March 18 to 24, 2019 Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. March 18 to 24, 2019
Match
Day 5 of the Nations League came to a head this week in Asia.
Iran
and Australia fought in the middle of the group to, firstly, stay in League A,
but also to catch Bahrain. Iran scored in the 10th minute via Azmoun, his first
for the Nations League. Iran continued to keep on top of their counterparts for
much of the game. Australia never gave up, and slotted a goal through Kruse in
the 83rd minute. Iran, however, turned it around and three minute later, Taremi
finished a solid goal and his team came out winners.
Vietnam’s
Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng scored late at home against Uzbekistan to score their first
win for the Nations League. Uzbekistan had two late chances, both from Bikmaev,
but goalkeeper Nguyễn Tiến Linh kept out both. The result effectively ended any
chance of Uzbekistan topping the group. Tajikistan improved compared to the
last time they faced Japan as they traded goals with the East Asian side,
resulting in an exciting 2-2 match.
South
Korea’s four-bagger from four different scorers has set up an
almost-undefeatable position in Group A3. Saudi Arabia never looked in the
game, and at times were mediocre compared to the flight-footed Koreans. Gao Lin
scored his first goal in the Nations League for China as they fought hard
against the North Koreans to win by a solitary goal. That result means North
Korea cannot reach top placing, and are in danger of being relegated. China
must now win away in Saudi Arabia to have any hope of remaining in League A,
whilst South Korea can secure the win of the group if they draw or win over
their rivals, North Korea.
At
the start of the Match Day, American Samoa sought to leapfrog over rivals Samoa
with a win and ensure their stay in League A. The game started well when
Demetrius Beauchamp stole the ball and slotted with his right boot. Playing up
forward instead of defence or midfield, Casper Kuresa tried twice to chip the
keeper, only for the Samoan defence to clear both times. Finally, the American
Samoan found the ball in the 56th minute just outside the box. His shot bypassed
a sliding defender and swung outwards, enough to sneak past the keeper, and
enough to miss the post. From that moment, American Samoa played for keeps,
knowing they had enough to keep their team in League for another two years and
relegate Samoa to League B. The question now is: will American Samoa be able to
win by three against a fiery Vanuatu and claim first place?
The
Cook Islanders thought they could give parochial side New Zealand a run for
their money, particularly when they scored twice in the first half through
Pareta and Burrows, both from brilliant centred passes. However, the Kiwis
responded both times with goals, making the halftime score 2-2. From then, New
Zealand dominated the game, producing two more goals, including Noah
Billingsley’s second, and a brilliant header from substitute Jai Ingham. Having
won Group A2, New Zealand will be able to sit back and see who will remain with
them: the Cook Islands or the Solomon Islands? With the Solomon Islanders
playing at home in the final match, the win is likely theirs.
The
aim of Match Day 5 for Papua New Guinea was to overcome Tahiti and send them
packing to the lower league. Tahiti dominated the first patch, resulting in a
goal by Charles Lebaste. Soon Papua New Guinea worked their way into the game,
with Obert Bika’s cross finding Donovan Murray’s head after the result of some
solid team passing. Much of the remaining game ebbed and flowed, with the home
side pressing for a late winner. When all seemed lost and Tahiti held out hope
of an away draw, Patrick Aisa found Murray free from defensive pressure, who
slotted home the goal that secured their place in League A for another two
years. They have a slim chance of topping the table, but must win by four goals
away to guarantee. Fiji, on the other hand, aim to complete a masterpiece of
matches to win the group.
At
first glance prior to this Match Day, it seemed the Dutch would overtake Italy.
However, Russia, who is already being relegated, pulled their resources
together and surprised the Netherlands with a 1-0 away victory. Newcomer Ilzat
Akhmetov collected the rebound from Cillessen’s save early in the match and
slotted it into the open goal. From there, the Russians placed everyone in a
defensive position, and gave the Dutch no room to weave their magic. The final
Match Day will now determine the winner of the group.
In
a tight group, England fired home four goals to one against Portugal to finish
their campaign on a high, and taking first place away from Spain. Raheem
Sterling won a penalty early for his side, but Rui Patricio managed to save his
lacklustre shot. Soon England piled on three goals from three different
scorers, including Sterling and Player of the Match Dele Alli, and by halftime
the match was effectively over, as was Portugal’s run in League A. Substitute
Kieran Trippier reclaimed the three-goal margin via a stoppage-time fourth goal,
after Bernardo Silva snatched one back in the second half. In the final match,
Spain must win to ensure first place, whilst Portugal will simply be playing
for pride.
Austria
thought their chances of remaining in League A were high after scoring away to
the Czech Republic. However, the home team worked back into the contest, and
created strong chances, before Jankto’s shot through the legs of defenders
found the back of the net and gave the Czech Republic their first win for the
tournament. They now play host to Denmark, where a win will ensure a place in
the Playoffs. Austria, must, however, now play in League B in two years’ time.
Gabon
came out strong against Tunisia, gaining an early goal by the way of Allevinah’s
head. Soon Missi Mezu joined in with two goals and Gabon were on top of their
opponents, giving them nothing. Gabon now sits three points behind Tunisia and
Cameroon, and if they win by two goals in the final match, they will advance to
the Nations League playoffs. Cameroon would have to lose by 4 goals or more to
drop down to League B. Still, it seems likely that Gabon will have to grace the
second tier.
The
match between Uruguay and Colombia was on track to be a mirror image of their
previous Nations League encounter, with goals from Uruguay’s Valverde and
Suárez, and one from Colombia’s Barrios. However, Miguel Borja snuck home a
netter in the dying minutes of the match, leaving Uruguay reeling from their
real chance to take top spot in the group. They dropped to third, in fact,
after Venezuela scored two goals to one in both halves against Guatemala. Player
of the Match Darwin Machís scored a goal and assisted another, and won the most
tackles for the match. Match Day 6 is now all set: will Uruguay overcome
Venezuela at home and hope that Guatemala can defeat Colombia, or will
Venezuela be the dark horse and rise to the top?
Argentina
should have defeated Bolivia on their turf with multiple chances in the second
half, only to miss wildly. Their third away draw now places them precariously
in second place, but Jamaica and Ecuador both have a game in hand.
Paraguay
finally stole points away from Brazil with a 1-1 draw on home soil. The
Paraguayans dominated the first half, leading to a chip over the goalkeeper
Ederson Moraes by Celso Ortiz, and gaining a crucial lead. The second half saw
Brazil wrestle back momentum and a goal via Roberto Firmino. Both sides had
chances to win, including another chip shot from Ortiz, only this time Ederson
Moraes was privy to the situation and closed down the ball before it popped
over his body. That mattered little, for Brazil has won the group. Costa
Rica finally recorded their first win after two home losses. The win, against a
US side intent on gaining vital points on the road, only came about from a
better second half than the first. The Americans looked set to score in the
first half, but wayward passing in the final third kept the Costa Ricans in the
game. Jean Scott’s inclusion suddenly changed the game as he immediately
crossed to Jose Alfaro, who volleyed easily past a wrong-way-diving Zack
Steffen. From that moment, Costa Rica attacked, only for the score to remain
one-nil. The win places them level with the USA on points, but still three
goals behind on goal difference. Both sides play away in their final match, and
will need to defend like champions to remain in League A. Our prediction: Costa
Rica will be relegated, as they have to face Brazil in Rio.
Peru
took control of their match against Mexico, starting with a goal from Édison
Flores. Usually playing on the left wing, coach Ricardo Gareca switched him to
the right, with immediate effect. Peru continued to dominate possession in the
second half, though Mexico had a chance to level through Érick Gutiérrez, only
for his shot to smack the crossbar. Isaac Brizuela followed up the rebound, but
shot to the left of goal. From that moment on the Peruvians showed great
composure, attacking hard in the last few minutes, which resulted in a header
goal for substitute Christopher Gonzáles.
The win bumps Peru above Mexico, having not lost a match thus far, with one
game to go against Chile, who have a game in hand against St Vincent and the
Grenadines.
In
League B1, Qatar and Myanmar both had chances in the second half to win the
game. Almoez Ali and Akram Afif both hit the left hand post, and the Qatari keeper
saved Kyaw Nanda’s first shot, before his second hit multiple Qatari defenders
and out into safety for the home team. The result: nil-all.
Bottom
of Group B2, Thailand, flew to Laos with the intent of not being relegated to
League C. Laos responded to an attacking Thai side by forming five at the back,
and kept 61% of possession in the first half, nullifying any Thai advances. The
game seemed set for a scoreless draw, until Phithack Kongmathilath
combined with teammates to find a gap in the back Thai three. As he shot for
goal, his legs were clipped, and the referee awarded a penalty. Kongmathilath
cooly stepped up and slotted the ball into the net. A second goal from
substitute Chanthaphone Waenvongsoth all
but solidified Laos’ rise to League A, while Thailand will retire in two years’
time to League C. Laos’ only rivals are Cambodia, who scored in the second half
through Vathanaka to win 2-1 against Mongolia. Cambodia has to win away to
Thailand, whilst Laos fly to Mongolia with the hope of securing that League A
slot.
A
new-look Jordan needed their first win to rise off the bottom of Group B3, and
they scored three inside the first 19 minutes against Nepal to breeze past them.
Over in Oman, Syria was the first to score through Omar Khribin, increasing
their hopes of taking first place. However, the second half saw wide
midfielders, Saleh and Al Yahmadi score, before a blinding goal that bounced
off the post. Syria pegged one goal back from substitute Amro Jenyat, but Oman
played for possession for the final seven minutes and posted Syria’s first loss
of the tournament. Nepal now must win against Oman at home, and Jordan must win
to ensure Nepal do not overtake them. Oman, meanwhile, sit in the knowledge
they will be in League A in two years’ time.
Sri
Lanka scored a crucial away win against Macau, with Kavidu Ishan scoring his
second goal for the Nations League. The UAE remained on top of the group with a
hard-fought, attacking match against Bangladesh that ended in a draw. That
means Bangladesh only requires a draw at home against Macau to take stock in League
B. The winner between the UAE and Sri Lanka, in Dubai, will determine the
nation that leaps into League A. A draw will help the home side.
Bulgaria
secured their promotion to League A over Turkey and Cyprus after defeating the
latter away 2-1. The Bulgarians were up by two goals early, thanks to goals
from Kostadinov and Chochev. The Cypriots, eager to reclaim their World
Cup-quality playing, switched things around once they responded with a Mytides
goal that managed to nutmeg a Bulgarian defender, and the resulting spinning
bounce made the ball unreachable for goalkeeper Mihaylov. This was not enough
for Cyprus, as Bulgaria recorded their second win, the only wins thus far for
the tournament, whilst Cyprus is relegated to League C. The final match between
Bulgaria and Turkey will be a dead rubber, with it having no impact on the
outcome of Group B2.
Switzerland
bounced back from a four-nil drubbing at the hands of Slovenia to defeat Sweden
with a three-goal display from three different goalscorers, including Player of
the Match Granit Xhaka. They now rely on Sweden, who will be relegated to
League C, to defeat Slovenia at home, otherwise the Swiss shall remain in
League B for another two years.
Poland
looked set to score against Hungary on their home turf. However, when the
Hungarians caught the Polish on a fast break, Tomasz Kędziora needed to make a
vital tackle, but instead challenged so hard it was worthy of a straight red
card. From there, the Hungarians had the upper hand, but neither side found the
back of the net. That draw means Poland will progress to League A, whilst
Hungary must not let Belgium win in the final game of the group.
Algeria
faced the Moroccans with an experimental first eleven, hoping to solidify top
place against their North African rivals. It seemed as though Algeria and
Morocco would fight out another draw, with neither side able to ripple the back
of the net. However, Sofiane Feghouli’s inclusion for the home team brought a
chasing mentality to their play. That pressure led to Feghouli’s long-range
shot, transporting Algeria to top of the table, and into League A. Algeria will
probably continue with the experimental side when they fly to Niger for the
final game, where Niger will need to win to stay in League B.
Zambia
needed to defeat Chad on their turf, but it was Chad that dominated the first
half, scoring twice via both strikers Labbo and N’Douassel. The hosts eased off
in the second half, which allowed the Zambians back into the game, and late in
time had a header into the back of the net from a corner. However, Chad held
on, and will move upwards to League A based on that result. They travel to
Sudan for the final match, where all Sudan needs is a draw to avoid relegation.
Kazakhstan’s
relegation to League D was confirmed after their draw at home against
Lithuania. Though the Kazakhs had more shots, it was the away team who should
have scored three times, but sent the ball wide or straight at the keeper.
eSwatini
needed to pull off a remarkable win against Botswana to have the slightest hope
of remaining in League C. And what a remarkable first-half performance they put
on, including a brace from newcomer striker Figareido. The second half was much
more competitive, but eSwatini had done enough damage to Botswana’s chance of
promotion. Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea played hosts to Senegal, and with the
prowess of their goalkeeper Ovono early, kept the Senegalese shots away from
goal. In fact, they countered with two goals of their own, and with that
advantage continued to open up the game. Senegal replied through Sarr, and
Sadio Mané should have levelled the scores, but Equatorial Guinea won the day
and rose to second place on the table. They are not out of potential relegation
yet, but have placed themselves in the best position possible as they host
Botswana in the final match.
In
their final game, Turkmenistan needed to gain a win and a six-goal difference
margin against Palestine. Captain Annadurdiyev led from the front and had a hat
trick by halftime. His first two goals came from brilliant ground crosses as
Turkmenistan dominated their front third. That was enough to lift Turkmenistan
off the bottom. Palestine now must win against Bhutan to firstly lift off the
bottom, but also have a chance of advancing to League B.
In
Group C2, Yemen gained their second away draw in a row as they scored early
against Indonesia, only for Beto to score once again as he did in their
previous meeting. This draw will not be enough, as Lebanon snagged their fourth
win in a row, this time over Malaysia. The first Lebanese goal came from an
unlikely source of Player of the Match midfielder Samir Ayass, who placed the
Malaysian defence under real pressure in the first half. Then, as halftime
neared, Malaysia pegged a goal back via Ahda, before Hilal El-Helwe scored his
maiden Nations League goal to secure a place in League B for Lebanon. The final
Match Day will see Malaysia and Indonesia fight to remain off the bottom of the
group.
Kyrgyzstan
showed how much they struggle to perform on the road with a 2-0 loss to
Singapore. That means Singapore are level with Kyrgyzstan on points, and can
steal the path to League B should they draw or defeat the Philippines in
Manila.
Brunei
scored twice against Afghanistan in their final Nations League match, through
Amiri, however, the Afghanis pegged one back, and Brunei needed to fight to
hold on to their lead. They did, and hence progressed to the higher League. In
the final match, Afghanistan play host to the Maldives. Should they win, the
Afghanis will rise above their counterparts based on goal difference.
Estonia
put forth their argument for progression up the Leagues with a solid three-nil
win over Moldova, all but confirming the away team’s place at the bottom of the
group. Zenjov’s brace in the first half was the catalyst for the comprehensive
win. As for Montenegro, their 4-0 loss to England in a friendly a couple of
weeks ago seemed a catalyst for payback as they romped San Marino by five
goals, including a hat trick from newcomer Mugoša. That secured them in second
place, one point behind San Marino. It comes down to the final Match Day. Both
Estonia and Montenegro will have to win away to have any chance of shifting up
to League C. All San Marino needs to do it win against Estonia, at home, where
their previous meeting was 2-0 to the Estonians.
At
the start of Match Day 5, theoretically, all nations were in the hunt for promotion.
Whilst Andorra always seemed in control against Gibraltar, the away side kept
scoring goals to remain in the hunt of snatching a possible away draw. That did
not eventuate, and Gibraltar’s slim chances of advancing up the leagues fell to
naught. Luxembourg maintained their grip over Iceland as the home side scored
from three corners out of their four goals, including two from midfielder
Leandro Barreiro. Iceland joins Gibraltar in having to remain in League D for
another two years. Andorra and Luxembourg now face off in the last Match Day to
see who will win the group and promote themselves to League C. The tip: the
home side in Luxembourg.
At
the start of Match Day 5, Group D3 saw a two-horse battle between Greece and
Liechtenstein for promotion. Liechtenstein hit the woodwork three times in the
first half, but luckily the third time rebounded off the diving keeper Barkas
and into the goal. Greece maintained their composure and scored twice, through
Karelis and Zeca, to gain their second away win in a row in the Nations League.
More importantly, they will be joining League C in 2020/2021. In the battle for
the bottom, Monaco looked to have sewn up a win thanks to an Azerbaijan
defensive error; however, Əliyev had other ideas as he scored an injury-time
equaliser. Azerbaijan can still lift off the bottom of the group if they win
against Liechtenstein and Greece defeat Monaco.
Though
Albania was able to make the promotion position on paper, the likelihood was
slim. That chance flew over the bar with Bekim Balaj’s missed penalty, allowing
Kosovo to win 1-0. Armenia almost cemented their spot in League C with a 2-0
win over Latvia, including goals from Ghazaryn and Movsisyan.
Namibia,
having already qualified for promotion, came to South Sudan and played
half-heartedly as the hosts scored three past them, including a double from
Chol Daniel. Striker Tong Atak Lual scored in the fifth minute, before Namibia
worked their way back into the contest. However, the South Sudanese dominated
the second half, which included a brilliant long ball to Daniel whilst the
defenders were trying to get others offside. His second goal was just as good;
his header knobbed the crossbar before the ball crossed the line and spun back
out. South Sudan should be able to keep Ethiopia on the bottom of the group in
the last match.
Djibouti
played against the Comoros, where the scoreless draw awarded both their third
draw for the tournament. Sierra Leone, on the other hand, brought themselves
closer to Mozambique at the top of the ladder with a comprehensive three-goal
victory. Mohamed Kamara scored twice, up to his scissor-kicking best with his
second goal. The Mozambican goalkeeper, Leonel Pendula, made three saves in a
row to keep his side roughly in the contest. However, Mohamed Kamara’s
substitute, Julius Wobay, scored in additional time to cap off a wonderful
performance. In the final match, Sierra Leone must win away against the
Comoros, whilst hoping Djibouti defeats Mozambique at home, and in the process
make up a difference of four. It is possible, but Mozambique still is the
favourite to be promoted. Women’s Nations Cup Qualifiers
Match
Day 9 concluded this week, with some surprising results. Croatia held Norway to
a one-all tie, giving them every opportunity to win the group. Turkey defeated
Switzerland, providing them with a great chance of qualifying for the Nations
Cup. Bulgaria is neck and neck with the Ukraine and Sweden in their group, and
it will come down to the final Match Day to see which nation progresses. Serbia’s
win against Scotland put them on top of the ladder in Group H. Slovenia’s
defeat of Cyprus placed them into third, but way out of contention behind Spain
and Russia. Uzbekistan
leapt India in Asia Group A, giving them the best chance of qualifying as they
overcame Tajikistan by a goal. Thailand’s third home draw meant they were
unable to close the gap with Iran, who looks set to win the group and either
gain a direct line to the Nations Cup, or reach the Playoffs. They will have to
see what happens with Jordan, as they have guaranteed top spot in Group C after
winning away to Sri Lanka. Jordan will finish their campaign seeking the most
points across all groups and receive the first Asian slot in the Nations Cup.
South Korea has sewn up Group D, whilst Singapore’s away win against Malaysia
places them in the box seat to be runners up. The UAE managed a crucial away
draw in Sydney, where both sides are now fighting for the top place as the
Asian qualifiers come to a close next week. In
Oceanian qualification, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea both had wins. On the
ladder, New Caledonia is wedged between the two. Tahiti and New Caledonia are
on seven points, three behind Papua New Guinea. It will come down to the final
Match Day to see who advances to the Playoffs. Wins for New Zealand and Fiji
ensure both of them will be first and second. Who will top the group also
depends on the final matches in Group B. In
North America, Mexico defeated Curacao by four goals, all but guaranteeing
topping the group, with a streak of five wins from five games. In much the same
way, Trinidad and Tobago achieved their fifth victory with a win over St Lucia.
Antigua and Barbuda found a point away to Haiti, thus opening up CONCACAF’s
Group B as to who will progress. Barbados sits behind Haiti on the table after
a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico. One point separates Canada, St Vincent and the
Grenadines and Guyana in Group C after the former two played out a draw and
Guyana won over the hapless US Virgin Islanders. Guyana and St Vincent battle
it out in the final match, whilst Canada flies to the Virgin Islands, hoping
for a solid away victory and securing that important spot in the Playoffs,
thanks to a mightier goal difference compared with the others. The
United States’ away win against Aruba secured their place in the Playoffs with
a match to spare. Runners up will be either Panama or St Kitts and Nevis. Odds
are on the latter to finish second in the group. In Group E, both Costa Rica
and Jamaica had solid home wins, setting up the final Match Day as determining
their positions. If Jamaica defeats Suriname at home, which is likely, they
will progress to the Playoffs. On the other hand, Costa Rica must claim an away
victory and hope Suriname, who are without a point in the Qualifiers, hold
Jamaica off from winning. Southwards, Brazil claimed first placing by defeating
Peru, and allowed Argentina some wiggle room in becoming runners up. In
African Qualifiers, both Group D matches ended in a draw, which helped Cameroon
the most as they sit two points behind Côte d’Ivoire. The former plays host to
the latter in their final game, a perfect way to end the group with so much
riding on that game. A draw will be enough for the Ivoirians. In Group C,
Morocco finalised first placing after a 4-1 win against Uganda, with a game to
spare. Equatorial Guinea and Zambia will fight for the runners up positions as
they play hosts to Morocco and Mozambique respectively. South Africa’s away win
over Burkina Faso see them top Group B, and place them in good stead in
advancing directly to Africa’s first slot in the Nations Cup. In Group A, with
Nigeria out of contention, the final group games will come down to the
Namibians taking on Nigeria. A draw or win will see them top the group, which
they will seek to accomplish after the confidence gained from defeating
Madagascar away 2-1. If Namibia loses, Mali will advance to the Playoffs based
on goal difference, despite having a bye in the final round. © 2019 Steve Clark |
Love Me Not
1986, Penny Herrera falls into the predatory clutches of Matt, an older man who has no other intention than to alter Pen
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