Switzerland shocked, Brazil and Morocco draw, Scotland squeezes through and Australia gets the upset in today’s World Cup recap.
Qatar snatches late equalizer against unimpressive Switzerland for historic draw
History was made at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, as Qatar snatched up a last-minute goal to draw 1-1 against Switzerland, achieving its first-ever point in a World Cup.
Despite taking an early lead in the 17th minute thanks to a penalty goal from Breel Embolo, the Swiss were largely uninspiring. Having 68% possession, 26 shots (seven on target) and producing an Expected Goals (xG) of 3.24, the Rossocrociati lacked the end product needed to put the game further out of reach.
A big part of it was Qatari goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. In spite of a head injury suffered in the lead-up to the penalty, Abunada was a wall in goal with five saves, eight recoveries and four clearances.
And those missed chances came back to haunt Switzerland in the 90+4th minute, when Homam Elamin launched a cross in acres of space from the left flank, and Qatar center back and captain Boualem Khoukhi leaped over Miro Muheim to latch onto the pass and head it home past Gregor Kobel to give the Maroons a historic result.
The intrigue for Group B has turned up a notch, with Qatar, Switzerland, Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina all sitting level on one point apiece after the opening round of Group B matches.
Brazil and Morocco battle to a stalemate
In the most anticipated match of day three, five-time World Cup champions Brazil and 2025 AFCON winners Morocco battled it out in a riveting 1-1 affair.
Morocco looked like the better team in the opening minutes against a Brazil side still finding its footing under manager Carlo Ancelotti, and it paid dividends in the 21st minute when Brahim Diaz played a smooth pass to Ismael Saibari between Brazilian defenders Gabriel and Marquinhos, before chipping his shot over a rushing Alisson to give the Atlas Lions the lead.
But the individual quality of the Seleção was not to be taken lightly, and it showed in the 32nd minute when Vinícius Júnior received the ball on the left flank from Bruno Guimarães, who then shifted back onto his right and unleashed a powerful strike past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to tie the game.
Both teams pushed to break the deadlock before the final whistle, but Bounou and Alisson both made plays to keep it level, including a spectacular double save by Alisson in the dying moments of the second half.
Scotland gets it done for the Highlands
In their first World Cup game since 1998, Scotland held their nerves in a cagey win to beat Haiti 1-0, its first victory at the tournament since 1990.
Haiti, which was playing in its first World Cup since 1974, proved to be a worthy adversary for the Scottish, matching them blow for blow. But Scotland broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, when John McGinn received possession inside Haiti’s penalty box, before taking a shot that required multiple deflections but sailed into the back of the net.
Haiti, however, would not give in so easily, and in the second half, the Grenadiers ramped up the intensity, keeping the Scots on their toes. Despite creating valuable chances, Haiti could not find an equalizer, with their most notable chance coming in the 85th minute, when Frantzdy Pierrot headed just wide.
Scotland now sits alone at the top of Group C with three points after Brazil and Morocco tied with each other.
Australia dismantles the Turks
In a shocking turn of events in Vancouver, Australia turned Turkey “down under” with a 2-0 victory.
Despite the Turks having the better team on paper, the Aussies were the more efficient team despite limited time on the ball, with only 28% possession in comparison to Turkey’s 72%.
The Socceroos drew first blood in the 27th minute thanks to quick ball movement and counter-attacking play, with Paul Okon-Engstler playing in a great pass to Nestory Irankunda deep into Turkish territory. Surrounded by two Turkish defenders, the 20-year-old Irankunda remained calm and collected, launching a hard, low-driven shot past Ugurcan Çakir to give Australia the lead.
Despite 30 shots (eight on target), Turkey couldn’t get one past Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who finished the game with eight saves and 12 recoveries.
And Australia further compounded its fortunes in the 75th minute when Connor Metcalfe launched a powerful, low-driven shot past Çakir from outside the box and into the bottom-right corner of the net that eventually sealed the deal.
Australia now joins the USA at the top of Group D with three points, trailing only by goal difference.
Delivered by Sean Paul
Morocco did not win 2025 AFCON twinnerthan
Well, not in the traditional sense, but still…