2018 World Cup Day 3, Group stage: Match thread and discussion

Happy Saturday folks! This morning, as I write this, the first of 4 matches on this day is underway, as France takes on Australia. Can France’s new golden generation live up to the hype and get off to a great start against the Socceroos? A 1-1 draw in their final tuneup against the United States left some questions, but on paper this is one of the top teams in the tournament.

Next up, we have Argentina taking on Iceland, the darlings of the tournament. Lionel Messi is looking to finally host any trophy for La Albiceleste, and this could be his last shot at the big one. But, will Iceland and their legion of fans be the spoilers for the heavy favorites? Cristiano Ronaldo also bagged a hat trick yesterday, and the pressure is now on Messi to respond.

At noon in the East, we have Peru squaring off against Denmark. For Peru, there is a lot of excitement as they compete in the World Cup for the first time since 1982. They’re a top 10 ranked team and could make some noise. They will have to compete against what traditionally is a tough out in Denmark.

Finally, the final match of the day pairs Croatia against Nigeria and the question is: will both teams wear their primary jerseys? Nigeria’s jerseys are the best in the tournament, but are going against Croatia and their iconic checkerboard jerseys. Both will dazzle in appearance, but who will look good on the field? Croatia’s La Liga midfield of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, and Mateo Kovacic could be the difference in this one.

So, settle in. It’s going to be a long day, but this is what we’ve been training for with all those early wake up calls for Premier League or La Liga action!

How to watch

Group C - France vs. Australia

Location: Kazan Arena, Kazan

Kick-off time: 6:00am Eastern, 3:00am Pacific

Available TV: FS1 (English), Telemundo (Spanish)

Available streaming: Fox Sports Go (App/Website), Telemundo (Website), FuboTV (Free Trial)

Group D - Argentina vs. Iceland

Location: Spartak Stadium, Moscow

Kick-off time: 9:00am Eastern, 6:00am Pacific

Available TV: Fox (English), Telemundo (Spanish)

Available streaming: Fox Sports Go (App/Website), Telemundo (Website), FuboTV (Free Trial)

Group C - Peru vs. Denmark

Location: Mordovia Arena, Saransk

Kick-off time: 12:00pm Eastern, 8:00am Pacific

Available TV: FS1 (English), Telemundo (Spanish)

Available streaming: Fox Sports Go (App/Website), Telemundo (Website), FuboTV (Free Trial)

Group D - Croatia vs. Nigeria

Location: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Kick-off time: 3:00pm Eastern, 12:00pm Pacific

Available TV: FS1 (English), Telemundo (Spanish)

Available streaming: Fox Sports Go (App/Website), Telemundo (Website), FuboTV (Free Trial)

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