Four games at the knife-edge: The knock-outs start with a bang

The first ever round of 32 in a world cup has started brightly. We are a quarter of our way towards the round of sixteen. When FIFA introduced the round of 32, it was considered to have opened the door towards more one-sided knock-out ties. That may still hold true, but the first four knock-out games of this tournament have all been very closely fought affairs. With two of the four going to tie-breakers after extra time and the rest needing injury time goals to decide the result, my pre-tournament prediction of needing extra-time to decide about half of knock-out matches in the world cup looks like a prudent call. It all may change, and fast and it will be difficult to better the drama of the second day of knock-out football that easily.

The game between Canada and South Africa offered little on paper. South Africa has achieved some laudable turn-around after losing the first game to Mexico miserably. Here, up against another host, they were given little chances to progress. In a match-up of two first-time participants of the world cup knock-out stage, Canada, with the distinction of being the first world cup co-host to play one of its matches outside their country, seemed like the dominant force. But their dominance was equalled by the resolute defensive performance of the South African contingent. Canada’s forwards looked a little bereft of ideas quite often, but on the other hand South Africa offered little in terms of attack. Alphanso Davies’s late and awaited introduction had energised Canada but for the long stretches of the second half, the game seemed to meander its way towards extra time.

Eustaquio had other ideas. Football has emerged as one of the most popular sporting activities to partake in Canada in recent years. All that has been missing is a moment for ages to sing about. They got that when Eustaquio lashed in a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Canada scoring was not a fantastic moment in itself. It was expected and it could have come at many different times of the match. But it happened in one of the most dramatic moments in glorious style. It will be astonishing if Canada goes on to play the quarter-finals but for now they will cherish this first ever world cup knock-out victory.

That was the single match played last Sunday. For many, the knock-out football proper started on Monday, with a clash of styles between Japan and Brazil, which is also a match of great cultural significance. Brazil has been a constant referent in the evolution of Japan’s relationship with football. The J-league in the 90s was home to some incredible Brazilian talent. Intriguingly, Brazil is the country with the largest Japanese diaspora anywhere in the world. They had faced each other once before in the world cup, twenty years ago, and Brazil won the game 4-1 with Ronaldo bagging a brace. At the time, that was quite predictable. But Japan has emerged as a force in the recent tournaments as Brazil has lost a lot of their aura of invincibility. Many analysts picked this match up as a potential upset waiting to happen. That first half showed us why.

Sano’s brilliant finish from outside the box after intercepting a Casemiro pass near the halfway line and driving past multiple defenders with the ball at his feet, was a statement goal. It showed that despite a very dependable CB-pairing, Brazilian defence can open up rather too easily sometimes. Taking nothing away from what was certainly a great goal, allowing such a run after cheaply losing possession underscores a familiar failing of Brazil’s defending.  The first half ended with Brazil behind. They have not won a world cup knock-out game after conceding first in 24 years.

The beginning of the second half was starkly different. Brazil charged into a flurry of attacks. The next fifteen minutes would keep the Japanese defenders intensely busy. Brazil could only actually score once, but they could have scored three or more. Japan defended with hearts on the line. Suzuki saved a header from Guimaraes and another from Casemiro. He also got fingertips to a Vinicius Junior shot that came after Vini had undertaken a slaloming run to mesmerise and overcome the opposition defence. But all these could not stop Brazil from equalising about ten minutes after the restart. It was a skillfully taken header at the back-post from a looping cross sent by Magalhaes. Casemiro redeemed his mistake emphatically.

Despite the frightening regularity of Brazil’s attack, the game settled down into a measured rhythm. Again, it looked like extra-time was looming. Japan scarcely attacked in the second half and Brazil were also not creating that many obvious chances, until very very late. It was Guimaraes’s pass that found the left foot of Gabriel Martinelli near the six-yard box. His first touch was precise and the finish even more so. Despite commanding wins, Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World cup campaign can do a lot worse than conjuring up an injury time winner against a dogged defence. They’ll eye up a run deep into the tournament. Brazil showed they can shrug off their dependance on Vini and Cunha just when the business end is approaching. Japan’s strategy of defending narrow had failed them at the deadliest of hours. They are yet again knocked out of the first knock-out round, in a way very reminiscent of their exit against Belgium in pre-quarterfinals at Russia.

While the first two matches saw clutch winners, the next two went to penalties. Germany vs Paraguay looked like a straightforward tie. But this is not the unshakable Germany of the old. Their first half performance was far from awe-inspiring. Dropping Musiala to start Undav was a plan B that has been widely commented upon, but that did not work out as expected. Enciso’s smart headed goal, Paraguay’s first ever goal in world cup knock-outs, was a result of lapse in defensive positioning. Germany went back into the dressing room trailing by a goal to nil. They looked more dangerous in the second half. Kai Haverts headed in the equaliser from a cross by Wirtz at the 54th minute. Possessional dominance was not enough to trouble the Paraguayans. Haverts got a great chance to snatch the lead but his header, about fifteen minutes from the end of regulation time, was saved by Gill.

This time, there were no late winners. The extra-times started slowly. Germany were dominant but their attack has not been incisive enough. The 102nd minute of the game saw its biggest flashpoint. Tah had buried a header from a corner to give Germany the winner which was widely celebrated only to be chalked off because of infringements into the goalkeepers’ position and vision. The cancellation felt harsh. The refereeing standards in this tournament has perplexed a lot of viewers and now that granted Paraguay a lifeline of hope that they did not lose.

Germany had never lost a shoot-out in world cups before. They famously won the very first shoot-out in the history of world cups. They also were taking the first kick, which helps. But Haverts’s shot was at a comfortable height for Gill and when his shot was saved, many could feel that they had just seen the writing on the wall. Paraguayans started much better, converting the first three spot-kicks. Neuer could not reach any. Germany kept pace with Bayern stars Kimmich and Musiala converting. Woltemade, after an inconsistent debut season at the premier league, looked for the bottom corner, only to be thwarted by a diving save from Gill.

Paraguay was almost there. But Sanabria dragged his shot wide. Amiri kept the German hopes alive by converting the fifth kick. Fabian Balbuena, with a chance to seal it, saw his effort saved by Neuer. In what happened to be his last ever FIFA world cup match, the legendary but past-it goalkeeper could only stop one penalty kick. But it was a very good save that sent the game into the land of sudden deaths as Paraguay had squandered their advantage. Tah, the man behind the controversial non-goal in the extra time was tasked to take the next penalty and he shot it way over the bar to the misery of gasping German fans. Canale’s well taken spot-kick dumped out the fourth time champions early again, as Paraguay celebrated one of the upsets of the summer.

All four games had memorable, even transcendent, moments, but none was as poignant as the moment when Gakpo, mourning the sudden loss of his yet-to-born son, found a poacher’s goal with his elite positioning skill and sharp finishing. Morocco’s defense had held on commendably up until that point, but they should have been more careful with their clearances. Gakpo’s goal brought an outpouring of emotion. The Netherlands looked destined to check Morocco’s advancement. Morocco, the semifinalists from 2022, would be proud of their performance even if Gakpo’s 72nd minute strike was the only goal of the match. But Morocco was not going to let it slip so easily. Just as the injury time began, a cross inside the Dutch box found the Moroccan centre-back Issa Diop. His header was one from a marksman. Morocco scored what was the third injury time goal in the knock-out stages of this world cup. The game went into extra time.

The extra time was a cagey period. The most striking of the chances fell to Morocco. Saibari, having scored in all three group games, got the opportunity to score the winner after dribbling past Koopmeiners, but his strike from close range was saved by Vertbruggen with almost inexplicable dexterity. The Netherlands looked relatively less dangerous in attack. Penalties were needed again.

In their storied history in major tournaments, the Dutch do not have a dependable record in shoot-outs. Morocco had only taken part in one world cup shootout before, against Spain in 2022, which they won. The Netherlands went first. Koopmeiner’s opening spot-kick was expertly placed in the bottom corner. Aynaoui hit the cross-bar in response. Kluivert, having been subbed on at the 113th minute with spot-kicks in mind, hit the base of the post for Dutch’s second kick. Rahimi’s shot was saved by Vertbruggen, but the ball somehow found a way to roll through the gaps and trickled past the goal-line. Weghorst, who had heavily contributed to the counterattack that ushered Gakpo’s goal, hit one of the most instructive penalties of the night. Talbi stepped up for Morocco with an equally well-struck penalty.

It was 2-2 with two rounds to go. Bonou tried a trick that I have seen deployed countless times in local tournaments. I feel a peculiar elation when I see such tactics being replicated at a stage like this. Bonou started moving towards his left long before the taker had struck. Timber sent it to the other side, but wide of the gaping goal. It was advantage Morocco again. Hakimi, the captain of Morocco, also a man standing trial for rape charges, with a chance to secure a berth in the last sixteen, hit the base of the same post that Kluivert had stuck. But Bonou and his mindgames of unconventional positioning, were working perfectly for Morocco. This time Bonou had shuffled to his right. Summerville’s shot was quite comfortably saved by him. Saibari, who could have scored an extra-time winner, did the second best thing he could: scoring the winning penalty. Netherlands, who have curiously not lost a match in normal or injury time in world cups since the 2010 final, tipped by many to have a memorable tournament are knocked out in the round of 32 by a Morocco side proving their credentials as serial challengers.

Memories flood in during world cup knock-outs. It feels like yesterday when I was eight and understood very little about the sport when I saw Paraguay knocking Japan out of the 2010 world cup in shoot-outs. That was the first time I experienced the thrill of it all. Paraguay won again this time. Japan, by fine margins, lost again. The beginning of the knock-outs has filled us up with the kind of expectation that only the world cup can imagine fulfilling.