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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
Day three of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offered a full schedule of four matches, starting at noon Eastern time and not finishing until after 2 a.m. on Sunday!
● Group B: Switzerland 1, Qatar 1 ● The Swiss were on offense right away in Santa Clara, California with two scoring chances for forward Dan Ndoye in the 6th (saved) and the 10th, shooting over the goal.
In the 14th, however, Swiss forward Breel Embolo headed down a pass for midfielder Remo Frueler, who was fouled by Qatar keeper Mahmoud Abunada with a fist in the box. After a video review, it was Embolo taking the penalty and scoring with a shot to the bottom left corner for the 1-0 lead.
The Swiss had a couple more serious opportunities in the half, but it stayed 1-0. Qatar’s chances were few and in the second half, the Swiss missed five shots – one on goal – in the first 25 minutes of the half. Embolo shot just wide in the 76th and midfielder Johan Manzambi went wide in the 81st.
Qatar had not done much at all, but kept working and at 90+4, a stunner as forward Ahmed Al-Ganehi sent a perfect cross toward defender Boualem Khoukhi, who headed it in, later re-classified as an own goal off of Swiss defender Miro Muheim. It ended, unbelievably, at 1-1.
The Swiss had 68% possession in the game and piled up 26 shots to six for Qatar, but only one goal for each. It’s Qatar’s first-ever World Cup point.
● Group C: Brazil 1, Morocco 1 ● The Moroccans, darlings of the 2022 tournament where they reached the semis and finished fourth, were on fire from the start at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, controlling play completely.
And they took a 1-0 lead in the 21st off a through-ball by midfielder Brahim Diaz that found Ismael Saibari between two defenders. With Brazilian keeper Alisson coming off his line to channel, Saibari simply popped it over his head and into the goal for a 1-0 lead.
Morocco continued in control, but following the hydration break, Brazil came to life with more possession and then a pass from midfielder Bruno Guimaraes found the ever-dangerous striker Vinicius Jr. on the left side of the goal. He dribbled to his right, created space and sent a sensational liner into the net for the 1-1 tie in the 32nd!
Brazil had 54% of the possession in the half, but Morocco had 12 shots to six.
The Brazilians had the better of most of the second half, but no goals. The Moroccans put some pressure on Alisson at the very end of stoppage time, but he saved a shot by midfielder Neil El Aynaoui shot at 90+9 and a second chance from forward Ayoube Amaimouni to maintain the tie.
Brazil ended with 51% possession and closed up on shots with 13 to Morocco’s 14 (meaning 7-2 in the second half for Brazil).
● Group C: Scotland 1, Haiti 0 ● Scotland was back in the first World Cup for the first time in 28 years and Haiti returned after a 52-year wait, playing in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Scots had the best of the early going with midfielder Scott McTominay smashing a shot off the goal post in the 17th. Just after the hydration break, midfielder Ben Gannon-Doak took the ball down the right-hand side in the Haiti half and hit a low pass that was attempted to be cleared by keeper Johny Placide, but bounced in front and was knocked in – sort of – by midfielder John McGinn in the 28th for a 1-0 lead.
Haiti nearly got an equalizer in the 34th with a shot by forward Ruben Providence that was stopped by Scot keeper Angus Gunn. The rebound came to Haiti forward Frantzdy Pierrot, but his attempt was foiled by defender Grant Hanley. The half ended 1-0, with Scotland in 55% of possession and with an 8-7 shots lead.
The second half saw relentlessly increasing Haitian pressure. Shots were missed to the right, to the left, over the crossbar, but they kept coming. A header in the 85th by Pierrot went wide with a sure scoring chance, and somehow Scotland held on.
The final statistics demonstrated Haiti’s ownership of the half – except on the scoreboard – ending with a 54-46% edge on possession for the game and a stunning 15-9 advantage on shots. The increasingly physical game saw 44 total fouls – 23 by Haiti, and four yellow cards, with three by the Scots.
● Group D: Australia 2, Turkey 0 ● The Turks had most of the possession early in Vancouver (CAN), but following a save by surprise Aussie keeper Patrick Beach in the 27th – Turkey’s fifth shot in the game – a long pass from the Australia half by midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler found forward Nestory Irankunda on the left side of the field.
Irankunda split two defenders and slammed a left-footed shot that rifled into the net for a 1-0 lead. But the Turks continued in possession for the rest of the half and ended with 69% of possession and a 10-4 edge on shots. But Irankunda’s strike was the difference.
Turkey dominated the second half and put up 13 shots to just four for Australia in the first half-hour of the second half, controlling the ball and setting up a continuing shooting gallery. But no goals.
Then in the 75th, however, Australian midfielder Connor Metcalfe got possession above the box and ripped a left-footed laser that flew from the center of the field into the right side of the net for a 2-0 lead!
Beach caught forward Kerem Akturkoglu’s header in the box in the 77th that looked promising as the Turks resumed camping in the Australian half. Beach saved a dangerous free kick from defender Abdulkerem Bardakci in the 86th, slapping it away to the left of goal.
Australia’s packed-in defense blocked shots, frustrated crosses and headers and smothered Turkey, despite the Turks having 72% possession in the game and a 30-9 (yes, really) edge on shots. Beach had eight saves.
Australia will play the U.S. in Seattle on Friday.
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Thursday’s opening day in Mexico City was marred outside the stadium by protesters who took on a police presence before and during the game. Some actually breached the barricades and fought with officers, others smashed car windows and fled on foot.
Agence France Presse reported, “Mexico’s government has faced weeks of protests, mainly by teachers demanding better working conditions.”
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