Algeria survive 3–3 thriller, Switzerland await in the round of 16

Algeria 3–3 Austria, and it was chaos

That was not a football match. It was a four-act play with no intermission. Algeria drew 3–3 with Austria on Sunday and the point was enough to send your team through to the round of 16 (1) (2) (4). The result means Switzerland on 3 July, and everyone in the stadium in Kansas City seemed to know what was at stake in real time.

Mahrez: no calculations, we play to win

Before the match, Riyad Mahrez gathered the squad and kept it simple. "Pas de calculs, on joue pour gagner", no calculations, we play to win (4). He meant it. Algeria went for it, and the captain's leadership set the tone for a night no fan will forget.

Match-fixing talk dismissed

The scoreline drew attention, and not all of it was clean. Former referee Keith Hackett reviewed the footage and shut it down: "The reality, if we put our common sense hat on, you've got 22 players and, the vulnerable part of it all, is the referee" (1). Nothing to see here.

Algerian fans celebrated an Austrian goal

When Austria equalised to make it 3–3, the Algerian end erupted (2). The reason was simple: that score meant avoiding Spain in the next round. Fans did the maths faster than anyone on the pitch, and footage of the celebration is everywhere.

Third-choice goalkeeper could start against Switzerland

Luca Zidane and his backup Oussama Benbout are both under fire after recent performances. The coaching staff are now considering Melvin Mastil, the third-choice keeper, for the Switzerland match on 3 July (3). A bold call if it happens.

Fan-reaktioner

The mood online is giddy disbelief. Fans who were in Kansas City keep calling it the best match they have ever seen live, one American Reddit user brought his two kids and said the experience was unforgettable. Read the full post here.