May 27 to June 2, 2019 Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. May 27 to June 2, 2019
The
long-awaited conclusion to the Second Stage of the Invitational Cup took place this week. Invitational Cup Tables
Top Two Qualify for Quarter Final Stage
Christian
Atsu scored against New Zealand in much the same way as their previous
encounter, as did Jordan Ayew in the second half, after the Ghanaians had hit
the woodwork three times in quick succession. Wedged between the two Ghanaian
goals was Jai Ingham’s lovely header straight after the break. With the lead,
Ghana looked set to take the full three points and leap over Russia on the
table. However, New Zealand could not finish with their sixth loss of the
tournament, and so largely thanks to substitute Alex Rufer’s run down the left
wing and cross, Andre De Jong managed to head the ball in the net and end the
game in a trying draw. In
a dead rubber, newly named North Macedonia scored first via Goran Pandev’s
head. This propelled the Portuguese into gear, and they dominated the rest of
the first half, including a goal from left back Raphaël
Guerreiro. The home side continued their dominance, piling on three
more goals from Dyego Sousa, Cristiano Ronaldo and substitute Pizzi to round
out their Invitational Cup campaign with the score 4-1, largely thanks to
Player of the Match Danilo Pereira and his two assists, the most dribbles and
equal highest tackles. Russia
and Ghana progress to the Quarter Finals.
Switzerland
and France both knew they were playing for a place in the Quarter Finals, as
there was little chance Brazil would lose to Egypt at home. Ngolo Kanté had a
chance to score early, but pipped the outside of the post. From there, the
Swiss dominated, culminating in two goals in three minutes. The first was a
Remo Freuler header off a corner. The second was a comedy of errors, before
Benjamin Pavard gifted Breel Embolo the ball with only the goalkeeper in the
way, and he slotted it easily. The Swiss took the foot off the pedal, and
France just before the break caught them unawares, with Oliver Giroud sneaking
a header over an advancing Yann Sommer. Still celebrating, the French defence
left clear gaps, which Switzerland capitalised and striker Albian Ajeti powered
home a left footer one minute later. With the score 3-1 at halftime, it seemed
likely for the goals to keep raining. However, the only goal for the second
period came by Giroud, again, as he chipped with the outside of his left boot,
curling the ball into the goal. From there, neither side gave an inch, and Switzerland
not only won the game in a reversal of the scoreline from their previous
encounter, but also ensured a Quarter Final berth. Egypt
rested players in preparation for The African Cup of Nations Qualifiers, and
their second-string players showed a lack of squad depth as Allan opened the
scoring in the second minute. Philippe Coutinho then scored twice in quick
succession, followed by goals from Richarlison, Roberto Firmino, Casemiro and
Lucas Paquetá to round out the half. Seven goals to nothing increased to eight
with Richarlison’s easy tap in, before Philippe Coutinho received the ball off
a keeping save and banged home for his hat trick (after having assisted twice
as well). One
can understand not sending top Egyptian players to Brazil, to save them for
their game against Morocco in Rabat, but such a big loss could undo the
players’ confidence and give Morocco a true advantage in what will be a tight
qualification group. Brazil
and Switzerland, meanwhile, advance to the Quarter Finals, where Brazil will
host another Africa nation, Ghana, whilst Switzerland will travel north to
Russia, full of hope in making the Semi Finals.
Just
like their last encounter, South Korea and Togo looked set to play out a
one-all draw, after the Togolese showed their intent by scoring early through
Gilles Sunu, before Korean Kim Moon-Hwan equalised with his head in quick reply.
From there, neither side would allow the other to penetrate deep. Then, against
the run of play, Togo attacked, leading to a lucky but timely goal for Alaixys
Romao. Na Sangho had a header late to equalise, and keep third place on the
table, but the ball smacked the bottom of the right hand post, and Togo played
for possession. The end result: third place for Togo, giving them the perfect
foundation to take on Ghana in the AFCON Qualifiers, before a breather until
the end of July. Spain
and Belgium played in the second to last match of Group C, with the winner
taking first place and gaining a home Quarter Final. It was clear Spain would
be the winner from the outset, with three goals in 50 minutes, largely thanks
to Canales, Rodri Hernández and Álvaro Morata. The latter then scored his
second in a near-whitewash of their European opponents, before Eden Hazard
managed to snag one goal back to save some face. The
battle for fifth was on as well, although Kenya needed to score four goals to
have any chance of catching Peru. However, Yordy Reyna found himself one-on-one
with the goalkeeper, and chipped the ball over to open the scoring. Two minutes
later, it was Juma, as in their last encounter, who leveled the score. After
the break, neither side could find the winning goal, until captain Victor
Wanyama attacked, won a corner, and then whilst defence looked elsewhere,
scored with his header to give the Kenyans a great way to complete their
tournament, even if they finished bottom of the group.
With
three games on three different continents, it was impossible to have all games
played at the same time. The first match, held in Pyongyang, would determine
slightly how other teams played out their final match. Chile needed to at least
draw in their away game against the North Koreans, but could not find a way to goal,
as the right back’s Sim Hyon-Jin’s goal proved the difference between the two
sides. That
meant that Poland was assured a spot in the Quarter Finals, and played
accordingly against the Czech Republic. Both sides had opportunities in the
first half, including shots that came off the woodwork. However, in the second
half, Jaukb Błaszczykowski found himself with miles of space, and ran in
towards goal and scored. Then, in the 82nd minute, Robert Gumny rose to meet a
perfect cross and nailed the header past the goalkeeper. The
Chile result, however, had an effect on the Costa Rica and Netherlands match.
The Costa Ricans, with three points adrift of the Dutch, knew a draw would be
enough to qualify. The home side sought a goal as often as they could, with the
Dutch defence holding out. However, towards the latter stages, Costa Rica
played for possession, denying the Netherlands any real time on the ball. The
match ended in a scoreless draw, and with that, any chance of a Netherlands
Quarter Final berth. Poland
will host Belgium in the Quarter Finals, whilst Costa Rica will traverse to
Spain. The
Men’s Nations League concluded for a
range of teams this week.
Scotland
hosted Bosnia in their final match, whilst Croatia flew to the Faroe Islands. The
Scots and Bosnia both had chances in the first half, but could not break the
deadlock. Then, in the second half, Stephen O’Donnell, being the last man in
defence, mistimed a challenge and the referee issued him a red card. Down to
ten players, the Scots countered against the run of play down the left wing,
and striker Callum Paterson headered sweetly into the net. At this point, the
home side should have altered their formation to fill the void left by O’Donnell.
Their failure to do so left Bosnia free to exploit the gap down the left wing,
allowing Goran Zakarić to come off the bench to header and hit the inside of
the post and into the goal. The Scots reshuffled, but in still adjusting to the
new defensive formation, could not stop a second Bosnia goal from Edin Džeko,
and the away team won decisively, especially after some steely defence in the
final moments of the match. All
eyes turned to the result between the Faroe Islands and Croatia, where the
Croats had an early lead, thanks to a turn into the goal from Ivan Rakitić
after the ball was parried straight to him. From there, a tight tussle in
midfield ensued, with both sides having opportunities to score, but unable to
pull the killer blow. Then, a second yellow card given to Andrej Kramarić
suggested a turn of the tide just as the Scotland-Bosnia match. The Faroe
Islanders hit the woodwork twice, before a miss by Heini Vatnsdal left Croatia
as one-nil winners, and a place in League B for the next installment. The Faroe
Islands, now reduced to League D, have fallen from their Round of 16 World Cup
status in a large way.
Malta
worked their way back into the contest against Georgia, who kept attacking
relentlessly. This was even after scoring first via Giorgi Kvilitaia. Malta
then responded with their only shot on goal for the first half through Matthew Guillaumier’s
header. Malta then sought to upset the order and had three opportunities late
in the game, but two were thwarted by the woodwork, before the game ended in a
one-all draw. That meant Northern Ireland also only needed a draw against North
Macedonia. It seemed like the North Irish would score early, especially when
they hit the post twice, including Kyle Lafferty’s shot in the 44th minute. The
second half turned around for the North Macedonians, as they took charge of the
game and attacked mostly down the left wing. This opened a chance in the middle
for Boban Nikolov, who dribbled around defenders and fired into the goal. Kire
Markovski then led onto a through ball from his fellow bench-starter Kirce
Ristevski and tapped the ball with his first touch beyond the keeper. Then, in
a surprise that saw North Macedonia overtake Northern Ireland on the ladder due
to goal difference, a third goal assisted by Markovski and taken by Stefan
Ristovski ensured the home side the win and an impeccable finish to their
Nations League campaign. Georgia, with the draw, is promoted to league B,
whilst Malta’s fall from 2014 World Cup winners rounds out with relegation to
League D.
Montenegro
needed an away win to have any hope of lifting to League C. They started well
against Moldova, who had only three points under their belt. With a little
pressure on the Moldovan defence, Stefan Mugoša managed a cracking goal after
Fatos Bećiraj helped him into a gap. However, the Moldovans attacked, and
immediately leveled with Ctlin Carp’s header. Then, Mugoša caught hold of a
poor keeping error and gave his side the lead again right on the stroke of half
time. The home team, in part, dominated the second half, but they could not
find a definitive way to goal, and Montenegro gained that crucial away victory.
However, San Marino showed how much they have progressed with two quick goals
in the first half against Estonia. Filippo Berardi scored first, attacking from
right midfield, before striker Matteo Vitaioli increased the lead. As halftime
approached, Estonia snagged one back from Henrik Ojamaa, but San Marino
continued to attack, hitting the crossbar right before the whistle for the break.
The home side kept up the attack, unable to find that third goal. Estonia did
have an opportunity to level late, but the header from Kuusk was off target,
and San Marino remained top of the group and into League C.
Luxembourg
played host to Andorra in Match Day 6, with a draw all that was needed for the
home side. The first half had zero shots at goal, but soon the home crowd
buoyed Luxembourg to attack in the second half, and eventually a goal came via
striker Turpel. That goal was enough for Luxembourg to take the full three
points and thus a place in League C. Iceland’s four-nil victory over Gibraltar
propelled them to second place behind Luxembourg, thanks largely to a brace
from Albert Gudmundsson.
Greece
rounded out their Nations League campaign also with a four-nil win, though it
was on Monaco’s home ground. That result paved the way for Azerbaijan to lift
off the bottom of the group. Goals were hard to come by until confusion in the
penalty box led to an awarded (and converted) penalty for Azerbaijan. From
there, they played for the one-nil win, and that is how it remained.
With
Liberia already relegated, the battle for first place between Burkina Faso and
Madagascar rounded out Group C1. Burkina Faso gained momentum of the match and
scored through Préjuce Nakoulma in the 28th minute. The visitors had two
chances in the second half to level, but a save from goalkeeper Kouakou Koffi
and a clearance on the line from the resulting corner kept the Burkina Faso
advantage. Then, two more goals in three minutes came the way of Nakoulma,
first a header from a corner, followed by a brilliant Aristide Bancé assist,
that ensured Burkina Faso top spot and a place in League B for the next
tournament.
Angola
and the Gambia fought out a scoreless draw, despite the home side having all
the momentum of the first half. The second half was a tighter affair with
Player of the Match Moudou Jobe saving seven times throughout the match, but
neither side could finish off their opponents. Both nations had to wait to see
the result in the other game to determine their place in the Nations League for
2020-21. The Angolans breathed sighs of relief on the sideline every time they
heard the Central African Republic side scored a goal. First it was Eloge
Enza-Yamissi who scored a brilliant header. Two more goals came in the first
half, thanks to Louis Mafouta and Thibaut Ban. The Congolese looked to wrestle
some form back after the break as the Central Africans eased off, but then the
home side pressured and scored twice more via Player of the Match Vianney
Madibé and Franklin Anzité, the latter who claimed a touch off Dylan
Mboumbouni’s shot. The five goals for the win were impeccable, and not only
kept the Central African Republic in League C, but they took second place
behind Angola. The Gambia will have to fight other League D nations in the hope
of returning to the third tier in four years’ time.
After
defeating Botswana by three goals, eSwatini needed to defeat top-placed Senegal
on away surface. It was not meant to be, for even a second-string Senegalese
side dominated from start to finish. Despite an early Keita Baldé goal, the
crossbar and some tight, feisty defence kept the score at one-nil. Then, Baldé
scored his second goal early after the break, all but assuring the result of
Senegal’s fifth win from six matches. The battle for second place was over by
halftime as Equatorial Guinea piled on five goals against a hapless Botswana,
who will need to improve in time for the African Cup of Nations and World Cup
Qualifiers before returning to the Nations League. Equatorial Guinea had four
different goal scorers, plus a Fortunate Thulare own goal that came from a pass
to an unaware Ezekiel Morake. eSwatini will have to battle in League D to
attempt to bounce back into the third tier, whereas Senegal are coming strong
in time for the aforementioned Qualifiers and a fight in League B.
Three
nations were in contention prior to Match Day 6, and Uganda and Mauritius both
battled for that first place. The first half was dominated in part by Uganda,
but only could solidify one shot on target out of seven. Finally, Godfrey
Walusimbi went on the attack from midfield, lost the ball and then regained it,
before slotting with his left low into the goal. Mauritius countered three
minutes later from a run by Adrien François, and it seemed the goal would lead
to a draw, which worked in the favour of Tanzania. Then Walusimbi stepped up in
the 82nd minute, went on another long run, outmaneuvering the Mauritian
defenders, and slotted again with his left boot to give Uganda a two-one win
and pole position to rise to League B. Tanzania scored twice against Zimbabwe
in the first half thanks to John Bocco and Saimon Msuva. Thinking they had the
momentum from their previous 6-1 win over Uganda, the Tanzanians kept
attacking, hoping to erase a goal difference deficit. However, the Zimbabweans
had an answer for every attack, and no more goals could be scored. Tanzania
thus slipped into second place, just behind Uganda, and will go into the African
Cup of Nations and World Cup Qualifiers full of confidence. Zimbabwe,
meanwhile, must rethink their tactics in the hope of defeating League D nations
and returning back to the African third tier.
Ethiopia
needed to win by two goals to lift off the bottom of Group D1, and it looked
that way when Shemeles Bekele scored in the first half. However, the South
Sudanese did not give the home side any time to set up plays with their
pressing defence. In fact, Jimmy Michael scored in the 68th minute, bringing
out the best in both sides as they fought for a second goal. That goal came
again from Bekele, tucking the ball into the top right corner. However, they
could not find a third, and thus South Sudan remained second thanks to goal
difference.
The
Comoros hosted Sierra Leone, and looked like gaining their first win for the
tournament after Ali M’Madi put them in front on the half hour mark. However,
Sierra Leone pressed constantly, and eventually snagged a goal through Foday
Kamara. A draw then seemed likely, Comoros’ fourth in the Nations League, only
for Sierra Leone’s Musa Kamara to deny them with an additional-time header, and
gain their third win. All eyes turned to the result between Djibouti and
Mozambique, where the Sierra Leoneans hoped for Djibouti to turn a halftime
deficit into a solid victory. However, Artur Faife’s first-half goal was the
only of the game, despite some late Djibouti charges. Mozambique, with their
fourth win, will take on the League C nations in the next installment.
With
all four sides in with a chance to progress to League B, it was Sao Tome and
Principe (hosting Somalia) that started with a bang. Two goals at halftime from
Joçy and Nay meant the three points would go their way. However, a second from
Joçy and then Zé, who rounded out Sao Tome’s fourth goal, meant the pressure
was firmly on Lesotho to bag a result away from home against Guinea-Bissau. Lesotho
did not start well, as by halftime the score was two-nil, largely due to
Manconi and Toni Silva. After the break, Khutlang Tumelo gave the away side a
boost of courage as he jumped on the ball after his first attempt on goal and
snagged one back. Not to be outdone, Guinea-Bissau’s Frédéric Mendy scored a
brilliant header, and it seemed the result was assured. Lesotho kept attacking,
scoring again to draw back to one goal thanks to Motebang Sera. They nearly had
an equaliser as the clock rounded to 90 minutes, but an offside denied them. That
loss placed Sao Tome on top of the table and into League C, whilst the others
will focus on the upcoming Qualifiers.
Three
teams able to progress to League C meant a tough final two games to round out
Match Day 6 in Group D4. The Seychelles started slowly against Eritrea, but
soon had two goals by halftime and one foot firmly on top spot. Then, against
the run of play, Samyoma Alexander scored for the Eritreans after a brilliant
pass from Henok Goitom. It was going to be a tight tussle for the final
twenty-five minutes, and it certainly was the case, until Jude Nancy slotted
the Seychelles third goal, and ensured the full three points. The attention
then shifted to the other game, where Mauritania flew to Burundi. All Burundi
needed to do was win by a margin within reach of the Seychelles’ result. Burundi
scored twice by the 17th minute, and took the foot off the pedal, content with
their goals from Saido Berahino and Player of the Match Pierre Kwizera (also
with two assists). However, the Mauritanians struck back via Abdoulaye Gaye
after Christophe Nduwarugira fouled and gave a penalty. As Diallo Guidileye
stepped up to take the penalty, the Burundian goalkeeper, Jonathan Nahimana,
stepped to his right, before diving left, the same way as the kick. Fortunately
for the away side, the resulting corner led to Gaye’s goal. To steady the ship,
the Burundian brought in at the last minute, Selemani Ndikumana, scored from
Cédric Amissi’s through ball. It appeared the events of the first half were
over but that could be further from the truth. El Hayen won a second penalty
after a yellow-carded Nahimana fouled him, which Guidileye cheekily slotted
straight down the centre. Then,
after the break, substitute Amadou Niass caught hold of a header straight after
coming off the bench and into the goal, leveling the match, and taking away
Burundi’s hopes. But, the home team, buoyed by the home crowd, gained back
momentum, and Ndikumana scored his second goal after a cutback from the right
wing, before Amissi scored a similar goal to end the game as 5-3 winners, and a
spot in next installment’s League C.
© 2019 Steve Clark |
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Added on June 3, 2019 Last Updated on June 3, 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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