World Cup 2018 Diary 4 – England and Belgium demolished their opponents in Group G at World Cup 2018. And they did it without ever getting anywhere near top gear. Surely that will set alarm bells ringing within FIFA as we head towards the horrifyingly bloated-looking 48-team World Cup in 2026. The US, Mexico, and Canada are set to be the hosts for an opening fortnight of utterly pointless football as the chaff is brutally separated from the wheat.
By Dave Bowler
Belgium 5 Tunisia 2 (Group G)
Kevin de Bruyne was starting to look like a realistic Ballon d’Or candidate for the way he played for Man City, and continued with Belgium in this tournament.
Tunisia had shown themselves as pretty ordinary fare against England, even though they took Gareth Southgate’s team to the final seconds. Belgium, de Bruyne in particular, exposed them as the kind of lesser lights they are. The Belgians played at little more than half pace for much of the game. They had the game on a string from the moment that Eden Hazard stroked in the opening penalty.
Lukako adds more goals
Romelu Lukaku helped himself to another brace before the break. Hazard got his second, and then Michy Batshuayi contrived to score. In truth, he had enough chances to go past Lukaku and Ronaldo in the Golden Boot race. A couple of defensive lapses helped Tunisia to gain some slight respectability. They lost 5-2 when it could have been double figures.
Belgium and England of the bigger nations, had really lucked out. Firstly, with the draw for the group that set them up with two no-hopers. Secondly, the order of the games meant both sides were able to ease their way to maximum points. Both should go into the knockout phase with great heart, whatever the outcome of their meeting in the final game.
Not Quite Auf Wiedersehen Yet For Germany
Germany 2 Sweden 1 (Group F)
Actually, scrap that earlier bit about Kevin de Bruyne getting the Ballon d’Or. Give it to Toni Kroos now. He scored a wonder-goal, sending the ball on an inch-perfect trajectory into the far corner at a crucial moment. Anything less than perfection would have sent Germany out of the World Cup.
That is brilliance that is simply off the scale. Such grace under pressure, given the circumstances. It was one of the greatest goals ever scored in any World Cup. Not only did it all but put Germany through, it ignited what had been a pathetic campaign to that point.
Earlier in the game they were trailing to another dreadful goal. The German defence abandoned their duties to allow Toivanen to finish neatly. At the interval, the mighty Germans were on their way home.
Are fortunes turning for Germany?
Finally, though, they found a bit of aggression, a bit of desire, and commitment that had hitherto been missing. Reus got them level almost immediately. Then Brandt smashed a shot against the post. They had good possession, the odd chance, but time was running rapidly away from them.
They got a break, oddly enough when Jerome Boateng, having another car crash evening in central defence, was dismissed. He was handed a second yellow card with about ten minutes to go. The Germans dug in again and then earned their winner, harsh though it was on Sweden. They were now tasked with beating Mexico to progress. Germany, on the other hand, might just be fancying their chances of winning the group against all the odds.
Korea Rep 1 Mexico 2 (Group F)
Mexico were still in pole position to win the group after they made it six points from six with a routine win. South Korea were desperately disappointing again. The exuberance and energy with which the Mexicans play was all too much for them. Carlos Vela’s early penalty set them on their way, from where there was never any real doubt that Mexico would seal the win
Javier Hernandez did just that with another lightning breakaway. Son Heung-Min gained a late consolation for the South Koreans. Theirs was a World Cup they’d be happy to forget. Mexico, on the other hand, were coming nicely to the boil. Hitting sides on the break is their forte. As the competition gets to its sharp end, that might play into their hands.
Defensively, they looked a little frail, yet they conceded just once. That was at the end of a game that was already won. If they could see their way past a crestfallen Sweden in the final game, they could do plenty more damage before they’re through.
England 6 Panama 1 (Group G)
England’s thrashing of Panama followed on from Belgium’s similarly ruthless demolition of Tunisia. This left both sides supremely well placed for the business end of the competition. Finishing second in this group looked likely to be the bigger prize, considering the route to the last four.
That said, both would feel confident against all comers, having filled their boots so easily so far. However, Gareth Southgate was right to play down the significance of the size of the win against such poor opponents. Nonetheless, Harry Kane is as good as any striker in the competition. With five goals already to his name at this point, that alone could take the England team a very long way.
Japan 2 Senegal 2 (Group H)
Both Senegal and Japan collected three points in their openers. So a draw in this meeting was always on the cards. That was how it ended, but the way they got there was a little less predictable. Impressively, both sides went hammer and tongs at it over the 90 minutes.
Senegal were the quicker starters. They took advantage of a dreadful error by Eiji Kawashima in the Japanese goal. His weak parry straight onto the advancing Sadie Mane gave the Senegalese the lead. They then passed up a string of opportunities to add to it. They paid the price when Takeshita Inui levelled things up with an assured finish after great work by Nagatomo.
Senegal ‘not very good,’ according to their coach
From there, Japan were the better side against a Senegal who were “frankly not very good” according to coach Alou Cisse. Despite that, they regained the lead when Moussa Wague charged in at the far post to drive in emphatically. However, Japan kept their heads and got the draw they deserved. The apparently ageless Keisuke Honda capitalised on another dreadful bit of goalkeeping. This time it was by Senegal’s Khadim N’Diaye. That left both teams on four points and with one foot in the last 16.
Facing Belgium or England, assuming these two do get through, would likely be a thankless task. But such is the energy and enthusiasm both sides have brought to the tournament, an upset or two in their games would be pretty popular with neutrals.
Poland 0 Colombia 3 (Group H)
Colombia were looking good to advance after a sparkling display that simply shrugged Poland aside. James and Juan Cuadrado were on fire, and Radamel Falcao looked sharp in front of goal. The final game with Senegal was set to be an absolute cracker.
Had they not been reduced to ten men in the opening minutes of that first game with Japan, the likelihood was that Colombia would already be through. But they had rescued the situation to some degree. They now had the momentum on their side. Senegal would have to work to deny them in that decider.
Portugal 1 Iran 1 (Group B)
The Portugal vs. Iran game was an object lesson in just why VAR is, over time, going to entirely change the character of football. Ridiculously long stoppages, footballers trying to intimidate the officials into constantly consulting the TV screens. Trying to goad one another into off-the-ball incidents that will be caught by the cameras. Before our eyes, football is evolving into something very, very different, and it isn’t for the better.
Two penalties were given by VAR in the second half. Neither of them were blatant penalties by any stretch. The referee buckled under pressure and gave penalties after being told to look again by the VAR control room. The Iranian penalty? Where is Cedric supposed to put his hand when jumping for the ball? That must have been the referee’s reading of it when he didn’t give the spot kick before he was pushed into it by the cameras.
And that one decision could change the destination of the World Cup. Because Iran’s equaliser meant that Portugal, having otherwise finished top of the group, now finished second. That meant they faced a much tougher test in Uruguay than they would have in Russia. It might have been worse yet, for Iran almost stole a winner, which would have put Portugal out altogether.
Spain 2 Morocco 2 (Group B)
In the Spain vs Morocco fixture, VAR managed to miss a red card for Pique after a two-footed challenge. Somehow, he didn’t even collect a yellow. In the end, Spain twice came back from a goal down to draw 2-2. They topped the group, and would face Russia in the next round. They didn’t look as good as expected, but Russia should offer a free pass to the last eight.
Uruguay 3 Russia 0 (Group A)
The hosts came down to earth with something of a bang today. The consolation was that the Russians’ 3-0 defeat at the hands of Uruguay was largely irrelevant. Both sides had already qualified for the last 16.
It was routine stuff for the South Americans who had the game sewn up inside the first half an hour. they were then able to treat the rest of the fixture as nothing more than a glorified training exercise. It didn’t dampen the atmosphere much around the stadium. There was a general acceptance that in reaching the knockout stages, Russia’s footballers had ensured they were not disgraced. Anything they could achieve from here would be a bonus.
Uruguay advance with Russia
Uruguay had greater ambitions than that. They were gradually growing in stature as he tournament went on. Having both Suarez and Cavani on the scoresheet in the final game was good for their confidence going into the sharp end of things. Having said that, Suarez will never score an easier 20-yard free-kick again. One of the Russian defenders obligingly shoved two Uruguayans out of the way to create space on the end of the wall. Suarez directed his shot into said space and scored his goal. It was even more bizarre given that if he’d missed, it would have been a penalty.
Russia had already made changes to protect players on yellow cards. So it was easy street for Uruguay from there on. The 3-0 victory was a reasonable reflection of the 90 minutes.
Saudi Arabia 2 Egypt 1 (Group A)
Egypt’s horrible World Cup campaign came to a yet worse end. They succumbed to defeat to Saudi Arabia in the fifth minute of injury time, losing 2-1. This was despite their 45-year-old goalkeeper, Essam El Hadary, making a terrific first-half penalty save. Mo Salah had earlier put Egypt in front, but he disappeared from view after the break. His shoulder injury was clearly too much to carry through the World Cup. Liverpool would now be looking into his condition as a matter of some urgency.
Read the next chapter of Dave Bowler’s World Cup 2018 history as the group stage reaches its conclusion.
Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own fall.
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