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ECUADOR OVERCOMES A LOT TO ADVANCE IN WORLD CUP

  HERE WE GO AGAIN (more short stuff, at least that’s the  plan) … Germany/Ecuador got off to a bewildering start Thursday in the  2026 FIFA World Cup when the favored Germans scored in the  second minute after gaining possession on a clear and  unmistakable violation that was overlooked by American  referee  TORI   PENSO …  and the video replay booth as well. In a match that Ecuador had to win to advance,   PEDRO  VITE was clipped in the face by a glancing kick, resulting in a  goal  that former USMNT great   LANDON DONOVAN , working for  Fox as game analyst, immediately (and matter of factly) said  would be disallowed. “ That boot was quite high. This will be called back,” Donovan  said. Penso, 40, first female to referee a men’s World Cup match,  was surrounded by more bewildered than angry South  Americans. How could she miss that?  Better to ask, which Donovan did, how did the lads i...
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NO DOUBT ABOUT IT ...RINALDO IS BACK

  BRIEFLY TOLD (since when?) ... …  so, when  LIONEL MESSI  missed a penalty (horrors!) Monday, Fox  talent was stunned but nevertheless, knew him well enough to know  the smallish Argentinian probably would make up for it … which he  surely did. THAT WAS MORE THAN just another goal Tuesday to open the  scoring for Portugal against Uzbekistan in Houston. In the seventh  minute,  CRISTIANO RENALDO , one of all-time greats whose  better years are long behind him, connected … and thereby set off a  celebration usually reserved for something more important. “ It’s been more than five years since he last scored a goal in open play.  He’s gone 10 tournament matches … with only one assist,” said   DARREN FLETCHER on Fox earlier … perhaps setting the stage  for continued failure by the once-great striker. So, when Rinaldo, standing about seven yards from the goal, picked  the short side, one-timing a pass from , Fle...
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THALHIMERS RESPONDS TO DIBELLA SUIT

  MORE NOTES (still trying to catch up): Anyone want to bet your Flying Squirrels, had they known  what they know now, would have left town years ago and never  gotten involved with the CarMax Field project? Talk about a  (not-so) fine mess. Now, according to “Richmond Bizsense,” Thalhimer’s Realty  Partners Thursday filed a response to the federal defamation  lawsuit filed by Squirrels’ principal owner  LOU DiBELLA   against them last month. The response includes a signed  declaration from  ANGIE RODGERS , director of the  Richmond Economic Development Authority, denying she told  DiBella that Thalhimer’s  JASON GUILLOT  told her that  DiBella threatened to kill him. So, as expected, it’s come down to s he said: he didn’t say  …  which could be hard to shake … except this is Richmond where  anything is possible, and nothing should ever be discounted. So, what do you think? Will the Squirrels tell ...
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ONE GUESS WHICH CUP TEAM TURNED GAME UGLY

  More THOUGHTS WHILE THINKING …  like the beautiful game turned ugly last week… and you will  never guess which team lowered the bar in the 2026 FIFA  World Cup. Oh, no, say it isn’t so … not Paraguay. Who else? In a first-round match against Turkey, the South Americans  eked out a 1-0 decision, scoring 65 seconds in on a pinpoint  goal from outside the box by  MATIAS GALARAZA  then  resorting to all the nonsense that drags the sport down – like? Well, going ballistic just about every time a call went against  them … and complaining constantly when they didn’t get the  benefit of a perceived foul by the opposition. Paraguay spent the second half a man down when   MIGUEL  ALMIRON   slapped a Turk in the face during a break in first- half stoppage – which, we were quickly told, was an automatic  red card. It probably should have played short-handed most of  the match after Galaraza was guilty of a reckless ta...
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