FIFA World Cup™ on FOX Programming Highlights: Saturday, July 14
Today’s Schedule & Results (all times ET):
- Belgium def. England, 2-0 (WATCH: 90 in 90: Belgium vs. England)
- 6:00 PM – FIFA WORLD CUP TONIGHT (FS1)
- 7:00 PM – FIFA WORLD CUP NOW (Twitter)
- 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 Tweet:
Did You Know … ?? Croatia has played in three of the five most-watched matches of the 2018 #WorldCup#TheMoreYouKnow ?? pic.twitter.com/Cs0d0tz5nb
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) July 13, 2018
Today’s Top Quotes:
FOX Sports game analyst Tony Meola credits Belgium and England for the way they played today:
“Credit both of these managers, both of these teams – they came out today and they played with the right spirit; they went for it. It’s really easy, after you lose a semifinal, just to pack it in and say ok, just one more day and I’m going on vacation for three weeks. But I don’t think we saw that today from either side, and that’s a credit to both of these managers and the way their teams are set up.”
FOX Sports lead studio analyst Alexi Lalas questions how history will look back on this year’s England team:
“I’ll be really interested to see how history treats this team as we get further and further away. Did we blow it out of proportion or not in terms of how they played on the field and ultimately how they did? Certainly not in the way they affected the hearts and minds of the English and people around the world.”
FOX Sports studio analyst and former England women’s international Kelly Smith says England has a lot to be proud of:
“They have done extremely well. They’ve won the hearts of England fans back in England. My question is, we compete with the better teams, but we don’t beat them when it matters.
“Moving forward, we should be very proud of England and what they’ve achieved. They’ve won a lot of hearts and changed the perception of people in England as to how they view this England team.”
Belgium achieved their best-ever result at a FIFA World Cup, while England finish with two losses.@AlexiLalas and @kelly_smith10 react to the 3rd place match. #BELENG pic.twitter.com/gsfRw5MxSa
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2018
FOX Sports studio analyst Guus Hiddink praises Belgium’s creativity:
“The difference between the two teams was the creativity. If you see Hazard, if you see De Bruyne, they know how to play with a rhythm. They can speed up a game, they can slow down a game.”
Prior to the match, Lalas said that the third-place match was about having a chance to earn a spot in World Cup history:
“This game will come and go, but that 1, 2 and 3 in the 2018 World Cup – that will remain forever for either Belgium or for England.”
FOX Sports game analyst Stu Holden on if Croatia has enough left in the tank for tomorrow’s final:
“Do you have enough in the tank? This is a World Cup final. If you don’t, you need to have a word with yourself.”
Lalas says France has a chance to redeem themselves after falling to Portugal at home in the championship of the 2016 Euros
“This is unfinished business. This is an opportunity for them to come in against a team that – I think France is a better team, they are obviously more rested, I think they have more talent, and I think ultimately this is a game that they should win.
“This is an opportunity for this France team to say what happened a couple years ago was a different team and a different time.”
Hiddink says France won’t make the mistake of underestimating an opponent again:
“They underestimated Portugal without Ronaldo in the Euro – they won’t do that a second time.
“I think the battle will be in midfield … I think it’s important that France will dominate, and they will. With Pogba, Kante, Matuidi, they’re well aware what they have to do in midfield.”
Smith gives the edge to France in tomorrow’s final:
“For me, this is such a tough game to call. They’re so close. But there’s something special about this Croatian team – capable of upsetting the odds, three extra times, two penalties, For me, France has so much quality within their side – you’ve got Griezmann, you’ve got Pogba playing with expression and freedom – he’s really set this tournament alight. And Mbappe – his speed – I think it will be too much for whoever plays for Croatia on that left-hand side. He’s been fantastic every time he gets the ball.”
Meola, a former U.S. MNT goalkeeper, praises France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris:
“Lloris doesn’t have nearly the number of saves some of the other goalkeepers do, but the quality of saves and the timing of the saves that he’s made in this competition have set him apart a bit.”
Holden says France’s defense will be key against Croatia tomorrow:
“What I’ve been really impressed by from this team is the way that they’ve transformed … What Deschamps has done that has really impressed me, he’s made this team really hard to beat … If they are hard to beat defensively and you have game-winners like Mbappe, you give yourself a really good chance.”
Today’s Top Videos:
