FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[Clement Kaliyar]

~
What happened in Curacao was something many of us expected; a team going for the first time and facing Germany, it was obvious they were going to get crushed. But I liked the attitude of the Curacao players because they ran, they didn't give up despite the quality of the Germans. They always believed in their game and kept playing as if nothing was wrong. I admire that; at no point did I see them give up. They believed in themselves.

Curacao scored their first goal in the World Cup, and the team got a standing ovation from the fans during the first half. Curacao played with composure for a while but then with the constant attacks from Germany, the defensive line got exposed and they failed to mark the players completely.

Since most of the players in the Curacao team are from the Dutch system, I thought they would perform better, I was wrong.  

[Obim34]

I love the way Morocco played, especially Hakimi and Brahim, wow, it was amazing. But we have to realize something: we saw that things are different in Brazil because they didn't take Thiago off. For me, Thiago wasn't doing anything good; he looked like a stake, as if he had rebar in his legs. I don't know why Ancelotti didn't put Endrick in. I hope Endrick and Neymar can finally play; Brazil needs it, and the spectacle needs it.

Thiago acted like a clown in the early minutes of the game when he had a goal scoring opportunity for a header, he missed the chance and laughed it off, I doubt if these players knows how opportune they are for a call up, football now looks like something to joke about, the unseriousness is really disturbing and will be a cause why some countries won't go far in the tournament.

I was happy when he was subbed off, I'm still disappointed with the decision of not bringing Jaoa Pedro to the World Cup, he would have impacted well in this very match against Morocco.

[Byebyebtc]

I am a bit surprised at Japan's performance against Netherlands today, actually I am not surprised they got a goal but how they were able to get another after Netherlands is very interesting, and now they ended the game in a draw. I think there will be more surprises ahead to see in this world cup, it may later become even more interesting that Japan may get pass the group stage if they consistently put up this performance and maybe improve it even better.

To be honest, I’m not really surprised by their performance. They have been showing for a while now that they can compete with top teams. Even in the 2018 World Cup they reached the Round of 16 and pushed Belgium all the way in a dramatic 3-2 match, and in 2022 they reached the Round of 16 again after beating both Germany and Spain in the group stage so… Their teamwork, discipline, and commitment make them a very difficult team to play against. If they keep performing like this, I won’t be surprised to see them qualify from the group and possibly go even further than they did in the last two World Cups.

[trendcoin]

...
It’s a real shame about that one goal in stoppage time, but oh well. With Australia’s recent win over Turkey, we’ve had yet another surprise.

It was truly a surprise, and an interesting result based on the momentum chart. Türkiye dominated the game and controlled the ball, but Australia won the match. Football is a game like that. Sometimes you have to do the right thing to win...


The Ivory Coast - Ecuador match is about to start. There are many teams from Africa in the World Cup, but I always support the Ivory Coast... :)

[welovebit]

I am a bit surprised at Japan's performance against Netherlands today, actually I am not surprised they got a goal but how they were able to get another after Netherlands is very interesting, and now they ended the game in a draw. I think there will be more surprises ahead to see in this world cup, it may later become even more interesting that Japan may get pass the group stage if they consistently put up this performance and maybe improve it even better.

To be honest, I’m not really surprised by their performance. They have been showing for a while now that they can compete with top teams. Even in the 2018 World Cup they reached the Round of 16 and pushed Belgium all the way in a dramatic 3-2 match, and in 2022 they reached the Round of 16 again after beating both Germany and Spain in the group stage so… Their teamwork, discipline, and commitment make them a very difficult team to play against. If they keep performing like this, I won’t be surprised to see them qualify from the group and possibly go even further than they did in the last two World Cups.

Few teams have great development in soccer. This is going to be challenging for Europeans and South Americans because they are hanging due to their improvement. Competition is going to be interesting because Morrocco holds Brazil, Australia beats Turkey, Korea won against the Czech Republic, and now Japan holds the Netherlands.
Things are going to be balanced. Qatar also holds Switzerland. This was also one of the big surprises. Asian soccer needs good changes, and these are happening now. How they will go in the second round is also important because they needed consistency, which will help them have a good number of spots in the knockout, as this is the main target.

[Agbamoni]

I love the way Morocco played, especially Hakimi and Brahim, wow, it was amazing. But we have to realize something: we saw that things are different in Brazil because they didn't take Thiago off. For me, Thiago wasn't doing anything good; he looked like a stake, as if he had rebar in his legs. I don't know why Ancelotti didn't put Endrick in. I hope Endrick and Neymar can finally play; Brazil needs it, and the spectacle needs it.

Thiago acted like a clown in the early minutes of the game when he had a goal scoring opportunity for a header, he missed the chance and laughed it off, I doubt if these players knows how opportune they are for a call up, football now looks like something to joke about, the unseriousness is really disturbing and will be a cause why some countries won't go far in the tournament.

I was happy when he was subbed off, I'm still disappointed with the decision of not bringing Jaoa Pedro to the World Cup, he would have impacted well in this very match against Morocco.

I regretted including Thiago in my fantasy league squad. He did this same thing against Manchester City and Manchester United respectively. After watching the highlights yesterday I've come to the conclusion that Thiago isn't the number striker for Brasil. Richarlison should be the striker. While more prominent class player should be starting for Brasil.

[Adiljutt156]

What the hell was that performance by Turkey man? That was just terrible... The post-match interviews of the manager and some players were even worse.

They literally think they played well for real! Turkey didn't dominate the match, no. Ball possession isn't enough to state it as domination.

Nearly none of those 30 shots was good. It's obvious they didn't analyze Australia at all.

That match was organized in the BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver venue and that was one sided match because Türkiye national football team performance was very poor in this match and they did no goal in this match and they should try to work on defense but they played randomly and at the  end they lose this match. Irankunda was a person who did first goal of the match and he did this goal at 27 minutes And he gave good start to his team. Türkiye national football team team performance was very weak in this match.Metcalfe did goal  at 75 minutes of the match and that was last goal of the match and they were dominant in this game . Türkiye national team  should try to stop goals of opponent team but their players did not give their all effort in this match and at the start they lose this match.

[Oluwa-btc]

Seem like nobody saw the Netherlands versus Japan game.

One beautiful hell ass of a game for real. For the Dutch, it is thanks to the great Virgil van Dijk and Summervile who put them ahead but that late headed hurts more than a scorpion sting.
Japanese played beautiful football though, they didn't back down from start to finish,  I have never seen such level of high intensity in a while. Great to see them sharing points.

[GbitG]

I am a bit surprised at Japan's performance against Netherlands today, actually I am not surprised they got a goal but how they were able to get another after Netherlands is very interesting, and now they ended the game in a draw. I think there will be more surprises ahead to see in this world cup, it may later become even more interesting that Japan may get pass the group stage if they consistently put up this performance and maybe improve it even better.

You know Japan is underated team like people are considering them as ordinary team despite they are extraordinary potential to utilize better performance against big team. Netherlands is very good team and even they really deserve to win the match but we also need to observe it that their opponent is Japan and Japan is also a strong team.....

However match was quite good. Both team made a lot of effort to win the match but still it's end up on draw. Japan team players utilize such a brilliant performance especially in attack position but still finished the tie with 2-2. Netherlands defense line was too good like they were bit heavier interm if defensive approach despite Japan attack job was absolutely phenomenal. So let's see what happens next in upcoming schedule.

[Rgram]

Seem like nobody saw the Netherlands versus Japan game.

One beautiful hell ass of a game for real. For the Dutch, it is thanks to the great Virgil van Dijk and Summervile who put them ahead but that late headed hurts more than a scorpion sting.

Virgil’s first goal was an absolute class, it almost looked as though it was going out but, the ball kept spinning towards the bar and it hot in. The Japanese equalizer was unexpected and that guy in an offside position was so quick to jump and avoid getting any contact with the ball. Both Netherland goals came off the bar, I wonder how with so many bodies on the way, the Japanese defense couldn’t keep the second goal out.
It was not a problem for them in the end though, Kamada did makeup for the goal with an equalizer and Japan were able to share points with Netherland.

[Nheer]

Seem like nobody saw the Netherlands versus Japan game.

One beautiful hell ass of a game for real. For the Dutch, it is thanks to the great Virgil van Dijk and Summervile who put them ahead but that late headed hurts more than a scorpion sting.
Japanese played beautiful football though, they didn't back down from start to finish,  I have never seen such level of high intensity in a while. Great to see them sharing points.

I was never surprised by the results. I expected that results just as I did with Brazil's game. Many people underate Japan and favoured Netherlands more but I knew that it wasn't going to go as expected. Netherlands performance is not convincing enough and Japan is a very stubborn team that's why I knew it will be a difficult game for them and winning will be difficult.

The late goal definitely hurt, it took away the 3 points and they had to settle for a point. Japan was determined and the spirit to never give up was what impressed me more. It was a great game, the intensity was high and the results was just as I predicted.

[laspol65]

I am a bit surprised at Japan's performance against Netherlands today, actually I am not surprised they got a goal but how they were able to get another after Netherlands is very interesting, and now they ended the game in a draw. I think there will be more surprises ahead to see in this world cup, it may later become even more interesting that Japan may get pass the group stage if they consistently put up this performance and maybe improve it even better.

You know Japan is underated team like people are considering them as ordinary team despite they are extraordinary potential to utilize better performance against big team. Netherlands is very good team and even they really deserve to win the match but we also need to observe it that their opponent is Japan and Japan is also a strong team.....

However match was quite good. Both team made a lot of effort to win the match but still it's end up on draw. Japan team players utilize such a brilliant performance especially in attack position but still finished the tie with 2-2. Netherlands defense line was too good like they were bit heavier interm if defensive approach despite Japan attack job was absolutely phenomenal. So let's see what happens next in upcoming schedule.

Both teams were going through tough competition, but I wanted the Netherlands team to win this match. But it was not possible because both teams had strong performances and they shared the points by competing the most. However, the Japanese team was quite excited in this match, their attack was right and they performed much better in this match than in the friendly match. Because of their sufficient performance, the result of the two teams finally turned into a draw, but these two teams will definitely perform well in the next match.

[Balmain]

It was clear Australia would completely shut down. We couldn't break down their defense at all Montella hadn't done his homework. With the quality of the squad we have, Turkey didn't deserve such a defeat. They scored easily on the counter-attack and won. Hopefully, we'll learn from this match and prepare well for the next games. We started the tournament badly, but we can improve later. The first match is over now our national team must think about and work on the upcoming matches.

[Rgram]

Ivory Coast and Ecuador game is on at the moment and so far, it’s being a fairly balanced game although, Ecuador appears to have had some really had lucks this evening, they’ve missed several gauges to get a goal, chances you would have expected them to register a goal. They’ve had more balls on the post than they’ve being able to get in target. Ivory Coast have got few chances as well but, it’s looking like a game that Ecuador could make the most of and they should with the many opportunities they are creating.

[passwordnow]

The Ivory Coast - Ecuador match is about to start. There are many teams from Africa in the World Cup, but I always support the Ivory Coast...

Good luck to both of them, I just dropped a little bet that this match is going to end up with a draw. Both odds for them increases significantly in the live odds.

Ivory Coast and Ecuador game is on at the moment and so far, it’s being a fairly balanced game

Quite balance indeed, I see a lot of predictions favoring Ivory Coast though.

[Marykeller]

~
What happened in Curacao was something many of us expected; a team going for the first time and facing Germany, it was obvious they were going to get crushed. But I liked the attitude of the Curacao players because they ran, they didn't give up despite the quality of the Germans. They always believed in their game and kept playing as if nothing was wrong. I admire that; at no point did I see them give up. They believed in themselves.

Curacao scored their first goal in the World Cup, and the team got a standing ovation from the fans during the first half. Curacao played with composure for a while but then with the constant attacks from Germany, the defensive line got exposed and they failed to mark the players completely.

Since most of the players in the Curacao team are from the Dutch system, I thought they would perform better, I was wrong.  

How much better will they perform against the German teams? Curacao can match up with the German squad, if German play with their second eleven team.

From what I heard, Curacao is a small country not up to 500k in population. We should praise them for finding their way to the World Cup because their qualification for the World Cup didn't come as easily

[Princess Leah]

The Ivory Coast - Ecuador match is about to start. There are many teams from Africa in the World Cup, but I always support the Ivory Coast...

Good luck to both of them, I just dropped a little bet that this match is going to end up with a draw. Both odds for them increases significantly in the live odds.

Ivory Coast and Ecuador game is on at the moment and so far, it’s being a fairly balanced game

Quite balance indeed, I see a lot of predictions favoring Ivory Coast though.

It's quite a battle between both teams, if you had betted that the first half would end in a draw, maybe you would've got your reward by now cause that's how that half ended, both teams are tough opponents, I knew it wasn't going to be any easy game for both sides, although Ivory Coast had some good chances.

 Yann Diamonde is a big problem for the Ecuador defenders they should be careful and mark him closely cause he's dangerous with ball, he was the best player from the Ivorian side so far and if  they later score it might likely be by him or through his effort. I think Ivory Coast coach should make changes in the second half so the booked players doesn't concede a red.

[LUCKMCFLY]

 It's quite a battle between both teams, if you had betted that the first half would end in a draw, maybe you would've got your reward by now cause that's how that half ended, both teams are tough opponents, I knew it wasn't going to be any easy game for both sides, although Ivory Coast had some good chances.

I'm South American, but I really want Ivory Coast to win. I like their style of play, and wow, what a great defense they have! They win the ball back so well, without fouls, they do everything excellently. Plus, the physical style of play from Ivory Coast is unmatched by Ecuador; they have so many crossbars in that goal. But I think Ivory Coast has better technical ability; they can win.

[tusandii]

I think Sweden will be favorite in today's match, boasting talented players like Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, who can be relied upon to break down Tunisia's defense.
Tunisia is known for its strong defense, but Sweden has enough resources to try to defeat Tunisia.
There are a few things to keep in mind this match will likely be a tight affair, with high scores unlikely, or with neither side scoring less than 3 goals.

[Sithara007]

11 matches have been completed so far, and almost all the matches were enjoyable. I couldn't point out even one match that was boring. The Germany vs Curaçao match was the most lop-sided one (7-1) so far, but even in that one Curaçao managed to score one goal and kept the crowd entertained. And the results so far has been a big disappointment for the European fans who were fiercely against the idea of a 48-team world cup, and inclusion of Asian/African teams. Asian teams are performing exceptionally so far. Korea managed to defeat Czechia (2-1), and Australia managed to win against Türkiye (2-0). Also, Qatar managed to get a draw against Switzerland (1-1). Among the African teams, Morocco managed to get a draw against Brazil, while Côte d'Ivoire won against Ecuador (1-0). Only South Africa has been a disappointment.