June 3 to 9, 2019 Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. June 3 to 9, 2019
In
preparation for the Women’s Nations Cup, friendlies took place this week. USA v Jamaica (home) USA GS: #13 Morgan. USA GS: #17 Heath. The
Americans played their first friendly against Jamaica, who had lost in the
Playoffs to Trinidad and Tobago. A goal in each half was enough for the US to
gain the win, with plenty of attacks down the vulnerable left wing. Alex Morgan
received the ball in the 19th minute after Megan Rapinoe won the ball and set
her up for the first goal. However, the Americans showed signs of vulnerability
in defence, and had to scramble multiple times to ensure Jamaica did not score.
This brought about a substitute of Kelley O’Hara by the American coach. Tobin
Heath then headered home a corner in the 51st minute. Assured of victory, the
Americans kept attacking, but some wayward shots must be addressed before the
tournament begins, especially against the likes of Brazil. South Africa v Nigeria (home) RSA GS: #15 Jane. RSA GS: #12 Seoposenwe. In
Cape Town, South Africa set up a solid campaign with a 2-0 win over Nigeria.
The home side peppered down both wings as they sought a way to goal, but it was
midfielder Refiloe Jane who opened the scoring, as Nigeria covered the rest of
South Africa’s attacking players. From there, South Africa dominated
possession, testing different ways to work around the Nigerian defence.
Jermaine Seoposenwe was switched from left midfield to up front, and this led
to a low shot from Seoposenwe after she won the ball in a prime position.
Overall, South Africa played solidly, with Player of the Match Jane and Kholosa
Biyana ably holding the Nigerian midfielders in check. Argentina v Chile (home) CHL GS: #4 Lara ARG GS: #10 Banini ARG GS: #10 Banini Chile
had the upper hand in the midfield early, leading to a goal for Francisca Lara.
Another attempt by Yessenia Lopez nearly gave Chile their second as the Argentine
defence scrambled to stay in the contest, only for the Lopez shot to knick the
outside of the post. The next forty minutes became a tight contest between the
two sides, before Argentine captain Estefania Banini stepped up and scored not
only once with her right boot, but twice, giving the home side the win and a
helping of confidence leading into the Nations Cup. The key: switching
Bonsegundo to the right side of the field with Larroquette, the latter who had
a chance late to grab Argentina’s third goal. Brazil v Colombia (home) COL GS: #19 Ramírez BRA YC: #10 Marta BRA GS: #6 Tamires BRA GS: #7 Andressa Alves BRA GS: #8 Formiga BRA GS: #8 Formiga Brazil
started their pre-tournament friendlies with a comprehensive 4-1 win over
Colombia, largely thanks to a Formiga brace. It certainly did not look like
Brazil would score so highly in the first half, trialling a 4-2-2-2 formation,
but playing down both wings, which is counterintuitive to this formation. Just
before the break, Colombia netted a goal through Mayra Ramírez, leaving the
Brazilian home crowd slightly gob smacked. The second half, however, showed
Brazil’s true intent as they switched to a 4-2-3-1 with the two wide
midfielders playing extra wide. This spread the Colombian defence and
midfielder lines, which in turn opened gaps for left back Tamires to sneak
through and score from long range. The goals kept coming, first from Andressa
Alves, followed by the aforementioned Formiga brace. Brazil will now travel to
Europe to take on Denmark in a second friendly full of confidence from their
second half. South Korea v Japan (home) KOR GS: #9 Moon Mi-Ra JAP YC: #22 Shimizu KOR GS: #17 Lee Geum-Min South
Korea scored in the 12th and 52nd minutes, showing they love to score early in
the half to pronounce their dominance on the match. First to score was Player
of the Match Moon Mi-Ra, slicing the ball from just outside the box and into
the goal. Then in the second half, it was Lee Geum-Min who caught a Moon Mi-Ra
assist with her left boot and into the goal. Overall, the Koreans dominated
across the park, except in passing accuracy. This stands them in good stead for
their next opponent, Belgium, before the Nations Cup commences. Poland v Scotland (home) POL GS: #16 Grabowska POL GS: #10 Zawistowska SCO GS: #15 Howard POL GS: #8 Zdunek (sub) POL GS: #8 Zdunek (sub) POL GS: #7 Mesjasz POL GS: #9 Pajor Poland
proved why they are ranked second in the world after a comprehensive 6-1 win
over Scotland at home. Poland drove the attacks early, with two perfect Weronika
Zawistowska crosses hitting their targets, only for the shots to miss. Soon,
Ewa Pajor teamed up to assist Dominikia Grabowska for a brilliant left footer.
Soon, it was Zawistowska who got her name on the scoresheet after winning the
ball in a precarious position and shooting along the ground, out of the Scot
goalkeeper’s reach. Scotland wrestled one goal back before the half via a
thundering shot by Sophie Howard. However, Poland took complete control of the
second half, firstly with Emilia Zdunek’s double within minutes of coming on
the ground, followed by Małgorzata Mesjasz after being switched from down back
to the midfield. Finally, Pajor scored late to end the game with a Polish
hexagon, and they go into playing Switzerland in the next friendly with a great
chance to further fine-tune their attacking prowess. Switzerland v Norway (home) NOR GS: #10 C. Hansen SUI GS: #10 Bachmann SUI GS: #16 Gut SUI GS: #20 Dickenmann (sub) SUI GS: #7 Widmer NOR GS: #9 Herlovsen Switzerland’s
four goals were bookended by Norwegian netters as the home side prepared for the
Nations Cup. At the beginning, the Swiss looked vulnerable on the
counterattack, as Norway scored first through Caroline Hansen. However, just as
the half came to a close, Player of the Match Ramona Bachmann netted a
brilliant goal, and the two sides were level at the break. From there, the
Swiss attacked relentlessly, firstly with Malin Gut, before substitute Lara
Dickenmann stole the ball from goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth and punted into an
open goal. Switzerland’s fourth came from a cut back into the middle of the
park before shooting by Marilena Widmer, before Norway pipped one back through
Isabell Herlovsen. Switzerland will now look forward to the challenge of Poland
in their next friendly, where it is likely to be high scoring. Mexico v Canada (home) MEX YC: #2 K. Robles CAN GS: #6 Rose (sub) Canada
returned to their former winning ways after having not even progressed from the
group stages of Qualifiers for the Nations Cup with a 1-0 win over Mexico. It
was the Canadians who kept producing the closest chances, although the Mexicans
were not far behind. Canada needed a save from Stephanie Labbe’s right boot to
guide the ball away from goal from Kiana Palacios’s attempt. From the resulting
corner, Katty Martinez nearly placed in a header, onto to bounce off the top of
the bar and out. Allysha Chapman then nearly opened the scoring, but her shot
bumped the bottom of the post and the ball cleared by the defence. Shelina
Zadorsky then missed the goal with her head from the resulting corner. Canada
gained a free kick from a wayward Kenti Robles tackle. Mexico failed to clear
properly and substitute Deanne Rose slotted home the winner. Mexico’s
substitute Belen Cruz came close to leveling late, but her shot flew wide, and
Canada regained some modicum of respect. Mexico, meanwhile, will travel to
Austria for a second friendly. France v Sweden (home) FRA GS: #17 Thiney. FRA GS: #20 Cascarino. SWE GS: #22 Schough. FRA GS: #12 Laurent (sub). FRA GS: #12 Laurent (sub). France
defeated Sweden 4-1, with substitute Emelyne Laurent coming off the bench and
scoring twice. It was midfielder Gaëtane Thiney that opened the scoring, before
Delphine Cascarino needed two attempts to knock home France’s second. With
Eugénie Le Sommer switching between the left wing and up front, the Swedes
managed to keep her quiet, and thus she was subbed for Laurent, which proved to
be the difference in the latter stages, ending with another shot from Player of
the Match Cascarino hitting the bar, and Laurent using her head to place the ball
into the open goal. Olivia Schough was the only Swedish player to score as the
home side set up for a great Nations Cup campaign. Netherlands v Thailand (home) NED GS: #9 Miedema NED GS: #9 Miedema (pen) NED GS: #9 Miedema NED GS: #10 van de Donk NED GS: #21 Beerensteyn (sub) NED GS: #19 Roord NED GS: #11 Martens NED GS: #7 van de Sanden A
landslide took place in Amsterdam as the Netherlands rocked and romped against
Thailand. Two goals in the first half, both assisted in some way by Shanice van
de Sanden and scored by Vivianne Miedema, set up a solid second half. But no
one could have predicted the six second-half goals. First, Miedema finished off
her hat trick after receiving the ball from van de Sanden again and faking with
her right before changing to her left and easily into goal. Through balls
became the order of the menu as goals came from van de Donk, Beerensteyn,
Roord, Martens and finally from van de Sanden. The Netherlands have proven
their worth to be in the Nations Cup, and will continue to tweak their tactics
in their next friendly against Bosnia/Herzegovina on French soil. Bosnia/Herzegovina v Portugal (home) POR YC: #14 Dolores Silva POR GS: #18 Laura Luis Bosnia/Herzegovina
continued their journey to the Nations Cup with a 1-0 loss to Portugal on home
soil. Aida Hadžić had a chance early that smacked against the woodwork, whilst
Laura Luis should have scored in a one-on one contest against goalkeeper Dijana
Haračić, but the goalkeeper was up to the task. Straight after the break, Laura
Luis pounced on a Haračić save and slid the ball into the net, giving the
visitors the lead. Aldijana Sišić, substitute for Bosnia/Herzegovina, again
banged the ball against the woodwork as they tried to draw level, but the
Portuguese were too strong in the end. Italy v Germany (neutral) ITA GS: #10 Girelli GER GS: #13 Däbritz IT AGS: #11 Bonansea ITA RC: #3 Gama (pen on Huth) Italy
defeated Germany in a feisty friendly on French soil. The Italian scored early
through Christiana Girelli, in between German attacks that resulted in clearly
missed opportunities. Finally, Germany leveled in the 31st minute through
defensive midfielder Sara Däbritz. One more attempt from Alexandra Popp’s head
over the bar saw out the first half. Italy subbed off Valentina Bergamaschi
after receiving an injury in the first half, before the Italians went on the
attack and scored via the left boot of Barbara Bonansea. Germany looked to get
back in the game, and attacked down the left wing, targeting substitute Lisa
Boattin’s area. When Boattin ran forward to assist, Germany caught the ball and
moved forward into that area. Captain Sara Gama came across to combat the
charge, only to tackle Svenja Huth wildly, earning herself a surprising red
card and Germany a penalty. Lea Schüller stepped up to the spot, only to send
the ball straight into the hands of Laura Giuliani. From there, Italy switched
their formation to accommodate the red card and kept possession of the ball to
run out winners, and giving themselves a grand chance as preparation for the
Nations Cup. Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh for Germany was deemed best on field, thanks
to her assist for Däbritz’s goal and impeccable passing. Croatia v England (neutral) CRO GS: #17 Conjar CRO GS: #4 Balog CRO GS: #4 Balog Croatia
surprised England with a comprehensive 3-0 win over England. The semi finalists
from the last installment of the FIFA Women’s World Cup could not get into the
match as the Croatians scored twice in the first half from unknown Monika
Conjar and Leonarda Balog. The first was a glorious header in the 5th minute,
before a cutback found Balog free deep in the first half. Balog scored her
second late in the match to finish the match on a high, leaving the English,
who missed key opportunities with the second-string attackers, wondering if
they have the depth to go deep in the Nations Cup. Ukraine v Spain (neutral) UKR GS: #16 Ovdiychuk UKR YC: #3 Ivanishyn ESP GS: #8 Torrejón ESP GS: #19 Sampedro UKR GS: #7 Kalinina UKR GS: #16 Ovdiychuk ESP GS: #15 Meseguer UKR GS: #7 Kalinina ESP GS: #14 Torrecilla UKR GS: #4 Filenko (sub) Defence
went out the window as both the Ukraine and Spain played a shootout fest, with
nine goals scored across the match. Both nations were in the lead, only for the
opposition to wrestle back momentum. The Ukrainians scored first via one of
three headers from corners, two of which came from striker Olha Ovdiychuk. The
Spaniards gained back the lead through Marta Torrejón and Amanda Sampedro, only
to lose it by halftime when Yana Kalinina and that second Ovdiychuk header
found the back of the net. Sampedro
was unfortunately injured as she attacked the ball deep in the box, and will
miss the next friendlies and possibly the first Nations Cup game. From there,
the teams went goal for goal, as Silvia Meseguer scored for the Spanish, then
Kalinina gained her second. Virginia Torrecilla then pounced on an opportunity
to level the game, only for the defence to be found wanting, and substitute
Anastasia Filenko bagged the winner for the Ukrainians. Spain
is defensively vulnerable at every corner, and have to revisit their marking
prior to the next match. The Ukrainians return home to play against Chile. New Zealand v North Korea (home) Goalkeeper
Choe Kyong-im was the Player of the Match as she made three crucial saves,
amongst others, in both halves to deny New Zealand any goals. The home side
peppered the box from the outset, and Choe was easily up to the difficult task
of keeping the ball at bay. Helped by the woodwork, including a bang against
the bar from a Rosie White free kick and a shot that nicked the outside of the
post from Katie Duncan’s shot, the North Koreans held on for a draw. New
Zealand, though disappointed in not managing a goal from 10 shots on target,
will go into their second friendly against Sweden knowing they have the ability
to work deep in the attacking third. They must, however, improve their shooting
against the Swedes before their first Nations Cup game against Spain. On
Sunday, more friendlies were played in preparation for the Nations Cup. Italy v Norway (home) ITA GS: #13 Bartoli (sub) ITA GS: #4 Galli Italy
continued their winning ways after defeating Germany on French soil to return
home and score twice against Norway. Offsides were the dominant statistic for
much of the game, even without the Italian captain, Sara Gama, who had to sit
out due to her red card against Germany. Her replacement, Linda Cimini, was the
best afield in the first half as she commanded the Italian back four against
multiple Norwegian advances. The best chance of the first half, though, went to
Italy’s Ilaria Mauro, who hit the crossbar with a powerful strike. It
took until the 80th minute for the first goal, as substitute Elisa Bartoli
caught hold of the ball from long range and scored. Bartoli and Aurora Galli
kept trading places in midfield/defence, confusing the Norwegian players, which
led to Galli’s goal, and Italy the win. Italy
next take on Thailand, again at home, before flying to France to open their
campaign against the Netherlands. England v Australia (home) ENG GS: #11 Duggan ENG GS: #4 Walsh ENG GS: #11 Duggan ENG GS: #11 Duggan AUS GS: #20 Kerr ENG GS: #10 Kirby ENG GS: #9 Taylor England
started with what looks likely to be their best eleven, after a dismal loss to
Croatia earlier in the week. They put that to rest with two goals inside the
first nine minutes against Australia, helped by being back at Wembley. First
Toni Duggan scored with her head, and Keira Walsh followed suit. After the
break, the English mounted constant attacks. Four more goals came their way,
with only a consolation goal for Sam Kerr and the Aussies. Duggan rounded out
her hat trick soon after half time, before Fran Kirby and Jodie Taylor joined
the scoring party and finished with a 6-1 drubbing of the Matildas. England
will again play Wales on home soil, before their opening encounter with France. Croatia v Scotland (home) CRO GS: #6 Horvat Croatia
kept the same lineup as their previous drubbing of England. After Mihaela
Horvat’s goal in the 11th minute, the Croatians eased off and only attacked in
pockets throughout the match. Maja Joščak had the best chance in the first half
aside from the goal, but her volley slipped wide of the post. Then substitute
Kristina Šundov could have scored Croatia’s second at the death, but the
crossbar had other ideas. Overall, it was a solid Croat performance, and they
will now face Vietnam before their first Nations Cup match against South
Africa. Spain v Sweden (home) ESP GS: #10 Hermoso ESP YC: #10 Hermoso ESP GS: #6 Losada Spain
played a much safer game against Sweden compared to their high-scoring efforts
against the Ukraine earlier in the week. Jennifer Hermoso scored in the 32nd
minute, using a brilliant run to get behind the Swedish defenders before
slotting the ball into the net. Mariona Caldentey then had multiple chances in
the second half to grab a second goal, only to hit the crossbar twice and miss
wide of the post with another. The Swedish attackers then came into play to
grab an equaliser, only for all three of Stina Blackstenius, Nathalie Björn and
Eva Sofia Jakobsson to miss the mark when shooting for goal. Vicky Losada then
headered from a corner late in the match to help the Spaniards gain a 2-0 win.
They next face Finland in readiness for their first Nations Cup match against
New Zealand. Ukraine v Chile (home) UKR GS: #7 Kalinina UKR GS: (og) #2 Soto UKR GS: #7 Kalinina The
Ukraine kept up their attacking style with three first-half goals against Chile
at home. Yana Kalinina opened the scoring with a shot on goal taking the
tiniest of deflections and into the gap between the goalkeeper and the post.
Veronika Andrukhiv then ran clear of the defenders and chipped the ball towards
the goal, out of the keeper’s reach. As Rocio Soto raced back to attempt some
clearance, the ball rebounded off the post and into her body, before trickling
behind the goal line. Then on the stroke of half time, Kalinina used her head
from a corner, and the result was effectively in the hands of the Ukrainians.
The second half was a tighter tussle, partially because the Ukrainians only
attacked in patches, but the game still ended three-nil, and Ukraine proved
once again they might go deep into the Nations Cup with that style. Germany v Canada (home) GER GS: #15 Gwinn CAN GS: #16 Beckie GER GS: #10 Maroszán GER GS: #11 Popp GER GS: #5 Hegering Germany
bounced back from their loss to Italy by defeating Canada 4-1. Four different
goal scorers serve them well in their preparations, with youngster Giulia Gwinn
opening the scoring. A Janine Beckie leveler in the 10th minute did not phase
the Germans, as seven minutes later they had the lead again thanks to a low
shot from Dzsenifer Marozsán. Alexandra Popp then popped up, stealing the ball
before shooting along the ground, narrowing avoiding the bodies of keeper and
defender. Before the break arrived, Marina Hegering slammed home Germany’s
fourth, and a brilliant lead. Then, like the Ukraine, the home side eased off,
still attacking but not concerned if the result remained the same, which it did.
Germany
now host a Japanese side, who, like the Canadians, are livid for not qualifying
for the Nations Cup. Germany’s first match in the tournament is against
Argentina in two weeks’ time. France v Portugal (home) FRA GS: #20 Cascarino FRA GS: #6 Henry POR GS: #7 Cláudia Neto FRA GS: #13 Gauvin (sub) France
switched their starting eleven and formation as they faced Portugal at home.
The change paid off as they scored three goals to one, with two in the first
half from Delphine Cascarino and Amandine Henry. In the second half, the
Portuguese clawed back a goal from Cláudia Neto, only to see their chance to
level go wayward. Late in the match, Valérie Gauvin finished a killer shot to
give France solid momentum in the lead up to the Nations Cup. Russia v USA (away) RUS GS: #22 Korovkina USA GS: #13 Morgan USA GS: #13 Morgan RUS GS: #22 Korovkina USA GS: #15 Rapinoe USA GS: #17 Heath USA GS: #3 Mewis The
United States started with the same line up as the previous friendly. However,
it was Russia who scored first via Nellie Korovkina. The Americans soon responded
with two from Alex Morgan, and then her teammates made a blunder down back, and
Korovkina scored. That was the last time Russia felt a part of the match, as
just before the break, Megan Rapinoe sent a long range shot into the netting,
whilst Tobin Heath finished off an easy tap in straight afterwards. The US kept
advancing, and in the 62nd minute, gained their fifth goal as Sam Mewis sent a
low shot beyond the keeper. Heath had three more chances, all solid headers,
but was unable to get her second goal as the score ended 5-2 in favour of the
away team. Turkey v South Africa (away) RSA GS: #8 Fulutudilu RSA GS: #8 Fulutudilu South
Africa switched their front a little to test a different combination. It paid
off selecting Ode Fulutudilu, as she scored in both halves. Her first was a
brilliant left-footer into the top left hand corner, whilst the second was a
volley from an Amanda Mthandi cross. Turkey had chances throughout the match,
but each shot flew wide of the mark. South Africa now take on Jordan in their
final friendly before taking on the in-form Croatia. Qualifiers for the Men’s Asian Cup continued this week. Eldor
Shomurodov’s hat trick was central to Uzbekistan’s 5-1 win over Yemen, gaining
the achievement right after halftime, making the score 3-1 after Yemeni
midfielder Wahid Al Khyat found the goalkeeper, Sanjar Kuvvatov, out of
position and easily slotted a goal. The Uzbeks, however, dominated the second
half and piled on two more goals from Khamrobekov and Alibaev to continue their
winning ways in Group A. Turkmenistan managed their first point, drawing at
home to Oman. It was the away team that slotted first via Jameel Al Yahmadi and
the inside of the post. Five minutes later, Resul Hojaýew placed the ball
perfectly from long range into the right hand side of the goal, beyond the
reach of Faiyz Al Rashidi. Neither side could find the punishing blow to win
the game. The tie kept Oman in second place behind Uzbekistan. Thailand
scored early via Adisak Kraisorn to set up a 1-0 win when visiting Nepal. The
home side could not find an appropriate path to goal despite having multiple
opportunities to penetrate beyond the Thai defence. In the end, the solitary
goal was the difference. One goal also separated a second-string Japan side
from Jordan, despite the former dominating the entire game. That goal came from
Shinji Kagawa in the 57th minute, and from there Japan played for the win. In
Group C, Qatar played too defensively in their away draw against Cambodia.
Cambodia had the best opportunity to score, but the ball banged against the
crossbar. The Qatari defender, Bassam Al Rawi was deemed Player of the Match
thanks largely to his passing and attacking dribbles forward from defence.
Tajikistan’s goalkeeper, Shokhrukh Kirgizboev, was the hero of the game as he
made two crucial last-minute saves to deny China their first win. The other
hero earlier was Muhsindzhon Abdugaffor, who netted against the odds. It took
until the 81st minute for an under-strength China to equalise through Gao Lin,
before the last attempts nearly gave China the three points, only to fall short
of the mark. Palestine
gained their first win by scoring twice against the East Timorese. Midfielder Mohammed
Darweesh scored both as Palestine seek to not only rise in the rankings, but
more importantly capitalise on qualifying for the Asian Cup. All they must do
is stay above East Timor in their group and they are guaranteed a place. Poor
Macau defence gave two easy goals to Afghanistan’s Noor Husin as the away side
collected crucial points. Husin fired his first in the 10th minute beyond the
goalkeeper, setting up a likely easy victory. However, seven minutes later, Ho
Ka Seng equalised, much to the delight of the fans. It took until the end of
the first half for Afghanistan to correct the scoreline, again scoring via
Husin, but from a wider angle this time. The second half saw Macau work hard to
draw level again, but could not find the finishing blow, and Afghanistan gained
an important advantage over the Philippines, who had only drawn away to Macau
previously. That advantage was almost negated when the Philippines gained an
early second-half lead against Vietnam in Hanoi, after the Vietnamese had
dominated the first half across the field. Patrick Reichelt won a header from a
Daisuke Sato cross and slotted it into the net. It took Phan Văn Đức’s
brilliant right boot to level the scores, before Player of the Match Bùi Tiến
Dũng bumped home the winner, and Vietnam equal 1st in the group with
Afghanistan. Group
F’s Kuwait managed their first win, away against Singapore. Bader Al Motawaa
scored the only goal for the match. This result will help counter their earlier
loss at home to Malaysia. Singapore, meanwhile, remain without a point after
three games, and their chance of qualifying is slipping away. At the other end,
their neighbours Malaysia are three from three with a solid win over Taiwan. A
tight game lasted 55 minutes before Norshahrul Idlan Talaha caught the
Taiwanese defence on a counterattack and slotted home a grand goal. Within the
last ten minutes, Akram Mahinan sidestepped the defence and plotted a long
range shot out of reach of the goalkeeper. Then substitute Kumaahran Sathasivam
found himself leading onto the ball beyond the defenders, and slotted home.
This happened twice more, only for Sathasivam to hit the woodwork both times.
Still, 3-0 was more than enough for Malaysia to boost their chance of
qualifying for the Asian Cup, and if they defeat Kuwait at home in the next
match, they are guaranteed that position in the UAE. The
UAE hit the midpoint of qualification with a 3-0 victory against Lebanon. Two
of their goals came from headers after goalkeeper Mehdi Khalil parried away
earlier shots. First it was Khalfan Mubarak, who had scored in their previous
match against Sri Lanka. Then, Ali Mabkhout dabbed the ball over an advancing
Khalil to double the lead. Mabkhout scored a brace with his head right at the
death to cap off a near-perfect performance. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka figured
attack was the best form of defence, and with their constant peppered advances,
showed signs of vulnerability in the Australian structure. This culminated in a
goal for Sri Lanka from Danushka Rajapaksha, who had been brought on early in
the match due to an injury. He chipped the ball over Maty Ryan, giving the home
crowd an immense celebration. However, Australia found a way to goal in the
dying seconds via substitute Mustafa Amini, and gained a crucial away point. Myanmar
gained their first win for the Qualifiers with a solitary goal from substitute
Nyein Chan against Mongolia. The Myanmar players dominated across the park, but
did not gain a goal until the 70th minute, when Nyein Chan chipped goalkeeper
Amarbayasgalan Saikhanchuluun. Meanwhile in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia visited
Jakarta and scrounged out a scoreless draw with a second-string side. Player of
the Match, Hansamu Pranata, defended well against any Saudi advances with
timely tackles, but also started a range of Indonesian attacks through
dribbling forward. Saudi Arabia, with one win and two draws, sit one point
ahead of Indonesia and Myanmar, with Mongolia one point further back. In
Seoul, the South Koreans slotted four goals beyond the Brunei goalkeeper to
gain their second win in the group. The scoring started Kim Moon-Hwan netted
either side of the break, before Kwon Chang-Hoon also scored a brace after
coming off the bench. Group
I’s Bangladesh travelled to Bhutan and scored twice via Mohammad Ziban and
Mohammad Ibrahim to see off a home side intent on playing end-to-end football.
Ziban’s goal came in the 21st minute, where the Bangladeshi side made the most
of the advances down the left wing. Bhutan attempted to level the playing field
and the scoreboard, but wayward shots and some brilliant Ashraful Rana saves
helped keep Bangladesh ahead. Ibrahim’s goal as a substitute capped off that end-to-end
play late in the game, with the goal coming in additional time. Syria’s defence
looked to be holding out against Hong Kong attacks after Mohammed Osman scored
for the visitors in the 39th minute. However, the pressure became too much, particularly
when Oluwatayo Akande Alexander stole the ball off a defender and snagged the
equaliser. Sensing a power of momentum, Hong Kong kept attacking, and a cross
into Leung Chun Pong’s head saw the ball sail out of the goalkeeper’s reach and
into the net for the winner. Hong Kong are currently first in their group, but already
having played three home games, as opposed to second-placed Bangladesh with
three home games remaining in the Qualifiers. The group is set to shake about
before the end. In
Group J, Guam played their first home Asian Cup Qualifier, hosting India. India
had the better chance in the first half, only for Ashique Kuruniyan to bump the
ball into the post. Guam then had a chance in the second half, but should have
shot for goal instead of passing around. The Indian defence held firm against a
flurry of Guam attacks at the end, and the nil-all scoreline was an accurate
result for both sides. A one-nil scoreline at halftime indicated more how well
the Maldives defence were holding up against a relentless Iranian attack. Omad
Ebrahimi was the only scorer in the first half. In the second, the game finally
opened up as Ashkan Dejagah scored twice, first with a cutback pass and a shot
through a defender’s legs, before winding up the left boot to pump the ball
into the net. Morteza Pouraliganji then finished off a pinball-like moment in
the box to make it four goals for Iran and three wins from three matches. The
Maldives still hold onto second place with their four points, but a heavy loss
like this is set to impact their momentum into the second half of the
Qualifiers. In
Group K, Laos surprised Iraq as they were level with a goal each at halftime.
What shocked the visitors was Laos’ second goal, a winner from Vanna
Bounlovongsa after a comedy of shots, errors and taps out of the goalkeeper’s
hands, before Bounlovongsa found himself with no one around right in front of
goal. Iraq tried to level the scores again, but Laos ran out 2-1 winners, and
well placed on the table. The same scorecard befell North Korea and Kyrgyzstan,
with the home side clear on their tactics early. Two attacks down the left
wing, followed by a cross, found Han Kwang-Song both times. The first attempt
was a header that hit the bar, but the second was an expert volley to the side
of the goalkeeper. However, the Kyrgyzstanis responded when Vitalij Lux found
himself free, and nicked the ball beyond the advancing keeper. North Korea’s
second goal came from a corner; this time Ri Un-Chol’s header hit the mark.
From there, the North Koreans fought for more goals, but their second goal was
enough as they gained their first win for the Qualifiers. In
the African Cup of Nations Qualifiers,
Tanzania bounced back from their three-nil loss against Algeria to defeat
Malawi by a solid five goals. Each goal came by way of a cross or corner, where
the Tanzanians stretched the Malawian defence and found gaps as a result to
penetrate the goals. John’s Bocco’s brace was the pick of the goals, however, it
was the cross to Saimon Msuva, who headered inboard to Meanwhile,
in Benin, the home side through Séïbou Mama stole the ball in the first minute
off the Algerians and slotted home a pearl of a goal. With that lead, Benin
dominated the first half, and had plenty of opportunities to score a second,
even though it was clear they were not attacking as relentlessly as they could
have. That momentum brought about a second goal after the break from Jordan
Adéoti after Steve Mounié worked to the byline and chipped the ball to Adéoti,
who headered into the goal. Algeria grabbed a goal back and set the final half
hour up for a closer finish, but the Benin side held on for the win and top spot
in the group after two matches. In
Group E, Namibia’s chances of qualifying are slim, considering this time a year
ago their rivals Guinea, Ghana and Togo were all in the World Cup. So any
chance to steal points off these nations is the aim of the Namibians. Both
Namibia and Guinea had chances to score in their match, only to not capitalise
on them. As the game neared its conclusion, it was clear the home team was
content with a scoreless draw, and that is the way it remained. A tight game
ensued as 24th ranked Ghana crossed the border to 22nd ranked Togo, and the
game showed how close they both are as rivals. The Togolese defence were caught
ball watching early as the Ghanaians found Mubarak Wakaso alone cutting in from
out wide, and he easily slotted a goal. Togo then worked back into the game,
leading to Emmanuel Adebayor’s header after an initial save by Richard Ofori.
Both sides had chances in the second half, but it was the defensive blocks that
denied a series of shots to filter through to the goalkeepers. Group
F’s Comoros and Niger match saw zero out of seven shots on target, as the home
side dominated possession, but could not work it to a prominent position in the
18-yard box. The opposite was the case between Chad and Cape Verde. Chad
striker Mahamat Labbo chipped an out-of-place Vózinha to open the scoring. The
visitors pegged one back in the 33rd minute via Ryan Mendes. However, Chad had
the upper hand for the majority of the game, and home ground advantage slowly
played its part as substitute Karl Barthelemy showed his teammates how to
header with precision into the goal, and gave Chad their first points in the
group. In
Group G, the Seychelles scored in the 90th minute via Daniel Maillet left
footer to wrestle a point for the home side, after Mauritania’s Adama Bâ scored
in the depths of the first half. Botswana tried to equalise in the same manner
against Tunisia, only they were unable to do so. Wahbi Khazri’s goal was the
only one for the match as Tunisia made it two wins from two games. Group
H saw Libya play their first home game against Lesotho. The closest
opportunities to score in the first half was a Lesotho counter attack hitting
the outside of the crossbar and an Ismael Tajouri-Shradi header that Sam
Kh'etsekile managed to save. Libya then dominated long periods of the second
half, largely thanks to Ahmad Benali’s goal in the 50th minute, followed up by
Sand Msoud’s low shot beyond Kh’etsekile’s dive. The match ended two-nil,
whereas in the other match, Sao Tome and Principe held out for a scoreless
against the Kenyans, who are yet to win a match in the Qualifiers. The first
half produced no shots on target, and only one in the second half by Masoud
Juma. Victor Wanyama tried valiantly in midfield as Player of the Match, but
the Kenyans could not find an effective path to goal. For
Group I, Mauritius hosted Cameroon, and after the break, snuck home a goal via
Christopher Hypolite after a series of shots and saves finally fell to the
midfielder, and he eased the ball into goal. However, Cameroon responded
quickly with two goals in much the same fashion, where shots off the crossbar
put the Mauritian goalkeeper out of play, as first Christian Bassogog and (three
minutes later) Arnaud Djoum were first to the rebound and powered the ball into
the open goal. Cameroon finished with their second win from two games, and will
look to take on Rwanda in the World Cup Qualifiers next week. Senegal,
meanwhile, looked shaky in the first half hosting Burundi, with only one shot
on target. However, that changed in the second half with Sada Thioub’s
51st-minute goal. Papa Cissé was then brought into right midfield, and
immediately had an impact by scoring a cracking goal. Then, substitute Salif
Sané pocketed Senegal’s third goal, securing their first win for the
Qualifiers. South
Sudan bounced back from a six-nil drubbing against South Africa to defeat
Equatorial Guinea. The South Sudanese enjoyed the better chances in the first
half, and this culminated in a goal for Khamis Uso, followed by a second goal
to Wurube Lopidia. South Sudan stepped down a few gears, content with their
lead. That allowed Equatorial Guinea to increase their shots on target, and
eventually Nico Kata scored into an open goal after Khamis Daniel initially
closed down a shot from Pedro Obiang. Nico Kata then had a chance to level at
the death, but his header from the corner missed the mark, and South Sudan
pulled their first win for the Qualifiers. South Africa gained their second win
after creating goal-scoring opportunities across the match against the
Ugandans. That culminated in a goal for Innocent Maela, a brilliant header at
the back post. Eritrea
stunned Guinea-Bissau after the away side looked likely to gain at least a
point, if not the full three. Eritrea scored first via left back Filmon
Abreham, before a corner could not be cleared by Eritrean goalkeeper Minasie
Solomon, instead bouncing off his fist the wrong way and into the goal.
Guinea-Bissau kept attacking, but could not find the finishing blow. Instead,
the Eritreans went on the charge. Yohannes Hadish first scored twice, and then
substitute Sirak Beyene capped off a brilliant victory for the East Africans. The
two likely teams to progress from Group K battled it out in Rabat, where
Morocco gained the first goal via Zakaria Hadraf, before Ali Ghazal came off
the bench for the Egyptians and leveled. Both goals were headers off corners,
something both sides will be content with. Group
L came together as Mali hosted the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two first half
goals from Moussa Doumbia and Mamadou Fofana set up the win, as Mali then sat
back and played for the two-nil win, which they ably achieved. Mozambique
grabbed an early away goal via Artur Faife against the Central African Republic
and also played for the win from there. Their best friend in defence was the
woodwork as the home side hit it multiple times, but was unable to find a goal
on this day and thus losing to the Mozambicans. In
the CONMEBOL Qualifiers, Brazil
started with the same eleven they used against Egypt in the Invitational Cup.
However, it was clear to see that nine goals would not be on the cards, since
Dominica had a far better defensive structure and willpower to thrive against
the best. Still, Brazil were able to find a way to goal through Casemiro,
before the second half saw Firmino and then substitute David Neres slot home
winners to give Brazil another win. Three goals in the second half came the way
of St Vincent and the Grenadines against Curaçao, though the end result did not
look likely after a lacklustre first thirty minutes from the home side.
Cornelius Stewart finally broke the deadlock with his Player of the Match
performance. This was followed by goals from Diel Spring and Mark Browne as St
Vincent pulled an easy win in the end. Cuba
needed a win to help their campaign, and it came against Puerto Rico in Havana.
The Puerto Ricans were first to score after Sandy Sanchez gifted Hector Ramos
the ball with no one between him and the goal. Though Cuba had the upper hand
around the field, being one goal down propelled their vitality, and Daniel Sáez
gained a free kick and slotted it into the net. From there, neither side could
manage a goal to take the lead, but everyone could sense the Cubans were more likely
to score. Roberney Caballero stepped up and shot low beyond the keeper’s reach.
The ball hit the inside of the post and spun beyond the goal line. For the
remaining 23 minutes, the Cubans hung on to a victory much needed and much
deserved. A hat trick for Salomon Rondón helped Venezuela when they visited the
Bahamas. Two goals started the dominance either side of the break, with the
first a header into a gap between the keeper and the post, and the second a
slide into goal after a defender/keeper blunder. Straight away the Bahamans
responded through Christopher Larson with great teamplay and passing getting
the ball to the midfielder before he chipped over the keeper and into goal.
However, Rondón had one more say, winning a penalty and slotting the spot kick
to the right. The
Turks and Caicos Islanders managed a scoreless draw at home against Haiti,
which is Haiti’s third draw for the Qualifiers. Markenly Amilcar had the best
chance at the death to win, only for Johny Placide to stretch to his limit and
save the header. The
first two goals in the game between Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia came from
goalkeeping blunders, as both passed the ball straight to Khaleem Hyland and
Cassius Joseph respectively with an open goal in front of them. From there,
tight defence kept the score tied, though the Trinidadian attempts increased as
the game progressed. Working mainly down the right wing, Nathan Lewis worked
tirelessly until he simply ran out of juice. As soon as he was subbed, Hyland
pushed down that same wing, finding a weary defence, and found space behind
them, before crossing into substitute Duane Muckette, whose header found the
back of the net. Breathing sighs of relief, the home team played out the match
and came away with the full three points, though St Lucia is improving and are
an outside chance to contend for CONMEBOL qualification. Two
2018 World Cup sides faced each other as Guatemala hosted the Ecuadorians. The
first eight minutes were full of drama as first Ecuador won a penalty, from which
Carlos Garcés was injured and had to leave the field. Jefferson Intriago
stepped up for the spot kick, only to sail the ball way over the crossbar.
Guatemala countered, and soon Jorge Vargas had responded with a goal, giving
the home side the lead. That lead doubled when Rodrigo Saravia pumped from the
edge of the box with his left foot beyond the reach of a diving Alexander
Domínguez, finishing off a grand game for the Guatemalans, joining Ecuador on
two wins for the qualifications thus far. In an unusual juxtaposition, Canada
and Suriname face each other twice more across two different competition
qualifiers. Firstly, Suriname hosted Canada, with both teams having chances,
but unable to score. As the tight affair came to the final ten minutes, Demetrie
Apai worked down the left wing and powered a flat cross straight the head of Gilberto
Cronie, who only needed to place his head at the right angle, and the ball flew
into the net. The home side held on for the win, which gifted Canada with their
third loss for the Qualifiers. The next match between these two, next week, is
for a progression in World Cup Qualifiers, after Suriname went down at home
against Canada 3-4. Canada must bounce back from the disappointment of this
week’s game, and ensure the advantage they gained in the first leg is upheld at
home. Nicaragua
gained a crucial away victory over Belize as they scored early through Jorge
Betancur’s header. Belize had plenty of opportunities to equalise, only to see
the game slip away as the second half drew to a close. Manuel Ruidíaz scored
first in the 33rd minute for Peru against El Salvador, and dominated the rest
of the first half, nearly scoring a second goal. Then, straight after the
break, Marvin Monterroza sent a long-range shot along the grass. It managed to
remain out of reach of a diving Pedro Gallese and trickled into goal. From
there, both sought the winning goal, but neither side could pop the ball into
the net, and instead shared a point each. Peru sits two points in front of El
Salvador, and Nicaragua are another point behind them on four points.
© 2019 Steve Clark |
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Added on June 10, 2019 Last Updated on June 10, 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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