Group A -
The second round in Group Stages began without any surprises, with hosts Russia becoming the first country to move into the elimination rounds. A scoreline of 3-1, clearly demonstrated their domination, as Egypt tried their best to control spaces. Salah quite fittingly, scored their only goal through a spot kick, as Egypt also become the first nation to face elimination, with two losses in the group stages.
In the other match of the group, Uruguay, went past a resolute Saudi Arabia 1-0, when Luis Suarez, in his 100th appearance for his country, volleyed in from a floating corner by Sanchez, midway into the 1st half. So both Russia & Uruguay safely qualify for the round of 16, with two wins apiece. The final match between the two will determine, who tops the Group.
Group B -
In Group B, Portugal went past Morocco 1-0, with Ronaldo getting his fourth goal of the tournament within 4th minute of the game. He now leads the goal getter's list & looks good to keep the pole position for a while, as others do the catching up. Morocco despite a stubborn performance, are now out of contention from the tournament, having lost both their games.
In the other match, Spain, predictably went past a dogged Iran, 1-0, with Diego Costa scoring in the 54th minute of the game. With three goals, he trails Ronaldo closely in the goal getter's list, as does Russia's Denis Cheryshev with three goals. Iran did manage to put a ball in Spain's goal, but were disallowed for offside - tough luck. They need to beat Portugal in their last match to move to next round - but can they ??.... tough call, but quite possible !!
As of now, both Portugal & Spain, look to be in course to move into the next round, having already collected 4 four points in the table. It will be interesting to see, the final outcome.
Group C -
In Group C, Denmark blew their early goal lead to draw with Australia, who came back strongly to equalise via a penalty - both goals coming in the first half itself - the match never reached high standards, as both teams were more physical than applying skill in the game.
The other match saw France prevail over Peru, via a superb opportunistic goal by the mercurial Kylian Mbappe, the 19 year old sensation. With this win, France are through to the next round - though sluggish, they are looking good. Denmark should also qualify, unless they lose their head against France in the last match, & Aussies defeat Peru by a big margin - tough, but quite possible.
Group D -
In Group D, football fans of South American skills were shocked to roots, as a clinical & a far more engaged Croatia demolished fancied Argentina 3-0. While, superstars of Argentina - Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Dybala, et all were a pale shadow of their best, barely managing a couple of valiant runs down the line, Croatia under the dynamic leadership of Luca Modric were far more energetic & pressing & pierced the Albiceleste defence to shreds - especially in the 2nd half. In the 53rd minute, a howler of clearance by goalkeeper Caballero had winger Rebic volleying into the top right corner. If this was a gift from goalkeeping error, the second goal was a gem from Modric, as he picked the ball just outside the box, dribbled past a defender & launched a beautiful right-footer, that crashed into the right corner of the net. Messi at the other end simply stared at the turf in misery. Rakitic further rubbed misery into the wound in stoppage time, by playing square with Kovacic to place the ball neatly into the net 3-0. Three images exemplified Argentina - Diego Maradona sitting in box gallery, covering his face in disgust, Stockily built Coach Sampaoli pacing up & down the touchline screaming in frustration & Leo Messi looking forlorn & lost. Its almost all over the bar shouting for Argentina, unless they beat Nigeria in their last match & also hope Croatia beats Iceland.
In the other game, a stubborn & physically strong Nigeria tamed Iceland 2-0, which turns all the predictable equations. Nigeria, with this win are back in reckoning, & Iceland are virtually out of contention. Nigeria play their last game against Argentina & even a draw will most likely see them through, while both Argentina & Iceland will need to win their last game & hope for some favourable results coming their way. Iceland will need to get a near impossible win over Croatia, who are in red hot form right now, & hope that Nigeria & Argentina draw - most improbable in current form. Ahmed Musa scored two scintillating goals in the second half to get this win for Nigeria, & look in ominous touch. Iceland, who were touted to win this match, made a hash of their efforts, including a missed penalty, & now need a win against the rampaging Croatia to remain in the tournament.
Group E -
In Group E, Brazil huffed & puffed in the field, as their fans worldwide pleaded & prayed for an elusive win, before finally getting out of jail in their game against Costa Rica, 2-0. Throughout the game, the Selecao struggled, probably in their own belief to win - they controlled the game but would lose steam at the opponent's box, with Neymar struggling with his rhythm, & Willian wasting time in unnecessary dribbling, as also Jesus & Coutinho strangely looking out of ideas in the third half of the pitch - the team overall looked jaded, lacking the killer instinct. The Costa Ricans meanwhile, were happy defending & playing for a draw, as keeper Keylor Navas managed a clean sheet in regulation time. Brazil came to life in the stoppage time, as if out of a long sleepy spell, when Coutinho finally dashed inside the box & poked the ball between the legs of Navas to break the deadlock, & again in the dying minutes of the game, Douglas Costa placed beautifully past Navas for Neymar to tap in for a 2-0 win, - the relief in tears said it all, as coach Tite tumbled to the ground in sheer relief & ecstasy - how much Brazil needed this win.... will this mark the revival of their beautiful game ?? ...... the world waits in hope...meanwhile, Costa Rica goes out of the tournament with two losses.
In the other important game, Serbia started with a goal within 5 minutes of the game, when Mitrovic headed powerfully into the the left corner of the net past the Swiss goalkeeper, off a lovely cross from Tadic. The Serbians looked good to maintain this slender lead, but the mental toughness of the Swiss players came to the fore, as they kept attacking & early in the second half, they got their booty. A Shaqiri strike was blocked by a Serbian defender & off the rebound, midfielder Grant Xhakai fired home an absolute rocket, from about 25 yards from the goal - the ball swerved & banged into the net, bringing Switzerland back alive, almost from nowhere. It was in the last minute of the regulation time, that, Shaqiri, got a long ball from the midfield & half turned to drag past the last defender & then wrong footed the Serbian goalkeeper, to send the ball into the bottom right corner..... the Swiss had suddenly taken a very vital lead & the next four minutes of stoppage time did the Serbians no benefit, as the game ended with the scoreline 2-1 for the Swiss - absolute impeccable timing, to win the match & be level with Brazil in the points table. Now the Serbia - Brazil match next week would be a virtual knockout, with the winner proceeding ahead, while, Switzerland have an easier task against Costa Rica. Both Brazil & Switzerland need just a draw, while Serbia needs a win.....
Group F :
Mexico, kept their focus intact to defeat tricky opponents South Korea 2-1 & qualify for the next round with two back to back wins. The match was mostly dominated by the Mexicans, as Carlos Vela converted a penalty midway in the first half, sending the Korean goalkeeper, Cho the wrong way & later in the second half, striker Javier Hernandez neatly placed the ball in the right corner of the net, as the familiar Mexican wave overtook the stadium. In the stoppage time, with seconds remaining, South Korean striker, Son hit a screamer, which crashed into the right corner of the net, past the full stretch Mexican keeper, Ochoa - finally a goal to redeem the gutsy performance by the hardworking Koreans. However, with two losses, they are now out of the tournament.
In the other match, the mighty Germans came back from the brink of death to win against Sweden, who lost the plot to lose from the jaws of a victory. The match started with Germans swarming the Swedish half, as the men in blue & yellow fought hard to withstand the constant waves of attack. However, in one of the rare counter attacks, Claesson collected the ball at the centre & lifted it over the German half for striker Tiovonen, who smartly took one touch with his chest & lobbed it over the onrushing German goalkeeper, Neuer into the far end of the net. Sweden had taken a vital lead 1-0, & suddenly there was panic in the German camp. Neuer then saved Germans from being down two nil, as he dived acrobatically to deflect a Berg header off a free kick by Larsson in the dying seconds of the first half. However, after the lemon break, Mario Gomez replaced Draxler & the Germans renewed their pressure in the Swedish half with relentless attack. Soon enough, Werner lifted the ball in front of the Swedish goal, & midfielder Reus jumped up to head the ball into the net..... Germans were back in the game. After that, it was quite even at both ends, as Sweden kept coming up in counter attacks & Germans kept looking for the winning goal. In the 82nd minute, Jerome Boateng, already on a yellow car, clattered into Swedish Berg, & obviously picked up the dreaded red - German were down to ten men, & it looked like, end of the road for them, as Sweden now had the extra man to put pressure. Both the goalkeepers at their respective ends made some acrobatic saves, as the strikers pressed hard for win. However, well into the injury time, substitute Durmaz made a silly & clumsy tackle just outside the box & the Germans were awarded a free kick. Midfielder, Toni Kroos, exchanged a quick pass with Reus to change the acute angle & then send the ball curling into the far corner of the net, beating goalkeeper Olsen - a splendid effort to give Germany the lead with seconds to the final whistle. Kroos, had finally showed his mettle in the centre, & Germany stayed back in the hunt with a nerve wracking 2-1 win. The group is now wide open with possibilities. Germany with 3 points now face South Korea & a win will safely take them into the next round. Sweden, will now need to beat Mexico & hope for better goal difference to stay back & Mexico, needs a draw to stay on course, while South Korea, already out of the tournament, play for pride, & can well play spoilsport, by blocking the mighty Germans. There now emerges a huge possibility of a mouth watering round of 16 clash between Germany & Brazil - Wow !! How the tournament is shaping up !!
Group G :
It was a walk in the park for the strong Belgian side, as they swept past minnows Tunisia 5-2. Eden Hazard & Lukaku with two goals apiece & one by hardworking Batshuayi, in the dying minutes of the game chalked up a resounding win, though, it was heartening to see Tunisia putting up a brave fight & picking up two goals in the bargain, one in each half - that could be some concern for the Belgian defence ahead, which has still not being tested by a quality attack. The burly Lukaku, joined Ronaldo as the highest goal scorer till now with four goals - both front runner for the Golden Boot. Belgium qualifies for the next round with two victories, while Tunisia are out of the tournament with two losses.
The other match too was similarly poised as England bulldozed past a hapless Panama 6-1, with captain Harry Kane, scoring a hattrick, including two penalty strikes, becoming only the third English player to achieve this feat after George Hurst & Gary Linekar. Kane also now piped ahead of Ronaldo & Lukaku to be the highest goal scorer thus far in the tournament with 5 goals to his credit & firmly in the race for the Golden Boot. It was heartening for Panama to get one goal in the 78th minute, their first ever in a World Cup - hopefully they carry good experience from this tournament.
With this Belgium & England are through to the next round & the match between them coming thursday, will determine the topper in the Group. Both the teams benefitted from lowly placed opponents & have scored freely to garner confidence in the tournament ahead.
Group H :
In a crucial match, Japan & Senegal locked horns & in a pulsating game, both sides ended with even results, a 2-2 draw. Within 11 minutes of the game Senegal took lead, as Youssouf Sabaly curled in the ball, which the Japanese goalkeeper managed to only punch back into the path of the burly midfielder Sadio Mane, who cooly put the ball into the net - 1-0. Japan however, never lost focus & in the 34th minute, Nagatomo, split past two Senegal defenders before laying a neat pass to fast advancing midfielder, Takashi Inui, & he curled the ball into the net past the Senegal goalkeeper, the scores level at 1-1. Midway into the second half, Senegal once again took the lead, when Mane chipped the ball into the Japanese penalty area, where Niang failed to connect properly, but a lurking Moussa Wague, blasted the loose ball into the net past a hapless Kawashima - Wague became the 2nd teenager after France's Kylian Mbappe, to score in this World Cup. Japan, in search of the elusive goal, brought in substitute Keisuke Honda, in place Shinji Kagawa in the 72nd minute & just a little later, Honda kept his cool to score from a mad scramble in the Senegal penalty area. Scores tied again at 2-2. With this veteran attacker, Honda became the first Japanese to score in three different World Cups (2010, 2014 & 2018). He also became the top scoring Asian player in the World Cup history with four goals in nine appearances.
The other match between Poland & Columbia ended in a surprise 3-0 win for the Latin Americans. The Columbians, sporting blue jersey instead of their familiar yellow, shrugged off their surprise first game loss to Japan & started in earnest, creating far more openings, while the Polish team looked at long lobs for Lewandowski & Grosicki to convert, which mostly went a-begging. Towards the end of the first half, in a lovely piece of team play, Falcao played to Cuadrado, who in turn tipped the ball to James Rodriguez, & he then floated a lovely cross in the Polish box, for tall defender Mina to jump over the Polish goalkeeper & nod the ball into the net - fantastic display of Latin soccer. Midway, into the second half, striker & Captain, Falcao came into business, as he accepted a neat pass from Quintero, & raced into the Polish box to calmly slot the ball into the bottom left corner under keeper Szczesny, 2-0. Minutes after that, Cuadrado received a beautiful pass from Rodriguez, & burst into the Polish box to slot the ball home past the keeper, it was already 3-0 for the rampaging Columbians. James Rodriguez, according to me was the man of the match, despite not scoring any goals - his instrumental mid field presence & control got the game for the Columbians, who are now back in the reckoning for the tournament.
The tournament is now wide open with possibilities, as the teams head to the final games of the Group stage over the next four days, to decide on the round of 16 contestants. Heavyweights like Argentina, Germany, & then Serbia, Columbia, Iceland, Iran are all precariously placed & will face exit, unless they win their respective last games, while Brazil & Spain will need at least a draw to move up...... This World Cup is yet to throw up a clear favourite, as we look forward to some more interesting results ahead...
The second round in Group Stages began without any surprises, with hosts Russia becoming the first country to move into the elimination rounds. A scoreline of 3-1, clearly demonstrated their domination, as Egypt tried their best to control spaces. Salah quite fittingly, scored their only goal through a spot kick, as Egypt also become the first nation to face elimination, with two losses in the group stages.
In the other match of the group, Uruguay, went past a resolute Saudi Arabia 1-0, when Luis Suarez, in his 100th appearance for his country, volleyed in from a floating corner by Sanchez, midway into the 1st half. So both Russia & Uruguay safely qualify for the round of 16, with two wins apiece. The final match between the two will determine, who tops the Group.
Group B -
In Group B, Portugal went past Morocco 1-0, with Ronaldo getting his fourth goal of the tournament within 4th minute of the game. He now leads the goal getter's list & looks good to keep the pole position for a while, as others do the catching up. Morocco despite a stubborn performance, are now out of contention from the tournament, having lost both their games.
In the other match, Spain, predictably went past a dogged Iran, 1-0, with Diego Costa scoring in the 54th minute of the game. With three goals, he trails Ronaldo closely in the goal getter's list, as does Russia's Denis Cheryshev with three goals. Iran did manage to put a ball in Spain's goal, but were disallowed for offside - tough luck. They need to beat Portugal in their last match to move to next round - but can they ??.... tough call, but quite possible !!
As of now, both Portugal & Spain, look to be in course to move into the next round, having already collected 4 four points in the table. It will be interesting to see, the final outcome.
Group C -
In Group C, Denmark blew their early goal lead to draw with Australia, who came back strongly to equalise via a penalty - both goals coming in the first half itself - the match never reached high standards, as both teams were more physical than applying skill in the game.
The other match saw France prevail over Peru, via a superb opportunistic goal by the mercurial Kylian Mbappe, the 19 year old sensation. With this win, France are through to the next round - though sluggish, they are looking good. Denmark should also qualify, unless they lose their head against France in the last match, & Aussies defeat Peru by a big margin - tough, but quite possible.
Group D -
In Group D, football fans of South American skills were shocked to roots, as a clinical & a far more engaged Croatia demolished fancied Argentina 3-0. While, superstars of Argentina - Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Dybala, et all were a pale shadow of their best, barely managing a couple of valiant runs down the line, Croatia under the dynamic leadership of Luca Modric were far more energetic & pressing & pierced the Albiceleste defence to shreds - especially in the 2nd half. In the 53rd minute, a howler of clearance by goalkeeper Caballero had winger Rebic volleying into the top right corner. If this was a gift from goalkeeping error, the second goal was a gem from Modric, as he picked the ball just outside the box, dribbled past a defender & launched a beautiful right-footer, that crashed into the right corner of the net. Messi at the other end simply stared at the turf in misery. Rakitic further rubbed misery into the wound in stoppage time, by playing square with Kovacic to place the ball neatly into the net 3-0. Three images exemplified Argentina - Diego Maradona sitting in box gallery, covering his face in disgust, Stockily built Coach Sampaoli pacing up & down the touchline screaming in frustration & Leo Messi looking forlorn & lost. Its almost all over the bar shouting for Argentina, unless they beat Nigeria in their last match & also hope Croatia beats Iceland.
In the other game, a stubborn & physically strong Nigeria tamed Iceland 2-0, which turns all the predictable equations. Nigeria, with this win are back in reckoning, & Iceland are virtually out of contention. Nigeria play their last game against Argentina & even a draw will most likely see them through, while both Argentina & Iceland will need to win their last game & hope for some favourable results coming their way. Iceland will need to get a near impossible win over Croatia, who are in red hot form right now, & hope that Nigeria & Argentina draw - most improbable in current form. Ahmed Musa scored two scintillating goals in the second half to get this win for Nigeria, & look in ominous touch. Iceland, who were touted to win this match, made a hash of their efforts, including a missed penalty, & now need a win against the rampaging Croatia to remain in the tournament.
Group E -
In Group E, Brazil huffed & puffed in the field, as their fans worldwide pleaded & prayed for an elusive win, before finally getting out of jail in their game against Costa Rica, 2-0. Throughout the game, the Selecao struggled, probably in their own belief to win - they controlled the game but would lose steam at the opponent's box, with Neymar struggling with his rhythm, & Willian wasting time in unnecessary dribbling, as also Jesus & Coutinho strangely looking out of ideas in the third half of the pitch - the team overall looked jaded, lacking the killer instinct. The Costa Ricans meanwhile, were happy defending & playing for a draw, as keeper Keylor Navas managed a clean sheet in regulation time. Brazil came to life in the stoppage time, as if out of a long sleepy spell, when Coutinho finally dashed inside the box & poked the ball between the legs of Navas to break the deadlock, & again in the dying minutes of the game, Douglas Costa placed beautifully past Navas for Neymar to tap in for a 2-0 win, - the relief in tears said it all, as coach Tite tumbled to the ground in sheer relief & ecstasy - how much Brazil needed this win.... will this mark the revival of their beautiful game ?? ...... the world waits in hope...meanwhile, Costa Rica goes out of the tournament with two losses.
In the other important game, Serbia started with a goal within 5 minutes of the game, when Mitrovic headed powerfully into the the left corner of the net past the Swiss goalkeeper, off a lovely cross from Tadic. The Serbians looked good to maintain this slender lead, but the mental toughness of the Swiss players came to the fore, as they kept attacking & early in the second half, they got their booty. A Shaqiri strike was blocked by a Serbian defender & off the rebound, midfielder Grant Xhakai fired home an absolute rocket, from about 25 yards from the goal - the ball swerved & banged into the net, bringing Switzerland back alive, almost from nowhere. It was in the last minute of the regulation time, that, Shaqiri, got a long ball from the midfield & half turned to drag past the last defender & then wrong footed the Serbian goalkeeper, to send the ball into the bottom right corner..... the Swiss had suddenly taken a very vital lead & the next four minutes of stoppage time did the Serbians no benefit, as the game ended with the scoreline 2-1 for the Swiss - absolute impeccable timing, to win the match & be level with Brazil in the points table. Now the Serbia - Brazil match next week would be a virtual knockout, with the winner proceeding ahead, while, Switzerland have an easier task against Costa Rica. Both Brazil & Switzerland need just a draw, while Serbia needs a win.....
Group F :
Mexico, kept their focus intact to defeat tricky opponents South Korea 2-1 & qualify for the next round with two back to back wins. The match was mostly dominated by the Mexicans, as Carlos Vela converted a penalty midway in the first half, sending the Korean goalkeeper, Cho the wrong way & later in the second half, striker Javier Hernandez neatly placed the ball in the right corner of the net, as the familiar Mexican wave overtook the stadium. In the stoppage time, with seconds remaining, South Korean striker, Son hit a screamer, which crashed into the right corner of the net, past the full stretch Mexican keeper, Ochoa - finally a goal to redeem the gutsy performance by the hardworking Koreans. However, with two losses, they are now out of the tournament.
In the other match, the mighty Germans came back from the brink of death to win against Sweden, who lost the plot to lose from the jaws of a victory. The match started with Germans swarming the Swedish half, as the men in blue & yellow fought hard to withstand the constant waves of attack. However, in one of the rare counter attacks, Claesson collected the ball at the centre & lifted it over the German half for striker Tiovonen, who smartly took one touch with his chest & lobbed it over the onrushing German goalkeeper, Neuer into the far end of the net. Sweden had taken a vital lead 1-0, & suddenly there was panic in the German camp. Neuer then saved Germans from being down two nil, as he dived acrobatically to deflect a Berg header off a free kick by Larsson in the dying seconds of the first half. However, after the lemon break, Mario Gomez replaced Draxler & the Germans renewed their pressure in the Swedish half with relentless attack. Soon enough, Werner lifted the ball in front of the Swedish goal, & midfielder Reus jumped up to head the ball into the net..... Germans were back in the game. After that, it was quite even at both ends, as Sweden kept coming up in counter attacks & Germans kept looking for the winning goal. In the 82nd minute, Jerome Boateng, already on a yellow car, clattered into Swedish Berg, & obviously picked up the dreaded red - German were down to ten men, & it looked like, end of the road for them, as Sweden now had the extra man to put pressure. Both the goalkeepers at their respective ends made some acrobatic saves, as the strikers pressed hard for win. However, well into the injury time, substitute Durmaz made a silly & clumsy tackle just outside the box & the Germans were awarded a free kick. Midfielder, Toni Kroos, exchanged a quick pass with Reus to change the acute angle & then send the ball curling into the far corner of the net, beating goalkeeper Olsen - a splendid effort to give Germany the lead with seconds to the final whistle. Kroos, had finally showed his mettle in the centre, & Germany stayed back in the hunt with a nerve wracking 2-1 win. The group is now wide open with possibilities. Germany with 3 points now face South Korea & a win will safely take them into the next round. Sweden, will now need to beat Mexico & hope for better goal difference to stay back & Mexico, needs a draw to stay on course, while South Korea, already out of the tournament, play for pride, & can well play spoilsport, by blocking the mighty Germans. There now emerges a huge possibility of a mouth watering round of 16 clash between Germany & Brazil - Wow !! How the tournament is shaping up !!
Group G :
It was a walk in the park for the strong Belgian side, as they swept past minnows Tunisia 5-2. Eden Hazard & Lukaku with two goals apiece & one by hardworking Batshuayi, in the dying minutes of the game chalked up a resounding win, though, it was heartening to see Tunisia putting up a brave fight & picking up two goals in the bargain, one in each half - that could be some concern for the Belgian defence ahead, which has still not being tested by a quality attack. The burly Lukaku, joined Ronaldo as the highest goal scorer till now with four goals - both front runner for the Golden Boot. Belgium qualifies for the next round with two victories, while Tunisia are out of the tournament with two losses.
The other match too was similarly poised as England bulldozed past a hapless Panama 6-1, with captain Harry Kane, scoring a hattrick, including two penalty strikes, becoming only the third English player to achieve this feat after George Hurst & Gary Linekar. Kane also now piped ahead of Ronaldo & Lukaku to be the highest goal scorer thus far in the tournament with 5 goals to his credit & firmly in the race for the Golden Boot. It was heartening for Panama to get one goal in the 78th minute, their first ever in a World Cup - hopefully they carry good experience from this tournament.
With this Belgium & England are through to the next round & the match between them coming thursday, will determine the topper in the Group. Both the teams benefitted from lowly placed opponents & have scored freely to garner confidence in the tournament ahead.
Group H :
In a crucial match, Japan & Senegal locked horns & in a pulsating game, both sides ended with even results, a 2-2 draw. Within 11 minutes of the game Senegal took lead, as Youssouf Sabaly curled in the ball, which the Japanese goalkeeper managed to only punch back into the path of the burly midfielder Sadio Mane, who cooly put the ball into the net - 1-0. Japan however, never lost focus & in the 34th minute, Nagatomo, split past two Senegal defenders before laying a neat pass to fast advancing midfielder, Takashi Inui, & he curled the ball into the net past the Senegal goalkeeper, the scores level at 1-1. Midway into the second half, Senegal once again took the lead, when Mane chipped the ball into the Japanese penalty area, where Niang failed to connect properly, but a lurking Moussa Wague, blasted the loose ball into the net past a hapless Kawashima - Wague became the 2nd teenager after France's Kylian Mbappe, to score in this World Cup. Japan, in search of the elusive goal, brought in substitute Keisuke Honda, in place Shinji Kagawa in the 72nd minute & just a little later, Honda kept his cool to score from a mad scramble in the Senegal penalty area. Scores tied again at 2-2. With this veteran attacker, Honda became the first Japanese to score in three different World Cups (2010, 2014 & 2018). He also became the top scoring Asian player in the World Cup history with four goals in nine appearances.
The other match between Poland & Columbia ended in a surprise 3-0 win for the Latin Americans. The Columbians, sporting blue jersey instead of their familiar yellow, shrugged off their surprise first game loss to Japan & started in earnest, creating far more openings, while the Polish team looked at long lobs for Lewandowski & Grosicki to convert, which mostly went a-begging. Towards the end of the first half, in a lovely piece of team play, Falcao played to Cuadrado, who in turn tipped the ball to James Rodriguez, & he then floated a lovely cross in the Polish box, for tall defender Mina to jump over the Polish goalkeeper & nod the ball into the net - fantastic display of Latin soccer. Midway, into the second half, striker & Captain, Falcao came into business, as he accepted a neat pass from Quintero, & raced into the Polish box to calmly slot the ball into the bottom left corner under keeper Szczesny, 2-0. Minutes after that, Cuadrado received a beautiful pass from Rodriguez, & burst into the Polish box to slot the ball home past the keeper, it was already 3-0 for the rampaging Columbians. James Rodriguez, according to me was the man of the match, despite not scoring any goals - his instrumental mid field presence & control got the game for the Columbians, who are now back in the reckoning for the tournament.
The tournament is now wide open with possibilities, as the teams head to the final games of the Group stage over the next four days, to decide on the round of 16 contestants. Heavyweights like Argentina, Germany, & then Serbia, Columbia, Iceland, Iran are all precariously placed & will face exit, unless they win their respective last games, while Brazil & Spain will need at least a draw to move up...... This World Cup is yet to throw up a clear favourite, as we look forward to some more interesting results ahead...
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