David Teel: Thanks, World Cup; you're college football on steroids

NORFOLK, Va. - Thank you, World Cup. Thanks for the late-game madness, charming underdogs and unfailing stars. Thanks for the obsessive, face-painted and occasionally intoxicated fans, and for even the suspect whistles, comical flopping and administrative meddling.

In short, thanks for being college football on steroids.

Long infatuated by college football, and never more so than now, we Americans have been slow to embrace soccer. Too few goals and home-grown icons, too many draws and confusing rules.

Our house is among the ardent skeptics, but every two years, when a World Cup or Women's World Cup hits the calendar, we're in. Indeed, during the 2019 Women's World Cup in France, we happened to be in London, where at a proper British pub we ate fish and chips, drank a pint and watched eventual champion U.S. defeat England.

When a World Cup comes to the States, we double down.

So since the tournament's June 11 start, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have been part of our daily conversation. Ditto the U.S.'s prospects for a breakthrough and the stunning conquests authored by Cape Verde and Norway.

And our soccer visitors from abroad? God bless 'em, and pass the ranch dressing.

Scotland's Tartan Army draining bars dry? Impressive, but in character. The collective international flocking to Waffle House, Buc-ee's and barbecue? Of course.

But ranch dressing? Didn't see that coming.

ABC, CNN, ESPN, Fox, the BBC and Washington Post are among the outlets that have chronicled the craze. TSA agents have confiscated untold bottles of the stuff at airport security checkpoints.

But as in college football, this peculiar, amusing and lawless behavior is rooted in on-the-field competition that inspires remarkable effort and raw emotion from the combatants. And when a sport's most renowned athletes perform as advertised, well, all the better.

Messi scored the only goals of Argentina's 3-0 group stage rout of Algeria, but the leading scorer in World Cup history - 21 goals and counting - was most prominent in Tuesday's 3-2 knockout victory over Egypt, appointment viewing on a weekday afternoon reminiscent of the NCAA basketball tournament.

With the reigning champions behind 2-1 in the 83rd minute, Messi, who failed on a first-half penalty kick, scored the equalizer with a left-footed rocket from close range. During stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez completed Argentina's breathtaking comeback from 2-0 down in the final 11 minutes.

Argentina was equally fortunate to survive World Cup debutant Cape Verde and its acrobatic keeper, 40-year-old Vozinha, in the previous round, also by 3-2. Messi scored early, but the match went to overtime, where Argentina prevailed on an own goal.

At age 39, Messi headlines the iconic group leading this World Cup in goals. He has eight, followed by France's Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland with seven each, and England's Harry Kane at five.

Better still, Mbappe, Haaland and Kane also led their team into the quarterfinals, each dramatically with round of 16 conquests.

Mbappe's 70th-minute penalty kick lifted France over Paraguay 1-0; the hulking Haaland produced both of his side's goals as Norway defeated Brazil 2-1 to reach its first quarterfinal ever; Kane scored the eventual game-winner of England's harrowing 3-2 win over Mexico - in Mexico City, no less - a game in which the victors played a man down after Jarell Quansah's red card in the 54th minute.

Kane was even more impactful in the first round of knockout play, rescuing England from a 1-0 deficit against Congo DR with two late goals.

"We speak a lot about togetherness and desire and working for each other," Kane said in comments posted on governing body FIFA's website. "… But you have to prove it. There's no bigger test than being here, away from home, against Mexico, and having to fight through so many adversities. It just brings you closer together - more memories, more feelings, more emotions. I just can't wait to enjoy this over the next couple of days with the boys."

While England is a World Cup staple and accustomed to oversized expectations, Norway qualified this year for the first time since 1998. Imagine, then, the response in a country known more for cross-country skiing than soccer.

"It's incredible," defender David Moller Wolfe told FIFA. "I don't think any of us fully realize yet how important this victory is for the whole country. I can't wait to get on the bus to watch the footage of what's happening in Norway at the moment. It really is something very special to be part of this team."

Notable as Brazil's exit was, no second-round knockout clash was parsed like Belgium-U.S.

The soccer itself was unmoving as Belgium dominated the listless and sloppy home team Monday night in Seattle. The 4-1 final, watched by a U.S.-record television audience of 30 million, was the men's national team's fourth consecutive World Cup round of 16 defeat.

'Twas a stark reminder that no matter how much domestic soccer devotees pine for the U.S.'s international relevance, that time is not now.

The mere presence Monday of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun also was a stark reminder - that soccer's officiating and backroom politics are as sketchy as those in boxing, figure skating, gymnastics and, yes, college football.

As the entire planet eventually learned, Balogun was red-carded during a round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The on-field referee did not even rule the contact a routine foul in real time, but a replay review issued the red card, the penalty for which is ejection and a next-match suspension.

Yet notoriously corrupt FIFA, after a plea from President Trump, and as it did for Messi nine years ago, rescinded the suspension of a marquee player. Suddenly, the U.S., which has never sniffed a World Cup title, became to many the tournament villain.

Fortunately, neither the decision nor Balogun were central as Belgium coasted into a Friday quarterfinal versus Spain. France-Morocco kick off the quarters Thursday, with Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland closing the round Saturday.

We can only hope the tournament's final seven matches, especially the July 19 final in New Jersey, showcases a sport that the late Pelé dubbed "the beautiful game."

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