Even with two wins, Mexico remains in jeopardy ... Messi hopes to make amends in finale ... Lampard touts Three Lions as Cup contenders
MOSCOW — No World Cup team has failed to advance after earning two group stage wins since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1998.
Mexico, though, is in jeopardy of failing to qualify for the Round of 16 despite wins over Germany and South Korea.
“What we have done so far isn’t what we came here to do,” Mexico’s Andres Guardado said, according to the Daily Mail.
“We see ourselves as being capable of achieving a lot more. Otherwise it’s not going to be worth anything." Jang-Hyun Soo’s stoppage-time goal could be Mexico’s undoing if it loses to Sweden by two or more goals and Germany pounds the Koreans.
MESSI UPDATE
Lionel Messi is doing OK, according to his teammate. Argentinean midfielder
Javier Mascherano says his country’s best player is eager to rescue the South Americans during a must-win meeting with Nigeria.
“Leo is fine,” Mascherano said, according to multiple reports. “But as a collective, where things don’t go as we’d like, we all have our own frustrations.
“He’s human and he has his own frustrations but he’s desperate to turn the situation around.
“He wants to show the world a different image to the one we’ve shown in the first two games.”
Argentina’s sub-standard performances haven’t hinged on Messi’s contributions. However, the Barcelona playmaker hasn’t done enough through two World Cup fixtures to shield himself from rebuke.
He has to go in search of the game in a do-or-die fixture with Nigeria.
ENGLAND CONTENDERS?
Ex-England midfielder Frank Lampard says the Three Lions can do more than finish top of Group G.
The longtime Chelsea man says England could win the entire thing.
“I don’t see why we would be negative enough to just start going, ‘Oh, I hope we get to the quarterfinals,’” he told BBC 5 Live.
“I think the team have shown in their performances and this is not getting ahead of myself, just look at the talent in our squad and in the team and the way they’re playing and why should we write ourselves off?
“So yes, the players will focus game by game, day by day — that’s tournament football — that’s what they have to do.”
England’s two wins — against Tunisia and Panama — came as no surprise. But the Three Lions won’t be favoured in their final group fixture with Belgium.
SERBIA STILL HOPES
Serbia is in tough to emerge from Group E as it likely to beat five-time champs Brazil.
“We know the Brazilians very well and have analyzed them in every aspect,” Serbian assistant coach Milan Rastavac said, according to MARCA.
"It will be a different game and we will try to find solutions.”
The Brazilians looked susceptible in an opening draw with Switzerland and a narrow win over Costa Rica.
The Serbians can also advance with a draw if Costa Rica tops the Swiss by multiple goals.
‘NOTHING TO LOSE’
Iceland and Croatia are preparing to meet for the fifth time in World Cup competition since 2013.
While Croatia knows it’s through to the Round of 16 following wins over Argentina and Nigeria, Iceland must win and hope Argentina secures a narrow victory over Nigeria.
“We know that they have one of the best national teams in the world right now, judging by their recent performances,” Iceland’s
Gylfi Sigurdsson said, according to FIFA.com
“I don’t think it will change anything that we’ve beaten them a year ago, or lost to them three years ago. It’s going to be a completely different match. But of course, it’s great that we’ve shown that we can beat them.
“They’re hard to break down and strong, both offensively and defensively. But we’ve got nothing to lose. It rests on us to get a good result, and then we’re hoping for a favourable result from the other match.”
Iceland beat Croatia 1-0 in Reykjavík last year to finish top of its qualifying group.
Spain’s David De Gea was the only goalkeeper at Russia 2018 to not be credited with a save through two group fixtures ... Harry Kane became just the third England international to register a World Cup hattrick (Geoff Hurst, 1966, and Gary Lineker, 1986) ... Kane also kept England perfect (10-of-10) from the penalty spot during regular time at the World Cup ... Felipe Baloy’s goal for Panama saw it removed from a list of five World Cup participants who haven’t scored, a list that includes Canada ... Baloy became the fourth-oldest to score at a World Cup finals. Cameroon’s Roger Milla, 42, remains the oldest ... Senegal is one of just three countries that hasn’t lost a group-stage game. The other two former World Cup participants: Wales and East Germany.
LAST WORD
Soccer snobs are using Panama’s blowout loss to England to argue CONCACAF deserves less representation at this tournament.
But they forget CONCACAF teams — Mexico, the U.S. and Costa Rica — have had a fair bit of success since 1994.
Costa Rica made a quarterfinal in 2014 before falling on penalties.
Mexico has made the Round of 16 at every World Cup since 1994, and just knocked off the defending champions.
The U.S. was on the cusp of a quarterfinal appearance at three of the previous four tournaments.
What’s more, England drew both the U.S. and Costa Rica in 2010 and ’14, respectively.
Canada’s confederation has a long history of out-performing expectations at this tournament.