Group ACzech Republic 1-0 South AfricaAs I write this, South Africa have probably been the poorest team so far in the tournament, but could that simply be a case of being overwhelmed by the occasion of playing the opening match against the hosts?Bafana Bafana won’t be helped by losing two experienced midfielders through suspension after their red cards.The Czech Republic’s strength from set-pieces could be the difference.Mexico 2-1 South KoreaBoth sides won on opening night, meaning they might already have done enough to qualify.By the time they kick off, they will know the result of the other Group A fixture. There’s a chance that if this is level with 15 minutes to go, both managers might be content with a point rather than risking everything chasing a winner. That’s one of the issues with the current format.On a positive note, my favourite World Cup moment so far has been the Mexican duck.Group BSwitzerland 1-0 BosniaIt’s funny how football can change based on small details.Switzerland were only a couple of minutes away from a win on Saturday, but by not taking their chances and getting too comfortable, they have now put themselves under massive pressure. Being held by Qatar will not have gone down well back home.Canada knew Bosnia’s main weapon was their threat from set-pieces. Yet there is clearly a difference between knowing about that threat and stopping it.If the Swiss defend properly, Bosnia won’t offer much else going forward.Canada 2-0 QatarIt’s good for any World Cup when the hosts do well, so it’s encouraging that all three hosts got a result in their opening fixtures.Canada had plenty of possession at the weekend but were sometimes rash in the final third, almost overthinking the final pass or shot.Qatar will park the bus, but after earning their first point on this stage, they will do so with confidence.They conceded 26 shots on Saturday, but their defence actually prevented their goalkeeper from having to make too many outstanding saves.Group CMorocco 3-1 ScotlandI don’t want to put a pin in the Scottish balloon because, after 28 years away from the World Cup, the only thing that mattered on Saturday was getting the result.The reality, though, is that Haiti had more possession, shots and corners. A team with more quality would have punished those statistics.Morocco are that team.When they co-host in four years’ time, they could represent Africa’s best-ever chance of producing a World Cup winner.Brazil 3-0 HaitiYou saw over the weekend the benefit of having Carlo Ancelotti as your manager.The Italian knows how to calm players down and help them deal with pressure, and it was clear he had to do that at half-time.He’s also experienced enough to know that while he might get away with it in the group stage, a midfield of Casemiro, Guimaraes and Paqueta could be overpowered in the knockout rounds.As Vinicius Junior proved on Saturday, though, Brazil still have individuals capable of producing moments of magic. Gabriel played the full 90 minutes against Morocco in his World Cup debut, but Gabriel Martinelli didn’t come off the bench.Group DUSA 2-1 AustraliaI said when previewing the World Cup that it wouldn’t take much for American fans to get carried away either way after their opening match.Had they failed to win, many would have written the team off. After one victory, some now believe they can win the whole thing.The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.As I write this, Australia may have been the most tactically impressive team I’ve seen so far. They invited Turkey to break down their yellow wall and then punished them clinically at the other end.They will happily let the hosts dominate possession on Friday and will relish the underdog role.Turkey 3-1 ParaguayHow do you have 30 shots and more than 75 per cent possession yet lose your opener 2-0?Over the next few days, Turkey need to find the balance between wondering how those statistics didn’t lead to victory and accepting that sometimes football simply gives you one of those days.That seems to be the approach Hakan Calhanoglu is taking, which is sensible. With the attacking talent they possess, it would be counterproductive for the captain to panic after one game.Paraguay will happily allow players such as Arda Guler and Baris Yilmaz to keep passing in front of them. They are comfortable defending like that but less so when being directly attacked.Montella will surely have noticed how Paraguay lost the midfield battle in their opener. If the USA can do that, Turkey should be capable of doing the same.They may need patience, though.Group EGermany 3-2 Ivory CoastFrom an attacking perspective, Germany’s ability to interchange positions is brilliant.Add Joshua Kimmich stepping into midfield from right-back and they become incredibly difficult to man-mark.Yet even Curacao managed to create problems for them defensively.So this might come down to how ambitious Ivory Coast want to be.Given their final group fixture, they probably already know that a first-ever World Cup knockout-stage appearance is within reach. In that sense, this is a free hit.It should be entertaining.Ecuador 4-0 CuracaoAn organised defensive team encouraged to be more ambitious against superior opposition is often accused of being naive.There are two ways to approach a World Cup as an underdog.You can park the bus every match and hope for luck, or understand you may never be on this stage again and simply enjoy the experience.On Sunday, Germany were just waiting for Curacao to lose possession so they could strike on the counter, but credit to Dick Advocaat for allowing his players to stick to the style that got them here.Ecuador’s 19-match unbeaten run may be over, but a convincing victory should still leave them in a strong position to qualify, at least as one of the best third-placed teams.Which rather makes a mockery of FIFA’s new format.Group FNetherlands 1-1 SwedenI know Crysencio Summerville produced a moment of magic, but was that the most underwhelming Dutch attack to start a World Cup?Certainly in my lifetime.There cannot be many occasions in the tournament’s history when Sweden have possessed a stronger forward line than the Netherlands.Liverpool fans will have been delighted with how Alexander Isak performed at the weekend.The question is whether Graham Potter will remain positive on Saturday or revert to a more conservative approach.The first half of Netherlands versus Japan was probably the dullest 45 minutes of the World Cup so far, and I can see this game being similar.A sad indictment from the nation that gave us Total Football.Japan 1-0 TunisiaJapan may regret waiting until they were 2-1 down before really taking the game to the Netherlands.What stands out about this team, though, is that they never panic.You know you’re making progress when you’re not at your best and still manage to take something from a game against the Dutch.What are your predictions for Matchday Two? Let us know your scores in the comments below and see how many you can get right.Dan Smith_____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsWorld Cup 2026 Predictions Match Day 2 Part 1 Groups A-F15 June 2026, 23:00Arsenal’s Gyokeres stars as Sweden hit five in dominant World Cup opener15 June 2026, 22:00Nottingham Forest enters race to sign Arsenal man15 June 2026, 21:00The post World Cup 2026 Predictions Match Day 2 Part 1 Groups A-F appeared first on Just Arsenal News.