The first Round of 32 in World Cup history is here. There’s a real debate over whether it will be good for the tournament
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
Welcome to the first full week of World Cup knockout matches, where dreams will be made and hearts broken all across North America and the world. The jeopardy of knockout soccer only adds to the intensity and this is where the weaker teams get found out. There is nowhere to hide anymore and it usually contributes to pure cinema.
We have three Round of 32 matches again for you today, including two that will really whet the appetite – involving the likes of five-time world champion Brazil. But while some are getting excited for the week’s action, others are running out of patience until we see the big heavyweights come face-to-face. And that’s where we’ll start today.
The Main Thing: Is the Round of 32 good for the World Cup?
We love a debate here on The Beautiful Game. Can the USA win the World Cup? Are the silly hydration breaks a good or bad thing? And today, we have another: Does the Round of 32 make this World Cup better?
Let me lay it out.
Due to there being a record 48 teams at this year’s tournament, FIFA has had to include a new knockout round. Instead of going straight to the Last 16, as has been tradition over the last few decades, we now have the Round of 32 as an extra layer to enjoy. Only, not everyone is looking forward to it.
The extra round naturally means more teams qualify for the knockouts, including both the group winner and runner-up, as well as the eight best third-place finishers.
Some critics say the bloated number of teams lowers the overall quality of the knockout rounds, which have been very competitive in the past. And, in truth, the first Round of 32 match didn’t do much to dispel that theory yesterday.
Although Canada beat South Africa with a dramatic late goal in that contest, the game was a bit of a slog. Neither team showed much quality and both struggled to create many clear-cut opportunities to excite the neutral. It was clear, from the opening exchanges, that neither is a serious contender.
But there are plenty who have praised the extended World Cup, and I think I’m probably one of them.
This new round has given the chance for some smaller nations to taste knockout soccer. Although a forgettable match for many, both Canada and South Africa were playing in their very first World Cup knockout fixture. This new round allowed their fans to celebrate making history.
We’ll also see the likes of Cape Verde play reigning champion Argentina later this week, arguably the most exciting match of the tournament so far, pitting Lionel Messi against the fairytale team of the summer.
And, of today’s three matches, we have two very appealing ties involving the likes of Japan, Brazil, the Netherlands and Morocco.
So while I get the criticism and I think the extra round does slow down the process of getting to the nitty-gritty, it also creates some brilliant storylines which, in my opinion, makes it worth it. What do you think?
Japan vs. Brazil
When? 1 p.m. ET
Where? Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium), Houston, Texas, USA
When Japan faces Brazil in the Round of 32 later today, there will be genuine confidence in some parts of the world that the Asian side can beat the five-time world champion.
Over recent years, Japan has become comfortable in the company of the world’s elite and actually beat the Brazilians 3-2 in a friendly last year.
It’s been a steady start to the World Cup for the Samurai Blue, though, with two draws and a win enough to see them qualify out of Group F in second.
Brazil will be a tough challenge, probably its toughest so far this summer. Despite not quite clicking in the opening matches, it feels like manager Carlo Ancelotti has found a formation to help the Seleção gel.
A 3-0 win against Scotland in its last game helped secure top spot in Group C for the Canarinho and demonstrated how potent it can be. Yes, the Scots played poorly, but Brazil’s brilliant roster of attacking talent capitalized on mistakes with frightening efficiency. Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha looks to be reveling in the lineup now and could be a key player in his nation’s success going forward.
Not to mention, you have Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. firing on all cylinders with four goals and one assist, becoming the fifth Brazilian ever to score in each group stage match, according to ESPN. Even more ominous? The Seleção won the World Cup each edition that happened…
This is the game of the day and one you cannot afford to miss.
Germany vs. Paraguay
When? 4:30 p.m. ET
Where? Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium), Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA
Paraguay is one of the eight teams that benefitted from the new format that allows the best third-place finishers to progress into the knockout stages.
A heavy defeat against the USA started its World Cup campaign in the worst possible way, but a shock 1-0 win against struggling Turkey was just the response it needed. A drab 0-0 draw with Australia in its last group game was enough to see it through to the last 32 where it now faces its biggest test to date.
Germany is far better than any of the teams Paraguay has played so far, on paper at least. And despite going into this tournament unfancied, the European heavyweight won its first two matches of the competition. A 2-1 defeat to Ecuador, when the Germans knew they were already through, took the luster off a touch, but the four-time World Cup winner proved it will be a dangerous team this summer.
The question is: Can Paraguay pull off another shock result in a World Cup which has seen several already?
Quote of the Day
The words from Canada manager Jesse Marsch after his team beat South Africa to progress into the Round of 16.
Marsch delivered this rousing speech while still on the pitch, huddled together with his team of history-makers.
Read more about how the game played out here.
WATCH: Iran’s unlucky World Cup
Now officially out of the World Cup, it seems that the odds were stacked against Iran’s team. CNN Sports’ Don Riddell shares why.
The Japanese star born in the USA
If Japan is to beat Brazil in the Round of 32 later today, then goalkeeper Zion Suzuki will need to have another brilliant performance.
The 23-year-old has fast become one of the most important players in the Samurai Blue, marshaling the Japanese goal with a calming presence throughout the tournament so far. It’s a run of form that has seen rumors spread about potential transfers to some of the world’s biggest clubs, away from his current team – Parma – in Italy.
And while Suzuki says playing for Japan is “my biggest motivation,” his international career could have looked very different.
That’s because Suzuki was actually born in the US and therefore could have been representing the USA at this year’s tournament. But despite spending his early years in the US, it wasn’t long until the family moved to Japan where his mother is from.
Suzuki quickly fell in love with soccer and began playing for Japanese youth teams before making his senior national team debut in 2022. He’s since established himself as one of the best players on the squad, filling a role which has often been a weak point for his country.
His journey hasn’t been without setbacks, though. Last year, the goalkeeper suffered a broken left hand, which cast doubt over his fitness levels for this tournament. But day by day, match by match, the youngster has returned better than ever and he’s having a World Cup to remember.
Netherlands vs. Morocco
When? 9 p.m. ET
Where? Estadio Monterrey (Estadio BBVA), Guadalupe, Mexico
While there has been a lot of criticism about the quality of matches we’ll likely see in the Round of 32, this is a game that could quite easily be a quarterfinal (at least).
Both teams are serious contenders to go deep into this competition, with Morocco reaching the semifinals in 2022 – and controversially being declared African champion earlier this year – and the Netherlands reaching the final four of the most recent Euros.
Before a ball was kicked this summer, German mathematician Joachim Klement explained to CNN why his economic model was predicting the Dutch side would win the World Cup and we’ve seen little so far to really doubt that theory.
The Oranje finished top of their group with two big wins and a draw against Japan, a record they will be relatively pleased with, led by striker Brian Brobbey who looks to finally be fulfilling his potential.
Morocco, meanwhile, played really well in spells throughout the group stage but would often fail to really capitalize on its dominance. A 4-2 win against Haiti in their last game will likely be good for the Atlas Lions’ confidence ahead of this huge clash south of the border.
The Final Whistle: Can the USA win the World Cup? At least one expert says they can
To finish off, I’m going to let you peek behind the curtain of our CNN Sports department for a moment.
Before a ball was kicked, no one in our team thought the USA could win the tournament – including the Americans. Now, three games in, there is genuine discussion about how far the Red, White and Blue can go.
From my view, here in London, I think there is genuinely no chance. The team just isn’t good enough and hasn’t played anyone of note yet. But I’ve watched as more and more of my colleagues in the US have started believing that a miracle could, maybe, happen. In truth, I’ve probably been jealous of that hope as my team, England, continues to underperform.
And it seems that my colleagues are not alone. Former US star Landon Donovan spoke to CNN Sports’ Patrick Snell recently and told him how he believes the team can win the entire World Cup. The first hurdle in this near-impossible challenge comes against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday.
“If you win that game, in the round of 32, you’re playing a good team. You win that game and you’re in the quarters and you’re playing one of the big eight teams in the world,” he said.
“So, can they beat all of those teams? Yes, they absolutely can. Can they do it one after another after another after another, emotionally get up for it? I think they can.”
It feels like I’m becoming increasingly alone on my island of doubt this summer. I’m not sure I could face the team meeting if I was proved wrong… (Spanish editor’s note: Me neither…) (American editor’s note: Can’t wait!)
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