Sweden will need those shooting boots soon...
SWEDEN won an opening World Cup game for the first time since 1958 with a narrow 1-0 victory over South Korea, but they will need to find their shooting boots if they are to match their two other, trickier opponents in Group F.
After dominating the game but missing a string of chances, the Swedes won a 65th-minute penalty when Kim Min-woo brought down Viktor Claesson in the box. Salvadoran referee Joel Aguilar initially waved the Swedes away, before being called to consult the Video Assistant Referee system.
In the second VAR-awarded penalty of the World Cup, Sweden’s 33-year-old captain Andreas Granqvist swept the ball low and left of impressive goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo.
“The VAR took a while but we are very pleased they had it ... I was pretty sure,” Granqvist said of the wait.
The result brought wild celebrations from hordes of yellow-clad Swedish fans, fearful their team would draw another blank after failing to score in their last three games.
The Asians began the game brighter, harrying for the first 15 minutes against an initially sluggish-looking Sweden.
But the Scandinavians quickly found their poise, coping comfortably with Korea’s attacks despite the absence of defender Victor Lindelof through illness.
Swedish coach Janne Andersson said the penalty was “crystal-clear”, adding: “I felt the wait for VAR was unnecessary.”
In a game short on finesse, several of Sweden’s best chances fell to Marcus Berg, who had one close-range side-foot shot spectacularly saved by Cho off his knee in the 21st minute.
“We played the match the way we intended, but I’m a little unhappy with the chances we didn’t put away,” added Andersson.
Both teams’ star players provided their creative drive, Son Heung-min trying to drive Korea forward from the left flank but again failing to have the same impact on the international stage as he does in the Premier League.
For Sweden, the pacy Emil Forsberg constantly fed the frontmen, and also curled a shot over from outside the box.
Korea’s best chances fell to Koo Ja-cheol, who headed just wide in the second half and Hwang Hee-chan who saw his stoppage-time header also just miss during a late, desperate siege.
Sweden go into their game against Germany with confidence. “If we win against Germany, we are through. The pressure is on them,” said the ebullient Granqvist.
Few will be giving a chance of progressing to Korea, who have now only won one of their last 10 World Cup games.
A stunning volley from Dries Mertens and a Romelu Lukaku double broke the resistance of a brave Panama side on their World Cup debut as Belgium cruised to a 3-0 win in their opening Group G game.
Mertens hammered home a superb volley two minutes into the second half, sending the ball arcing over Jaime Penedo after Panama struggled to clear a cross.
Lukaku’s hard work up front was rewarded when he headed home Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliant pass off the outside off his foot to make it 2-0 in the 69th minute and the big striker latched on to an Eden Hazard pass to complete the scoring with a neat finish.
The debutants suffered a shaky start as Lukaku went close for Belgium in the opening minute after an incisive pass from De Bruyne set Yannick Carrasco free down the left, but the striker fired wide.
Despite being forced to spend much of the game defending, the Panamanians showed strength, speed and trickery when they did break forward, and they created chances of their own in a scoreless first half. Belgium wasted no time in the second period with Mertens opening the scoring two minutes in, and as the underdogs started to chase an equaliser the space opened up.
The Belgians showcased an array of clever set-pieces and will be happy with their performance against a physical Panama side.