+ England-Congo-Kinshasa, Wednesday at 18.00.
Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia.
SVT/P4 Radio Sport.
+ Now the “new” England will show itself
Who are England really under Thomas Tuchel? Many are wondering after a group stage in which England won its group, but in a mixed and uneven way in terms of play.
It's time to show it.
The Athletic writes that the English Football Association (FA) chose the German for his ability to successfully manage his teams in cup games, that is, knockout matches.
The highlight so far is the Champions League victory with Chelsea in 2021. Before that, he had taken Paris Saint-Germain to its first Champions League final and to domestic cup titles. He also led Dortmund to a German cup title.
Tuchel's tactical flexibility has been highlighted, in contrast to his predecessor Gareth Southgate, whose defensive nature permeated most of it. Should Tuchel lead England to the nation's second World Cup title, he will gain hero status in England.
Congo-Kinshasa secured progression after a late turnaround against Uzbekistan (3–1), with star Yoane Wissa scoring two of the goals.
The winner will face the winner of Mexico-Ecuador in the round of 16.
+ Belgium-Senegal, Wednesday at 10 p.m.
Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington.
TV4/P4 Radio Sport.
+ The veterans take a new step
Romelu Lukaku, 33, Thibaut Courtois, 34, and Kevin De Bruyne, 35.
Do Belgium's star trio - and the last three of Belgium's golden generation - still have what it takes for that World Cup gold? They were part of Belgium's 2018 World Cup bronze medal team, and now is their last chance to go all the way.
Or will it be Ismaila Sarr and his Senegal who steer the charge towards a possible meeting with the USA in the round of 16? Sarr became Senegal's all-time leading World Cup scorer with his goal in the 5–0 rout of Iraq, which was his fourth World Cup goal overall and third in this World Cup.
The Crystal Palace forward is the only Senegalese player to score in two World Cup tournaments.
+ USA-Bosnia-Herzegovina, Thursday at 2:00 AM.
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California.
TV4/P3 and P4 Radio Sport.
+ The US warning: “A strong team”
The home nation USA is a huge favorite in the round of 16 against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
But for a national football team that has only won one knockout match in World Cup history - 2–0 against Mexico in the round of 16 in 2002 - being the favorite can feel a bit scary.
Team captain Tim Ream on the resistance, according to AFP:
We know they are a strong and physical team. It was not luck that they made it through the playoffs, beat Italy and made it to the World Cup. Now they have progressed from the group and did it for a reason.
The United States won two of its three group games, but lost to a Turkey that had already been eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage. Bosnia-Herzegovina advanced as third in the group after a win over Qatar and a point against Canada.
