Zuber helps Switzerland hold Brazil to a draw
Favourites did not get their campaign off to a perfect start after suffering a shock result in opener
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MDeputy Editor Sports
exico stunned defending world champions Germany 1-0 in their Group F opener of Russia 2018 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, with the South Americans holding firm with a solid defensive second-half showing after Herving Lozano gave them the lead.
It was a lively start between the Group F heavyweights as Mexico showed from the outset that they were in no mood to sit back and soak up the German pressure.
Firstly, Lozano looked to be clear through in the area in the first minute, only to see the ball brilliantly blocked by Jerome Boateng.
That was followed up by a corner which caused a goalmouth panic before goalkeeper Manuel Neuer eventually smothered.
It was end-to-end stuff as Timo Werner shot just wide of Guillermo Ochoa’s goal and then Andres Guardado fired straight at Neuer from distance.
The teams seemed to catch their breath briefly, as we were only 10 minutes in and there had already been six attempts on goal.
But it wasn’t long before Mexico were on the attack again, a hopeful free-kick just evading the heads of three men in green.
Carlos Salcedo was relieved to see the ball go behind at the other end as it came off his boot at the back post from a dangerous cross.
The Mexicans in the crowd were certainly making the more noise as they sensed an upset of a sort could be on the cards.
Javier Hernandez should have ■ done better in the 18th minute when he found space in the box, but he was eventually crowded out by three German defenders as he looked for support rather than try a shot on goal.
Werner and Toni Kroos both tried their luck at the other end, but Ochoa was right behind both efforts.
Fans in raptures
The action was relentless and the only thing we were missing was a goal as the match reached the halfhour mark but both Neuer — showing no ill effects from his lengthy time on the sidelines with a broken foot — and Ochoa were proving up to the task.
The German defence was looking more and more stretched as they struggled with the Mexican pace. Miguel Layun was inches away from getting on the end of a chance on 35 minutes but it was not long before the Mexican fans were in raptures.
Hernandez made Mats Hummels look decidedly average, putting him on the turf before a pass found Lozano. He danced inside a lunging tackle and buried the ball past Neuer at the near post.
Kroos took the shot and Ochoa
Short of pace
Germany were really lacking pace in midfield, bear in mind that Leroy Sane was deemed surplus to requirements when coach Joachim Loew selected his final squad of 24.
Germany looked to slow the pace down after the break and kill the Mexican enthusiasm, playing keepball and try to find the breakthrough with patient build-up.
For all their possession, Germany were almost caught out as Mexico pounced on the break after 55 minutes, but Hernandez’s pass to Vela went slightly behind his teammate and the chance was gone.
Mexico were succeeding in keeping their opponents to shooting from distance, which they managed till the end of the game.
Germany now need to pick themselves up and get the points on the board against South Korea and Sweden, while the Mexicans can enjoy their moment in the limelight. ■
AWorld Cup of surprises continued as Brazil were held to a shock 1-1 draw by Switzerland in their Group E opener in Rostov late yesterday.
Philippe Countinho’s mid first-half screamer was cancelled out by Steven Zuber just after the break as favourites and record five-time winners Brazil failed to get their campaign off to the start expected of them in Russia. Coutinho curled a sublime opener in off the post from the edge of the area on 20 minutes to open Brazil’s account.
The ball had fallen to the Barcelona forward after Marcelo’s cross was headed seemingly clear by Zuber, only for the former Liverpool star, who was waiting outside the box, to then bend the ball back into the top corner with a diagonal strike across goal.
It had followed an initial early warning fired from the Brazilians after 10 minutes, when Coutinho put Neymar wide, whose cross then found its way past Fabian Schaer at the near post, before trickling to Paulinho, whose shot was tipped wide by keeper Yann Sommer.
Little else followed until just before halftime when Thiago Silva headed a corner just over the crossbar. And while the Brazilians may have gone in at the break with a 1-0 lead it came with the nagging doubt that they perhaps should have done more. Those concerns were justified on 50 minutes when Zuber, ironically the man whose head set up Brazil’s opener, then restored order just after the break with a thumping header into the roof of the net from Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner.
Brazil’s players bemoaned a shove on Miranda as Zuber rose to meet Shaqiri’s inswinger, but the incident wasn’t divisive enough to warrant a referee’s review on VAR.
Manuel Akanji’s challenge on Gabriel Jesus inside the box on 73 minutes was also widely appealed for penalty, but also didn’t get a second look. Neymar could have ended it on 88 minutes but directed a powerful header from Willian’s cross right at the keeper. Likewise, Firmino also had a chance to find a winner late in stoppage time but also headed Neymar’s free-kick at the shot-stopper.
A third in a late and desperate flurry by Brazil then saw Miranda blast wide after the ball was cleared into his path on the edge of the box, before the final touch of the game was another wasted free-kick from Neymar as Switzerland survived an onslaught.
Germany now need to pick themselves up and get the points on the board against South Korea and Sweden, while the Mexicans can enjoy their moment.