Global Futbol Matches December 17th to 30th, 2018

December 17 to December 30, 2018

 

Match Day Three of the Nations League wrapped up 2018 this week. In the Pacific, Palau had the more shots, but it was Tuvalu who scored the solitary goal to give room for promotion to the top Oceanian League.

 

In Africa, it was clear of Libya’s intent to rebuild their side after the World Cup, losing heavily to the Cape Verde Islands 4-nil, which included two late netters. Benin scored twice in ten minutes through substitute Bessan to wrestle a win against Malawi. In League C, Madagascar dominated the middle of the park over Burkina Faso; however, they lacked the attacking prowess to win the match.

 

The Gambia scored their first goal for the tournament, leaving their home ground with a draw against Angola. The same can be said for the Congo, who could not bring about a win at home against the Central African Republic. Botswana’s Kobe scored twice again in a Nations League match inside the first 22 minutes to help his side win 3-1 over Equatorial Guinea. This sets up a tight contest for teams to remain in League C between Equatorial Guinea and eSwatini, who play against one another in the New Year. Uganda received their first win as they beat Mauritius on their home turf. Uganda now has five points from three games. Hot on their heels are Zimbabwe and Tanzania; the former defeated the latter 3-nil at home to record their first win and allow both sides to sit on four points each at the halfway mark of the Nations League.

 

In the Americas, Venezuela’s approach against Uruguay was to attack, and attack they did. This tactic paid off as they scored eventually, only to be thwarted by Lodeiro’s 88^th-minute equaliser. Jamaica employed a similar mindset as they hosted a second-string Argentinean side, where they scored just before halftime. Argentina needed substitute Dybala to draw level, leaving both sides on four points after three games. A vastly different team makeup for both St Vincent and the Grenadines and Mexico from the World Cup met in the Caribbean, where Mexico snatched the three points. Vidal had two chances to win the game for Chile against Peru, only for one to hit the woodwork and the other to be saved. Peru, now with two away draws, is ideally positioned at the halfway mark of the Nations League.

 

In League B, Nazon kept up the record of scoring in each game as the Haitians held off a late-charging Canadian side. The Haitians now have seven points from three games and will rival the Canadians in reaching the top league. On the bottom of Americas Group B4 is El Salvador, after losing 1-nil to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Nicaragua always had an answer for every time the Cayman Islands scored, leaving the Caribbean with a two-all draw. Shamari Mark’s hat trick on the stroke of the hour mark was the catalyst for Grenada’s solid win over Guyana, who are still without a single point after three matches. Honduras is undefeated as their substitute Chirinos produced an injury-time winner over Belize. Behind them on the table by five points is St Kitts and Nevis, who secured second place at the halfway stage by winning 3-0 over Curacao.

 

Meanwhile, in Asia League C, Palestine had the upper hand over Bhutan and scored twice to win away. Three Lebanese goals by halftime had the game secured against Yemen, and thus stealing first placing in Group C2 from their opponents thanks to a better goal difference. In the clash for bottom place, Malaysia went one better and scored at either end of both halves, annihilating a poor-performing Indonesia.

 

In Europe League D, Montenegro sent word to the other teams in League D1 they deserve to rise to the above League after cruising to a three-nil victory over Moldova. This potential promotion was helped by Estonia’s two-nil win over San Marino. Iceland finally pulled their first win after Sigþórsson’s injury-time winner the difference between them and Gibraltar. Their counterparts Andorra collected their second win (and first place) by scoring three times in the first half against Luxembourg, including an own goal, and a brace from Marc Vales.

 

Lastly, in Africa League D, Eritrea bounced back from their 7-1 loss in the World Cup Qualifiers against Lesotho to defeat the Seychelles 3-1, although the away team should have equalised and made the scoreline 2-2, before substitute Semir Edris sealed the win for the Eritreans. On the other hand, Lesotho seemed to have a hangover from their progression in World Cup qualification, as they could not find a way past the defence of Guinea-Bissau at home. In fact, it was the away team that seemed most likely to score, with their best chance, a penalty by Piqueti, skied over the goal.

 

The Under 17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers continued this week. Nations compete against other nations geographically close by, with some exceptions. The World Cup is set to feature in November/December 2019.

 

December 18 U17 Men’s Friendlies 22 ·  Kosovo 2 Spain 3 ·  Malta 3 Netherlands 3 Ecuador 5 Argentina 1

December 20 Men’s Friendly (most countries played their B or C teams) ·  USA 2 England 1 ·  Colombia 2 Spain 2 ·  Canada 1 Brazil 3 ·  Saudi Arabia 1 Germany 4 ·  Bolivia 0 Chile 2 ·  France 2 Chad 3 ·  Belgium 5 Rwanda 0 ·  Jamaica 1 St Vincent and the Grenadines 1 ·  Malawi 4 Nigeria 5 Grenada 1 Dominican Republic 1

December 28 U17 Women’s Geographical WCQ �" MD 1 ·  Lesotho 1 South Africa 3 ·  Namibia 1 eSwatini 3 ·  Seychelles 2 Mauritius 2 ·  Comoros 0 Madagascar 0 ·  Belize 1 Guatemala 1 ·  Canada 1 USA 1 ·  Panama 2 Nicaragua 2 ·  Costa Rica 4 El Salvador 0 ·  British Virgin Islands 1 Haiti 3 ·  Dominican Republic 2 Puerto Rico 2 ·  Cuba 2 Cayman Islands 2 ·  Bermuda 1 Jamaica 2 ·  Aruba 0 Dominica 2 ·  Curacao 4 Antigua and Barbuda 0 ·  Trinidad and Tobago 1 Grenada 1 ·  Barbados 1 St Lucia 1 ·  Argentina 2 Colombia 1 Bolivia 1 Uruguay 2

December 29 U17 Women’s Geographical WCQ �" MD 1 ·  Solomon Islands 0 Australia 0 ·  New Caledonia 0 Papua New Guinea 0 ·  Tonga 0 Kiribati 3 ·  Samoa 0 Fiji 1 ·  Palau 3 Micronesia 0 ·  Vanuatu 1 Marshall Islands 1 ·  Singapore 2 Brunei 2 ·  Indonesia 2 East Timor 2 ·  Malaysia 0 Thailand 1 ·  Vietnam 0 Cambodia 3 ·  Bhutan 4 Nepal 2 ·  Bangladesh 2 Myanmar 2 ·  Taiwan 2 North Korea 2 ·  Mongolia 2 Japan 0 ·  Sri Lanka 0 Afghanistan 1 ·  Maldives 0 India 2 ·  Kazakhstan 1 Turkmenistan 1 ·  Uzbekistan 3 Tajikistan 0 ·  Bahrain 2 Kuwait 0 ·  UAE 2 Iran 2 ·  Saudi Arabia 2 Oman 3 ·  Yemen 0 Iraq 3 ·  Syria 3 Lebanon 3 ·  Palestine 1 Egypt 1 ·  Greece 3 Armenia 2 ·  Azerbaijan 1 Macedonia 1 ·  Romania 2 Moldova 0 ·  Bulgaria 1 Turkey 1 ·  Bosnia 1 Montenegro 3 ·  Serbia 1 Albania 3 ·  Czech Republic 5 Slovakia 0 ·  Ukraine 1 Hungary 3 ·  Russia 2 Poland 2 ·  Latvia 1 Belarus 0 ·  Finland 0 Denmark 3 ·  Estonia 1 Sweden 1 ·  Croatia 0 Italy 4 ·  Malta 1 San Marino 1 ·  Germany 4 Luxembourg 0 ·  Liechtenstein 1 Netherlands 2 ·  Spain 1 Belgium 1 ·  France 4 Monaco 0 ·  Ireland 0 Faroe Islands 1 ·  Portugal 1 Iceland 1

December 30 Nations League Match Day 3 Oceania B ·  Palau 0 Tuvalu 1 Asia C ·  Bhutan 1 Palestine 2 ·  Lebanon 3 Yemen 0 ·  Malaysia 4 Indonesia 0 Africa B ·  Cape Verde Islands 4 Libya 0 ·  Benin 2 Malawi 1 Africa C ·  Madagascar 0 Burkina Faso 0 ·  Gambia 1 Angola 1 ·  Congo 1 Central African Republic 1 ·  Botswana 3 Equatorial Guinea 1 ·  Mauritius 1 Uganda 2 ·  Zimbabwe 3 Tanzania 0 Africa D ·  Eritrea 3 Seychelles 1 ·  Lesotho 0 Guinea-Bissau 0 Europe D ·  Montenegro 3 Moldova 0 ·  Gibraltar 1 Iceland 2 ·  Andorra 3 Luxembourg 1 ·  Estonia 2 San Marino 0 Americas A ·  Venezuela 1 Uruguay 1 ·  Jamaica 1 Argentina 1 ·  St Vincent and the Grenadines 0 Mexico 1 ·  Chile 2 Peru 2 Americas B ·  Haiti 3 Canada 2 ·  Turks and Caicos Islands 1 El Salvador 0 ·  Cayman Islands 2 Nicaragua 2 ·  Grenada 4 Guyana 0 ·  Belize 0 Honduras 1 ·  St Kitts and Nevis 3 Curacao 0   U17 Women’s Geographical WCQ �" MD 2 ·  Israel 1 Hong Kong 0 ·  Macau 1 Tahiti 1 ·  Turks and Caicos Islands 2 Senegal 2 ·  Anguilla 1 Gambia 1 ·  Guinea 2 Liberia 2 ·  Cape Verde Islands 3 Guinea-Bissau 1 ·  Morocco 1 Tunisia 2 ·  Mali 1 Mauritania 0 ·  Burkina Faso 2 Cote d’Ivoire 3 ·  Togo 1 Benin 2 ·  Central African Republic 0 Chad 0 ·  Niger 0 Nigeria 2 ·  Somalia 2 Eritrea 1 ·  Djibouti 2 Sudan 2 ·  Congo 2 Cameroon 2 ·  Gabon 2 Sao Tome and Principe 0 ·  Rwanda 0 Tanzania 0 ·  Kenya 2 Burundi 0 ·  Angola 0 Zimbabwe 2 ·  Congo DR 1 Zambia 4