May 13 to 19, 2019 Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. May 13 to 19, 2019
The
second legs of the Women’s Nations Cup
Playoffs took place this week. Haiti
hosted the United States in their attempt to override their five-nil loss.
However, it was Alex Morgan who continued where she left off last week with a
goal in the tenth minute. The Americans kept peppering the goals, but could not
find the finishing touch. After the break, the Haitians threw everything they
could at the American goal, but steely defence, the woodwork and a
triple-saving effort from Naeher ensured the win for the United States, and
qualification for the Nations Cup. Mexico
needed two goals to qualify for the Nations Cup against Guyana. By halftime,
the home side had three goals, thanks to Palacios, Player of the Match Robles,
and Antonio. After the break, Corral’s goal sealed the deal, after which the
Mexicans took their foot off the pedal and cruised to a four-goal victory, and
a place in France. Trinidad
and Tobago needed four goals to qualify for France, but it was Jamaica who
looked likely to score first. After some choice cut defending and goalkeeping,
the Trinidadians went on a goal scoring spree, having slotted three goals by
halftime, thanks to a Player of the Match Guerra brace and Karyn Forbes’ deft
touch. In the 48th minute, Saint Louis had Trinidad and Tobago’s fourth, and
from that moment onwards the home side played for the final whistle. For the
Jamaicans to squander a three-goal lead is mightily frustrating for coach
Menzies, who is likely to not be coaching Jamaica in the coming future.
Meanwhile, the Trinidadians will celebrate their epic victory before preparing
for the tournament. The
New Caledonians thought New Zealand, with the same structure of 5-3-2 as the
previous match, would attack down the flanks. However, from the outset, the
Kiwis attacked down the spine of the field, mainly through Bowen. This strategy
proved fruitful, as Hassett had a goal by the fourth minute. New Zealand
continued to step up the pressure on the Caledonians, and late in the game, a
Longo pass to Hassett gave her a second goal, and New Zealand the qualification
spot for France. Iran
needed two goals to secure qualification for France, and not let the Uzbeks
score. One goal with less than twenty minutes via substitute Farad meant Iran
had the momentum as regulation time drew to a close. Needing an extra thirty
minutes, Uzbekistan smacked the bar, before the match petered out as both sides
played for penalty kicks. It took eleven spot kicks each to determine a winner.
Both goal scorers from the two legs, Zoirova and Farad, missed their penalties.
Then Uzbek’s Magdeev had a chance to win the game, only to try a fancy chip and
send the ball over the bar. With the eighth penalty kick, Uzbek’s Denisov had
another chance, only to miss the entire goal to the right. Then, both
goalkeepers slotted their penalty kicks. It came down to Inomov, Uzbekistan’s
only player left not to have a kick. She passively knocked the ball straight at
the Iranian keeper, who coolly collected it, before celebrating an emphatic
victory for her side as Iran qualified for the Nations Cup. The
United Arab Emirates needed to make up a deficit of four goals from the first
leg against Jordan. By half time, they had leveled the playing field thanks to
a double from Rashid, followed by an own goal from Fraij after passing back to
a distracted Ghazal. When Jaber scored for the Emirates, it seemed as though
the home side would complete the unthinkable and make their way to the Nations
Cup with a record come-from-behind score. However, neither side wanted to give
away a goal, and so the second half became a tight tussle in midfield. The game
ended 4-0 in regulation time, and extra time was needed. Three attempts from
UAE’s Khater came in extra time. A header missed the mark, whilst the second
needed a Ghazal save and a little help from the post. Again, Ghazal saved
Khater’s third shot. That would be all, before the referee blew the whistle for
penalties. The first four penalties were missed until Faleh slotted home for
the UAE, giving them the upper hand. That reversed with Shathli converting and
substitute in extra time, Al Obaid, missed a crucial chance. Al Kousheh,
injured during extra time, could not convert her spot kick, hitting the bar and
out. This allowed the UAE back in the contest, and Jaber made it uneven again. It
took Al Masri to coolly score, and after five attempts, end all square. UAE’s
Al Wehaibi missed, and despite a hand slowing down the ball, Jordan’s El Hawa’s
kick hit the net and sent the Jordanians to the Nations Cup. The
Moroccans also needed to win back a deficit of four goals against Mali. Their
attackers threw all they could in the first half, only for the Malian defence
and keeper Fatoumata Karentao to keep goals at bay. With no goals in the first
half, the Moroccans could see their hopes slipping. They managed to snag two
goals via Hanane Ait Elhaj and Meriem Bouihed, a timely substitute. However,
Mali held on and scored late via Hawa Tangara, putting the result beyond doubt
and her side on the plane to France. Ghana,
meanwhile, shocked the Ivoirians after turning round a five-goal margin to win
six-nil. Ghana needed defender Janet Egyir to open the scoring for them, before
captain Elizabeth Addo snuck a second right before halftime. Fearing the break
was going to kill their momentum, Ghana kept attacking from both wings, which
led to a goal for Jane Ayiyem. Sensing the ultimate fightback, Ayiyem set up
Samira Suleman for Ghana’s fourth. Substitute Mary Essiful then was passed the
ball by her captain and paid that faith with a roaring goal, equalising the
scores across the two legs. The Ivoirians doubled down on Essiful, which left
Addo open in the 90th minute to shoot and score from long range, sending the
home crowd wild, and the Ghanaians to the Nations Cup in emphatic style. Despite
Colombia defeating Argentina 4-1, the Argentinians were the better side over
the two legs. Argentina slowed the game right down, which frustrated the
Colombians as they needed to eradicate a four-goal deficit. However, once the
Colombians gained momentum and scored via Caro and Arias, the Argentinians
could not snap out of their slow-down mindset, and by the 56th minute, Colombia
had their third goal, thanks to Echeverri’s brilliant run down the spine.
Sensing an upset, the Colombians continued attacking, however, the away side
held steadfast. A late goal from Jaimes meant the Colombians had nine minutes
to find two goals. They did manage to snag one back, but it was too late.
Argentina is the third South American side to qualify for the Nations Cup, and
the 24th team to be placed on the roster. Qualified
Nations: France South
Korea South
Africa Uruguay Brazil Poland Netherlands Italy England Croatia Spain Ukraine Germany Switzerland Bosnia United
States Mexico Trinidad
and Tobago New
Zealand Iran Jordan Mali Ghana Argentina The
Men’s Nations League concluded
across the globe this week.
Honduras
won their fifth game of the tournament to guarantee first place in the Americas
Group B3, defeating Belize three goals to nil. The Hondurans, at the half hour
mark, caught the Belize side forward for a corner, and Anthony Lozano coolly
netted his first for the Nations League. Belize soon found themselves further
behind when Alberto Elis had no defender on him as he led to a ball into the
box and his kick punched the inside of the post and into the goal. Elis scored his
second in the 68th minute after Belize goalkeeper Woodrow West mistimed a jump
for the ball away from goal, and the ball ended with Elis (deemed Player of the
Match), who slipped the ball into the open goal. Meanwhile, the battle for
second place was underway in Curacao, where visitors St Kitts and Nevis held
their defence in place with the backing of goalkeeper Julani Archibald. Despite
Curacao’s seventeen attempts as they dominated midfield and shot from every
nook and cranny, they could not get on target (only five were directed towards
goal), and the game ended in a scoreless draw. St Kitts and Nevis emerged in
second place ahead of Curacao on goal difference.
El
Salvador managed their first win of the tournament, but could not overtake
their opponents in third place, the Turks and Caicos Islands. A Davisa Rugamas
brace helped the home side overcome a setback when Billy Forbes leveled for his
side in the 36th minute. But all eyes were fixed on the clash for
first place between Canada and Haiti. Though Canada had the home ground
advantage, the Haitians capitalised on their chances and scored twice in the first
half, thanks to Sony Mustivar and Duckens Nazon. From there, the Haitians kept
the ball for long periods, denying Canada any real attempts at scoring. When
the opportunities did arise, the only shining light was a smack against the
woodwork deep in the game. The result ended two-nil, and Haiti claimed top spot
in Group B4.
In a dead rubber for Match Day 6, Bulgaria inflicted
Turkey’s first defeat with an 88th-minute winner by substitute Simeon Slavchev.
Earlier, the Turkish visitors gained the lead first via Hakan Çalhanoğlu. It
took only three minutes, however for Bulgaria to equalise through a brilliant
Georgi Kostadinov strike. The second half saw Bulgarian domination, at least on
possession, as they were content with the draw. However, a few attacks led to
the final one by Slavchev, and the Bulgarians gained the full three points and
a clear seven-point lead over Turkey.
Slovenia
stunned the Swedish home side with an early goal from Rene Krhin after Sweden
failed to clear successfully from defence. The game soon became an attacking
affair from both sides, only for passes to be constantly cut off. Sweden
eventually gained the upper hand, and leveled in the 79th minute thanks to
Sebastian Larsson’s lovely strike. However, Slovenia caught the Swedes
unfocused and the lead returned to them, with Jasmin Kurtič slotting for the
away side, and thus a place in League A in two years’ time. The Swiss will be
angry for Sweden not playing at their peak, as they felt it was their right,
given recent performances, to join the top European sides. They will have to
work harder in the next installment to ensure playing amongst the elite
nations. Meanwhile, Sweden will drop to League C.
Prior
to this final match, Cambodia had to win away to Thailand, whilst Laos flew to
Mongolia with the hope of securing that League A slot. Cambodia could not stop
Thailand from winning their first match after Thitipan Puangjan scored in the
fourteenth minute. From there, the home side held firm, gaining three points in
the process, as well as holding Cambodia to zero shots on target. One goal also
separated Mongolia over Laos. The away team should have had two goals early,
but could not get on target. Then, the Mongolians stole the ball off a
forward-running goalkeeper, Saymanolinh Paseuth, only to miss wide of the mark.
As halftime approached, the one goal came from an unlikely source in left back
Turbat Daginaa, whose right foot caught the tiniest of deflections, causing the
ball to curve away from Paseuth. The second half saw little penetration into
the box, with both sides struggling to beat their opponent’s midfield or
defensive line. In the end, Mongolia celebrated, especially in gaining second
place in the group, a result that may prove pivotal if the structure of groups
in Asia is altered.
Nepal and Oman looked set to play out a scoreless draw for much of the game. Oman’s best chances came at the beginning of each half, whilst Rohit Chandh’s header came close for the home side as it hit the bar. Towards the end of the match, the Omanis attacked, placing the Nepalese defenders on high alert. Then, on the counter, Bharat Khawas found himself alone down the right wing. He forwarded the ball to a leading Sujal Shrestha. With Khalid Al-Braiki in the way, the two fought a 50-50 battle, with the Nepalese striker winning out. As he crept into the 18-yard box, Al-Braiki fouled him, and the referee awarded the penalty, which Shrestha slotted easily. The Omanis, disappointed they had lost, still held their heads high as winners of the group. The Nepalese coach immediately
turned his attention to the other match in the group. The Jordanians attacked
from the outset relentlessly, giving Syria no chances to work into the game. It
was goalkeeper Ahmad Madania that kept the visitors in the contest, making two
great saves in the first half. However, in the 51st minute, central midfielder
Khalil Bani Attiah snagged a goal from a tight angle after the ball rebounded
off a Syrian defender from a prior shot by Yaseen Al Bakhit. The Jordanians
continued to attack, but another goal did not come their way, and the single
goal proved the difference between the sides. Jordan will relish coming second
in the group, though Syria will rue their missed opportunities earlier in the
tournament in drawing their first three games.
The
United Arab Emirates, despite an early injury, dominated the Sri Lankans and
attacked from the outset. An early header from outside the box by newcomer
Habib Al Fardan set up the entire game. When Al Ahmed Mabkhout scored, as he
had done twice in their previous encounter, the result was all but assured. Al
Fardan’s second straight after the break with his left boot finalised the
result and the UAE’s place on top of Group B4. Bangladesh then sought to keep
off the bottom against Macau, and five goals were the order of the day as the
away side struggled to keep long-range shots out of the net. Player of the
Match Masuk Miah Zoni scored twice and dominated the passing game in midfield,
with goals from Robiul Hasan, Mohammad Ziban and Mohamed Mamunul Islam rounding
out the day, and Bangladesh finishing on eight points, just behind Sri Lanka on
the ladder.
Palestine
needed to win against Bhutan to firstly lift off the bottom, but also top the
group. Things looked set to fall their way after Mahmoud Wadi and Oday Dabbagh both
scored to round out the first half. However, a 51st-minute goal for Phurba
Wangchuk suddenly had the Palestinians playing shaky defence. The Bhutanese
capitalised on this and the momentum, and a low cross in front of goal caught
Palestine off guard, leading to a sliding challenge where the ball came off
Abdallah Gaber and in for an own goal. The Palestinians regrouped, now needing
to score to overtake Bhutan, and that came through the head of substitute
Khaled Salem, who was the difference in their prior encounter. A fourth
Palestine goal ensured victory and winners of Group C1.
Group C2’s top places were already set in stone prior to Match Day 6. Yemen hosted Lebanon and by halftime had a two-goal lead, thanks to a brace from Ala’a Al Sasi. His first found the Lebanese goalkeeper out of goal after clearing a backpass, whilst the second was a brilliant chest attack on the ball, before steadying and shooting. In the second half, Lebanon worked back into the match, and a bunch of sliding defenders gave away a penalty, which Hilal El-Helwe easily stabbed into the net. Both sides were wary for the rest of the match, as Yemen did not want to be caught on a fast break, whereas Lebanon stuck defenders behind the ball to close down any real Yemeni advances. The game ended in a 2-1 win for the home side, which they will be content with, particularly in landing one point behind Lebanon on the ladder. Behind them is
Indonesia after they fought hard for a 2-0 win against Malaysia. Their previous
matchup saw Malaysia win by four goals, and Malaysia only needed a draw to
remain in third position. However, a red card to Abdul Saari opened up the
game, and Indonesia capitalised on the extra player. Midfielder Evan Dimas found
himself alone in the box with the ball, and banged the ball off the inside of
the bar and into goal. Then, in additional time, the Indonesians worked
perfectly as a team to help Yustinus Pae slot home the securing goal, and into
third place in Group C2.
In
a feisty match with three yellow cards given, Singapore had to hold defensively
against an attacking Philippines side. As the game progressed, a draw seemed
inevitable, which would work in the away side’s favour and allow them to
overtake Kyrgyzstan on the ladder. However, Paul Younghusband’s inclusion in
the match proved the catalyst, as he scored with his first touch and created
more opportunities for the home team. In the end, a one-nil win helped the
Philippines off the bottom of the ladder, largely thanks to the Mike Ott away
goal scored earlier in the tournament in Singapore. Kyrgyzstan will still
progress up the Leagues on the back of their eleven goals at home against their
two opponents.
Afghanistan
had more attacking opportunities in their final match against the Maldives, but
they struggled to get on target, with one shot on target out of seven in the
first half (three out of seventeen in total). Only Mustafa Zazai went close by
hitting the upright, but nothing else eventuated from other shots. In the end,
the Maldives played for a draw, and came away with second place in the group, leaving
Afghanistan with only two draws in the four games right on the bottom.
A
win for Aruba away would help them into first place in Americas Group C1, but
it was Anguilla’s day as they slotted three into the goal. The goals came from
the boots of Klen Lee, Jermaine Gumbs and at the death, Tyrique Lake, with
Player of the Match Carlique Gumbs dominating the midfield. Suriname still
managed to remain on top.
The
aim: Antigua and Barbuda to win by two goals to collect first place honours
against the US Virgin Islands. However, the hosts had three by half time, and
six by the end, as they not only romped the Islanders, but also swapped
positions with them to run out overall winner of the group. Doubles from right
midfielder Osbourne and central midfielder Stevens helped secure the result and
the party games towards the end.
Puerto
Rico needed win by three goals to ensure first position in the group. With goals
for neither the home side or Bermuda for the first 74 minutes, it seemed Puerto
would not be able to achieve their aim. However, two quick goals via Shawn
Barry’s lead that penetrated the Bermudan defence and substitute Sidney Rivera
gave the Puerto Rican fans hope. It would not be, as Bermuda held on to the
margin of two goals, and despite both sides equaling on points and goal
difference, Bermuda’s three-goal win earlier in the tournament became the
pivotal result that split the two sides.
Both
matches in Group C4 would determine the ladder, with St Lucia hosting the British
Virgin Islands and Montserrat flying to the Dominican Republic. St Lucia needed
a win to bounce above the Islanders to third place. For much of the game, it
seemed a draw was likely. Then somehow, after having missed moments earlier,
Zaine Pierre shot between two defenders and into the goal, to become the St
Lucian hero with their second win of the tournament. Meanwhile, the Dominican
Republic only needed a draw. A goal in the 54th minute via Edarlin Ureña helped
the home side take the lead, and from there, they played for possession.
Montserrat tried hard to thwart any possessive play, but it proved fruitless as
the home team finished with that one-goal win, and top of the ladder without
losing a match.
The
box seat belonged to Slovakia to win the group, considering their final home
game was against the Ukraine. A draw will almost guarantee that position; a win
definitely would. In their way were Wales and Romania, both seeking a win to
give them hope of progressing to League B. Wales scored first against the
Romanians via Matthew Smith, which propelled the home team to react. Just
before halftime, Claudiu Keșerü
snagged the leveling goal, and it was game on. In additional time, Declan John
found a sneaky goal with his left boot, and propelled Wales with three points
to finish the tournament on 11 points overall. In the other match, Slovakia was
down a goal early, thanks to Viktor Tsygankov slipping one under goalkeeper
Martin Dúbravka. It took until the 65th minute for the home side to level.
Juraj Kucka out-bodied the Ukrainian defenders and popped home the equaliser.
Sensing one more, Slovakia attacked again, just to ensure their place in League
B. It was not needed, as the draw also placed them on eleven points, but with a
far greater goal difference. The Ukraine, however, must fight it out in League
D.
In
this final Group C2 Match Day, Norway had three goals in the first quarter
hour, before Ole Kristian Selnæs joined his teammate Bjorn Johnsen on a double
before the break. After halftime, it was Johnsen who reached the hat trick
before being substituted. Selnæs had a chance to score his third, only to be
parried away by Kazakh goalkeeper Dmytro Nepogodov. That left Norway in a good
position to take out the group and be promoted to League B. However, Israel had
three goals (including a brace for Bibras Natcho) by halftime against
Lithuania, thus ending any hopes of a Norwegian upset. The Israelis then piled
on four more goals, where Munas Dabbour also scored twice, and substitute Almog
Cohen joined the party. This Lithuanian side is but a shadow of their World Cup
side, and in less than a year find themselves at a seven-goal drubbing at the
hands of Israel. With Euro Qualifiers around the corner, coach Valdas Urbonas
just rejig the line up with youthful players to bring back the spark that took
them to a Round of 16 match against Brazil. Kazakhstan will now play in League
D, whilst League B will welcome Israel into the fray in two years.
© 2019 Steve Clark |
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Added on May 21, 2019 Last Updated on May 21, 2019 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more..Writing
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