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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
The first of five days of three-a-day matches in the round-of-32 began on Monday and the drama was enormous.
● Brazil 2, Japan 1 ● Japan is usually in possession in its games, but in Houston, Brazil had the ball for 74% of the time up to the first hydration break and a 4-1 shots edge, but no goals.
But Japan midfielder Kaishu Sano intercepted a pass from defender Danilo at midfield in the 29th and dribbled forward to the top of the box, then sent a right-footed laser to the far left side of the goal for the 1-0 lead!
And the Japanese continued to hold possession beyond the score and held the Brazilian attack in check through halftime. Brazilian possession was down to 68% at the half and while Brazil had an 8-4 shots advantage, it was only 4-3 in the “second period.”
Brazil came out determined to find a goal and a Danilo cross to midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in front of the goal in the 52nd resulted in a header that was quickly saved by Japan keeper Zion Sukuzi. More pressure in the 54th saw midfielder Casemiro head another cross off the face of defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, standing on the goal line, rebound and then cleared by defender Hiroki Ito.
Brazil kept coming with crosses instead of trying to attack the center, and in the 56th, they got home with defender Gabriel Magalhaes’ left-footed cross from the left side to a header by Casemiro at the far right side of the goal and he scored over Suzuki’s head for the 1-1 tie.
Vinicius Junior looked for the go-ahead goal on a dribble drive on the left side in the 58th and sent a toe-poke to the far side, but Suzuki got a hand on it and it hit the far post! Japan held better to the hydro break, with Brazil at 67% of the ball but up to 14-5 on shots (6-1 in the half).
The game appeared to be headed to extra time, but at 90+5, Guimaraes had possession at the top of the box and sent a through-ball to forward Gabriel Martinelli in the middle of the box. He moved left and shot with his right foot to the right side of the Japan goal that was barely touched by Suzuki on its way inside the goal. It was 2-1 and Brazil got through. Too much magic.
Brazil was 19-5 on shots – Japan had one second-half shot – and had 69% possession, and were good enough to win when they absolutely had to. On to the last 16.
● Paraguay 1 (4), Germany 1 (3) ● The Germans were in control of the game from the start in 83 F temperatures in Foxborough, with 84% possession at the cooling break, but only 2-2 on shots.
It was difficult for the Germans to find any space on offense, with two rows of four Paraguayan defenders lined up to oppose them most of the time. And then Paraguay struck, in the 42nd, for a 1-0 lead as forward Miguel Almiron sent a pass from the right side forward and to the right of the box to midfielder Matias Galarza. He launched a perfect cross on a line into the middle of the box with unmarked midfielder Julio Enciso sending a header to the left side of the German goal for the score!
A German flurry failed to score, with a save on a left-side drive by midfielder Joshua Kimmich at 45+1. But at the half, Germany had 79% of the ball and was up 5-3 on shots. But down a goal.
More of the same in the second half, with Germany probing, but with a goal in the 54th as a cross from the left side into the box by midfielder Florian Wirtz found striker Kai Havertsz for a header to the far corner of the net for the 1-1 tie.
The Germans had 77% of possession at the hydro break and a 9-7 shots total, but continued to have problems finding space amid the Paraguay zone defense.
Havertsz was denied on another header in the 78th on a punch-away save by Paraguay keeper Orlando Gil. Repeated shots into the box went nowhere, and the first 90 ended 1-1, with the Germans at 76% possession and 14-7 on shots, meaning Paraguay had none in the “fourth quarter.”
On to extra time, and more German pressure and in the 102nd minute, another corner went to the far side of the Paraguay goal, and defender Jonathan Tah headed it in. A video review checked for a foul before the kick on German defender Waldemar Anton, which was upheld, erasing the goal! The first extra period ended 1-1, with shots 4-0 for Germany (18-7 total), and 78% of the ball.
A German header off a corner in the 119th was saved by Gil, and extra time ended with shots at 21-7 and Germany at 75% possession. In the third elimination match, we have penalty kicks.
Havertsz’s first try was saved and Paraguay made three in a row, but the Germans pulled even at 3-3 when German keeper Manuel Neuer saved Fabian Balbuena’s try. But in the sudden-death sixth round was a miss for Tah and Paraguay defender Jose Canale scored to win the game, 4-3.
The Germans are out and a third-place team – Paraguay from Group D – advanced to the round-of-16. Stunner.
● Netherlands vs. Morocco ● This match in Monterrey is perhaps the most anticipated of all in this round; a report will be inserted when the game is complete.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
The round-of-32 matches will continue through Friday:
Tuesday, 30 June:
● Ivory Coast vs. Norway ● In Arlington (1 p.m. Eastern)
● France vs. Sweden ● In East Rutherford (5 p.m. Eastern)
● Mexico vs. Ecuador ● In Mexico City (9 p.m. Eastern)
Wednesday, 1 July:
● England vs. Dem. Rep. Congo ● In Atlanta (12 p.m. Eastern)
● Belgium vs. Senegal ● In Seattle (4 p.m. Eastern)
● U.S. vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina ● In Santa Clara (8 p.m. Eastern)
Thursday, 2 July:
● Spain vs. Austria ● In Inglewood (3 p.m. Eastern)
● Portugal vs. Croatia ● In Toronto (7 p.m. Eastern)
● Switzerland vs. Algeria ● In Vancouver (11 p.m. Eastern)
Friday, 3 July:
● Australia vs. Egypt ● In Arlington (2 p.m. Eastern)
● Argentina vs. Cape Verde ● In Miami Gardens (6 p.m. Eastern)
● Colombia vs. Ghana ● In Kansas City (9:30 p.m. Eastern)
¶
FIFA reported that the 72 group-stage matches had a total attendance of 4,644,549, an all-time record for the World Cup, surpassing the 1994 World Cup held in the U.S., a 52-match tournament that had 3,587,538 spectators.
Interestingly, the 1994 average of 68,991 was higher than the 2026 average of 64,508 (with 32 matches to go).
As for the fans, FIFA noted that “2.8 million beers and 300,000 hot dogs” were sold at stadiums and the most popular items were “beer and chips proving most popular in Canada, hot dogs leading in the USA, and pizza and French fries topping the menu in Mexico.”
FIFA said that more than 5.5 million have attended fan festivals, and a total of 40,500 volunteers have serviced the event, from 162 countries. Media accreditations totaled 5,230.
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Losing at the World Cup has consequences.
South Korea finished 1-2 and did not advance, and coach Myung-bo Hong was met by angry fans with drums upon arrival at 4 a.m. at the Incheon airport, chanting insults; Hong – who has resigned – was protected by police.
Saudi Arabia football federation head Yasser Al-Misehal resigned Monday after a 0-1-2 (W-L-T) record in Group H. He wrote on X:
“The failure of the national team to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions, and I bear full responsibility for it. I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position.
“A sense of responsibility requires giving the opportunity to open a new chapter, and I have decided not to continue until the end of my current term.”
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa (ARG) told reporters after a 0-1-2 record in Group G, amid reports of complaints from the players:
“What do I leave for Uruguayan football? Nothing, because any contribution that a coach might make to football in a country after three years of work never truly takes hold if results aren’t achieved.
“Fourth place in the qualifiers didn’t count for much and a third-place finish in the Copa America didn’t either. And there is obviously no need to spell it out after what happened now. A tenure that left nothing behind.”
The Uruguay federation was so upset, it canceled the charter flight home from the Mexico training base to Montevideo. Players were left to make their own arrangements to wherever they decided to go, whether to Uruguay, or their club locations … or on vacation.
Miroslav Koubek resigned as head coach of the Czech team after an 0-2-1 record and fourth place in Group A.
¶
Two Argentine nationals were arrested in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida for trying to stream the Colombia-Portugal match on Saturday,
Both are YouTube stars with hundreds of thousands of followers: Beni Marmol, 20, and Pato Perrotta, 26, who are facing felony charges for coming to the match using credentials from another event and getting past three layers of security.
They were arrested on a charge of “interference with a sporting or entertainment event” and released on a $2,500 bond. They were among 16 arrests at the game.
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More on illegal streaming, as on Friday, the U.S. Justice Department announced “the seizure of nearly 400 sites that were engaged in the unauthorized streaming of matches in the FIFA World Cup Finals in violation of U.S. copyright law.”
It was noted that “Servers and domains linked to illegal streaming of World Cup games were targeted in Peru and Bulgaria, two known centers of online piracy activity. Additional ICHIP-supported disruptions took place in Croatia, Romania, Poland and Colombia.“
The statement added that “The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and, where appropriate, seek to prosecute these sites and the subjects responsible for this criminal activity.”
U.S. authorities have “detected” 1,139 drones at World Cup sites with more than 500 seized by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations as evidence.
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