February 3 to 23, 2020 (Physico Champs and Oceanian Cup Qualifiers)A Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020. February 3 to 23, 2020 (Physico Champs and Oceanian Cup Qualifiers)Physico Championships Pressure mounted for the final 32 nations to make the last 16, with three games to go in the Physico Championships.
Group A In Group A, England fielded a vastly different side in the hopes of gaining some experience for young and second-tier players prior to the Euro 2020. Similarly, the Ukraine altered their side from December in the hopes of preparing a younger side for Euro 2020. Neither side could gain the advantage in the first half as the match was played mostly in the middle of the park. While the Ukrainians had the better of possession, England had the better chances on goal. Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho could have had a goal each, only to fail at the final hurdle. As for Ruslan Malinovskyi, he had a chance go begging for the Ukraine. In the second half, England caught the hosts off guard and countered, resulting in a quality goal from Mason Mount. However, the Ukraine remained defiant and had chances to equalise, including a post-hitter from Júnior Moraes. In the next passage of play, Malinovskyi walked through the English defence and levelled the match with a low shot. From there, neither side could find the winning goal, and the game ended 1-1.
Both Greece and France adjusted their formations and players in the hope of gaining the lead in the group. Greece had the ball down their attacking half early, only for France to counter. The Greek defenders were drawn to the left-hand side, leaving Moussa Sissoko alone in the box and he easily pocketed the opening goal. Four minutes later, Raphaël Varane scored off a corner to double the lead. Greece’s attacking midfielder Anastasios Bakasetas brought back a goal with a curling left footer. After the break, while Greece had more of the ball, France were content to sit back and wait for the counterattack. Bakasetas had the best chance of the second half, only for Hugo Lloris to make a double save to gift France the three away points.
The Ukraine kept their same line-up while Greece made two changes at right and left midfield respectively. Petros Mantalos, the change at right midfield, opened the scoring for the Greeks after a poor Ukrainian clearance. However, from that moment on, the Ukraine dominated the match, thanks to Taras Stepanenko’s header out of reach of the Greek goalkeeper. Júnior Moraes helped take the lead in the 27th minute with his left boot. Viktor Tsygankov then made it three goals for the Ukraine on the hour mark with a brilliant play from a throw-in. The Ukraine could have had a fourth goal, but were content with the 3-1 victory, their first win of the tournament.
France made one change in midfield for their fifth match, bringing in Anthony Martial, while England brought Raheem Sterling back into the side. Harry Kane looked good early with setting up his teammates for shots on target (Sterling and Declan Rice). England dominated the first half, though they could not get close to goal. After the break, both sides should have scored, only for goalkeepers and defence to have the upper hand. England produced their fourth draw out of five, still giving the Ukraine and Greece a sniff at progressing to the Round of 16.
France faced off against the Ukraine, with both sides needing a win. The Ukraine made one change only in defence, while France made sure Martial was in their starting eleven. The midfielder set up Antoine Griezmann with a brilliant through ball in the second minute, and the striker made no mistake. Olivier Giroud then crossed twice to Paul Pogba, who missed both times with his header. In the second half, as France ramped up the pressure, Griezmann left the field with an injury and Kylian Mbappé took over the striker’s mantle. The Frenchman ensured the ball ruffled the net when he reached a chipped pass first. The Ukraine pegged back a goal via Ruslan Malinovskyi, only for Mbappé to gain France’s third goal and ensure the three points were safely theirs.
England played away to Greece at the same time, knowing that a draw would be enough to take second place, as they had a far better goal difference to the Ukraine. Both sides made a couple of changes from their previous match. Greece scored in the sixteenth minute via Dimitris Kourmpelis and suddenly, Greece knew one more goal would help them reach second place, provided the Ukraine did not win. They attacked and attacked, while England held firm in defence. England’s best chance came from Declan Rice, who hit the woodwork. Sterling also had a chance go begging in the 64th minute, saved adequately by the Greek goalkeeper. In the end, Greece gained the three points necessary, but not enough goals to cut the goal difference in their favour.
Greece will meet England again in Euro 2020, as well as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Portugal. The Ukraine face Serbia, Belgium and Italy in the same tournament.
Group B Group B saw Algeria add attacking prowess to their side in the hope of gaining their first points off the Czech Republic. A draw or loss would see them have little to no chance of advancing to the Round of 16. The Czechs had that idea in mind as Lukáš Masopust sent the goalkeeping rebound into the back of the net in the eighth minute. Algeria worked back into the match, and for the rest of the half both sides had opportunities. Finally, right before the break, Andy Delort finished off a great team goal for Algeria, giving hope for a win. In the second half, Algeria had most of the momentum but were unable to grant a second goal, and the match ended 1-1.
Ireland doubled down on their defence, even though they had a 4-3-3 formation, while the Dutch brought in Tim Krul as goalkeeper. The Netherlands started well with headers from corners from their defenders. Then, in the 34th minute, Georginio Wijnaldum stole the ball off an Irish defender as he was retreating and easily opened the scoring. The Dutch continued to attack, though it took until just after the hour mark for a second goal to arrive, this time from Memphis Depay. From there, the hosts played for the 2-0 victory and the lead in Group B.
For the fifth match day, Ireland made changes up front and along the left side of their formation, while the Czech Republic made two alterations in attack. Their regular central attacking midfielder, Vladimír Darida, opened the scoring in the second minute. Ireland responded two minutes later via Conor Hourihane, even though the Czech goalkeeper got purchase on the ball. The game did not slow down by much as Darida scored his second goal, even though the Irish goalkeeper thought he had stopped the shot. From there, the Czechs had control of the match. A Michael Krmenčík header confirmed the 3-1 win for the hosts, and leaving them in a good place with one match remaining.
Algeria shifted their back four, while Frenkie de Jong had a break from playing. The Dutch had the upper hand of the first half, only to not capitalise on the scoresheet, including where Algeria’s defence needed reshuffling after an injury. In the second half, as the Netherlands pressed up, it was Algeria who scored first via Andy Delort. Dutch substitute Steven Berghuis quickly equalised, though his counterparting substitute Yassine Benzia had other ideas and put Algeria ahead again. Georginio Wijnaldum restored the draw, and from there, neither side could tweak their shots enough to win the game. The match ended 2-2.
That draw ensured the Netherlands and the Czech Republic would progress to the Round of 16, while Ireland and Algeria miss out.
Algeria and Ireland kept their same starting eleven in their final match, except for Algeria’s left back who had a dislocated shoulder. For long periods, the ball remained in the middle of the park. Ireland had a good chance, finally, in the second half, only to hit the woodwork. From there, Algeria took control of the match, with Yacine Brahimi coming off the bench and scoring a brace. Both goals were from tight angles; his first was his second attempt before finding the gap between the post and the Irish goalkeeper, and his second was from a less tight angle, but further out. The ball shaved the inside of the left-hand post before hitting the back netting. From there, Algeria possessed the ball to win 2-0, their first win for the campaign.
Algeria have friendlies ahead of them to prepare for their opening AFCON 2020 encounter with Côte d’Ivoire, while Ireland face Sweden, Poland and Spain in Euro 2020.
The Czechs, needing a win to claim Group B’s top spot, adjusted their left and right midfield accordingly. The Netherlands made one change in attack and in defence. Memphis Depay looked dangerous early with two chances, while at the other end, Darida also needed his shot saved. In a weird few minutes, the Dutch earned a contentious penalty, which Depay coolly slotted straight while the Czech goalkeeper moved to his right. The Czechs did not give up, and after the break, Darida had the equaliser. From there, though, neither side could quite gain the advantage needed, and the game ended 1-1. The Netherlands claimed first place, while the Czechs, in second place, now face the might of France. The Netherlands will play against England, though it will be a tough match to master as it is played on English soil.
Group C In Group C, Argentina returned to their starting eleven as they had against Malta, while Malta went with a back three in the hope of gaining a point on Argentinian soil. That thought soon dissipated as Lautaro Martínez scored in the second minute. He nearly doubled the lead two minutes later when he hit the upright, before setting up both Lionel Messi and Giovani Lo Celso for their first-half goals. Sergio Agüero made it four after the break, before substitute Ángel Di María brought a fifth to the fray. Martínez then capped off a brilliant display with his brace, hitting the inside of the post and into goal; 6-0 was the final score.
Switzerland and Andorra both made significant changes to their December line-ups. Steely defence from Andorra became the order of the first half as Switzerland struggled to get close to goal to get effective shots on target. That all changed after the break as Breel Embolo scored twice inside the first five minutes of the second half. Steven Zuber then backed up with a goal of his own, before substitute Renato Steffen finished the match off with the score 4-0. That loss ended Andorra’s campaign at progressing in the Physico Championships.
Argentina rested Agüero for their match against Switzerland, while the away side kept the same line-up. The hosts, however, had three goals by halftime, chiefly from midfielders Rodrigo de Paul and Lo Celso, with Martínez heading home right before the break. De Paul opened the tale with his second of three shots on target in the first half, a lovely left footer. Lo Celso then doubled the lead, finishing off a team goal with his own solitary effort, keeping the ball away from the Swiss defenders and pumping into the back of the net. After the break, Swiss substitute Cedric Itten reclaimed one goal, before Messi snatched a through ball and chipped the goalkeeper. Switzerland, however, were unperturbed and gained two goals via Remo Freuler and Denis Zakaria, ending the match with a more respectable scoreline of 4-3.
Malta made two changes to their midfield, while their opponents Andorra kept their same line-up. Both sides had chances early to score, only to miss the mark. Finally, Teddy Teuma made the most of a poor goalkeeping pass and scored the only goal for the game. Andorra should have equalised late, only to miss the whole goal.
Malta still had hope of making it to the Round of 16 but needed to win away to Switzerland by at least six goals. They kept their starting eleven, while Switzerland made three changes. Two goals were scored by Switzerland in the first half, thanks to Renato Steffen and Haris Seferović. However, the score should have been more. In the second half, Breel Embolo and Cedric Itten made it four, before right at the end, Itten ensured he snagged a brace with a dink using the outside of his boot to roll the ball beyond the Maltese goalkeeper.
Argentina made three changes to their defensive structure, while keeping their front three, except swapping Di María for Messi. Seven goals were on the menu for Argentina as Andorra looked lacklustre. Lautaro Martínez scored twice early, including his second after Rodrigo de Paul had one of his six shots. De Paul then had his own goal, needing to shoot twice to get beyond the goalkeeper. Ángel Di María scored after the break under the goalkeeper’s armpit. Guido Rodríguez played a one-two to get free in the box before shooting. Martínez then gained his hat trick with a brilliant header back across the face of goal. Substitute Matias Suárez then polished off the match, punting the ball with his left foot for the goalkeeper’s seventh crouch to collect the ball out of the net.
Andorra next face Latvia, Liechtenstein and the Faroe Islands in the Nations League D3, while Malta fit in D4 and play against the likes of Kosovo, Azerbaijan and Moldova.
Group D Italy desired a solid win in the return leg in Group D against Slovenia, with the away side altering their side significantly, while Italy made some minor changes, including switching to a back four. That paid off as Italy held off a Slovenia intent on equalising after Jorginho opened the tale in a chip over the Slovenian goalkeeper. Sandro Tonali made it two goals for Italy in the 38th minute with a brilliant left-foot volley after the ball was crossed in from the right wing. Slovenia did catch Italy asleep straight after the break, with Josip Iličić managing a chest-down-and-goal, bringing the away side within striking distance. However, Kevin Lasagna hit the top right-hand corner with his left foot after stealing the ball off a defender, and Italy kept that 3-1 lead for the final 28 minutes to gift themselves every chance of topping the group.
Ecuador kept their same line up as the first encounter with Sweden, while the Swedes made minor changes. It soon became the Valencia show as Antonio Valencia scored twice in the first half; his first was a shot from the edge of the box out of reach of the Swedish goalkeeper, while his second was a header from a corner. Romario Ibarra should have made it three goals when he ran to goal and hit the right-hand post, with the ball spinning all the way across goal and out of play. Instead, striker Enner Valencia scored, guaranteeing the full three points. Swedish substitute Sebastian Andersson gained a consolation goal, but the 3-1 scoreline propelled Ecuador to second place.
Italy made three changes to their side, one in each line of formation, while Ecuador made two changes. In spite of the hosts dominating the first half, it was Italy who had the lead at the break, with Jorginho powering home with his left after the ball came over the Ecuadorian defence and found him free. Ecuador did not give up and equalised through an injured Jefferson Orejuela. From there, neither side could find the final blow, and the game ended 1-1.
Slovenia and Sweden both made two changes each for their fifth match. Sweden’s newcomer Jordan Larsson opened the scoring in the eighteenth minute, before Emil Forsberg doubled the lead nine minutes later. Chasing the game, Slovenia worked back in and adjusted their tactics. Haris Vučkič did get one goal back, though Slovenia should have had a second, only for the acute angle to impact the shot as it smacked the upright. From there, Sweden held on for the away victory and knocked Slovenia out of contention for the Round of 16.
In the crucial final match, Sweden and Italy needed a win to take first place, while a loss placed them in real danger of missing out altogether for the Round of 16. Italy made three changes while Sweden were forced to make two changes. One of Italy’s changes, Federico Chiesa, scored in the second minute. From there, Sweden found themselves chasing the match. Italy looked dangerous every time they went forward and were unlucky to get a second goal. After some time, Sweden managed to get back in the game and had control of the midfield. Their best chance came when the left midfield and right midfield combined, only for the ball to sail to the left of goal. In the second half, again, Italy had chances, only for the Swedish defence to hold. In the 84th minute, Marcus Berg leapt above his marking man to reel home an equaliser. They tried for a second goal to win the match, only for the game to end 1-1, with Italy given the higher position thanks to the away game in comparison to the 0-0 draw in their last encounter.
All eyes turned to the result between Ecuador and Slovenia, where Slovenia adjusted their defence, and Ecuador made two changes in their attacking midfielder roles. For Ecuador, progressing was in their hands regardless of what happened in the other match. However, Slovenia started in the best possible way, not letting up the pressure on the defence. That culminated in a goal for Benjamin Verbič, his left footer from near the penalty spot too strong for anyone to stop. Ecuador chased the match, hoping to gain an equaliser. Instead, Slovenia scored in the 57th minute, this time from substitute Josip Iličić. With their backs against the walls, Ecuador rallied, and in the 73rd minute, Enner Valencia read a free kick perfectly, heading the ball to drag Ecuador back into the match. Ecuador subbed the side with more strikers, hoping to gain two more goals. Substitute Alex Ibarra had a chance late, only to have the ball miraculously saved. Then, when Angelo Preciado had a shot, and the Slovenian goalkeeper saved it, Ibarra was first to the rebound, sliding in to equalise the match. There was no time left, as the referee blew the whistle. Ecuador could be commended for coming back from two goals down, only to miss out on a place in the Round of 16.
Italy and a relieved Sweden keep their tournament alive, with knockout matches against Switzerland and Argentina respectively. Ecuador must wait for the Inter-Nations tournament to restart, where they next face Germany. Slovenia have no matches until the Nations League encounter with Spain and Germany in Europe’s League A.
Group E In Group E, Austria needed a win against Jamaica and made a range of changes to their line-up. Marko Arnautović had the best chances of the first half, with his first a chip shot that barely missed, followed by a powerful shot that required a defensive block. Instead, he set up Marcel Sabitzer right before the break with a deft touch for his fellow striker. From there, Austria had the upper hand, though should have scored more until Xaver Schlager managed to outrun the Jamaican defenders and power into the roof of the goal for Austria’s second goal.
Saudi Arabia, having been knocked out in the Asian Cup Round of 16, needed to resurrect their results, also having lost at home to Mauritania. The visitors got off to the best start possible, with Salem Al-Dawsari pocketing a penalty. However, Mauritania gained back the penalty with one of their own, sent to the left by Sidi Yacoub and into goal. That gave the hosts a real boost and they dominated the second half, culminating in two more goals, firstly by Yassin El Welly, followed by substitute Bessam’s effort. In the end, Mauritania rounded out their fourth match 3-1 and in with a genuine shot of progressing to the Round of 16.
Both Austria and Mauritania made two chances apiece for their fifth match. Austria knew this was a must-win match and started accordingly. However, one of Mauritania’s inclusions, Bessam, set the Austrians on the back foot as he scored like he did in the previous match. In the 37th minute, substitute striker Sasa Kalajdzic came on for Sabitzer (with an injured shoulder), levelling the match. Marko Arnautović then fly-kicked a rebound into the back of the net to gift Austria the lead. From there, the hosts were able to hold on for the vital victory.
Saudi Arabia made two changes up front for their penultimate match, while Jamaica changed their right back and right midfielder. Another midfielder, Je-Vaughn Watson opened the scoring with a left footer into the back of the net. Saudi Arabia levelled via Fahad Al-Muwallad twelve minutes later; heading into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal. The remainder of the match was tight, with neither side giving an inch. Finally, as the 90th minute reached its zenith, substitute Brian Brown out turned his marking man and fired into goal, sending the Jamaican crowd into absolute jubilation, while the Saudi players dropped in agony, knowing they could not reach the Round of 16.
Saudi Arabia made three changes for their match, as they sought to deny Austria a place in the next phase. Austria made three changes to their starting eleven, hoping to win and guarantee a place, as well as encroach on taking top spot. Sabitzer started in the best way possible, hitting the woodwork twice inside the first two minutes. Instead, it was Marko Arnautović that scored twice, wrecking the Saudi defence in the process. Sabitzer then scored himself, hitting the inside of the right-hand post before the ball bobbled over the line. After the break, David Alaba added to Austria’s tally. Saudi Arabia’s substitute Abdullah Otayf managed to peg one back with a sliding shot. However, Sabitzer ensured his second goal, before substitute striker Karim Onisiwo ensured a 6-1 drubbing.
All eyes fell on the match between Jamaica and Mauritania, where Jamaica knew a win would keep them on top. Mauritania hoped for a win, but as news of the Austrian goals filtered their way to the players, they could sense their campaign dissipating. Jamaica made two changes, and the new goalkeeper was put through his paces. However, Jamaica were the side creating the most chances, Eventually, Brian Brown came off the bench and won a penalty, which he coolly slotted. Given the lead, Jamaica ramped up, and Brown scored again. From there, the Jamaicans claimed top spot, while Austria are a point behind in second.
As for Mauritania, they failed to qualify for AFCON 2020, and will next play in the African Nations League D with Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan and the Gambia. Saudi Arabia start their World Cup qualification campaign with a match against the Philippines, in a group that also possesses Palestine and Hong Kong.
Group F In Group F, Serbia moved to a back three, with many players from their second and third string side joining in. Guinea made minor changes to their midfield and striking prowess in the hope of chasing that second place in the group. That notion was put to bed as Serbia scored in the third minute when newcomer Nemanja Maksimović was found alone in the box. Naby Keïta did equalise for Guinea as he raced to header the ball ahead of his opponents. However, before the break, Maksimović bagged his brace as he headed home after a perfect chip pass found him again alone. Guinea were found chasing the rest of the match, leading to a late third goal for Serbia via Aleksandar Mitrović. That loss eliminated Guinea from progressing with two games left.
Portugal had newcomers on the bench, waiting in the wings, while Mexico kept a similar line up to their previous matches. It was Cristiano Ronaldo, though, that headed early to give Portugal the lead. Mexico’s Carlos Rodríguez should have had the equaliser soon after, only to be deemed incorrectly offside. Mexico kept working for that goal to bring them back in the game. Rodríguez was able to do so, and though Mexico had the better of the second half, were unable to produce a winner. That draw knocked Mexico out of making the Round of 16 with two matches left as well.
In the dead rubber match between Mexico and Guinea, Mexico started with the same eleven, while Guinea shifted their goalkeeper and two other players. It made no difference after the break, with Mexico scoring twice early in the second half to take full charge of the match. Jose Macías tried setting up his teammate with a centralising ball, only for Guniean defender Issiaga Sylla to get in the way; the ball then bobbled over the line. Macías then set up midfielder Roberto Alvarado. Alvarado had his brace two minutes from the end as he manoeuvred around the Guinean defence and rammed the ball into the back of the net.
Serbia switched their right and left midfielders, while Portugal kept the same side. The winner of this match would likely be the winner of the group. That soon confirmed to be Portugal, who scored two early away goals to take charge of the match. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring with a header into a relatively open goal. João Moutinho then headed with the ball coming from the right wing. The away side held firm in defence with solid blocks and coverage on a mass scale, before Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrović chipped the Portuguese goalkeeper and gave his side a lifeline. However, Portugal’s defence remained steadfast, and Portugal gained the three points necessary to guarantee top spot in Group F.
The final Match Day in Group F were dead rubbers, with no sides making changes. Portugal scored twice to finish the round robin matches on a winning note, with Diogo Jota and Danilo Pereira the two goal scorers. The margin should have been more, if not for steely defence and some pure luck.
As for Mexico and Serbia, the scoreless draw should have gone the way of the hosts, though they could not produce a goal from their efforts. Their best chance was a header right at the death that hit the crossbar.
Portugal now face Austria while Serbia will take on Jamaica. Mexico will restart their Inter-Nations campaign, first against Côte d’Ivoire. As for Guinea, they have a few friendlies to prepare the side for their first AFCON 2020 match against Tunisia.
Group G In Group G, South Korea made a few changes from their Asian Cup Final win to give some players a rest. Hungary adjusted to a back three, with a change in the actual back three, while shifting their right wing make up. It was one of the back three, though, that scored the opener, with Ádám Lang heading home despite being wedged between two defenders. South Korea’s Son Heung-Min did not get much of a break, as he was substituted on early. This brought about a goal from the talisman, before an own goal from newcomer David Sigér gave the Koreans the lead. Lee Jae-Sung made it 3-1 in the 64th minute when he was found alone. Hungary’s Nemanja Nikolić pegged one back and soon after hit the left-hand upright, but the day belonged to South Korea.
Brazil’s 23 players remained unchanged, while Gabon made some changes for the next three matches. The African hosts were able to stave off constant attacking pressure in the first half, where Brazil kept winning corners. However, the second half was not as attacking, with both sides only having one chance each to snag the winner. The best was from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when he was found free in the box from a cross, only to miss to the right of goal. The game ended 0-0.
Gabon made three changes for their starting eleven in their fifth match, while Hungary, needing a win, made four changes. Desperate defending kept the Gabonese in the match, with tackles and closing down through balls the order of the first half. Gabon looked dangerous early in the second half, but steely defence allowed Hungary to rebound and have all the play of the latter half of the match. It all came to nought, despite efforts by Ádám Nagy, who hit the left-hand post with his shot. In the end, the Gabonese goalkeeper made two crucial late saves, and the match ended a scoreless draw (Gabon’s second in as many matches).
South Korea made three key changes, while Brazil made two. The Brazilians had all the play of the first half, culminating in a Roberto Firmino goal in the 38th minute. However, the Koreans were tough in defence, and in the second half when the game opened up, looked dangerous in attack. In the end, Brazil held on for the 1-0 victory and accomplished top spot in the group.
Gabon made two changes for their sixth match, while South Korea kept the same line-up that faced Brazil. Whoever won would take second place, while a draw would mean South Korea entered the Round of 16. Gabon started in the best possible manner, with Guelor Kanga scoring as he had in their previous encounter. South Korea attacked and attacked, hoping to equalise the game, but the Gabonese defence somehow kept the visitors away from goal. Gabon then should have scored, only for their thwarts to fall short. Son Heung-Min hit the woodwork right before the break, before Na Sangho scored as he had against Gabon last time, levelling the match. South Korea then hit the woodwork twice more as they sought a late winner, but 1-1 was the final score, allowing South Korea to shuffle into the Round of 16.
In the other match, a dead rubber, Brazil’s Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus scored in the 17th and 27th minutes respectively to gift their side a solid win against Hungary.
Hungary now face Montenegro, Germany and the Czech Republic in Euro 2020, while Gabon, who did not qualify for AFCON 2020, will have to wait until the African Nations League to face Nigeria and Uganda in League B.
Group H In Group H, Belarus and Germany both made changes to their sides, with Maksim Skavysh missing out for receiving two yellow cards. Germany made changes across the formation, ready to win a crucial away game. The visitors attacked for the majority of the first half, only for the Belarussian defence to hold firm, mostly thanks to goalkeeper and Player of the Match Egor Khatkevich (nine saves in total). Germany’s best chances came either side of the break; the first a header that hit the upright, and the second from Toni Kroos that required a Khatkevich save. Late in the match, once Belarus discovered Germany were not great at closing down long balls over the back four, soon had their own chances. That culminated in a goal for substitute Denis Laptev, who outsmarted the defence and pocketed the only goal for the game.
Chile made no changes to their 23 players, while Australia shifted around their starting eleven after the semi-final loss in the Asian Cup. Jean Beausejour was the only goal scorer for the match in the 66th minute with a beautiful long-range shot after the ball exited the 18-yard box from a corner kick. Earlier, Alexis Sánchez hit the woodwork from a free kick, and also had his shot saved by Mat Ryan. Tom Rogic also had a header hit the woodwork right on the stroke of halftime. Chile had the upper hand in the second half, which led to Beausejour’s goal. From there, Chile hung on for the win and second place.
Australia made two changes for their fifth match, while Germany made one change only, in spite of losing to Belarus. Germany found a weakness in Australia’s defence, with Alex Gersbach filling in for Rhyan Grant at right back. Timo Werner exploited every time Gersbach was sucked into the centre of defence, allowing Werner space to wait for a through ball in the right spot. This led to a goal in the 30th minute via Werner. However, Germany failed to score again, and the match ended 1-0.
Belarus made two changes up front, while Chile also made two changes to their starting eleven as they kept up the pattern of 1-0 scorelines in Group H. Chile had all the play across the game but failed to capitalise on their advantages. Eventually, Alexis Sánchez scored in the 81st minute, giving Chile their third win for the tournament and a chance at topping the group.
In their final match, Belarus and Australia fought for third place. Belarus had a goal via Maksim Skavysh in the fourteenth minute and took charge of the match. Though the Socceroos had their chances, it was Belarus that was always going to win. Evgeni Yablonskiy doubled the lead as the second half deepened, giving Belarus their second win for the tournament.
Germany made changes to their starting eleven, while Chile kept their same line-up. However, Germany had three goals early, from the likes of Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry and İlkay Gündoğan. Chile, in spite of the game over, still persisted in attack. That led to Alexis Sánchez’s goal, though the 3-1 score ended in favour of the visitors.
Chile must improve when they take of Brazil, while Germany will be up against South Korea in the Round of 16. Belarus will have to wait until September to next play a match of some importance; they face Wales, Northern Ireland and San Marino in the European Nations League C. Australia have the crucial opening World Cup qualification matches against Afghanistan and India in a group also possessing Mongolia.
Oceanian Cup Qualifiers Oceanian Cup Qualifiers continued on February 23rd, with five matches played.
In Group A, Samoa started the strongest as the home side against New Caledonia. However, the visitors worked into the match in the second half. Samoa wrestled back control and very nearly had three quality chances, only for the match to end scoreless over the ninety minutes. As for a feisty first half between American Samoa and Vanuatu, it was the hosts who looked dangerous in the second half, causing the Vanuatu goalkeeper to make multiple saves in quick succession. Finally, the pressure was too great, and American Samoa scored via their substitute striker Palauni Tapusoa, earning the full three points.
In Group B, Tahiti looked the better team when they hosted Papua New Guinea. However, the Papuans managed to hold firm in defence and keep their structure to ensure the Tahitians did not post a win, with the game ending 0-0. The Solomon Islands achieved their first win for the Qualifiers, bagging three goals against Tonga. Des Tutu scored a brace, with both his goals bouncing off the post and spinning in the air over the line. Henry Fa’arodo then finished off with a glorious goal to help the Solomon Islands tie for first place in the group with Tahiti.
Group C’s New Zealand gained a predictable win, with a single-goal victory against Fiji. Myer Bevan managed a twelfth-minute goal, and then the Kiwis sat back in their five-man defence and absorbed any pressure from the Fijians.
© 2021 Steve Clark |
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Added on February 21, 2021 Last Updated on February 21, 2021 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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