C1-Argentina sat in 2nd after losing their first match and peppered C4-Poland but had their controversial PK saved in the first half. POL was content with their superhuman GK (11 saves) even after ARG scored a couple of goals and needed to hold the line as they got outshot 25-4 and 13-0 on goal. C3-Mexico need to make up at least four goals against POL or hope for ARG to lose. After ARG scored to reduce the GD (goal differential) deficit to 3, MEX scored two goals (including a long FK golazo) in 6 minutes, their first goals of this WC, to cut the GD deficit to 1. ARG scored again making MEX and POL even on GD, GF (goals for), and head-to-head (they tied). The next tiebreaker was Fair Play (FP) points which POL started the day +2 but an early MEX yellow card increased it to +3. MEX needed a 3rd goal (almost got it in the 87' but auto-bot ruled offsides) to win on GF since POL wasn't trying to score. But they came up short and missed the R16 for the first time since 1978 (8 straight when qualified, missed 1990 due to ban) and POL made their first R16 since 1986.
Two teams that won didn't make the R16 (TUN, MEX) and both teams also scored their first goals in their 3rd match.. Thus far, two teams with 4 points (ECU, TUN) and two teams that won their first match (ECU, KSA) failed to qualify. AUS and ARG joined SEN as teams who lost their first match and made the R16. All 4 matches were scoreless at the half (22 of 40 have been).
As it happened:
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