Neymar gets injured, Messi and Mbappe score, Ronaldo breaks record for goalscoring, while Qatar become the worst hosts ever. It’s all happening as Dave Bowler’s World Cup 2022 round-up continues.
Brazil 2 Serbia 0 (Group G)
Brazil won this game over a disciplined Serbian side who made them work for it. Patience was the watchword for Brazil who kept moving their opponents around. They gradually wore them down with metronomic possession football. Serbia got to the break all square but once Brazil quickened the pace against a tiring outfit in the second half, they had no answer to them.
Richarlison registered his interest in the Golden Boot by scoring twice as Brazil completed a very satisfactory night’s work. The only concern was the early departure of Neymar with an ankle injury. If the golden boy ended up in a moon boot, then Brazil would need to avoid the implosion that came with his injury in 2014. That worry aside, they did plenty to reinforce their position as tournament favourites. Amid a first five days that have been anything but clear, at least that is something we can cling to.
Switzerland 1 Cameroon 0 (Group G)
Switzerland won their opening match with a very nicely worked goal against Cameroon. Embolo scored it just after the break. Having been born in Cameroon before moving as a six-year-old, he understandably chose not to go berserk and run towards the cameras. Instead he simply raised his arms in recognition.
The goal changed the game. Prior to that, Cameroon were by far the more threatening side. they really should have had a first-half lead. But as Canada underlined yesterday, shots at goal mean nothing if they don’t go in. The Swiss went from strength to strength thereafter. Perhaps they should have had more goals, though that would have been harsh on the African side. They gave plenty to the game and were worth a draw.
Tough path for Cameroon
As it was, with Brazil and Serbia still to come for Cameroon, qualification for them looked pretty tough now. Victory over Serbia in their next game was pretty much compulsory. The Swiss, on the other hand, looked a more than competent outfit in that second half. If they could maintain that standard in their last two games, they should come through.
Uruguay 0 Korea Rep 0 (Group H)
Uruguay and South Korea played out a 0-0. It was a slightly better game than the scoreline suggests. But again, the quality of finishing at this level of the game was dreadful. South Korea began well, but it was Uruguay who finished stronger.
They looked infinitely better for the replacement of Suarez, the once quicksilver striker looking as if, at the age of 35, this might be a World Cup too far. His legs were no longer as willing as they once were. As to his bite reflex, we had no opportunity to judge. Edison Cavani, at the same age, looked a more sprightly replacement. Though of course, he only had to get through half an hour.
The draw left both sides in the qualifying mix, which is of course the main aim from the first game, where defeat can so often be terminal.
Portugal 3 Ghana 2 (Group H)
Ghana could take some comfort from their 3-2 defeat against Portugal. The lowest-ranked side in the competition did enough to make Uruguay and South Korea take notice of them.
This decent game really came to life when Ronaldo, of course, opened the scoring on 65 minutes. He did celebrate, and he was entitled to. He became the first man to score in five separate World Cups. Portugal pulled a slightly tentative Ghana out of their shell. Taking advantage of some poor Portuguese defending (Cancelo had a night to forget) Andre Ayew had them level.
Tense finish for Portugal
The goal rather went to their heads, and having been commendably solid up to that point, all those defensive verities went out the window over a mad couple of minutes. Portugal twice sliced them open and seemingly put the game beyond them through Felix and Leao.
But there was more dismal Portuguese defending to follow in the final minute, Bukari reduced the arrears and made for a very uncomfortable nine added minutes. Danilo had to clear off the line in the final seconds after Williams picked the ‘keeper’s pocket. But Portugal got there in the end – though a late VAR penalty check might have differed on that. If they could sort out their defending, there were enough goals in the side to take them a long way.
Iran 2 Wales 0 (Group B)
Wales saw their World Cup hopes diminish after a dismal display against a rejuvenated Iran. They repeated the sluggish start to the US game, but this time could not raise a gallop in the second half either. Tactically, they got it wrong in the latter stages, too. They threw on more and more forwards at 0-0 to try and force a result. Given the way they were playing, they should have been grateful for the small mercy of taking a point.
Instead, they left themselves open. Then, goalkeeper Hennessey decided it was the right time to cosplay Harald Schumacher from the 1982 World Cup. He got himself sent off, and Wales were in deep trouble. Iran brilliantly exploited the remaining dozen minutes against ten men and were worthy 2-0 winners.
Wales could only yet progress with a win over England in their final group game – if the USA v Iran game ended in a draw.
Senegal 3 Qatar 1 (Group A)
In Group A, Qatar became the first side to pack their bags for home. At least they didn’t have far to go. They officially became the worst team ever to host the World Cup. Their departure after just two games was all too predictable. With a game against the Netherlands to follow, would they draw a complete blank from their three games?
At least they were a little more sprightly than in their defeat to Ecuador. They did get on the scoresheet. In truth, it was a relatively straightforward victory for Senegal. That might have been different had Qatar been awarded a penalty with the scores at 0-0, but there was no VAR challenge to the referee’s decision. From there, Senegal began to exert real control of the game.
There were players of genuine quality in the Senegal side. The African champions had now given themselves the opportunity of progressing into the knock-out stages. A win over Ecuador in the final game would do the trick.
England 0 USA 0 (Group B)
England played with none of the panache they’d brought to the Iran game. they looked more than content to keep their clean sheet and hope something would break their way at the other end. It didn’t, but they were a little fortunate to get away with the 0-0. The USA quickly realised they had nothing to fear from England. They were the more enterprising side, but ill luck and the England – rather than Manchester United – version of Maguire kept them at bay.
For England, the performance would resurrect those concerns that Southgate was too defensive-minded. There was something in that. However, the England boss could quite rightly point to a semi-final and final in the last two tournaments as vindication.
USA face showdown with Iran
For the USA, the equation was simple. A win over Iran would see them through. Nothing else would be good enough. I think they would have taken that prior to the competition. In that sense, they were in a good place. Defensively, they looked sound, and there is a nice shape to their attack. But there would be worries that the attacking edge wasn’t sharp enough yet. Scoring only one goal in two games was a concern, but could they finish alongside England and qualify?
Netherlands 1 Ecuador 1 (Group A)
Enner Valencia finished Ecuador’s game with the Dutch on a stretcher, having scored his third goal of the tournament earlier in the game. The draw put them second, behind the Dutch on goal difference. Ecuador might well have won the game against an insipid Netherlands side. With the Dutch facing Qatar in the final game, it was hard to see them failing to win the group. Without Valencia, Ecuador might find it tough to get the point off Senegal that they would need to join them.
France 2 Denmark 1 (Group D)
After Qatar became the first team to be dumped out of the competition, the French became the first to ensure that they’d be there in the knock-out stages.
That boy Mbappe certainly likes a World Cup doesn’t he? He’s fast developing a Pele-like attachment to the competition. That was underscored by a match-winning display against Denmark. The first goal in particular was a thing of immense beauty. A lovely pass in behind the defence and then a sprint into space to collect the return. Most forwards would have stood admiring the pass.
With all the injuries that beset them, it was hard to see France going all the way. They’d certainly started with a will. Perhaps the freshening up of the side and squad had given them new impetus at this competition. They all looked a tasty prospect and could now ease off in their final game against Tunisia.
Poland 2 Saudi Arabia 0 (Group C)
Saudi Arabia looked impressive against Poland. Unfortunately, they were left to rue a brilliant double save by Szczesny from an Al Dawsari penalty. That would have had them level at 1-1 at the interval. Zielinski had opened the scoring in what was a pretty even game. Lewandowski sealed it late on as the Saudis pushed for that equaliser.
Tunisia 0 Australia 1 (Group D)
Tunisia’s hopes were dashed by defeat to the Australians. The only goal of the game was a brilliantly manufactured glancing header from Duke, midway through the first half. From there, particularly in the second half, they had to dig in. Tunisia threw everything they had at them. The one thing that Australians don’t lack is the competitive instinct. They managed to get the win over the line.
That set them up for a final game with Denmark. A draw would be enough to see them through on the face of it. But with France having already won the group, a Tunisian win could happen. In that case the Aussies would need to win their game.
Argentina 2 Mexico 0 (Group C)
Argentina went into the game with Mexico knowing that they could be completing an infamous campaign and joining Qatar as a team definitely out of the competition. For a dreary hour of football, that looked a distinct possibility. Then, Messi saved the day.
Dark rumours swirled about him carrying a calf injury. Certainly, his was a largely pedestrian display, but when that moment came, his greatness shone through. Receiving the ball in space for once, from 25 yards out, he arrowed a shot into the ball’s width of room that existed between the diving goalkeeper and the post. Argentina were on their way.
Mexico in need of goals
Up until then, Mexico had stifled them to the point of stalemate with a well-organised performance. Finding a goal to get back on terms, however, always looked beyond them. The defeat wasn’t necessarily the end of the world at 1-0, but Argentina’s second goal could prove terminal. Not having scored at this World Cup yet, Mexico now needed to beat Saudi Arabia – possibly by several goals.
Argentina still did little to impress, but they did come through the fire. They would need to draw belief from that to galvanise them to a better performance against Poland if they are going to come through it again.
