Double of Musa and happiness of Brazil
June 23, 2018 | 15:50 |2918
Viktor KARDASHOV
BRAZIL - COSTA RICA - 2: 0
The 21st FIFA World Cup group stage came to its equator and today begins with a match between Brazil and Costa Rica at the St. Petersburg stadium. The teams represent the Group E. The first part of the first half was held with the statistical superiority of the Brazilians, although sometimes the counterattacks of their opponents looked even more dangerous. In the 27th minute, Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City scores a goal against Costa Rica, but Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers rules out a goal for offside. The ball disallowed. Until the end of the first forty-five minutes, the pressure of the Brazilian national team remained, although it did not lead to a goal. The second half began with even more powerful attacks of “ball wizards.” In period of 50-59 minutes, it seemed that the Brazil should score at least three goal vs Costa Ricans.
In the 73rd minute, there is a moment that Neymar (“PSG”) has been waiting for, but he misses the chance. A mistake from Gonzalez allows Brazil's talisman to pounce and he bursts through the middle only to send his curling shot over the crossbar from the edge of the box. He took the shot on early but could not get it on target. Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas just turned out to be an extra.
The PSG man was at the heart of the game throughout, including winning a penalty that was sensationally overturned by VAR. In a funny way, the regular time of the match ends a goalless with the overwhelming majority of the Brazilians.
However, they kept plugging away and were rewarded when Philippe Coutinho from Barselona stabbed home in the first minute of stoppage time. Firmino knocked down Marcelo’s cross from the left. Jesus took a poor first touch, but it fell perfectly for the run of Coutinho, who fired his effort through the legs of Navas, who has been unbeatable until now, from close range. Relief on the bench for Tite.
As it turned out, that was not all. Four minutes later, Neymar added gloss with a further goal in added time. After that the final whistle sounds. What a finish at the Krestovsky Stadium. It looked as though Brazil were going to be held to another frustrating draw, but they pulled it out of the bag in stoppage time with goals from Coutinho and Neymar, who was in tears of joy at full time. So were Costa Rica’s fans – they are knocked out with defeat.
It is a first and important win of Brazil in Russia, and Brazil pentakampione with four points are leading the Group E standings.
Next up is Nigeria vs. Iceland, the match of which will be held in Volgograd.
NIGERIA - ICELAND - 2: 0
African footballers, led by German coach Gernot Rohr (GER), lost to Croatia in the first round and are aimed now to win three points. Icelanders are quite worthy of showing themselves in the confrontation with the eminent Argentine and have a draw in their moneybox and, accordingly, one point. The first half was not rich in events. Boring football and lack of bright and dangerous moments. One can remember only the 41st minute, when Birkir Bjarnason, midfielder from Aston Villa, shot over the Nigeria crossbar from close range, and the last minute of the first half of the match, when all the same Bjarnason did free-kick for Iceland. Good cross-in inside the Nigeria penalty box, but found no one to tap in. Missed chance for Iceland. Strong finish from Iceland. They have created couple of good chances in the stoppage time of the first half. Nigeria have dominated the possession, but they have failed to register a single shot on target so far. It is still goalless in the important Group D match.
Second half begins. Goal! In the 50th minute, the Moscow Army men Ahmed Musa out Nigeria in the lead 1:0. A brilliant counter attacking goal by Nigeria. Musa started the run in their own half, and Victor Moses from London Chelsea cross-in brilliantly, from the right flank, for Musa inside Iceland box. Musa controlled it down with a perfect first-touch before unleashing a thunderous strike from close range. The stadium explodes with applause!
Seven minutes later, Hannes Halldorsson saves his team from the inevitable second goal. Wilfred Ndidi tried it from outside the box. The ball took Iceland defender's foot, but still required Iceland goalkeeper to palm it out. The resultant corner yielded nothing for Nigeria. At the 66th minute, Victor Moses misses his chance as his shot from the right side of Iceland penalty box went over the crossbar. Two minutes later the response of the guys from Iceland is already following. Rurik Gislason shot it well over the Nigeria crossbar from the top of box. It did not work out. Fans of Nigeria breathed out with relief.
In the 74th minute, unlucky! Ahmed Musa misses the opportunity to make a double, as his effort from outside the box hit the Iceland bar. And in sixty seconds ... does not miss. Goal! After hitting the bar a minute ago, Musa scored his second to double the Nigeria lead. A brilliant solo goal by Musa, who dodged the defender Kari Arnason as well as the goalkeeper, before unleashing another thunderous strike.
After that, Icelandic footballers began to look even more sluggish. However, ten minutes before the end of the regular time of the match, VAR used to check penalty for Iceland. The referee Matthew Conger reversed the decision and pointed towards the spot-kick. Penalty Missed! Gylfi Sigurdsson shot it over the Nigerian crossbar. Missed chance for Iceland. In the 89th minute, there was another chance to score - but Finnbogason’s shot was too light to Nigeria goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, who collected it calmly.
Ahmed Musa scored a brace in the second half to take Nigeria to second in the Group D standings, behind already qualified Croatia. The result gave Lionel Messi-led Argentina too as they are very much in contention for the knock-outs now.
SERBIA - SWITZERLAND - 1: 2
The German referee Felix Brych is take charge of the Group E match in Kaliningrad. Serbian team in red color and representatives of the country of watches, banks and cheese are in snow-white. Switzerland coach is Vladimir Petkovic, and Serbian coach is Mladen Krstajic. Already in the 5th minute, Serbs scored an early goal. Aleksandar Mitrovic from Fulham put Serbia in the lead. Less than a minute after his header was saved by Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Aleksandar Mitrovic got another opportunity and this time there was no chance for Sommer to save it. Mitrovic scored with another header from eight yards out. Dusan Tadic with the assist for Serbia Further, up to break time, the game went at good speeds. Switzerland had the possession in the first half, but Serbia were more dangerous in their attack. Serbia lead Switzerland 1-0 at half-time break. In the 52nd minute, the Alpians decide to go for a quick attack. Goal! Switzerland scored the equalizer. Granit Xhaka from Arsenal scored a brilliant goal from outside the Serbian box. Xhaka got the ball when Xherdan Shaqiri’s attempt was blocked out by Serbia defender, and he whipped it to the left side of the Serbian goal from 25 yards. A fine counter-attacking move from Switzerland. Vladimir Stojkovic really did not see the ball and could not save his team.
In the 58th minute, Xherdan Shaqiri's shot from the right edge of Serbia box hit the crossbar. In the last few minutes, Switzerland acts as the “first number”, although the Serbs respond very dangerously. In the 68th minute, Mitrovic had to just put his foot in order to score. However, the football player could not catch the ball.
In the 82nd and 84th minutes, the Swiss are very dangerous. They are getting closer and closer to the goal scored. And in the last minute of the regular time of the match, the indefatigable Shaqiri put Switzerland in the lead. Dusko Tosic, chasing Xherdan, could not stop him. Shaqiri dodged the offside trap to make it an one-on-one situation, and scored the second goal for Swiss side between the Serbian goalkeeper's legs.
Four minutes added as stoppage time by German referee, after which the game is over.
What is the Group E standings? Brazil and Switzerland are leading – they have four points, Serbs are in third place with three points. In the third round of the group stage, the “bankers” will meet with an outsider – the Costa Rican national team, while Serbia will be checked by Brazil pentakampione. In this case, the Balkan team will not be satisfied with a draw. It will be hot!
Tomorrow we are waiting for the next matches of the 2018 World Cup, among which the current world champion – the German national team.
