ITV studios remain ‘horrified’: Pundits Laura Woods, Juan Mata, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Ange Postecoglou were left horrified after fireworks suddenly went off near ITV’s studios during half-time of the USA-Turkey match. Woods said he was completely caught off guard by the “incredible” and “spectacular” footage, noting that his coverage was interrupted before and after the commercial break, jokingly adding that the scary moment will at least put viewers to sleep.
Woods’ shock: “Our halftime was interrupted by some pretty incredible fireworks behind us. I still don’t really know why. Well, this is quite a thing. It’s really spectacular behind us. By the way, it caught us all off guard and it was really scary when it all started.”
Difference of opinion with the German camp: Coach Julian Nagelsmann firmly rejected Deniz Undav’s claim that Ecuador “wanted more” when Germany lost 2-1, calling it “nonsense.” Unduff’s views on Ecuador’s superior hunger were supported by teammates Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala, highlighting a clear difference of opinion.
Declaration of a national holiday: With no indication that the UK will recognize any additional holidays, Ecuador’s President Daniel Novoa officially declared a national holiday today, Friday 26 June, to commemorate the country’s historic 2-1 victory over Germany.
Tori Penso’s vile tirade: Ecuador’s victory was marred by controversy over Leroy Sane’s alleged foul before Germany’s goal, sparking a wave of online abuse against American referee Tori Penso. Two of the tournament’s three major officiating errors were attributed to her gender and nationality by some fans online, leading to further backlash from sexist fans mixed with strong condemnation from Penso’s defenders.
Scotland blow: Ecuador’s upset win over Germany severely damaged Scotland’s chances of remaining in the World Cup. If Belgium draw or win against New Zealand and Iran draw or win against Egypt, Steve Clarke’s side will be officially eliminated.
Bastian Schweinsteiger storm: Ivory Coast coach Emase Fayeh has expressed deep disappointment at Bastian Schweinsteiger labeling his team’s style as “wild”, “a bit of African football” and lacking tactically.
Netherlands match canceled: The second half of the Netherlands vs. Tunisia match was delayed due to a bizarre incident in which Tunisia’s Elies Schiri was unable to return to the pitch in time. Ronald Koeman’s side led 2-0 and were preparing to kick-off along with the rest of the Tunisian team, but the game was suspended after officials noticed a player was missing.
Letter from Brazil to FIFA: The Brazilian Football Federation has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA regarding Vinicius Junior’s canceled goal against Scotland, according to a letter obtained by Estadao. The complaint targets inconsistent VAR standards and expresses dissatisfaction with the referee’s choices, in contrast to the decision on Lionel Messi’s goal against Austria.
Round of 32 matches confirmed: Knockout stage matchups are taking shape, with several Round of 32 matches officially confirmed. Confirmed matches include South Africa vs. Canada, Netherlands vs. Morocco, USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Brazil vs. Japan.
Thursday night and Friday morning results: Nicolas Pepe scored twice for Ivory Coast with a 2-0 win over Curaçao, while Ecuador recorded an impressive 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Germany. In other recent matches, the Netherlands comfortably defeated Tunisia 3-1, Japan and Sweden drew 1-1, Australia drew 0-0 with Paraguay to advance to the round of 32, and Turkey defeated hosts USA 3-2 with a late deciding goal, resulting in a disappointing result.
