Every team has played in this huge game world cup full of big surprise.
stakes rise rapidly 48 teams The second match of the group stage begins.
cape verde, qatar and Congo They earned a point for the first time in the World Cup, raising expectations for their unlikely chance to advance to the finals.
Spain, Portugal and Brazil are among the pre-tournament favorites and need a win to stay in the group after opening with a draw. Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia and Switzerland are also in the same position.
In addition to hosts Mexico and Canada, Switzerland and South Korea will also play teams for the second time on Thursday.
Highlights of June 17th
— Czech Republic vs. South Africa, noon ET in Atlanta (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3pm EDT in Inglewood, Calif. (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Canada vs. Qatar, Vancouver, British Columbia, 6 p.m. ET (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Mexico vs. South Korea, 9 p.m. EDT, Guadalajara, Mexico (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Mexico will play South Korea for supremacy in Group A
Mexico are off to a thrilling start as World Cup hosts and will aim to take control of Group A against South Korea.
Four years after the huge disappointment in Qatar, the Mexicans came out the gate screaming. 2-0 victory Over South Africa. The resounding victory thrilled the crowd of 80,824 packed into the famous Azteca Stadium. attracted 7.1 million viewers In the United States, it was the most-watched opening game broadcast in English.
The next match might be a little tough.
South Korea scored two goals in the second half, marking their 12th World Cup appearance. 2-1 victory Over the Czech Republic.
Mexico will have to travel 900 miles from Mexico City for the second match, while South Korea will remain in Guadalajara following the first match.
Mexico will also be without defender Cesar Montes, who scored the next goal. 3 red cards against South Africa.
shorthanded south africa
South Africa will be short on players for their Group A match against the Czech Republic in Atlanta.
Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane received red cards against Mexico and received automatic one-match suspensions.
Zwane’s suspension was Increased to 3 games FIFA on Wednesday deemed contact with Mexico’s Roberto Alvarado to the face a serious violation. South Africa is appealing FIFA’s decision.
Canada and Qatar aim for first World Cup victory
Canada and Qatar made history in their opening match, scoring late goals to earn their first World Cup points. The teams will meet on Thursday looking for their first win.
Qatar had an unforgettable performance at the 2022 World Cup, scoring one goal while becoming the first host country to lose all three matches. Qatar had a shocking start to this year’s tournament, scoring in stoppage time and being eliminated. 1-1 draw They will face Group B favorites Switzerland.
Canada Friday’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto got off to a slow start, leading to an enthusiastic opening ceremony. Substitute Cail Larin turned disappointment into joy, scoring in the 78th minute to secure victory. 1-1 draw.
It was Canada’s first World Cup point since losing all six games but scoring one goal in Mexico in 1976 and Qatar four years ago.
Canada’s bid for a first win could be hampered by a hamstring injury to captain Alphonso Davies. He did not play in the match against Bosnia. training is limited He was injured while playing for Bayern Munich on May 6th.
Switzerland aims to reorganize
Switzerland are looking to bounce back from a shock draw with 56th-placed Qatar, which left them tied four places in Group B.
The Swiss’ next chance will be against Bosnia and Herzegovina, who had the opposite reaction to the start with a draw.
The Bosnians, ranked 64th in the world, were the lowest team in their group but drew against the hosts. it came after bosnia Italy stunned European playoff final.
More World Cup news
— Christian Pulisic continues to train individually, raising concerns for USA at World Cup
— Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal draw 1-1 against Congo at the World Cup
— Cape Verde star goalkeeper Bosinha’s mother gets visa to take part in next World Cup match
— FIFA’s hydration policy sparks backlash, blamed for sapping momentum from World Cup
— Iran and Egypt face off in uncomfortable Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
— Turkish state broadcaster quits veteran World Cup commentator over confusion between Iran and New Zealand
— See photos of Day 7 highlights
statistics of the day
Harry Kane scored twice against Croatia to take his total to 10 World Cup goals, leveling Gary Lineker’s England record, and with five more goals to move him seventh on the all-time list. The other 10 players are Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta, Peru’s Teofilo Cubillas, Poland’s Grzegorz Lato, and Germany’s Thomas Müller and Helmut Rahn.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
