A bit of pre-match reading
Curacao 0-2 Cote d’Ivoire
Ecuador have qualified as one of the best third-place teams. will face either Mexico, Portugal or Colombia in the last 32. For some reason I thought there was a chance of them playing England,. I appear to have pulled that from an unreliable fundament.
The two matches in Group E are about to finish. Ecuador lead Germany 2-1, which is bad news for Scotland among other things,. Cote d’Ivoire are 2-0 up on Curacao.
Ecuador could play England in the last 32, which has the potential to be a popcorn job. They’re a handy side.
Both head coaches make three changes. Japan bring in Yukinari Sugawara, Ayumu Seko. the human gegenpress, Daizen Maeda, for Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kaishu Sano and Junya Ito.
The Sweden keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, who conceded five against the Netherlands, is replaced by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom. Elliot Stroud and Anthony Elanga also come into the side in place of Benjamin Nygren and Jesper Karlstrom.
Japan (3-4-2-1) Z Suzuki; Sugawara, Itakura, H Ito; Doan, Seko, Tanaka, Nakamura; Kamada, Maeda; Ueda.
Subs: Osako, Hayakawa, Taniguchi, Nagatomo, Watanabe, Tomiyasu, J Suzuki, J Ito, Y Suzuki, Sano, Machino, Goto, Ogawa, Shiogai.
Sweden (poss 3-5-2) Widell Zetterstrom; Lagerbielke, Hlen, Lindelof; Elanga, Bernhardsson, Stroud, Ayari, Gudmundsson; Ayari; Gyokeres, Isak.
Subs: V Johansson, Nordfeldt, H Johansson, Svensson, Ekdal, Starfelt, Smith, Bergvall, Nygren, Sema, Karlstrom, Svanberg, Zeneli, Nilsson, Ali.
Referee Ivan Barton (El Salvador).
Sweden have had quite the rollercoaster ride, with a 5-1 win over Tunisia and a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands. I think they’re the first team since Denmark in 1986 to score. concede at least five in separate games at the same World Cup. I don’t know much about that Denmark team but they sound like fun.
The winners of Group F will meet Morocco in Guadalupe on Monday.
The runners-up will play Brazil in Houston, also on Monday.
If the third-placed team qualify, they will play one of France, Norway, Germany, Mexico and Switzerland.
Japan aren’t officially through to the knockout stage, but it’s hard to envisage a scenario whereby they fail to qualify. Sweden probably need a draw but could lose and go through, especially if it’s a narrow defeat.
Rob will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s the briefing from Graham Ruthven’s daily guide on what to know about this Group F matchup:
Japan are flying under the radar as one of the most quietly impressive teams at this World Cup so far. Indeed, Hajime Moriyasu’s side swept aside Tunisia with ease after controlling large periods of their opening match against the Netherlands. They will use this final group game to tune up for the knockout rounds.
Sweden’s strengths and weaknesses have been highlighted for all to see. They became the first side in World Cup history to lose their second match by a four-goal margin after winning their first match by a four-goal margin. Graham Potter’s outfit need more control.
Player to watch: Alexander Isak, Sweden – The Liverpool forward has looked something like his old self at this World Cup. could be a difference-maker if Potter can find the right system to harness him without destabilising the rest of the team.
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