Serbia appeal to FIFA over refereeing after loss
: The Serbian soccer body said they have appealed to FIFA over referee Felix Brych’s officiating during the thrilling 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in World Cup Group E which jeopardised the nation’s hopes of reaching the last 16. “We have submitted seven video-recordings showing Brych’s tendency to make decisions against our national team,” said a statement from the Serbian body. “The footage reveals Brych’s double standards in brandishing yellow cards, as he was quick to book our key players while he didn’t do the same in similar situations at the other end.”
If there were concerns over England’s ability to cope with the rising heat here– temperatures touched 32 degrees Celsius on Sunday – after spending their past few days in the cooler conditions at Repino, it took only a few minutes for Harry Kane & Co. to dispel them as they romped to a thumping 6-1 win over Panama on Sunday to book their place in the Round of 16.
In the first minute itself, Jesse Lingard went down clutching his face after being at the receiving end of Gabriel Gomez’s elbow. It looked like England would be in for a long evening against a defensively disciplined Panama side.
Seven minutes later, England earned a corner and Kieran Trippier’s teasing delivery into the box was headed in by the unmarked John Stones. Panama’s discipline at the back almost immediately went out of the window.
In the 20th minute, Lingard was brought down inside the box by Fidel Escobar as he sped towards the goal.
Harry Kane dispatched the ensuing penalty to double his side’s lead. England continued to tighten the screws. With Dele Alli on the bench, Ruben LoftusCheek started the game alongside Jordan Henderson in midfield and the duo helped control the tempo with Lingard often dropping deep to maintain England’s superiority in midfield.
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Lingard continued to be a livewire through the game. In the 36th minute, he cut in from the left flank, did a one-two with Raheem Sterling and unleashed an unstoppable curler from the edge of the box. 3-0 to England!
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