Daily FIFA World Cup soccer match updates and news for Black Press Media publications.
There are six matches today to avoid “fixing” on the final day of play for Groups A, B and C, with two at a time at noon, then 3 and 6 p.m.
Canada will clinch top spot in Group B with a win or tie vs. Switzerland today, noon start in Vancouver.
The march to the match promises another flag-waving celebration outside BC Place Stadium, to be filled with 52,000 soccer fans for the afternoon clash.
The two teams are tied in Group B standings, with Canada having better goal-differential status.
The Canada-Switzerland match, combined with what happens in Seattle between Qatar and Bosnia & Herzegovina, will determine the final standings the group. Both games start at noon Pacfic time.
Will captain Alfonso Davies play for Canada? Only head coach Jesse Marsch knows for sure. If “Fonzie” does, expect a very loud ovation at BC Place, where Davies began his pro career with Whitecaps FC before moving on to Bayern Munich of the German league.
In a post on canadasoccer.com, Daniel Squizzato writes that Canada likely won’t put out the sort of full-on attack that saw them pump six goals past an over-matched Qatar. But Switzerland will also have to exercise caution, knowing Canada has the tools to hit on the counter-attack.
“Particularly if the match is tied into the second half, it remains to be seen if the Swiss are content with the second-place finish or if they’ll push for first. And if it’s the latter, can Canada take advantage?”
Today’s other games feature Group C competitors Scotland vs. Brazil and Morocco vs. Haiti (3 p.m. start times) and Group A adversaries South Africa vs. Korea and Mexico vs. Czechia (6 p.m.).
Tuesday featured four matches starting with a 5-0 win for Portugal over Uzebekistan in Houston.
Tied 0-0 in Boston, England and Ghana are also tied at the top of Group L with four points each (England has the better goal differential with two, one better than Ghana).
Later, it was Panama vs. Croatia in Toronto (4 p.m.) and Colombia vs. Congo in Guadalajara (7 p.m.), all show live on TSN.
Games this week lead to the World Cup knockout phase (Round of 32), which runs Sunday, June 28 to Friday, July 3. With the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams for 2026, 32 teams advance from the group stage — the top two from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-place finishers.
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