Summary
Thank you for your company on an historic day for the Socceroos. Jack Snape was inside San Francisco Bay Area Stadium to witness it all and I will leave you with his match report and look forward to catching you back here soon.
It’s unconfirmed but I have Paraguay playing Germany in the round of 32 in Boston.
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Australia move on to play the runner-up of Group G in Dallas in the round of 32.
That opponent could be any one of Egypt, Iran, Belgium, or New Zealand.
Kick-off in that one is – gulp – 4am AEST.
A beaming Tony Popovic has said a few words:
Unbelievable. Just so proud of everyone involved. It’s a wonderful young group of men. We’ll now go to Dallas and try and do something special.
Overall we deserved it. We were very good today.
And the Australian coach had a message to Socceroos supporters ahead of the round of 32.
Get up early please. Thanks for the support. Trust me it’s greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough.
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For the time being Scotland are clinging on to a spot in the round of 32, but their hopes don’t look great now that they fallen behind both Sweden and Paraguay in the pecking order.
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In the other match in Group D Turkey scored with almost the final kick in a battle of the B teams to ensure they don’t leave the World Cup empty handed and take some of the wind from the sails of the USA.
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Popovic and his players are celebrating with gusto in front of the Australian fans in Levi’s Stadium. This is only the third time in the country’s history they have reached the knockout phase at a World Cup and the first at consecutive tournaments.
Paraguay did what they had to but for the third match in a row offered very little. Enciso is clearly a class apart, but so much so he can be man marked and double-teamed without fear of committing so many resources in one part of the field causing problems elsewhere.
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0-0 comes as little surprise considering the context of the match, but the scoreline hides a willing contest.
It is a second clean sheet of the World Cup for Australia and the second demonstration of the tactical acumen of Tony Popovic. The Socceroos coach made six changes from the side that was outplayed by the USA and they all delivered.
Volpato looked excellent starting on the right flank, helped in no small part by linking up with Bos behind him. The usual left wingback swapped sides and was the game’s most dangerous player in the unfamiliar position.
Elsewhere, Herrington continued his rapid progression, becoming Australia’s youngest ever World Cup starter, and Circati deserves a name check for another consummate display in the back three, shutting down Paraguay’s dangerman Enciso whenever he wriggled free.
Full-time: Paraguay 0-0 Australia
Australia are into the round of 32 in second place in Group D. Paraguay are almost certainly through in third.
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90+4 mins: Bos is superb, running the ball out of defence, drawing the foul, taking any sting out of the game for Australia.
90+3 mins: Mauricio with a chance! but it’s straight at Beach from the edge of the box after the ball broke to him nicely. Now Yengi gets a half-chance at the other end! What happened to these sides shutting up shop!?
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90+2 mins: More changes from Paraguay to milk the clock with Alonso replacing Gomez and Bobadilla giving Galarza a spell.
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90+1 mins: Just five minutes of stoppage time.
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90 mins: Almost from Bos! Australia keep the ball moving neatly on the right then the most dangerous attacker on the pitch jinks between two defenders and curls a left footed effort just wide of the far post.
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89 mins: Now Australia are invited to pass the ball around with Paraguay standing off. That is until the ball is played into Bos’s feet and Galarza steams right through him without receiving a yellow card.
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88 mins: Nobody dares make a mistake now.
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87 mins: Enciso is still eager for more but he can’t force the issue from deep and the ball runs behind for a goal kick.
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86 mins: Australia now defending in a clear 5-4-1 shape, happy with the 0-0.
85 mins: Yengi and Okon-Engstler come on for Australia, Irvine and Irankunda come off. Canale replaces Alderete for Paraguay.
84 mins: Now Bos shows similar attributes at the other end! Picking up a loose ball on the right and driving into the penalty area, cutting in onto his left boot, but running out of space to fashion a proper shot towards Gill.
Time for more subs.
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83 mins: Enciso threatens twice! The first time is with some lovely skill cutting in from the right, feinting beyond Bos and shooting straight into Irvine who was brave in defence. The second is a snapshot wide after a fortunate ricochet.
82 mins: Paraguay slow things down again and Australia drop into a low block without any pressure on the ball carrier. The eventual hopeful ball into the box is headed clear.
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81 mins: One thing that cannot be questioned is the commitment of both these sides. Nobody is giving an inch when the ball is in dispute.
79 mins: This final 15 minutes or so will be a grind. Both defences are dropping deep out of possession and the incentive for professional fouls increases. Bos skips over a couple of those challenges to keep Australia in motion down the right and establish attacking field position.
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77 mins: Diego Gomez will not feature in the round of 32 after a professional foul on Bos on the halfway line. A surprisingly late first yellow card for Paraguay.
76 mins: A series of fouls breaks the flow of the game and does nothing to calm anyone’s nerves.
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75 mins: At the other end Irankunda remains a willing runner but he is having to compete with two and three defenders every time he accepts possession.
74 mins: Souttar steps out of defence superbly to intercept but the ball breaks for Enciso and Paraguay can keep the pressure on. It’s not a committed attack though and eventually Galarza swings over a poor cross from deep on the left that goes harmlessly out of play.
73 mins: Enciso darts forward and prompts an attacking transition but when the ball is fed to Galarza on the left he checks back and recycles possession. Is that the moment we saw Paraguay putting the cue in the rack?
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72 mins: No changes at the break but Alderete is clearly carrying a knock.
69 mins: With one quarter of the match to go, a reminder that both teams progress as things stand.
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68 mins: Australia are not prospering down the right as they did in the first half. The Socceroos will welcome the hydration break and a chance to listen to some instruction from the coaching staff.
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66 mins: It is full blooded in midfield with boots and bodies flying into challenges.
Second change for Paraguay with Arce replacing Avalos up front.
64 mins: Enciso is head and shoulders Paraguay’s most dangerous player but as he schemes in the final third Australia get back in numbers to crowd him out. This match should not be as spiky and transitional as it is.
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63 mins: “Strange reffing,” suggests Matt Leonard. I have to agree, but he’s not helped by the gamesmanship he has to deal with. I know we accept it as part and parcel of the World Cup, but it must make a referee’s job insufferable.
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62 mins: Paraguay’s players start waving imaginary yellow cards as first Enciso, then Alderete go to ground. Neither challenge is worthy of that kind of reaction.
61 mins: Australia enjoy repeat phases in the final third. Irvine and Hrustic link up well and the substitute gets a narrow shooting window on the edge of the box but his effort is deflected off the boot and proves no threat to Gill.
60 mins: Irankunda gets clear on the right but makes an awful decision, blasting miles wide from a narrow angle. A lack of composure there from the youngster.
58 mins: Circati takes out Enciso hip and shoulder and sends the Paraguayan playmaker into the advertising hoardings.
First substitution of the night for Australia: Hrustic for Volpato. That should give the Socceroos more control in midfield, and better set-piece delivery, but I thought the bolter was arguably the standout attacker on the field in the first half and gave Australia a necessary outlet on the right.
While the match plays out in Santa Clara, Socceroos fans back at home are gathered in pubs and at live sites across Sydney, waiting for an opening goal that would help ease nerves.
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56 mins: This is a different Paraguay side, more energetic and confident than the side that played with their guard up in the opening half. They seem to have spent 45 minutes observing what the Socceroos can throw at them and have decided they can not only cope with it but take chances at the other end. Enciso is growing into the game and the sub Mauricio looks a player.
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54 mins: Australia deal well with a cross from the right but then panic as Enciso runs at the heart of the defence, showing his skill for the first time tonight. Behich and Beach fail to communicate clearly and the young keeper hacks unconvincingly at a clearance to gift the South Americans a corner.
52 mins: Paraguay deal with a couple of Australian crosses then play finally settles down for the first time this half. Mauricio has been brought on to help his side circulate the ball in midfield, operate as the metronome, keep Australia moving from side to side in defence.
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51 mins: This is a much more assertive Paraguay early in the second half. Australia need to be careful not to get caught out in transition with so much of the play in dispute either side of halfway.
50 mins: Paraguay win the turnover in midfield and Mauricio can break at speed. He travels 15m unopposed before striking a decent effort from range but it’s straight at Beach.
49 mins: Irankunda battles for possession in the Paraguay box and goes down under pressure, but the referee isn’t interested. Bos then wants a free-kick for being bodychecked off the ball running to accept the one-two with Volpato but Turpin again declines Australia’s appeals.
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48 mins: Herrington’s clearance lacks conviction inviting Cubas to strike one first time from outside the box but his effort is way off target.
47 mins: Irvine is the first player in the book for a late challenge on Enciso on halfway. It wasn’t a great challenge, but given the field position and some of what Caceres got away with in the first half the Australian veteran can count himself a little unlucky.
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46 mins: One change at the break with the more attack-minded Mauricio replacing Maidana.
The teams are making their way out for the second half. Levi’s Stadium is now in full evening mode with the pitch in total shadow and the floodlights taking effect.
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Just a reminder that 0-0 suits both teams. As things stand Australia will finish second in Group D, Paraguay third, and both will progress to the round of 32.
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Socceroos assistant Paul Okon has just spoken to the host broadcaster. He expressed his surprise at Paraguay shifting from a back four to a back five and how that has allowed his team an extra man in midfield which is where Volpato is getting joy on the right. “More of the same,” is his message for the second half.
Elsewhere in the group Turkey B are leading USA B 2-1.
While I freshen up, here’s some half-time reading to tide you over.
Half-time: Paraguay 0-0 Australia
The Socceroos are the better side but it remains goalless at half-time in Santa Clara.
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45+3 mins: Bos and Volpato are dominating down the right. Again they connect to engineer space and from their interplay the wingback chips the ball over for Irvine to attack but he can’t get enough purchase on his header and Gill’s goal is never in threat.
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45+2 mins: Gill with another regulation save following more good work down the right between the marauding Bos and his partner in crime Volpato. This time it’s the Sassuolo man who cuts inside and curls left footed straight at the keeper.
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45 mins: Six minutes of stoppage time to be played at the end of the half.
44 mins: Circati and then Herrington both escape errors in their defensive third, the latter showing great composure under pressure form Enciso. Caceres then gets away with another foul that Turpin does not deem worthy of a yellow card.
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42 mins: Paraguay get a chance to slow the game down again and take it with relish. In possession their plan is to get the ball out to Enciso on the left as quickly as possible, but Bos and Circati are denying the Strasbourg man any time and space in which to operate.
40 mins: Souttar almost frees Behich on the left with a magnificent long diagonal. Just a fraction overhit.
38 mins: Regular broadcasting has resumed after that brief spell of Paraguay possession following the hydration break and Metcalfe’s head injury. Australia look tidy in possession, dangerous down the right, and alert in defence.
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37 mins: Almost another decent shooting opportunity from that same combination with Australia winning the ball in midfield and transitioning forward at speed. Irvine is waiting for the offload but it never arrives and Paraguay get bodies around the contest and clear.
36 mins: Bos draws a save from Gill after excellent interplay down the right again involving Volpato. The shot was on an angle cutting infield from just outside the box. Decent hit but Gill never had to move.
35 mins: The free-kick is played short infield and O’Neill slides a long shallow ball into the box which soars harmlessly behind. Another wasted set-piece.
34 mins: Caceres leaves his foot in again and Australia have a crossing opportunity on the left.
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32 mins: Circati, Irvine, and Bos do well to ping the ball around in defence like a training ground rondo and free Irankunda. The forward is isolated and Paraguay regroup.
30 mins: Paraguay are looking for free-kicks whenever they are beaten in the air but Turpin ignores their latest claims. However, they are growing into this contest, benefiting from the trademark change of momentum following the hydration break.
28 mins: There’s a bit of claret for the Australian cornerman to clean up. Metcalfe is eventually back on his feet, invited to change into a shirt not streaked with blood, and furnished with a thick black bandage around his forehead like a Novocastrian Rambo.
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26 mins: There has been a trend in the World Cup whereby the team lacking momentum heading into the hydration break gains a foothold after a quick chat with their coach. Australia will hope that is not the case today after they had the better of the opening quarter. There’s another break after the drinks break for Metcalfe to be repaired after he is caught by a stray boot to the face.
24 mins: “The set pieces are infuriating,” observes Chris Paraskevas correctly. “Every time we waste one it simply hands initiative and a huge psychologcal advantage to the opposition. Perhaps it’s time to mix it up by playing one short or to the edge of the box. It doesn’t have to go straight onto Souttar’s head. Or just clear the first man.”
It really is unforgivable at this level, especially considering the importance of set pieces in the modern game, Souttar’s aerial dominance, and the limits of Australia’s threat from open play.
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23 mins: Advert time. A very satisfactory opening quarter for Australia who look the better of the two teams, without creating more than the one half-chance for Irvine.
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22 mins: Herrington alongside him also looks very good. At 18 he is Australia’s youngest ever starter at a World Cup. He recycles possession after Metcalfe has a pop from long range blocked off the boot.
21 mins: Cheers erupt around Levi’s Stadium as Circati hassles Enciso into taking the ball out for a throw on the left. The young Australian defender is very good.
20 mins: Everything good for Australia is coming down the right where Volpato and Bos are dovetailing beautifully. The latter overlaps and whips a cross over that is begging for a predatory No 9 to hammer home but none is forthcoming. O’Neill follows up and earns a corner, but the third delivery from the right of the night is garbage and headed clear at the near post. Metcalfe’s set pieces were poor earlier in the tournament, now Volpato is making a mess of things.
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19 mins: Caceres is then fortunate not to be booked after he left the ground with both feet and never looked like winning the ball.
18 mins: A few Paraguayans have gone down theatrically already. The latest is Diego Gomez, who went down clutching his face after being comprehensively beaten in the air by Herrington. Turpin succumbs to the tactic and play grinds to a halt.
16 mins: This match is still being played at a decent tempo, partly because both sides are set up to counterattack. Whenever the ball is in dispute in midfield it’s being shifted forward early with neither side looking to just sit in possession.
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14 mins: Enciso is the man Paraguay are keen to get on the ball. He is drifting wide on the left and looking to take the first pass from his back five. Bos is tracking those runs like a man marker. The Australian’s stationing on the right is probably related to that duel, Popovic keen to match Enciso’s daring with Bos’s speed.
12 mins: Volpato has been lively early, running with the ball at every opportunity, taking the game on. Paraguay have plenty of defenders on the field but structurally they don’t look impenetrable with gaps opening between the lines.
10 mins: While this match is still settling down and transitional it’s a decent watch. However, there is a long diagonal shadow across the Santa Clara pitch reminiscent of David Bowie’s lightning bolt on the cover of Aladdin Sane, which isn’t ideal for the contrast settings on the host broadcaster with bright sunshine in some quadrants and dark shadows in others.
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9 mins: It’s another poor delivery, too deep and floaty, and Souttar is crowded out.
8 mins: Beach hurls the ball downfield to Irankunda quickly allowing the youngest Australian World Cup goalscorer the opportunity to stretch his legs. Paraguay get men behind the ball and the Socceroos recycle possession, passing the ball from side to side, patiently waiting for Paraguay to leave a gap to exploit. Bos thinks there’s one such on the right wing and darts around the outside to win a corner.
6 mins: A couple of turnovers in midfield offer opportunities for both teams. Volpato takes a heavy touch for Australia and is robbed, then Bos drags back Enciso to allow Paraguay a free-kick from deep that each deals with confidently. Paraguay are in a 5-3-2 set-up and happy to drop deep as soon as Australia take possession. They are clearly motivated by avoiding defeat.
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4 mins: Irvine with a fierce drive on the angle forces a save from Gill. Good lead-up play from Circati then Volpato on the right. Nothing fancy about it, just crisp passing and movement. The resulting corner, as so many have been for the Socceroos this World Cup, is poor, and doesn’t beat the first defender. Two metre Souttar jogs back forlornly.
2 mins: With the ball in dispute both teams try to assert their physicality early. Neither side has had time and space on the ball yet to establish any attacking patterns. Australia are set up in more of a 5-2-3 formation with Metcalfe pushing up on the left with Volpato on the right. In defence Bos starts on the right with Behich on the left.
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Kick-off!
The final 90 minutes of Group D are under way…
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The anthems are sung with gusto, the crowd is full of expectant supporters, all that remains is the football.
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The two besuited coaches embrace on the touchline like they’re meeting at an Italian American wedding. Alfaro, the senior, silver hair swept back; Popovic, the junior, black shirt and tie to go with his black suit, eliminating the possibility of underarm sweat patches.
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Out stride the two sides into the Californian sunshine. Paraguay, ranked 37th in the world, are in their traditional red and white stripes with red and white trim. Australia, ranked 26th in the world, are in gold jerseys, green shorts, white socks.
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The two sides are in the tunnel ready for combat. The knockout stage is within touching distance.
Andy Lane has low hopes. “This is going to give England v Ghana good competition for the boring boot: the ballon d’merde.”
Bluffer’s Guide: Convince your workmates/classmates/pubmates that you know what you’re on about by…
… going deep on Paraguay. They were rubbish against the USA and somehow pinched a 1-0 win over Turkey despite playing the second half with just 10 men and ending with an XG of 0.32 v 2.12.
They were ultra-defensive during CONMEBOL qualification, scoring just 14 times in 18 matches, but conceding only 10 along the way (the same as Argentina, and bettered only by Ecuador).
Their form is difficult to read. They have lost four of their past eight matches, but amongst that are victories over Mexico, Greece, and Turkey.
La Albirroja have regained their historic strengths: an almost unbreakable defence and excellent structural balance. They do not apply a high press; instead, they press in midfield, which can become a dangerous trap for opponents.
Thanks to their tactical discipline, they consistently frustrate the opposition’s creativity. While rivals become disorganised in attack, Paraguay strike with rapid transitions and clinical accuracy. They usually set up in a 4-2-3-1 during midfield pressing phases, but drop into a compact 4-4-2 when defending deep.
Paraguay are not a high-scoring or overly attacking side, but they rely on effectiveness and efficiency to get results.
David Mellinger is hoping for an Australian win, or a Paraguay rout… for Scotland’s sake. “Scotland need Paraguay to lose by two, or Australia to lose by four, to bump one of these teams below them in the 3rd-place table. A win by four is unlikely, but Australia beating Paraguay by two really seems possible.”
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Bluffer’s Guide: Convince your workmates/classmates/pubmates that you know what you’re on about by…
… telling them Australian central defender Harry Souttar is 198cm, making him the 13th tallest player at the World Cup. His height is a massive advantage at set pieces, so expect him to be a major goal threat for the Socceroos. He already has 11 international goals from just 40 caps, a strong scoring record for a defender.
Today’s referee is the experienced Clement Turpin. The Frenchman took charge of the 2022 Uefa Champions League final, and has already overseen England v Croatia at this World cup.
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Bluffer’s Guide: Convince your workmates/classmates/pubmates that you know what you’re on about by…
… referencing The Disgrace of Gijon. This was a match at the 1982 World Cup when (like Paraguay and Australia today) the two teams went into the final match of the group phase knowing a mutually beneficial scoreline would see both teams progress.
The problem was not just with the cynicism shown by Germany and Austria; it was compounded by its unapologetic nature and the identity of the victims. Algeria had the charm of underdogs, played lovely football, and were from a developing football continent. West Germany and Austria had not only killed Bambi; they had sent a video of the slaying around the world and cackled maniacally at the end of that video.
Today’s match is taking place at Levi’s Stadium, known during World Cup 2026 as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The primary tenants of the 70,000 seat arena are the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL, and it was they who instigated the construction of the venue, which was completed in 2014. It has already hosted the Super Bowl this year.
Conditions are glorious. It is approaching golden hour in northern California, the skies are blue, temperatures are around 20C, and the rain that has disrupted the eastern seaboard is nowhere in sight.
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Jack Snape is the Guardian’s man with the Socceroos, and he sets the scene from Santa Clara.
Permutations are not something the Socceroos are considering. “Look, we haven’t thought about the game in that way at all,” Popovic said. “We’re going into the game tomorrow to win. I expect they’ll be doing the same.”
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro described the match as a “final” for his team. “Of course we understand we are the team ranked lower by Fifa, but that doesn’t mean I feel inferior to them,” he said.
At 11am on a wet Friday morning, pubs in Sydney’s inner west would usually be shut, or home to a couple of stragglers. Not so today, as hundreds of Socceroos fans pack in front of TV screens ahead of Australia’s crucial game against Paraguay.
It’s the first time in history a Socceroos World Cup game is being played entirely within Aest working hours, and there are a few punters drinking pints with their laptops out at the Golden Barley in Enmore in a sea of yellow and green for what some are calling the ‘Great Socceroos Sickie’.
Small business owners Jamie Hayman and his brother, Rick Hayman are among them. Rick owns HXD built construction in the inner west and is plugging away on his laptop at 11am with his staff.
Rick says he’s been supporting the Socceroos “forever”.
“It unites the community. That’s what you notice. Pubs get filled up, there’s all the talk around town, it’s really good to see.”
Jamie says this is the first time he and his brother have come out early to a pub to support the Socceroos, and says he can “definitely see more support” for the team.
Asked what time they’ll shut the laptops, he replies: “Probably kickoff”.
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Socceroos analysis: We won’t know until the teams line up, but I assume this means regular left fullback Aziz Behich will line up at right wingback for Australia. Further forward Irankunda and Volpato will play as split strikers, using their pace and dribbling skills to take the game on without overly concerning themselves with support flooding forward from midfield.
Paraguay analysis: Star man Julio Enciso offers the greatest threat to Australia and he starts up front as the foil to target man Gabriel Avalos.
Bluffer’s Guide: Convince your workmates/classmates/pubmates that you know what you’re on about by…
… telling them Paraguay’s greatest footballer was actually a goalkeeper, and he scored 67 times during his career, including eight for his country. Don’t forget his name: Jose Luis Chilavert.
“Don’t think I remember refreshing a lineup pre-match so frantically, willing the description to change from Predicted to Confirmed,” emails Chris Paraskevas. “If my nerves are this bad now, I’m probably gonna have to push the third coffee back to half-time at least.
The lineup makes sense, albeit I’d have preferred Geria for solidity and am a little worried at Herrington starting now.
This really feels like foreign territory for us, as we’ve never had our destiny so firmly in our hands at a World Cup. So many factors are in our favour here: the mathematics of the third-place table; Almiron’s suspension; the toll of the Turkey game on the Paraguayans; the potential for Mates Rates; the absence of a witch doctor working against us.
However, this presents its own unique set of psychological challenges because for once we are the favourite. There must be a clarity of thinking throughout the staff and players: the goal has to be a victory, using a degree of street smarts, caution and absolute concentration.
These things are easier said than done and have tripped up bigger nations and better teams at World Cups. You need to earn it, because it is rarely handed to you.
But we should be excited too, because this World Cup is delivering big time for Aussies: we get to watch the Socceroos in a crunch World Cup game on a Friday at midday.
PS. Don’t bottle it Popa - I’ll never forgive you.”
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One thing is for sure, it will be an enormous moment for the spiritual home of football on Australian TV: SBS.
The World Cup clash between the Socceroos and Paraguay represents a potential milestone for Australian football, as the team chase qualification for the knockout rounds for only the third time. For the broadcaster SBS, its significance may be even greater.
The match is the culmination of 11 straight men’s World Cup tournaments, and a commitment that stretches back to Mexico 1986. Its audience is expected to go close to – or exceed – the network’s record for any Socceroos match or World Cup fixture.
“It’s very likely that this match will have the largest audience ever for an SBS broadcast from the World Cup, which is a credit not only to our current broadcast team but to the giants whose shoulders they stand on,” said the SBS director of sport Ken Shipp.
A note of caution to the Australians unused to tournament football who may be tuning in today: this is unlikely to be the spectacle that converts you to the beautiful game. This is a match all about the ends, not the means.
Neither team is especially motivated by aesthetics to begin with, but today more than ever they will not give a second thought to milking the clock, slowing the play down, exaggerating contact, overdramatising injuries, and doing whatever possible to avoid the concession of goals. Avoiding defeat is all that matters, not how that is accomplished.
Loss aversion is present in both starting XIs with Paraguay shifting from a back four to a back five and replacing the suspended playmaker Miguel Almiron with an extra defender.
Paraguay XI
Three changes for Gustavo Alfaro, but also crucially a system switch from a back four to a back five.
Out: Pitta, Almiron, Alonso
In: Avalos, Maidana, Velazquez
Paraguay XI (5-3-2): 12 Gill; 2 Velazquez, 3 Alderete, 15 Gomez, 4 Caceres, 26 Maidana; 23 Galarza, 14 Cubas, 8 Gomez; 21 Avalos, 19 Enciso.
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Australia XI
Blimey, just the SIX changes from Tony Popovic following the defeat to the USA.
Out: Jacob Italiano, Cam Burgess, Paul Okon-Engstler, Mat Leckie, Nishan Velupillay, Mo Toure.
In: Lucas Herrington, Aziz Behich, Jackson Irvine, Nestory Irankunda, Cristian Volpato, Connor Metcalfe
Australia (5-3-2): 18 Beach; 5 Bos, 25 Herrington, 19 Souttar, 3 Circati, 16 Behich; 22 Irvine, 8 Metcalfe, 13 O’Neill, 20 Volpato; 17 Irankunda
The San Francisco Bay Area stadium, formerly - and soon to be known again as - Levi’s Stadium offers a different experience to the venues in Vancouver and Seattle fans.
Those stadiums were on each city’s fringe, requiring only a short walk from the bars and pubs of downtown.
Here in Santa Clara, on the south-eastern corner of the Bay, what the area gives up in proximity it gains in parking.
So it was appropriate the Australian fans met at Yellow Lot 5, an empty carpark about 20 minutes walk from the stadium, to march all the way to the stadium gates two hours before the match.
There appeared to be more than the 10,000 estimated at the previous matches, and the yellow fans have now begun to take up their position behind the southern goal.
Yellow Lot 5 was left quiet again, the only evidence left of the Australian visit were hundreds of empty bottles and cans.
Ok, now we can turn our focus squarely on Paraguay v Australia.
Apologies from the outset to any fans of Los Guaraníes that might be tuning in, this is going to be a green and gold flavoured page from now on.
It is Friday morning on the east coast of Australia with the match kicking-off at midday in Sydney and Melbourne. The optimal long-lunch timing has led to the Socceroos’ assistant coach to assert – with an unnervingly straight face – that he expected the prime minister to declare a public holiday, and for the team’s third reserve right back to encourage schools to broadcast the match in classrooms.
Friday’s match against Paraguay marks the first time a Socceroos World Cup game is being played entirely in Australia’s traditional working hours – and if they aren’t dropped entirely, tools will at least come to a standstill.
It’s being described by the Socceroos fan group Active Support, in a viral social media post featuring a picture of Bob Hawke, as the “Great Australian Socceroos Sickie”.
Instead of waking at an ungodly graveyard hour, fans are being graced with a noon AEST kick-off, perfectly primed for a lunch break that evolves smoothly into the weekend.
Japan finish second behind the Dutch, while Sweden will also make the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
The Netherlands have topped Group F, completing a strong opening phase with a comfortable victory over the already eliminated Tunisia.
Jonathan Liew considers the impact of this World Cup being the most individual > collective in tournament history.
… something does feel qualitatively different this summer: a tectonic shift driven partly by events on the pitch and partly at the behest of the industry itself. This is a World Cup swimming in star names, and never have those star names been so unapologetically, unquestioningly invoked. France do not beat Iraq; instead Kylian Mbappé throws down the gauntlet to Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and the rest. According to Google, Miroslav Klose’s goals record has been searched more at this tournament than in the year he set it. At times the group phase has felt like an inconvenient distraction from the real business of the Golden Boot race. (Can Lionel Messi lift the one trophy he hasn’t won yet?)
Socceroos supporters are on the march in Santa Clara.
Looking for trends to emerge from the World Cup so far? How about a return to the importance of crossing.
Football is cyclical. Trends come and go. After the rise of inverted wingers, who tend to cut in and shoot, are we seeing the return of traditional wingers – those wide players who hug the touchline and send in crosses on their stronger foot?
We are seeing a lot of goals scored from deliveries into the box from out wide. In the first two rounds of games, 29 of the 48 teams at the tournament scored at least one goal within five seconds of a cross into the box.
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The conclusion of Group E is another opportunity to fire up Bracketology. Germany v France in the round of 16 looks very tasty.
“Greetings Jonathan,” welcome on board Andrew Hawkins, and may the football gods furnish you with a fresh tub of yeast extract as a prize of the first email of the day.
“This time last week I was in sunny Seattle. Now, working away in soggy Sydney wishing I was in San Francisco. Last Friday was one of the best days of my life, even the result couldn’t ruin it. The atmosphere was phenomenal, the march to the stadium electric, us Aussies may not have matched the Americans on the pitch but we equalled their patriotism levels - quite some feat. Hopefully, the Socceroos’ first half is not as lethargic as last week - no point leaving anything to chance.”
Elsewhere in Group E, Ivory Coast did enough to finish second and end Curacao’s fairytale.
An underwhelming 2-0 victory, courtesy of Nicolas Pépé’s double, put the Ivorians through to the last 32 as group runners-up. But it was an imprecise contest here in Philadelphia, the cradle of American democracy – such as it is. All the same, a spirited Curaçao leave their first World Cup.
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The most consequential match of the day so far has seen Ecuador storm back to defeat the previously unbeaten Germans and snatch their place in the round of 32.
Despite a flat start to their World Cup campaign, there was a genuine belief that an upset against a full-strength Germany was possible. They had no other choice: having been shut out by Eloy Room’s heroics for Curaçao, Sebastián Beccacece’s side had to win to progress. Gonzalo Plata’s 77th-minute strike sparked wild and emotional celebrations, assuring their place in the last 32 as a best third-placed team – and a first knockout match since 2006.
Let’s start the roundup with the Pod Squad dealing with a bumper six-game matchday, one dominated by Scotland’s hammering by Brazil.
Feel free to keep me company by emailing your thoughts about today’s match, and anything related to the World Cup to jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
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Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of match 60 of the 2026 World Cup between Paraguay and Australia. Kick-off at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium is 7pm local time (10pm EDT / 3am BST / 12pm AEST).
It all comes down to this in Group D.
The USA are through as group winners. Turkey are on their way home in last place. In between, Australia and Paraguay are jostling for second place, and the prize of guaranteed qualification to the knockout phase, or third place, and an anxious wait to see how the chips fall elsewhere.
An Australia win guarantees the Socceroos a round of 32 clash in Dallas, most likely against Egypt or Iran (but possibly Belgium or New Zealand). It also pushes Paraguay close to elimination with their poor goal difference and disciplinary record counting heavily against them in the battle to be ranked one of the eight best third-place teams.
A Paraguay win guarantees them that trip to Texas, but as long as Australia don’t lose by more than one goal, they should also be confident of continued participation, only without immediate confirmation.
A draw suits both sides with Australia qualifying in second, Paraguay third.
The incentives for both teams to secure only a draw suggest this evening’s spectacle may not be one for fans of open attacking football. Neither coach will publicly admit it, of course (and there will be no hint of collusion) but it’s human nature to pursue loss aversion.
When the draw was made both these teams would have expected to be in a scrap for third place at best, each will be delighted with their position at kick-off and it would be an enormous surprise if either put that status in jeopardy by playing anything other than conservatively.
I’ll be back shortly with team news and a roundup of all the matchday action so far. In the meantime you can keep an eye on the conclusion of Group F, with the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden, jostling for to spot.
