Maybe this World Cup had been just too exciting. Previously sceptical Americans were in danger of being converted to soccer. The various ills of Gianni Infantino and Fifa were being camouflaged by a flood of goals, many of them fine.
Not here. Loud boos greeted the hydration breaks, though they were no less eventful than much of the match. At least when nothing happened during them, there was no actual expectation of anything occurring. This was the worst match of the World Cup.
