US and Germany Aim for Perfect Group Stage Finish
EAST RUTHERFORD, United States – The group stage is almost done, but for two of the tournament’s co-hosts, Thursday is about more than tidy symmetry on a table. It is about sending a message.
The United States and Germany have already wrapped up first place in their groups. Now they want perfection.
Pulisic back as US eye statement finish
The US have done the hard work early. Wins over Paraguay and Australia mean they cannot be caught at the top of Group D, with a game to spare. On paper, Turkey in Los Angeles is a dead rubber. In reality, it is a dress rehearsal for the knockout rounds in front of a home crowd that expects more than a polite stroll into the last 32.
Mauricio Pochettino has a decision to make. Protect his core or keep the engine roaring.
Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun all walk a disciplinary tightrope, one yellow card from a ban in the next round. Rotation is tempting. So is rhythm.
Christian Pulisic tilts the balance. The forward has shaken off a calf injury that has restricted him to just 45 minutes so far and sounds in no mood to coast.
"Going into the knockout rounds will definitely feel better with a win, so that's why we're going to push for it," he said, leaning into the stakes of a game that technically means nothing, but emotionally means plenty.
"It's an amazing opportunity... We don't necessarily need a win, but it's a World Cup game, and we all want to give our best and do well."
The US have not stood in a World Cup quarter-final since 2002. This start, on home soil, has stirred the belief that this group can go further, that this tournament can become something bigger than a promising cameo. How Pochettino handles this final group outing will say a lot about how bold he intends to be.
Behind them, Australia and Paraguay meet in Santa Clara in a straight shootout for second place. The numbers are tight, the margins even tighter. A draw would suit Australia, whose superior goal difference gives them the edge, yet could still be enough to drag Paraguay through as one of the best third-placed teams. One game, two teams, three possible routes to survival.
Nagelsmann’s Germany chase clean sweep
Germany arrive at their final Group E fixture in a very different mood to recent tournaments. No nerves, no calculators. Two games, two wins: Curacao beaten, Ivory Coast edged, top spot secured.
The scars of back-to-back first-round exits at previous World Cups have not fully faded, but this campaign already feels different. Sharper. More controlled.
"I'm very happy that we're not at the end of our journey yet, but it is very important that we remain modest," said coach Julian Nagelsmann, wary of any hint of complacency.
"We have won two matches, one was clear, one was very close. We want to win again tomorrow and we'll see who we play on Monday (in the last 32)."
Ecuador stand in their way, desperate and dangerous, needing victory to keep their tournament alive. Ivory Coast, currently on course for second, will be heavily favoured against debutants Curacao, who have at least shown their stubborn side by clinging on for a 0-0 draw with Ecuador to stay in the hunt. The group still breathes, even if Germany already sit above the chaos.
Group F on a knife-edge
If Groups D and E feel largely settled, Group F is anything but. The Netherlands, Japan and Sweden can all still finish top. The permutations are dizzying; the reality is simple. One bad night and a contender could be gone.
In Kansas City, the Netherlands could not have asked for more obliging opponents. Tunisia have been a shambles. Two games, two heavy defeats, eight goals conceded, coach sacked after the first humiliation.
Sabri Lamouchi paid the price for a 5-1 collapse against Sweden. Herve Renard was drafted in as the firefighter. The flames only spread. Japan tore through them 4-0 to end Tunisian hopes with brutal efficiency.
The Dutch, sitting on four points, will smell blood. They also know that in a group this volatile, any lapse can drag them straight into the mess.
Japan, level on four points with the Netherlands, face Sweden in Arlington. The Swedes opened their tournament with a bang, then watched the roof cave in with that 5-1 hammering by the Dutch. Pride is on the line. So is survival. One of the three could yet be shoved into the path of Brazil in the last 32.
Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and a shifting bracket
Brazil have already taken control of their own path. On Wednesday in Miami, Vinicius Junior added two more goals in a 3-0 win over Scotland, a performance that underlined why Carlo Ancelotti’s side were always favourites to top Group C. Neymar’s first international appearance since October 2023 added a touch of theatre, but it was Brazil’s clinical edge that sealed first place.
They now await the runners-up from the chaos of Group F. Whoever emerges will face a team that has barely broken stride.
Morocco, edged out of top spot by Brazil only on goal difference, will meet the Group F winners. They earned that right the hard way, twice coming from behind to beat Haiti 4-2 and finish on seven points. It was a show of resilience that could matter more in the knockouts than any elegant group-stage performance.
Scotland, beaten by Brazil, must now sit and wait, their fate in the hands of others as they hope to sneak through as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
For the other co-host, Mexico, there is no such anxiety. They swept into the last 32 with a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic, Estadio Azteca bouncing as they closed out a perfect Group A campaign. The reward is fitting: another knockout tie in the same iconic arena, with the noise turned up and the stakes raised.
The biggest jolt of the day came elsewhere in that group. South Africa, a nation more used to heartbreak at this level, stunned South Korea 1-0 to claim second place and qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history. No tiebreakers, no back doors. A straight, seismic win.
In Group B, Switzerland did what experienced tournament sides do: they handled the moment. A 2-1 victory over co-hosts Canada in Vancouver secured top spot, leaving the home fans subdued and the Swiss dressing room quietly satisfied. Bosnia-Herzegovina joined them in the last 32 by beating Qatar 3-1 and grabbing one of the coveted third-place berths.
So the bracket takes shape. Hosts thriving, giants reasserting themselves, newcomers refusing to play the role of extras. The United States and Germany both stand on the brink of perfect group campaigns. The question now is simple: are these just tidy statistics, or the first real sign that two co-hosts are ready to drive this World Cup deep into uncharted territory?
