Jump to content
LL Medico Diapers and More Bambino Diapers - ABDL Diaper Store

DailyDiapers World Cup Sweepstakes! (Congratulations WeselDiaperBoy!)


Recommended Posts

I have been a fan of Germany for years. I first started watching football seriously during Euro Cup 96, and I met the German team at Gatwick as they were going through security with the cup. It is going to be hard cheering France on.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk

Link to comment

We just had the opening game of the tournament and it was a little one-sided though the score certainly flattered the winning team.

@Somelildude's Russia 5-0 @WakkoWannaBe's Saudi Arabia

Yuri Gazinsky opened the scoring in the 12th minute after an anxious opening for both teams. The midfielder's first international goal came about when he headed home from an excellent Aleksandr Golovin cross.

Saudi Arabia had a rare attack ten minutes later and nearly got themselves level but Mohammed Al-Sahlawi's header was deflected wide.

Russia doubled their lead in the 43rd minute when Denis Cheryshev when the winger miss-controlled a pass but got lucky with the bounce of the ball and he smashed it into the roof of the net from close range.

The game was all but ended in the 71st minute when Artem Dzuyba, recently off the bench, scored with his second touch of the ball. Another towering header following another Aleksandr Golovin cross.

The game was coming to an end when Denis Cheyshev scored his second with a wonderful shot using the outside of his foot in the 91st minute to make it 4-0

To add insult to injury Aleksandr Golovin stepped up and scored direct from a free-kick in the 94th minute. His goal added to his two assists make him man of the match.

---

I don't know if I'll write reports like this for many of the games but it's quite fun :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Three games played today and eight goals scored :)

@lilbitwet's Egypt 0-1 @Mcraft's Uruguay

This match was not very good, to put it bluntly.

Egypt's best player Mo Salah was injured at the end of the domestic season and although he was on the bench today and widely touted as available to play he stayed on the bench for the whole game. On Uruguay's side, their best players Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez were having an off day and, apart from one shot very well saved, neither of them troubled Mohamed El Shanawy in Egypt's goal.

The only goal of the game came with just a couple of minutes left when a free-kick near the corner flag was swung in and Uruguayan centre back Jose Maria Gimenez jumped highest to head home.

@dondd's Morocco 0-1 @Little Crusader's Iran

If the first match was bad, this one was even worse.

Neither of these teams have too much quality but they do have work ethic which meant that a majority of the game was contested in the midfield.

It seemed an obvious goalless draw until deep into injury team when a hopeful ball was whipped in and Moroccan striker Aziz Bouhaddouz headed into his own goal to gift Iran the unlikely win.

@oliver d's Portugal 3-3 @PrincessTinklePants's Spain

If the first two matches disappointed this one more than made up for it. It was heavily hyped between two teams with a good chance of winning the tournament and it lived up to the hype.

The excitement started as early as the 4th minute when Spain's right-back Nacho tripped Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the box. Ronaldo stepped up to send the 'keeper the wrong way and give Portugal an early lead.

Spain equalised in the 24th minute when a hopeful ball hit long to striker Diego Costa was brought down and he did wonderfully well to open a scoring opportunity. He fired into the corner of the goal to level the game. There were suspicions of a foul in the build-up but the video replay, the first use of it at the tournament, showed it wasn't a foul and the goal stood.

It seemed like they were going into half-time 1-1 until Ronaldo found some space and he hit a tame shot towards goal but the Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea completely fumbled the shot and allowed it to trickle into the goal.

Spain started the second half on the front foot as they tried to get back into the game and after the ball bounced around in the box for a while Diego Costa was on hand to turn it in and level the game.

It wasn't level for long though, just three minutes later Spain struck again to take the lead. Their right-back Nacho struck a thunderbolt of a shot from the edge of the box, it hit the inside of one post and went across the goal and into the net.

It seemed like that might be the winner but with three minutes to go Cristiano Ronaldo got a free-kick on the edge of the box. His shot went over the wall and under the bar to equalise the game. The match finished 3-3 which meant that after one match day in this group, Iran hold an unlikely group lead!

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Four matches today and quite a few interesting things happened!

@WeaselDiaperBoy's France 2-1 @willnotwill's Australia

The first half was a non-event but in the 58th minute controversy broke out when France broke through in the opposition penalty area. Antoine Griezmann was through on goal when an Australian defender lunged to tackle him. On first look it seemed to be a great tackle but when the referee called for the video replay he was adjudged to have fouled the French striker. Antoine Griezmann stepped up and fired the ball hard into the corner to give France the lead.

The lead didn't last long though and, just 2 minutes later, a free-kick was whipped in by Australia and Samuel Umtiti inexplicably reached up with his hand and hit the ball. It was a stonewall penalty and this time no video replay was needed. Australian captain Mile Jedinak stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the scores.

Both sides struggled to make the breakthrough but the onus was on France who are among the countries considered as potential winners. France finally scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute when Paul Pogba had a shot that was very fortuitously deflected by an Australian defender. The ball looped up and over Matt Ryan in the Australian goal and clipped the bottom of the bar. The ball bounced into the ground and away but the watch on the referee's wrist buzzed to indicate the ball had crossed the line, replays confirmed this was the case and the unlucky Aussie's ended the first game without any points.

@Princess Alice's Argentina 1-1 @MegaChar's Iceland

Argentina 's Lionel Messi may well be the best player in the world but the one thing he has never won is the World Cup. Argentina's campaign got off to a great start as just 19 minutes into the game defender Rojo's shot bounced into the middle of the box where Sergio Aguero found another space to pivot around the ball and fire it into the top left corner of the goal.

Iceland are tremendous underdogs but they proved they were no pushovers at the European Championships two years ago when they drew with eventual winners Portugal and knocked England out. They needed just four minutes to strike level when a saved shot came out to Alfreo Finnbogason who had a tap-in to provide an unlikely leveller.

Iceland then defended for their lives and tried to hit back on the counter attack. The Icelandic goalkeeper pulled off a number of great saves as Iceland managed to score their first ever point at the World Cup against one of the best teams in the world.

@booboobritches's Peru 0-1 @Elfy's Denmark

Peru were clearly the better team in this game but they had no luck whatsoever. A missed penalty was the pick of their many chances as they energetically tried to break down the Danish defence.

It was completely against the run of play when talented midfielder Christian Eriksen laid the ball off to Yussuf Poulsen who took a touch and then finished at the near post with composure.

Peru continued to huff and puff but they couldn't get a goal and Denmark picked up a lucky win. They will have to improve if they want to go anywhere in this tournament though.

@Firefly 35's Croatia 2-0 @B's Nigeria

This was not a good match and both sides struggled to make anything happen. There was an array of talented attacking players in both sides but the game was very sloppy.

Oghenekaro Etebo was the unlucky man who turned the ball into his own net after 32 minutes. Mario Mandzukic's diving header was heading wide until it his the Nigerian midfielder who deflected the ball into his own net.

Mario Mandzukic was central to the second goal as well. A corner was swung in and as the Croatian striker jumped at the near post he was blatantly held down by a Nigerian defender. The referee gave a penalty kick which Luka Modric scored soon afterwards.

It was a disappointing performance from both sides but Croatia will be happy with the points. With games against Iceland and Argentina to come both sides will need to dramatically improve if they want to progress.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment

Three more games today and some surprising results!

@Rachel1's Costa Rica 0-1 @tai_kamiya's Serbia

These are two underdog teams so getting a win here could be vital if either of them want to get out of the group stage. The tension showed as both teams played an entertaining game but neither of them had the cutting edge up front to take the lead.

The only goal of the game came in the 56th minute when captain and left back Aleksandar Kolarov stepped up to a free kick and hit an absoloute beauty of a shot into the top corner of the goal. The Costa Rican goalkeeper is a three time winner of the Champions League but he was left with no chance of saving it.

The teams huffed and puffed for the rest of the team but neither side was able to add to the scoreline.

@Hookedondiapers's Germany 0-1 @AbabeBill's Mexico

Germany are the current World Champions and are among the favourites in the tournament again this time round. They are rich in attacking talent but their defensive fragilities might be the thing that costs them in this tournament.

The game was played almost entirely Mexican half with Germany pushing and probing the Mexican defence with passes but struggling to get a breakthrough. Mexico, on the other hand, would win the ball deep in their half and attempt to break forward on the counter attack. The Mexican coach was brave and kept three players up front when Germany were pressing and it paid off in the 35th minute. Javier Hernandez broke forwards and played the ball to Hirving Lozano, the young striker cut inside and then fired his shot into the near post.

Germany pressed and pressed in search of an equaliser but despite all their efforts the Mexicans were able to see them off. Veteran midfielder Rafael Marquez playing in his 5th world cup came off the bench to tighten the midfield and Mexico got what might be the biggest win in their history.

@carsfan's Brazil 1-1 @jesse78's Switzerland

Brazil are most peoples odds on favourite to win the whole tournament and their team has a dizzying array of stars in every position. It has been a surprisingly long drought for the usually prolific winners and it's been 20 years since they were world champions. Switzerland on the other hand have much longer odds on winning the tournament and avoiding a defeat here would be seen as a major stepping stone forwards in the competition.

Brazil were showing all their class in the opening exchanges and they quickly assumed complete control of the game. It seemed like it was just a matter of time until they took the lead and the goal finally arrived in the 20th minute. It was another stunning goal as Philippe Coutinho received the ball 20-yards from the goal and curled a peach of a shot past the Swiss goalkeeper.

It seemed like this would be the first of many and Switzerland had to withstand quite a barrage for the rest of the half.

The second half started with a much more proactive Swiss team. Xherdan Shaqiri swung in a corner that seemed very close to the goal, the Brazilian defenders were like statues as Steven Zubar rose highest and headed the ball home from point blank range. The Brazilians claimed there was a push on their defender and argued that the goal should be referred to the video replay but the referee waved away their protests.

Brazil pushed hard for the rest of the game and were desperate to get their World Cup campaign off to a good start but the Swiss held firm and the potential champions had to settle for a single point.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Another three games today and more drama!

@BabyTau's Sweden 1-0 @Lyra's South Korea

This was a tight game between a Swedish team without it's superstars of the past and a South Korean team that had a history of making it to the World Cup but not doing much when they got there.

The match was very tight without much in the way of clear-cut chances. The Swedish had the two best chances in the first half but a combination of good saves and poor finishing kept the scores level.

The video replay made it's presence felt again and it ended up being decisive when there was a penalty appeal for Sweden turned down despite huge protests. The game was stopped and the incident was referred to the video replay, after having a second look the referee awarded the penalty for Sweden.

Veteran captain Andreas Granqvist stepped up and calmly stroked the ball home to score the only goal of the game.

@RainbowEclipse's Belgium 3-0 @baby frost's Panama

This game was the expected walkover for Belgium as they stamped their names on the tournament in a comfortable win against a hard working but ultimately luckless Panama team.

It took until the 47th minute for the deadlock to be broken but it was a goal worth the wait as Dries Marten found the ball dropping to him about ten yards from goal. He hit a sweet dipping volley which left Jaime Penedo in the Panama goal with no chance.

Belgium effectively ended the game on the 69th minute when Kevin De Bruyne curled a wonderful cross with the outside of his boot into the six-yard box. Romelu Lukaku stooped low with the diving header and found the net.

Romelu Lukaku ended the scoring with his second of the game in the 74th minute when he was put through on goal and he chipped the onrushing goalkeeper to make it a resounding 3-0 win.

@WetDad's Tunisia 1-2 @Dubious's England

England started the game extremely well and came flying out the box with their very youthful team. England had already missed a couple of gilt-edged chances when they made their breakthrough.

A corner was met by English defender John Stones but Mouez Hassen pulled off a very good save to stop the goal. Harry Kane was the fastest to react and opened his World Cup account with a simple tap-in.

English fans would've been excited with how they started the game but they would also have been disappointed when they took their foot off the pedal and allowed Tunisia to come into the game. The Tunisians lacked the talent that England had but they worked hard and equalised in the 35th minute when Kyle Walker gave away a penalty. Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi stepped up and put the penalty away even though the goalkeeper dived the right way.

England would've been disappointed that all their effort was undone and despite continuing to pass the ball around they found The Tunisians a hard team to break down. The experienced Tunisians knew all the tricks and were taking every opportunity to slow the game down. England were left very annoyed when they felt two separate incidents should've led to penalties but the referee ignored them, refusing even to check the video replay.

The second half was a dire affair as the Tunisians continued to stifle an England team that were struggling to get their rhythm going again.

It seemed as if a draw was the best England could hope for until they finally found another goal in the 91st minute.

A corner was swung in that was flicked on brilliantly by Harry Maguire. Harry Kane was in the right place at the back post to head home and give England all three points from their opening game.

Link to comment

The final four teams played their opening World Cup games today whilst the hosts played their second.

@ABDL's Columbia 1-2 @Les Lea's Japan

These two teams had a long wait to kick-off their campaigns and Columbian fans would've been upset to see that their star player, Real Madrid attacking midfielder James Rodrigues, was on the bench having picked up a slight injury in training.

The game couldn't have started worse for the South American team when after just 3 minutes they had a player sent off. Yuya Osaka had an almost empty goal to shoot into following a defensive mistake but Columbian midfielder Carlos Sanchez stuck out his arm and stopped the ball. The referee didn't hesitate to give the first red card of the tournament and awarded a penalty to The Japanese. Shinji Kagawa took responsibility for the spot kick and he sent David Ospina the wrong way to get Japan off to a flying start.

Despite the man advantage Japan found it hard to keep the ball and allowed Columbia to get back into the game. Falcao was fouled right on the edge of the penalty area in the 39th minute and Juan Fernando Quintero hit a clever free-kick under the jumping wall to level the scores despite the protests from the Japanese goalkeeper that the ball hadn't crossed the line.

Japan were much better in the second half and had a majority of possession as they stroked the ball around and stressed the Columbian defence. A corner swung in on the 73rd minute proved decisive when Yuya Osaka rose highest and directed a header towards goal leaving the Columbian 'keeper for dead.

This was a big upset for Japan and only their fifth win in World Cup history.

@Liam's Poland 1-2 @dlsafrica's Senegal

The first half of this game was a rather drab affair until the 37th minute when the deadlock was finally broken. Idrissa Gana Gueye took a shot from the edge of the box that took two wicked deflections on it's way through to the goal. Poland goalkeeper Wojcech Szczesny was left with no chance as the ball rolled into the goal with him already moving in the other direction.

Everyone expected Poland to get back into the game but in the 60th minute a bizarre back pass caught all the Polish defenders and the goalkeeper out. M'Biaye Niang ran through to gather the ball and had a completely empty net to roll the ball into and doubling the African sides lead.

Poland gave themselves a chance in the 86th minute when Grzegorz Krychowiak headed a free kick into the goal. It was too little too late though as the clock ran down and Senegal got the win.

@WakkoWannaBe's Russia 3-1 @lilbitwet's Egypt

Russia and Egypt were the two teams to start the second round of group stage games. The first half showed the limited technical ability of both teams and Egypt's talisman Mohammed Salah was clearly not fully fit but he was still the main outlet for the Egyptian side.

The deadlock was broken in the 47th minute when a cross was only partially punched clear by the Egyptian goalkeeper. The Russians fired the ball back towards goal but Ahmed Fathy got his body in the way but the ball deflected awkwardly and somehow spun around into his team's goal to give the hosts the lead.

The lead was doubled in the 59th minute when Denis Cheryshev got on the end of a pull-back and scored his third goal of the tournament.

The match was basically put to bed two minutes later when, in the 61st minute, Artem Dzyuba brought a ball down brilliantly and beat a couple of defenders before curling his shot home and all but ending the game.

Egypt got a consolation in the 73rd minute when Mohammed Salah scored from the penalty spot but the North Africans were unable to get another goal.

With the impressive win Russia have all but guaranteed their qualification for the first knockout round of the competition whilst Egypt, with two defeats, will already be packing their bags because unless there is a miracle they are heading home early.

Link to comment

There were three games today. Unfortunately none of them can be considered classics!

@oliver d's Portugal 1-0 @dondd's Morocco

It was the Cristiano Ronaldo show again as he scored the only goal in a game that desperately suffered from a lack of quality finishing. A corner was swung in and Ronaldo was the player who wanted it the most, he stooped down with a diving header and scored the only goal of the game in the 5th minute.

Morocco had plenty of chances to score themselves but their finishing was atrocious. They are now eliminated from the tournament having lost their first two group games and that will be annoying when they would feel their performances deserved better results. Poor finishing cost them dear but they can still play spoilers in the final group game when they play Spain.

@Mcraft's Uruguay 1-0 @WakkoWannaBe's Saudi Arabia

Having lost their opening game 5-0 Saudi Arabia would've been desperate to give a better account of themselves in their second group game. They would have a tough tim against a Uruguayan side that excel in getting results they need.

The only goal came in the 23rd minute when a Carles Sanchez corner found Luis Suarez in space and he was free to tap home.

Saudi Arabia worked hard but their lack of quality made it hard to get back into the game and, like Morocco before them, they found themselves eliminated after losing their opening two games.

@PrincessTinklePants's Spain 1-0 @Little Crusader's Iran

Iran had fluked a win in their opening game against Morocco but Spain would provide a much tougher challenge for them. They had a clear game plan from the start, with their win in the first round of games the pressure was off trying to force a win here so they sat back and defended. They were essentially playing a 6-3-1 formation as they looked to soak up Spain's attacks and then launch counter-attacks of their own

They defended bravely but their luck deserted them in the 54th minute when Iranian Majid Hosseini tried to clear the ball but it ricocheted off of Diego Costa's shins and into the goal to give the Spanish side the lead.

Iran were forced out of their shells a little now and gave a good account of themselves in the remaining time. They thought they had levelled the game in the 62nd minute when a free kick was crossed in and after the ball bobbled around for a bit Majid Hosseini fired it into the net. The goal was initially given but after a discussion with the people in charge of the video replays the goal was disallowed as it was found that the Iranian striker had been standing offside. It was desperately unlucky but yet another vindication of the video technology.

Iran are not out of the tournament but they will need to get a result against Portugal in their last group stage game if they want to qualify.

Link to comment

Another three games from the second round of group stage games.

@Elfy's Denmark 1-1 @willnotwill's Australia

The opening goal of this game came in the 7th minute when the ball sat up perfectly for Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen. He hit a wonderfully struck volley and gave the European team a very early lead.

Australia were working hard without reward until the 37th minute. They got a corner and when the ball bobbled around in the box the Australians vociferously appealed for handball. The referee was called over to check the video replay and immediately awarded the penalty to Australia.

Denmark's goalkeeper Kasper Schmichael did his best to put off Australian captain Mile Jedinak but he stepped up and stroked home his second penalty in two matches.

Neither team could find the breakthrough after that and the game ended as a draw.

@WeaselDiaperBoy's France 1-0 @booboobritches's Peru

France dominated this match but seemed to have trouble linking up in the final third which meant the game remained on a knife edge.

The only goal of the game came in the 34th minute when a deflected Olivier Giroud cross fell to youn striker Kylian M'Bappe and he had the simplest of tap-in's to give France all three points and put them through to the first knockout round.

@Princess Alice's Argentina 0-3 @Firefly 35's Croatia

The first half of this match was very tight with neither side able to fashion a clear chance. The second half was an entirely different game.

Argentina's goalkeeper Willy Caballero tried to chip the ball over Croatian midfielder Ante Rebic. Ante Rebic watched the ball perfectly and hit a wonderful volley straight back over the Argentine goalkeeper to give Croatia the lead.

In the 80th minute Croatia doubled their lead when creative midfielder Luka Modric managed to find space 25 yards from goal. He struck the ball beautifully and his shot beat the goalkeeper to give the Croatians a cushion.

Croatia put an exclamation point on the result in the 91st minute when Ivan Rakitic had a shot saved before the ball was played back to him and he slotted home.

With this result Croatia are through to the first knockout round and ARgentina are on the cusp of elimination.

Link to comment

Three more matches!

@carsfan's Brazil 2-0 @Rachel1's Costa Rica

This was a big game for Brazil who failed to impress in their first game of the tournament and needed to show they were a team and not just a collection of star names. Brazil dominated the whole game but couldn't make a breakthrough on a Costa Rica side that also needed the win.

Brazil thought they had the perfect opportunity to take the lead in the 78th minute when Neymar went down in the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. The Costa Rican players protested furiously and the referee was called over to the VAR booth to review the decision. On second look he realised there was no contact and he reversed the decision.

It looked to be just another frustrating afternoon for Brazil until the 91st minute when a great move ended with the ball being laid back to the onrushing Phillipe Coutinho who scored to the delight of the team in yellow.

The game was made safe in the 96th minute when Douglas Costa gifted the ball to Neymar who could score and win the game.

With this result Costa Rica are unable to get out of the group stage.

@B's Nigeria 2-0 @MegaChar's Iceland

The first half was rather devoid of action here as both teams seemed to concentrate more on not losing than winning. Nigeria were the better side but it wasn't a surprise when the teams went into half-time level.

It took only two minutes of the second half for the deadlock to be broken. In the 47th minute Iceland had a corner cleared and Nigeria counter attacked. Victor Moses took the ball down the pitch before squaring it to Ahmed Musa who finished with aplomb.

Nigeria doubled their lead in the 74th minute. Ahmed Musa got the ball in the box and dummied around the 'keeper. He took his time before finishing for his second goal of the day.

@tai_kamiya's Serbia 1-2 @jesse78's Switzerland

The game started perfectly for the Serbians when in the 7th minute Dusan Tadic received the ball on the wing and swung it into the box. Aleksandar Mitrovic rose highest in the box and headed home to give Serbia the lead.

It was seven minutes into the second half when Switzerland equalised. Xherdan Shaqiri had a shot on the edge of the box blocked, it came to Granit Xhaka who ran on to the ball and struck it perfectly. The ball fired into the net to give the Swiss an equaliser.

Switzerland won the game in the 90th minute when Serbia were caught all out of position and Xherdan Shaqiri was given the whole Serbian half of the field to run in to. He charged into the box before rolling the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper and giving Switzerland the win.

Link to comment
9 hours ago, Elfy said:

Three more matches!

@carsfan's Brazil 2-0 @Rachel1's Costa Rica

This was a big game for Brazil who failed to impress in their first game of the tournament and needed to show they were a team and not just a collection of star names. Brazil dominated the whole game but couldn't make a breakthrough on a Costa Rica side that also needed the win.

Brazil thought they had the perfect opportunity to take the lead in the 78th minute when Neymar went down in the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. The Costa Rican players protested furiously and the referee was called over to the VAR booth to review the decision. On second look he realised there was no contact and he reversed the decision.

It looked to be just another frustrating afternoon for Brazil until the 91st minute when a great move ended with the ball being laid back to the onrushing Phillipe Coutinho who scored to the delight of the team in yellow.

The game was made safe in the 96th minute when Douglas Costa gifted the ball to Neymar who could score and win the game.

With this result Costa Rica are unable to get out of the group stage.

 

2

Neymar's dive was pretty bad

Link to comment

Three more games today and thirteen goals scored!

@RainbowEclipse's Belgium 5-2 @WetDad's Tunisia

This match was a must win for Tunisia but it was always going to be hard against a very attacking Belgium side. It took just 6 minutes for the first goal to be scored when Eden Hazard was brought down just inside the area. He stepped up and scored from the penalty giving the European side the perfect start.

Belgium doubled their lead in the 16th minute when Dries Mertens slipped the ball through for Romelu Lukaku who easily tucked the ball home for a Belgium side who were rampant.

Tunisia weren't rolling over without a fight though and in the 18th minute they got themselves back into the game thanks to a goal from Dylan Bronn.

Romelu Lukaku restored the two goal advantage in the third minute of injury time at the end of the first half when he dinked the ball over the Tunisian 'keeper following a pass from Thomas Meunier.

Eden Hazard got his second goal of the game in the 51st minute after a long ball from Toby Alderweireld found him. He rounded the goalkeeper and shot into the open net to give Belgium an unassailable lead.

Belgium scored their fifth goal in the 90th minute when Michy Batshuyi got on the end of a cross and managed to direct the ball into the net. After missing several chances he would've been very relieved to have scored.

There was just time in injury time for Wahib Khazri to score a consolation for Tunisia who, following defeats to Belgium and England, will be going home. Belgium have safely qualified for the first knockout round.

@Lyra's South Korea 1-2 @AbabeBill's Mexico

Mexico play a very aggressive and attacking style of football and they got their reward in the 26th minute when they got a penalty following handball. Carles Vela stepped up and scored the penalty to give the Mexicans the lead.

Mexico doubled their lead in the 66th minute when South Korea were hit on the counter attack and striker Javier Hernandez was in the right place to make it 2-0.

South Korea did leave their mark in injury time when striker Son Heung-Min scored a banger from outside the area. Unfortunately it was too little too late and barring a miracle the South Koreans will be on their way home after the third group game.

@Hookedondiapers's Germany 2-1 @BabyTau's Sweden

This was a crucial game for Germany who lost their first game to Mexico. A second defeat here would see the current world champions eliminated at the group stage.

In the 32nd minute Ola Toivonen lobbed the German 'keeper to give the Swedes the lead and put Germany on the brink of a remarkable exit.

It took until the 48th minute for Germany to get back into the game and give themselves hope. The ball bounced around the penalty area and it was Marco Reus who eventually managed to get the ball over the line. A draw wasn't much good for Germany though as it would mean they would have to rely on other results to make sure they go through.

Germany were attacking like crazy to get a winner but their job was made harder in the 82nd minute when defender Jerome Boateng was sent off for a second bookable offence.

It looked like a draw was the best result Germany could hope for until they won a free kick right on the edge of the Swedish penalty area in the 95th minute. Toni Kroos stepped up and bent the ball brilliantly into the top corner giving the Germans the win and changing the whole complexion of the group.

Germany no hold their destiny in their own hands but will need to win their last game to get to the first knockout round.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Another three games today. The last of the second round of group stage matches brought twelve goals.

@Dubious's England 6-1 @baby frost's Panama

England went into the game knowing that a win would guarantee they would qualify for the first knockout round which would represent a big improvement over their last World Cup performance where they finished bottom of their group.

Panama are a very physical side and the England players suffered quite a few fouls early on. They put all of that to the backs of their minds in the 8th minute though when Kieran Trippier crossed a corner into the box and John Stones stooped low to head into the corner. It was his first England goal.

England's second came in the 22nd minute when Kieran Trippier played a long ball forward to Jesse Lingard who was bundled over in the box resulting in a penalty. After a long delay Harry Kane smashed the ball into the top corner to give England a cushion.

England added their thirst in the 36th minute when some neat interplay between Jesse Lingard  and Raheem Sterling led to the former curling an amazing effort into the goal from twenty yards out.

It was 4-0 just three minutes later when a free kick outside the penalty area was well worked and eventually led to Raheem Sterling having a point blank header saved. The Panama 'keeper could only parry the ball straight to John Stones who headed the ball into the roof of the net.

England scored an amazing fifth goal before the break when Harry Kane was held and pulled to the ground in the box. Harry Kane stepped up himself and fired the ball into the same spot as his first penalty.

England's sixth came in the 62nd minute when Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a shot outside the area that seemed to be going nowhere. It took a ridiculously fortuitous deflection off of Harry Kane's heel and he completed his hat-trick with his last touch before being subbed off. Kane's fifth goal in two games is a good omen for the English.

Panama got a consolation goal in the 78th minute when Felipe Baloy slid the ball home from a free kick. It may not seem like much but it was Panama's first ever World Cup goal and their fans celebrated wildly.

With this result England are assured of qualification and Panama are eliminated.

@Les Lea's Japan 2-2 @dlsafrica's Senegal

Senegal started the match brilliantly and in the 12th minute they exploited a Japanese defensive mess when Sadio Mane was in the right place to deflect a Japanese goalkeeper's punch into the net.

Japan equalised in the 34th minute when Takashi Inui found some space in the box and curled the ball brilliantly past the Senegalese goalkeeper.

Moussa Wague gave Senegal the lead again in the 71st minute when he got on the end of a flick on in the box and smashed home from close range.

Japan equalised again in the 78th minute when the Senegal defence messed up badly and Keisuke Honda had an open goal to level the scores.

@Liam's Poland 0-3 @ABDL's Colombia

Colombia took the lead in this match in the 40th minute when James Rodrigues crossed the ball into the box and defender Yerry Mina headed home.

Colombia doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Radomel Falcao stayed just onside before finishing and giving Colombia some breathing room.

Juan Cuadrado completed the scoring after a long pass from James Rodrigues.

After these matches Japan and Senegal both sit on four points. Colombia have three and can go through if they win their final group game whilst Poland have zero points and are eliminated from the tournament.

Link to comment

Today was the first day of the third (and last) games in the group. I will write the results and then let people know how the group finished and whether or not your team advances to the knockout rounds.

@WakkoWannaBe's Saudi Arabia 2-1 @lilbitwet's Egypt

Group A had already been decided before today's games and these two teams were on their way home. There was still some pride to play for though and the chance for one of the traditional minnows of international football to get a win at the World Cup and give their country some pride.

Egypt were the first to strike in this game. In the 21st minute Mohammed Salah got on the end of a long ball from the defence. He took a touch and then lobbed the ball beautifully over the Saudi Arabian goalkeeper to give Egypt their first ever lead in a World Cup game.

Saudi Arabia were handed a great chance to equalise in the 40th minute when Egyptian defender Ahmed Fathi was judged to have handled the ball. Fahad Al-Muwallad stpped up to take the penalty but it was saved by Egypt's 45-year-old goalkeeper Essam El-Hadawy. The Egyptian goalkeeper became the oldest ever player at the World Cup in this game and he clearly showed he still had something to offer as he punched the ball on to the crossbar and out.

Saudi Arabia got yet another penalty in the 45+6th minute and this time they made no mistake. This time it was Salman Al-Faraj who stepped up and he made no mistake in scoring the goal that put Saudi Arabia level just before half time.

Saudi Arabia won the game in the 90+4th minute when Salem Al-Dawsari found space in the area and was able to score from an acute angle. The last minute goal gave the Saudi Arabians something to cheer in an otherwise difficult campaign. Egypt will be disappointed to go home with zero points.

@Mcraft's Uruguay 3-0 @Somelildude's Russia

These two teams were both guaranteed qualification but who finished top of the group and who finished second was still up for grabs and winning the group could be very important for an easier path in the knockout rounds.

Uruguay got off to a great start and in the 10th minute took the lead when Luis Suarez stood over a free kick and hit it low and hard into the corner. Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev will be disappointed to be beaten at the post he was standing closest too.

The South Americans doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when a shot by Diego Laxalt took a wicked deflection off Denis Cheryshev and ended up in the goal. It will be credited as an own goal because the original shot was heading well off-target.

The day got worse for the host nation when they had defender Igor Smolnikov sent off for his second yellow card in the 35th minute. It was a costly mistake as he will now receive a one game ban and miss the first knockout round. This basically put paid to any hope Russia had of getting back into the game.

Edinson Cavani completed the scoring in the 90th minute with a close range tap in that put the exclamation mark on the score.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

@Mcraft's Uruguay top the group after winning all three of their games. They've looked to be getting progressively stronger as the tournament has gone on. @Somelildude's Russia take second place which is a great achievement for a team that had very low expectations going in. @WakkoWannaBe's Saudi Arabia were outclassed by the two qualifiers in the group but will be happy enough to go home with a win whilst @lilbitwet's Egypt will be very disappointed to not score a single point in a group they had a realistic chance of second place in.

---

In Group B both Portugal and Spain were playing to win the group but there was also an outside chance for Iran who would qualify if results went their way.

@PrincessTinklePants's Spain 2-2 @dondd'd Morocco

Morocco were big underdogs here but in the 14th minute a massive error in the Sapnish defence allowed Khalid Boutaibto one through on goal. He kept his composure and slotted the ball home to give the Africans an unlikely lead.

The lead didn't last long and in the 19th minute Spain hit back with a classic passing move that ended with veteran midfielder Andreas Iniesta passing to Isco who smashed the ball into the roof of the net to level the scores.

Morocco incredibly re-took the lead in the 80th minute when a corner was swung in and met by Youssef En-Nesyri whose powerful header flew into the goal to give the Moroccans a chance of a huge upset.

Spain equalised in the 90+1st minute when a corner was eventually worked through to Iago Aspas who flicked the ball into the net.

@Little Crusader's Iran 1-1 @oliver d's Portugal

With Spain drawing in the other game a win here would mean Portugal would win the group. Conversely a win for Iran would see them qualify and win the group with Spain finishing second. It was all to play for.

Portugal eased some nerves in the 45th minute when Ricardo Quaresma scored a wonderful goal with the outside of his boot to give the Iberians the lead.

Portugal had a chance to make the game safe in the 53rd minute when they won a penalty. Incredibly, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and missed from the spot!

Karim Ansarifard gave everyone butterflies in the 90+1st minute when he converted a penalty and left a lot of people doing calculations to work out what happened with the groups.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

Thanks to @Little Crusader's Iran's last minute equaliser @PrincessTinklePants's Spain win the group thanks to scoring one more goal than @oliver d's Portugal who finish second. Iran and @dondd's Morocco both go home but neither team disgraced themselves and both exceeded expectations in the ways they played even if results didn't necessarily follow.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Croatia have played two of their games and won both of them. Their final game is tomorrow where they play Iceland, Croatia have definitely qualified for the knockout stages but they haven't secured first place yet.

Link to comment

Another two groups were completed today.

@Elfy's Denmark 0-0 @WeaselDiaperBoy's France

France were already assured of qualification and Denmark needed to equal or better Australia's result to assure themselves of qualifying, a win would see them top their group.

Nothing happened. The crowd booed and were very displeased as these two countries played out a boring 0-0 draw. It's the first 0-0 of the tournament and hopefully it will be the last.

@willnotwill's Australia 0-2 @booboobritches's Peru

Australia needed to win for any chance of qualification whilst Peru were already eliminated.

Australia got off to a bad start and found themselves a goal down after 18 minutes. Peruvian captain Paolo Guerrero chipped the ball up for Andre Carrillo who struck a wonderful volley that sent the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

Peru doubled their lead and sealed Australia's fate in the 50th minute when Paolo Guerrero found himself on the end of a lucky deflection to turn the ball into the bottom corner and make sure Peru leave Russia with their heads held high.

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

@WeaselDiaperBoy's France top the group by not letting Denmark beat them. @Elfy's Denmark finish second thanks to @willnotwill's Australia's failure to win against Peru. @booboobritches's Peru finish third in the group and are eliminated whilst Australia finish last with just one point.

---

@MegaChar's Iceland 1-2 @Firefly 35's Croatia

Croatia were already assured of qualification but Iceland needed to win to give themselves a chance of also getting through the group.

Croatia took the lead in the 53rd minute when Milan Badelj found the ball dropping to him on the edge of the box. He volleyed low and into the ground beating the 'keeper and giving Croatia the lead.

Iceland equalised in the 73rd minute when they won a penalty Gylfi Sigurdsson stepped up and scored to put Iceland back in the contest.

Croatia scored the winner in the 90th minute when Ivan Perisic was slipped the ball in the box. His shot found the top corner of the net and guaranteed Croatia finish the group with maximum points

@B's Nigeria 1-2 @Princess Alice's Argentina

If Nigeria could win here they would qualify for the knockout round. Argentina also needed to win to make sure they didn't face an early exit.

The game started brilliantly for the Argentinians when, in the 15th minute, Lionel Messi got on the end of a long ball and fired into the net with typical accuracy.

Nigeria equalised in the 52nd minute when Victor Moses stepped up and stroked the ball into the net from the penalty spot.

Marcus Rojo won the game for Argentina in the 86th minute when a cross found him entirely alone in the box and he volleyed home.

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

@Firefly 35's Croatia finish top of the group with three wins out of three and @Princess Alice's Argentina finish second with four points. The South American team will need to improve drastically if they want to advance much further in the tournament. @B's Nigeria finish in third place in the group and will be heading home along with @MegaChar's Iceland who were unable to build on their opening game draw with Argentina and finished bottom of the group.

  • Like 2
Link to comment

We had the final games in groups E and F today.

@AbabeBill's Mexico 0-3 @BabyTau's Sweden

There was a lot to play for in this group. Sweden would be able to top the group if they got a good win whereas Mexico needed a result to ensure they finished above Germany. If Mexico lost and Germany won Mexico would be eliminated from the competition early. If Germany won and Sweden lost the Swedes would be eliminated. In other words, both these teams were playing to win so that they were guaranteed a spot in the knockout stages.

The first goal didn't come until the 50th minute when Sweden's left-back Ludwig Augustsinsson received a cross in the box. He hit a volley that found it's way into the net despite Mexico's goalkeeper getting a hand to it.

The lead was doubled in the 62nd minute when VAR was used to award Sweden a penalty. Veteran centre back and captain Andreas Granqvist stepped up and scored his second penalty of the tournament by putting the ball into the top corner.

Just to prove it wasn't Mexico's day Edinson Alvarez put through his own net in the 74th minute. He swung his leg to clear the ball, missed it entirely and the ball bounced off his standing leg and into the goal.

It was a sad end for a Mexican team who had impressed the world when they beat Germany in their first match. They would now be watching the other match in their group and praying for an upset to go through. Sweden emphatically qualified for the knockout stages top of the group.

@Lyra's South Korea 2-0 @Hookedondiapers's Germany

Germany needed to win to qualify. They were masters of their own destiny and had the Asian minnows of South Korea in their way.

The game was packed full of chances for Germany but they were extremely wasteful in front of goal. They had 76% of the possession and 28 shots at goal but couldn't find a breakthrough.

It was a shock in the 90+3rd when South Korean defender Kim Young Won found the ball at his feet following a set piece. He turned and put the shot into the goal. The referee's assistant raised his flag for offside and it seemed like the goal wouldn't count but the referee received word in his ear that he should check the video replay. If ever there was a moment that proved the worth of the technology in football it was this one. The slow motion replays showed that the ball was actually kicked to the South Korean goal scorer by a German player which meant he couldn't be offside. Having consulted the replay the referee gave the goal. It was a big moment in the tournament and evidence that VAR technology definitely has a place in football going forwards.

Germany were now in desperate straights and needed two goals in the remaining few minutes. They even sent goalkeeper Manuel Neuer up the pitch to try and improve their chances. This meant the Germans were extremely vulnerable and a long ball out of defence was chased by Son Hyueng-Min who scored into an open goal and assure the South Korean victory.

FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:

As a result of their win @BabyTau's Sweden finish as winners of the group. @AbabeBill's Mexico finish runners-up and take the second qualifying spot. @Lyra's South Korea finish third in the group as a result of their very impressive win but it wasn't enough to make up for their first two results. @Hookedondiapers's Germany finish last in their group and the previous tournament's winners are going home early.

---

@jesse78's Switzerland 2-2 @Rachel1's Costa Rica

Costa Rica were already eliminated but playing for pride here whilst Switzerland had a good chance at qualifying. They needed a good result here to assure themselves of qualifying. If they failed to win and Serbia beat Brazil the Serbian's would leapfrog them and knock the Swiss out.

Switzerland took the lead in the 31st minute when a Stephan Lictsteiner cross was headed back across goal by Breel Embolo and Blerim Dzemalli was in the right place to smash the ball home and ease Swiss tension.

Costa Rica didn't want to go home without a fight and in the 56th minute they equalised when Kendall Watson headed in a corner. Costa Rica may have no hope of qualifying but this goal meant that every one of the 32 teams in the tournament scored at least one goal.

Switzerland would've been very tense now knowing that their place at the World Cup was in the balance. In the 88th minute they re-took the lead thanks to Denis Zakaria crossing the ball to Josip Drmic who made no mistake with the finish.

The drama wasn't over though and Costa Rica were given a penalty in the 90th minute. Video replay then revoked the penalty when it was found the fouled person was offside.

There was EVEN MORE drama though as the 90+2nd minute saw another penalty awarded to Costa Rica and this time it wasn't overturned. Captain Bryan Ruiz stepped up but his penalty hit the bar... And then the back of the head of the diving goalkeeper Yann Sommer and into the goal!

The result here meant that Switzerland were left hoping Brazil would do them a favour by beating Serbia.

@tai_kamiya's Serbia 0-2 @carsfan's Brazil

Brazil were looking stronger with each game they played and they took the lead in the 35th minute here when Philippe Coutinho cross the ball into the box for Paulinho to score past the 'keeper.

Brazil scored their second in the 67th minute when a corner was headed home by defender Thiago Silva.

It was a fairly easy win for the Brazilians who look to have hit their stride and will be hoping to go deep in the tournament.

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

Top spot in the group went, unsurprisingly, to @carsfan's Brazil. They started slowly but have looked to improve as the tournament goes on and their star-studded line-up will have many other teams nervous. @jesse78's Switzerland got a creditable second place and will head into the knockout rounds despite the nervy wait to hear the result from the other game in their group. @tai_kamiya's Serbia finish third thanks to being unable to stop the Brazilian steam roller and will be heading home along with @Rachel1's Costa Rica who will have to be satisfied with a single point.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...