After Mexico's World Cup opening win, El País's México edition has a headline that says it all: "Mexico, world capital of football". The paper says that El Tri, short for El Tricolor, broke its losing streak in the opening match. In another article, the paper also talks about the triumph of Raul Jimenez and the end of his World Cup goal drought. For the past three World Cups, Jimenez didn't score. The New York Times' sports edition, The Athletic, also writes about him. "First, Raul Jimenez survived. Then he thrived. And now he has done it at a World Cup", reads the headline. Almost six years ago, the striker suffered a life-threatening skull fracture while playing against Arsenal. The Athletic says that "it's been quite a journey" and that scoring for Mexico during this first World Cup match represents a "crowning achievement".
Mexico News Daily says that Mexico makes a "statement" with the win over South Africa. The paper says that this eases some of the pressure on "a team and a country desperate to make the most of playing on home turf". "Amid protests and rain, Mexico celebrates its World Cup debut," reads the headline of El Norte. Some violent protesters, often wearing masks and hoods, clashed with law enforcement, while others peacefully protested for different causes. Finally, El Universal talks about El Angel, "the epicentre of the party". That's the Angel of Independence statue in Mexico City, where people gathered to celebrate the victory. Thousands of fans were singing and dancing in the rain, with supporters arriving from all across the country, and even abroad.
During the opening match, the referee showed three red cards. The Athletic has an article called "Breaking down the dirtiest World Cup opening game we've ever seen – or was it?" The paper says this could actually be the "cleanest 'dirty game' the World Cup has ever produced". It's also the first World Cup opener to feature three red cards. The Athletic says that if this pace continues, this could become the World Cup with the most red cards in history.
Next: some young women are choosing to live with nuns to save on rent. The Wall Street Journal has an article about the cost of living in New York. In Manhattan, for instance, short-term rentals run at around $5,000 a month, an impossible price for those just entering the job market. So some young women are living at convents. There are many benefits, says Katie, who was interviewed: "Safety, community" and a warm dinner on the table every night. But also some strict rules – like curfews of 11 pm or midnight – and male visitors aren't really welcome. The same goes for alcohol. Sister Maria de Jesus says she doesn't go to bed if she doesn't know where one of the residents is, while Sister Rita says she loves it; the girls keep her young.
Finally, we bring you some science news. A new study reveals the enormous scale of subterranean fungi networks. The Guardian reports that scientists have mapped them for the first time ever. These are networks of tubular cells that sustain life on Earth by forming partnerships with more than 70 percent of plants. They help to regulate the climate by taking in carbon. They are more than 100 quadrillion kilometres long – that's almost a billion times the distance from the Earth to the sun if we stretch them out. A team of researchers used machine learning to map them. One of them said this was "one of the most exciting studies of their career".
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