The Group Stage continues right here, right now, at the Fairer World Cup. It’s just like the real World Cup, but with slightly less corruption.
Last time out, co-hosts Mexico battled through a tight Group C, while there was plenty of late drama in Group D. If you’re reading this from Poland, then… er… you might probably want to skip that chapter.
As for today, all eyes are on Group E. Brazil and Jamaica will bring the style for sure, but could South Korea and Slovakia provide some substance of their own? We’ll also have all the results from Group F, featuring 2022 semi-finalists Croatia and Morocco.
GROUP E
BRAZIL
Brazil are in a weird spot. The Seleção have a world-class squad on paper and should always be contenders, but they go into the World Cup on a terrible run of form.
Questions have been asked about Neymar’s captaincy credentials ahead of his fourth and final tilt at world glory. On the positive side, Gabriel Jesus has stepped forward to become Brazil’s main goal threat following the defections of Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo. Alisson is an unflappable presence in goal, and his back four is generally pretty solid.
So where are Brazil going wrong? One issue is perhaps their aggressive play, which can get rather excessive when they hit a rough patch. More composure is needed if a sixth World Cup is to come back home to Rio de Janeiro (other Brazilian cities are available).
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea qualified for yet another World Cup with few hiccups. They even managed to do it without star forward Heung-Min Son, who returns to the team after a lengthy break from international football. He’s sure to get a warm welcome when he arrives in California.
While Son was away, the Taegeuk Warriors mainly turned to Cho Gue-Sung – the long-haired target man who has an impressive scoring record in the Danish league. The industrious German-born ball-winner Jen Castrop has been a magnificent boon to the Korean midfield.
South Korea have a reputation as flat-track bullies who dominate in Asia but can’t step up against bigger opponents from other continents. Unless they can mix up their predictable attacking patterns, they could be heading for an early exit.
JAMAICA
Jamaica are bringing Caribbean flair onto the men’s World Cup stage for the first time in 28 years. Buoyed by a mass influx of players from the Premier League and Championship, the Reggae Boyz coasted through the qualifiers – winning 10 straight games and scoring 48 goals – and also won their first CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025.
Chelsea captain Raheem Sterling (no, really) heads an exciting Jamaican attack that is full of pace and clinical finishing ability. All-action midfielder Kalvin Phillips is delighted to be playing regular football again, while left-back Antonee Robinson can expect a hostile reception from the American hosts. Unfortunately, winger Leon Bailey had to miss out through injury.
Jamaica have been strengthened in almost every position… except in goal, where they still have to rely on US second-tier keepers. Expect some crazy scorelines before a thrilling ride ends in a blaze of glory – perhaps in the first knockout round.
SLOVAKIA
Slovakia have impressively outlasted their neighbours and qualified for just their second World Cup. A big factor behind that is Alex Král – the tireless former West Ham midfielder (well, he did play 6 games for them!) who was poached from Czechia’s ranks.
The Falcons are very much a defensive-focussed team. Milan Škriniar is the main man on the right side of a solid back three, while the intelligent David Háncko is a real asset at left wing-back. It’s not really surprising that such a dependable team won what was admittedly a soft qualifying group.
Sadly, any element of creativity seems to have gone with Marek Hamšík’s retirement, and the Slovakian strikers are hardly the quickest either. While progression beyond the Group Stage is not impossible, it seems somewhat unlikely.
BRAZIL vs JAMAICA
(12 June – Santa Clara)
Brazil might have won five World Cups, but Jamaica’s upgraded Reggae Boyz gave them a rude awakening after barely five minutes. Coventry forward Cameron Archer dribbled to the byline before squaring the ball across for veteran midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to finish.
Jamaica then pulled further ahead on 22 minutes. After brilliantly bypassing Danilo’s tackle, talisman Raheem Sterling was denied at the near post by Alisson, only for Ivan Toney to gobble up the rebound. To be fair, Alisson saved SEVEN shots in the first half and was almost single-handedly keeping Brazil in the game.
The Seleção improved after the break, and captain Neymar gave them some hope after his corner was headed in by Bremer. However, that hope was frittered away on 74 minutes, when Fabinho played a ridiculously lax pass inside his own area, allowing Archer to smash it in for 3-1!
Though wonderkid Endrick pulled another goal back for Brazil later on, it wasn’t enough to deny the Reggae Boyz a famous 3-2 victory! What a match!
SOUTH KOREA vs SLOVAKIA
(12 June – Vancouver)
Talk about a rapid start for Slovakia! South Korea sloppily gave away a corner early on, and they were made to pay when Tomas Suslov’s delivery was headed home by Denis Vavro after just 58 seconds!
The Koreans were shaken up by that, and they didn’t seriously test the Slovakian defence until the second half. However, despite the best efforts of playmaker Hwang In-Beom, his team-mates couldn’t finish their chances. After a toothless 1-0 defeat to the ‘weakest’ team in Group E, South Korea’s fans were already turning into the Taegeuk worriers.
JAMAICA vs SOUTH KOREA
(16 June – Santa Clara)
Jamaica’s attackers had mixed fortunes against South Korea early on. Ellis Simms’ tournament was cut short when he twisted his ankle after just four minutes, but Demarai Gray broke the deadlock six minutes later – brilliantly converting a deep cross from right-back Max Aarons. Another three minutes after that, Gray scored again – this time after some brilliant work from Simms’ young replacement Bailey Cadamarteri.
There was simply no way back for the Koreans. As Heung-Min Son and his team-mates flattered to deceive again, the Taegeuk Warriors’ hopes of further progress faded rapidly. Only an offside call denied Jonathan Rowe a third goal for the rampant Reggae Boyz late on, but a 2-0 win meant they still made rocksteady progress to the next round.
SLOVAKIA vs BRAZIL
(16 June – Vancouver)
Well… the first half was a slog. Brazil’s free-flowing ‘joga bonito’ really didn’t cut the mustard against Slovakia’s more industrial, methodical game. Try as they might, they couldn’t break down the huge Slavic wall in front of Marek Rodák’s goal.
Though the Selecao edged closer to a breakthrough in the second half, Slovakia were still happy to sit back and soak up their attacks. Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Endrick and Richarlison all couldn’t find a way past Rodák… but in the 77th minute, Bayern Munich midfielder André finally did.
That was André’s first goal for Brazil (naturally), and it proved to be the decisive one. Though midfielder Alex Král went close to equalising from a rare Slovakian counter-attack, the Brazilians were simply relieved to come away with a 1-0 win.
BRAZIL vs SOUTH KOREA
(20 June – Vancouver)
Brazil were the very last team South Korea wanted to face while desperately chasing a win. Their epitaphs were already being written in the 17th minute. Goalkeeper Yan Han Been proved he was no has-been when he pushed Guilherme Arana’s long-range screamer against the crossbar… but he could do nothing about Neymar’s volleyed follow-up.
André heaped on the misery in the second half – smashing in a clever cut-back from forward Malcom (on the right, not in the middle). With some better finishing from Endrick, Brazil would surely have won by more than 2-0… not that it mattered. They were going through anyway.
But this really was the end for South Korea. Despite some valiant attacking efforts late on (particularly from the excellent but unlucky Hwang Hee-Chan), they would exit the tournament with no goals, no points… no hope.
JAMAICA vs SLOVAKIA
(20 June – Santa Clara)
Slovakia certainly had high hopes that their immovable object could withstand Jamaica’s unstoppable force. After almost fluking a goal through Král in the 9th minute, the Slovak defence dug deep to keep the Reggae Boyz goalless…
…until the 37th minute. Archer might have been thwarted by an offside flag earlier in the game, but there were no questions about this quality finish from Aarons’ cross. Coventry’s master arrowsmith then shot a couple more crossbows into Rodák’s net either side of half-time, securing an unforgettable hat-trick.
And how about another goal, just for good measure? With Sterling setting up his FOURTH of the night and FIFTH of the tournament, Cameron Archer was now leading the race for the World Cup Golden Boot. Maybe Aston Villa should think about buying him back – again?
Slovakia could hardly even get out of their own half, so relentless were Jamaica’s attacks. A 4-0 win confirmed the Reggae Boyz as group winners, and serious contenders to go all the way.
The yellow perils were both safely into the knockout rounds, but such a crushing defeat left Slovakia up in the air. They now needed to hope other results in other groups went in their favour.
GROUP F
CROATIA
Can Croatia continue to punch above their weight at the World Cup? Some of their stars of 2018 and 2022 might have retired or defected to other nations, but the great Luka Modrić is still going strong – with one last chance to complete a full set of bronze, silver AND gold medals.
Modrić’s fellow centurions Marcelo Brozović and Andrej Kramarić also remain in a squad full of experienced mentality monsters. Bearded ball-player Joško Gvardiol leads the new guard along with fellow left-footed defender Mauro Perković, who is ready for his global breakthrough.
Croatia’s attacking options perhaps lack some bite, particularly out wide. Frontman Andrej ‘once of Leicester’ Kramarić is on his last legs, and though Petar Musa averages nearly a goal every other game for FC Dallas, he might not get the service he needs to lead his country to another deep run.
MOROCCO
Morocco were the story of the 2022 World Cup, but don’t bank on another top-four finish. Though the Atlas Lions have some fine attacking talents, they failed to win a match when hosting this year’s Africa Cup of Nations – let alone the trophy – and are still reeling from the shock departure of their brilliant coach Walid Regragui.
There are a couple of promising signs in attacking midfield, where Brahim Díaz provides plenty of creative endeavour while Ilias Akhomach cuts inside from the right wing. The agile Bayern München playmaker Amir Richardson is the son of an American basketball player, which perhaps explains why he is so tall.
Morocco are significantly weakened in defence – with their elite right-back currently suspended pending a criminal trial, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou now retired (though he would’ve been playing for Canada anyway). It hardly helps that their surviving defenders generally struggle with their concentration and positional awareness.
AUSTRALIA
Australia had several wobbles in a wayward qualifying campaign but just about made it through. Pre-tournament friendly results have done little to dispel my belief that Graham Arnold’s boys will be about as successful in North America as Kylie Minogue (i.e. not very).
The Aussies do have some raw but promising young players. Hopes are high for the cool-headed Italian centre-half Alessandro Circati, who… er, misses the first group game through suspension. There’s also been some nepotism sprinkled in; nippy winger Liam Chipperfield and midfielders Paul Okon and Noa Skoko are all joeys of ex-Socceroos.
Unfortunately, the Australian attack is perhaps too raw to cause opponents serious problems. Ex-Roma attacking midfielder Cristian Volpato had yet to score in 23 caps, and striker Luka Jovanović comes into the tournament with a toe injury.
COSTA RICA
Costa Rica didn’t lose a match in CONCACAF qualifying, and they go into the World Cup with one of the most experienced and closest-knit squads. Although Los Ticos rely exclusively on home-bred players and haven’t been afforded any foreign wildcards, that might not be a bad thing.
The streets won’t forget forward Joel Campbell (of ex-Arsenal infamy) or midfield runner Celso Borges – two evergreen stars with well over 300 caps between them. Of the younger lads, I like the explosiveness of winger Jewison Bennette, whose virtual Sunderland career panned out a bit better than his real-life stay on Wearside.
Unfortunately, the rest of Costa Rica’s squad is desperately short on quality. With so little technical skill on display, a Group Stage exit looks almost certain… unless they can shock the Aussies first up.
COSTA RICA vs AUSTRALIA
(12 June – East Rutherford)
After 14 minutes, a shock result was definitely on the card. Joel Campbell coolly converted an early penalty for Costa Rica after his compatriot Brandon Aguilera was pushed in the box by Australia right-back Fran Karacic.
The Aussies couldn’t boomerang themselves back into contention in an end-to-end first half, though Liam Chipperfield went mighty close with a free-kick shortly after the restart. Chipperfield was even unluckier in the 65th minute, when his crashing drive was tipped against the bar by the impressive Ticos keeper Kevin Chamorro.
John Iredale thought he’d finally broken through for Australia in the 79th minute, but the striker’s clinical shot from Riley McGree’s lofted through-ball was ruled out by VAR for offside. After that narrow escape, Manfred Ugalde broke away in the 88th minute to clinch a 2-0 win for Costa Rica. Did I mention that Socceroos coach Graham Arnold bears a striking resemblance to Hide The Pain Harold?
CROATIA vs MOROCCO
(12 June – Seattle)
Croatia began their World Cup with a quick set-piece goal – centre-half Martin Erlić nodding in right-back Josip Juranović’s 6th-minute free-kick at the far post. However, Moroccan ball-winner Sofyan Amrabat – who picked up an even earlier yellow card – drew the Atlas Lions back level on the half-hour mark with a powerful finish.
Morocco’s relief did not last. Five minutes into the second half, Juranović delivered a second assist when his cross was finished by big, beefy Bruno Petković, who outjumped Noussair Mazraoui to restore Croatia’s advantage. Mazraoui atoned for his error nine minutes later – volleying in Youssef En-Nesyri’s flick-on from Hakim Ziyech’s corner to bag another equaliser.
Despite the tough-tackling Moroccans trying their best to unraffle them, Croatia took the lead AGAIN on 74 minutes through ANOTHER Juranović set-piece – eventually finished by Lovro Majer. This time, the Vatreni held firm to win a 3-2 epic… and it could’ve been more, but Joško Gvardiol rattled the bar in stoppage time.
MOROCCO vs COSTA RICA
(16 June – East Rutherford)
Morocco didn’t take long to get back on track. When Jewison Bennette pushed Mazraoui in the Costa Rica box in the third minute, Amrabat confidently powered in the penalty for a very early lead.
From A to Z… Ziyech rounded off a dominant Moroccan first half with two more goals late on. Costa Rican goalkeeper Chamorro didn’t cover himself in glory with the first, but even a genuinely world-class shotstopper would have struggled to get Ziyech’s second, which was an absolute rocket.
Pick that one out!
The Atlas Lions carried a 3-0 lead into the second half, though there were no more goals to come after the break. They had comprehensively outclassed the foul-heavy Ticos, who benched their best attackers late on to keep them fresh for a crucial clash with Croatia.
AUSTRALIA vs CROATIA
(16 June – Seattle)
Nearly 20 years on from Graham Poll’s three-card trick, this re-run of the Josip Šimunić derby wasn’t quite as memorable. Australian fans would certainly want to forget about Croatia’s opening goal in the 32nd minute, when Petar Musa headed Majer’s free-kick against the post before poking in the rebound.
In other Socceroos news, Liam Chipperfield and Daniel Bennie were considering quitting football after the World Cup to take up a new sport – header volleyball.
Australia’s World Cup exit appeared to be imminent after another toothless attacking display – and another bitterly disappointing 2-0 defeat. 40-year-old Luka Modrić officially postponed his retirement by at least another round when he set up Croatia’s second goal for young winger Luka Stojković in the closing stages.
CROATIA vs COSTA RICA
(20 June – East Rutherford)
Chamorro was brilliant in Costa Rica’s first match, and poor in their second… but in the first half against Croatia, he was back to his best. He managed to save five Croatian shots, which the Vatreni consistently failed to convert their dominance into goals. Musa and Mislav Orsic were feeling especially frustrated when their close-range headers each went inches wide.
Four minutes into the second half, however, Croatia finally got lucky. Left-back Mauro Perković neatly controlled a throw-in before a deflection off Campbell gave him his first international goal.
Perkovic dealt another major blow to Costa Rica’s hopes late in the first half, when he cut out a very high-risk aerial pass from Diego Campos. Croatia launched a swift counter-attack that ended with Stojković making it 2-0.
Though Mayron George pulled a goal back soon after, Croatia finished them off with a couple more strikes. Right-back Ivan Smolčić joined his left-back in breaking his international duck before Rónald Matarrita’s own goal completed a 4-1 win.
MOROCCO vs AUSTRALIA
(20 June – Seattle)
Morocco cruised through the first period so comfortably that many of their fans were wondering why they ‘only’ led 1-0 at the break. After a couple of Ziyech free-kicks went close early on, wideman Ismael Saibari did break the deadlock in the 12th minute – albeit thanks to the Aussie defence turning into a bunch of drongos. Check it out for yourself.
Mind you, at least the nepo babies seemed to have something about them. After winning a corner right at the start of the second half, Chipperfield’s delivery was flicked on by Paul Okon, and then finished by full-back Lewis Miller. Unlike the other two, though, Miller’s dad never played for the Socceroos. But whatever, Australia were level…
…at least until the drongos came back, and Trent Sainsbury’s push on NBA sproglet Amir Richardson gave Morocco their second penalty in as many matches. Amrabat was out suspended, so Ziyech drilled it home to restore the Atlas Lions’ lead. However, their lead proved short-lived, as Cristian Volpato got the Aussies back on terms almost immediately with his first international goal (finally)!
After enjoying such a ludicrously easy first half, Morocco were having to work for their victory. Ball-winning midfielder Yassine Kechta came off the bench to put them 3-2 up on 75 minutes – and this time, their opponents had no answer. Like Savage Garden in the 1990s, Australia had crashed and burned – failing to pick up a single point.
So Croatia topped the group with a 100% record, with Morocco also progressing automatically. Costa Rica’s late defensive collapse left them in 3rd place, sweating over their future.
Tune in again next week, when defending champions of the world Argentina enter the ring in Group G, before Norway’s goalscoring Erling Haaland tops the bill in a competitive Group H.
In the meantime, Australia will go back home… but at least Graham Arnold seems to be in a jolly mood.
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