World Cup 2023: US and Germany Seek Perfection Ahead of Knockout Rounds

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States – The group stage is almost done, but for two of the World Cup’s co-hosts, the message is simple: perfection or nothing.

On Thursday, the United States and Germany step out knowing their tickets are already punched and their groups already won. The real test now is whether they can carry an aura of authority into the knockout rounds, not just a place in them.

Pulisic back, but no let-up for the US

The US have taken care of business in Group D with a game to spare, brushing aside Paraguay and Australia to secure top spot. Now comes Turkey in Los Angeles, a dead rubber on paper, but anything but that in the minds of this squad.

Mauricio Pochettino has a balancing act to manage. Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun all walk the disciplinary tightrope, one more yellow card away from missing the last 32. Rotation is tempting. It is also risky. Change too much, and rhythm goes with it.

One boost needs no debate. Christian Pulisic is ready.

Limited to just 45 minutes so far by a calf problem, the captain is fit and restless, and he made the tone in camp crystal clear.

“Going into the knockout rounds will definitely feel better with a win, so that's why we're going to push for it,” Pulisic said. “It's an amazing opportunity... We don't necessarily need a win, but it's a World Cup game, and we all want to give our best and do well.”

The United States have not seen a World Cup quarter-final since 2002. This time, on home soil, with six points already banked and a fanbase sensing something bigger, anything less than a deep run will feel like a missed chance.

While the US fine-tune, the real jeopardy in Group D lies in Santa Clara. Australia and Paraguay collide with second place on the line. A draw favours the Socceroos thanks to their superior goal difference, but the numbers lean towards a scenario where a point would also be enough for Paraguay to sneak through. One game, two teams, and the very real possibility that both walk away relieved rather than ruined.

Germany shed their scars – but Ecuador stand in the way

Over in Group E, Germany have done what Germany used to do as a matter of routine: qualify early, win the group, and move on with minimal fuss.

Victories over Curacao and Ivory Coast have put the four-time world champions back on familiar ground after two traumatic first-round exits at the last two World Cups. The scars are still there, but Julian Nagelsmann is in no mood to let his players admire the view.

“I'm very happy that we're not at the end of our journey yet, but it is very important that we remain modest,” the Germany coach said. “We have won two matches, one was clear, one was very close. We want to win again tomorrow and we'll see who we play on Monday (in the last 32).”

Next up is Ecuador, who are hanging on to the tournament by their fingertips. Only a win will be enough for them. That desperation can unsettle even the most polished favourite, and Germany know it.

Ivory Coast, meanwhile, have quietly put themselves in control of second place. They face Curacao, the tournament debutants who refuse to go quietly. Curacao’s dogged 0-0 draw with Ecuador kept their campaign alive and gave this group a late twist. They are still outsiders, but they have already proved they will not be overawed.

Chaos promised in Group F

If Group D and E are about confirming the inevitable, Group F is about embracing the unknown.

The Netherlands, Japan and Sweden can all still finish top. Every goal in Kansas City and Arlington will redraw the bracket in real time.

In Kansas City, the Dutch meet a Tunisia side in freefall. Two games, two heavy beatings, coach sacked, and eight goals conceded. Tunisia were thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in their opener, Sabri Lamouchi paid with his job, and Herve Renard was dropped into the chaos. The response? A 4-0 defeat to Japan and a ticket home.

The Netherlands smell blood. Against a team already eliminated and reeling, anything less than a statement would feel like a missed opportunity for a side with ambitions far beyond the last 32.

Japan, level on four points with the Dutch, have a very different kind of task in Arlington. They face a wounded Sweden, a team that exploded into the tournament and then imploded just as quickly. Sweden opened with that 5-1 demolition of Tunisia, only to be dismantled 5-1 themselves by the Netherlands.

The question now is simple: which version of Sweden turns up? Japan, efficient and ruthless so far, will not care about the identity crisis on the other side. Win, and they are through. Win big, and top spot is in play.

Waiting in the wings are Brazil and Morocco, already locked into the Group C and Group F crossovers.

Brazil and Morocco set the trap

On Wednesday, Brazil did what Brazil do when the mood takes them. A 3-0 win over Scotland in Miami, two more goals for Vinicius Junior, and a first international outing for Neymar since October 2023. Carlo Ancelotti’s team wrapped up first place in Group C with a flourish, edging Morocco to top spot on goal difference.

Brazil will face whoever limps or storms out of Group F in second place. For the Dutch, Japan and Sweden, that is both a prize and a threat.

Morocco, denied first place only by that goal difference, showed their own resilience by twice coming from behind to beat Haiti 4-2 and also finish on seven points. Their reward is a tie against the Group F winners. It is a tougher path on paper, but Morocco have made a habit of shredding paper expectations.

Scotland, beaten by Brazil and stuck on the margins, now have to wait. Their fate rests on calculators and permutations as they hope to sneak into the last 32 as one of the eight best third-placed sides.

Mexico roar, South Africa make history

Elsewhere, the co-hosts on the other side of the border did their part in style. Mexico cruised into the last 32 with a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic at an electric Estadio Azteca, sealing a perfect Group A record. The bonus is significant: they stay at home for their last-32 tie, in the same stadium, in front of the same feverish crowd.

But the loudest storyline in Group A belonged to South Africa.

A 1-0 win over South Korea, against all expectation, delivered qualification for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history. One goal, one seismic result, and a nation that arrived as outsiders suddenly writing its name into the World Cup’s memory.

In Group B, Switzerland did their job with clinical precision. A 2-1 win over co-hosts Canada in Vancouver secured top spot and silenced a partisan crowd. Bosnia-Herzegovina joined them in the last 32 by beating Qatar 3-1 and grabbing one of the coveted third-place slots.

So the picture sharpens, but it does not settle. The United States and Germany want perfection. The Netherlands, Japan and Sweden chase control in a group that refuses to be tamed. South Africa have already rewritten their story.

The next 90 minutes for each of them will decide whether this World Cup becomes a footnote, or the start of something unforgettable.