October 7 to 20, 2019 Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. October 7 to 20, 2019
In Copa America Qualifying this week, Venezuela travelled to Cuba in the hope of keeping second place with a draw or low-scoring loss. Cuba certainly had all the possession in the first half but could not equate that in a shot for goal. The first shot for the match did not come until the 55th minute when Salomon Rondón scored for the visitors. From there, Venezuela took charge of the match, keeping the Cubans with only one shot for the entire match. Substitute Josef Martínez doubled the lead, giving the Venezuelans a crucial victory and the possibility of taking top spot in Group A.
Mexico sought to keep that top spot when they flew to Puerto Rico, with an attacking style in the first few minutes that had the hosts on the back foot. Soon Puerto Rico were in the game, hitting both posts with the same shot. As the half wore on, Puerto Rico gained more and more momentum, leading to Giovanni Padron’s goal as he pocketed from a Hugo González parry. Mexico would not lie down, though, and left back Carlos Salcido’s shot caught a slight deflection and made the game all square. Three minutes later, striker Jose Macías helped Mexico take the lead with a header. Puerto had two late chances to equalise, with attacking midfielder Gerald Díaz running onto the ball but hitting the post, and substitute teenager Alec Diaz’s shot flying over the goal. Both Mexico and Venezuela have guaranteed a top-two place in the Group, provided Cuba does not make up a point score of six and a goal deficit of eight. Venezuela have a game in hand and will seek to overtake Mexico eventually, guaranteeing their place in the Copa America. It is likely that both qualify for the tournament. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas are eliminated and will seek instead to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
In Group B, the US Virgin Islands’ Jett Blaschka gained his first goal for the Qualifiers when he switched to the left side, calmly slotting into the goal when he cut back inboard. Earlier, Suriname, buoyed by their win over Ecuador, held firm in defence from the constant attacks by the Islanders. The same could be said for the second half, where they denied any further goals. Then, as the game drew to its end, Gleofilo Vlijter’s shot was too powerful for the goalkeeper, and both sides left with a point each.
Canada, needing their second win, hosted Ecuador. They got off to a flier as they bagged two goals by halftime via both strikers David Junior Hoilett and Jonathan David. However, Ecuador could not afford to lose a second away game, and Antonio Valencia pegged one goal back, before substitute Jhegson Méndez scored once again in the Qualifiers and the game ended 2-2. Canada now must win their final two games, also at home, hope that Ecuador lost their final two games at home, and make up a goal difference of eleven. Suriname still have a chance of qualifying, but it will come down to a comparison between them and nations in other groups. Guatemala, though having a bye this Match Day, have secured a top-two place and is sure to qualify, not having lost a match so far. Ecuador, though, should join them in the Copa America as they are likely to win their final two matches at home. As for the US Virgin Islands, they will rue their missed opportunity against Suriname and will look forward to the Nations League this time next year, as they have three away games remaining and will probably lose them all.
The battle for second place in Group H between Panama and the Dominican Republic was over with twenty minutes to go as Panama dominated much of the attack. Gabriel Torres scored his third goal for the Qualifiers after stealing the ball from his marking defender and slotting the goal with ease. Fidel Escobar, coming from his new position in right back, nearly scored Panama’s second, only to hit the post. Edgar Yoel Bárcenas had three shots for goal. His first two, either side of the break, missed the goal and then hit the post as well. Finally, Escobar found Bárcenas near the penalty spot. His little touch got him away from the defenders, and, like Torres, coolly snagged a goal. Newcomer midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla rounded out the match with a third goal right at the end, giving Panama a great chance at qualifying for the Copa America.
A penalty in both halves gave the Turks and Caicos Islands a real shot at defeating World Cup winners Colombia on home soil. Juan Cuadrado and Wilmar Barrios were the culprits as they were helping out the defence try and stop the attacking Islanders. Herby Magny popped the first penalty to the right of David Ospina. He then tried the same for the second penalty, only for Ospina to make that save and Magny’s follow-up shot. Radamel Falcao finally got Colombia on the scoresheet in the 77th minute, assisted by James Rodríguez. However, the score would remain at one-all, with the Turks and Caicos Islands players and coach celebrating as though they had qualified.
The Dominican Republic and Haiti still have a slim chance of qualifying, though Panama also have three games remaining. Winning one of them will deny the former nations the chance and almost ensure they reach the Copa America. Colombia will need to win their next match against the Dominican Republic and then defeat Panama on home soil to guarantee top spot and automatic qualification into the tournament. They are yet to lose a match, though their latest match have the team needing to reshuffle to give their first eleven a rest with all the games in recent months.
In Group I, Antigua and Barbuda needed a win against Honduras on home soil. They looked strong in attack, particularly when Leroy Graham led from right midfield and scored in the 18th minute. The Honduran defence held firm for the remainder of the half. In the second half, Jonathan Toro should have scored, only for his header to hit the post. Instead, it was Rigoberto Rivas who made sure the Hondurans gained a point, and surprisingly are yet to lose a match.
The South American showdown between Bolivia and Argentina saw Argentina repeat the 2-0 scoreline in their previous encounter. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring in the 39th minute after his defenders held firm against the Bolivian attacking style of the first half. From there, Argentina gained control of the match, with Dybala scoring a second after Lionel Messi’s shot smacked the crossbar. That meant Argentina had the full three points and now lie four points clear of Honduras, though Honduras have a game in hand.
Argentina is guaranteed a top-two spot, and is likely to qualify, having only lost one match and won the rest. Bolivia are in real danger of being perhaps the only South American side not to qualify, as they are four points behind Honduras and must win their final two matches to have any chance. Antigua and Barbuda now have no chance of qualifying, though the British Virgin Islands can theoretically qualify if they win their final three matches, Honduras loses their three, Bolivia only wins at most one and results in other groups go their way.
The battle for second place took place between El Salvador and Nicaragua in Group C. Nicaragua scored first, capitalising on their chances more via left back Francisco Flores. This made El Salvador step up to the plate, with strikers Denis Pineda and Rodolfo Zelaya both scoring headers in the second half. Three minutes later, the score became 3-1 as Pineda set up Zelaya in the box. He took one touch with his right before cutting the ball back slightly with his left, fooling the Nicaraguan goalkeeper.
Peru attacked Aruba relentlessly; however, the back five along with goalkeeper Eric Abdul and wayward shots managed to keep a Peruvian goal at bay. It took substitutes Jefferson Farfán and Raul Ruídiaz to break the deadlock. Farfán hit his 78th-minute goal first time after receiving the ball from Paulo Guerrero. Ruídiaz went on a little run and cut the ball back with his left into the net. A solo effort from Farfán rounded out a respectable 3-0 scoreline, though Aruba certainly held their own in defence for much of the match.
With that win, Peru have all but confirmed their qualification for the Copa America. El Salvador will have to win both matches, whereas Peru would have to lose both, and give up a goal advantage of nine. With two games left, Aruba have an outsider’s chance of coming second, though ten points may not be enough and may be classed as the lower two nations in second place. El Salvador, Nicaragua and Belize all have a chance to qualify. The latter two have a game in hand, which could prove pivotal.
It was a game of contrasting two halves between Guyana and the United States in Group D. Guyana had the better of the attack, with four shots on target to the Americans’ nil. Their best chance was a penalty given away by Deandre Yedlin on Trayon Bobb. Bobb’s penalty kick, however, flew straight to Brad Guzan, who coolly collected it and continued the play. In the second half, the United States took complete control of the match. Weston McKennie bagged a goal on his second shot right before the hour mark, with goal line technology showing the ball had crossed the line in spite of the defence’s best efforts. Paul Arriola then caught a low header after the Guyana goalkeeper parried the ball in his path. McKennie rounded out the match with his second goal, bouncing off the left-hand post and into goal.
Chile looked to take charge of their away match against Barbados. While the defenders focused on the Chilean attackers, central midfielder Eric Pulgar found himself free in front of goal in the nineteenth minute and slotted with his left boot. Barbados had some chances to equalise, only to miss every half-decent opportunity. Arturo Vidal then doubled the lead in the 80th minute, and Chile left the ground with a solid 2-0 victory.
Away wins for both the US and Chile have guaranteed their places as the top two sides in Group D. Both are likely to qualify, but it come down to goal difference as to who will automatically qualify and who will have to wait until all second-placed positions are finalised to confirm their place in the Copa America.
St Kitts and Nevis needed to lift themselves off the bottom of Group E with a win over Bermuda. Bermuda, however, scored first through left midfielder Willie Clemons. Straight away, his left midfielder counterpart, Yohannes Mitchum, replied, in almost the same fashion, scoring off a goalkeeping parry. The game was tight for the remainder of the match, until Zeiko Lewis scored Bermuda’s second and gave his side the full three points.
Paraguay were relentless in their first half against St Lucia, scoring three by the half-hour mark. Rodrigo Rojas opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a solo run and long-range shot. Miguel Almirón then headed the ball from a cross, easily finding the back of the net. Celso Ortiz made it three for the Paraguayans when his first shot was blocked, only for the ball to return to him. He then curled it around the other defender and the goalkeeper. In the second half, the hosts eased off until the latter stages, but a combination of great goalkeeping (thirteen saves in total for Vino Barclett) and woodwork shots denied Paraguay their fourth goal.
With each nation having two matches left, all sides have a chance of qualifying. Paraguay is almost guaranteed a top-two finish; St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago have to win both their games and make up a goal difference deficit of twelve and fifteen respectively for that not to transpire. Bermuda is the most likely nation to join Paraguay in either first or second place, as their final two matches are both home games. Whether or not they are good enough to qualify may come down to the final match against Paraguay.
Uruguay went one goal better than their away game earlier in the Qualifiers over Montserrat. Edison Cavani and Luis Suárez scored once again as they did in the last encounter. Earlier, Nahitan Nández got the ball rolling in the tenth minute with a beautiful shot from a tight angle. Federico Valverde rounded out the match when he ran for a while before snagging Uruguay’s fourth goal.
Jamaica’s side were worn out after their win against Uruguay when they faced Grenada. The altered starting eleven took a while to gel. When they did, Shamar Nicholson found his way to goal. However, Shavon John-Brown quickly replied, setting up a nervy final 21 minutes. Jamaica should have scored again but missed straightforward chances. The game ended one-all.
Qualification from Group F is a three-horse race, with Grenada dropping to third after Uruguay’s goal difference jump. They have one match remaining, hosting Uruguay on the final Match Day. That match will make or break Grenada. However, Jamaica and Uruguay both have a chance to secure the top spots with wins in the next Match Day as they host Montserrat and Anguilla respectively. Uruguay should gain a hefty goal difference over Anguilla and make it impossible for them to be overtaken by Grenada.
Neymar returned to the Brazilian side off the bench in the second half after his teammates had scored twice. Roberto Firmino’s shot was all about placement as he curled the ball around the Dominican goalkeeper. Philippe Coutinho followed up with an easy tap in straight after the break.
Curaçao altered their line-up in the hope of gaining their first win for the Qualifiers, already guaranteeing last place in Group G. Two goals in four minutes gave Curaçao the lead against St Vincent and the Grenadines. Rangelo Janga found his shot slide under the armpit of Dwaine Sandy and into the goal. Elson Hooi then followed up with a long-range shot. Curaçao maintained the pressure, which led to Jeremy de Nooijer’s second-half header off a corner, running from outside the box and hitting the ball so sweetly that Sandy had no hope in stopping it. Three goals cancelled out their previous encounter, and the home side left knowing they had their new line-up ready for the Nations League this time next year.
The other four nations can all qualify for the Copa America, though it seems likely that Brazil and Costa Rica will progress. However, Costa Rica, despite having a game in hand, have all these games on away soil, so it will be interesting to see if they can win against Curaçao and Dominica, and gain a respectable result against Brazil. Second place may be decided on the final Match Day against Dominica. St Vincent and the Grenadines must defeat Dominica and hope to gain a draw or win against Brazil. Dominica will hope to at least draw against St Vincent and hope for a win over Costa Rica in the last match of the group. Brazil will qualify with a win over Costa in the next Match Day.
Euro 2020 Qualifiers Match Day Seven took place this fortnight.
The Netherlands flew home from New Zealand (see the bottom of the article) to host Iceland, needing a win to close the gap to Turkey. The coach changed the line-up, including bringing Quincy Promes further up the right wing and returning Marten de Roon to the starting eleven on the left. This had an immediate impact as de Roon toyed with the Icelandic goalkeeper, before dribbling away from goal and passing to Promes. As he had done in their last encounter, Promes easily scored into the relatively open net. It was then de Roon’s turn to score, diving parallel to goal and guiding the ball with his head into a gap towards goal. Georginio Wijnaldum made it three goals soon after the break before substitute Ryan Babel returned to the side with a chip over the goalkeeper and gave the Dutch a comprehensive victory.
Latvia hosted Turkey in the slim hopes of gaining a point at least. Instead, Turkey found their way towards goal at the midpoint of the second half. A Turkish cross was missed by everyone. At the back post sat Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who headed home the winner. In the lead-up to the goal, Turkey peppered the Latvian goalkeeper, only to have him and his back four hold them at bay. Latvia only managed three shots on goal (all on target) after not finding any in the first half. This win puts Turkey clear on top of Group A.
Matêj Vydra picked on a late defensive error to bag a goal for the Czech Republic when they flew to Kazakhstan. Earlier, it seemed like offsides would be the dominant statistic as both defensive structures held firm. Maxim Fedin had a chance to score in the first half when the ball bobbled to him. The ball was saved, then nearly flew into goal as the Czech defence tried to clear it. In the second half, Kazakhstan ramped up the pressure, only to be denied access to goal by their opponent’s defence. Then, Vydra made the most of a poor touch and snagged a crucial winner for the Czechs.
Iceland now lie six points behind the Czech Republic, who have three home games remaining. The likelihood of catching them with three games left is tricky. Kazakhstan can also do the same, but again it is a very slim chance with results in other games having to go their way. Latvia cannot qualify and will look to bag a win in their final three games. Turkey and the Netherlands should qualify, even if the Czech Republic overtake them.
With the changes in starting teams, it seemed the game would be a low scoring one between Israel and Belgium for about the first forty minutes, with only Israel making Thibaut Courtois work hard in two vital saves. The deadlock broke when Eden Hazard touched a ball into goal after its initial shot. Munas Dabour pegged back the goal straight after the break, setting off a goal spree. Dor Peretz had a chance to score, hitting the post. Dabour tried from the rebound to find the goal from a tight angle, only for Courtois to save it. The ball bobbled to Peretz again, who shot, only to have Toby Alderweireld accidentally tap it into goal. On top of the world, Israel tried advancing once too often, leaving Belgium to counterattack and get back in the game. Kevin de Bruyne hit a cutback pass into the back of the net, before Hazard gained his second. Axel Witsel ensured three points and first place on the table went the way of the Belgians.
As they had done against Bosnia/Herzegovina, Andorra held the Welsh attack for 59 minutes. In the 60th minute, Tyler Roberts scored, running onto a through ball that sliced through an otherwise solid Andorran defence. Daniel James increased the lead twenty minutes later as he strode into the box and powered the ball home. A third failed to materialise, but Wales can find solace in another three points.
Bosnia/Herzegovina’s striker Edin Džeko returned to the side after his nation had only scored two goals in the last three matches. Cyprus, looking for their comeback in the group, were the better side for periods of the first half. However, Džeko gained a penalty with his tricky manoeuvres, collected by Ioannis Kosoulos. Instead of Haris Duljević taking the spot kick, Džeko stepped up and scored. After the break, he had a hat trick with five minutes left. His second goal was a header after the Cypriot goalkeeper was wrong-footed. Again, he used his height for the third goal to backtrack slightly and still get the ball on target and into the back of the net.
Belgium now sits two points ahead of Bosnia/Herzegovina and Wales. With one more win, and if Israel loses, they will be guaranteed a top-three finish, and likely to qualify. Wales host Bosnia/Herzegovina in the next Match Day, meaning if they can win that game, they are one step closer to qualification. A draw will keep the Bosnians above Wales thanks to goal difference. Israel must win two out their last three games to qualify for Euro 2020, and perhaps may need a draw from that third game as well. Cyprus, on the other hand, must win all three to have a shot. As for Andorra, this latest loss has meant they cannot qualify, as certain results will ensure thirteen points will not be enough to qualify.
North Macedonia kept their second place in Group C with a 2-1 win over Belarus. The game did not seem to be going anywhere until Enis Bardhi came from defensive midfield and scored with the final kick of the first half. He then set up Egzijan Alioski after the break, giving North Macedonia a vital two-goal lead and the attacker a strong welcome return to the starting eleven. Belarussian right midfielder Evgeni Yablonskiy pegged one back at the death, but that was all they could muster in a match dominated by the World Cup side.
A Michal Ďuriš header in additional time proved to be the difference between Slovakia and the Ukraine. Neither side could find a way into goal, especially in the first half when seven offsides dominated attacking play. Slovakia got the better of the Ukraine in the second half, winning more of the midfield play. That led to more pressure on the Ukrainian defence, and, which led to Ďuriš being unmarked.
Alvaro Morata, Fabián Ruiz and Rodrigo all scored when Spain flew to Luxembourg. The first period was played at around the quarter to halfway of the Luxembourg attacking area as Spain tentatively waited to hold off the hosts. When Luxembourg over-attacked, that was Spain’s chance, and they made no mistake. Morata scored with his left, before Ruiz followed suit from a similar area, but with his right boot. Rodrigo then caught onto a cross with his head to make it three. It could have been four goals, only for the Luxembourg defence to throw their bodies in front of shots at the death. Nevertheless, ten goals scored across two games is a content result for the Spaniards.
There are four teams that can still qualify from Group C, with the Ukraine, North Macedonia, Spain and Slovakia all in contention. Second place may be determined when Spain hosts North Macedonia. The last time these two nations met, they both scored four goals. Belarus have an outsider’s chance, though other results must fall their way. If Spain and North Macedonia win one more game, then it is curtains for Belarus. Luxembourg has no hope of qualifying and will look to show their best football in the final three games, as well as look forward to the Nations League.
Poland closed the gap between them and the Irish when they hosted the team from the island out west. Robert Lewandowski set up Krzysztof Piątek in a lovely display of timing his pass, and Piątek made no mistake. Lewandowski then hit the woodwork ten minutes later as the Polish took control of the first half. The second half was far tighter, with Lewandowski again hitting the woodwork with his header. Grzegorz Krychowiak also hit the post with his shot. At the other end, Ireland could have equalised, but it was Poland’s day as they grabbed a crucial second win.
Scotland also needed a win against Georgia. The hosts had two early shots, one that hit the woodwork and the other straight to the goalkeeper. However, Georgia scored first via Valeri Qazaishvili’s head. James Forrest replied just before the break, setting up the second half to be a tight contest. Georgia had two great chances to wrestle back the lead, before newcomer Johnny Russell muffed a quality opportunity. Scotland and Georgia both nearly scored at the death but the result remained one-all, in the same manner as last time these two met (two-all).
Germany swapped their side around for the away match against Gibraltar, including Manuel Neuer coming in after Marc ter Stegen let in two goals against Poland in their previous match. Two first-half goals set up the victory from Julian Brandt and a returning Marco Reus. Brandt’s goal came from a rebound off the post. Reus won the ball from the Gibraltar defenders and coolly slotted home for Germany’s second. Germany dominated the second half; however, they could not find a third.
Germany are now guaranteed a top-three spot and are likely to qualify based on the fact they have nineteen points thus far and an impeccable goal difference. Georgia needs one more win and for Poland and Scotland to lose to guarantee this as well. Ireland travel to Gibraltar, hoping for another win to consolidate third place and even encroach on second. Poland take on Georgia in the next Match Day, hoping to close that gap even further. Scotland have a slim chance of qualifying, but multiple results must go their way over the last three Match Days. Facing Germany will be tricky. A loss there will likely mean they cannot qualify.
Switzerland got out of jail with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over San Marino. Switzerland looked to have the goods at the beginning of the match, only for San Marino to score first via Nicola Nanni. Desperation overtook the Swiss as they searched for a crucial goal. It came straight after the break with a powerful shot by Breel Embolo. Switzerland could not find the winner until finally Haris Seferović was found free in the box from a curling cross and made no mistake. San Marino can hold their heads high that, over two legs, they scored the same amount of goals as the Swiss. Switzerland did change their line-up for this match after the significant loss to England, but perhaps they need to rethink the 3-4-3 formation.
England defeated Lithuania 4-1 away, as they had done at home to Switzerland in the last Match Day. England scored twice in the first nine minutes, first via Marcus Rashford with a deft backwards header out of reach of the Lithuanian goalkeeper. Declan Rice then stepped up to take a penalty that he himself won and cheekily toyed with the keeper. Lithuanian striker Deivydas Matulevičius had chances straight after both English goals, only to miss the mark. After the break, Matulevičius scored a brilliant individual goal, allowing the home side back into the game. However, from there, England ramped up the pressure, scoring twice more through Ross Barkley, in a similar goal to Rashford’s, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain capitalising on defensive errors.
Mihkel Ainsalu and Konstantin Vassiljev both scored early for Estonia as they sought to draw level on points with Slovenia. Ainsalu’s goal bounced off the post and into the goal, and Vassiljev’s shot was a sweetener that sent the crowd wild. With two such early goals, Estonia thought they could also close the gap in goal difference with their counterparts. Another goal would allow them to draw level. However, Slovenia steadied the ship, and with substitute Roman Bezjak scoring with his first touch on the ground, the final 29 minutes would be tight. Estonia still came away with the three points, and now sit in fourth based on that goal difference.
The issue for Estonia is they now have three away matches. They must gain more points than Slovenia to gain third place and have a chance at qualifying for Euro 2020. Slovenia next face San Marino away, while Estonia fly to England. San Marino have an outsider’s chance of still qualifying but must produce three high-quality games to do so. England, on the other hand, can effectively qualify with a win over Estonia. Switzerland, who faces Lithuania, must win and hope that Slovenia and Estonia both lose to progress to next year’s tournament. As for Lithuania, this fortnight’s loss to England at home effectively ends their campaign. On paper they can still qualify, but must win the unthinkable and score a great deal of goals in doing so.
Group F's Romania had most of the run of play in the first half against Northern Ireland. This led to firing a number of shots on target late in the half, but to no avail. However, straight after the break, Florinel Coman scored as he led onto a ball and tucked the ball under the advancing goalkeeper. Romania then switched off and Northern Ireland immediately replied via Stuart Dallas, powering from the edge of the box. From there, both sides had chances to win, particularly Romania, but it would not be, and the two sides drew 1-1 yet again.
Hungary went up a goal early against Finland as the hosts gave away an easy goal, without registering a single shot in the first half. Ádam Szalai opened the scoring, before the second half saw Dominik Szoboszlai score his second goal in as many games. Tim Sparv did peg one back for Finland, setting up a nerve-wracking ending to the match. But poor defence was the difference, and Hungary ran out 2-1 winners.
Greece hosted the Faroe Islands and quickly set about making the tone all about the Greeks winning. That started with Efthymios Koulouris’ looping header in the ninth minute. However, Hallur Hánsson capitalised on poor defence and snagged a goal for the visitors. A tight game ensued, with neither side gaining an advantage. That was until Koulouris found a way to goal. Sokratis Papastathopoulos then led onto a ball dead in front of goal and did not fail his teammates. From there, the 3-1 scoreline boosted Greece to the top of Group F.
That win has, in theory, guaranteed Greece a top-three spot in the group. There is the likelihood that can change if they lose all three games and Finland win all of theirs, and in the process gains a goal difference of seven. However, that is unlikely, and Greece can rest assured in the knowledge they are one step away from full qualification. Romania, drawing at home, will relish the chance to take on Finland in Finland and secure their place in the top three. Hungary flies to Greece in the hope of gaining first place above them. Finland, rueing the loss this fortnight, will have to win all three of their matches to have any hope, as well as other results to go their way. Northern Ireland can theoretically make it, though there is little hope for them. The Faroe Islands, meanwhile, must reset after having made the World Cup, only to have not won a single match in Euro 2020 Qualifiers. There is little doubt they will bounce back to the same level of their Round of 16 appearance.
Group G saw Austria win by two goals over Liechtenstein. Lukas Hinterseer scored for the visitors, before the hosts tried time and again to equalise. Marco Arnautović pounced on a choice save by the Liechtenstein goalkeeper and made the end result even more in favour of the Austrians.
France hosted Moldova, also winning by two goals. The scoreline should have been more if it were not for the Moldovan goalkeeper, as well as some high-quality defensive work. Kylian Mbappé had an attempt early, only hitting the woodwork. Instead, it was a return of Kingsley Coman that helped open the scoring. Towards the end of the half, Olivier Giroud powered home with the outside of his left foot, doubling the French lead. The home side looked ready to score more, only to not gain another goal, in spite of their best efforts.
Sweden took on the might of the Russians and gained an early goal via Robin Quaison, assisted by Player of the Match Albin Ekdal, and a low shot that was accurate enough to be out of reach of the goalkeeper. From there, Sweden dominated the match but could not find a second goal, even with Ekdal’s four attempts. However, they kept Russia from having a shot and will take that as a true test of their defence.
With that win, Sweden shift into second place. They have a solid run home, like Russia, with two home games. Sweden must defeat Austria in their next match. Not only will that consolidate their chances of qualifying, but will also send them top of the group. Austria will be aiming for a draw, though a win would almost guarantee their place in Euro 2020. France hosts Russia in a do-or-die match. If France wins, they will slide into the top three and hope their final two away matches yield favourable results. However, Russia will do everything in their power to deny France that opportunity, particularly after losing to Sweden. As for Moldova, they cannot make the top three, since either Russia or France will exceed thirteen points. Liechtenstein will seek to shake things up when they take on France and Sweden in the final two Match Days.
In the Inter-Nations League earlier in the fortnight, Ecuador faced off against Bahrain in Bahrain. The away side gained the lead when Antonio Valencia pocketed a penalty, hitting it straight, after goalkeeper Sayed Jaffer brought down Jefferson Orejuela despite the defence having won the ball off the Ecuadorian. From there, Ecuador controlled much of the match and Bahrain hardly looked like scoring, always shooting from long range or with defenders easily able to block the shots.
Bahrain then travelled to Vanuatu, hoping to exact revenge on drawing with the Pacific nation at home. However, Vanuatu had other ideas. Bill Nicholls opened the scoring for the hosts in the fourteenth minute. His run found him one-on-one with Jaffer, and as the goalkeeper approached, Nicholls fired the ball towards the opposite post, the ball swerving into the side netting. Tony Kaltak gained a goal in the 51st minute with his left boot from long range. Substitute Gordshem Dona then combined with Kaltak to score in additional time and give Vanuatu the ideal finish to their home games. They sit on four points, the same as Bahrain.
Fiji hosted England on the Tuesday, with England showing great prowess early. Raheem Sterling scored two goals by the 23rd minute, and it seemed England would romp home more netters. However, Fiji had other ideas. Patrick Joseph caught onto a through ball first time, out of reach of the English goalkeeper. Samuela Drudru then equalised just after the hour mark. With their backs against the wall, England worked back into the match and Callum Hudson-Odoi saved the game by scoring right at the death. 3-2 was the result, something the Fijian coach felt quite upbeat about.
That upbeat spirit continued in their match against Pakistan. Joseph scored in the fourth minute, setting up the tone of the match. However, Hassan Bashir did peg back the goal, winning in a one-on-one race to a through ball against the goalkeeper. Joseph replied immediately and Fiji restored their dominance, before Drudru capped off a wonderful game with a brilliant header. Fiji ended their home campaign on a high note and will now relish the chance to play away in Europe and Africa next year.
As for New Zealand, they managed to walk away from their match against the Netherlands with their heads held high, considering the loss the other week against Japan. The game looked to peter out to a scoreless draw when Luuk de Jong was present for a rebound off the post, coolly slotting home the winning goal.
© 2020 Steve Clark |
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Added on April 13, 2020 Last Updated on April 13, 2020 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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