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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
This was decision day on the first of four final days in the group stage, with positions in the knock-out round in play.
● Group B: Switzerland 2, Canada 1 ● Both teams had four points going in and a draw would advance both. In Vancouver, in humid conditions at B.C. Place, the Swiss had the best of play during the opening minutes, but there was no score at the hydration break. The Swiss had 71% possession and 3-1 on shots.
The game got chippy in the 30th, with a yellow card for Canadian striker Cyle Larin and Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka for unsportsmanlike play on a free kick. Canada was more on offense towards the end of the half, but it ended scoreless, with the Swiss at 70% of the ball, but Canada with five shots to four.
Fans weren’t back for the second half yet when the Swiss struck after 43 seconds, with a long cross from the right side by midfielder Johan Manzambi found midfielder Ruben Vargas in the middle of the box for a right-footed rocket and the 1-0 lead. Wow.
It got worse for the hosts in the 57th, as a long lead pass out of the back found striker Breel Embolo in the middle of the Canadian zone and he sent a cross to the oncoming Manzambi, who finished easily on the left side of the box for a 2-0 lead that quieted the pro-Canada crowd.
Canada was being aggressive and at the break, the Swiss were down to 57% possession and led on shots, 8-6. Substitute forward Promise David brought life back to Canada with a goal in the 76th. Midfielder Nathan Saliba brought down a long pass out of the back on the right side, then sent a perfect cross to the front of the net, which David hit with his extended right foot to volley the ball into the net.
Canada was all on offense now, with headers that missed, were saved and the last shot at keeper Gregor Kobel was a header from defender Alistair Johnston that was saved at 90+5. The Swiss were down to 55% possession at the end and Canada was 13-6 on shots, meaning 5-0 in the “fourth quarter.” It didn’t help.
● Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina 3, Qatar 1 ● Both teams had one point and were playing with one to possibly advance, likely as a third-place team. In Seattle, the Bosnians were the aggressors, with 58% possession and 5-0 on shots to the hydro break.
And they pressed their advantage, scoring in the 29th on striker Kerim Alajbegovic, who eluded multiple defenders and with space, blasted a shot from the right corner of the box for a 1-0 lead!
The attacks continued and it was 2-0 in the 34th on what was called an own-goal by defender Sultan Al-Brake, after a cross to the far post for forward Edin Dzeko was volleyed to the front of the goal and caromed off of the defender and into the Qatar net.
Finally, Qatar got going. After not generating a shot in the first 38 minutes, forward Edmilson Junior received the ball at the back post and sent a cross to the front of goal for fellow striker Hassan Al-Haydos for the score and 2-1 in the 42nd. The half ended with Qatar suddenly in the game – defender Pedro Miguel hit the post at 45+3 – but with Bosnia at 59% possession and 9-4 on shots.
Qatar managed a couple of shots in the “third period,” – 9-6 at the break – but no more goals. The Bosnians moved to 3-1 in the 80th as midfielder Ermin Mahmic scored on a loose ball of a shot in the box by defender Stjepan Radeljic. It ended 3-1 with the Bosnians at 55% possession at 14-9 on shots.
● Group B ● The Swiss end up on top of the group at 7 points (2-0-1 W-L-T) and Canada second (4: 1-1-1). Bosnia & Herzegovina was also 1-1-1 (4), but third on goal differential (-1), but in position to advance as a third-place team.
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● Group C: Brazil 3, Scotland 0 ● It was hot (88 F) and muggy (62%) in Miami Gardens for this match, with Brazil at 4 points and the Scots at 3.
The game changed shape almost immediately. A bad error for Scotland led to a third Vinicius Junior goal at the World Cup in the seventh minute, as defender Scott McKenna made a bad pass out of the back that was blocked by Brazilian forward Rayan. He forwarded it to Vini Junior, who touched it down to get by keeper Angus Gunn and kicked it into the goal for the 1-0 lead.
Another defensive error, this time by defender Jack Hendry, in the 22nd, saw Vinicius Junior steal the ball, then send a low shot behind Gunn for the 2-0 lead. But a video review showed a foul by the Brazilian star and the goal was wiped off. At the hydration break, Brazil had 52% possession, but 5-0 on shots.
Scotland tries to manufacture chances, but then the Brazilians struck again as Vinicius Junior saw midfielder Bruno Guimaraes come up with a loose ball at the top of the box on the right side. He ran for a header at the far post and had no trouble scoring at 45+3 for the 2-0 lead. The halftime break came quickly, and Brazil had 11 shots to four, although possessing only 52% of the time.
Brazil kept probing, and a long-lead pass led to an attack by Guimaraes in the 60th, running down the middle of the field in the box, and then laying it off to his right to the waiting forward Matheus Cunha, who right-footed it into the goal for 3-0.
Scotland got a good look in the 64th on an on-target header by midfielder Scott McTominay, but it was handed by Brail’s keeper Alisson. The break came in the 68th with Scotland at 51% possession, but the shots were 16-7 for Brazil.
The crowd roared for Brazil’s Neymar, returning from injury, in the 76th, replacing Cunha, but there were no more goals. Brazil ended at 54% and 21-14 on shots.
● Group C: Morocco 4, Haiti 2 ● Morocco entered with 4 points to 0 for Haiti, in this game in Atlanta, but Haiti upset the script by taking a 1-0 lead in the 10th on a goal by striker Lenny Joseph off a cross by defender Jean-Kevin Duverne from the right side. It was eventually called as an own goal for keeper Yassine Bounou.
Morocco had 70% possession into the hydro break, and a 4-2 shots edge, but was down. They got back into the game in the 39th as defender Achraf Hakimi knocked in a rebound on a save by Haitian keeper Johny Placide that came down right next to him on the goal line, to tie it at 1-1.
Undeterred, Haiti came back to lead 2-1 in the 43rd, as forward Wilson Isidor hit a tremendous strike from just outside the box in the middle of the field. But Morocco came back with pressure, and Hakimi sent a cut-back cross from the right side to the middle, to the oncoming midfielder Ismail Saibari for the equalizer at 45+2! The halftime showed Morocco still with 67% possession and 13-4 in shots, but tied.
Both sides were challenged on offense in the second half, with the break showing just one shot apiece in the “third period.” Morocco continued to own the ball at 71%. And they finally got ahead in the 78th, on a score by forward Soufiane Rahimi, off a flick-on from a corner to the box of the top by defender Chadi Riad.
A confused situation in the 89th led to an open-net goal, as the ball appeared to go past the endline and Haiti relaxed, but Rahimi continued and crossed to sub forward Gessime Yassine who left-footed it in for 4-2. It ended that way, with Morocco at 69% possession and 22-10 on shots.
● Group C ● Brazil won the group at 7 points (2-0-1) over Morocco (7: 2-0-1) on goal differential and Scotland (3: 1-2, -3 goal differential) hopes to be included as a third-place team.
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● Group A: Czech Republic vs. Mexico ● In Mexico City (MEX) at 9 p.m. Eastern.
● Group A: South Africa vs. South Korea ● In Monterrey (MEX) at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Reports will follow after these games are completed.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
The second trio of groups to finish play on Thursday include:
● Group E: Ecuador vs. Germany: East Rutherford (4 p.m. Eastern)
● Group E: Curacao vs. Ivory Coast: Philadelphia (4 p.m. Eastern)
● Group F: Japan vs. Sweden: Arlington (7 p.m. Eastern)
● Group F: Tunisia vs. Netherlands: Kansas City (7 p.m. Eastern)
● Group D: Turkey vs. United States: Inglewood (10 p.m. Eastern)
● Group D: Paraguay vs. Australia: Santa Clara (10 p.m. Eastern)
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The U.S. government has allowed the Iranian team to travel to Seattle for its Friday match with Egypt on Wednesday, a day earlier than it has allowed previously for its matches in Inglewood, California.
The Iranians will be expected to leave after Friday’s match and return to its training base in Tijuana (MEX).
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Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo was given a five-match ben by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for his foul against Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone in the 51st minute of the opening match that resulted in a gruesome broken leg.
Madibo apologized later, but Kone, of course, was eliminated from further play.
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