Oh, my paws and whiskers! I'm late, I'm late!
Day 8
Group E
Japan v Costa Rica (Result: 0-1 )
On the face of it, this should have been a walkover for Japan, especially on the back of their shock victory over Germany, and they had their first attack on 12 minutes but the ball shot across the box, nobody there to turn it in. Costa Rica had their own spell of pressure in the 34th but again it came to nothing. Good shot though as the second half began as the Japanese came close, but the keeper saved. Another shot on 56 minutes but well wide from Japan. A free kick in the 70th minute gave them a chance to really open up what had been till then a pretty cagey match, odd, given the opposition, Germany surely wondering how they got beaten by this team. Twice the kick came back off the wall and again no score.
There’s no doubt the Japanese had the best of the play, but their pressure came to nothing when Costa Rica, rather to everyone’s surprise, finished on 80 minutes after Japan had lost the ball, a nice shot from well outside the box and into the bottom corner of the goal. Japan were up against it now. They came close on 87 minutes but the ball bounced around, at one point it looked like it might have crossed the line but no, the keeper smothered it. Costa Rica held on to emulate their opponent, beating Japan who had never been expected to beat Germany. A good one for the bookies no doubt.
Spain v Germany (Result: 1-1)
I don’t think anyone expected Spain to run riot as they did against Costa Rica: this was unlikely to be a seven-nil thriller, not with Germany desperate to retrain their place, and the game was a little cautious for the first 30 minutes or so, when Spain went close but it looked to be offside anyway. A corner in the 35th was cut out by Germany, A long shot up the field from the keeper sent Spain on their way again and earned them a free kick, but they passed it around too much and Germany got possession. They weren’t able to do anything with it though, but then their keeper booted it long too, this resulting in another foul and another free kick, this time for Germany.
They capitalised on their free, nodding it into the net and sending Germany into the lead, or so they thought. Again VAR came into the picture and the goal was chalked off. Even at that, Spain still seemed the more likely to score as half-time loomed. They did seem to be squandering those chances though, as another long punt up the field, another foul, and another free kick gave Germany another attempt on goal. Still no score though.
Unfortunately my TV decided I didn’t really need to see this match and did not record it, and some idiot uploaded the highlights of the same two matches to the player, so I couldn’t even download it. Into a weird world of YouTube highlights I went, watching what seemed to be at one point the match sped up about three times normal speed, another where Germany seemed to score in the 15th minute (I watched part of the BBC replay of the full match and saw it was goalless at the break, so that can’t be right), another one where Germany were for some reason playing in green and white (so it obviously was not them) and several where someone seemed to have recreated the match using the FIFA 2023 game. Very weird. So all I can tell you is that it was a draw, and that I feel like I’ve been through footballing’s version of the Looking Glass.
Group F
Belgium v Morocco (Result: 0-2)
Belgium intended to cement their place and progress into the round of sixteen as they faced Morocco, and must not have been too worried, though we’ve seen this World Cup serve up some surprises. They went close twice between 18 and 20 minutes, Morocco having a go a moment later but shooting well wide. You wouldn’t call it end to end but it wasn’t one-sided as it could have been either, Morocco determined to give a good account of themselves. And they certainly did, scoring from a free kick in the dying seconds of the first half. Or did they? The answer is no: the goal was ruled offside.
Their disappointment did nothing to quench their enthusiasm and their belief they could get something out of the game, and they came close again in the 56th minute. Belgium seemed to be having a harder time of it than they should have had, and things got harder for them as Morocco got a corner and this time it just went right in without any need of assistance, and Morocco were ahead. Incredibly they scored again in extra time, and Belgium were done. Another shock, which just shows that you never can predict what’s going to happen in the beautiful game.
Croatia v Canada (Result: 4-1 )
On a day of surprise victories for underdog teams, could Canada provide another shock and take Croatia? Well yes, it seemed so. In the first minute Canada broke away and scored a bullet of a header, giving them a dream start. Keeping up the pressure on a shell-shocked Croatia, Canada tried to force their advantage before the Croatians could come to terms with being one goal down so early, or indeed at all. It wasn’t long, of course, before they had their own shot on goal, and in the 6th minute they shot but the keeper saved. A Canadian player left on the ground roaring in pain was, well, left on the ground roaring in pain: the ref ignored the incident and VAR obviously didn’t see it, or thought it unworthy of another look. Canada went close again in the 8th minute but were cut out; it was offside anyway.
Croatia definitely started to come back into the match from about 20 minutes on, and they had a decent chance but there was no power in the shot and it just rolled into the keeper’s hands. Croatia kept Canada out, and had another decent shot, this time ending up in the net but ruled offside as the match headed into the 25th minute. Going behind seemed to have put some needed life into the Croatian side, and they passed the ball well and finally got their goal in the 36th minute to level the game and silence the Canadians. And no doubt you could have heard a pin drop back in Alberta, Quebec, Toronto as Croatia scored again as the first half drew to a close.
Perhaps it was Canada’s inexperience showing, the euphoria of being at their first World Cup, allied to the delight of scoring first and so early against such a big team, but they seemed deflated once the Croatians went ahead and offered nothing in the second half, Croatia fully in control now, almost adding a third in the 50th minute and again in the 54th. Could have been four up by then. A free kick for the Canadians in the 62nd minute bounced harmlessly off the wall, the kick pretty poor really. Croatia made sure in the 70th minute with a superb cross, a lovely volley and that was that. Still time for one more from Croatia in extra time, sealing their deserved victory. After a valiant effort, and with their heads held high, Canada go out of their first World Cup, but at least they’re not the first to go.