FIFA World Cup™ on FOX Programming Highlights: Saturday Afternoon, June 23

Soccer 06/23/2018

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 (WATCH: 90 in 90: Korea Republic vs. Mexico)
Germany def. Sweden, 2-1 (WATCH: 90 in 90: Germany vs. Sweden)
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)

Today’s Top Quotes:

FOX Sports studio analyst Clarence Seedorf, on Germany staying alive after their win today:

“Don’t write them off, we’ve said it before. I thought they played a great game. They had some individual mistakes that they paid for. But in the beginning, they should have scored like two goals. They started very well. They played to the sides, created the chances, put it in the box and in the end, what a fantastic finish.”

FOX Sports lead studio analyst Alexi Lalas on Germany’s performance in defeating Sweden:

“This is classic Germany. A desperate Germany from start to finish. They went for the three points. At one point, they were playing basically one player in the back. This is such a classic display of the mentality of Germany – to go for it, to find that at the end. There won’t be any crying. This is what they are. This is what they do.”

FOX Sports studio analyst Kelly Smith on Germany’s changes at halftime leading to the victory:

“I don’t know what was put in those water bottles at halftime because it put a load of injection into their game. It was a different team that came out in the second half from the first half. I thought they played extremely well down the wing, especially Kimmich and Werner – when he got himself with the ball in the box, he caused so much trouble down the left-hand side. I thought Gomez lifted the team when he came on after halftime. That talisman, that tall, feeder up front. It was a fantastic performance. Never write this team off. The pressure was on them, but they finally delivered.”

"Never write this team off."@AlexiLalas and @Kelly_Smith10 react to Germany's late win over Sweden. pic.twitter.com/FZGtYzpz2K

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2018

FOX Sports lead game analyst Stu Holden on Germany’s match-winning goal over Sweden:

Don’t count them out yet! Relief for Germany. This is why, when you’re so close to the edge of the box right here, you try to move it and you just smack it. You hit it as hard as Toni Kroos does to the back of the post. There are so many bodies in front of the goal keeper Olsen, he doesn’t see it until late. That is an absolute peach of a strike from Kroos. Look at the bend, the whip and how it dips into the back corner. The star-man from Real Madrid showing up when they need him. It was bend, don’t break here for Sweden, and they break here in the last minute. An exquisite strike.”

TONI KROOS HAS THE CLUTCH GENE pic.twitter.com/YDO2nNQty7

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2018

Holden breaks down Germany’s first goal: WATCH

“Timo Werner takes on Lustig one against one and uses his speed to create a half yard. To get this cross off. He’s playing in these wide positions because Gomez is playing centrally. It’s a really clever cutback and it’s the touch from Gomez that takes it up. Marco Reus does really well to adjust here just to get anything on it, and it looks like it came off the knee in the end.

“That goal has given them life. They are just piling forward with relentless pressure now.”

FOX Sports lead play-by-play announcer John Strong and Holden on Sweden’s first goal: WATCH

Strong: “Sweden scores! Ola Toivonen! Three-quarters German possession, almost 200 more passes through 30 minutes, but it’s Sweden who have taken the lead, and as it stands, Germany are out of the World Cup!”

Holden: “Take a look at where this play starts, John, right in the middle of the field. Toni Kroos, trying to make a pass, they lose the ball, and Sweden pounced. And what a counter attack it is! They get the ball wide and look at the run now off the shoulder of Toi Kroos. He doesn’t get back defensively. The first touch sets Toivonen up. How about the finish? That is classy!”

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)