Soccer World Cup weekend round-up.
Dave Savides, editor-in-chief of Zululand Observer, shares a quick round-up after every World Cup match.
Friday:
Brazil vs Costa Rica
Late surge sends Brazil through
It wasn’t exactly Brazilliant, but the mission was ultimately successfully completed.
After the 90 minutes of regulation time, the scoreline read: Brazil 0 – Costa Rica 0.
But seven minutes later the story had transformed to Brazil 2 – Costa Rica 0.
It was a strange outcome. Brazil had clearly been the superior side throughout the first half, enjoying 70 percent of the possession, but Los Ticos had been as stubborn as mules in protecting their turf.
Added to that, Brazil failed to even hit the target on more than 20 occasions – the biggest culprit being Neymar, who enjoyed a surfeit of ball on the left flank.
But he seemed more intent on winning free kicks by fair means or foul, and alternated between sending over decent and dismal crosses.
Chelsea’s Willian on his opposite wing hardly got a look in, while Philippe Coutinho of Barcelona looked most likely to make inroads for Brazil, who upped the tempo in the second half but without looking convincingly like scoring.
Striding out with purpose, they forced Costa Rica to load the defence, and for long periods there was not one single player in Brazil’s half of the field.
Conversely, Costa Rican keeper Keylor Navas was kept busy all day and the Real Madrid stopper was forced into plenty of saves.
The irritating Neymar – a mixture of awesome talent and nauseating petulance – was awarded a penalty in the 77th minute as he zoomed in on goal and was ‘pulled back’ by the defender.
The ref awarded the spot kick but VAR disagreed and overruled him.
Serves Neymar right for the amateur dramatics. Had he looked for a goal rather than a penalty, he probably would have scored.
He did eventually tuck one away in the 97th minute after the rock-solid Coutinho had given Brazil the goal they needed and deserved in the 91st minute.
Brazil is not yet guaranteed a last 16 spot after their earlier 1-1 draw with Switzerland, but for Costa Rica, it’s bye-bye time.
Nigeria vs Iceland
Viva Nigeria, Viva!
Nigeria was ‘two’ good for Iceland in their vital Group D encounter on Friday evening.
There was little to choose between the two sides in the first 45, with Nigeria shading the possession and making almost double the number of passes as they strove to melt Icelandic hearts.
However, Nigeria was nowhere near direct enough and it didn’t help their cause simply not to concede; they had to score to stay in the competition.
They showed they had the capability but appeared to lack the confidence needed to take the fight to their opponents.
This they did when they came back onto the field for the second stanza.
It took just three minutes from the restart for midfielder Victor Moses to make a beautiful break down the right, his pinpoint cross superbly brought down by striker Ahmed Musa, who thrashed it home for a 1-0 lead.
Musa, currently on loan from Leicester to CSK Moscow, would have delighted the host country supporters as well as inspiring his own nation.
Both sides kept pushing forward, with the Chelsea paring of John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses prominent in the Nigerian engine room.
The Ahmed Musa show resumed in the 74th minute as he ran round Kari Arnason and calmly picked his spot between the keeper and two defenders to make it 2-0.
VAR came into the picture again in the final 10 minutes when a Nigerian goal kick was overturned and a penalty was awarded to Iceland.
But Iceman Gylfi Sigurosson failed to keep his cool and spurned the opportunity, ballooning the ball over the crossbar.
Nigeria calmly held on for a famous comeback win after losing their opener to Croatia, who top the group with six points.
Nigeria has three points while Argentina and Iceland have one each, and the trio will fight it out for the remaining last 16 places.
Serbia vs Switzerland:
Swiss roll Serbia to take pole position
Switzerland became the first team in this year’s World Cup to come from a goal down when they beat Serbia 2-1 in a riveting Saturday night late show.
Serbia was quickly out the blocks and Aleksandar Mitrovic had a header saved but a minute later nailed another one to put the Serbs ahead 1-0 in the 5th minute.
The big, old-fashioned striker, who plays his club football for Fulham (on loan from Newcastle) used his height and power to good advantage to make the early statement of intent as his side continued to press.
In fact, the first Swiss effort on target only came in the 30th when Blerim Dzemaili came close to equalising.
With plenty at stake, the game was a tense one, therefore always a bit frantic with hurried shots and clearances.
The situation called for some calm heads and it was Switzerland who obliged after the break, stringing patient passes together and not forcing the pace.
They were rewarded in the 51st minute when Xherden Shaqiri’s attempt was blocked and the ball rebounded to Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka, who rasped his shot home from outside the box to tie the contest at 1-1.
Man of the match Shaqiri with his fast feet and low centre of gravity was always a tough man to dispossess and two minutes later whipped in a stunning left-footer that grazed the left post
He was not to be denied his moment of glory and with regular time expired he ran half the length of the field, outpaced the sole Serbian defender and slid the ball under the advancing keeper for a 2-1 lead they were able to hold onto as the heavens opened.
Switzerland ‘reigned’ as the final whistle blew and now share top spot with Brazil on four points each.
Serbia has three, but must face Brazil in their last Group E fixture while the Swiss take on pointless Costa Rica and are in pole position to go through to the knockout stage.
Saturday:
Belgium vs Tunisia
Belgium bloom in the Garden of Eden
The Spartak Stadium was transformed into the Garden of Eden (Hazard) as the mercurial leader inspired a relentless Belgian side to a 5-2 win over plucky Tunisia. In Saturday’s Group G contest.
His brace, together with that of a rejuvenated Romelo Lukaku, provided wonderful entertainment for the packed venue and the worldwide audience of many millions.
Hazard made his mark as early as the fourth minute when he was brought down at the edge of the box. VAR confirmed the penalty and Hazard got up and duly dispatched the spot kick into the corner (1-0).
The lead doubled when Dries Mertens fed a super defence-splitting ball to Lukaku in the 15th minute and his sweet left-footed strike found the far corner (2-0).
Almost immediately Tunisia struck back as Dylan Bronn halved the deficit to 2-1 but Belgium rebounded and had their opponents’ box resembling a pinball machine with attack after attack.
Kevin de Bruyne, who was having far more impact than last time out, put Lukaku clear through in the 26th minute but he couldn’t beat keeper Farouk Ben Mustapha.
Tunisia was having little of the game but looked lively when they did move forward.
On halftime de Bruyne broke right and slid the ball across the face of the goalmouth with Lukaku a fraction late in arriving.
Not to worry, seconds later he had his second as Simon Mignolet pushed a delightful through ball and the big man made it 3-1 at the break.
Regular service resumed
The teams were hardly back on the pitch when Hazard brought a through ball down on his chest, applied a delicate touch with his foot and ghosted past keeper Mustapha for a 4-1 scoreline.
They might have had a fistful more had a number of chances not struck the posts or been directed straight at defenders
As it was, Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi did score in the 90th minute (5-1) for Belgium only for Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri to pull one back in the 95th.
A seven-goal thriller, going one better than the 3-3 draw between Spain and Portugal on day two.
Even though Belgium had taken their collective foot off the pedal, they still freewheeled into the round of 16.
Tunisia, on the other hand, engaged reverse gear and will return from whence they came – but they had not tamely surrendered and have nothing of which to be ashamed.
Two goals against the mighty Belgians is not too shabby, Nigel.
P.S. I might just remind readers of my pre-tournament predictions (in black and white): 1 Belgium, 2 Mexico, 3 Croatia.
So far, so good.
Mexico vs Korea:
Six of the best for Mexico
Korea Republic was unlucky not to get at least a share of the spoils when they went down 2-1 to Mexico in their Group F encounter this (Saturday) evening.
The result will naturally delight the hordes of El Tricolor supporters who had seen their side humble Germany in their first outing and now leap to six points at the top of the log.
It wasn’t the greatest of games from a neutral’s point of view but what it lacked in class it made up for in intensity.
(It was also marred by me having to channel hop between the Springbok/England rugby test.)
Mexico scored in the 24th minute when Jang unintentionally blocked Guardado’s cross with his arm and Carlos Velas duly dispatched the spot kick.
A terrific save by Hyun-Woo Cho prevented a second goal but it did arrive after the break when Javier Chicharito Hernandez made it 2-0.
Korea got a late one back in extra time: a curling long-distance strike by Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), the goal of the game – one that gave Ochoa no chance.
Although they conceded a 2-1 result, that goal could play a big part in the possible group permutations as goal difference might determine the outcome.
Korea is not yet out of it, by a whisker. They wait anxiously for the imminent kick-off between Germany and Sweden.
They want a Germany win tonight (Saturday) and then in the last round would have to beat the Germans themselves, and pray for Mexico to beat Sweden.
Nothing worse than your fate being in everyone else’s hands.
Sunday:
England vs Panama:
Kane & Co. sail England through
With a five-star first-half performance, England cruised through the Panama canal for a decisive 6-1 win that sees them join Belgium on six points at the top of Group H and headed for the knockout stage.
The first goal came in the 6th minute as an unmarked John Stones headed home a Kieran Trippier corner – a sign of things to come.
England totally controlled the tempo, with Panama relying on breakaways, their only other tactic is to bump and thump opponents at every opportunity.
Jesse Lingard was copping the worst of it and when he was brought down from behind, captain Harry Kane took the penalty and his emphatic smash gave no hope for Jaime Penedo (2-0).
Lingard – who played his finest game in the white shirt – picked his spot to make it 3-0 as he found the top right corner after playing a big part in the build-up.
Stones, who had never before scored for his country, got his second in the 39th minute when a free kick was played short to the left and crossed back in from the right for the Man City defender to nod it in for 4-0.
Stones featured again when he and Harry Kane were rugby tackled at yet another corner and Kane duly dispatched the penalty kick: same spot, same result and it was 5-0 as England exploited a defensive ‘Pan’demic.
Already through and anxious to avoid yellow cards and injuries, England played ‘keep ball’ in the second half but still managed to add to their tally when a Ruben Luftus-Cheek shot deflected off Kane (who knew nothing about it) for the skipper’s hat trick and a 6-0 scoreline.
Gareth Southgate rang the changes: Jamie Vardie for Kane, Fabian Delph for Lingard and Danny Rose for Trippier.
Panama had the last say when 37-year-old Felipe Baloy got on the end of a free kick to slide it home – Panama’s first ever World Cup finals goal, some consolation as they now prepare to check their outgoing flight tickets.
Japan vs Senegal:
Spoils shared in a thrilling draw
Each with a win and looking to top Group H, Japan and Senegal took to the field on Sunday seeking to all but secure their places in the last 16.
Senegal started the sharper and was rewarded in the 11th minute after a double Japanese blunder.
A poor defensive headed clearance by Genki Haraguchi fell to the African champions; then keeper Eiji Kawashima failed to catch a simple ball, pushing it onto the advancing Sadio Mane’s knees and into the goal (1-0).
He didn’t know much about it, but the predator was poised in the right place.
Japan started seeing more of the ball after that, passing well and gaining in confidence.
It paid off in the 34th minute when Yuto Nagatomo bamboozled the defence and a fed a pass into the path of Takashi Inui, who curled a powerful shot into the far corner (1-1).
It remained a stalemate at the break – a situation that would not have pleased either side.
Chances came and went at both ends in the second stanza, with Japan twice oh so close to taking the lead, including Inui hitting the junction of post and crossbar.
Somewhat against the run of play, teenager Moussa Wague whacked home a low cross that had eluded everyone else in a packed goalmouth and it was 2-1 to Senegal with 20 minutes to play.
Japan was back in it on 78 minutes when super sub Keisuke Honda drove the ball home from a scrap in front of the goals after keeper Abdoulaye Diallo came out and failed to intercept the cross.
It was indeed the power of dreams and that’s the way it ended, 2-2, with Japan twice having come from behind.
The spectators of both countries, as well as the neutrals, left the stadium having witnessed a superb clash.
Poland vs Columbia:
Dazzling Colombia embarrass timid Poland
With Group H competitors Japan and Senegal on four points, it was a must-win for both Poland and Columbia, each with nil, if they were to stand any chance of making progress to the last 16 round.
Poland supplied most of the early pressure; as usual hoping inspirational skipper Robert Lewandowski would do his magic.
However, the Columbian back four did a sterling ‘pest control’ marking job on him, neutralising his prowess.
Chances were created fairly regularly for both sides, especially from the dancing feet of Columbia’s sparkling Juan Cuadrado.
But finishing was miserable at both ends, with not a single shot on target until 39 minutes when a clever cross from James Rodríguez found the head of Yerry Mina, who put the South Americans ahead 1-0.
With majority possession, they were worthy of the halftime lead.
They can thank keeper David Ospina for maintaining the status quo when he saved point-blank from Lewandowski early in the second period.
However, it was Colombia who doubled their lead with the goal of the game in the 70th minute when a defence-splitting pass by Juan Fernando Quintero was gleefully pounced on by veteran Radamel Falcao, who absolutely nailed a bullet past Wojciech Szczesny in the sticks.
Two minutes later and Juan Cuadrado picked up a loose ball, dribbled half the length of the field, held off a couple of would-be defenders and duly supplied a classy finishing touch to make it 3-0.
This would be the end result.
Poland‘s World Cup dream is over, while Colombia is well in it, just one point behind Japan and Senegal – their opponents in the last group encounter on Thursday.
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