I wandered through the Seattle Art Museum yesterday and stood before a Winslow Homer seascape — all turbulent force meeting patient stillness — and that, my friends, is exactly what Morocco will bring to Lumen Field today. Sofyan Amrabat will conduct the midfield like a man who has all the time in the world, suffocating Haiti's creative outlets before they draw their first breath, and Haiti's defensive line simply lacks the quality to contain the waves Morocco will send forward. Poor Johny Placide in goal will be the loneliest man in Seattle — brave, no doubt, but alone against a tide.

Morocco's midfield engine is simply too powerful here — Sofyan Amrabat controls the tempo with that relentless press and Bellegarde will be chasing shadows all night in what shapes up as a completely one-sided central battle. Haiti's defensive structure shows real vulnerability at sweeper and across the back line, and with Morocco generating attacks at will, Bounou will barely be tested while the other end gets systematically broken down. The Atlas Lions' football represents that beautiful blend of Atlas Mountain resilience and North African flair — organized, disciplined, lethal on the break — and Haiti simply cannot match it at this level. On the baking front, I attempted Seattle's famous cream cheese Danish at my rental kitchen this week — I thought my lamination technique was flawless, but apparently Pacific Northwest humidity had other ideas entirely.