The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world, and it’s in full-swing with teams’ first matches over and others are starting their second games of the group stage shortly.
On Friday afternoon, the United States will look to follow up its fantastic 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles with a win against Australia in Washington that’ll surely send America to the knockout round.
But what’s going on with the rest of the World Cup? There’s plenty of important games for bettors, fans and interested viewers looking to learn more about the beautiful game. France, Argentina and England have some of the best odds to win the tournament. They’re off to stellar starts to their tournaments after convincing wins earlier this week.
Every couple of days, there will be a non-USA World Cup roundup recapping the tournament. This is the second installment of that series:
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
What happened: France was one of the pre-tournament favorites, but it wasn’t looking like it against one of the best teams from Africa. Senegal had the better chances in the first half, including one that went off the post, but the game was tied at zero at the half.
French superstar Kylian Mbappé scored first, getting a hold of a great pass down the right side that he slotted past the Senegalese keeper and into the left corner of the goal in the 66th minute. Senegal looked like it had the response with a quality finish, but it was called offside.
Bradley Barcola scored by chipping the keeper in the 82nd minute to make it 2-0 France. Ibrahim Mbaye had a rocket of a shot from close range in stoppage time to make it 2-1 for Senegal. But Mbappé responded with a rocket from about 25 yards out to make it 3-1 France. The French superstar is now France’s all-time leading goal scorer in the World Cup.
Ramifications: France is second in the Group I standings behind Norway due to goal differential. Senegal is third. Both teams still need to play Norway and Iraq in the group stage.
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
What happened: Norway has one of the better offenses in the tournament in large part because it has one of the best strikers in the world in Erling Haaland. Norway and Haaland showed it by scoring first in the 29th minute, with Haaland using his size and strength to slide a cross into the back of the net. However, it was Iraq with the next goal, a header by Aymen Hussein in the 39th minute to equalize the match.
Haaland was back at it only four minutes later, intercepting a terrible pass back to the Iraqi keeper and scoring for the 2-1 lead.
Iraq had a few good chances after that, but it was Leo Østigard leaping above everyone and scoring with a header in the 76th minute for a 3-1 lead for Norway. An own goal by Hussein in stoppage time sealed the impressive victory.
Ramifications: Norway jumps to the top of the Group I standings while Iraq goes to the bottom. Both teams have to play France and Senegal.
Where: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
What happened: After Argentina and its superstar, Lionel Messi, won the 2024 World Cup, it was assumed that would be Messi’s final World Cup. Well, he proved everyone wrong on Tuesday and showed why he’s considered one of the greatest of all time.
Messi scored his first goal in the 17th minute, a left-footed shot from the top of the 18-yard box that found the top right corner. He was then in the perfect position to guide a rebound home in the 60th minute. Messi completed the hat trick in the 76th minute with a beautiful finish into the lower left corner from about 18 yards out.
Ramifications: Argentina is in first in Group J thanks to goal differential, while Algeria is in last. Both teams have to play Austria and Jordan to finish group play.
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
What happened: Romano Schmidt got the goal scoring going for Austria with a beautiful strike from about 19 yards out into the top right corner in the 21st minute. Austria took that 1-0 lead into halftime.
Jordan got on the board in the 50th minute after numerous chances. Ali Olwan finished from close range off the right post for the equalizer. After a goal was taken off the board for Austria, it went up 2-1 in the 76th minute with an own-goal header from Jordan’s Yazan Al-Arab. Austria then finished the match with a penalty kick in stoppage time by Marko Arnautovic.
Ramifications: Austria moved to second in Group J with the win, and Jordan moved to third with the loss. Both teams have to play Argentina and Algeria to finish the group stage.
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
What happened: Portugal was a big favorite in this game, and it went up early with a header from close range by João Neves for the 1-0 lead in the sixth minute.
Congo didn’t roll over, with multiple chances before scoring a header of its own. It was the first goal in Congo’s World Cup history when Yoane Wissa scored in stoppage time to end the first half. Portugal threatened in the second half, but couldn’t get on the same page.
Ramifications: Congo is in second and Portugal is in third in Group K, with both teams needing to play Colombia and Uzbekistan to finish the group stage.
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
What happened: England got on the board first when an England player was kicked inside the 18-yard box, resulting in a penalty kick. Harry Kane’s first attempt was saved, but he got another when the referees saw a Croatian player enter the box too soon. Kane made the second to put England up 1-0 in the 12th minute.
Croatia had the response later in the first half. Martin Baturina smashed one in from outside the 18-yard box to tie the game at one in the 36th minute. Kane responded again, this time in the 42nd minute with a running header on a corner. Defense definitely wasn’t the story in the first half, with Croatia scoring again in stoppage time with some beautiful combinations leading to a finish by Petar Musa to tie the game at two going into the second half.
It only took two minutes into the second half for England to retake the lead when Jude Bellingham finishing from a tough angle on the right side into the lower left corner with an assist from the post. The score could’ve easily been 6-2 or 7-2 if it weren’t for some stellar saves from Croatia’s keeper. Marcus Rashford had a classy finish into the lower right corner for England’s fourth goal in the 85th minute.
Ramifications: England is in first in Group L and Croatia is in last with both teams having to play Ghana and Panama to finish the group stage.
Where: BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
What happened: A soccer match isn’t over until the final whistle, and Ghana proved that on Wednesday. The African nation had multiple chances throughout the game, but it was Caleb Yirenkyi’s finish in front of the goal off a beautiful pass that gave Ghana the win in stoppage time.
Ramifications: Ghana is second in Group L and Panama is third. Both teams need to play England and Croatia to finish group play.
Where: Estadio Banorte, Mexico City, Mexico
What happened: Colombia didn’t care that it was Uzbekistan’s first World Cup. Daniel Muñoz made a fantastic run into the 18-yard box and flicked the ball into the top of the net for the 1-0 Columbia lead in the 40th minute.
In the second half, Uzbekistan had the equalizer. The Columbia keeper couldn’t contain an Uzbekistan volley, leading to a header by Abbosbek Fayzullaev into an open net in the 60th minute.
Columbia wasn’t done, though. Five minutes later, the South American nation had numbers on an attack, and Luis Díaz barely got his shot past the keeper to make it 2-1 Columbia. Jáminton Campaz had the game-sealing goal in stoppage time, a beautiful, unmarked header at the far post.
Ramifications: Columbia jumped to the top of Group K thanks to goal differential, while Uzbekistan is last. Both teams need to play Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo to finish the group stage.
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
What happened: Czechia needed a good start after losing its first match of the World Cup, and that’s what it got. Czechia had a beautiful combination, starting with a cross and a small pass that led to a finish into the right net from Michal Sadílek in the sixth minute.
Czechia took that 1-0 lead into the second half, but South Africa had the equalizer in the 83rd minute. Czechia was called for a questionable handball inside the 18-yard box, resulting in a penalty kick. Teboho Mokoena finished into the lower left corner for the equalizer.
Ramifications: Czechia is in third in Group A with a 0-1-1 record, and South Africa is in fourth with the same record but a worse goal differential. Czechia will wrap up group play against Mexico and South Africa will finish group play against South Korea.
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
What happened: The final score of this matchup wasn’t surprising, but a 0-0 draw at the half isn’t the way a game usually gets to 4-1.
The fireworks started when a poor Bosnia-Herzegovina header allowed Johan Manzambi to hit a volley into the roof of the goal for the 1-0 lead in the 74th minute. Things only got worse for Bosnia-Herzegovina when Tarik Muharemovic was given a red card in the 80th minute, putting Switzerland a man up.
Switzerland took advantage. Rubén Vargas scored in the 84th minute with a great finish into the lower right corner. Manzambi scored again, this time right in front of goal, in the 90th minute for the 3-0 lead for Switzerland.
Bosnia-Herzegovina got on the board in stoppage time when Ermin Mahmic hit a volley off a corner to cut the deficit to 3-1. Granit Xhaka added to Switzerland’s lead with a penalty kick in stoppage time.
Ramifications: Switzerland moves to 1-1-0 and second in Group B. Bosnia-Herzegovina is 0-1-1 and third in Group B. Switzerland wraps up group play with a game against Canada, while Bosnia-Herzegovina finishes group play against Qatar.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
