I listened to the game on TSN 1050. The Pre Game started at 2pm. I thought it was very intense, especially at the end.
My only on going beef is what was on before 2pm. TSN (Bell) seems to like having ESPN radio talking about stuff that has nothing to do with Canada or Toronto does not work for me. There is a reason why 1050 is at .3 in the ratings.
They should have simulcast the tv feed until there radio show was ready to go.

I watched the last 45 minutes of the match.  Too nice a day to be inside all afternoon.  From what I saw the game could have gone either way.  However things did change when Alphonso Davies came out.  A great win and both TSN and FOX are doing a super job.  Commentary on both has been excellent.  I enjoyed when TSN showed the reaction of the crowds in various cities across the country when Canada got the goal. 

I just wish the announcers would stop calling the city Los Angeleez.

Yesterday morning (July 1) I was listening to the TSN 1050 morning show thinking they would have the England Congo game on at noon, only to find out they were airing the Hockey draft. But in there onair promotion they did say they would have every Fifa game on there Iheart radio app. I downloaded the app and discovered that TSN radio had 2 channels with 1 dedicated to Fifa. This worked for the first game of the day really well.

But for the USA Bosnia game here is what happened.  I had this app running in my car, everything was going well, just as before, then right in the middle of the Bosnia national anthem there was a switch to ESPN radio, then a traffic report, then some promotions of 1050 shows, than at 8:01 the game.  They missed the USA national anthem.
Not a big deal but a little surprised that this happened being Bell is putting a lot into the World Cup.

I didn't watch that much of the games but overall I enjoyed what I saw.  Great commentary, camerawork and slo-mo replays.  However the replays really highlighted all of the fakery in soccer.  Why all the constant diving?

Athletes that weren't even touched by an opponent, writhing on the ground in pain, grabbing a knee or holding their stomach.  If the referee ignored the performance these same players were up and playing again in no time.  Now, soccer can and is a rough game, as we saw with Canada's Ismael Kone who had his leg broken in Vancouver in the game against Qatar.  And all of the players are among the fittest in any sport.

I know that the diving is part of the play, but why?  And why so often during the game?  This is likely one reason why soccer (football) has been slow until recently to be a popular spectator sport in North America. If you have ever watched a match between little kids, they fall down, get dirty, and just get up and continue...how refreshing!  

But regardless, say what you want about FIFA, having the World Cup in North America and during the 250th celebrations in the US was a very smart move and overdue.  Soccer's growing status in Canada and US will continue and only get stronger. 

mace wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

I didn't watch that much of the games but overall I enjoyed what I saw.  Great commentary, camerawork and slo-mo replays.  However the replays really highlighted all of the fakery in soccer.  Why all the constant diving?

Athletes that weren't even touched by an opponent, writhing on the ground in pain, grabbing a knee or holding their stomach.  If the referee ignored the performance these same players were up and playing again in no time.  Now, soccer can and is a rough game, as we saw with Canada's Ismael Kone who had his leg broken in Vancouver in the game against Qatar.  And all of the players are among the fittest in any sport.

I know that the diving is part of the play, but why?  And why so often during the game?  This is likely one reason why soccer (football) has been slow until recently to be a popular spectator sport in North America. If you have ever watched a match between little kids, they fall down, get dirty, and just get up and continue...how refreshing!  

But regardless, say what you want about FIFA, having the World Cup in North America and during the 250th celebrations in the US was a very smart move and overdue.  Soccer's growing status in Canada and US will continue and only get stronger. 

Canada? Possibly. US? Doubtful. Once the US team is eliminated, American attention will return to baseball/ NFL/NCAA/Nascar etc.

The ratings for the World Cup in the US have been outstanding whether the American team is playing or not.  Last Tuesday's game between Mexico and Ecuador had over 10 million viewers on FOX and a 30% 18-49 share of viewing. The game between the Netherlands and Morocco last Monday even better with a 38% 18-49 share and over 10.5 million viewers. 

Now soccer in the US will never rival the NFL, but in this article from USA Today, soccer is knocking on the door for professional baseball in America...Why soccer is booming in America as the World Cup arrives