It’s do-or-die time in Group H ... Shout-out to Vela and Major League Soccer ... England fans not visiting in fear ... Better late for Neymar
MOSCOW — Poland and Colombia both were expected to emerge from Group H.
But following Matchday 1 losses to Senegal and Japan, respectively, the two sides meet today in what’s a mustnot-lose affair for both teams.
“We didn’t shine (in the first match). They didn’t either,” said longtime Colombia coach Jose Pekerman.
“But things can change dramatically from one match to the next for teams that have that ability. Certainly Poland has that ability.”
Colombia played a majority of its opening fixture with 10 men after Carlos
Sanchez received one of the fastest red cards in World
Cup history.
Poland, on the other hand, was lacklustre in a game against a Senegalese team that outpaced them to grab a 2-1 win.
“I believe the match is going to be back and forth,” Pekerman added.
“Both teams will try and win. It’s going to be very intense.
“It’s important to have the mindset that you have to capitalize on every opportunity. One goal can be decisive. We’ve seen teams that score first have an advantage.”
VELA, MLS PRAISED
Spanish World Cup-winner
Cesc Fabregas might be playing favourites.
The ex-Barcelona midfielder called out
Cristiano Ronaldo for his inability to score from the run of play.
“You cannot say that he and Portugal have shown great combinations or tikitaka football to score great goals,” Fabregas wrote in a column for the BBC.
“You have to give him credit, of course, but his goals have come from set pieces, penalties or mistakes.”
Fabregas isn’t entirely wrong. But the fact remains Portugal has four points solely because of its best player.
The Chelsea midfielder did hand out at least one compliment — to Major League Soccer.
“(Mexico’s Carlos) Vela left Real Sociedad to join Los Angeles FC at the start of the year and people seem to think that when you go to the MLS, or that type of league, your level drops.
“That was not the case when he played against Germany, because
(Toni) Kroos could not shake him off. He tried but he could not influence the game.”
Vela opened the scoring in a 2-1 win over South Korea.
FEELING SAFE
England’s Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) reckon Three Lions fans have stayed home out of fear of being obliterated by Russian hooligans.
“Over the years, regular travellers with England have had good reason to become skeptical about some of the dire warnings about the fate that could befall us at the next tournament,” the FSF wrote, according to Sky Sports.
“If all we were told had been true, we would have been murdered in townships in South Africa, beaten up by racist hooligans in Ukraine or robbed at gunpoint in Brazilian favelas.
“It turns out that a little bit of common sense and preparation has generally been enough to keep us safe.”
It was just two years ago that England supporters were savagely attacked before a European Championship match in Marseille, leaving multiple fans in a coma.
“Never before has the disparity between the picture painted of what was likely to befall us and the reality we actually encountered been as great as what we experienced in Volgograd,” the group stated.
The worst I’ve seen is a few drunk fans passed out on benches.
This is the safest I’ve felt covering football in another country.
And keep in mind I’ve covered this game in Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Mexico and France.
MORE ON ARGENTINA
You know its bad when Diego Maradona is making sense.
The Argentinian legend ripped into his countrymen this weekend but spared one man: Lionel Messi.
“Argentina don’t know what they play for, they have no solutions at all, not in the midfield, in defence or in attack,” he told Latin channel Telesur, according to MARCA.
“On Thursday, Argentina didn’t create a wall, didn’t hold the ball up and didn’t touch the ball.
“The Argentina FA is run by people who don’t know anything about football … They improvise, lack planning and have left the team adrift.”
He added Messi can’t make up for his teammates.
Surprisingly, though, the two-time champs remain in decent position to advance.
Messi’s squad will progress to the Round of 16 if it knocks off Nigeria this week and Croatia doesn’t lose to Iceland.
BY THE NUMBERS
There have been 13 penalties awarded at this World Cup, the same number of penalties awarded during the duration of Brazil 2014 …
Neymar’s 97th-minute goal in stoppage time was the latest goal ever scored in regulation time at a World Cup … Brazil wore an allblue kit for the first time since 1994 … Brazil remains unbeaten in 14 consecutive World Cup group stage games … Nearly 20 per cent of goals at this World Cup have been scored within five minutes of full-time … Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku and Portugal’s Ronaldo lead the Golden Boot race with four goals apiece … Lukaku has scored more times than any Belgian in history at the World Cup.
AND ANOTHER THING
Did anyone else see Belgium assistant coach
Thierry Henry giving Eden Hazard a lesson moments before the Chelsea attacker made it 4-1 over Tunisia? The man is a footballing genius … Neymar was a different player four years ago. He didn’t whine as much. He didn’t dive as much. Why the change now? … Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain could conceivably be eliminated before the knockout stage … Mexico is still the best team I’ve seen at this tournament.
ELIMINATED
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Peru, Tunisia, Costa Rica, South Korea.