The opening match of the World Cup delivered a rarity in international soccer: three players sent off with red cards.No World Cup match has had that many players ejected since a 2006 game between Portugal and the Netherlands, when four players received red cards a World Cup record.The last World Cup in Qatar in 2022 had only four red cards in the entire tournament.On Thursday at the Azteca Stadium, Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa while Csar Montes was shown a red card for the tournament co-host.Its the first time three players have been sent off in the opening match of a World Cup and all three were straight red cards, meaning none of the ejected players were given two yellows.Mexico won the match 2-0.Sithole was red-carded after taking down Mexicos Brian Gutierrez on the edge of the box at the start of the second half. Things got worse for South Africa when Zwane was sent off following a video review for striking Roberto Alvarado in the face in the 84th minute. Finally, in stoppage time, Montes saw red for bringing down Khuliso Mudau.The red cards mean the three players will be suspended for at least one more match. South Africas next match is against the Czech Republic and Mexico next faces South Korea in Guadalajara.The match between Portugal and the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup in Germany stands out with its four red cards two for each team. That game in Nuremberg also had 16 yellow cards.___AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

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The format of the World Cup has changed entering 2026. Instead of 32 teams with the top two from each group making it to the knockout rounds, there are 48 teams this year. Eight teams that finish in third place will advance from their group to the knockouts. Does that change the strategy at all when entering this tournament? Not for the USA. This is a must-win game for the U.S. because of the order of its games. There might be a little room for error, but you don't want to go into your last game against Trkiye, which will be the toughest, needing a result. Getting a win against Paraguay would be a great way to start and a massive boost. Here's what to expect on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium (9 p.m. ET on FOX and streaming live for free on Tubi). I'm always here to highlight the center backs when they should be highlighted, and the key to Paraguay here is its defense. Alderete made 33 appearances in the Premier League this past season for Sunderland. He did not feature in the friendly against the United States late in 2025 because he was coming back from injury. But he did manage to receive a red card in a scuffle after the game. Paraguay is a very, very defensively sound team, only conceding 10 goals in 18 World Cup qualifying matches. Expect this team to sit back and focus on defending with an eye on doing damage in attack in transition after winning possession. MLS fans will know Miguel Almiron from his time with Atlanta United. He will be the key playmaker for Paraguay when it does get on the ball and looks to attack. One thing to note is that this will be a very different United States lineup than the one that faced Paraguay last November. Goalkeeper Matt Freese, defenders Sergio Dest and Tim Ream and striker Folarin Balogun were the only four players who started both that game and the United States friendly against Germany last Saturday. While the U.S. squad will look different, Paraguay's approach is unlikely to change. Expect Paraguay to drop deep in defense and concede possession to us. Manager Gustavo Alfaro took over as Paraguays coach in August 2024 and led the team to a 5-4-1 (wins-draws-losses) in World Cup qualifying. That one loss was an away match against Brazil, but his team also registered wins over Argentina and Brazil at home. Don't expect Paraguay to come out and look to play an attacking game. Alfaro will have his team ready to defend and make life difficult for the USA. While Robinson and Dest are considered defenders, their roles in the USA's formation are just as important going forward. Both players are more than capable in attack, which is clear from Dest scoring in the USA's 3-2 win over Senegal and Robinson scoring an impressive volley in the 2-1 loss to Germany. Robinson will be on the left side along with Christian Pulisic, while Dest will be on the right side, likely with Malik Tillman, who started against Germany. The key for the two wing backs will be to combine with Pulisic and Tillman to overload the Paraguay defense going forward. Dest started against Paraguay in November, but Robinson missed the game with Max Arfsten starting in his place. Neither Pulisic nor Tillman featured, as well. While the wing backs are going to be important going forward, they're also going to be important on defense. Paraguay is going to look to drop low and hit the United States on the counterattack. While Robinson and Dest are going to be important going forward, there will also be a job for them to do in defense. Before the USA's loss to Germany, I highlighted how important Leroy San was going to be on the right wing for Germany in case he was able to get Tim Ream in a one-on-one situation. Ream is likely to start on the left of the United States' back three in defense, so he'll be on Robinson's side. Making sure he has support will be big when defending attacks in transition from Paraguay. Paraguay had 10 shutouts in its 18 World Cup qualifying games, so it's not going to be easy to break down in what will be a difficult defense to break down. I'm expecting the United States to have the majority of the ball, though. We had 56% of possession back in November against Paraguay, and it may end up being more this time around. That doesn't mean it will be a walk in the park for us, though.

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South Korea vs. Czechia box score: Full stats from World Cup Group A match originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.South Korea and Czechia will keep the first day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup rolling when they kick off on Thursday evening.They're also a part of Group A, which featured Mexico's 2-0 win over South Africa earlier in the day. That match, with a combined three red cards, did feature quite a bit of energy and will also lead to red-card suspensions for future matches in the group.To keep pace with Mexico, these teams will both want to start their tournament with a win. Of course, only one can do that -- with a draw not a terrible result for either side here.South Korea and Czechia likely represents one of the more evenly matched opening matchups of this World Cup, which has expanded to 48 teams and potentially have more one-sided affairs because of that.Both teams are led by star attackers: Son Heung-min for South Korea, and Patrick Schick for Czechia.If one of them can get off the mark early, it could decide this game.Below, we'll be keeping track of the action.MORE:Germany fan Freddy is going viral for his journey through the American SouthSouth Korea vs. Czechia box scoreRefresh for the latest updates.PregameSouth KoreaCzechiaPossessionShots on goalFouls committedYellow cardsRed cardsCornersSavesExpected goalsSouth Korea vs. Czechia goalsRefresh for the latest.This section will be updated if and when a goal is scored.MORE:How playing for South Korea removed Son Heung-min from mandatory military serviceWho are the goalies in South Korea vs. Czechia?The expectation is thatKim Seung-gu will start in goal for the Koreans.Matej Kovar is likely to start for Czechia.We'll be tracking their number of saves in the table above.More FIFA World Cup news:Pope Leo XIV shares an inspiring message on sport, life before World CupLamine Yamal hanging out at a WalmartHarry Kane reveals blunt feelings about potential England issues in U.S. heatLawrence, Kansas has fallen in love with the Algerian national teamZlatan bashes Erling Haaland in hilarious way