Bill Belichick all smiles after Croatia's World Cup stunner over Brazil
FOXBORO -- Football is life for Bill Belichick. But on Friday, he made sure to take some time to enjoy some soccer as well.
The Patriots head coach was chatting with reporters on Friday as the Croatia-Brazil World Cup quarterfinal match took place, and Belichick -- whose father, Steve, had Croatian roots -- was asked if he was keeping tabs on the match.
"Nil-nil?" Belichick asked with a smile. "Keep me posted. Keeping our fingers crossed. Tough matchup."
A short time later, Neymar scored to put Brazil on top 1-0. Belichick was given the bad news at the end of his presser.
At that point, he probably thought that he would get to practice in time. But Croatia scored in the 116th minute to even the match, and then went on to beat Brazil in penalty kicks, 4-2, to pull off the improbable upset and advance to the semifinals.
While his players stretched on the field, Belichick stuck around to watch it all unfold. He then took the practice field with a big smile on his face.
"How 'bout that," Belichick said to reporters as he made his way to the field.
Bill Belichick was last to arrive at #Patriots practice, two minutes after Croatia upset Brazil on PKs.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) December 9, 2022
As media passed him on the way out, I asked if he caught the finish. Big smile.
“How ‘bout that?”
Good to see Belichick enjoying some fútbol, even if his version of football hasn't been all that great this season. The Patriots sit at 6-6 on the season and are on the outside of the AFC playoff picture heading into Monday night's game against the Cardinals in Arizona.
Earlier this season, when the Patriots played the Packers in Green Bay, Belichick wore a patch featuring the Croatian flag on his jacket. It was part of an NFL initiative to let players and coaches wear decals or patches featuring a "flag that represents their nationality or cultural heritage."
Belichick explained after the game that his father was part Croatian, and that he was proud to represent the country.
"Proud of it and glad to have the opportunity to wear it," Belichick said in October. "I've heard from so people across the ocean that they appreciated it, appreciated the recognition as well."
Croatia will now play either the Netherlands or Brazil in the semifinals next week. You better believe Belichick will make some time for that match.
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