percent Chucky Lozano, because he takes his time, he is patient enough to take the space in front of him … and at the right time he serves the ball for Javier Chicharito Hernandez.”
CHICHARITO GETS HIS GOAL! pic.twitter.com/i6ougYi1Sc
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2018
Trujillo on Carlos Vela’s PK to put Mexico up, 1-0: WATCH
“Great execution by the LAFC player, faking that he was going to the other side, inside of the left foot. Great, great technique to put Mexico on the scoreboard.”
Rules expert Dr. Joe Machnik weighs in on the hand ball that gave a PK to Mexico:
“When a defender takes a slide like that to block a cross and makes himself bigger by having that upper hand … had it been the lower hand, it may have been excused – upper hand you have to call it handling and a penalty kick.”
Play-by-play announcer Jorge Perez-Navarro on Vela, who says he’s a soccer player, but not necessarily a soccer fan:
“He’s here to play. He’s not here to like it or not. He’s has the talent, he has unique skills. He is already a world champion in the under-17 category. He’s had a good career in Europe, and now he’s enjoying life – he became a father recently.”
Lalas was impressed with Chucky Lozano’s first-half play for Mexico:
“Oh, to be Chucky Lozano’s agent right now, because this is a coming out party on both ends of the field.
“The defensive work from Hirving Chucky Lozano this half was wonderful.
“He’s bringing it on both sides of the ball.”
Lalas on Mexico’s starting lineup:
“Juan Carlos Osorio is crazy – he’s crazy like a fox. The last two years have been basically a two-year audition to arm with the ammunition and the knowledge as to what his best 11 is.
“The tinkerer is gone. He tinkered for the last two years to get to this point. He got it right in the first game, but this – this is where we find out about Juan Carlos Osorio plan, if it works or not.”
Lalas has jumped on the Belgian bandwagon:
“I’m all about this Belgian team right now. Not just Lukaku, but, let’s be honest, you’ve got a goal-scorer like that – he is everything that we’ve touted him to be, and he keeps performing time and time again. This is wonderful to see. And he’s got a surrounding cast that understands exactly how to play him, and he’s feeling it. He’s getting better and better.
“He’s got that killer combination, and it was on display in all forms today – speed, power, technical ability, and most importantly, just such an intelligent player.”
FOX Sports studio analyst Clarence Seedorf was happy to see Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku perform so well:
“He was criticized heavily last World Cup, and I had to defend him because he was obviously four years younger. I said a striker that is always there at the right point, even if he’s not scoring at the moment, it’s important to be there. I’m so happy for him in this moment – he’s such a great striker.”
Former international manager Guus Hiddink says captain Eden Hazard is key to Belgium playing as a team:
“I think he [coach Roberto Martinez] made a good move by nominating Hazard as a captain, because then you give him responsibility. He cannot hide. Now he has to deliver, and now he has to take this team to a high level.”
Lalas reacts to a FOX Sports exclusive feature on Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku:
“You can’t help but like the person you see in that piece. And then the player … he’s got that killer combo – speed and power and technical ability. And maybe the most important thing is he’s a really intelligent player. He knows exactly where to go and when to go.
“The sky is the limit for this guy. He is one of the greats in the world already, and from a Belgian perspective, you can ride him, because he wants that responsibility. He’s just going to get better as the tournament goes along.”
"I was praying to God to give me a talent to do something, to help my family."
Romelu Lukaku reflects on his hardships growing up in a FOX Sports exclusive. pic.twitter.com/prbJFBrL1L
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2018
Hiddink says Belgium’s Hazard has the potential to be in the Messi-Ronaldo-Neymar conversation:
“I had the luck to have worked with Hazard, and I enjoyed watching him in the games, in training, and I talked sometimes to him and said, ‘You can step up to the level of the “big three.”’ [Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar] … for him, it’s desire.”
FOX Sports game analyst Tony Meola reacts to Belgium’s early lead:
“One thing Tunisia wanted to avoid was giving up an early one here. Just six minutes in, Hazard steps up and buries this one.”
Hiddink says Tunisia’s early injuries put the team in a bind later in the game:
“It’s difficult for a coach now, because you have played this game [in your mind] many, many times in advance…Now you have two substitutes and your plan is falling apart, because keep in mind, you still need one spare player for the last 10 minutes…so you’re tight in your possibilities.”
Today’s Top Video:
Coming Up:
Following coverage of Germany vs. Sweden, FOX Sports presents the premiere of the third film in its MAGNIFY documentary series, NOSSA CHAPE. From award-winning directors Jeff and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars, Pelé: The Birth of a Legend), NOSSA CHAPE tracks the rebuilding of the Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense after the tragic 2016 plane crash in Colombia. The documentary premieres at 4:15 pm ET on the FOX broadcast network, immediately following 2018 FIFA World Cup™ coverage.
Tomorrow’s Schedule (all times ET):
- 7:00 AM – FIFA WORLD CUP LIVE (FS1)
- 8:00 AM – England vs. Panama (FS1 / Derek Rae and Aly Wagner)
- 10:00 AM – FIFA WORLD CUP TODAY (FOX and FS1)
- 11:00 AM – Japan vs. Senegal (FOX / Mark Followill and Warren Barton)
- 1:00 PM – FIFA WORLD CUP TODAY (FOX)
- 2:00 PM – Poland vs. Colombia (FOX / John Strong and Stu Holden)
- 4:00 PM – FIFA WORLD CUP TODAY (FOX)
- 7:00 PM – FIFA WORLD CUP NOW (Twitter)
- 10:00 PM – FIFA WORLD CUP TONIGHT (FS1)
- 12:00 AM – FIFA WORLD CUP TONIGHT (FOX / airs at midnight in all U.S. time zones)
