need to know
The final group games of the World Cup began overnight on Wednesday, with Scotland’s hopes of qualifying for the round of 32 ending with a heavy defeat to Brazil.
Everything you need to know about what happened Wednesday night and early Thursday morning at the World Cup…
Finals updates: Scotland’s hopes of securing a place in the round of 32 suffered a major blow after losing 3-0 to Brazil in Miami. The loss means the Tartans finish third in Group C with three points and -3 goal difference, with results elsewhere determining whether they finish as one of the top eight third-placed teams. At this point, it is highly unlikely that Scotland will advance to the knockout stages. With 18 more group matches to be played this week, they sit in 7th place in the third place standings. Clarke furious: After the match, Scotland manager Steve Clarke stormed out of a BBC interview when asked about his anxiety before finding out whether his team would progress to the last 32. “I don’t even think about that,” Clark said, walking away from the camera. As a result of the abuse, the BBC was forced to cut back on Kerry Cates’ appearance in its Salford studios, but a frustrated Mr Clarke then returned for a full post-match interview, admitting Scotland would “definitely” be heading home. McGinn’s confession: Meanwhile, Scotland midfielder John McGinn had a more measured reaction to his team’s defeat, insisting it was “unlikely” the team would progress to the last 32. BBC: “The players are free at the moment. It’s unlikely (to qualify) but we’ll see.” Neymar in tears: As for Brazil, Neymar was pictured crying after his return to the World Cup as he enjoyed a special moment with his son. The former Barcelona forward was introduced for the final 15 minutes of the second half. After the match, Neymar headed straight to his family who were watching the game pitchside. He shared a special moment with his partner Bruna Biancardi and daughters Mavie and Mel, before sharing a touching hug with son Davi Lucca. Morocco returns: In the other Group C match, Morocco closed out the group stage with a 4-2 win over Haiti, but it was not enough to take them to the top of the group as Brazil had a better goal difference. In fact, Brazil finished first in the group, Morocco second, Scotland third, and Haiti finished last. Group B Results: The other Group B teams finished in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place, with Switzerland defeating Canada 2-1 and Bosnia and Herzegovina defeating Qatar 3-1. Host team deals blow to rival: Group A also reached its final match with a win over Mexico early this morning. Czech Republic defeated 3-0 and South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0. These results mean Mexico will lead the group with nine points out of nine, South Africa will be second, and South Korea will be in an uncertain third place. Goalkeeper Situation: Mexico’s goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa had a historic moment during Mexico’s win over the Czech Republic. Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa came on in the final 15 minutes, making his sixth World Cup appearance. Ochoa, Mexico’s third-most capped player of all time, was introduced in the 78th minute for first-choice stopper Raul Rangel and received a warm welcome from the Aztec crowd. Soucek’s blow: The Czech Republic’s campaign came to a disastrous and disappointing end – and West Ham’s Tomas Soucek met the cruelest end of his first World Cup. Indeed, the midfielder appeared to suffer a serious injury late in the game after he stuffed Ochoa and landed in an odd position on his left knee. FIFA decision: Outside of Wednesday and six games played overnight, FIFA did not prevent fans from bringing rainbow flags into Seattle Stadium for Friday’s World Cup match between Iran and Egypt, despite pushback from both national team federations. Interview after being asked about the storm of racism involving Bastian Schweinsteiger. The World Cup winner has been accused of making racist remarks while addressing Germany’s victory over Ivory Coast. Read more: World Cup Live: Scotland on the brink of another blow overnight as Steve Clarke storms out
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