Match 1: Denmark vs Australia
The Danes were angry. Filing out of the Samara Arena, Denmark fans were unsmiling, quiet and irritated by the singing of the Australian fans.
The Danes and Peruvians had looked on their first-up clash as the big one, the game that would decide who goes through in second place after France. Denmark had won so they believed the hard part was done.
When Australia started nervously, too defensively, and Christian Eriksen thumped in a superb opening goal, the game seemed to be following the script, as far as the Europeans were concerned anyway.
But gradually, patiently, Australia took control. With the VAR decision in Australia’s favor, Mile Jedinak converted a penalty to keep alive the Socceroos’ narrow hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup. The goal canceled out Christian Eriksen’s amazing seventh-minute opener but even after Australia could not capitalize on their second-half dominance. Their progress depends on them beating Peru and the result of the other Group C game going their way.
Man of the match: Mile Jedinak
Match 2: France vs Peru
Thirty-six years is a long time to wait to be eliminated from the World Cup without scoring a goal. It was surely not the expectation of the tens of thousands of Peruvian fans who brought their banners, their inflatable llamas and their seemingly unsinkable enthusiasm to Russia to cheer on their team in its first World Cup appearance since 1982. Like Schmeichel on Saturday, Lloris certainly played his part in spoiling Peru’s moment. He was excellent when needed most, making a crucial save in the 31st minute on a low, hard shot from Peru’s star forward Paolo Guerrero.
It was captain versus captain, and Lloris prevailed at close range on a night and in a World Cup when the defense has often prevailed. Kylian Mbappe’s first-half strike helped France overcome – and eliminate – a resilient Peru to earn a spot in the knockout round of the World Cup.
Ricardo Gareca’s side, buoyed on by their passionate support inside the Ekaterinburg Arena, came alive in the second half after falling behind in the 34th minute but ultimately could not find the equalizer that would have prevented their exit.
Monaco’s Mbappe was the player to punish the Peruvians when he tapped in Olivier Giroud’s deflected shot, coming after a period of France dominance.
But even if the French have not been taking this World Cup by storm, they are still very much in contention in this World Cup.
The Peruvians can no longer say the same, and after the final whistle on Thursday, Guerrero, who had fought and won a legal battle to play here after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine, burst into tears. Devastated, he covered his face with his jersey for several minutes as players like Matuidi and his Peru teammates tried to console him.
Man of the Match- The 19 year old kid that shook the world!
Match 3: Argentina vs Croatia
Jorge Sampaoli held his head in his hands. Lionel Messi stared at the floor. The rest of the Argentina players were speechless, standing with hands on hips and gazing aimlessly into space as wild Croatia celebrations broke out all around.
The entire Argentinean Striking armada was humbled by the Croatian defense and the Amazing Luca Modric was the Star of the match.
In the upset that left the entire world thinking that- “Is this the Goat they saw on the cover of PAPER Magazine?”
Messi’s Performance in this world cup says otherwise. And he is seen to be a bit humbled by the Stellar performance put up by his rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi was usually seen away from the ball the entire match. When the ball was on Left wing, He was seen walking along the right flank.
To put an extraordinary evening into some sort of context, this was Argentina’s heaviest defeat in the group stage of a World Cup since losing 6-1 to Czechoslovakia in 1958. It is also the first time they have failed to win either of their opening two matches at a World Cup for 44 years. Sampaoli’s players, in other words, were creating history here – just not the sort of history that Messi had in mind when he came out of international retirement two years ago.
Argentina’s descend into such a sorry mess, encapsulated by the sight of Willy Caballero, who made his first competitive start for his country on Saturday, making the sort of blunder that will live with him forever. Ante Rebic was the grateful recipient of a dreadful pass that sent Sampaoli, who must have covered more yards than some of his players as he paced up and down the touchline in a blind panic, into a meltdown.
Messi is so often the scapegoat when Argentina lose, yet Sampaoli will not escape the fallout this time. His decision to keep faith with Caballero – something that one reporter told him 40 million Argentinians could not understand – badly backfired and it was also a huge gamble to dispense with a four-man defense and set up with a back three instead. A huge gamble that spectacularly failed.
Argentinian defense, Let’s just say Iran and Morocco has seen a better defense than this particular “FOOTBALLING SUPERPOWER”
Lionel Messi’s dream of taking his country to World Cup glory lies in tatters.
Argentina Last lost to a 3 plus goal difference to Czechoslovakia and now to Croatia.
‘Kryptonite’ is written with a C in Spanish.
Man of the Match- The other humble LM10- LUKA MODRIC
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