WCS 07 02 26

Welcome to the Underdog World Cup show from Underdog Podcasts. I'm Chris Horvidell, and every day during the tournament, we're breaking down the matches, the moments, the teams under pressure, and the games coming next. This is the Underdog World Cup show. Welcome to the Underdog World Cup show. I'm Chris Horvidell. This episode is brought to you in part by Airbnb. More on that later. And the round of 32 just keeps getting meaner. Yesterday gave us England surviving a scare, Belgium stealing one from the edge of disaster, and the U.S. getting its biggest World Cup knockout win in more than two decades. Let's start in England because for about 75 minutes, that was exactly the kind of England knockout game that makes everyone in the country start texting in all caps. England beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1, but they had to come from behind to do it. Brian Sepenga scored in the 7th minute, and suddenly, the Congo weren't just a nice story anymore, they were leading England in a World Cup knockout match. England had the ball, had the territory, had the chances, but Lionel Mpase was excellent in goal. Then, Harry Kane did what Harry Kane does, he equalized with a header in the 75th minute, and scored the winner late. That moves Kane to 13 career World Cup goals, and it sends England into a round of 16 game against Mexico at the Azteca, which is just an absurdly fun sentence. Mexico haven't conceded in four matches, England just needed Kane to rescue them from a major scare. This game is going to feel enormous. Then, Belgium beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time, and I still really don't know how Senegal lost that match. Senegal led 2-0 through Habib Diarra and Ismael Assar, and they looked like a better team for most of the night. They were athletic, direct, confident, and Belgium looked old in the way Belgium sometimes looks old. Then, everything flipped. Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute, Yari Telemans headed in the equalizer in the 89th, and then, deep, in extra time, Telemans converted a penalty after a VAR-reviewed foul by Lamine Camara. It was controversial, it was brutal for Senegal, and it was also very Belgium somehow. They looked done, then they found just enough chaos to survive. Finding the back of the net in the 125th minute, Telemans scored the latest goal in World Cup history, and Belgium now get the United States. Which of course means the U.S. beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, in this case, 2-0 in Santa Clara. Flo Balogun scored just before halftime, his third goal of the tournament, and Malik Tillman sealed it with a free kick in the 82nd minute. That's the U.S. men's first World Cup knockout win since 2002, and only their second ever in the modern era. But, it wasn't simple. Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute after a VAR-review, which means he's gonna miss Belgium as things currently stand right now. That is a massive loss. The center-forward has given the U.S. a vertical threat and the finisher that they've needed. Still, there's a lot to like here. Matt Freese kept his second clean sheet of the tournament, the U.S. defended for more than 30 minutes down a man, Christian Pulisic started, Mauricio Pochettino now has three wins at this World Cup, the most ever for a men's U.S. manager. So the win matters, the suspension matters, both things can be equally true. Now, to today. At 3 o'clock Eastern Time, Spain face Austria in Los Angeles. Spain have been one of the cleanest teams in this tournament. They won Group H with 7 points, 5 goals scored, and still haven't conceded. That's the foundation. Lamine Yamal gives them the headline talent, Pedri and Rodri give them the control, and Alex Baena already delivered the group-winning goal against Uruguay. Austria are dangerous because they usually don't beat themselves. Marcel Sabitzer gives them leadership, Konrad Lemire brings the running, and Marko Arnautovic is still capable of turning one awkward ball into a real problem. But Spain are the favorites for a reason. If Austria can drag this into duels and second balls, they've got a chance. If Spain settle into possession and make Austria chase, this could become a very long afternoon. At 7 o'clock, Portugal face Croatia in Toronto, and this is probably the emotional game of the day. Portugal finish second behind Colombia, but they are still loaded. Cristiano Ronaldo is always the headline, but Bruno Frenage, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, and Vitinha are the reason this team can create from anywhere. Croatia are still Croatia. Luka Modric is still out there bending tournament time. He just became the oldest player ever to record a World Cup assist. Petar Socic and Nikola Vlasic gave them goals against Ghana, and they've already shown they can survive pressure. Portugal are going to look like the more talented side, but Croatia have built an entire modern World Cup identity around making better teams uncomfortable, taking games late, and then acting like penalties aren't the most stressful thing in the world. If Portugal score first, this could open up. If Croatia get the halftime level, every Portugal fan is going to start seeing ghosts from the last 10 years. Then, at 11, Switzerland face Algeria in Vancouver. Switzerland won Group B with 7 points, and that tells you what they are. They're steady, they're organized, they're hard to beat, and they're never quite as flashy as the teams people talk about more. Grant Jaka controls the tempo, Manuel Akanji gives them the defensive calm, and Brielle Ambrola gives them a real target up front. Algeria are here because they survived a wild 3-3 draw with Austria, where Riyad Mahrez scored twice in that game, and that matters because Algeria need his final third quality here. Ismail Benassar can help them compete in the midfield, and Amine Gouiri gives them another technical option. This is the kind of matchup that you don't really need to dress up. Switzerland are probably the safer team, Algeria may have the bigger individual spark, and in a late knockout game, it's enough to make things interesting. And Vancouver is actually the perfect last stop for today's show, because this whole tournament keeps reminding you that the city matters too. The late kickoffs, the travel, the fans trying to make a full trip out of one match, it's part of what makes the World Cup feel different. So I'd like to tell you a little bit about Airbnb. Whether you're following soccer, catching a summer event, or just building a few days around a city you've always wanted to see, Airbnb can help make the trip feel less generic and a little more connected to the place itself. Check out Airbnb for all your summer travel. That's it for today's Underdog World Cup show. I'm Chris Horvidell. Enjoy the games.