World Cup final day of group play will set the field for the round of 32
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Going into the final day of group play at the World Cup, there are essentially eight teams vying for four spots in the round of 32.
Tournament co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico have all advanced, along with France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Norway and others. will face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California, while Canada heads to Southern California to face South Africa on Sunday. Other marquee matchups are set, including Morocco versus the Netherlands, Japan versus Brazil and Norway versus Ivory Coast.
Third place in a group is no guarantee of advancing. The eight best third-place teams get in with ties broken by goal differential and goals scored, if necessary. Teams with four points — a win, a draw and a loss — almost certainly will make the round of 32.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sweden, Ecuador and Paraguay have already advanced that way. Scotland and its passionate fans are waiting for lots of things to go right to make the knockout stage in a long shot bid with three points. Iran and South Korea are also among those on the bubble.
ET): England and Ghana have qualified, though first in the group is still to be decided. Croatia gets through with a win or a draw, while Panama has already been eliminated. ET): Whoever wins between already-qualified Colombia and Portugal finishes atop the group, with Colombia getting it if they draw.
Congo is in with a win or draw but out with a loss, and Uzbekistan has long odds and likely needs to win in a romp. ET): Barring a multigoal loss by Croatia against Ghana earlier, the winner of Algeria-Austria advances and the loser still has a chance, while a draw would get Austria in and probably Algeria, too. Argentina has won the group, while Jordan has already been eliminated.
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