As we move into the business end of the group stage matches, contests are becoming more intense & at times acrimonious, as referees & the newly introduced VAR system are coming under scrutiny.
Group A :
Host Russia in their last game of the group, bumped into a resolute Uruguay, vying for the pole position. Having scored 8 goals in two matches, the hosts were confident of a good match, but were cut to size by a better organised Latin American side. In the 10th minute itself, striker Suarez, capitalised on a free kick just outside the Russian box & slotted the ball home, with a pile driving grounder into the bottom right hand corner of the net, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Akinfeev. Midway into the first half, Uruguay earned a corner & on the rebound of a goalmouth melee, an innocuous shot from Laxalt, took a major deflection off Cheryshev & rolled into the right hand corner, past a full stretch Akinfeev. It was already 2-0 in the 23rd minute, & things worsened further, when defender Igor Smolnikov, already on a yellow card went for a silly tackle of Laxalt & earned himself a red card to reduce Russia to 10 men. The match from then on gradually slipped away from the big & burly Russians, into the hands of a more controlled Uruguay. The Russians, tried hard to get a goal & return into the game, but were outnumbered in the opponents box area, through a better tactical play, by the Latin Americans. In the dying minutes of the game, Uruguay earned a corner, & Captain Godin rose to head in, but was thwarted by the Russian goalkeeper, only to find striker Cavani lurking there to tuck the ball off the rebound into the net. 3-0. With this Cavani became the second player from Uruguay, after team mate Suarez, to score in three different World Cups. Both teams have already qualified for the next round, with Uruguay in top position.
In the other inconsequential game between Saudi Arabia & Egypt, it was more for pride & take away honours. Egypt, went ahead through their mercurial striker Salah, as he picked up a long lob from El Said & dodged between two centre backs to control & lob past the onrushing goalkeeper, 1-0. However, the Arabs were gifted with a doubtful penalty in the 41st minute, but Egyptian goalkeeper, El Hadary dived superbly to his right to knock the ball over the crossbar - what acrobatics at 45 years of age - the oldest player in World Cup!! - fantastic effort. In the stoppage time, another controversial penalty awarded to the Arabs, & this time, Salman Al Faraj sent El Harady the wrong way to equalise for Saudi Arabia at half time. Again in the second half, Saudi Arabia scored deep into the stoppage time, as Dawsari drove low into the bottom corner from a tight angle, to earn the Arabs a win out of nowhere to end the tournament in a happy note. Egypt remain winless in three trips to the World Cup.
Group B :
The game between Iran & Portugal turned out to be a humdinger. With both sides pressing for a win, the ball kept moving at a frenetic pace from one end to the other. However, it was Portugal, who went ahead in the stroke of half time, as veteran midfielder Ricardo Quaresma slipped past two defenders & launched an absolute screamer from the edge of the box into the top left corner of the net, 1-0.
Early in the second half, Portugal earned a penalty, as Ronaldo ran into a defender & flung himself to the ground - VAR intervention confirms a penalty. But, Iranian goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand guessed right & blocked the powerful shot form Ronaldo, & the men in white started to fight back. Iran did get a couple of chance to level the score, but fumbled & lost the opportunities. Ronaldo, meanwhile, in his attempt to score, got away with a yellow card, despite elbowing a defender, as the Iranians chased almost everything for a goal. Finally in the stoppage time, Iran earned a penalty & Karim Ansarifard slotted the ball into the right top corner to level the score 1-1.
In the other game, Morocco broke the shackles to go up against the mighty Spain in the 14th minute, as striker Boutaib snatched the ball from a mix up between Ramos & Iniesta, & coolly placed the ball between the wobbly limbs of goalkeeper De Gea, who has been in awful form this tournament. However, soon after, Spain replied in style, as Iniesta, dribbled past defenders towards the left touchline & then send the ball inside the box for a waiting Isco to gleefully smash the ball into the net, scores 1-1. In the second half, Morocco came close to going ahead again, when, Boutaib's shot was groggily blocked by De Gea & on rebound, Amrabat's thunderbolt bounced off the woodwork, much to the relief of the Spanish armada. However, with just nine minutes to the final whistle, Morocco came back again, & Fajr sent in a beautiful cross from a corner & substitute En Nesyri rose high to head the ball into the net past a hapless Spanish defence. Spain looked to have blown away the game, when, in the dying minutes of stoppage time, substitute, Aspas accepted a low pass from Carvajal & flicked the ball into the net. The celebration initially got a jolt, as the linesman lifted his flag for an offside, but the referee stepped in to consult VAR & then blew the whistle for a goal to level the scores at 2-2. As the relieved Spanish players trudged out, the crowd jeered for them & cheered for the fighting spirit of the Moroccans, who now go back.
In the round of 16, now, Spain face Russia, while Portugal will lock horns with Uruguay - both exciting prospects for football fans.
Group C :
In this group, France & Denmark played a boring listless game to the first goalless draw of the tournament till now. France Coach, Didier Deschamps rested six of his regular key players, & put up a second string side to give necessary exposure to the bench. The Danish side made two changes, but overall the game was quite boring & predictable, as both sides did not go all out, to ensure smooth passage into the next round.
In the other match, Peru, playing for pride, went past Australia 2-0, in an inconsequential game. Midfielder, Carrillo in the 18th minute, received a well directed pass from Guerrero over the box, & volleyed the ball powerfully past the Aussie keeper, Mat Ryan, who has absolutely no chance to save. Early into the second half, Trauco played one two pass with Flores, zooming into the penalty area, & then Flores chipped the ball to Guerrero, who fired into the net, 2-0. It was a comedy of errors for the Aussie defence, & all over the bar shouting. They did try valiantly through Cahill, Arzani, but could not pierce the tight Peru defence.
France & Denmark move into the next round.
Group D :
In a nerve wracking humdinger, Argentina prevailed over a resolute Nigeria, the Super Eagles of Africa. There was purpose in the Latin Americans as they started the proceedings on the ground & early enough, Messi, received an inch perfect lob from Ever Banega, letting the ball deflect off his thigh, as he side stepped the Nigerian defender & sent in a right footed volley into the far corner of the net past a full stretch goalkeeper. It was 1-0 & Argentina was back in business, as tens of thousands of delirious fans went crazy. Camera zooming on Maradona, in the stadium, showed him having gone into an orgasmic ecstasy. The men in blue & white stripes were in full control, as the stunned Nigerians struggled to find their feet in the first half. Early in the second half, as Nigerians pressed hard & earned a corner, ageing defender Mascherano, made a mess of defending, as he brought down Balogun inside the box, & the referee pointed to the dreaded spot for a penalty. Victor Moses, used all his experience to wrong foot the new goalkeeper, Armani, & easily slid the ball into the net, scores level at 1-1.... match on. With Nigeria needing just a draw & Argentina needing a win, it was a see saw battle, as the ball moved at either side in gritty pace. With just 15 minutes to full time, Rojo, in trying to make an aerial clearance, appeared to have committed a handball in the box, & the referee went for VAR - it certainly was a handball, but ref Cakir, decided, it was unintentional, & did not give a penalty. The game turned on its head there, & Argentina pressed offensive for a goal, as Nigerians tried hard to maintain the draw. Higuain, missed a near sitter from less than 10 yards, as the stadium gasped in despair. With barely 4 minutes to regulation time, Mercado charged down the right side of the turf & curled in a superb cross into the middle, where overlapping defender Marcos Rojo intercepted the ball ahead of Nigerian Moses, & sliced it past an anguished full stretched goalkeeper. Argentina had nosed ahead 2-1, as the stadium erupted, in rejoicing blue & white stripes. Added time of another 4 minutes, did not bring joy for the Africans, as the Messi driven AlbiCeleste, romped home to victory & into the round of 16. Mascherano, face caked in blood, had fought hard to redeem after the blunder to surrender a penalty, Messi, Di Maria, Rojo, et all - the whole Argentinian squad were jumping in joy & relief. Coach Sampaoli dressed in white tracks screamed & giggled like a child, not knowing what to do. God of football, Diego Maradona, had to be hospitalised, as he collapsed in his seat after the dramatic victory - he is reported safe now. For the Nigerians, it was another match 'well fought, but lost in the end - cruel fate !!' they would say. Captain Mikel, was distraught along with the full squad, as they could well blame the ref for not giving a seemingly legitimate penalty.
In the other match, a second string Croatia, went past a fighting Iceland 2-1, as the Icelanders fought hard for a victory. The game was headed for a draw, but, midfielder Perisic, scored from a tight angle, powering the ball into the far corner of the net in the 90th minute.
With this, Croatia & Argentina qualify for the round of 16, where Croatia meet Denmark, while Argentina will have to face France - certainly promising a pulsating match of skills & grit.
Group E :
A much improved & confident Brazil prevailed over a tricky Serbia 2-0. Needing a win to qualify, it was expected that the physically imposing & technically tough Serbians would go all out to breach the Brazilian defence, but, eventually, it was the class of Selecao coming together, that did not allow breathing space to the European underdogs, & the superior pedigree prevailed. Within ten minutes of the game, when Brazil's most experienced & dependable left back, Marcelo limped off in tears, many felt this to be an ominous sign for the men in yellow to crumble. But, Luis Filipe coming in as the substitute, calmed the nerves & enveloped well into the thick of the proceedings. With Brazilian forward line despite, having more possession, were finding it tough to crack the disciplined Serbs, Coutinho, picked up a loose ball deep in his own half & cleverly chipped over the Serbian defence, and a rushing Paulinho, calmly lobbed the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper Stojkovic into the net. Brazil had their nose ahead, 1-0. Mitrovic sparked some life into the Serbian attack & twice came close to scoring, but the Brazil defence managed to thwart off the dangers. Midway, in the second half, an exhausted Paulinho made way for the nippy Fernandinho, & immediately thereafter, Neymar sent a lovely cross from a corner, & Thiago Silva, got away from Matic in the front post, amidst falling bodies, to head in the second goal. It was death knell for Serbia, & they did not regain from there, as Neymar was relentless in toying with the defenders, & he would be disappointed at not scoring, despite opportunities. These are good signs for Brazil, as their attack is finding some rhythm around Coutinho, with Neymar, Jesus & Willian providing the thrust. Coutinho is benefitting from Neymar's grab for limelight, as that allows him freedom to thread defence splitting passes, control the vital midfield & also occasionally unleash thunderbolts from tight angles. Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Marcelo suffered a back spasm, which should not be a long term injury. Its important for Brazil's success ahead, that he comes back soon.
In the other match, Switzerland went ahead twice against the already relegated Costa Rica, but let go of the initiatives to settle for a 2-2 draw. Costa Rica played for pride & did a world of good to their morale, by keeping the stronger Swiss at bay. Deservingly, Joel Campbell, was the man of the match, for his tireless efforts, which earned him a late penalty & led to Costa Rica salvaging a well earned point. It was a bizarre goal, as the shot from Bryan Ruiz hit the underside of the crossbar, before hitting Swiss goalkeeper Sommer on his head & nestling back in the net. The keeper knew very little of the rebound going in, becoming the third goalkeeper to score an own goal in a World Cup.
In the round of 16, Brazil now lock horns with Mexico, while the Swiss will take on a resurgent Sweden.
Group F :
In a shocking result, defending Champions, Germany crashed out of the World Cup, courtesy conceding two stoppage time goals to minnow South Korea. The four time Champions, failed to go past the Group stages, for the first time since 1938, managing only two goals in the there matches that they played. They also became the fourth defending champions in the last five, to exit at the Group Stage(France 2002, Italy 2010, Spain 2014 & now Germany 2018). Germany had the majority of possession, but failed to break open the Korean defence, where the goalkeeper HW Cho was simply unbeatable. Surprisingly, in this crucial game, German coach erred in making six changes to the side, which won against Sweden & possibly breaking the winning combination & momentum. After the last gasp, Toni Kroos free kick winning goal against the Swedes in their previous match, it was expected that the Germans would be back at their attacking best. However, they looked quite jaded & out of ideas, till Mario Gomez came in for Khedira, & Mueller came in for Goretzka midway in the second half. The Korean defence was like a wall, & as the game opened up, minutes ticked away agonisingly, & the Koreans started to look at counter attacks, pushing the Germans into more & more sloppy football. It was death knell in the stoppage time, when, defender Kim Young received the ball in a goalmouth scramble & tapped the ball into the net. A delayed offside flag by the linesman, had the referee go for VAR to check & confirm the goal. As more stoppage time was added, the entire German team, including goalkeeper Neuer went up in search of the elusive goal, & it was Neuer who sloppily conceded possession. Ju, quickly lobbed the ball in the vacant German space, & Son gleefully latched onto the ball & tucked it into an empty net, 2-0 for the South Koreans. The goalkeeper Cho, certainly the man of the match. They can now go home, with their head held high, having vanquished the World Champions. In the last World Cup, Germans were clinically precise with set piece, scoring 5 goals, & yet this time, the bite was strangely missing. The team that decimated Brazil 7-1 in their own backyard, this time looked completely out of rhythm, sorely missing defender Lahm & midfielder Schweinsteiger & forward Klose from the previous edition. Vastly touted to retain the the title, the Germans forward line has been sadly out of gear - Big names like Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil, Sam Khedira, Draxler, Mario Gomez, & goalkeeper Neuer, - all performed well below par. As goes the famous saying - "Germans are always derailed in Russia" - Mein Gott !!
In the other match, Sweden trounced Mexico 3-0, all goals coming in the second half, after a barren first. Ludwig Augustinsson opened the account, early in the second half & then, Granqvist scored from a penalty. It was then a terrible own goal by Mexican defender, Alvarez, as he made a mess of clearance & put the ball into his own net. It must have been a scare for the Mexicans, as a 0-3 scoreline would have put them out of contention, if the Germans won by even a solitary goal. In the end, with Germany's shocking defeat, Mexico move into the round of 16 along with Sweden, where they will meet Brazil, while the Swedes will have to encounter Switzerland.
Group G :
In a game, where both sides, rested multiple first choice players, Belgium won the game 1-0 against England, early in the second half, through a stunning volley by midfielder Adnan Januzaj past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Pickford, into the net. There has been widespread rumour that both the teams, having already qualified for the round of 16, were willing to lose the tie to get an arguably favourable play in the next round. England, happy with this loss, move to the relatively easier bottom half of the round of 16, & will now play Japan, while, Belgium will play Columbia in the top half, which has heavyweight like, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, France & Portugal. The bottom half, has Spain, Croatia, Sweden, Switzerland & now England.
In the other inconsequential match, Tunisia prevailed over Panama 2-1.
Group H :
In a tough encounter, Columbia went past Senegal 1-0, riding a 74th minute goal, headed in by lanky defender Yerri Mina, whose goal scoring abilities have been very profitable for Latin Americans in this World Cup. Exit of Senegal also means that there will be no African nation in the round of 16, for the first time in 36 years. This is sad, as both Senegal & Nigeria looked good to prosper in the Group stages, & needed just a draw to qualify, but failed to cross the line in their last games. Senegal were tough on the ground & created more openings in the game. They looked set to take the lead, when striker Sadio Mane was brought down in the box by a challenge from Sanchez, as the referee pointed to the spot. But a VAR review overturned the decision. The match was marred by many strong & physical tackles, as the referee struggled to keep the game under control. Columbia were jolted early on, by the exit of their mercurial midfielder Rodriguez, who limped off the ground, Senegal looked set to take advantage, but the gritty Columbians held on & gradually came into their own in the second half.
In the other game, Poland, who have already exited defeated Japan, 1-0, by a Jan Bedranek goal, early in the second half. Japan needed just a draw to qualify, & this defeat pegged them back. However, in the final tally, the Samurai Blue, tied with Senegal at same points, goal difference & goal scored, nosed ahead into the round of 16, by virtue of 'fair play', on account of having lesser yellow cards !! Such a decision has been the first of its kind in the World Cup. The physically stronger, Senegal were full of pace & effort, but paid the price of not being able to convert the half chances, that came their way.
So Columbia move up as Group toppers, as Japan become the only Asian country to qualify into the round of 16.
Group A :
Host Russia in their last game of the group, bumped into a resolute Uruguay, vying for the pole position. Having scored 8 goals in two matches, the hosts were confident of a good match, but were cut to size by a better organised Latin American side. In the 10th minute itself, striker Suarez, capitalised on a free kick just outside the Russian box & slotted the ball home, with a pile driving grounder into the bottom right hand corner of the net, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Akinfeev. Midway into the first half, Uruguay earned a corner & on the rebound of a goalmouth melee, an innocuous shot from Laxalt, took a major deflection off Cheryshev & rolled into the right hand corner, past a full stretch Akinfeev. It was already 2-0 in the 23rd minute, & things worsened further, when defender Igor Smolnikov, already on a yellow card went for a silly tackle of Laxalt & earned himself a red card to reduce Russia to 10 men. The match from then on gradually slipped away from the big & burly Russians, into the hands of a more controlled Uruguay. The Russians, tried hard to get a goal & return into the game, but were outnumbered in the opponents box area, through a better tactical play, by the Latin Americans. In the dying minutes of the game, Uruguay earned a corner, & Captain Godin rose to head in, but was thwarted by the Russian goalkeeper, only to find striker Cavani lurking there to tuck the ball off the rebound into the net. 3-0. With this Cavani became the second player from Uruguay, after team mate Suarez, to score in three different World Cups. Both teams have already qualified for the next round, with Uruguay in top position.
In the other inconsequential game between Saudi Arabia & Egypt, it was more for pride & take away honours. Egypt, went ahead through their mercurial striker Salah, as he picked up a long lob from El Said & dodged between two centre backs to control & lob past the onrushing goalkeeper, 1-0. However, the Arabs were gifted with a doubtful penalty in the 41st minute, but Egyptian goalkeeper, El Hadary dived superbly to his right to knock the ball over the crossbar - what acrobatics at 45 years of age - the oldest player in World Cup!! - fantastic effort. In the stoppage time, another controversial penalty awarded to the Arabs, & this time, Salman Al Faraj sent El Harady the wrong way to equalise for Saudi Arabia at half time. Again in the second half, Saudi Arabia scored deep into the stoppage time, as Dawsari drove low into the bottom corner from a tight angle, to earn the Arabs a win out of nowhere to end the tournament in a happy note. Egypt remain winless in three trips to the World Cup.
Group B :
The game between Iran & Portugal turned out to be a humdinger. With both sides pressing for a win, the ball kept moving at a frenetic pace from one end to the other. However, it was Portugal, who went ahead in the stroke of half time, as veteran midfielder Ricardo Quaresma slipped past two defenders & launched an absolute screamer from the edge of the box into the top left corner of the net, 1-0.
Early in the second half, Portugal earned a penalty, as Ronaldo ran into a defender & flung himself to the ground - VAR intervention confirms a penalty. But, Iranian goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand guessed right & blocked the powerful shot form Ronaldo, & the men in white started to fight back. Iran did get a couple of chance to level the score, but fumbled & lost the opportunities. Ronaldo, meanwhile, in his attempt to score, got away with a yellow card, despite elbowing a defender, as the Iranians chased almost everything for a goal. Finally in the stoppage time, Iran earned a penalty & Karim Ansarifard slotted the ball into the right top corner to level the score 1-1.
In the other game, Morocco broke the shackles to go up against the mighty Spain in the 14th minute, as striker Boutaib snatched the ball from a mix up between Ramos & Iniesta, & coolly placed the ball between the wobbly limbs of goalkeeper De Gea, who has been in awful form this tournament. However, soon after, Spain replied in style, as Iniesta, dribbled past defenders towards the left touchline & then send the ball inside the box for a waiting Isco to gleefully smash the ball into the net, scores 1-1. In the second half, Morocco came close to going ahead again, when, Boutaib's shot was groggily blocked by De Gea & on rebound, Amrabat's thunderbolt bounced off the woodwork, much to the relief of the Spanish armada. However, with just nine minutes to the final whistle, Morocco came back again, & Fajr sent in a beautiful cross from a corner & substitute En Nesyri rose high to head the ball into the net past a hapless Spanish defence. Spain looked to have blown away the game, when, in the dying minutes of stoppage time, substitute, Aspas accepted a low pass from Carvajal & flicked the ball into the net. The celebration initially got a jolt, as the linesman lifted his flag for an offside, but the referee stepped in to consult VAR & then blew the whistle for a goal to level the scores at 2-2. As the relieved Spanish players trudged out, the crowd jeered for them & cheered for the fighting spirit of the Moroccans, who now go back.
In the round of 16, now, Spain face Russia, while Portugal will lock horns with Uruguay - both exciting prospects for football fans.
Group C :
In this group, France & Denmark played a boring listless game to the first goalless draw of the tournament till now. France Coach, Didier Deschamps rested six of his regular key players, & put up a second string side to give necessary exposure to the bench. The Danish side made two changes, but overall the game was quite boring & predictable, as both sides did not go all out, to ensure smooth passage into the next round.
In the other match, Peru, playing for pride, went past Australia 2-0, in an inconsequential game. Midfielder, Carrillo in the 18th minute, received a well directed pass from Guerrero over the box, & volleyed the ball powerfully past the Aussie keeper, Mat Ryan, who has absolutely no chance to save. Early into the second half, Trauco played one two pass with Flores, zooming into the penalty area, & then Flores chipped the ball to Guerrero, who fired into the net, 2-0. It was a comedy of errors for the Aussie defence, & all over the bar shouting. They did try valiantly through Cahill, Arzani, but could not pierce the tight Peru defence.
France & Denmark move into the next round.
Group D :
In a nerve wracking humdinger, Argentina prevailed over a resolute Nigeria, the Super Eagles of Africa. There was purpose in the Latin Americans as they started the proceedings on the ground & early enough, Messi, received an inch perfect lob from Ever Banega, letting the ball deflect off his thigh, as he side stepped the Nigerian defender & sent in a right footed volley into the far corner of the net past a full stretch goalkeeper. It was 1-0 & Argentina was back in business, as tens of thousands of delirious fans went crazy. Camera zooming on Maradona, in the stadium, showed him having gone into an orgasmic ecstasy. The men in blue & white stripes were in full control, as the stunned Nigerians struggled to find their feet in the first half. Early in the second half, as Nigerians pressed hard & earned a corner, ageing defender Mascherano, made a mess of defending, as he brought down Balogun inside the box, & the referee pointed to the dreaded spot for a penalty. Victor Moses, used all his experience to wrong foot the new goalkeeper, Armani, & easily slid the ball into the net, scores level at 1-1.... match on. With Nigeria needing just a draw & Argentina needing a win, it was a see saw battle, as the ball moved at either side in gritty pace. With just 15 minutes to full time, Rojo, in trying to make an aerial clearance, appeared to have committed a handball in the box, & the referee went for VAR - it certainly was a handball, but ref Cakir, decided, it was unintentional, & did not give a penalty. The game turned on its head there, & Argentina pressed offensive for a goal, as Nigerians tried hard to maintain the draw. Higuain, missed a near sitter from less than 10 yards, as the stadium gasped in despair. With barely 4 minutes to regulation time, Mercado charged down the right side of the turf & curled in a superb cross into the middle, where overlapping defender Marcos Rojo intercepted the ball ahead of Nigerian Moses, & sliced it past an anguished full stretched goalkeeper. Argentina had nosed ahead 2-1, as the stadium erupted, in rejoicing blue & white stripes. Added time of another 4 minutes, did not bring joy for the Africans, as the Messi driven AlbiCeleste, romped home to victory & into the round of 16. Mascherano, face caked in blood, had fought hard to redeem after the blunder to surrender a penalty, Messi, Di Maria, Rojo, et all - the whole Argentinian squad were jumping in joy & relief. Coach Sampaoli dressed in white tracks screamed & giggled like a child, not knowing what to do. God of football, Diego Maradona, had to be hospitalised, as he collapsed in his seat after the dramatic victory - he is reported safe now. For the Nigerians, it was another match 'well fought, but lost in the end - cruel fate !!' they would say. Captain Mikel, was distraught along with the full squad, as they could well blame the ref for not giving a seemingly legitimate penalty.
In the other match, a second string Croatia, went past a fighting Iceland 2-1, as the Icelanders fought hard for a victory. The game was headed for a draw, but, midfielder Perisic, scored from a tight angle, powering the ball into the far corner of the net in the 90th minute.
With this, Croatia & Argentina qualify for the round of 16, where Croatia meet Denmark, while Argentina will have to face France - certainly promising a pulsating match of skills & grit.
Group E :
A much improved & confident Brazil prevailed over a tricky Serbia 2-0. Needing a win to qualify, it was expected that the physically imposing & technically tough Serbians would go all out to breach the Brazilian defence, but, eventually, it was the class of Selecao coming together, that did not allow breathing space to the European underdogs, & the superior pedigree prevailed. Within ten minutes of the game, when Brazil's most experienced & dependable left back, Marcelo limped off in tears, many felt this to be an ominous sign for the men in yellow to crumble. But, Luis Filipe coming in as the substitute, calmed the nerves & enveloped well into the thick of the proceedings. With Brazilian forward line despite, having more possession, were finding it tough to crack the disciplined Serbs, Coutinho, picked up a loose ball deep in his own half & cleverly chipped over the Serbian defence, and a rushing Paulinho, calmly lobbed the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper Stojkovic into the net. Brazil had their nose ahead, 1-0. Mitrovic sparked some life into the Serbian attack & twice came close to scoring, but the Brazil defence managed to thwart off the dangers. Midway, in the second half, an exhausted Paulinho made way for the nippy Fernandinho, & immediately thereafter, Neymar sent a lovely cross from a corner, & Thiago Silva, got away from Matic in the front post, amidst falling bodies, to head in the second goal. It was death knell for Serbia, & they did not regain from there, as Neymar was relentless in toying with the defenders, & he would be disappointed at not scoring, despite opportunities. These are good signs for Brazil, as their attack is finding some rhythm around Coutinho, with Neymar, Jesus & Willian providing the thrust. Coutinho is benefitting from Neymar's grab for limelight, as that allows him freedom to thread defence splitting passes, control the vital midfield & also occasionally unleash thunderbolts from tight angles. Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Marcelo suffered a back spasm, which should not be a long term injury. Its important for Brazil's success ahead, that he comes back soon.
In the other match, Switzerland went ahead twice against the already relegated Costa Rica, but let go of the initiatives to settle for a 2-2 draw. Costa Rica played for pride & did a world of good to their morale, by keeping the stronger Swiss at bay. Deservingly, Joel Campbell, was the man of the match, for his tireless efforts, which earned him a late penalty & led to Costa Rica salvaging a well earned point. It was a bizarre goal, as the shot from Bryan Ruiz hit the underside of the crossbar, before hitting Swiss goalkeeper Sommer on his head & nestling back in the net. The keeper knew very little of the rebound going in, becoming the third goalkeeper to score an own goal in a World Cup.
In the round of 16, Brazil now lock horns with Mexico, while the Swiss will take on a resurgent Sweden.
Group F :
In a shocking result, defending Champions, Germany crashed out of the World Cup, courtesy conceding two stoppage time goals to minnow South Korea. The four time Champions, failed to go past the Group stages, for the first time since 1938, managing only two goals in the there matches that they played. They also became the fourth defending champions in the last five, to exit at the Group Stage(France 2002, Italy 2010, Spain 2014 & now Germany 2018). Germany had the majority of possession, but failed to break open the Korean defence, where the goalkeeper HW Cho was simply unbeatable. Surprisingly, in this crucial game, German coach erred in making six changes to the side, which won against Sweden & possibly breaking the winning combination & momentum. After the last gasp, Toni Kroos free kick winning goal against the Swedes in their previous match, it was expected that the Germans would be back at their attacking best. However, they looked quite jaded & out of ideas, till Mario Gomez came in for Khedira, & Mueller came in for Goretzka midway in the second half. The Korean defence was like a wall, & as the game opened up, minutes ticked away agonisingly, & the Koreans started to look at counter attacks, pushing the Germans into more & more sloppy football. It was death knell in the stoppage time, when, defender Kim Young received the ball in a goalmouth scramble & tapped the ball into the net. A delayed offside flag by the linesman, had the referee go for VAR to check & confirm the goal. As more stoppage time was added, the entire German team, including goalkeeper Neuer went up in search of the elusive goal, & it was Neuer who sloppily conceded possession. Ju, quickly lobbed the ball in the vacant German space, & Son gleefully latched onto the ball & tucked it into an empty net, 2-0 for the South Koreans. The goalkeeper Cho, certainly the man of the match. They can now go home, with their head held high, having vanquished the World Champions. In the last World Cup, Germans were clinically precise with set piece, scoring 5 goals, & yet this time, the bite was strangely missing. The team that decimated Brazil 7-1 in their own backyard, this time looked completely out of rhythm, sorely missing defender Lahm & midfielder Schweinsteiger & forward Klose from the previous edition. Vastly touted to retain the the title, the Germans forward line has been sadly out of gear - Big names like Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil, Sam Khedira, Draxler, Mario Gomez, & goalkeeper Neuer, - all performed well below par. As goes the famous saying - "Germans are always derailed in Russia" - Mein Gott !!
In the other match, Sweden trounced Mexico 3-0, all goals coming in the second half, after a barren first. Ludwig Augustinsson opened the account, early in the second half & then, Granqvist scored from a penalty. It was then a terrible own goal by Mexican defender, Alvarez, as he made a mess of clearance & put the ball into his own net. It must have been a scare for the Mexicans, as a 0-3 scoreline would have put them out of contention, if the Germans won by even a solitary goal. In the end, with Germany's shocking defeat, Mexico move into the round of 16 along with Sweden, where they will meet Brazil, while the Swedes will have to encounter Switzerland.
Group G :
In a game, where both sides, rested multiple first choice players, Belgium won the game 1-0 against England, early in the second half, through a stunning volley by midfielder Adnan Januzaj past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Pickford, into the net. There has been widespread rumour that both the teams, having already qualified for the round of 16, were willing to lose the tie to get an arguably favourable play in the next round. England, happy with this loss, move to the relatively easier bottom half of the round of 16, & will now play Japan, while, Belgium will play Columbia in the top half, which has heavyweight like, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, France & Portugal. The bottom half, has Spain, Croatia, Sweden, Switzerland & now England.
In the other inconsequential match, Tunisia prevailed over Panama 2-1.
Group H :
In a tough encounter, Columbia went past Senegal 1-0, riding a 74th minute goal, headed in by lanky defender Yerri Mina, whose goal scoring abilities have been very profitable for Latin Americans in this World Cup. Exit of Senegal also means that there will be no African nation in the round of 16, for the first time in 36 years. This is sad, as both Senegal & Nigeria looked good to prosper in the Group stages, & needed just a draw to qualify, but failed to cross the line in their last games. Senegal were tough on the ground & created more openings in the game. They looked set to take the lead, when striker Sadio Mane was brought down in the box by a challenge from Sanchez, as the referee pointed to the spot. But a VAR review overturned the decision. The match was marred by many strong & physical tackles, as the referee struggled to keep the game under control. Columbia were jolted early on, by the exit of their mercurial midfielder Rodriguez, who limped off the ground, Senegal looked set to take advantage, but the gritty Columbians held on & gradually came into their own in the second half.
In the other game, Poland, who have already exited defeated Japan, 1-0, by a Jan Bedranek goal, early in the second half. Japan needed just a draw to qualify, & this defeat pegged them back. However, in the final tally, the Samurai Blue, tied with Senegal at same points, goal difference & goal scored, nosed ahead into the round of 16, by virtue of 'fair play', on account of having lesser yellow cards !! Such a decision has been the first of its kind in the World Cup. The physically stronger, Senegal were full of pace & effort, but paid the price of not being able to convert the half chances, that came their way.
So Columbia move up as Group toppers, as Japan become the only Asian country to qualify into the round of 16.
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