Three Round of 32 ties reached their conclusion on July 1, and each one found a different way to keep its crowd on the edge of their seats - a captain's late intervention, a stoppage-time penalty controversy, and a slice of history for the co-hosts.
Kane's Late Double Rescues England
England fell behind early in front of a big crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, as DR Congo's Brian Cipenga capitalized on a rapid start to put the underdogs in front. England needed a big response from their captain, and Harry Kane delivered it in style, heading in an equalizer set up by a fizzing Anthony Gordon cross before turning home the winner late on to send England through 2-1. DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was a colossus at the other end, pulling off a string of saves to keep the scoreline respectable, and a non-penalty shout involving Kane was correctly waved away by the officials. It is the end of the road for DR Congo's remarkable run to the knockout stage, but England march on to a mouthwatering Round of 16 meeting with co-hosts Mexico.
Late Penalty Controversy Sends Belgium Through in Extra Time
Seattle played host to the day's most dramatic tie, as Belgium overturned what looked like a lost cause against Senegal. Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr had Senegal cruising with a two-goal lead, but substitute Romelu Lukaku pulled one back with just a few minutes of normal time remaining, and Youri Tielemans leveled deep into stoppage time to force extra time. The additional 30 minutes turned on a lengthy VAR review that awarded Belgium a penalty for a foul on Tielemans, a decision that split opinion among pundits watching on, with some describing it as a soft call. Tielemans made no mistake from the spot in the closing seconds of extra time to send Belgium through. It was a brutal way for Senegal's tournament to end after their own spirited run to reach this stage. Belgium now turn their attention to a heavyweight Round of 16 date with the United States.
USA End a Long Wait With a Knockout Win
In Santa Clara, the United States delivered one of the host nation's landmark results of the tournament, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time since 2002. Folarin Balogun struck right on the stroke of half-time, and Malik Tillman curled home a stunning free kick in the second half to make the game safe. The celebrations were tempered slightly when Balogun was shown a straight red card in the second half, meaning he will miss the Round of 16 showdown with Belgium through suspension. Defender Chris Richards summed up the mood afterwards, admitting it "wasn't a perfect day... but it was our day," while Christian Pulisic praised his team's resolve, saying they "had to dig deep." The win also snaps a long losing streak for the USA against European opposition at major tournaments, and sends a real statement about how far this squad has come on home soil.
Looking Ahead
The Round of 16 bracket keeps getting more intriguing by the day. England will travel to face co-host Mexico in what should be one of the most fiercely-supported matches of the tournament so far, while Belgium and the United States collide in a heavyweight clash that promises goals at both ends. Three matches, three very different flavors of drama on July 1 - and with the tournament only getting tighter from here, there is no sign of things settling down.