Player of the day
Jong Tae-se, North Korea
The lone North Korean forward didn’t score his nation’s surprisingly well-taken goal against Brazil — that honor went to Ji Yun-nam. But Jong became the face of the World Cup’s first week after bursting into tears during the North Korean national anthem prior to the match, which heralded the first World Cup appearance for the isolated nation since 1966. Jong also worked hard up front for a team that spent most of the match playing desperate defense.
Goal of the day
Winston Reid, New Zealand
How about those plucky All Whites keeping pace with the rest of Group F, thanks to Reid salvaging a 1-1 draw with Slovakia in the final minute of second-half stoppage time. With his goal, Reid proved his worth after announcing in March that he wanted to play for New Zealand despite being raised in Denmark, where he currently plays for FC Midtjylland. There is some bad news, too. Not only did Reid get a yellow card for his shirtless goal celebration, but New Zealand faces Italy next on June 20.
