A reminder that you can play around with group permutations in our Bracketology game.

Paraguay’s win over Türkiye was obviously a huge boost for the South American nation, but it was also pretty much the perfect result for Australia, too.

With Türkiye guaranteed to finish bottom of the group and eliminated – as the standings are now decided by head-to-head record rather than goal difference – the Socceroos are now highly likely to finish as at least one of the eight third-placed teams and will now play a weakened Paraguay, who will surely be fatigued by their 10-man exploits. who will be without the suspended Miguel Almirón.

If Australia win or get a draw against Paraguay, they will finish in second and play the second place in Group G (New Zealand, Iran, Belgium and Egypt are all currently on one point). If they lose against Paraguay, they still have a good chance of making it through, although as a third-placed team they would then face a group winners.

Good to see people are not getting carried away. USA have looked good, it’s true, but against … Australia and Paraguay.

The next two matches are a couple of ripsnorters: Netherlands v Sweden and Germany v Côte d’Ivoire, all of whom won their opening games.

Sweden were arguably the most impressive side in the first round of matches, sweeping aside Tunisia 5-1. It will be interesting to see if they line up with the same attacking line-up against a stronger Dutch side, who have been tipped by economist Joachim Klement to win the tournament. The German has developed his own formula that has previously accurately predicted the winners of the past three tournaments.

Hello everyone! I’m still reeling from staying up to watch Scotland v Morocco, which as a new-ish father with a sleep deficit, is increasingly looking like a foolish decision.

Right, time to hand you over to Michael Butler for a bit. See you’se later.

Cold War Steve’s latest exclusive World Cup collage is with us:

A couple of contrasting views on Scotland from BTL. Hyndsight is not impressed:

I’m sorry to say that Clarke has to take full responsibility for that first half. Tierney and Robertson weren’t sure where they were playing. 3-5-2 is best for Scotland. Tierney on the left of a 3 and Robertson further forward. Doak is our only direct threat and we need a goal against Brazil because they always score.

Gunn
Hendry, Hanley, Tierney
Doak, McGinn, McTominay, McLean, Robertson
Shankland Adams

all depending on injuries.

Benwyvis2 begs to differ:

Gave one of the top ten teams in the world a run for their money despite losing a goal in the second minute. Could well have stolen a draw. And but for the early goal, might have stolen a one-nil win. The tactics were correct. Well done, Steve. Better luck trying to fend off Brazil.

Throwing things forward now, Saturday’s action starts with a couple of potential crackers. The Netherlands, who looked enterprising and fallible in equal measure against Japan, take on Graham Potter’s revitalised Sweden in Houston, who hammered Tunisia in their opener. Then Germany meet Côte d’Ivoire, each having won their first games.

Potter has been bigging up Alexander Isak in the buildup after his goal and two assists against Tunisia, as AFP reports. “Alex has had a season that has been interrupted,” Potter said. “Most football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we’ve had to try to build Alex up. I think there’s more to come from him.”

Germany’s head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, said his team had to be prepared for Côte d’Ivoire’s athleticism. “Their speed is one of their biggest strengths and that’s what I think they do best,” he said, highlighting the French-born Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé. “During the last game, he was everywhere,” Nagelsmann said.

On this day in World Cup Euros history: 1976 – Antonin Panenka won the final for Czechoslovakia with the most famous penalty of all time. And 50 years on, he sat down with Gavin Newsham for a good long chat:

Antonin Panenka laughs like a bear might, a low rumble, suggesting mischief among the memories. He is sat in an office at Bohemians football club in Prague, recounting the story of his impudent, revolutionary penalty that not only won the 1976 European Championship for Czechoslovakia against West Germany but soured his relationship with the goalkeeper his spot-kick humiliated, Sepp Maier. “He went 35 years without uttering a single word to me,” he smiles.

But the feud went much deeper. “I read some articles that he even had a shooting target in his garage with my face on it that he used to fire darts at. We get on well enough now though.”

Saturday marks 50 years since that moment in Belgrade’s Red Star Stadium slipped into football folklore. With the final locked at 2-2 after extra time, Czechoslovakia and the reigning world champions found themselves in uncharted territory: the first penalty shootout to decide a major international tournament.

One of the biggest gripes about the World Cup so far has been the advert hydration breaks, but Emma Hayes, from a coach’s perspective, has a more mixed view:

I’m not a fan of the hydration breaks that have been introduced at this World Cup, but they’re here for now and it is fascinating from a coaching perspective because the momentum has swung straight after several hydration breaks. That could suggest coach involvement has helped teams to tweak things.

Turning the game into four quarters – it felt inevitable it was going to head in that direction, and I hope it doesn’t carry on going in that direction. I don’t like it, but let me also be clear – when it’s hot, you really need it, for health and safety. So put yourself in Fifa’s shoes. If you only have drinks breaks in the hot cities you could be accused of giving certain teams an advantage with a chance for a tactical discussion over, say, a team playing in Seattle, where it’s cooler. Imagine turning around and saying: “We’ll only have VAR in some of the stadiums, not all.” You’re either going to have it or you’re not going to have it.

Having just watched the highlights of Paraguay v Turkey, would it be fair to describe it as a minor classic of its type? A spicy, high-tempo tear-up full of Scenes That Everyone No One Likes To See – and who doesn’t love a heroic defensive rearguard against relentless attacking (apart from fans of the losing team)? And the sending-off looked fair to be honest. That rule was brought in for a reason, whatever was said in this instance.

It’s been a star striker’s tournament so far – aside from the immobile slab of monetised wax playing at No 7 for Portugal – and that’s reflected in the big names already nestled in Golden Boot top 10. Here’s the current hit parade:

A first dive into the old mailbag produces this, from Gerry Scott, with which I heartily concur:

If best placed third placed teams are going to be able to advance from the group then goal difference should be preferred to head to head as a way of ranking teams. Türkiye should at least have the prospect of beating the US and overtaking one of Paraguay or Australia rather than already being out of the tournament.

I’m sure Gianni will be on it soon.

Football Daily has landed. Listen in as Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertsen, Jack Snape, Ewan Murray, Seb Hutchinson and Alex Abnos digest what they’ve just seen.

What do you think of it so far? It’s basically almost impossible to have a bad time at a World Cup, for all the oppressive politics and commercialism that seek to suffocate the spectacle. And here’s our writers’ verdicts on how they’ve found the first week and a bit.

This country is big enough to host a vibrant and fulfilling World Cup; it is simultaneously capable of hosting one that passes entirely unnoticed.