OFFSIDE |: World Cup 2026. Can Japan complete the Kill Bill on Brazil in the Round of 32? |: Football News:

Hello and welcome to: Offside:: your daily recap and anticipation of the World Cup. The strangest thing about day 18 is that it has only one game and it’s one that will make cricket fans feel like they’re watching the first round of an ICC tournament if Cricket Canada hadn’t been disbanded due to gang-related corruption.

Action Recap: Canada 1-0 South Africa

In cricket there is an oft-repeated phrase: the intent is there. Canada had an extra goal, South Africa spent it looking for extra time and penalties, but Stephen Eustaquio had other ideas. Alphonso Davise proved the difference the moment he came on in the 75th minute and instantly lifted the mood like maple syrup on pancakes. Canada has already entered the Round of 32 where they will face the less powerful Dutch or Morocco.

Matchday Action: Brazil vs. Japan

June 29, 10:30 ISTIn ‘Kill Bill’, Hattori Hanzo makes a blade for The Bride and tells her. “If in your journey you encounter God, God will be cut off.” The Japanese team looks sharp, like a samurai sword or a Shogun about to save the kingdom, but now they face the football gods in Brazil, even if God has been MIA since 2002.

Warrior Watch:Brazil’s Vinicius Jr was on fire to watch, as he was run over by a thousand racist chants. With another star, Takefusa Kubo, injured, Japan will look to Daichi Kamada for inspiration.Battle plan:Japan will try to make this a game of discipline, fast passing and quick breaks. Without Kubo, Daichi Kamada should be the brain between midfield and attack, while Junya Ito gives them a wide outlet.

Brazil’s plan is simpler and more frightening. get the ball to Vinicius Jr before Japan can get their shape. If Japan beat it cheaply, Brazil will be punished for a loose pass.The key battle was Japan’s smooth possession against Brazil’s open-field violence. Japan needs rhythm. Brazil needs grass. Whoever gets what they want controls the game.Dinner table conversation:Japan have beaten Germany, Spain and England in recent years, and even upset Brazil in a friendly before. The smart money is on Brazil, but Japan is a country that always bounces back from impossible odds. If they can survive the atomic bombs, they can piss off the Samba boys.

Matchday Action: Germany vs. Paraguay

June 30, 2:00am ISTGermany arrived with four World Cups, a squad full of shiny moving parts, and the nagging feeling that something in the engine just wasn’t there. Paraguay is like Billy Butcher with a crowbar but with the eternal belief that he can still kill the Homelander c****.Warrior Watch:Germany will look to Jamal Musiala for magic, because even the best German machine needs someone who can draw outside the lines. Paraguay brought back Miguel Almiron, whose pace can surprise teams.Battle plan:Germany wanted the ball, the tempo and enough space for Musiala and Florian Wirtz to finally turn the promise into a penalty. If they score early, it could be an exercise in German administration. Paraguay’s plan is simpler. block the middle, slow the game, win fouls, and make Germany impatient. Then release Almiron into space and see if the panic travels faster than a through ball. The key battle was Germany’s control against Paraguay’s chaos. Germany needed rhythm. Paraguay needs mud. Whoever gets what they want controls the game.Dinner table conversation:The smart money will be in Germany, because history, talent and common sense point that way. But Paraguay is always ready for a fight. Expect them to be a spanner in the works.

Matchday Action: Netherlands: against Morocco

June 30, 6:30am ISTJohan Cruyff’s Total Football is now a museum exhibit with better lighting than the current Dutch backline. The Oranje are still dangerous, but they are not liked the way they used to be. Morocco, on the other hand, has gone from plucky underdogs to one of Africa’s true heavyweights.To paraphrase Rick Blaine: of all the knockout ties in all the World Cups, the Dutch should enter this one.Warrior Watch:The Netherlands will look to Cody Gakpo for the cut and Virgil van Dijk for the peace. An additional emotional thread is Gakpo’s loss of an infant. Morocco will look to Achraf Hakimi for thrust, Brahim Diaz for invention, and Ismael Saibari for the kind of disruptive value that can disrupt Europe’s sleep cycles.

Battle plan:The Dutch want the ball, width and enough flow in attack to make it look like philosophy football again. The problem was that they scored freely but also kept opening the door. Morocco’s plan is to stay compact, from Hakimi and Diaz, and make every Dutch turnover feel like an incident on the border. The key battle is control of the Dutch versus the Moroccan nerve. The Netherlands need rhythm. Morocco needs a clean break and a crowd that starts to believe in 2022 again.Dinner table conversation:Morocco will always have Qatar, but they want more than memories. The Dutch have always had Cruyff, orange shirts and enough talented defenders to build a dam, except now that Dutch dam is still leaking. If Hakimi and Diaz find the cracks, it could be the end of a beautiful run for the Oranje. Play it again, Sam. football, sadness and a Moroccan counterattack.