Germany are through to the knockouts. Nagelsmann made a triple sub at the 60th, Deniz Undav scored twice, and Ivory Coast were beaten 2-1. Real coach's-eye lesson: when your starters aren't doing it, change the structure, don't wait. Most managers don't make that call. Nagelsmann did. Schlotterbeck off at halftime, replaced by Rüdiger, suspected ligament damage — Germany may be down a starting center back going into the knockouts.

Cabo Verde drew Uruguay 2-2 — Pina scored their first ever World Cup goal from a 32-meter free kick. Two draws against major football nations. They could qualify. Population 600,000.

Curaçao got their first World Cup point with a 0-0 against Ecuador. Their keeper Eloy Room made 15 saves — the most in 90 minutes of a World Cup match since records began in 1966.

Türkiye are OUT. 62 shots across two matches, zero goals — the worst two-match goalless run in World Cup history. Vincenzo Montella goes home.

Plus: the first mouth-covering red card in World Cup history — exactly as the rule was designed.

Then: I went to two VNL Women's matches at Huamark in Bangkok last week, and twenty years of coaching team sport jumped out at me. Even the pros can't pass — and I think I know why. Early specialization, the libero rule, and the cost of building specialists instead of generalists. Why Italy keep winning, why Thailand can take Canada to four sets, and what every youth coach in every team sport should be thinking about.

Thursday: Germany vs Ecuador. Final group match.