Today is the penultimate day of the World Cup’s first-ever round of 32. The opening match, at 3pm Eastern, features Lamine Yamal and tournament favorites Spain meeting David Alaba and Austria. Spain got off to a slow start with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but rebounded with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia before ending with a 1-0 win over Uruguay. Austria began with a 3-1 win over Jordan, lost 0-2 to Argentina, and drew Algeria 3-3 to advance.
The second game of the day features Portugal against Croatia.
Both teams have legends at the end of their careers, with 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 40-year-old Luka Modrić. Portugal began with a shocking 1-1 draw to DR Congo (who almost pulled off another stunner against England in the knockouts). The Portuguese rebounded with a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan before settling for a 0-0 draw with Ecuador. Croatia got smacked 4-2 by England in their opener before getting wins against Panama (1-0) and Ghana (2-1) to advance.
The late-night game (kickoff at 11pm Eastern) is Switzerland and Algeria. Switzerland only got a 1-1 draw against Qatar, but shifted into high gear at the end of their game over Bosnia and Herzegovina, ending with a 4-1 win, and managed Canada 2-1 at the end of their group. Algeria put in a decent performance against Argentina in their opener, but were disappointed by their goalkeeping in what was ultimately a 0-3 loss. Algeria rebounded with a 2-1 win over Jordan before drawing 3-3 with Austria to close out their group stage.
So, what will the games have in store for us today? Stick around, drop your comments, and have a great time.
How to watch
Spain vs Austria
Location: Los Angeles, California
Kick-off time: 3 pm Eastern, 12 pm Pacific
TV and streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX One, Fubo (free trial)
Portugal vs Croatia
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Kick-off time: 7 pm Eastern, 4 pm Pacific
TV and streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX One, Fubo
Switzerland vs Algeria
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Kick-off time: 11:00 pm Eastern, 8:00 pm Pacific
TV and streaming: FS1, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX One, Fubo
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