Germany salvages draw with Spain
AL KHOR, QATAR >> Germany forward Niclas Füllkrug salvaged a 1-1 draw against Spain on Sunday at the World Cup.
The Germans still need to win their last group match to have a chance of advancing to the knockout stage. The four-time champions were eliminated in the group stage four years ago in Russia.
Germany will next face Costa Rica, which defeated Japan 1-0 earlier Sunday. Even a win may not be enough for the Germans, who are in last place in Group E and need the other result to go their way.
Spain can reach the last 16 with a draw against Japan.
Álvaro Morata put Spain ahead in the 62nd minute and Füllkrug equalized for Germany in the 83rd.
The match between the pre-tournament favorites was one of the most anticipated in the group stage.
Spain tried to control the pace of the game with ball possession but wasn’t able to create many opportunities, while Germany was able to threaten sporadically with breakaways and set pieces.
COSTA RICA 1, JAPAN 0 AL RAYYAN, QATAR >>
Keysher Fuller scored in the 81st minute to lift Costa Rica to a victory over Japan, leaving both teams with three points after two games.
Fuller took advantage of a defensive error when Japan failed to clear the ball and hit the net from 18 meters just off the fingertips of leaping Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda.
The match at Ahmad Bin Ali stadium was tactical and largely lackluster, particularly in a first half that did not yield a single shot on goal. The second half was slightly better with Japan pressing throughout until
Costa Rica broke through.
Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas came up with several rapid fire saves in the final minutes to ensure the victory.
Group F MOROCCO 2, BELGIUM 0 DOHA, QATAR >>
Morocco pulled off yet another shock, and it was Belgium’s aging “Golden Generation” that took the hit this time.
The upset left Kevin de
Bruyne and the 2018 semifinalists in peril of a groupstage exit at what is likely the final World Cup for numerous players on a team that hasn’t been able to win a major title.
Morocco substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri gave his team the lead by whipping in a free kick from a tight angle on the left in the 73rd minute that got under the body of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois — for many, the best in
the world at his position.
Zakaria Aboukhlal then guided a shot into the roof of the net off a pass from Hakim Ziyech in stoppage time as Courtois was beaten again.
CROATIA 4, CANADA 1 AL RAYYAN, QATAR >>
Croatia bounced back strong and knocked Canada right out of its first World Cup in 36 years.
The 2018 runners-up got two goals from Andrej Kramaric
on Sunday in a victory over a Canadian team that has been eliminated after two matches in Qatar.
Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal one minute into the match but Marko Livaja and Lovro Majer also scored for Croatia, which lost to France in the final four years ago in Russia and opened with a scoreless draw against Morocco.
Luka Modric, the 37-yearold
captain who runs the midfield for Croatia, is still looking for his first goal of the tournament in what is likely his final World Cup.
Croatia and Morocco, which caused another upset at this year’s tournament by beating Belgium 2-0 earlier Sunday, both have four points in Group F. Belgium has three points and still has a chance to advance.