+ Group E: Curaçao–Ivory Coast, Thursday at 10:00 PM
Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
SVT/P4 Radio Sport.
+ Mountains to climb for the island nation
Curaçao still has a chance to advance from the group in their first World Cup, but they need three points to do so. After the heavy loss to Germany (1–7) and a draw with Ecuador (0–0), hope is alive with a win against Ivory Coast. However, that would be a tall order, especially as the Ivorians will most likely secure qualification with a point.
+ Group E: Ecuador–Germany, Thursday at 10 p.m
Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
SVT/P4 Radio Sport.
+ Must-win match for Ecuador
Ecuador arrives in New Jersey under pressure. After a 0–0 draw against Curaçao and a loss against Ivory Coast (0–1), “La Tricolor” must take three points to have a chance at the playoffs. The task against giants Germany is daunting, but Ecuador may be helped by the fact that the Germans have already secured the group and may rest some stars.
+ Group F: Tunisia–Netherlands, Friday, 1:00 a.m.
SVT/P4 Radio Sport.
Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri.
+ Nightmare World Cup for Tunisia
Everything has gone against Tunisia in this World Cup. After the opening fiasco against Sweden (1–5), the national captain had to leave, and even coach Hervé Renard could not save the team against Japan (0–4). Tunisia is already completely eliminated before their last match, while the Netherlands is playing for the group victory.
+ Group F: Japan–Sweden, Friday, 1:00 a.m.
SVT/P4 Radio Sport.
Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas.
+ One point may be enough
If Sweden wins against Japan, they will definitely advance. A draw will probably also suffice, since it is likely Sweden would then clinch one of the eight best third-place spots.
If, however, there is a loss, then head coach Graham Potter & Co. will have to wait for other results.
+ Group D: Turkey–USA, Friday, 4:00 a.m.
Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California.
TV4.
+ Completely meaningless match
The International Football Association Board made a small, but significant, rule change ahead of this year's World Cup. In the event of a tie, head-to-head matches, rather than goal difference, will now determine the standings.
This means that the meeting between group leader USA (six points) and fourth-placed Turkey (zero points) will be a pure formality. The teams' placement in the group is already clear.
+ Group D: Paraguay–Australia, Friday, 4:00 a.m.
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California.
TV4.
+ Long wait can wait
Both Paraguay and Australia have defeated Turkey but lost to the USA. This creates a special situation for the teams. If the match ends in a draw, both will finish on four points and there is a strong chance both will advance to the knockout stage.
Should either team lose, advancement depends entirely on the team's goal difference - and whether it is enough will only be known when the entire group stage has been completed.
