Spain scores late to tie with Morocco
SPAIN REACHES WORLD CUP ROUND OF 16
Avideo replay in injury time gave Spain the goal it needed to win Group B at the World Cup. Spain substitute Iago Aspas scored the late equalizer Monday in a 22 draw with Morocco. His clever deflection off a cross from Dani Carvajal was initially disallowed for offside, but the video assistant referee overruled the call at Kaliningrad Stadium. The decision set off a touchline melee among players from both sides.
Another substitute, Morocco forward Youssef En Nesyri, headed in a goal in the 81st minute to give alreadyeliminated Morocco hope of a victory.
Earlier, a mix-up by Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos gifted Morocco its first goal of the World Cup, with Khalid Boutaib pouncing on the loose ball and scoring in the 14th minute. Iniesta made amends five minutes later by setting up Isco at the other end to bring Spain level at halftime.
With Portugal also drawing with Iran, Spain progressed as group winner because it scored more goals and next plays host Russia on Sunday in Moscow, while Portugal plays Uruguay in Sochi a day earlier.
“We haven’t really won anything yet. It’s been a very tough match,” Isco said. “Maybe we weren’t focused from the very beginning. We needed them to score on us to force us to react.”
Spain may be through and is now on a 23-match unbeaten run, but it was far from convincing in group play and again displayed defensive frailties to concede twice against a Morocco team that hadn’t scored a goal in its two previous group matches.
Earlier in the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Spain in a 3-3 draw with Portugal and only managed a 1-0 win against Iran.
While Spain controlled the game against Morocco with 68 per cent of possession, Isco thinks that Spain can do better.
“Maybe what we’re missing to better control the game is more ball possession,” the man of the match said. “Maybe that’s what’s missing. And that’s normally something that we do much better.”
Portugal 1, Iran 1
Cristiano Ronaldo’s missed penalty cost Portugal first place in its World Cup group on Monday.
Portugal finished second in Group B after a 1-1 draw with Iran. The 2016 European champions will next face Uruguay on Saturday in the round of 16.
Instead of Ronaldo, it was Ricardo Quaresma who scored for the Portuguese. The 34-year-old midfielder responded to his first start of the tournament by producing one of the more esthetically pleasing goals of group play.
Quaresma hit a curling shot with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the penalty area that went beyond the reach of diving Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand.
Uruguay 3, Russia 0
Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani scored a goal each and Uruguay went on to defeat Russia 3-0 on Monday, finishing undefeated in group play and handing the host nation its first loss of the World Cup.
Both teams were already assured of spots in the knockout round, but Uruguay’s victory put it at the top of Group A and looking toward a match in Sochi on Saturday against the secondplace finisher from Group B.
Saudi Arabia 2, Egypt 1
The oldest person to play in a World Cup match gave up a pair of goals Monday, allowing Saudi Arabia to beat Egypt 2-1 in a match between two teams that had already been eliminated.
Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who is 45, took the field for his team’s final group match to set the record.
Salem Aldawsari scored with almost the last kick, shooting from a tight angle inside the Egypt penalty area and poking the ball past El Hadary.