World Cup Daily: Dutch flying high into the round of 32 

Thursday was another wild and history-making day at the FIFA World Cup. 

The Netherlands was up by two goals inside the first seven minutes and never looked back en route to securing first place in Group F. Fellow European giants Germany took a laissez-faire attitude towards its Group E finale, opening the door for Ecuador to seal qualification for the round of 32. 

Ivory Coast became the third African nation to move on, joining South Africa and Morocco in the next round. This is uncharted territory for Les Éléphants, having qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in their fourth attempt.  

After recording a pair of dominant wins, the United States dropped its first points at the World Cup in a five-goal thriller against Turkiye. 

THE RESULTS SO FAR 

Group E: Ecuador 2, Germany 1 | Match report | Match stats  

Group E: Curaçao 0, Ivory Coast 2 | Match report | Match stats  

Group F: Tunisia 1, Netherlands 3 | Match report | Match stats 

Group F: Japan 1, Sweden 1 | Match report | Match stats 

Group D: Turkiye 2, United States 3 | Match report | Match stats

Group D: Paraguay 0, Australia 0 | Match report | Match stats 

THE BIG TAKEAWAYS 

Germany sleepwalks its way through loss to Ecuador 

Full credit to Ecuador, which was the deserved winner over four-time World Cup champions Germany in New York, clinching a spot in the knockout round for the second time in its history. Ecuador advances out of Group E as one of the eight best third-place teams.  

But its advancement to the round of 32 was no doubt aided by the fact that Germany had nothing to play for after previously wrapping up first place in Group E. The Germans looked disinterested and exerted little effort in really going at Ecuador, even after taking an early lead. Not even the prospect of winning its 12th straight game, which would have tied a team record set from 1979-1980, was enough to ignite any kind of spark within Germany.  

Coach Julian Nagelsmann fielded a strong starting 11, with just two changes from their previous game (a win over Ivory Coast). But you could tell the Germans’ hearts weren’t in it, and that they were already looking ahead to the round of 32.

"The difference was today that the opponent wanted to win more than us, and you could really feel it, especially in the second half,” German midfielder Joshua Kimmich said.

Also in Group E, Ivory Coast secured its first-ever berth in the knockout stage, finishing in second place, level on points with Germany, but losing out on the tiebreaker.

Netherlands flying high into the round of 32 

Could this finally be the Netherlands’ year? Finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, the Dutch have never been able to break through and win it all at the World Cup, despite some of the all-time greats having worn the famous Oranje jersey — most notably Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten.

A laboured start to this year’s tournament — a 2-2 draw vs. Japan — suggested that lifting the World Cup trophy might be beyond them this summer. But since that lacklustre showing, the Dutch have rebounded quite nicely, thumping Sweden 5-1 and clinching first place in a tight Group F courtesy of a 3-1 win over lowly Tunisia on Thursday. 

Suddenly, the Netherlands have momentum going into the round of 32 thanks to a high-powered attack that has found the back of the net 10 times across three games. In particular, Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey has looked dangerous at this World Cup with three goals to his credit, the latest of which stood up as the winner against Tunisia.

The Dutch always bring the party both on and off the field, the victory over The Eagles of Carthage being just the latest example. Also in Group F, Japan and Sweden both advanced after playing to a draw in Dallas.

First chink in the armour for the Americans

Co-host United States have been cruising at this World Cup, securing a spot in the round of 32 after winning its first two games of the group stage. The Americans hardly put a foot wrong in whipping Paraguay in their opener before blanking Australia, scoring six goals along the way. 

The U.S. looked virtually invincible but now appears far less so after suffering its first loss of the competition against Turkiye, which was playing only for pride as it was officially eliminated on the back of two consecutive losses. 

Auston Trusty’s third-minute goal brought the Los Angeles crowd to its collective feet, and it looked like it was going to be another long night for the Turks. But Vincenzo Montella’s men dug deep and treated this game as though it was their final, replying seven minutes later through Arda Güler and taking the lead at the half-hour mark courtesy of Orkun Kökçü.  

Sebastian Berhalter’s goal early in the second half drew the hosts level before Kaan Ayhan scored deep into injury time to sink the Americans. The U.S. still won its group and will play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next round, which is a winnable game. But Thursday’s loss to Turkiye provided a valuable lesson to Mauricio Pochettino’s team, namely the value of proper game management and pulling back a little instead of always going full throttle. The Americans can’t run the risk of getting involved in an open-ended contest like this against a top-tier opponent. If they do, their stay at this tournament will be short-lived.  

Also in Group D, Australia advanced to the round of 32 after playing Paraguay to a 0-0 draw in San Francisco. The South Americans will have to wait until Saturday to find out if they’ll move on as one of the top eight third-place teams.  

STAT OF THE DAY 

Galatasaray winger Leroy Sané wasted no time in getting off the mark for Germany against Ecuador in New York. Unfortunately for the Germans, it wasn’t enough as they suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of the South Americans. 

MOMENT OF THE DAY 

Ivory Coast never managed to get past the group stage in each of its previous three World Cup appearances, even when it could call upon the services of the legendary Didier Drogba. Finally, 20 years after making its World Cup debut, the African powerhouse clinched its spot in the knockout stage for the first time in its history.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Kansas City might never be the same again after seeing its streets flooded by Dutch fans. 

THREE STARS OF THE DAY 

1. Nicolas Pépé (Ivory Coast): He was the model of efficiency for his country, scoring a brace on just two total shots. The Villarreal forward was at the heart of the Ivorians’ attack, combining with his teammates to put constant pressure on Curaçao’s defence. 

2. Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador): The Chelsea midfielder grew into the game as it went on and was a key figure for his country as it applied pressure on Germany. He ended up making six recoveries, helping Ecuador defend its lead as it held on for the win. 

3. Yan Diomandé (Ivory Coast): The 19-year-old served as his team’s chief creator on the day, especially down the left side, and set up Pépé's opening goal. Also put in a solid defensive shift, helping his back line effectively deal with Curaçao’s counterattack.