World Cup Day 12: Uruguay, Spain top respective groups taken at BSJ Headquarters (Revolution)

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Revolution

World Cup Day 12: Uruguay, Spain top respective groups

By Sean Sweeney

Jun 25, 2018 • 4:32 pm

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Couldn't keep up with the final days for Groups A and B in Russia? Don't worry, BostonSportsJournal.com has you covered with all the highlights in quickie form, complete with BSJ insight and analysis.

FIVE THOUGHTS FROM MONDAY'S ACTION

The Celestes down 10-man Russia, take top spot in Group A: Uruguay got off to a great start, as Luis Suarez slotted home on a free kick at the top of the box near the end of the 10th minute. And just half a minute after Mo Salah made it 1-0 in the other Group A match, Uruguay made it 2-0 and solidified its hold on the top spot with a nifty Diego Laxalt shot from distance that tucked in at the near post. Russia went down to 10 men with two yellow cards to Igor Smolnikov, and that only complicated matters for the tournament hosts. Both sides would have opportunities in the second half, but nothing fell until Edinson Cavani pounced on the rebound of a saved shot in the 90th minute to wrap up -- and more importantly, win -- the group.

Saudi Arabia grabs last-kick winner over Egypt: The Saudis had a great deal of possession in the first 20 minutes of the otherwise meaningless Group A match, but it was Mo Salah, against the run of play, chipping around the goalkeeper to put the Pharaohs up by a goal to nil, marking the first time Egypt has ever led in the World Cup. A minute or so later, Salah had a chance for a second, but he chipped just wide of the far post. Egypt continued the offensive pressure until the Saudis were awarded a penalty in the 40th minute. But Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary -- the oldest player to compete at the World Cup -- chose correctly and denied Fahad Al-Muwallad from the spot. He wouldn't stop Salman Al-Faraj on the Saudis' second penalty, this one in first-half stoppage time. Like in Uruguay-Russia, both sides had their chances to break the tie, but it wasn't until the fifth minute of four minimum minutes of second-half stoppage time that Salem Al-Dawsari, on some industrial play in the box, just got his shot to hit the inside netting right by the post to win the match for the Falcons, 2-1. Saudi Arabia finishes third in Group A.

Group B sees wild finishes, Spain goes through top: Morocco withstood Spain's possession and ended up with the first goal, as Khalid Boutaib dispossessed near the midway line and, before Spain reacted, raced in and beat David de Gea with a left-footed slotter to put Morocco up by a goal to nil after quarter of an hour. But within five minutes, Tiki-Taka football returned and Spain equalized as Isco buried Andres Iniesta's pass into the roof of the net to level things at 1-up. Boutaib would have a chance to reclaim the lead in the 25th, but de Gea came up like the world-class keeper that he is to deny the Moroccans. Morocco's Romain Saiss would then deny the Spaniards as the defender cleared the ball practically off the line in the second half, Spain looking for a winner. But in the 81st minute, there was a possible winner -- by Morocco, that is, as Youssef En-Nesyri rose and headed a corner kick into the net to put the Atlas Lions ahead, 2-1. Yet Spain still had a say, and an onside Iago Aspas used a cheeky backheel to pull the match level in second-half stoppage time, and Spain saw out the result to advance to the knockouts in first via the goals scored tiebreaker.

Iran denies Portugal the top spot with late VAR-aided penalty: Portugal had loads of possession in the first half, but could not find the back of the net until midway through the 45th minute, as Ricardo Quaresma hit a cracker from the top of the box into the net, and the Portuguese went into the locker room leading by a goal to nil. Cristiano Ronaldo wanted a penalty called after one of his free kicks struck an Iranian player's arm, and we have to agree: it should have been a penalty. CR7 was then taken down in the box early in the second half, and the referee initially refused to give a penalty. After VAR reversed the decision, Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand chose rightly and saved it. It would stay 1-0 to Portugal deep into stoppage time, when Iran won a VAR-aided penalty: Karim Andarifard booted it home to tie the score. Iran would get the ball soon after the re-start and put one into the side netting, and that was the way it ended. A wild finish to Group B.

Watching a match on TV and a match on your smartphone is hard work: Self-explanatory thought. My wi-fi will need a few hours to recover every day this week. It was fun looking from the TV to the phone, back to the TV.... nothing going on, back to the phone... no scoring attempts, back to the TV.... and with that incredible sequence of events in Group B, yikes. This will be my life until Thursday.

OFF THE PITCH


  • From the We're Deflecting Blame And Dismissing Accountability And Criticism files: two-time US men's manager (and former LA Galaxy manager) Bruce Arena feels the officiating in CONCACAF is poor and has held the region back: “The things that happened (Sunday) with Panama were typical of CONCACAF competition, but they’re never punished for it. In my view, the officiating hurts the progress of the region,” Arena said. “You’d have to be hit over the head with a sledgehammer for them to call a penalty kick in CONCACAF.”

  • The US men will start the next cycle with friendly matches against Brazil and Mexico on home soil in September.

  • FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Serbian FA president following comments he made to the BBC following Serbia's match with Switzerland, which saw Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, and team captain Stephan Lichtsteiner make politically-influenced hand gestures after scoring goals. FIFA also fined Xhaka, Shaqiri, Lichtsteiner for the gestures.

  • Eleven million fans watched Mexico and South Korea on both the FOX network and Telemundo.

  • ESPN pundit Max Bretos tweeted Sunday, "Another World Cup and I have learnt (sic) nothing about Korea. There is a huge Korean community in (US), We as media have to be better storytellers regarding (Korea)." We'll have more on this with some thoughts later in the week.

  • A bar in Rio plans to give out shots Wednesday every time Neymar falls. That might be dangerous (hashtag alcohol poisoning)...

  • Reports indicate the Argentina players (read: Lionel Messi) will select the team for Tuesday, not manager Jorge Sampaoli. But no, there's no trouble in the Argentina camp, no....


STATS OF THE DAY


  • 45-year-old Egyptian keeper Essam El-Hadary (45 years, 161 days) got the start for the Pharaohs Monday, making him the oldest player to appear in the World Cup. Colombia's Faryd Mondragon was 43 years, 3 days old when he stepped on the pitch for Los Cafeteros in '14. It was his 159th cap.

  • El-Hadary is also older than three of the managers in the World Cup.

  • Monday was only the third time Spain and Morocco -- separated by the Strait of Gibraltar, nine miles wide -- have met on the football pitch: the first two times were in 1961 for the right to go to the 1962 World Cup.


PLAYERS OF THE DAY


Essam El-Hadary, goalkeeper, Egypt; Alireza Beiranvand, goalkeeper, Iran




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