BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) — Vinicius Junior scored twice as Brazil sealed top spot in Group C on Wednesday, while Mexico completed a perfect group stage and Morocco joined Switzerland in the World Cup knockout rounds.
In Miami, Vinicius took his tournament tally to four goals as Brazil clinched top spot in Group C with a 3-0 victory over Scotland. The game marked Neymar’s return to international football after an absence of almost three years, with the 34-year-old introduced as a 76th-minute substitute.
In the other Group C clash, Morocco twice recovered from a goal down to secure a 4-2 win over Haiti in Atlanta. Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari scored in the first half for the African side before Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine added second-half goals. A Yassine Bounou own goal and Wilson Isidor’s strike accounted for Haiti’s goals. Morocco finished second in the group, behind Brazil on goal difference, while Haiti was eliminated after losing each of its three games.
In Mexico City, Mateo Chavez, Julian Quinones and Alvaro Fidalgo scored second-half goals as Mexico maintained its perfect record with a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic in their final Group A match. The co-host overcame a slow start to produce a dominant second-half display at Mexico City Stadium and finish the group stage with three wins from as many games. The result sent the Czech Republic, playing in its first World Cup since 2006, out of the tournament, while Javier Aguirre’s team will have the luxury of a home round-of-32 encounter.
In the other Group A match, South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0, advancing to the round of 32 together with Mexico, marking their first time entering the knockout stage of the World Cup.
In group B, Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi scored second-half goals as Switzerland clinched top spot in Group B with a 2-1 win over Canada in Vancouver. Promise David was on target for Canada, which finished second to also progress to the round of 32. Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Qatar 3-1 and advanced into the knockout stage for the first time as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
