Pottis World Cup Diary #10: Referee Zwayer on the Ground & Brazil Back

Yesterday, it seems I let a bit too much sympathy for Australia and Scotland influence my predictions. I really need to banish this “I want it to turn out this way” mindset from my World Cup tipping brain. Unfortunately, reality rarely cares about my personal preferences. At least I accurately predicted Brazil’s 3-0 win against Haiti. One must celebrate the small victories while they last.Tonight at 10 PM, we’ll be put to the test again. Germany faces the Ivory Coast. The exciting question for me is whether Leroy Sané will get another chance or if he will have to watch his flip tricks and fancy moves from the bench today. And of course, we will take another look at our favorite game, “What would it look like if the group stage ended now?” As of today, we would face Scotland in the round of 16. Afterwards, we would meet the winner of Norway vs. Japan. But for now, only 32 out of 72 group stage matches have been completed. The World Cup map will be reorganized several more times before then.Group D: USA vs. Australia 2:0 The USA continues to march through this World Cup. Even without superstar Christian Pulisic, the Americans looked so dominating for long stretches that it felt like they had accidentally chosen the easy difficulty level. Australia fought valiantly but rarely came close to creating true scoring opportunities. With a well-deserved 2-0, the USA has already booked their ticket for the knockout stage. The most curious moment of the evening came from referee Felix Zwayer of Germany, who collapsed on the field due to a cramp during stoppage time and needed treatment himself. Luckily, he was able to continue. Australia now faces Paraguay in a classic “all-or-nothing” game.Group C: Scotland vs. Morocco 0:1 The Scottish party ended a bit earlier this time. Morocco started with a bang and scored in the 2nd minute through the man of the match – and potential FC Bayern recruit – Ismael Saibari to make it 1-0. Afterwards, the North Africans could have extended their lead multiple times but wasted several great chances. Scotland fought, ran, and gave it their all, but offensively struggled to show much for a long time. The Atlas Lions now compete for the group victory, while Scotland will face Brazil in their final game. At least the Scots can take comfort in knowing that their fans are still world-class. However, their team has a lot of room for improvement in terms of playing quality.Group C: Brazil vs. Haiti 3:0 Brazil took care of business against Haiti and dispelled any initial doubts after the 1-1 draw against Morocco. The Seleção made it clear early on that there would be no surprises this time, controlling the game for the most part. Haiti fought passionately and held their ground at times but lacked cutting edge in attack. In the end, Brazil won comfortably 3-0, and the score could have been even higher. In short: Brazil is back on track. And for now, all of Brazil can stop nervously checking the standings.Group D: Turkey vs. Paraguay 0:1 For Turkey, the World Cup is already over. After the opening loss to Australia, they also fell 0-1 to Paraguay, shattering any hopes of advancing to the knockout stage. The Turks tried hard but struggled to find solutions offensively, appearing too harmless even against ten Paraguayans. Paraguay played disciplined, defended compactly, and took their chance decisively. While the South Americans can continue dreaming of the playoffs, Turkey’s last group game is merely about a consolation farewell from this World Cup. The math is done; the calculator can be put away.

Upcoming Matches

Group F: Netherlands vs. Sweden – 7:00 PM Much is already at stake in Group F. Sweden leads the table after their 5-1 victory against Tunisia, while the Netherlands could only manage a 2-2 draw against Japan. It’s particularly important because the second-place team could face Brazil in the round of 16. Both teams have strong reasons to play for a win today. My tip: 2-2. A result that would keep the group completely open before the last matchday.Group E: Germany vs. Ivory Coast – 10:00 PM After a comfortable start against Curaçao, Germany heads into the second group match with confidence. The Ivory Coast started with an essential 1-0 victory over Ecuador and also has excellent chances for the next round. The Africans possess great speed and physicality and are traditionally a tough opponent. Germany will need to present a much more concentrated defensive performance than in the last match. An interesting question is whether winning the group should even be the main goal. As of today, the winner of this group could potentially face France in the round of 16. Sometimes a World Cup feels like a video game, where you suddenly have to face the final boss after winning two levels. Nevertheless, no one will seriously try to finish second. It’s still too early in the tournament for that. If you want to become world champion, you have to take everyone down anyway. My tip: Germany wins 3-1.Group E: Ecuador vs. Curaçao – 2:00 AM Even with a small incentive, I probably wouldn’t watch this match live. However, for both teams, everything is at stake. The loser can start looking for affordable return flights while the winner keeps their World Cup hopes alive. The fans will love the game nonetheless. My tip: Ecuador wins 2-0. And somewhere in the world, a neutral viewer will wonder why they stayed up until four in the morning for this.Group F: Tunisia vs. Japan – 6:00 AM Anyone watching this game live is either an early bird or has a deep love for Group F. For Tunisia, the formula is simple: after the 1-5 defeat against Sweden, only a win will help. Japan, having drawn 2-2 with the Netherlands, could take a significant step toward the playoffs. It likely won’t be a football revelation but will involve plenty of effort and running. The Japanese win 2-1, and most Europeans will learn the result only at breakfast.