Flashscore brings you daily coverage of the best moments from the previous day at the World Cup.
Catch up on day nine right here.
The headlines
Groups E and F took centre stage on Saturday, as the Netherlands began the day with a 5-1 crushing over Sweden to put them in pole position heading into the final matchday. Sweden, who, unsurprisingly, became the first side to win their opener 5-1 and lose the next by the same scoreline, will need a positive result against Japan in the final match to advance.
Ronald Koeman brought Brian Brobbey into the starting lineup, and he repaid his manager’s faith with a first-half brace.
Japan also finished the day on four points, after beating Tunisia 4-0. Herve Renard, brought in as the firefighter for Tunisia, was unable to arrest the slide after their damning loss to Sweden in the opener, seeing them eliminated after two games.
It was Japan’s best evening at a World Cup, scoring more than they had ever done before in one outing during the World Cup’s 1,000th match.
In the other day’s games, Germany needed a brace from substitute Deniz Undav – the second in stoppage time – to earn a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast and punch their ticket to the round of 32. The African side took the lead through Franck Kessie in the first half in a game where they more than matched the 2014 World Cup winners.
Elsewhere, in Kansas City, Curacao made global headlines after their 0-0 draw against Ecuador. It was the first point for the World Cup’s smallest-ever nation, despite the xG numbers going against them by 2.34. They will need a win against the Ivory Coast in their final game, but, they have a chance.
Player of the day
For the first time during this World Cup, we have a tie for the player of the day between Cody Gakpo and Eloy Room, but we have to lean with our hearts.
Room, who plays his club football with Miami FC – no, not Inter Miami – in the USL, was incredible in goal for Curacao against Ecuador.
He earned a 9.4 rating using Flashscore‘s new-and-improved ratings system, after keeping a clean sheet and making a staggering 15 saves across the 90 minutes – a new record at the World Cup. He prevented an xG of 2.27, whilst saving four big chances as the South Americans could not get past him.
Goal of the day
The best strike of the day came late, during Japan’s victory over Tunisia. Their star man, Ayase Ueda, who scored eight in nine during qualification, missed out against the Netherlands in matchday one, but he didn’t in Monterrey.
His first was a peach. He dribbled the ball into the box before letting fly from the edge of the box, across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.
Japan now have the same goal difference as the Netherlands and they look like a real threat ahead of their last group game against Sweden on June 25th.
Best from social media
Back to Eloy Room, and a goalkeepers’ union that is burgeoning during this tournament. After Cape Verde’s Vozinha’s social media fame went through the roof after his side’s 0-0 draw against Spain, Room’s following has also exploded after the game of his life.
Starting the day around 60,000 followers on Instagram, it ended nearing a million, showing once again the magnitude of this World Cup and how some players can become household names literally overnight.
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