Tag: FIFA World Cup 2022

DOHA: Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick and powered Portugal to hand a crushing 6-1 defeat to Switzerland in the last Round of 16 clash and set their quarter-finals clash with Morocco in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.

Ramos justified his shock selection over star player Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring a stunning hat-trick on his full debut and played a crucial role in Portugal’s qualification into the quarter-finals.

Ramos, who started for Portugal instead of Ronaldo, took just 17 minutes to open the scoring for his side courtesy of a delicate clip from Joao Felix into the former’s feet who quickly dribbled past Fabian Schaer and fired the ball into the roof of the net.

Switzerland soon came close to firing the equalizer when Xherdan Shaqiri took a dipping free-kick from distance but Diogo Costa’s incredible safe denied the Swiss from doing so.

Pepe then struck in the 33rd minute to double Portugal’s lead when Bruno Fernandes swung in the corner and the former rose and connected the ball with a thumping header that went past Yann Sommer.

The unstoppable Portugal attack did not settle after the break as Ramos struck again from Dogo Dalot’s cross just six minutes into the second half to enhance their lead to 3-0.

He then switched roles, allowing Guerreiro to score four minutes later as the Swiss defence was relentlessly pulled apart.

Switzerland then finally found a moment to cherish in the 58th minute when Manuel Akanji pulled one back for them as he was first to a flick-on.

Akanji’s strike too, could not change the fortune of a toothless Swiss side as Ramos completed his hat-trick after superb work by Felix, elegantly dinking over Sommer with one of his final touches before making way for Ronaldo.

Ronaldo received a major uproar from the crowd at Lusail Stadium as he walked in for Ramos, the star player, however, did have the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out for a clear offside.

Rafael Leao’s stunning curling strike in the stoppage turned out to be the icing on the cake for Portugal as they completed a comprehensive 6-1 victory and stormed into the last eight.

Fernando Santos’ side will now take on Morocco in the quarter-final on Saturday (December 8), who sank former champions Spain on penalties to make it to the last eight for the first time.

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ARY-RAYYAN: Brave Morocco continued their dream run in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 as they downed Spain 3-0 on the penalty shoot-out to book a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

The African side put on a defiant show against former champions Spain as they held them for a goalless tie in regulation time.

The teams were evenly matched throughout the nail-biting contest, with Spain enjoying the majority of the possession while Morocco, despite having fewer opportunities, created the better chances but all to no avail.

The 30-minute extra time followed the same procedure as both sides failed to break the deadlock before the knockout match entered the penalty shoot-out.

The 2010 champions produced a dismal show at the penalty shoot-out as they could not fire a single goal out of their three attempts despite coach Luis Enrique having claimed his players prepared by taking a thousand penalties as homework.

Pablo Sarabia hit the post as he took the first penalty for Spain, while Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets saw their strikes blocked by Yassine Bounou.

For Morocco, however, Abdelhamid Sabiri opened the scoring before Hakim Ziyech doubled their lead over Spain.

Achraf Hakimi then struck the decisive penalty to send Spain crashing out and Morocco into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

The African-Arab side are undefeated in their last five games at World Cup and will now take on either Portugal or Switzerland. Their defence played a crucial role in their success, keeping three clean sheets in four games.

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DOHA: Five-time champions Brazil handed a hammering 4-1 defeat to South Korea as they stormed through the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.

Following their qualification, Brazil will now take on last world cup’s runners-up in the quarters, who edged Japan on penalties to progress into the last eight.

Tournament favourites Brazil sent a strong message to their rivals as they displayed ruthless domination to halt South Korea’s dream run.

Vinicius Jr opened the scoring for Brazil in just the seventh minute when Raphinha sprinted away from Kim Jin-su on the right and cut the ball perfectly to the feet of well-positioned Vinicius, who calmly sent the ball crashing into the nets.

Returning from the injury, Brazil’s star Neymar Jr then soon doubled his side’s lead over toothless South Korea after Jung Woo-young fouled Richarlison in the box and Neymar positioned his penalty strike to perfection.

Just before the half-hour mark, Richarlison initiated to press and displayed incredible skills to dribble past the Korean defender before passing to Marquinhos, who in turn played the ball to Thiago Silva.

He then played through Richarlison, who finished in style to put Brazil in complete control.

Minutes later, Lucas Paqueta made it 4-0 for Brazil as Richarlison carried the ball forward from deep before finding Neymar, who in turn played to Vinicius. He then pulled the ball back across the face of the goal for the upcoming Paqueta, who finished magnificently.

The Brazilian attack seemed to have eased out in the second half as they made several substitutions including Neymar and goalkeeper Alisson Becker; allowing struggling South Korea to pull one back courtesy of Paik Seung-ho’s 76th-minute strike but it was too late for the Asian side to trigger a late twist.

It was Brazil’s most dominating triumph in world cup knockouts since 1998 as they scored four goals for the first time since then.

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AL WAKRAH: 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia held their nerves to edge spirited Japan on the penalty shoot-out to make their way into the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.

Japan’s dream to make it to the quarter-finals for the first time in history came to a frustrating end after another display of the sort which saw off Spain and Germany on their way to topping Group E.

Both teams started the game with a lot of energy but as the minutes ticked by, Croatia began to control the game and dictate the pace.

Ivan Perisic had Croatia’s best chance of the half but could not beat Shuichi Gonda from close range following Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Japan, however, found some momentum at the end of the half and made it count after Daizen Maeda when Ritsu Doan struck from the short corner and Maya Yoshida won the initial header, Maeda was quick to react as he guided the ball into the nets.

Japan appeared to be the superior team and prepared to cause more harm, but Ivan Perisic, one of Croatia’s most dangerous players, unexpectedly tied the game with a thunderous header off of Dejan Lovren’s deep cross.

Perisic’s equaliser was enough for Croatia, not only to nullify Japan’s lead but also to force the match into extra time.

Extra time was quiet and saw a lack of chances other than a deflected effort from Kaoru Mitoma.

Croatia’s hero of the match Dominik Livakovic then stole the show in the penalty shoot-out as he blocked three kicks to power his side into the quarter-finals.

Takuma Asano was the sole striker for Japan in the shoot-out, while Nikola Vlasic, Marcelo Brozovic and Mario Pasalic struck for Croatia.

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DOHA: Gareth Southgate’s England hammered Senegal 3-0 in the Round of 16 clash to book a blockbuster quarter-final against defending champions France in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.

One of the tournament favourites England continued their march in the ongoing world cup as they downed Senegal 3-0 in a one-sided affair to book an exciting last-eight clash with Kylian Mbappe’s France.

The spirited Senegal side tried their level best to frustrate the English attack and had a nervy start before Jordan Henderson broke the deadlock to put them ahead in the late first half.

Jude Bellingham sprinted away in front and dribbled past several defenders in his path before he cut the ball back and Henderson, perfectly positioned, slotted it below Edouard Mendy and into the nets.

Henderson’s opener turned out to be an adrenaline booster as nervy England soon doubled their lead moments before the interval through skipper Harry Kane.

Bellingham provided the spark again with his perfectly timed tackle and a sharp pass to Foden, whose perfectly weighted lay-off allowed Kane to break free for a precise finish.

Following his magnificent goal, Kane has now scored 11 times at major tournaments and surpassed Gary Lineker to become England’s all-time top scorer in those competitions.

Bukayo Saka then put an end to any aspirations of a Senegal comeback by scoring England’s third goal when Foden made a dynamic run down the left and Saka reached his cross to flick a clever effort over Mendy from close-range.

READ: Mbappe strikes twice as France sink Poland to reach FIFA WC quarters

DOHA: Star footballer Kylian Mbappe struck twice to lift holders France thrash Robert Lewandowski’s Poland 3-1 to make their way into the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.

France continued their world cup title defence in style as Mbappe’s men outclassed Robert Lewandowski’s side to storm through to the last eight.

In a knockout match, majorly dominated by France, Poland, however, did well to keep the French strikers quiet for almost the entirety of the first half before Olivier Groud’s scintillating bicycle kick opened the scoring for Les Bleus.

Mbappe slid a through-ball into the path of Giroud in the box as he gained a step on Jakub Kiwior. The forward shot on the turn and had the placement to find the bottom-right corner.

Giroud’s first-half goal was his 52nd for the Les Bleus that allowed him to leapfrog Thierry Henry to become France’s all-time record scorer.

After setting up a history-making goal for Giroud, Mbappe joined the party in the 71st minute when Ousmane Dembele cut inside from the right flank and fed Mbappe in the space, who took a touch before hammering a right-footed strike past Wojciech Szczesny.

Mbappe then put an end to any aspirations of a Poland comeback by scoring again at the death to move to nine goals in 11 World Cup appearances, the second-most for a French player at the tournament.

The French defence, on the other hand, snuffed out the threat of Robert Lewandowski, who, although got a consolation goal on a penalty in the stoppage time but it was too late for him to trigger a late twist as France ran away with a comfortable triumph.

Following their Round of 16 victory, Deschamps’ side will now take on either England or Senegal in the last quarter-final on Sunday.

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DOHA: Lionel Messi scored his first-ever goal in the world cup knockouts to set up a resounding 2-1 victory over brave Australia to power Argentina into the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.

Argentina’s star player and skipper Messi opened the scoring for his side in a 2-1 win over the Socceroos.

Making his 1000th appearance, the star player scored his 789th goal which was his first for Argentina in world cup knockouts and helped set up a Round of 16 victory that propelled them into the last eight.

Despite being outraged, the gutsy Australian side defied all expectations in Qatar and went down fighting and frustrating the strong Argentine attack that included Messi.

Argentina and coach Lionel Scaloni desperately needed something exceptional, and Messi provided it 10 minutes from the interval.

Messi bent the ball left-footed along the ground and into the corner after Alexis Mac Allister feed defender Nicolas Otamendi while he was still in the box for an Argentina free kick.

Australia desperately needed to attack in the second half but instead self-destructed when goalkeeper and captain Mathew Ryan attempted to play out under intense pressure in his box from hard-running Rodrigo De Paul just before the hour-mark.

Ryan, however, was dispossessed by Alvarez, who nipped in, stole the ball, and swivelled to slot into an empty net to double Argentina’s lead.

In a game, majorly dominated by Messi’s men, Australia, however, found a moment of fortune when substitute Craig Goodwin latched onto a loose clearance and his shot hit Enzo Fernandez and ricocheted in with 13 minutes left.

Teenager Garang Kuol then forced Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into a desperate save deep in injury time and denied further drama as Argentina clinched a stunning victory.

Messi’s Argentina will now take on Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

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DOHA: Cameroon upset much-changed Brazil 1-0 but in vain as Switzerland’s 3-2 victory over bottom-ranked Serbia powered them to progress into the Round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.

Switzerland became the last team to qualify for the Round of 16 with leaders Portugal following their nervy 3-2 victory over Serbia that powered them to finish second in Group G.

Xherdan Shaqiri opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Djibril Sow passed the ball to Shaqiri, who smashed home with his left foot to put Switzerland ahead.

Switzerland’s early lead, however, could not last longer as Aleksander Mitrovic soon fired an equalizer to keep Serbia in the hunt.

Serbia then turned things around and took the lead ten minutes later when Shaqiri gave the ball away in midfield and Dusan Tadic slipped the ball to Dusan Vlahovic who fired back across the goal to put Serbia ahead of Switzerland.

Switzerland were quick to respond and equalised a minute before the break as Sow picked out Silvan Widmer in acres of space on the right and Breel Embolo turned in his driven low cross.

Three minutes into the second half, a team effort goal allowed Switzerland to retake the lead when Shaqiri clipped in a delicate ball after Embolo won it back high up, and Ruben Vargas’s cushioned backheel left Remo Freuler to guide in from around the penalty spot.

Meanwhile, in another Group G match, Cameroon stunned much-changed Brazil 1-0 to become the first African side to beat the five-time champions Brazil but to no avail as they finished behind Switzerland with four points.

Vincent Aboubakar connected substitute Jerome Ngom Mbekeli’s cross and executed a scintillating header in the stoppage time to break the deadlock which was enough for Cameroon to seal a historic win.

Cameroon recorded a famous win but Switzerland’s 3-2 win over Serbia at the same time meant the Swiss advanced from Group G along with already-qualified Brazil.

Having won their opening two group stage matches, Brazil topped the group with six points despite enduring an upset defeat from Cameroon and will face South Korea in the last 16 when several of their important players who were rested for this game will return.

The upset defeat against Cameroon marked Brazil’s first defeat in the group stages of a world cup after 1998 when they lost to Norway.

Meanwhile, Switzerland, who finished as the runners-up of Group G will take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Wednesday.

DOHA: South Korea upset Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 2-1 to book their spot in the Round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA World Cup as they finished above Luis Suarez’s Uruguay despite their 2-0 triumph over Ghana.

Substitute Hwang Hee-chan scored the match-winning goal for South Korea in injury time to rescue them from the brink of elimination in a thrilling 2-1 victory over Portugal, who had already qualified for the knockout stage.

A much-changed Portugal side took the lead in the fifth minute through Ricardo Horta, who received the ball at the edge of the box from Diogo Dalot and shot it on the first touch into the far corner.

Portugal’s early lead left South Korea to intensify their approach to stand a chance in the qualification race and hit back in the 27th minute through Kim Young-gwon after Ronaldo failed to clear the corner and the ball deflected into the path of the defender who did the rest on the volley.

With the scores settled at 1-1, Portugal continued to repeat the process – dominating possession and passing the ball around – but South Korea kept pushing for the tie-breaker.

The Asian side eventually found one in the stoppage time when Hee-chan when Son Heung-min snatched the ball and ran almost 70 yards before perfectly timing his pass to Hee-chan who fired the winner.

Despite stunning Portugal 2-1, the Korean players stood in a huddle on the pitch watching the other Group H encounter between Uruguay and Ghana on a mobile phone as they awaited their place in the last 16 to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Giorgian De Arrascaeta double led Uruguay to a 2-0 win over Ghana but it turned out to be insufficient for the South American side to book a spot in the knockouts as South Korea’s late winner saw them leapfrog Suarez’s men.

Tasting triumphs in their last group matches, both South Korea and Uruguay finished the initial round with four points each but the former progressed into the Round of 16 on goals scored.

South Korea will now take on Group G winners in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, while Portugal, who topped Group H despite an upset defeat against South Korea, will take on Group H runners-up on Wednesday.

READ: Belgium coach Martinez to leave job after World Cup exit 

DOHA: Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said he was leaving his job after his side were eliminated from the World Cup in Qatar following a 0-0 draw with Croatia on Thursday.

The 49-year-old had been in charge since 2016 and his contract was due to run out after the tournament.

“That was my last game with the national team, I can’t carry on,” Martinez said at his post-match press conference. “It’s the time for me to accept that this is the last game.”

Martinez led Belgium to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals last year.

But his ageing side could not replicate that form in Qatar, crashing out after scoring just one goal in three games.

The Spaniard said he was always planning to leave after the World Cup.

“That was the end, whatever would happen, whether we were world champions, whether we went out in the group stage,” he said.

“It’s got nothing to do with being eliminated in the group stage.

“Since 2018 I had many opportunities to leave, take jobs at club level, but I wanted to be loyal. I don’t resign, it’s the end of my contract.”

Belgium went into their final Group F game needing to win to be certain of reaching the last 16 after a 1-0 win over Canada and a 2-0 loss to Morocco.

They were left to rue a string of missed late chances by Romelu Lukaku.

“Today, if we would’ve gone through I think we would’ve seen the real Belgium and we could’ve been very competitive in the next rounds,” insisted Martinez.

“The disappointment was against Morocco. Today we were ourselves, we played a very good opposition… The first two games we weren’t ourselves.”

Martinez took over the Belgian national side months after being sacked by Premier League side Everton.

He has still only won one major trophy in his managerial career — the 2013 FA Cup with unfancied Wigan Athletic.

Croatian counterpart Zlatko Dalic believes Martinez will not struggle for offers of other jobs.

“Martinez is my friend, it was a surprise to me,” said Dalic, who took Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final.

“Belgium have lost a great professional. For four years in a row they were first in the FIFA ranking.

“It was his project, but it’s not an abrupt end for him.”

Martinez consoled his players on the pitch after the game in emotional scenes which could herald the end of an era for Belgian football.

They had reached at least the quarter-finals at the past four major tournaments but struggled in Qatar with a team featuring several key players in their 30s.

“We were surprised, he told us that (he was leaving) while crying,” said striker Michy Batshuayi.

“There are a lot of players who cried, it’s the last for some players. It’s the World Cup, it’s not a friendly match, it’s every four years and it’s normal that there are many regrets.”

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