Hello and welcome to Daily Mail Sport’s World Cup Breakfast from day 19 at the tournament – your one-stop shop for everything you’ve missed overnight in North America.
For all the latest news, viral moments and what to look out for, stay right here.
OVERNIGHT ACTION
Canadian manager Jesse Marsch said he ‘doesn’t give a s*** if people find him performative after he gave his players a rousing huddle speech on the pitch following their 1-0 win over South Africa.
Marsch, a self-styled ‘boisterous American’, called his team ‘Canadian heroes’ four times after Stephen Eustaquio scored a stoppage-time winner to send them to the last 16 of a World Cup for the first time.
The 52-year-old, who was often mocked while managing Leeds and was rejected for the United States job, is flying to Monterrey to watch Canada’s next opponents, either the Netherlands or Morocco. He considers a tie against either a ‘free hit’.
Canada and South Africa did not serve up the finest football but the tournament co-hosts, buoyed by the return of captain and Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, were deserving winners.
After being denied a penalty in stoppage time of the first half, they fought on and Eustaquio – who lost the armband on Davies’ return – sent them through with a strike from the edge of the box. A captain’s goal, some would argue…
Read Daniel Matthews’ report HERE.
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Jesse Marsch told his players they are ‘Canadian heroes’ after their 1-0 win over South Africa
VIEW FROM THE GROUND
There’s been a suspicion all along that the non-Trump supporting parts of the USA have had the less appealing group stage fixtures.
Seattle has had Belgium v Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina v Qatar, and Egypt v Iraq, though the USA game v Australia was attractive.
The city has only two knock-out games to come now. Liberal San Francisco has fared even worse.
Well, as venues go, Seattle has been the hidden gem of this tournament for me. Not just the scene from Pike Place market last night and the general beauty of the city, but the extremely easy access.
The stadium is a short walk up from the city centre and the light rail system helps. It’s been a flying visit and I regret I won’t be heading back.
Ian Herbert
TEAM OF THE DAY
Thanks to Sofascore for the graphic.
CELEBRITY WATCH
Jessica Alba attended the South Africa vs Canada game alongside her moustachioed actor boyfriend Danny Ramirez.
The Fantastic Four actress, 45, at least appeared more interested in the action than her romantic sidekick as she took to her plush black seat with a hot beverage.
Meanwhile, legendary German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, 41, showed his face despite being embroiled in a ‘racism’ row.
The pundit called Ivory Coast’s approach ‘wild’ and ‘a bit African football’ and was decried as racist by manager Emerse Fae. He has since stood by his words.
Elsewhere in the stands, Canadian actor Simu Liu, of the Marvel stable, spectated through sunglasses.
Jessica Alba (right) and Danny Ramirez (left) attended the South Africa vs Canada match
Bastian Schweinsteiger showed his face despite being embroiled in a ‘racism’ row
Canadian actor Simu Liu, of the Marvel universe, took in the action in Los Angeles
VIRAL MOMENT OF THE DAY
The irony of this viral moment of the day is that the photo’s subject won’t get to see it – because she now doesn’t have a phone!
Apologies for the sarcasm. Daily Mail Sport sincerely hopes that this supporter, who accidentally dropped her phone into a lower tier of the stadium as she watched Canada against South Africa, gets her phone back in one piece. Gutting.
This Canada fan accidentally dropped her phone while enjoying the match vs South Africa
PICTURE OF THE DAY
The contrasting emotions of a World Cup. For one set of players, a day spent making history and some of the best memories of their lives. For the opposite team, a painful ending which will char them forever.
Canada celebrate their stoppage-time victory, while South Africa’s Oswin Appollis stares into the distance
STAT OF THE DAY
Canada’s 1-0 victory over South Africa in Los Angeles was the first time in World Cup history that a host nation has played a match on foreign soil during the tournament. The competition isn’t typically hosted across three countries…
THREE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR TODAY
1) Will Kai Havertz be dropped?
Arsenal forward Kai Havertz faces a nail-biting wait to see if he will retain his place in the starting line-up against his in-form deputy Deniz Undav.
Two goals against Curacao in the opening match appeared to solidify Havertz’s standing as Germany’s first-choice striker.
But Undav came off the bench that game to score, before then being substituted against Ivory Coast and turning the game on its head with a poacher’s double.
Undav also has two assists off the bench, a contribution which suggests he can take Havertz’s mantle of ‘bringing others into play’.
The former factory floor worker, who was still semi-pro at 23, could well get a crack of the whip from the start against Paraguay.
2) How much of a role will Neymar play?
Neymar broke down in tears at the end of Brazil’s 3-0 win over Scotland after playing for the national team for the first time in 981 days.
The 34-year-old, playing in his fourth World Cup, made a positive contribution off the bench and claimed his heart was beating ‘a thousand times a minute’.
Carlo Ancelotti will need every tool at his disposal to loosen a well-bolted Japan unit and so it cannot hurt to have the stardust of Neymar back.
While Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha lead the way for the Selecao, Neymar remains their all-time leading goalscorer – yes, even ahead of Pele – and gave the fans a huge lift when he was subbed on. That injection of energy may prove vital, even if his best days look behind him.
On a more sober note, if Japan win, this may be the last we see of Neymar on the world stage.
Neymar still waits for World Cup glory with Brazil. Can he make a difference against Japan?
3) How strong is the old order?
Today’s games, and the Netherlands’ clash with Morocco at 2am tomorrow, pit a few of the world’s grandest sides against some of the most promising nations from elsewhere.
As the popularity of football spreads, alongside increases in finances and organisation, it feels natural that, over time, other continents would catch up to Europe and South America.
Japan and Morocco are arguably the ‘best of the rest’ and have the chance to kick out Brazil and the Netherlands. Paraguay are not considered to be at the same level but have their own pedigree after reaching the quarter-finals in 2010 and should give Germany a tough game.
These three fixtures are something of a litmus test for the global game. We have never had a World Cup winner from outside Europe or South America. Whether that is possible one day depends on games like these.
TODAY’S GAMES
Brazil vs Japan (6pm, ITV, Houston)
Brazil have hit their stride at the right time but face a well-drilled, hive-minded Japan team who beat them 3-2 back in October.
Carlo Ancelotti will be pleased that Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha have hit the ground running in North America – with four and three goals respectively.
But Hajime Moriyasu has built a cohesive team who press ferociously and are devastating on the counter-attack. They beat England in March and the Netherlands just before the World Cup.
Brazil last crashed out at the first knockout stage in 1990. This evening’s clash represents a threat to that record. The winner will face either the Ivory Coast or Norway.
Prediction: Brazil win
Japan are one of the best-drilled teams at the World Cup, but can they overthrow Brazil?
Germany vs Paraguay (9pm, BBC, Boston)
Germany must regroup after a 2-1 defeat by Ecuador in their final group game served as a stark reminder of their frailties.
The 2014 champions – into the knockout stages for the first time since then – now face another defensively dogged South American outfit who appear to play much more as a team.
Julian Nagelsmann’s team are constantly commented on by a coterie of legendary pundits, which only adds to the rising pressure – Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Muller, Philipp Lahm, and Per Mertesacker have all been passing judgements in the media.
They showed their potency in a 7-1 thrashing of Curacao, and will be encouraged by how porous Paraguay were in a 4-1 defeat by the United States, but their performances against Ivory Coast and Ecuador left much to be desired. The winner will face either France or Sweden.
Prediction: Paraguay win on penalties
Kai Havertz hopes to start for Germany against Paraguay, but may be replaced by Deniz Undav
Netherlands vs Morocco (2.30am tomorrow, ITV, Monterrey)
Arguably one of the ties of the round, few would have batted an eyelid if this was, say, a quarter-final or even a semi-final.
The Netherlands were impressive and prolific in the group stages, scoring the joint-most alongside France and Germany with 10 goals.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey have been driving forces for the Oranje, scoring two and three goals respectively as they topped their group containing Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia.
But Morocco, ranked sixth in the world and a place above the Dutch, are enjoying a golden age and are unbeaten in 47 of their last 48 games, if you count their AFCON final against Senegal as a defeat, as it was on the night before the North Africans were awarded the trophy retrospectively.
Morocco dumped out Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022, so don’t write them off. The winner is slated to face Canada in the last 16.
Prediction: Morocco win
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