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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
Four matches on Friday, but U.S. fans were focused on the opener in Seattle and some history for the American team.
● Group D: United States 2, Australia 0 ● Lumen Field in Seattle was loud for the U.S. and got an early reason to cheer with strong American pressure on goal, even without injured midfielder Christian Pulisic.
In the 11th, striker Folarin Balogun drove down the left side of the field and sent a dangerous cross into the box, aiming for an onrushing striker Ricardo Pepi. But defender Cameron Burgess intercepted the ball, which flew off his foot into the net for an own goal and a 1-0 lead!
The Australians were hardly impressed and pushed their own attack forward, but were not able to score by the hydration break. The Americans had 63% possession in the “first quarter” and a 5-2 shots edge.
The U.S. kept pushing against a packed-in Australian defense, and late in the half, defender Sergino Dest sent a lined shot from above the box which was blocked and flew up into the air. It moved toward the Australian goal and defender Alex Freeman headed it in around keeper Patrick Beach for a 2-0 lead in the 43rd. The goal was initially disallowed for offsides, but a video review confirmed the score.
Dest got another shot from the top of the box that Beach stopped at 45+5 as the half ended. The domination was complete: 70% possession and 9-2 on shots.
Australia was looking for goals, but the U.S. remained with most of possession, but neither had exceptional scoring chances. A U.S. turnover turned into a shot for the Socceroos in the 65th for midfielder Connor Metcalfe from the top of the box that was saved by U.S. keeper Matt Freese. American possession was down to 68% possession at the hydro break, but up 10-4 on shots.
The Aussies were all over the U.S. zone in the 82nd for several minutes, got a good shot at goal in the 85th that was blocked and a rebound that was deflected before a goal kick was declared. It got physical in the 88th with pushing and shoving in the midfield – and some yellow cards – in a choppy second half. What looked like a breakaway chance for Balogun at 90+3 was missed on an errant pass by midfielder Malik Tillman. That was followed by referee Felix Zwayer (GER) falling to the turf for a cramp, but he returned quickly.
It ended 2-0 and the U.S. clinched a spot in the playoffs, with 62% possession and a 10-5 shots edge. It’s the first time since 1930 that the U.S. has won two World Cup games in a row. It was also the first U.S. shutout after giving up a goal for the last nine games in a row.
At 2-0, the U.S. has beaten two teams it defeated in friendlies in 2025. The last U.S. group game is against Turkey – which beat the U.S., 2-1, in a friendly in June 2025 – on Thursday, in Inglewood, California.
● Group D: Paraguay 1, Turkey 0 ● A stunning opening in Santa Clara, California, as Paraguay won the ball early, leading to a touch from midfielder Julio Enciso to midfielder Matias Galarza and then a smash from the top of the box at 1:05 that flew into the net for a 1-0 lead! Wow!
Turkey took possession after that and had the ball mostly in the Paraguay zone, but could not get past the packed-in defense. By the hydro break, Turkey had 82% possession in the game and was 5-3 on shots, but trailing.
Turkey’s pressure was unrelenting, but quality shots were hard to come by. In the 35th, however, a free kick by midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu from the right side was headed by defender Mert Muldur from the top of the box right off the crossbar and caromed away from the Paraguay goal.
Paraguay had a couple of charges after 40 minutes, but then the game changed into stoppage time, as forward Miguel Almiron was dismissed – red carded – for covering his mouth while talking to an opponent, a new rule this year. He was simply standing and talking to Muldur while play was stopped for a foul. Now, Paraguay plays with 10.
The half ended with 77% Turkish possession and a 12-4 shots edge. And no goals.
Turkey was on offense to start the second half as Paraguay was in a defensive shell. Shots were saved, blocked, kicked, headed away and sailed wide of the goal. And Paraguay made the occasional counterattack. By the hydro break, it was 80-20% for Turkey in possession and 19-5 on shots. And still nothing.
Paraguay almost scored on an Enciso free kick in the 85th, and actually played a little offense in the Turkish end, an excellent way to consume time. Turkey almost got even in the 89th on a good rush on the right side, and a cross led to a hard shot by midfielder Can Uzun that was saved by Paraguay keeper Orlando Gil and then a rebound that was shot wide by striker Deniz Gul (who was likely offsides anyway). A header by defender Merih Demiral missed wide in the 97th and a final shot went wide and that was it. Turkey ended with 79% possession and 32 shots to 7 and are eliminated from advancing. Incredible.
With the Turkish loss, the U.S. has won the group and will host a round-of-32 game on 1 July in Santa Clara.
● Group C: Morocco 1, Scotland 0 ● At Foxborough, Massachusetts, Morocco was looking for a hot start after its opening draw with Brazil and got it in the second minute (actually 71 seconds in), with a long lead over the top of the Scot defense and striker Ismael Saibari raced down the right side and struck a right-footed rocket from the right of goal that flew in for a 1-0 lead!
Morocco had control of the game into the hydration break, with 64% of possession and two shots to none for Scotland. But the Scots came on with some dangerous passing and a good set-up in the Moroccan zone in the final 10 minutes of the half … but no goals. Morocco went to the break with 62% possession and a 5-2 shots edge, but also nervous.
The second half started with end-to-end challenges in the first five minutes and Scottish keeper Angus Gunn had to make a quick save on a header by Moroccan midfielder Bilal El Khannouss in the 52nd. Scotland started to press after the 60th and midfielder Ryan Christie barely missed a shot from the top of the box in the 63rd. At the hydro break, Morocco had 63% possession abnd a 9-3 shots advantage.
The Scots attacked furiously in the final 10 minutes and in stoppage time, but could not score and it ended 1-0. Morocco ended with 59% possession and a 12-6 shots edge. But it was a very close thing.
● Group C: Brazil 3. Haiti 0 ● What Brazilian team would show up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Friday night? Their offense didn’t do much in the 1-1 draw with Morocco, but immediately did better against Haiti as striker Raphinha scored in the 12th minute on a left-footed screamer, but it was called back for offsides.
As expected, Brazil kept coming and striker Vinicius Junior sent a hard strike from the left side with his favored right foot that was fought off by Haiti keeper Johny Placide. But the ball rebounded straight out and a swipe by defender Hannes Delcroix deflected the ball off striker Matheus Cunha and into the net for the 1-0 lead in the 23rd.
At the hydro break in the 27th, Brazil had 63% penetration and 4-0 on shots. Brazil showed what it can do in the 36th, with a breakaway by Vinicius Junior in the midfield, with Cunha moving to the left side, then setting up a left-footed cutback into the right side of the net for 2-0.
It went to 3-0 in the 45+3, as Vinicius got loose on the left side on a ball over the defense by midfielder Lucas Paqueta, was all alone on a breakaway and sent a low liner over the leg of Placide to the right side of the goal. The half ended with Brazil at 62% and 6-0 on shots.
The “third quarter” had Haiti with more offense, but still no goals, although Brazil keeper Alisson had to make a fast save on a header by defender Ricardo Ade in the 63rd. No goals for Brazil, either and at the hydro break, Haiti had closed to 40-60 on possession and 6-4 on shots.
There were no more goals, with Haiti scrapping to score, but Brazil held firm. Brazil finished with 56% possession and shots were 8-8 at the end. Haiti, with two losses, was eliminated from advancement.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone suffered two broken bones in his left leg after a tackle-from-behind during Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar. The injury came on a tackle by midfielder Assim Madibo in the 51st minute, for which he received a red card.
Kone had surgery on Thursday night in Vancouver, with metal plates inserted to aid recovery.
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Ticket glitches are to be expected in a once-per-four-years event, but it does not make those who can’t attend any less upset. The Associated Press reported Friday on resale ticket delivery issues on StubHub, VividSeats and SeatGeek.
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FIFA reported fan festival attendance of 1,992,302 through the first round (24) of group-stage games. The largest crowds have been in Mexico with “cumulative attendance figures of 527,100, 244,710 and 218,424 in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara respectively.”
That’s 990,234 in total from three sites, or 49.7% of the 16-sites total.
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