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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
Shock as the operative word on Tuesday, as Egypt was up 2-0 on defending champion Argentina with 11 minutes left, but Lionel Messi & Co. found a way to win, again. And after the Swiss won on penalties, six European teams are into the quarters. .
● Argentina 3, Egypt 2 ● This match in Atlanta was turned upside down in the 15th minute, with a long cross from the right side of the field, well beyond the box, from midfielder Marawan Attia, that was headed in by defender Yasser Ibrahim between two defenders, into the right side of the Argentina net for the 1-0 lead!
Argentina got to work on an equalizer and in the 19th, forward Haissem Hassan was called for a penalty for submarining Argentine defender Nicolas Tagliafico in the box. Superstar Messi lined up for the penalty shot, but his drive to the right side was saved quite easily by Egypt keeper Mostafa Shoubir. It was the second penalty missed by Messi at the World Cup, also against Austria.
By the hydration break, Argentina had 55% of possession and shots were one apiece. The Argentines continued their assault, in Shoubir kept they scoreless. He stopped midfielder Alexis Mac Allister’s header in the 28th, and then a Messi free kick from above the box in the 31st hit the left post. In the 39th, striker Julian Alvarez’s run through the box led to a shot that was saved again by Shoubir.
At the half, Argentina had 60% possession and a 7-2 lead on shots, with Argentina starting on offense right way, but unable to find the net.
Egypt looked to strike again on a fast break in the 58th, with scoring star Mo Salah sending the ball to the left to oncoming midfielder Mostafa Zico, who sent a strike into the net for the 2-0 lead. But a foul was called on midfielder Marawan Attia at the start of the attacking play, way back in the Egyptian zone, nullifying the goal!
Another Egyptian fast break in the 67th looked almost the same as the one that was nullified earlier: Salah moved out, forwarded the ball to Hassan, who found Zico coming in from the right side and he finished with authority for the 2-0 lead (confirmed).
With 63% possession and 12-3 on shots, Argentina went into the second hydro break in serious trouble. The pressure continued and on the 79th, it finally worked with a cross by Messi from the right side in front of Egyptian goal that was headed in by defenders Cristian Romero to close to 2-1.
A Messi cross in the box was barely missed by striker Lautaro Martinez on a header in the 82nd, then a loose ball in the box was tipped by Martinez to defender Gonzalo Montiel, who popped it to his right to Messi, whose left-footed shot from the center of the box got through to the left side of the goal for the 2-2 tie in the 83rd!
Off a follow-up Egyptian flurry, Argentina regained possession and the ball moved to the right side of the field for Martinez, who sent a looping pass into the box where it was scored by Enzo Fernandez on a header as he essentially stopped in the box to create space, as the Egyptian defender kept going, at 90+2. Unbelievably, 3-2.
Egypt demanded the goal be nullified for a foul in the Argentina box before the scoring play begin, but this was waved off. After 11 minutes of extra time, it was over; Argentina had 64% possession and was 19-5 on shots, but it was three goals on 13 minutes that made the difference.
● Switzerland 0 (4) Colombia 0 (3) on penalties ● This was a tight match in Vancouver, with Colombia looking for offense and the Swiss ready for the counter. The first hydro break saw no score and 58% for Colombia and the only two shots of the match.
Both keepers had to make saves in the “second period,” but still no score at half, with more Swiss possession (down to 51% for Colombia at half), with five shots for the South Americans and two for the Swiss.
The second half saw both teams working harder for a goal,
The Swiss had 51% possession for the game at the second hydro break, with Colombia still leading on shots 7-5 (meaning there were five in the “third period” compared with seven in the whole first half). Both sides had two shots on goal.
The game was more open in the final minutes of regulation, with Swiss forward Dan Ndoye barely missing a shot from near the right endline at 90+1. But regulation time ended 0-0, with the Swiss at 52% of the ball and Colombia up on shots, 7-6. On to extra time.
It was more of the same: tight defending, and physical play. But in the 99th, Colombian Jhon Lucumi almost scored on a header, which was tipped over the crossbar by the right hand of Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel. And Kobel stopped a promising drive from distance by midfielder Jaminton Campaz in the 101st. But it was still 0-0, with Colombia at 12-6 on shots (5-0 in the period).
In the second period, a Swiss turnover in their own end resulted in a chance in the 115th, but Campaz’s shot from the right of goal went over the crossbar. But it finished 0-0, with the Swiss at 53% of the ball through 120 minutes and Colombia with 15 shots to seven.
The shoot-out saw both sides made two of their first three, then Colombia’s Cucho Hernandez had his shot saved by Kobel and Swiss forward Cedric Itten and midfielder Ruben Vargas made theirs for a 4-3 win. The Swiss reward is to face Argentina in Kansas City, in their first quarterfinal since 1954.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
The tournament is down to the final eight, and once again, it is Europe which dominates the field of possible winners:
● 2026: 6 Europe, 1 South America, 1 Africa
● 2022: 5 Europe, 2 South America, 1 Africa
● 2018: 6 Europe, 2 South America
● 2014: 4 Europe, 3 South America, 1 CONCACAF
● 2010: 4 South America, 3 Europe, 1 Africa
Looking at the final 16, despite all of the great play by smaller countries and that nine of 10 African teams made it to the round-of-32, Europe and South America were once again – as usual – responsible for most of those still playing:
● 2026: 7 Europe, 4 South America, 3 CONCACAF, 2 Africa, 0 Asia
● 2022: 8 Europe, 2 South America, 1 CONCACAF, 2 Africa, 3 Asia
● 2018: 10 Europe, 4 South America, 1 CONCACAF, 0 Africa, 1 Asia
● 2014: 6 Europe, 5 South America, 3 CONCACAF, 2 Africa, 0 Asia
● 2010: 6 Europe, 5 South America, 2 CONCACAF, 1 Africa, 2 Asia
¶
After 27 straight days of matches, 8 July will be a football-free days in preparation for the quarterfinals on 9-10-11 July:
Thursday, 9 July :
● France vs. Morocco: In Foxborough. (4 p.m. Eastern)
Friday, 10 July:
● Spain vs. Belgium: In Inglewood. (3 p.m. Eastern)
Saturday, 11 July:
● Norway vs. England: In Miami Gardens. (5 p.m. Eastern)
● Argentina vs. Switzerland: In Kansas City. (9 p.m. Eastern)
The semifinals will be on 14-15 July in Arlington and Atlanta and the final in East Rutherford on the 19th. The third-place game in Miami Gardens will be on the 18th.
¶
While World Cup ticket prices for the round-of-16 all slid down in the final days and hours before kickoff, the overall average remained high for the lowest “get-in” prices:
● $913 for the Group Stage
● $1,015 for the Round-of-32
● $1,453 for the Round-of-16
The most expensive round-of-16 ticket was England-Mexico at $3,820 and Swiss-Colombia was the least-priced, but still at $434.
The data is from TicketData.com reporting; mid-Tuesday average asking prices for the quarterfinals was $1,470.
¶
In a FIFA “Disciplinary Preview” for the Monday matches, two U.S. Soccer staff members – team manager Sam Zapatka and the U.S. Soccer vice president of security, Frank Pannell, were listed as “suspended.”
No more information was listed.
¶
Fox Sports said the overnight report on the average English-language viewing audience from the USA-Belgium match was 30.0 million, the most ever in the U.S. for a soccer game, peaking at 36.895 million from 9:15 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern time, early in the second half.
¶
Delish.com reviewed some of the most outrageous stadium concessions offered for the World Cup, leading off with this:
“The stadium food experience used to follow a pretty straightforward routine: Wait in an egregious line, overpay, and then try not to spill ketchup, mustard, or nacho cheese all over your jersey. Apparently, FIFA World Cup venues did not get the hot dogs-and-chicken-tenders-only concessions memo.
“Instead, host cities across the U.S. have gone full chaos mode — in the best possible way — with some of the most imaginative stadium fare we’ve seen. We’re talking outrageous, extravagant, occasionally confusing foods that make you wonder, ‘Who even approved this?’”
Of course, the lead-off item was the $75 Miami “Fancy AF Tots” with “deep-fried hash brown patties with caviar, crème fraîche, and chives—and a 5-pound (!!) empanada.”
There is also the “Twinkie Cheeseburger” at SoFi Stadium, a hamburger “topped with a Texas Twinkie, which is a bacon-wrapped jalapeño stuffed with brisket and cream cheese. Honestly? It’s even more ridiculous than my first thought.”
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