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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
A busy Saturday that started with a Dutch rout of Sweden and then taut games in Germany-Ivory Coast and a stupendous performance by Curacao keeper Eloy Room in a 0-0 match with Ecuador.
● Group E: Germany 2, Ivory Coast 1 ● Both teams were coming off wins in their first game in this match in Toronto, and both had chances in the first part of the game. A spectacular play looked for a moment like a German goal in the 21st, as a Nathaniel Brown cross in front of the Ivory Coast goal resulted in a collision between keeper Yahia Fofana and midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, called a foul on Pavlovic.
At the hydration break, the Germans had 64% possession and a 4-1 shots lead. Then an Ivory Coast rushed resulted in the first score, as forward Yan Diamonde’s cross from left to right found midfielder Amad Diallo for a shot in front of goal that was blocked. But the rebound came right to midfielder Franck Kessie who scored easily for the 1-0 lead in the 30th.
Germany threatened, but could not score and the half ended 1-0, with the Germans at 61% possession and an 8-4 shots advantage.
In the second half, following rush after rush without result, German midfielder Nadiem Amiri sent an arcing pass from the right side of the field right to the middle of the box, and sub striker Deniz Undav ran right onto it and finished for the 1-1 tie in the 68th. Two 60th-minute subs made the difference.
At the hydro break, the German possession was steady at 62%, but shots were up to 12-8 in an active “third quarter.” The Germans continued to probe the Ivory Coast defense, and suddenly, midfielder Felix Nmecha sent a perfect, right-footed strike into the middle of the box for Undav, who turned and ripped the ball into the net for the 2-1 lead at 90+4!
And that was the difference. The Germans ended with 59% of the ball and was 16-9 on shots, and earned their way into the playoff round.
● Group E: Ecuador 0, Curacao 0 ● To no one’s surprise, Ecuador took possession right away in this match in Kansas City, but could not score on six shots (to two) and 78% possession in the first 24 minutes, up to the hydro break.
Curacao showed some offense in the “second period,” but neither team could score in the 0-0 half. Ecuador maintained 75% possession and an 8-5 shots edge as the game became more and more physical. The star was Curacao keeper Eloy Room, with six saves!
Ecuador continued to press in the second half, surviving a Curacao flurry in the 60th to create a shooting gallery at Room, who had 12 saves by the second half hydro break. Ecuador had 74% possession and 21-9 on shots, but still 0-0.
Room continued to stand on his head and keep Ecuador scoreless and the game ended – astonishingly – at 0-0. It’s Curacao’s first-ever point in the World Cup, in its first appearance, with the 37-year-old Room saving 15 shots. That’s the second-most all time to the 16 by American keeper Tim Howard, who had 16 against Belgium in a 2-1 extra-time loss in the 2014 World Cup round-of-16.
Ecuador was not eliminated with the draw; it had 75% possession and a 28-10 shots edge. It was not enough.
● Group F: Netherlands 5, Sweden 1 ● The Orange were all over NRG Stadium in Houston, and they were on fire early, as a cross from the left side from forward Cody Gakpo found an onrushing Brian Brobby down the middle for the left-foot finish in the sixth for the 1-0 lead. Perfect.
It got worse for the Swedes, as defender Denzel Dumfries was on the right side and sent a cross to Brobby, who finished again in the 17th; 2-0. The Swedes were happy to see the hydration break, with the Dutch at 67% possession and a 4-1 shots advantage.
The Swedes were much better after the break and had chances and got a spectacular header off a free kick from defender Gustaf Lagerbielke in the 44th for what looked like a goal, but it was called offsides. The Swedes pressured continuously into stoppage time and at the half, it was 2-0, but the Dutch were down to 60% of the ball and were outshot, 9-5, with Dutch keeper Bart Verbruggen the star with four saves!
But just 1:57 into the second half, the Orange struck again, with Dumfries sending a cross right in front of the goal from right to left, got past Swedish keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt and kicked in by the flying Gakpo for a 3-0 lead. Gakpo got another just seven minutes later, taking a pass from midfielder Crysencio Summerville, dribbling into the box from the left side and scoring with a line drive into the net.
Sweden got onto the scoreboard in the 59th on a solo effort from striker Anthony Elanga, who take a lead pass from forward Alexander Isak above the box, dribbled and sent a left-footed finish over Verbruggen into the net. No defense against speed. 4-1. At the hydro break, Dutch possession was down to 55% and Sweden had a 12-9 shots lead.
But nothing stopped the Orange. It was 5-1 in the 89th after Somerville dribbled down the middle, moved into the box and slammed in a right-footer that went to the left side netting.
● Group F: Japan 4, Tunisia 0 ● Japan needed a win to stay even with the Dutch, and Tunisia was regrouping following the firing its coach after its opening loss and hiring French veteran Herve Renard in advance of this game – the 1,000th World Cup match – in Monterrey, Mexico.
Japan wanted to get ahead early and pressure paid off quickly, as striker Keito Nakamura sent a hot cross from near the left-side endline right in front of the Tunisian goal and it hit the back heel of midfielder Daichi Kamada and popped into the net for a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute!
They nearly got another from defender Takehiro Tomayasu in the 10th, but at the hydro break it remained 1-0, as Japan had 68% possession and a 4-1 shots edge.
Japan had possession in the 31st, with striker Ayase Ueda standing in space at the top right corner of the box, and he let fly with a hard shot that found its way into the goal for a 2-0 lead. Defender Kou Itakura’s underrated pass out of the Japan zone set Ueda up perfectly, breaking the Tunisian midfield defense.
No more scoring in the half, with Japan thoroughly in charge at 65% possession and 5-1 on shots.
Tunisia did not offer much offense in the second half, but also kept Japan off the board until the 69th, then Ueda sent an excellent lead pass from the Japan side of the field to striker Junya Ito. He corralled the ball, ran past a defender, set himself up and sent a right-footed shot into the net for the 3-0 lead. The hydro break followed, with Japan at 63% possession and 9-1 on shots.
Japan kept coming, and got a final goal in the 83rd, on another perfect cross, this time by midfielder Kaishu Sano from close to the right side endline to Ueda at the 6-yard line and headed the ball over two defenders to the right corner of the net for the 4-0 score.
It ended with Japan at 62% of possession and 11-2 on shots. Tunisia was eliminated from advancement.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
A worthwhile story by Front Office Sports about how Kansas City made itself so attractive to FIFA World Cup teams, with Algeria, Argentina, England and The Netherlands all headquartered in the metro area. Moreover, how the area’s Major League Baseball, NFL, MLS and NWSL teams got involved early to spearhead fundraising for World Cup costs.
It’s not all perfect, as the story reported on long transportation times for the first match, between Argentina and Algeria, at Arrowhead Stadium, including long waits at the official fan festival. A KC2026 statement noted, “While decisions regarding stadium entry operations primarily rest with FIFA, based on yesterday’s experience, KC2026 and its partners have provided specific recommendations to improve operations ahead of Saturday’s match.”
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FIFA, of course, has required stadiums to cover up their corporate signage in favor of FIFA’s own sponsors. But Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California – home of the NFL’s 49ers – got creative.
The Levi’s name and mark are covered, but with a white tarp which was shaped in the well-known Levi’s “batwing” logo form. Levi’s chief executive Michelle Gass noted on LinkedIn:
“I saw that same wonderful blend of preparation and opportunism this past week from our marketing team, led by Kenneth Mitchell, which took the covered-up logo at Levi’s Stadium and made it a moment, moving quickly and creatively to build social content that resulted in the most-viewed Tik Tok and Instagram posts in the brand’s history, nearly half a billion (and counting) media impressions, and a stream of admiring callouts in media and commentary.
“Our retail and product teams are now following suit, with stores featuring the all-white batwing and Levi’s products with the same imagery coming soon.”
Mitchell noted in his own LinkedIn post, just one regret: “PS – Yes, it definitely would have been denim if it were up to us!”
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