Saibari and Galarza break the record hours apart, and Paraguay win short-handed

On Friday the World Cup’s fastest-goal record was set, then broken hours later. Morocco’s Ismael Saibari needed 71 seconds to beat Scotland. By the last kickoff of the night, Paraguay’s Matías Galarza had gone quicker still. Two 1-0 wins, both settled almost before anyone had sat down.

A record set, then broken the same day

Saibari ran onto a Brahim Díaz pass and finished inside 71 seconds, the quickest goal of this World Cup and the fastest Morocco have scored at one. It held up. Scotland did not register a shot on target all afternoon, only the second time that’s happened to them at a World Cup, and the loss leaves them third in Group C with Brazil still to play. Then came Galarza. Paraguay’s midfielder scored after roughly 64 seconds against Türkiye, a few seconds faster than Saibari, and the record changed hands before the day was done.

A red card nobody had seen before

Paraguay’s win got odder from there. In first-half stoppage time, Miguel Almirón was sent off for covering his mouth while talking to Türkiye’s Mert Müldür, the first player dismissed under the sport’s new rule on hiding your mouth during a confrontation. Referee Iván Barton checked the monitor and showed a straight red. Paraguay played the whole second half a man down and won anyway. Türkiye had 32 shots and nothing to show for them; a second straight defeat knocks them out without a goal to their name.

USA through without Pulisic

In Seattle the hosts did the job. The United States beat Australia 2-0 without Christian Pulisic, out with a calf injury, through a Cameron Burgess own goal and a header from 21-year-old Alex Freeman. That seals a place in the Round of 32 and top spot in Group D, and hands the US back-to-back World Cup wins for the first time since 1930. Brazil won too, 3-0 against Haiti, though Raphinha pulled up with a hamstring problem before half-time.

Fastest of the tournament: Saibari's opener at 71 seconds was the World Cup's quickest, until Galarza beat it hours later at around 64.

See how Groups C and D look now on the live table.

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