AHFA 2020 World Cup

49: Mexico 2-Australia 0
DIARIO IMPERIAL

Mexico seals its pass to the next round at the expense of Australia
The hosts will now define first place in the group with Provence

After a uncertain start, the Feathered Serpents have reached once again the playing level that has characterized them in recent years, defeating Australia and proving to the world that they are a serious contender for the title. On the other hand, the Australians, despite their victories against Khemia and Tibet, were left without a chance to advance to the round of 16, as they were left with 6 points, while both Mexico and Provence now have 7 units.

The match was played at the Grand Stadium under the scorching Monterrey sun, forcing the referee to stop the game a couple of times so that the players could drink water and recover a bit. Miguel Herrera decided to repeat the lineup that paid off against Khemia, while Australia also didn't vary much in the lineup used in their previous three games.

As expected from before the game, Mexico came out to attack from the start, with Pizarro, Lozano and Jiménez leading the attack again, cornering the Australians in a matter of minutes. The Australians were determined to draw a tie that would allow them to stay alive and, if luck smiled on them, a counterattack goal that would give them the victory, but never without attacking openly, at the cost of being thrashed by the Mexicans.

Despite continued Aztec insistence during the first half, including a shot from outside the area by Giovani Dos Santos that hit the crossbar, and a header by Jiménez into Ryan's hands, the Socceros' strategy worked very well throughout the first half and a good part of the second. However, with the entry of veteran striker Oribe Peralta in place of Jonathan dos Santos and with Edson Álvarez advancing forward, things changed, as Mexico began to create more danger and dismantle any of the few opportunities that Australia had.

It was finally at the 78th minute when Miguel Layún crossed the ball from the left wing, which was lightly combed by Oribe Peralta, and found the leg of Raúl Jiménez, who deflected the ball enough to put it out of Ryan's reach and send it to the back of the goal. With this, the Australian strategy collapsed, as they were now forced to seek the equalizer goal, as defeat would leave them out of the tournament. For this reason, Arnold sent Cawley and Bradic to the field, in a desperate attempt to find the goal as they had not done throughout the game.

Despite their attempts, all they got was for Mexico to score the goal that ensured their victory: after an attack in which almost the entire Australian team went to the front, Salcedo cleared the ball, which was taken by Rodolfo Pizarro, who proceeded to accelerate to the other side of the pitch and passed the ball Jiménez, who was left alone in front of Ryan and surpassed him with a low shot to the opposite post, scoring his second goal of the night and his fourth of the tournament.

With this result Australia says goodbye to the tournament, while Mexico is tied in absolutely everything with Provence, so their games against Tibet and Khemia respectively will define the winner of group A, who will face second place in group B, while the one who is left behind will go against the winner of this group.

Lineups:
Mexico:
Ochoa, Layún, Mier (Cisneros, 90'), Salcedo, Gallardo, Álvarez, dos Santos (Peralta, 65'), dos Santos, Pizarro, Jiménez, Lozano
Australia: Ryan, Daly, Cahill, Kennedy, Shah (Cawley, 80'), Killy (Bradic, 80'), de las Cuevas, Tusveld, Posner, Kennedy, Perichon

Goals:
1-0 Raul Jiménez, 78’
2-0 Raul Jiménez, 88’

Yellow cards:
None
 
50:Tibet 1-Khemia 0
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Referee: Marcus Crowley (Canada)

Yellow cards:
Khemia:
Ahmer El Solia ('29), Mena Hamed ('55), Ibrahim Wahba ('58)
Tibet: Tenzin Gyeltshen ('73)

Red cards:
None

Player of the Match: Arthur Tshering (Tibet)
 
52: Iran 2-Rhodesia 0
Iran dominates Rhodesia, sends them home.
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Shojaei secured Iran the win this game
It was unlikely either of these two teams were going to make their way out of the group stage. But even so, this was their best chance of getting a win in this tournament.

Rhodesia started with a big chance. Striker Rudi Fraser had a great shot from outside the box, only stopped by goalkeeper Payam Niazmand. This would be Rhodesia’s only real chance this match.

For most of the rest of the match, Iran dominated the game especially in terms of possession. This would eventually lead to chances. Midfielder and Irani captain Mehran Shojaei would make it 1-0 for Iran after 38 minutes.

Iran would continue to dominate the second half. And while Rhodesia didn’t give up, they never managed to hold onto the ball to be able to get the chances they needed. Iran would make it 2-0 with a great goal from striker Mehran Sohrabi after 70 minutes. This would be the final result.

Rhodesia is now eliminated from the tournament, though their game next Monday against Ragusa could have implications for who makes it through the group. Iran however still have a theoretical chance of making it through.

Iran 2-0 Rhodesia
Shojaei 38'
Sohrabi 70'
 
56: Antarctique 1-Madagascar 0
from pilkarski.mm
Madagascar

Coach:
Jerôme Dutertre

Lineup:

Gustave Brousseu

Sven Arlen Erlingsson (45' Jebediah Nutt)
Francisco Yáñez
James Crabbe
Régis Barnier

James Anderson Kidd
Richard Wichmann
Pierre Pernet

Estienne Pernet (65' Lou Thatch)
Phillippe Allemand (52' Juan Olloqui)
Marcel Génin

Antarctique

Coach:
Marcel Gaillard

Lineup:

Alcide Becker

(88' Jacques Laxalt) Alexandre Tellès
Jacques Godin
Joseph Simon
Gabriel Marchand

Lucas Thorez
Rodéric Bétancourt
(16' Douglas Lacoste) Paul Dybala

Lionel Messie
(59' Edouard Chavanne) Maurice Picard
Ange De Marie
Madagascar 0 - 1 Antarctique

Goals: 0-1 Maurice Picard (26')

Referee: Qasim Kimsanov (Turkestan) - Grade B+
No mistakes. It was correct not to send off Francisco Yáñez (17'), the penalty was clearly correct. Disallowing the first goal (Picard, 1') with VAR support was correct, too.

The starting elevens of both teams saw several changes: Edouard Chavanne was rotated out and Maurice Picard given a start. Also, Caillard believed that a 4-3-3 formation with Alexandre Tellès as a faster left back and an attacking midfielder besides Messie could effectively disrupt the Malagasy defence. Thorez came in to prevent counterattacks.
Dutertre on the other hand brought in Estienne Pernet and Marcel Génin for some more speed in comparison to Juan Olloqui and Xabier Alférez - but rumour also had it that the latter was substituted because of his abysmal performances in training.

But it was not to change anything. Seconds after kickoff, Pierre Pernet lost the ball to Thorez, who passed it beautifully to Ange de Marie. His cross found the foot of Maurice Picard who easily scored! 0-1!
But after a sign from linesman Azarkhsh Voxoughi, the VAR was called in - and Kimsanov clearly confirmed that Picard was offside. No goal for Antarctique!

Dominance, on the other hand, absolute dominance was to remain intact. Only the valiant defensive effort and an excellent shotstopper in Gustave Brousseu were the reason for a scoreless draw. Crabbe stopped an excellent shot by Messie for a corner (8'), Brousseu deflected attempts by Picard from a distance (6') and Ange De Marie from the right wing (12'), Erlingsson prevented Messie from crossing into the box and cleared the ball out (16').

Only a minute later though, Dybala was through and prepared to go one on one with Brousseu. The defender closest to Dybala was Francisco Yáñez, and he felled Dybala! A clear penalty, and Kimsanov's decision to just book Yáñez was also correct, the triple punishment having been abolished recently. Dybala immediately had to be substituted out - knee injury is suspected.

Messie was the one and only man responsible for the Puma's spotkicks. Messie was up against Brousseu! And shot low, towards the right corner - where Brousseu jumped to! He got to it with his right hand! Messie botched a spotkick once again!
And instantly, Antarctique supporters felt reminded of six years earlier, at the 2014 AHFA World Cup against the National Dravidian State... where Messie botched a spotkick in minute 40, which the Dravidian goalkeeper saved. The match was lost, and Antarctique had to fly back home from the Rationalist joint World Cup after the group stage. Back then, it was the Just Nation of Namlolqi who advanced instead of Antarctique.

Of course, the Pumas (or Cougars, as English speakers often call them) wanted to prevent such a scenario, too, and Caillard pushed his side forward, relentlessly forward. Minute after minute passed by with the Jolly Rogers' defence nixing every effort at a shot or cross.
And so, once again, a set piece had to bring change. James Crabbe deflected a shot by Ange de Marie, out for a corner from the left. And this time, it was not Messie who brought it in - he was left in the rear of the penalty area. Instead, Ange De Marie brought the corner, perfectly onto the head of Maurice Picard! No way Brousseu gets to that! 0-1 Maurice Picard (26')!

Antarctique lessened their attacking play to an extent, at least until half-time, but nevertheless, Picard (36'), Thorez (40') and an excellent cross from the right by Ange De Marie (45+3') required intervention by the Jolly Rogers' defence.

Early in the second half, Antarctique tried to score a second goal and secure the lead, But the Dutertre side still managed to keep up its defensive efforts, with some fortunate assistance from the woodwork - Crabbe blocked a shot by Picard (54'), Messie hit the outside of the post (60'), and a beautiful shot by Edouard Chavanne was deflected by Brousseu, hitting the inside of the post where Jebediah Nutt was the first player to get hold of the ball (68').

The only situation where Alcide Becker had to intervene came when, on a counterattack, Marcel Génin outran Gabriel Marchand and pulled off a shot from a centre-right position, 28 metres in front of the goal. This shot was parried away by Alcide Becker, and Juan Olloqui, who was the first player to touch the ball, put it wide (71')!

Nothing more was to change during this match. Chavanne (74'), Messie (75', 88') and even Douglas Lacoste (83') fired more shots at the Malagasy goal, but Brousseu and his defence stopped these, too. Nevertheless, despite the fact that Messie's spotkick was saved by Brousseu, Antarctique gain another three valuable points and - after three victories - are almost certain to advance from the group stages.
 
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55: Celtic Union 5-New England 1
The honest summary of Celtic Union-New England

Too strong, too powerful, too beautiful, too sure of herself ... Celtic Union, without giving the impression of forcing too much, has shrunk New England letting it gently to score 1 goals (5-1 in the end). Connor MacGeidigh and Daibhidh MacPhoil tasted the Clam chowder to the fullest and in their fabulous wake, the Rebels rush towards the knockout stages. And everyone suddenly finds themselves thinking that the Celtics might have become the number 1 favorite for the final victory. Eeeeh, it's not forbidden to believe it. We explain to you why!

YOU HAVE MISSED THE MATCH? DO NOT PANIC !

Celtic Union is PRACTICALLY qualified in the round of 16! By beating New England, the Green Islands are gradually starting to assert themselves as one of the favorites of the World Cup. We will not lie, Celtic Union, it plays well, it has been playing for a long time together and above all, it wins. As in 2014, the friends of MacGeidigh are the team to avoid for any nation dreaming of a star on their jersey! New England meanwhile still have a chance to qualify, but it will be hard, especially with that negative goal difference, and a last match against Antarctique!

Do not lie! We all believed, we the first ones, that O’Donnagain and MacMheinn were going to suck at this World Cup. We all smoked a pack of MacBorough as a tribute to Duffy, because we, too, do not understand why he was not chosen to be part of the squad for this World Cup. And who has never doubted MacPhoil at the forefront of this attack?

Well today, the Celtics have answered us and we just have to be quiet, swallow up a little Guinness and try to understand how this Celtic Union can be beaten. This is the message of this victory against the Yankees ... New England did not play badly but its defeat condemns its World Cup.

Not to mention the score, it is really the attitude of Celtic Union which makes us believe that it is in cruising rhythm mode. Like Cian MacGowain of The Pogues, the team of MacRaibeirt will not let anyone lay down the law in their tavern! Well, ok, we just compared the World Cup to a very cheesy Bar on the outskirts of Beal Feirste. But hey we do what we want, today we are Celtic! As at Euro 2018, watch out for the footix team which will line up behind Celtic Union! In fact, from today on, pay attention to everything that relates to the Hangmen because as soon as it is a question of leading their own fate to success, they are very very gifted.

The sick thing is that we had been warned for four years and that in addition they have Michael Owen in the staff ... The guy will give his little tips to MacPhoil to score goals without being forced to miss 350 times before, how are we going to do this? Even Moireasdan is gracious, one would come to wonder if he is not part of the brotherhood of the Many-Faced God of Game of Thrones, and is none other than Jaqen H'gar… Final is coming!

MATCH NOTE (80/100)

General show (17/20): We can't lie, this duel between Celtic Union and New England delighted us from the start to finish. A first goal in the 6th minute, the last in the end of the match. Three goals in the first act, three in the second. No, frankly, it was great, thank you gentlemen!

Opportunities and Goals (20/20): Six goals in a match, occasions, saves, great action, players who never give up and great scorers. Isn't life beautiful? Isn't it awesome this Mexican World Cup when things happen like that (and Antarctique is not on the field)?

Technical quality (14/20): Even in paradise, everything is not perfect. Far from there. Especially when it comes to the Hangmen. The greatest philosophers will tell you: for the light to shine brightly, this world needs a corner of shadow. That's what he missed in this duel. The New English imbalance and technical clumsiness will have caused their loss. The Celtics will have been almost too easy on certain sequences. But 14 is more than decent!

Scenario and suspense (12/20): Another small part of the shadow, the glaring difference between the two teams has left little room for suspense. Who frankly believed for a moment that the New English would turn things around after MacPhoil's first goal? Even after the opening of the score by Donny Lamon, we knew these Celtics were way too strong. So, we went through this match without much emotion, watching on our flat screens just by the appetite for a record match at goal level. Goals we had and that's the bottom line.

Bonus and penalty (17/20): For this category, we explain to you, we start from 10/20 at each kick-off and we inflate or lower the score according to our own subjective criteria (we are the jury, we do what we want):

+3 for New English selflessness and courage. There is a lot of training which would have armored not to take an international shame but the Yankees never gave up. The fact that they scored a goal against these Celtics already fills our hearts with happiness.

+2 for Connor MacGeidigh’s two goals. Even if he enjoyed himself in the decimated New English defense and far from being a world reference, the Liverpool midfielder is a hell of a player.

+2 for Daibhidh MacPhoil who crushes this World Cup with his talent. Flashed at 37km / h on his first situation of the match, the Mirin Naofa player could have lost 3 points… on his driving license!

THE POP CULTURE MOMENT

If New England was a video game console ...

The Dreamcast! Lots of game, innovations but facing it, Sony. Basically, the same console, less fanciful, but much more reliable and efficient than the small Sega. The portable memory card will be used by the players of the team to have fun on the return plane, but it will end in oblivion, like the New English performances during this World Cup.



If Celtic Union were a Disney character

They would be Cars' Flash McQueen. The best car on paper, the best mechanics, even a Celtic-like name and above all, a very endearing side. Players with a smile, jokes on snapchat… Like the NASCAR car, Celtic Union has everything to win, but it will take more than speed to win its title! We all know they can do it, but let's not be afraid when the opposition gets tougher.



3 GIFS THAT SUMMARIZE THE CASE



via GIPHY
Connor MacGeidigh when told that he doesn't have the makings of a great man.

via GIPHY
Exclusive images of the Yankees’ defense during the Celtics’ attacks


via GIPHY
A very sweet allegory by Daibhidh MacPhoil against the Yankee defense


Celtic Union 5-1 New England
(MacGeidigh 16’, 68’, Daibhidh MacPhoil 36’, 58’, Dughlasach 82’)-(Lamon 6’)
 
51: Leon-Castille 3-Caribbean 0
Leon and Castille Slam the Caribbean to secure first place in Group B

The match between Leon/Castille and the Caribbean was widely regarded as the battle for first place in Group B. Raheem Sterling's squad was shown as underdogs but still capable of putting up a fight against the Leonese. However, the Caribbean squad were very unlucky in front of goal. During the first half only, Sterling saw his shot saved by Blanco (28') while Beauvais would hit the post soon after (34'). Leon on the other hand would also miss their chance, Aspas seeing his header saved by Vazquez (38'), but scoring early on thanks to Felix (6') definetly helped them secure the game. The Caribbean didn't stop attacking though, Bailey hitting the bar soon into the second half (57'). Their attempts would be stopped dead in their tracks as Leon and Castille started putting much more pressure, with Fernandes' free kick finding the Caribbean top left corner (70') and Aspas would seal the deal a few minutes later (88') to the joy of his team.

Leon and Castille 3 - 0 Caribbean
Felix 8'
Fernandes 70'
Aspas 88'
 
60: Macedonia 2-Philippines 0
Macedon obliterates completely absent Philippine team in craziest match ever.
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Macedon this game.
Last night we were witness to one of the most bizarre and crazy matches in world cup history. While the score line might read 2-0 to Macedon, the reality for anyone watching the game was very different.

Macedon had a possession of 94%. Ninety four percent. This is the highest in world cup history. The longest period of Philippine possession is just 19 seconds long. They had no chances at all in this game and were absent from anything but defending.

Macedon had many chances this game, with 7 shots on target. Yet they only scored two goals. The first came after 66 minutes from defender Daniel Aleksov. He managed to touch the ball into the net after a corner. After this goal the match might as well have been over, but it continued as it had before with Macedon completely dominating the game.

At this point most of the non-Macedon crowd in the 50,000 seat Atlas Stadium had left. And there wasn’t much to see until Macedon striker Zoran Kuber made it 2-0 in the last minute of regular time after a great shot from outside the box.

This match was nothing but a brilliant display of Macedon strategic dominance. It was like watching people with sticks fight against phalanxes. If they just had strikers that could finish, then this would have been be a much larger win. Meanwhile The Philippines can just thank goalkeeper Arturo Palalin for during his job as well as he could.

The Philippines are now mathematically eliminated from the tournament, while Macedon can still determine their own fate as they meet West Africa on Wednesday.

Macedon 2-0 Philippines
Aleksov 66'
Kuber 90'
 
57: Sao Paulo 2-Transylvania 0
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Referee: Gerardo Cienfuegos (Gran Colombia)

Yellow cards:
Transylvania:
Gulyás Rajmund ('82)
Sao Paulo: Gabriel Barbosa ('44)

Red cards:
None

Player of the Match: Neymar (Sao Paulo)
 
65: Caribbean 2-Iran 1
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Referee: Baxter Fowl (Britain CR)

Yellow cards:
Iran:
Mehran Sohrabi ('85)
Caribbean: None

Red cards:
None

Player of the Match: Pierre Colas (FCSA)
 
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59: France 1-East Africa 0
France complete group stage in typical french fashion against East Africa

France secured first place in a relatively uneventful game versus then second-placed team East Africa. The French squad fielded its reserve squad while East Africa were fighting for a possible first place finish in case of a victory against France.
Both teams looked evenly matched and no real occasions were marked on either side in the first half as things headed to a 0-0 draw. East Africa were the ones to strike first, with Amissi's shot being parried by Luca Zidane in his second appearance with the french squad (51'). This ticked France who replied immediately with Camavinga hitting the post five minutes later, but it would be K.Mbappé that would seal the deal for France. After being on the field for a mere 16 seconds, replacing Sy, the young right back dribbled three african defenders before scoring (66').
This would be the straw that broke the camel's back for East Africa as they crumbled down, securing no real chances. France won their third 1-0 victory of the Cup, showing a clean sheet for all their four matches, while scoring five goals total and advancing as first seed. East Africa on the other hand will have to play a decisive game against Macedon on Wednesday in order to qualify for the Round of 16.

East Africa 0 - 1 France
K.Mbappé 66'​
 
64: Belgium 2-Viti 1
from pilkarski.mm
Kingdom of Viti

Coach: Alipate Kepa

Lineup:

Ivereimi Sigarara

Basakala Lalabalavu
Inosi Qereqeretabua
Waisea Waqaniburotu
Ilivasi Bainimarama

Akapusi Raiwalui
Ceovili Nacewa (72' Setareki Koroilavesau)
Timoci Bolawaqatabu
Osea Qera

Severo Naqelevuki (60' Alivereti Qionibaravi)
Taniela Dokoloto

United Belgian Provinces:

Coach:
Michel Preud'homme

Lineup:

Thibault Courtois

Toby Alderweireld
Perr Schuurs
(90+2' Laurent Jans) Thomas Meunier

Axel Witsel
Yannick Carrasco
(81' Siebe Schrijvers) Nacer Chadli
Vincent Thill

Sam Lammers
Dries Mertens
(70' Daniel Da Mota) Kevin Mirallas
Kingdom of Viti 1 - 2 United Belgian Provinces

Goals:
0-1 Sam Lammers (28')
1-1 Severo Naqelevuki (38')
1-2 Perr Schuurs (54')


Referee: Chaths Bazghali (Khemia) - Grade F
Several errors, some of them decisive. A clear penalty for Viti (71', Alderweireld v. Dokoloto) was not awarded and the VAR did not intervene. Admittedly difficult to see, the second goal for Belgium (54') was irregular due to an offensive foul (elbow use against Naqelevuki). On the other hand, Da Mota was not offside and his goal (82') should have counted. Also should have booked Chadli (25') and Courtois (76'), whereas booking Qereqeretabua (15') and Schuurs (57') was too harsh.


Viti brought on their best starting eleven, which had been so unexpectedly successful against both Banat and China - except for Ceodoro Voka (two yellow cards). He was replaced by the young prospect Qereqeretabua.
Belgium, contrary to what many expected, did not rest any players either. The full-strength starting eleven was a sign that Preud'homme and his assisstants under no circumstances want to underestimate Viti.

And thus, Belgium began dominant and wanted to score quickly. Despite a first dangerous shot from Carrasco (8') who fired it off from a distance of over 25 metres - Sigarara saved it - this did not work out as Viti were as valiant as always in their defending. Qereqeretabua prevented a perfect cross by Sam Lammers from reaching the head of Mirallas by outjumping him (14').

At some point, Belgium was going to score - but their intention on taking the lead quickly did not materialise. On the other side, the Kepa team tried its well-known approach of fast counterattacks. And indeed, Dokoloto's attempt (19') hit the post - Courtois would have been without a chance!

But Viti's defence made a serious mistake: After an excellent piece of play by Belgium over Witsel and Chadli, the latter wanted to include Dries Mertens. However, Lalabalavu managed to get to the ball faster than either Mertens or Mirallas. But instead of clearing the ball out or forward, Lalabalavu wanted to pass back to his goalkeeper Sigarara. And failed. Instead of to Sigarara, the ball went to Sam Lammers who had few problems scoring - the net was nearly empty! 0-1 Sam Lammers (28')!

In an effort not to underestimate Viti - their ability to counterattack is by now an established fact and the previous games against Banat and China had also been observed by Preud'homme et al. - Belgium strived for a second goal. But no dangerous situation was produced - the most promising one was a header by Toby Alderweireld which went quite far wide of the target (33'). Sigarara had to intervene when Mirallas fired a shot from the centre-right of the penalty area (37'), but managed to pick up the ball safely.

The following goalkick was excellent, bringing Ceovili Nacewa into play. And he outran Yannick Carrasco, managing to pass to Osea Qera. Schuurs and Meunier could no longer defend, Qera passed towards Naqelevuki who was in an even better position, and against his shot from nine metres into the upper left corner, Courtois had no chance! 1-1 Severo Naqelevuki (38')!

After Sigarara deflected a powerful attempt from Witsel for a corner and the latter proved to be harmless (44'), the referee blew the half-time whistle.

The second half saw Belgium assume some control (not much more though than in the first half) - and a nixed attempt at a cross by Dries Mertens. The ball was deflected by Waqaniburotu for a corner.
Nacer Chadli brought the corner in, and it was Perr Schuurs who outjumped his "guard" Naqelevuki and headed the ball into the net! 1-2 Perr Schuurs (54')!

And although the referee's whistle and the VAR's headset remained silent, the goal proved to be irregular. This goal would have to be disallowed due to an illegitimate elbow use which hindered Naqelevuki. And refereeing mistakes were just to begin.

Belgium felt more secure with the renewed lead and switched to a somewhat more defensive style of play. Viti stayed loyal to their fast counterattacking tactics. Nacer Chadli's beautiful attempt from the centre-right prompted an intervention by Sigarara (57'), while an attempted shot by Vincent Thill was headed out by Qereqeretabua (69').
And then, Basakala Lalabalavu won the ball back from Thomas Meunier deep in Viti's own area. Outrunning a visibly exhausted Nacer Chadli and both Meunier and Schuurs not being able to come backwards fast enough, Lalabalavu managed to pass the ball into the area to Dokoloto, where he was taken down by Alderweireld!
The stadium - even neutral Mexican fans - immediately demanded a penalty, but the whistle remained silent once again! VAR was called in, but the team around Bazghali determined that Alderweireld had tackled fairly! Admittedly, Alderweireld had also played the ball, but he also hit the man and used quite a bit more physical force than necessary... this is a clear penalty denied to Viti (71')!

During this stage, several substitutions and bad passes hindered any fluent pieces of play. After one harmless corner (Qera's attempt was safely caught), Courtois wasted so much time before kicking the ball back into the field that he should have been booked (76). Nacer Chadli was taken off for Siebe Schrijvers and an ineffective Kevin Mirallas was replaced by Daniel Da Mota. The Kepa team brought on Qionibaravi and Koroilavesau.

But a refereeing mistake was to be seen on the other side, too. Raiwalui and Lalabalavu lost track of Vincent Thill in the midfield, who passed the ball onto a free Siebe Schrijvers. His cross into the penalty area found Daniel Da Mota, who easily managed to score 12 metres in front of Sigarara (82')! 1-3!
But the linesman raised his flag - Daniel Da Mota is supposed to have been offside! And despite the ruling being wrong - Waqaniburotu had been level with Da Mota - no video assistance was called in. The decision was relatively narrow, but clear enough that at least the VAR should have been used!

However, the fact that Da Mota's - legitimate - goal did not count did not result in major changes. Neither Belgium nor Viti managed to produce any more really dangerous situations in the last few minutes of the match, with Qera's attempt flying far too high (87') coming closest.

This is Viti's first defeat in the entire World Cup. While a Viti victory would have most likely secured the most unexpected advance, quite possibly in the history of the tournament, the Belgian victory still leaves the group wide open. Even Patagonia could theoretically still advance, and Viti going to the next round remains a real possibility, at least if they get points in their last match against Patagonia.
 
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63: Patagonia 1-Banat 1
The honest summary of Banat-Patagonia

Patagonia stands up to Banat (1-1) after yet another penalty kick whistled by the VAR.

It's going to be another long day for the crazy tipsters. Against all expectations, Patagonia stood up to Banat (1-1). The Foxes can thank the VAR without whom they would still be 0 goals away.

YOU HAVE MISSED THE MATCH? DO NOT PANIC!

We are currently on the fourth row of matches of this group H. Banat is surprisingly leading the group and this is their last match of this round. Patagonia was defeated in all their matches, and has yet to score a goal.

And the least we can say, this match was very interesting. A breath of fresh air considering the purges we have been paying for since the start of this World Cup, with a few exceptions. We logically thought of a Banatian domination against a Patagonian team who struggled to offer something pleasant to watch. In the end, this confrontation was much more disputed than what had been expected. And this is not to displease us.

However, it all started well for the Danube Lions, as they put pressure on the Patagonian goal of Sjortfeld. Tiberiu Stefan even found the post on a header consecutive to a corner kick by Ilija Blagojević at the 13th minute. The warning was acknowledged by Patagonia, who put a better effort in their defence.

But there was a turning point in the match, in the 34th minute. Free kick for Patagonians. It is countered by a Banatian and is released. About thirty seconds later, the Provençal referee of the meeting asked for the video. We do not know. And there we see that on Patagonia’s previous set kick, Banatian Paweł Garbacz touched the ball with his hand. Penalty confirmed and transformed by the captain of the Foxes, Gunner Rødhjort. If it is clearly seen that the ball is touched with the hand, there is clearly no intention to do it for the Banatian (who has also caught a yellow card). However, the rule stipulates that the penalty is effective when there is intentionality. So, what do we do with that? VAR tends to redress certain injustices, but even in its presence, there are still some. Add to that that almost half of the goals scored in this World Cup were scored on a penalty, thanks to the VAR. The video creates a lively debate that will continue to jazz up the matches to come. And it's boring.

In short, the parenthesis being closed, we can return to this match where there is not much going on. We must admit that there is more rhythm. Moreover, since the Patagonian goal, the Foxes show much more and have the means to make the heist. The referee ends the first half on the score of 1-0 for Patagonia.

The second half will see a much more enterprising Banatian team, multiplying shots, but too often missing the target. Then the inevitable Tiberiu Stefan happened. The Banatian star is an actor in 13 of the last 15 Banatian goals in the selection.

At 68th minute, Vasile Barbu launches Stefan at the limit of offside, covered by Elias Skipper, he sprints 15 meters and finishes with a shot from the outside of the foot into the top-left corner of Sortfjeld’s goal.

Following this goal, the Danubians push to increase the score, but the Patagonian defense is doing the best it can.

Nothing helps Banat in the end, and it is yet another draw in conclusion.

Banat while leading the group as the end of their last match, are not yet sure to be qualified, as both Belgium and Viti could surpass them. Patagonia is already eliminated, and we can definitely say that their whole World Cup campaign was a disaster.

Patagonia 1-1 Banat

(Rødhjort 34’-Stefan 68’)

MATCH NOTE (56/100):

General show (9/20): well, we will not lie. It was not crazy this match yet. The ten passes by the Patagonians in their half in the first period and the Banatian ineffectiveness made this match a bit bland. The second coming period of the Foxes gave a little spice to the meeting.

Opportunities and goals (11/20): a new penalty thanks to VAR and very few clear opportunities. At this level, the offensives multiplied at the end of the match but nothing very transcendent. However, the average is the minimum required on this magnificent Banatian goal concluded by maestro Stefan.

Technical quality (10/20): here too, we have to put the average when you see Stefan on the field. Despite their ineffective ineffectiveness, the Danubian Lions have shown great technical knowledge where the Patagonians have missed. The Foxes counterbalanced by a defensive solidity and a significant physical impact.

Scenario and suspense (15/20): This match delivered a scenario that we did not expect. Banat started fairly widely as a favorite, the draw remains a surprise.

Bonus and penalty (11/20): For this category, we explain to you, we start from 10/20 at each kick-off and we inflate or lower the score according to our own subjective criteria (we are the jury, we do what we want) :

• +2 for the presence of Tiberiu Stefan who makes football ever more beautiful to watch.
• + 1 for the hand of Paweł Garbacz
• - 4 for the VAR which makes the matches less spectacular. You might as well go straight to the penalty shootout.
• +2 for Patagonian supporters in the stadium, twelve times more numerous than those in Banat.

THE POP CULTURE MOMENT


If Gunner Rødhjort was a pretty good basketball player, it would be ...

LEBRON JAMES. Well, we agree that the comparison can be limited, but they have a nice beard anyway. I would love to have theirs. And then, surrounded by quiches, they always manage to make their team acceptable by scoring all the goals.

If Tiberiu Stefan was a classic from the 70s, it would be ...

SO LONELY by THE POLICE. Frankly, the title speaks for itself.

3 GIFS THAT SUMMARIZE THE CASE


When a new penalty is called.
via GIPHY

What Tiberiu Stefan must think.
via GIPHY

We, loyal football supporters, since yesterday.
via GIPHY
 
71: Antarctique 1-New Zealand 0
from pilkarski.mm​

Antarctique

Coach:
Marcel Gaillard

Lineup:

Alcide Becker

Alexandre Tellès
Jacques Godin
Joseph Simon
Gabriel Marchand

Lucas Thorez
Mathias Vexin (53' Jean Le Cel)

Lionel Messie
Maurice Picard (89' Serge Aguerre)
Edouard Chavanne (66' Louis Souaret)
Ange De Marie

New England

Coach:
Rick Osbourne

Conan O'Gorman

Cole Connell
(62' Eliot Briscoe) Chester McGill
Jean-Claude Girard
Chris Neville
Osvaldo Mendes

Alex Gardener
(62' Toby Carlisle) Kane Passerini
Placido Santos
(79' François Arnaud) Marc Gladwyn

Donny Lamon
Antarctique 1 - 0 New England

Goals:
1-0 Jean Le Cel (60')


Referee: Socrates Palamaropoulos (Macedonia) - Grade C
No decisive mistakes as the match was easy to referee. However, Girard (28') and Thorez (70') should have been booked.

After the dominant match against Madagascar - which was, despite over 75 % ball possession and several shots on goal, only won 1-0 - and the severe injury (up to five months on the sidelines!) of Paul Dybala, Gaillard came back to the usual 4-2-4 formation. However, due to their good performance against the Jolly Rollers, Picard and Thorez did replace Souaret and Pariède.
On the side of New England, coach Rick Osbourne wanted to avoid another thrashing at all costs and switched to a very defensive five at the back formation, with Lamon as the only nominal forward.

Both teams being more known for their defensive play, and even more so with New England not wanting to concede goals, the first half was quite boring. Most of play occurred in midfield and both defence lines were quick to block any attempts at coming even close to the target, in most cases well before the penalty box was reached.
A little danger only arose from a direct free kick from Messie (29') - O'Gorman parried away - and Lamon fired a shot at Alcide Becker after a counterattack, but he placed it far too cntrally and his shot had little power (39').
A shot from a tight angle, from the right wing by Ange de Marie also landed on the outside of the post (42').

But both teams did not settle for a scoreless draw. Instead, play significantly picked up early in the second half. On a counterattack after a relatively harmless corner (De Marie straight at O'Gorman), Cole Connell played an excellent long pass towards Donny Lamon. Despite being under pressure by Simon and Tellès, Lamon forced Alcide Becker to intervene once again and parry the shot over the crossbar (49').
On the other side, a header by Simon after another Messie free kick (55') - Neville had tackled Messie - went straight into O'Gormans gloves.

Only minutes later, the Gaillard team got a corner. Mendes had stopped Ange De Marie on the right wing. He brought the corner into the penalty box himself, but Osvaldo Mendes cleared the ball out. Marchand threw it back into the field, onto the feet of Messie. He played an excellent one-two-one-two with Jean Le Cel, who ended up free in front of O'Gorman! And Jean Le Cel had no problem scoring with a powerful shot! 1-0 Jean Le Cel (60')!

Despite some risky substitutions on the part of Rick Osbourne - he switched to a 4-4-2 formation with a second striker and an attacking midfielder - not much changed after the goal had been scored.
Antarctique defended with all they had, and thus, the most dangerous situation that New England managed to create was a cross by Placido Santos from the left which neither Lamon nor Briscoe had a chance to reach before it went out (74'). A few minutes later, Arnaud's attempt as a cross was blocked by Jacques Simon (81'), the resulting corner, brought in by Toby Carlisle, only found Placido Santos behind the penalty area whose shot went far wide of the target.

The Gaillard team switched to mostly "pure" defending. A fast counterattack over Alexandre Tellès and a cross to Louis Souaret was the first dangerous offensive move on Antarctique's part after the goal (86').
In stoppage time, Girard stopped Messie unfairly, which earned Antarctique one last free kick. Ange De Marie brought it dangerously into the penalty area, and Aguerre's header hit the post (90+3')! This would have decided the match!
However, this was the case anyway as the referee blew the final whistle soon after. New England did not succeed in even keeping a clean sheet, while Antarctique went out of the group stage with the maximum tally of twelve points. Despite their often very defensive style of play, Antarctique have confirmed that they are one of the favourites to win the tournament!
 
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58: Wales 2-Canada 0
El Horizonte

Wales keeps World Cup hopes alive
Meanwhile, Canada says goodbye to the tournament prematurely

Today, Canadians said goodbye to the World Cup after falling against a resurgent Welsh team which, after witnessing how their first victory of the tournament slipped between their fingers, revived their hopes to advance to the second round, reaching four points with one game to play, while Transylvania, who has 7 points, has already played all their matches.

Both Canadians and Welsh went out with one task in mind: win the game at all costs, as they knew that a defeat or even a tie would quash their World Cup dreams. And by the looks of the first 5 minutes of the game, it seemed the Canadians were the ones more focused on the goal at hand, as they went all in with their attacks, suffocating the Welsh defense with a quick succession of fast, vertical passes that ended with Keane tackling Merris just outside the box and the referee signaling a free kick.

That free kick proved to be the Canadian’s undoing, though. Wanting to score an early goal that would allow them to manage better the rest of the game, most of the team went up. Too bad that McKenzie's cross wasn’t a good one, as the Welsh goalkeeper caught the ball with his hands and promptly sent it towards Lingard, who was waiting in the middle of the pitch, just watched by Tremel, who couldn’t keep up with his foe. Lingard then proceeded to brush aside Tremblay and crossed the goal line together with the ball.

With the score now in their favor, the Welsh adopted a more conservative tactic, looking to finish the Canadians with another counterattacks, rather than risk being the victims of one themselves. This setup didn’t change much for the remainder of the game, especially after Wales’ second goal 15 minutes after the first.

This time, Gareth Bale managed to break the offside trap after a long cross by Iago, finishing with an espectacular shot that left the Canadian goalkeeper with no chances at all. The rest of the match were desperate attempts by the Canadians to at least pull closer to the Welsh, but to no avail, the European side showed discipline and patience to hold the result until the referee’s whistle blow and bag their first victory of the World Cup.

For the last match day, Canada will play against Sao Paulo before returning home, while Wales will try to advance to the knockout round and leave Transylvania out when they play Novorossiya, the weakest team in the group, in Acapulco.

Lineups:
Canada:
Tremblay (Riel, 33'), Tremel, O'Rourke, O'Malley, McKenzie, Disney (Kaisch, 46'), Albert (Jaguar, 77'), Connack, Moore, Roger, Merris
Wales: Hydd, Roberts, Williams, Keane, Dyfed, Iago (Ampadu, 54'), Ramsey, Alle, Lingard, Bale (Llosgcoed, 88')

Goals:
0-1 Lingard, 6’
0-2 Bale, 20’

Yellow cards:
Canada:
O’Rourke, 56’, Moore, 81’
Wales: Iago, 52’

Red cards:
None
 
By request here is the current, slightly chaotic standing. I'll probably get around to editing this post once the missing results are published
EVCiLbu.png
 
75: East Africa 0-Macedonia 0
East Africa qualify as they lock down Macedonia in a 0-0 draw

The decisive match between the two nations for the last spot in the Round of 16 yielded little result in the end. East Africa needed a draw or a win to advance, while Macedonia needed a win, even by a short margin. East Africa knew this and as a result kept the ball in their corner of the field, never really trying to attack.

Macedonia did try their best to counter the false rythym installed by the East Africans, with Marjan Dardan handing Zoran Kuber a lovely cross after 22 minutes of play that was unfortunately intercepted before it reached the goal. The Macedonian striker didn't stop there, narrowly missing a free-kick at the 71st minute.

However, despite a good possession of the ball in the second half, Macedonia could not break the East African defense, who went into full Cattenacio as instructed by East African and ex-AS Roma coach Francis Kimanzi. Despite jeers and whistles from the crowd of San Cristobal Field, the East Africans stuck to their guns and let nothing through. Coach Kimanzi was quoted to say this after the game "It doesn't matter how we did it, we qualified, that's the important bit. How you do it is irrelevant."

As the East Africans went on to their first Round of 16 appearance of their history, the Macedonians were heavily disappointed. Star player Marjan Dardan explained his frustration: "It really sucks. We did everything we could but they wouldn't let us past. They played not to lose, and it's a really shameful way of advancing honestly." His teammate Jovan Attikaski wasn't as mannered as him: "Those (redacted) really don't deserve to advance. If you're going to play like (redacted) (redacted) you might as well just not show up or go shove (redacted) up your (redacted). They can go (redacted) themselves."

Celebrations were in full swing in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam as East Africa advanced. Interrogated as to whether or not they were happy with their teams' performance, the East Africans just cared about qualifying to a historic Round of 16, where they will meet Group E winners Sao Paulo.

East Africa 0 - 0 Macedonia

Man of the Match: Marjan Dardan (Macedonia)
 
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