And then there were 38 games left at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Day 9 provided some exhilarating action that started with Brazil’s 2-0 victory against Costa Rica. The Brazilian win was fueled by two stoppage-time goals, one by Philippe Coutinho in the 91st minute and another by Neymar in the 97th minute.
The second Group E game saw a late goal in the 90th minute securing the win for Switzerland, as the Swiss edged out Serbia 2-1. While Costa Rica's loss resulted in their elimination from knockout-round contention, the remaining three teams have an almost-equal chance to qualify. Brazil and Switzerland lead with four points each, and Serbia follows closely with three points.
In other action, Nigeria defeated Iceland 2-0, thereby leaving the final spot of Group D's Round of 16 qualification up for grabs following Argentina’s loss on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Fire players kept their watch on the World Cup matches before the team traveled to Seattle. Diego Campos shared his support for his Costa Rican youth national side with a throwback picture.
This weekend wraps up the second group stage game for all World Cup teams, and Fire goalkeeper Richard Sanchez is following his Mexican team closely. In an interview with MLSsoccer.com, Sanchez discusses whether Mexico has what it takes to win the tournament.
Here are the upcoming weekend games:
Saturday, June 23:
- 7 AM CT: Belgium vs Tunisia (Group G)
- 10 AM CT: South Korea vs Mexico (Group F)
- 1 PM CT: Germany vs Sweden (Group F)
Sunday, June 24:
- 7 AM CT: England vs Panama (Group G)
- 10 AM CT: Japan vs Senegal (Group H)
- 1 PM CT: Poland vs Colombia (Group H)
With fewer than 40 games to go, stay tuned to the Chicago Fire World Cup Central for more news and features, also look out for Watch Party opportunities to join in the excitement and follow the Fire social media hub for updates on the team.
