Dec. 3, 2022 coverage of the World Cup

Our live World Cup coverage has ended for the day. We’ll be back for tomorrow’s matches!

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Brazilian soccer legend Pelé said Saturday that he’s “strong” and has “a lot of hope” as he continues his treatment for colon cancer.

He posted a statement on social media after the soccer world, consumed with the World Cup in Qatar, turned its attention to the hospitalized icon and sent well-wishes.

“My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive. I’m strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual. I want to thank the entire medical and nursing team for all the care I have received,” according to the statement on?Pelé’s?Instagram page.

The 82-year-old was admitted to the Albert Einstein Isreali Hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday for a “re-evaluation of the chemotherapy treatment over the colon cancer identified in September 2021,” according to a statement from the medical center.

In December 2021, Pelé was hospitalized and underwent chemotherapy treatment. In September of that year, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his right colon, which doctors found during routine examinations.

Argentina's Emiliano Martínez and Franco Armani celebrate with teammates after defeating Australia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Saturday.

Despite a wild ricochet that handed Australia a late-game goal and seemed to ignite the team’s offense, Argentina fended off the Socceroos to nab a 2-1 win.

In the 35th?minute, Lionel Messi scored his first-ever goal in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

With the goal, 35-year-old Messi now moves past Diego Maradona (8) for second-most all-time for La Albiceleste at the World Cup. And he now only trails Gabriel Batistuta (10) for most all-time.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi also moves into a five-way tie in the World Cup Golden Boot race for the most goals scored in the tournament.

It was the Argentine star’s 1,000th career appearance in international and club matches.

This victory keeps the dream of a World Cup trophy alive for Messi in what is likely his last appearance in the tournament.

Argentina will next face Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Friday.?

Australia?fans celebrate their first?goal?during the match between Australia and Argentina in Sydney,?Australia?on Sunday, December 4.

Forward Craig Goodwin launched a long shot toward Argentina’s goal, sending the ball ricocheting off a defender and into the net as keeper Emiliano Martínez looked on.

This closes the gap, with Argentina leading 2-1 in the 77th minute.

The shot appeared to be veering wide off of Goodwin’s foot, and the official scorer ultimately charged an own goal to Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández. He had leaped up to intercept the shot and instead deflected it into his own net.

Julián álvarez celebrates scoring Argentina's second goal with Lionel Messi in a match against Australia at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Saturday.

Argentina now leads the Socceroos by two, thanks to a goal by Julián álvarez in the 57th minute.

The forward capitalized on a critical mistake from Australian keeper Matt Ryan.

With Argentina applying pressure and the Aussies simply trying to get the ball out of their own half, Ryan took a pass back from one of his defenders and needed one too many touches to handle it. álvarez pounced, robbing the ball from his feet and simply rolling it into the empty net.

Argentina looks firmly in control of this match, though there’s plenty of time left to play.

A view of the Albert Einstein Hospital where former soccer player Pelé is hospitalized in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Saturday.

Brazilian soccer icon?Pelé?remains in stable condition after he was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday.

Pelé was hospitalized for a “re-evaluation of the chemotherapy treatment over colon cancer identified in September 2021,” the Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital said in a statement released Saturday.

“He is continuing the treatment and his health condition remains stable,” according to the statement.?

Worries over Pelé’s health come as the World Cup knockout round is underway in Qatar. Stars like France’s Kylian Mbappé, England’s Harry Kane and Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. have voiced well-wishes for the icon.

There was also a drone tribute in Doha that depicted Pelé’s iconic No. 10 jersey and spelled out “Pelé get well soon,” according to FIFA.

Pelé helped lead Brazil to three World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

The Aussies are looking for a key goal this next half as the Socceroos trail Argentina 1-0.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s squad looks to continue ???? dominance over ???? —?his side has only ever lost two meetings between the countries.

Argentina fans with a Lionel Messi shirt during the match between Argentina and Australia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Saturday.

Everywhere you go in Doha over the past week, you’ll hear people talking about Lionel Messi.

Thousands of people – creating a sea of blue and white – have come to watch their hero in what is likely to be his last World Cup tournament.

It seems you don’t need to be from Argentina to be a fan of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.

“I get to see the man himself,” Belal Ahmed, who traveled from the US to watch Messi play, told?CNN Sport.

“It took a while, the flight from the US to Saudi Arabia was about 12 hours. I had a layover there for 24 hours and then got here (Doha) two hours later.

Messi is a name that seems to bridge any language barrier, with fans coming over and chanting the forward’s name as Ahmed spoke with CNN.

Messi is undoubtedly the most popular player among fans in Doha, with many trying to find a ticket to watch him in the flesh.

The World Cup is the only trophy not yet in the superstar’s cabinet, and the 35-year-old is in the last-chance saloon at Qatar 2022.

He has the Argentine squad ahead 1-0 after the first half of its match against Australia Saturday.

An Argentina fan shows his tattoo of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona prior to the match between Argentina and Mexico at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on November 26.

Read more about Messi fandom in Qatar here.

Thanks to Lionel Messi, Argentina leads Australia 1-0 as we head into halftime.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after he scores their first goal against Australia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Saturday.

Superstar forward Lionel Messi just scored for Argentina, putting his squad up over Australia, 1-0.

After a free kick, Messi was able to glide the ball into the net in the 35th minute.

That was Messi’s first goal in the knockout rounds of a World Cup, where he’s now made 23 appearances. This match also marks his 1,000th club and international appearance.

The Argentine fans, who are making this sound like a home match for their squad, cheered wildly for Messi in what is likely his final World Cup.

Argentina now faces Australia’s Socceroos at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Qatar.

Mathew Leckie’s stunning goal against Denmark on Wednesday propelled Australia to the Round of 16.

The Argentine squad, led by Lionel Messi — whose 22 World Cup appearances are the most in the country’s history — beat Poland to advance to the knockout round. It is likely Messi’s last World Cup.

Christian Pulisic and Cristian Roldan after a match between Netherlands and US at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Saturday.

American star Christian Pulisic said he was proud of his squad after the US’ disappointing 3-1 loss to Netherlands at the World Cup.

“I’m really proud of this team, how far we’ve come,” Pulisic said. “I hope we showed a lot of people what we can do. It really is a shame, I thought. We deserved more from this tournament.?End of the day, we couldn’t get it done, but I think there’s a lot we can be proud of.”

Fellow US star Weston McKennie was teary-eyed when speaking after the loss, saying that the team “changed the way the world views American soccer.”

“We had a mission from the beginning. You know, this four-year journey changed the way the world views American soccer — and I think with this tournament, the performances that we put in, I think we accomplished that,” McKennie said. “I mean, obviously we know this game could’ve gone either way. We could’ve won this game; we believed it. Obviously, soccer is a very unpredictable sport; there’s highs, there’s lows. I think we’re going to just use this as a part of this story and just have another four years to get prepared.”?

With the 3-1 win over the US on Saturday, the Netherlands advanced to the Qatar World Cup quarterfinals.

Players shake hands prior to the match between Argentina and Australia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Saturday.

The?World Cup?has hardly been straightforward for Lionel Messi and?Argentina?thus far, but they are strong favorites ahead of their Round of 16 game against?Australia.

The Socceroos were a surprise package in the group stages, qualifying for the knockout rounds in Qatar courtesy of 1-0 victories against Tunisia and Denmark.

Argentina, meanwhile, bounced back from a?shock opening defeat against Saudi Arabia with 2-0 wins against Mexico and Poland.

A demanding schedule means the teams have had just two days to prepare for Saturday’s game at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.

Despite having a penalty saved against Poland, Messi has played a crucial role in Argentina’s tournament, scoring twice – including?a superb strike against Mexico?– and providing one assist.

Defeat Australia – which Argentina has done in all but two of the sides’ previous meetings – and the Netherlands await in the quarterfinals.

Don’t rule out a big surprise, though: This World Cup has already thrown up several upsets, as Saudi Arabia demonstrated in its aforementioned stunner against Argentina. As a result, manager Lionel Scaloni is taking nothing for granted.

“Australia is a good team,” he?told reporters?on Friday. “This is football, you have to leave theoretical favoritism to the side and play.

Can Australia’s sterling defense continue? The challenge of trying to keep a third consecutive clean sheet at the tournament will be a tall order with Messi on the pitch.

“It’s going to be a difficult game, obviously, playing against probably the best footballer ever to grace the game,” defender Milos Degenek said on Friday. “Apart from that, it’s 11 against 11. There are not 11 Messis, there’s one. We know their squad is full of stars.”

A general view of Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, as sprinklers water the grass before the match on Saturday.

Argentina

Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez

Defenders: Marcos Acu?a, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nahuel Molina

Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández

Forwards:?Julián álvarez, Alejandro Gómez, Lionel Messi

——————-

Australia

Goalkeeper: Mathew Ryan

Defenders: Kye Rowles, Milos Degenek, Harry Souttar, Aziz Behich

Midfielders: Jackson Irvine, Aaron Mooy, Mathew Leckie, Keanu Baccus

Forwards:?Riley McGree, Mitch Duke

President Joe Biden said the US team “made us proud” and pointed ahead to the next World Cup in 2026.

The young US squad lost to the Netherlands 3-1 in Qatar on Saturday.

In four years, the World Cup heads to the Americas, with 16 cities hosting matches across the US, Mexico and Canada.

German players pose with hands in front of their mouths prior to the match against Japan on November 23.

Soccer analysts on Qatar’s Alkass Sports channel mocked the German team on air after its World Cup exit on Thursday.?

A?video?on the channel’s Twitter page shows former Kuwaiti player Jamal Mubarak covering his mouth with his left hand and waving goodbye with the right, before calling on former Egyptian goalkeeper and fellow analyst Essam El-Hadary to join him. Soon after, El-Hadary and almost all other analysts then covered their mouths and waved goodbye in celebration of Germany’s exit.?

German players posed with their right hands in front of their mouths before their World Cup game against Japan on Nov. 23 as a protest to FIFA’s decision to ban the “OneLove” armband that many European captains had been hoping to wear in Qatar.?

Germany’s 4-2 victory against Costa Rica on Thursday was not enough to advance, with Japan and Spain going through to the last 16.

“Thank God, today all the Arab and Muslim nation is praying that Japan qualifies with any team, but the most important thing is Germany’s exit,” Mubarak said on Alkass Sports channel.

The segment aired on the channel’s al-Majlis show and was hosted by Qatari presenter Khalid Jassem and featuring Arab football analysts, including Mubarak, El-Hadary and Iraqi former player Younis Mahmoud.

Following Germany’s 1-1 draw against Spain last Sunday, Jassem said in al-Majlis?episode?that he was shocked at Germany’s actions.

“You [Germany] are supposed to respect our customs, traditions, culture and religion in the same way we respect your customs, traditions and culture,” Jassem said. “When we go to Germany or other places, we respect the rules and laws, and respect everything that is dear to the society there.”

Nearly 2.5 million spectators have attended the World Cup in Qatar during the 48 matches of the group stage, according to a statement from FIFA on Saturday.

“The highest attendance in the history of the FIFA World Cup since the 1994 final was seen at Lusail Stadium, where 88,966 fans witnessed the Argentina v. Mexico match,” according to the release.

According to FIFA, it’s also the first time that teams from every continent have advanced to the Round of 16.

The advancement of Australia, Japan and South Korea also marked a record for the Asian confederation.

And for the second time, two African teams — Senegal and Morocco — have reached the knockout stages, FIFA said. The last time that happened was in 2014.

“The outcome of the group stage shows the extent to which more countries have acquired the tools to compete at the highest level,” said FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger.

US goalkeeper Matt Turner expressed disappointment that he and his squad weren’t able to move forward in the World Cup after a crushing defeat to the Netherlands on Saturday.

“We all know what we put out there tonight wasn’t our best stuff,” Turner told FOX Sports after the 3-1 loss.

Turner had four saves in the Round of 16 match.

“We want to inspire another generation and I think that’s the clear message within our locker room,” Turner continued. “When you have opportunities against top opponents on the world stage you want to put your best foot forward and be able to do that. Unfortunately, tonight we weren’t up for it.”

US coach Gregg Berhalter and forward Christian Pulisic react after losing to Netherlands on Saturday.

Following the US men’s national team’s elimination from the 2022 Qatar World Cup, coach Gregg Berhalter was stoic in defeat.

The coach, who has managed the squad for the last four years, said he is “really proud of this group but bitterly disappointed in the result tonight.”

With the 3-1 win over the US on Saturday, the Netherlands advances to the Qatar World Cup quarterfinals.?

Netherlands players celebrate their team's third goal against the US on Saturday.

And that’s it for the US team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, after the Netherlands won 3-1 in the first match of the knockout round.

Netherlands striker Memphis Depay scored in the 10th minute of the match, and then Daley Blind?pulled the Dutch ahead by two just seconds before halftime. The Americans had a brief glimmer of hope when they scored a goal in the 76th minute, narrowing the deficit to one. But the Netherlands squashed that, with Denzel Dumfries scoring minutes later.

The Dutch hunkered down and kept the US from ever climbing closer, winning 3-1.

Dumfries is the third player in?Netherlands history?to be directly involved (via assists or scoring) in three-plus goals in a single World Cup game. He joins Rob Rensenbrink, who did it twice in 1978, and Johan Cruyff in 1974.?

The Oranje will next face the winner of Saturday’s Argentina-Australia match in the quarterfinals Friday.?

It’s a tough way to end the World Cup for a talented and youthful Team USA, which looked like it belonged in this tournament during the group stage.

Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring his team's third goal against the US on Saturday.

The Netherlands may have just dashed the US team’s hopes with another goal, pushing the team ahead by 3-1.

It was defender Denzel Dumfries, who already had an assist early in this matchup, who volleyed the ball in at the far post after a brilliant cross from Daley Blind.

The score came in the 81st minute and just after the US squad seemed to have clawed back into this match.

America’s so-called Golden Generation is now on the brink of elimination.

USA’s Haji Wright, not pictured, scores against Netherlands' goalkeeper Andries Noppert on Saturday.

The US is back in this match! In the 76th minute, Haji Wright found the net to make it 2-1 against the Netherlands.

Fans hold a “get well soon” banner for Pelé during the World Cup match between Brazil and Cameroon on Friday, December 2.

Past and present soccer stars have been wishing?Pelé well online after local media reports in Brazil that his health has worsened.

The news comes during the World Cup in Qatar, drawing the soccer world’s attention to one of the sport’s icons.

The 82-year-old Pelé, who is one of the greatest players of all time, was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday to re-evaluate his cancer treatment after he had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021.

Pelé?thanked fans on Instagram Thursday?for the positive messages and “good vibes” he had received.

While Pelé, who helped Brazil win three World Cup titles – in 1958, 1962 and 1970 – has suffered health issues in recent years, he has remained active on social media.

FIFA also posted a video of a drone tribute to the icon Friday. The drones depicted Pelé’s iconic No. 10 jersey and then spelled out “Pelé get well soon.”

England captain Harry Kane sent his thoughts to Brazilian football legend Pelé amid concerns over his health.

Kane called Pelé an “inspiration amongst our game, an incredible footballer, an incredible person.”

Paris Saint-Germain and French national team forward?Kylian Mbappé?urged his Twitter followers on Saturday to “Pray for the King” – a reference to the Brazil great’s nickname – tagging Pelé in his tweet.

Meanwhile, Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Jr., who is playing for the national team at Qatar 2022, and former Brazil great Rivaldo also posted on social media to urge the legend to “stay strong.”

For a US team that had not allowed a goal in the run of play entering Saturday’s match, a 2-0 deficit to the Dutch represents the toughest test of this tournament.

The young USA squad has controlled the ball through much of this match, but they’ll need to find the net quickly in the second half. The Netherlands is in control, 2-0.

Football, or soccer, has been around for centuries with its roots dating back over 2,000 years ago, but it was not until 1863 that England’s Football Association (the FA) cemented the sport’s full name of Association Football when they established the game’s first rules.

Ebenezer Morley spearheaded the idea “that football should have a set of rules in the same way that the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) had them for cricket” … unifying the game under a consistent set of rules and regulations.

The addition of the word association was to prevent confusion with other popular forms of football played at that time, most notably rugby football.

By the time association football and its round ball made its way across the Atlantic, American Football was already the popular game claiming the name of football.

Unlike association football, American football is a game played mostly with one’s hands and uses an oval ball.

Fast forward to 1974 and the United States Soccer Football Association (USSFA) – the sport’s governing body in the US – distanced itself from the word football by changing its name to the United States Soccer Federation, commonly referred to as the USSF (US Soccer).

By the 1980s, the term soccer became less and less favored by the British as the word to describe the global sport and today is rarely used throughout the United Kingdom and also for much of the world.

Read more.

Netherlands players celebrate after scoring their second goal against the US on Saturday, December 3.

It’s halftime in the match between the Netherlands and the USA, and the Dutch are up 2-0 after scoring a goal just before the teams headed off to the locker rooms.

While the US has been dominating possession and took two shots on goal, the team has been denied any scoring so far.

Meanwhile, the Dutch surged at both ends of the first half.

Forward Memphis Depay scored the team’s first goal in the 10th minute. Then defender Daley Blind shocked the Americans with a score in the dwindling seconds of stoppage time.

Netherlands' Daley Blind celebrates after he scored his team's second goal against the US on Saturday.

The Dutch team’s Daley Blind just delivered a blow to the US in the final moments before halftime, making it 2-0 against the Americans.

Netherlands' Memphis Depay scores his team's first goal against USA on Saturday, December 3.

The Netherlands has taken an early lead, with Memphis Depay scoring in the 10th minute to move ahead of Team USA 1-0.

The skilled forward, a prolific scorer with 22 goals in 25 international appearances, took a cross from Denzel Dumfries and found the back of the net.

USA’s Christian Pulisic controls the ball against Netherlands players on Saturday.

And we’re off in the battle between the USA and the Netherlands. Let’s go!

US President Joe Biden’s Twitter account posted a video of the president offering support to the US Men’s National Team ahead of the World Cup match against the Netherlands today.

The video features Tyler Adams, the captain of the US squad, kicking a soccer ball and saying, “Hey Mr. President, heads up.”

A soccer ball lands in the Rose Garden, where Biden catches it.

“It’s called soccer. Go USA,” Biden says as he’s wearing a Team USA scarf. “You guys are going to do it.”

Read more about the origins of the word soccer vs football here.

Players and officials line up prior to the match between Netherlands and USA on Saturday.

Today’s match between the?US Men’s National Team?and?the Netherlands?is one of the more intriguing clashes in the first knockout round of?Qatar 2022.

The two teams meet at 10 a.m. ET in Khalifa International Stadium outside Doha.

Though the bookmakers have the Netherlands as the odds-on favorite, this matchup feels closer than that, and both teams will feel confident of booking a place in the quarterfinals.

The USA:

Of course, the main concern for the US is the fitness of star man?Christian Pulisic.

The forward, dubbed “Captain America” by some US fans, suffered what he called a pelvic contusion while scoring the winner in the team’s crunch?match against Iran. He will play today, according to the team, but fans will watch anxiously for any signs his injury is affecting his performance.

While Pulisic is undoubtedly the star of the USMNT, captain Tyler Adams has been the team’s engine and heartbeat. Watch for him to command the field Saturday.

Surrounding the talented midfielder is a strong US squad that gave England real trouble in its group stage match and earned a solid win over Iran in a high-stakes face-off. They’ve looked clinical and sharp at many points in Qatar.

The Netherlands:

The Netherlands side can be dangerous, but it hasn’t put it all together yet in Qatar, with its most complete performance coming against a struggling squad from the host nation.

While the Dutch mustered just eight shots on target in its three group stage matches, the team was able to score five goals, thanks largely to star youngster Cody Gakpo.

The 23-year-old has scored with his right foot, left foot and head to lead the 2022 World Cup golden boot race alongside Kylian Mbappé, Marcus Rashford, álvaro Morata and Enner Valencia.

This team struggled against an athletic Ecuador squad, a threat the USA youngsters will also pose. The Netherlands will need Gakpo at his best – along with defender Virgil van Dijk and midfielder Frenkie de Jong – to progress past a stern test against the Americans.

General view of USA’s dressing room ahead of their match against Netherlands.

USA

Goalkeeper: Matt Turner

Defenders: Sergi?o Dest, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Walker Zimmerman

Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah

Forwards: Jesús Ferreira, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah

The Netherlands

Goalkeeper: Andries Noppert

Defenders: Jurri?n Timber, Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Aké, Denzel Dumfries

Midfielders: Davy Klaassen, Frenkie de Jong, Marten de Roon, Daley Blind

Forwards: Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo

The US Men’s National Team is looking to progress to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

The USA faces a win-or-go-home match against the Netherlands on Saturday, and it enters as the underdog. It’s eight places lower than its opponent in FIFA’s world rankings.

But this is America’s so-called “golden generation,” a talented, youthful club with serious aspirations. The team lacks World Cup experience, but it has frequently shown its ability, utilizing a high-tempo, transition game that showcases its dynamism and athletic midfield.

The Dutch are coming off a comfortable 2-0 win against host nation Qatar, which ensured their progression to the last 16.

It was a complete performance from the Netherlands, which enters this stage brimming with confidence, having only conceded one goal so far at Qatar 2022.

The 2022 World Cup’s thrilling knockout stage starts Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, when the USA meets the Netherlands in Khalifa International Stadium.

Here’s how to watch, depending on where you’re tuning in:

The Round of 16 is now set for the 2022 Qatar World Cup after Brazil and Switzerland booked their tickets on Friday.

Here’s a recap of Friday’s matches:

Considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, Brazil and its opponent Cameroon were held goalless until the second minute of stoppage time. Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar scored the first and only goal of the game with a well-placed header.

Despite hanging on to defeat Brazil 1-0, Cameroon is going home due to finishing third in the group.?The defeat is Brazil’s first loss in the group stage since 1998 against Norway, snapping a 17-match unbeaten streak. Brazil will face South Korea in the next round on Monday.

Switzerland advanced after defeating Serbia 3-2 at Stadium 974. This is the third straight World Cup in which the Swiss men advanced to the Round of 16.

Tensions grew between both teams in the closing minutes after players were pushing and shoving each other. There were 11 total yellow cards given between both teams during the match.?

Switzerland will face superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on Tuesday.??

Here are the teams who qualified for the Round of 16:

South Korea's Son Heung-Min heads the ball during the match against Portugal on December 2.

Several players at this year’s World Cup are pairing their seemingly superhuman speed and skills with superhero-like masks. The coverings might make them look like Batman, but the masks are purely for protection.

In today’s match against Portugal, South Korea’s Son Heung-Min can be seen donning a black mask that covers his nose and eyes. Son suffered a fractured eye socket during Tottenham’s win against Marseille in the Champions League on Nov. 1.

Jasko Gvardiol from Croatia has also been wearing one, due to a nose and eye problem from a similar head clash for his club Leipzig in Germany.

Tunisia’s Ellyes Skhiri broke his cheekbone in October for FC Koln in Germany, so he also wore a mask that covered his nose and sides of his face.

And Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand kept a mask on during practices — but not in any games — after his head injury against England in Iran’s first group game. He missed the match against Wales but played maskless against the US on Tuesday.

Christian Pulisic of The United States speaks at a press conference on December 1.

The United States men’s national soccer team has announced that star midfielder Christian Pulisic is cleared to play in Saturday’s Round of 16 match against the Netherlands.??

A CNN crew was at US training Friday and watched Pulisic and his teammates run through warmup drills in preparation of the win-or-go-home duel with the Dutch.?

Pulisic was involved in a heavy collision with Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand as he scored the US’ winning goal on Tuesday. Pulisic revealed he had suffered a “pelvic contusion.”

Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma crosses the ball, resulting in his team's second goal against Spain on Wednesday, December 1.?

Japan?reached the?World Cup?knockout stages for the fourth time on Thursday – by what appeared to be a matter of millimeters.

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Japan produced a remarkable comeback against Spain with two goals in quick succession in the second half, stunning the 2010 world champion to secure an unlikely spot in the last 16 at the expense of Germany.

But it’s Japan’s second goal that has been a topic of fierce debate in the aftermath of the game, specifically regarding whether the ball crossed the goal line before Kaoru Mitoma’s cutback pass to Ao Tanaka.

Tanaka’s bundled goal was initially ruled out after the linesman flagged that the ball had gone out of play.

However, after a video assistant referee (VAR) review, the goal was allowed to stand and Japan held on for an historic victory.

The result saw the Samurai Blue top Group E – an outcome no one would have foreseen before the World Cup – ahead of Spain and Germany, which bowed out of the tournament despite a 4-2 victory against Costa Rica.

Some were left incredulous as to why Tanaka’s goal was allowed to stand.

“There are 80 million Germans right now going mad, waiting for a picture that shows that that ball didn’t go out of play,” said former Scotland international Graeme Souness, speaking as a pundit on?ITV.

In two tweets on Friday, FIFA?said?VAR officials “used the goal line camera images to check if the ball was still partially on the line or not. Other cameras may offer misleading images but on the evidence available, the whole of the ball was not out of play.”

The goal means Japan will play Croatia in the knockout stages on Monday, while Spain plays Morocco on Tuesday.