It was a day of disappointments. For two giants had a fact check today about how strong their respective teams are.
Match 1 Costa Rica vs Serbia
With Costa Rica proving a tough nut to crack, Kolarov stepped up to bury a 25-yard effort from wide on the right, lighting up an otherwise tight game.
After a furious start in which Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic had a header scooped off the line and Costa Rica’s Giancarlo Gonzalez failed to convert two headed chances, the match settled into a more predictable pattern. Serbia bossed the ball as their enterprising midfield by fusing the experienced Matic and the raw talent of Milinkovic-Savic.
After a total of 30 Fouls and 4 yellow cards, Serbia Won.
Man of the Match: The guy who sweared at Matic and started the brawl, that too against the SERBS.
Match 2 GERMANY VS MEXICO
In a tense, hectic match that would make anybody shake from the nerves, El Tri bent but did not break in the second half, withstanding chance after chance from the European giants for arguably its greatest World Cup victory ever.
Germany being thwarted by the unexpected Mexicans while they Jarabe all the way to the top of the table. Mexico showed the entire world and the German armada that it will just take sheer will and an amazing defense for the German team to fall.
According to me, as I have said time and again, Neuer should be the one on the bench. not Trapp and Ter Stegen.
Okay okay, I have nothing against Neuer. He is the best at whatever he does and boy he entertains but NO and an injured lion is not someone I would put on a field while going full for the countries glory. For he has been benched for 10 whole months before the world cup and Trapp and Ter Stegen won their clubs the respective leagues. And the disappointing loss against Austria might have taught Joachim Low to stop his favoritism for the man. Apparently not.
Watching the entire match reminded me of 2014 UEFA Champions League Final. Atletico Madrid played a similar game where more they went all defense when the mighty real Madrid Strikers attacked. and the moment they cleared the ball, they cleared it so up the field and placed two men there. For then all they had to do was get clear of a man or two and score. This tactic seemed to work more often today. but not many had expected results.
Lozano scored the lone goal in the 35th minute, picking up Javier Hernandez’s pass inside the penalty area and beating Mesut Ozil before shooting past Manuel Neuer from 10 yards. A massive, world-shaking goal that Lozano said after the match was the most important of his young, sparkling career. After the match, Lozano put all the praise on his coach Juan Carlos Osorio.
Guillermo Ochoa was huge in goal for El Tri as well, making save after save to keep the mighty Germans out. Germany had 60 percent of the possession, 25 shots, nine on target, yet couldn’t crack El Tri’s defense. GERMANY became the third defending champion in the last 16 years to lose its opening match at the World Cup.
El Tri, as the team is known, has lost in the round of 16 every four years since 1994. This year, the El Tri are in prime position to end the hex.
25 fouls 4 Yellow Cards
Man of the Match: Ochoa not keeping a Man-Bun because the Man knows.
Match 3 Brazil Vs Switzerland
Brazil came out with confidence soaring high. For they would not be tamed by the these Switzerland. The came out with an attitude that screamed-
“We are the country of Football. We gave the world- Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Zico, PELE! We won’t be threatened by some country of Chocolate, Watches, and Cheese.”
But Boy oh boy were they wrong.
It seemed like Neymar’s off night would be of little importance, however, when Philippe Coutinho sent a gorgeous, curling shot off the goalpost and into the net in the 20th minute to give Brazil a lead that it seemed eager to build upon.
But with a disciplined defensive showing, Switzerland held firm. And in the 50th minute, Magic Happened. Steven Zuber nodding a ball past Alisson from right in front of the net!
The mighty Brazillian defense just stood there looking at the referee to acknowledge the shoving.
Hoping to avoid becoming the first Brazilian squad since 1978 to fail to win its World Cup opener, the South Americans steadily cranked up the pressure and peppered the Switzerland goal with shots, finishing with 21 shots to Switzerland’s 6. But too few (five) of Brazil’s shots were on target, and Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer came up with several impressive stops. Switzerland looked organized and compact just like the knives they are quite popular for.
31 fouls 4 Yellow Cards.
Man of the Match: Behrami cheekily smiles after receiving a Yellow card for tackling Neymar to the ground.
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