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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
One of the reasons to watch the FIFA World Cup is to see the impossible. That happened on Monday!
● Group H: Spain 0, Cape Verde 0 ● European champion Spain was a huge favorite and favored as a possible tournament champion, and Cape Verde was in its first-ever World Cup game.
The match in Atlanta was played almost entirely in the Cape Verde end, against a packed-in defense. Spain completed 734 passes in the game, had 74% possession and a staggering 27 shots to six for Cape Verde. Spain had 12 shots in the first half and increased the pressure with 15 in the second, but faced not just an 11-man defense, but athletic play which saw passes intercepted, headed away and close defending that made enough of a difference to keep Spain scoreless.
The Cape Verde keeper, Vozinha, made seven saves, including pushing a strike by midfielder Pedri over the crossbar in the 39th, although the play was called for offsides. Then in the 41st, a shot by forward Ferran Torres bounced off the crossbar, came straight back into play and striker Mikel Oyarzabal headed it back toward goal, with Vozinha tipping it over the crossbar to end the threat.
Torres had another chance at 45+2, but Vozinha saved the chance, headed for the left corner of the goal.
Spain was completely frustrated in the second half, and had another real chance in the 88th, but Oyarzabal’s shot from in front of goal was barely deflected by diving defender Pico Lopes and sailed over the crossbar.
In the 90th, Cape Verde mounted a dangerous counterattack, and a Kevin Pina shot from 30 yards was deflected out for Cape Verde’s first corner of the game. The corner ended up on the far side of the Spanish goal and was headed by defender Diney Borges, but caught by Spanish keeper Unai Simon.
Beyond the drama and shock, no one should think Spain is not in position to win the World Cup; it was just four years ago in Qatar that Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina, 2-1, in their opener and the Argentines eventually raised the trophy.
● Group H: Saudi Arabia 1, Uruguay 1 ● The first match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida started hot at 91 F and high humidity
Uruguay had 56% of possession to the hydration break and a 3-1 edge on shots, but did not threaten seriously. But there was a serious chance in the 30th, as midfielder Maxi Araujo header the ball to striker Federico Vinas in the middle of the box and he went fully horizontal to send a hard header at the Saudi goal from right in front and Saudi keeper Mohammed Al-Owais reacted perfectly, punching it away with two hands.
The Saudis had a strong chance in the 38th, with defender Abdulelah Al-Amri bringing a corner down in the middle of the box and sending a right-footed shot that was deflected with one hand by Uruguay keeper Fernando Musiera.
But in the 41st, a Saudi corner sailed right to defender Hassan Al-Tambakti for a terrific header right on goal from the middle of the box that was stopped by Musiera. But it came right out to Al-Amri on the rebound, who right-footed it in under Musiera’s outstretched hands for the 1-0 lead.
That’s how the half ended, with Uruguay holding 59% possession, but the shots were 5-5, and the Saudis had the more dangerous chances.
Uruguay went aggressive from the start of the second half, and in the 46th, an elegant service into the box by defender Guillermo Varela came to Vinas in front of box and Al-Owais had to make a hot save once again. In the 60th, it was close again, with a strong strike from midfielder Manuel Ugarte from just beyond the top of the box. It moved left and Al-Owais barely touched it, but forced it off the far goal post!
In the first 24 minutes of the second half, Uruguay out-shot the Saudis by 9-0 and was up to 64% possession for the game, but no goals. The pressure continued and in the 80th minute, another attack resulted in a header from the middle of the box from Vinas that was saved again by Al-Owais, but the rebound came to his right and midfielder Maxi Araujo left-footed it back and into the net for the 1-1 tie.
Uruguay took the first 15 saves of the second half through 40 minutes, and Al-Owais had to do more to keep Saudi Arabia even, with a one-handed stretch save on a liner aimed at the right goal post in the 93rd by midfielder Federico Valverde.
It ended 1-1, with the Saudis barely hanging on at the end, in a game of two halves. Uruguay finished with 67% possession and 28-7 on shots (including 23-2 in the second half).
● Group G: Belgium 1, Egypt 1 ● Temperatures at Lumen Field in Seattle were in the high 80s for the noon start and the Egyptians – the Pharoahs – who were hot early.
Although Belgium was looking for offense early, Egyptian star striker Mohamed Salah sent a cross from the right side and found midfielder Emam Ashour open at the top of the box and with room. So, from 22 yards out, he sent a curling strike right at Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois that moved left and into the net for a 1-0 lead in the 19th. It was the first shot for Egypt in the game.
The Belgians had 58% possession in the half and a 7-4 edge on shot. but Egypt had the best chances and just missed another score on a corner in stoppage time that sailed behind Courtois, but could not be headed in.
The second half drama really started in the 53rd, with a foul on striker Jeremy Doku, leading to a free kick for star Kevin DeBruyne, whose smash from above the box was on target, then curled left and bounced off the left goal post. Immediately after, Egypt had the ball in good position for a header by Salah in the 53rd, that was saved by Courtois as it curled away from him.
In the 66th, long-time Belgian hero Romelu Lukaku came in, and he paid immediate dividends. A seeing-eye cross from the right side by defender Thomas Meunier found Lukaku rushing between two defenders to the goal and between Lukaku and defender Mohamed Hany, it went into the net for the 1-1 tie. Hany was credited with an own goal, but it was due to 6-3 Lukaku.
Egyptian keeper Mostafa Shoubir made a critical save on a well-placed header by defender Brandon Mechele in the 83rd, with Lukaku lurking behind, but Shoubir pushed it away to his left and away from trouble. Lukaku had another chance on a header in the middle of the box in the 87th, but it went over the goal.
The Belgians ended with 54% possession and a 15-14 shots edge, with much of its offense coming late in the game. Both sides will be happy with the point.
● Group G: Iran 2, New Zealand 2 ● The much-discussed Iranian team, headquartered in Tijuana (MEX) and allowed to be in the U.S. for 24 hours on match days only, finally took the field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California against almost-forgotten New Zealand.
The Iranians were on offense to start, but the Kiwis got organized quickly and in the seventh minute, a long pass was corralled by forward Chris Wood, who passed to midfielder Sarpreet Singh. Singh sent the ball back to Wood, who nudged it forward to striker Elijah Just for a right-footed blast in traffic in the net for a 1-0 lead over the head of Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand.
The pro-Iran crowd – with a huge expatriate community in Los Angeles – roared in the 23rd as striker Mehdi Taremi dribbled straight on to the New Zealand goal, unchallenged and wound up for a blistering shot from the top of the box … and hit the right goal post! Even he couldn’t believe it.
The hydration break came in the 24th, with New Zealand at 51% possession and 6-2 on shots. But as has been seen several times already, the break has changed momentum and the Iranians were on offense quickly. From the top of the box, a searching pass by midfielder Saman Ghoddos into the middle found striker Shahriyar Moghanloo, who was only able to shove the ball forward under a challenge. But that was enough to create a chance for defender Ramin Rezaeian to kick it past keeper Max Crocombe for the 1-1 tie.
An Iranian score at 45+4 was called for offsides and the half ended 1-1, with New Zealand at 51% possession and 9-7 on shots.
And the Kiwis were on the prowl to start the second half and Just found Wood heading into the box in the 55th. Wood had space once he received the pass and sent it right back to Just, who sent a right-footed slam over a diving Beiranvand for the 2-1 lead.
Iran finally got into a better offensive look in the 64th and Rezaeian sent an arcing cross into the box, right over a defender and to the head of midfielder Mohammed Mohebbi, who sent a perfect shot to the far post and beyond the reach of Crocombe for a 2-2 tie. By the hydration break at 67 minutes, the shots were 12-10 for New Zealand, and 3-3 in the half of a back-and-forth game.
There was more action, but no serious chances. New Zealand ended with 52% possession but Iran had 17 shots to 14. There were protesters outside SoFi Stadium, but no incidents that impacted the match – of high drama – inside.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
Following its opening 5-1 loss to Sweden on Sunday, Tunisia fired its coach, Sabri Lamouchi (FRA), who had been hired only in January. Beyond the bad performance in the loss – which led to reported dissension in the locker room after the game – questions had already been raised about the presence of Lamouchi’s son at the team’s training camp, and getting into a fight with a Tunisian fan.
Lamouchi coached five games for Tunisia, whose next game is on Sunday vs. Japan.
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The Fare Network, a partner of FIFA as a monitor of racist and discriminatory actions, asked for a FIFA World Cup video review officials to be removed for making an “OK” sign in front of his right leg, on television, prior to the Germany-Curacao match. The sign has been identified, in certain contexts, as a white supremacy signal.
Australian official Shaun Evans was seen making the signal from the FIFA video review control center in Dallas.
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FIFA said that Somali referee Omar Artan, not allowed to work at the tournament as he was not admitted to the U.S., will receive a full fee from FIFA, as if he had allowed to work.
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