2014 World Cup: Daily notes and open thread for June 13

Hello friends. I really had hope that the 2014 World Cup would be one that was not ruined by horrible officiating. It took all of one game for my naive hope to be shattered. Thanks, officials. Way to screw Croatia.

Okay, let's move on to Day 2.

The games

Mexico vs. Cameroon - 12 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. UK: These teams are well aware that they have no chance of getting out of Group A without beating each other, so expect this to be an insane game. Goals for each side, lots of yellow cards, animated coaches, the whole works. If you don't watch this, you're missing the point of the World Cup.

Spain vs. Netherlands - 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. UK: The rematch of the 2010 final will probably be more interesting than the 2010 final, which honestly kind of sucked. Spain aren't as good as they used to be and the Netherlands are way more interesting than they used to be, switching between formations based on their opponent. Most expect to see the back three today, but I think we'll see the 4-4-2 diamond. The versatility of Daley Blind, Bruno Martins Indi and Daryl Janmaat allows them to switch between them seamlessly, though.

Chile vs. Australia, 6 p.m. ET, 11 p.m. UK: The clear undercard match of the day. It'll be more fun if Arturo Vidal can't play, simply because Australia will actually have a fighting chance.

Any Spurs players involved?

Just one, Benoit Assou-Ekotto. It's possible that he starts at left back for Cameroon, but he is probably a backup.

How about former Spurs?

The one and only Giovani dos Santos starts up top for Mexico, as a second striker playing off Oribe Peralta. He had an excellent season for Villarreal and I am still very bitter that we never gave him a chance. Massimo Luongo is in the Australia team, but it would be shocking if he actually got on the pitch.

Any transfer targets or rival players I'm probably interested in?

We've been linked to Alex Song, who would be a good signing if he's willing to take a wage cut. He should be Cameroon's most advanced midfielder. Jordy Clasie of the Netherlands is someone I think Spurs should be after, but he'll start on the bench today. And if we're looking for a deep-lying playmaker, we could do a hell of a lot worse than signing Chile's Marcelo Diaz from Basel.

The Netherlands' left center back/left back Bruno Martins Indi should probably be on Spurs' radar, and it wouldn't be stunning if left back/defensive midfielder Daley Blind was too.

As far as rival players, Cesc Fabregas just signed for Chelsea, so I'll be hating the hell out of him like I always do. Now my hate is just stronger. His failures sustain me.

What cool things has SB Nation posted today?

Glad you asked!

Mexico vs. Cameroon preview
Spain vs. Netherlands preview
Chile vs. Australia preview
Let's talk about the 2022 World Cup rumor
Re-live the opening ceremonies
Re-live Brazil vs. Croatia

How do I watch these games?

The early and late games are on ESPN2 in the US, while Spain-Netherlands is on ESPN. They're all on ITV in the UK and CBC in Canada.

In the US, all of these games are online at the Watch ESPN and Univision En Vivo services. They're on ITV Player in the UK and CBC Sports in Canada. You can find other listings at LiveSoccerTV.