The match between Jordan and Algeria begins with an energetic pace as Algeria mounts an early attack, compelling Jordan’s captain Ehsan Haddad to clear the ball from danger down the right flank. The lively start is a fitting prelude to the match.
Algeria swiftly responds, with forward Amine Gouiri receiving the ball inside the penalty area. He quickly pivots to create space for a shot, but Jordan’s goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila watches as the attempt strikes the side netting at the near post.
Jordan earns an early free kick, providing a chance for Nizar Al-Rashdan, who breaks free for a header. However, his powerful attempt veers wide of the near post.
With a loud whistle, the match kicks off as Jordan, dressed in vibrant red, takes on Algeria, who are clad in white with green accents, in the World Cup Group J clash at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
As the national anthems resonate in Santa Clara, players stand arm-in-arm beneath oversized flags, with kick-off just moments away.
Here are the starting lineups for both teams:
Jordan:1 Yazeed Abulaila (gk); 5 Yazan Al-Arab, 3 Abdallah Nasib, 4 Husam Abu Dahab; 23 Ehsan Haddad (c), 21 Nizar Al-Rashdan, 8 Noor Al-Rawabdeh, 20 Mohannad Abu Taha; 13 Mahmoud Al-Mardi, 10 Musa Al-Taamari, 9 Ali Olwan.
Algeria:23 Luca Zidane (gk); 17 Rafik Belghali, 2 Aissa Mandi, 21 Ramy Bensebaini, 15 Rayan Aït-Nouri; 14 Hicham Boudaoui, 19 Nabil Bentaleb, 22 Ibrahim Maza; 7 Riyad Mahrez (c), 10 Farès Chaïbi, 9 Amine Gouiri.
Referee: Slavko Vincic
As noted by Peter Oh, the scene in San Francisco is a stark reminder of Italy fans in North Beach, who must be feeling the absence of their team from the tournament as they read, “‘Everything is red, white and green in San Francisco’ must be painful reading for Italy fans in North Beach who are still mourning the absence of gli Azzurri from the tournament and the lack of little Italian flags decorating Columbus Avenue,” with little Italian flags absent from Columbus Avenue. Feel free to email your thoughts on the game or share sentiments if you’re watching from afar.
As the players head to the tunnel, conditions at the stadium remain pleasant at 19°C, with kick-off only ten minutes away.
In a parallel match earlier today, Lionel Messi scored two goals as Argentina triumphed over Austria, securing their place in the knockout rounds. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland have also joined the race for the golden boot, each netting two goals as well.
Coach Vladimir Petkovic has made two alterations to the lineup that faced Argentina, bringing back Riyad Mahrez to lead the team against Jordan, while Anis Hadj Moussa moves to the bench. Nabil Bentaleb also finds himself among the substitutes as Ramiz Zerrouki adds stability to the midfield.
And yes, it’s noteworthy that goalkeeper Luca Zidane is indeed the son of the legendary French World Cup star.
The San Francisco stadium continues to fill, and both teams have inspected the pitch.
While Senegal is generating excitement on the field at the New Jersey/New York Stadium, Philadelphia experienced a significant storm that delayed the match between France and Iraq by two hours.
Despite the interruption in Pennsylvania, Paul MacInnes reported that France managed to overcome the physical challenge presented by Iraq with relative ease, further escalating the competition between Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.
Just as I was about to note that Senegal was still pushing Norway with eight minutes of added time left, they scored! The excitement in New Jersey continues.
Returning to Messi, despite a missed penalty in the 9th minute, the Argentinian captain quickly rebounded to score his 17th World Cup goal during the first half, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s record.
Pablo Iglesias Maurer reflected on a moment when it seemed, “one began to wonder – was this simply not Messi’s day?”
Both the Algerian and Jordanian squads have arrived at the stadium, with just over an hour until kick-off.
While Messi acknowledged that the moment was “special,” he remained composed and didn’t allow himself to get overly excited.
“Like I’ve said other times, I enjoy playing, having a good time on the pitch.”
Earlier today, Messi’s Argentina faced Austria in another exciting Group J matchup in Dallas.
Messi’s remarkable performance not only set the stage for his team’s victory but also solidified his position as the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.
Nick Ames reported from Dallas Stadium, highlighting the significance of Messi’s achievement:
“It had to be Lionel Messi, it had to be on this day and perhaps it even needed to be in Dallas too. History was created in the way he knows best, a clinical left-footed flourish setting him out on his own as the World Cup’s highest goalscorer of all time. An occasion that already throbbed with an epic, cinematic quality had its moment for the ages and the genius who served it up will surely provide even more. A first golden boot would not be the worst present for an icon who turns 39 on Wednesday.”
Algeria faced a tough start in their tournament opener against reigning champions Argentina, as Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 defeat. However, under head coach Vladimir Petkovic, the team is expected to perform better against Jordan, having achieved an impressive record of 21 wins, four draws, and just three losses in 28 matches, including a friendly victory over the Netherlands.
Jonathan Wilson has discussed what Algeria and the other nine African teams must do in North America to validate the expansion of World Cup spots allocated to Caf for this edition.
“No region benefited as much from the expansion of the World Cup as Africa. In Qatar in 2022, five of the 32 slots (16% of the field) went to the Confederation of African Football (Caf). Of the 48 slots this time around, nine went automatically to Caf, and they secured a 10th when DR Congo beat Jamaica in an interconfederational playoff in March. Caf had lobbied for years for more representation, arguing it was unfair that it had only five slots for its 54 members, while Conmebol, the South American confederation, had four plus a playoff for 10 members (21% of the field). The response was that Conmebol sides had won the World Cup nine times, while Caf sides had only made the quarter-finals on three occasions. By the end of the last World Cup, Conmebol were up to 10 victories and Caf had its first semi-finalist.”
Welcome to live coverage of the World Cup match between Jordan and Algeria at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Kick-off for this Group J encounter is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time, 11 p.m. EDT, 4 a.m. BST, and 1 p.m. AEST – translating to 4 a.m. in Algeria and 6 a.m. in Jordan for those following from the competing nations.
This match is critical for both Jordan and Algeria, as it could significantly impact their chances of advancing to the knockout stages. Jordan is still looking for their first win in their World Cup debut after a spirited performance against Austria, where they led before succumbing to a second-half own goal and conceding a late penalty in a 3-1 loss. Star attacker Ali Olwan netted the nation’s first World Cup goal, while Musa Al-Taamari posed a constant threat on counterattacks. However, defensive vulnerabilities remain a concern for the No. 68-ranked team, which has allowed multiple goals in each of their last five matches.
On the other hand, Algeria found themselves in a supporting role during their first match against Argentina, where Messi’s hat-trick led to a 3-0 defeat. Their defensive weaknesses are less likely to be exposed against Jordan, and it’s essential to note that coach Vladimir Petkovic has led the team to an impressive record prior to facing Argentina. Algeria, ranked No. 29, boasts a potent attack featuring veteran Riyad Mahrez and emerging midfielder Ibrahim Maza.
I will return shortly with the line-ups and team news, along with the latest updates from the World Cup. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with any questions, opinions, or predictions. You can email me or connect with me on Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get started!
