World Cup Daily: South Korea upsets Portugal to advance to Round of 16
For the first time since 1994, no team won all three of its World Cup group-stage matches. Fortunately for South Korea, all it needed was one win against an unbeaten Portugal side to shake up Group H.
Here's everything that happened in the World Cup on Friday and what to watch for on Saturday.
South Korea handed Portugal its first loss of the tournament to advance to the World Cup knockout stage for just the third time since it became a member of FIFA in 1948. South Korea will be looking to pull of another upset on Monday: Brazil (2 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). Portugal, which had nothing to lose on Friday, will play Switzerland on Tuesday (2 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
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South Korea and Portugal faced off in their final group stage matches.
Uruguay won its game against Ghana; it also evened up its goal differential with South Korea; but in the end, it needed to a win a tiebreaker based on goals scored and South Korea scored more in its three games. Both Uruguay and Ghana were eliminated with the result.
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Ghana and Uruguay faced off in their third matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Switzerland and Serbia both played like teams that wanted to keep their tournaments going, but Switzerland proved to be the better team in the end and a win was enough to guarantee its spot in the knockout stage. It will play Portugal on Tuesday.
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Serbia and Switzerland faced off in their third matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Cameroon 1, Brazil 0
Cameroon needed a win to advance, but it also needed Serbia to beat Switzerland so it could go to a tiebreaker with Serbia. It's a good thing that tiebreaker wouldn't have been a fair play tiebreaker because Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar got his second yellow and was sent off for taking his shirt off while celebrating. Now that would have been a story.
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Cameroon and Brazil faced off in the final match of the group stage in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
GOAL OF THE DAY
The always-reliable Xherdan Shaqiri pulled through for Switzerland again on Friday, this time with a shot that flew past the keeper and the near post.
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ASSIST OF THE DAY
Son Heung-min waited until the perfect moment to lay the ball off to Hwang Hee-Chan for what would ultimately be the match-winner.
SAVE OF THE DAY
It wasn't the difference between qualifying or not qualifying in the end, but it was the difference between a win and a loss for Cameroon. Had things gone differently between Switzerland and Serbia, Devis Epassy would have been a hero.
MUST-SEE MOMENT
Friday's match meant nothing to Portugal, as there was no way for it to get eliminated. For South Korea, it meant everything, and that emotions came pouring out from the team after the final whistle.
Netherlands vs. United States, 10 a.m. ET on FOX
Teams have had a hard time scoring against The Netherlands, but the Dutch have also had no issues scoring goals on their opposition thanks in large part to breakout star Cody Gakpo, whose three goals in three games are tied for most in the tournament so far — it's also more than the United States scored (2) in the group stage.
If the U.S. is going to upset The Netherlands and advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in 2002, it will need to put the ball in the back of the net in regulation or be ready to do it in a penalty shootout, as there are no ties in this stage of the tournament.
Argentina vs. Australia, 2 p.m. ET on FOX
Australia is back in the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006 after finishing ahead of Denmark and Tunisia in Group D. If it wants to advance any further than that — something it's never done before — it will have to get past Lionel Messi's Argentina. It's a tall task, but not an impossible one, as Saudi Arabia learned in its group stage opener.
Check back in after every matchday of the 2022 FIFA World Cup!
Read more from the World Cup:
- World Cup 2022 highlights: Switzerland tops Serbia, 3-2, to advance
- World Cup 2022 highlights: Cameroon beats Brazil, 1-0
- World Cup Now: How far can South Korea go in tournament?
- Christian Pulisic cleared to play Saturday vs. Netherlands
- Expert picks for USMNT XI: Who will start at striker if Josh Sargent is out?
- Free Gio Reyna? Why the U.S. is 'looking for the right moment' at World Cup
- USMNT fans should believe — because this team certainly does
- Christian Pulisic once again shouldering the load for young U.S. team
- 'More to come': U.S. projecting confidence heading into Netherlands match
- Why USMNT captain Tyler Adams is the ideal leader for Gregg Berhalter
- Quick guide to surviving penalty-kick shootouts at World Cup
- Netherlands has gotten results — but hasn't impressed back home
- World Cup Daily: Japan fends off Spain and Germany to win Group E
- World Cup Power Rankings: USA cracks top 10, Brazil is No. 1
- USMNT finding its identity as contender at just right time
- Team USA players share emotional embrace with Iran's Saeid Ezatolahi
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