The United States became the second country at this summer’s FIFA World Cup to secure its place in the round of 32 after recording its second win in two games on Thursday. The Americans follow in the footsteps of fellow Concacaf nation Mexico, which similarly won both of its opening games to advance out of its group.
Semi-finalists four years ago, Morocco continues to impress in this year’s competition, building upon a draw vs. Brazil with a win against Scotland to top its group and move one step closer to qualifying for the knockout round.
But with Brazil to play Haiti later on Thursday, Morocco’s hold on first place could very well prove to be only temporary. The Brazilians have a point to prove after a stuttered start to the World Cup, and you get the sense they are eager to set things right, which could mean bad news for the Haitians.
Group C: Brazil vs. Haiti – 5:30 p.m. ET
Group D: Turkey vs. Paraguay – 8:00 p.m. ET
Concacaf kingpins continue to come up big
What an incredible two-day period it’s been for Concacaf, the soccer region that covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Canada rolled to an easy 6-0 win over Qatar on Thursday to all but guarantee a spot in the round of 32 and put itself in pole position to top its group, which includes Bosnia and Herzegovina and Switzerland. On the same day, Mexico became the first nation at this World Cup to punch its ticket for the knockout stage after a 1-0 win vs. South Korea.
The good times continued for Concacaf on Friday when the United States became the second country in the 48-nation field to officially advance out of the group stage with a 2-0 victory against Australia.
The three co-hosts are unbeaten at this tournament, combining to win five of their six matches and jointly outscoring their opponents 16-2, a sure sign that Concacaf has been a collective force to deal with thus far. The Americans’ win against Australia was especially impressive considering they were missing talisman Christian Pulisic due to a calf injury. The AC Milan player scored 33 goals in 87 international appearances, but the U.S. hardly missed him, as they dominated the Socceroos in Seattle to clinch a round of 32 berth with a game to spare.
Even the other three Concacaf nations have been punching above their weight. Panama was sunk by Ghana courtesy of a late injury-time goal, Haiti held its own in a loss against Scotland, while Curaçao briefly put a scare into Germany before ultimately coming out on the wrong end of a heavy loss.
Morocco’s moment of brilliance
That’s all it took for Morocco’s Ismael Saibari to make an impression, leading his nation to an important win vs. Scotland in Boston. There’s still lots to play for, but Morocco looks a good bet to qualify for the round of 32, as it looks to equal its final four showing from 2022 in Qatar.
Scotland fell asleep at the wheel soon after kickoff, allowing Saibari to slip in behind the defence down the right and latch onto a ball played over the top from teammate Brahim Diaz. Saibari wasted no time, taking a quick touch inside the box before blasting his shot into the top left corner as Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn helplessly looked on.
It was the fastest goal of this year’s World Cup and Saibari’s second, after he scored on a deft chip shot vs. Brazil in his team’s opener. He is also just the second African player to score in his first two World Cup appearances. The other? None other than Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.
It was all Morocco after Saibari’s strike, as Scotland struggled to get a foothold in the game and spent much of the contest chasing shadows. The North Africans pressed and kept possession at will and could have easily added to their lead. But the one goal was enough, and now they look ahead to a group finale meeting with Haiti, which should be the easiest of their three games.
“I want to be dangerous; I want to create opportunities. It might not always be myself that scores, but if I can force an error that gives us the lead, then for me it’s like a goal as well. It was a special start to the game to give us the momentum.” – American striker Folarin Balogun, whose centring pass for a teammate led to an own-goal by Australia.
Crystal Palace centre back Chris Richards has been a model of consistency in helping the United States effectively build out from the back through its first two group stage games.
Scotland’s supporters sure know how to have a good time, no matter where they go.
THREE STARS OF THE DAY
1. Alex Freeman (United States): The American defender scored the goal that sealed the win for the co-hosts. He was also a defensive juggernaut with five clearances, four tackles and two interceptions.
2. Folarin Balogun (United States): It was his probing run that resulted in an own goal by Australia to give his side the lead. He was a physical nuisance up front against the Aussies’ defenders.
3. Ismael Saibari (Morocco): His early goal set the Africans on their way to an important victory, their first of the competition.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.