New Zealand was Surman to Win, and then Egypt scored Tres-zeguet

 5/13ths of the World Cup

  

 

New Zealand's 1-1 draw with Iran was just enough to keep them apace with all their opponenets in Group G. Egypt were sure they would defeat Belgium until an own goal left their match a 1-1 draw. This was the fourth meeting between the two sides, with the only match that New Zealand walked away with anything was their first meeting in a 1999 friendly that finished 1-1. New Zealand were looking to make some of their own history. Unfortunately, Finn Surman would put New  Zealand up 1-0 in the first half which gave false hope to the OFC champions. Egypt came out in the second half with vengeance. Mostafa Zico tied the match in the 58th minute. Mohamed Salah would give the fans more to cheer about with his 67th minute strike to take the lead. The nail in the coffin would come courtesy of Trzeguet would would put Egypt up 3-1 for good. Egypt move to the top of the table while New Zealand found themselves in fourth. Both teams with everything to play for as no one has advanced or been eliminated.

 

 

Today's performance could have gone to the only player with a hattrick of picks in the Uruguay and Cape Verde draw. More impressive was the pick of Belgium and Iran drawing when everyone else had Belgium winning. These 5 points helped to amass 17 on the day. Congratulations Historicus.

 

Tomorrow Groups I and J play their middle matches of the Group Stage. Good luck to all contestants. One very tired Grand Salmon Alpaca is signing off.

 

 

 

Vozinha finally Beaten, but Cape Verde have His Back

 39/104ths of the World Cup

  

 

Uruguay had to chase their match against Saudi Arabia back to earn a 1-1 draw. Cape Verde held Spain to a scoreless draw thanks to their keeper Vozinha. The two sides met for the first time at this World Cup, both with dreams of advancing deeper into the championship.Kevin Pina would give Cape Verde the lead when he struck the first Cape Verdean goal at a World Cup. Maxi Araujo would tie the match for Uruguay at the 44th minute mark. Agustin Canobbio would give Uruguay their first lead of this tournament with a goal in the 6th minute of first half stoppage time. Helio Varela would save Cape Verde with is 61st minute equalizer. Both teams would find themselves on 2 points after their second match. Uruguay must survive against Spain during their last match, while Cape Verde look to knock off Saudi Arabia for a match in the Round of 32.

 

 

 

Nathan Ngoy tries to make things Fair against Iran, maybe too Fair

 19/52nds of the World Cup

  

 

Belgium and Iran have never played one another before. Both were entering this contest hoping for a better result than their opening day draws. Belgium have struggled to score with their lone goal being an own goal scored by Egypt. Iran scored two goals against New Zealand, but each time found theirselves chasing back the match. This encounter would finish a scoreless draw. The only action of particular note was Nathan Ngoy earning a red card in the 66th  minute. Iran failed to score in the ensuing 24 minutes pus stoppage time. Iran momentarily sit in first place followed by Belgium. The New Zealand and Egypt match could have a lot to say for the results of this group.

 

 

Spain came to Oyarzabal, Saudi Arabia did not

37/104ths of the World Cup 

 

 

First and foremost, to the Fathers, Happy Father's Day. To those whose Fathers are still with us, Happy Father's Day. To those whose Fathers have moved on from our world, Happy Father's Day.

 

Spain are coming off their scoreless draw against Cape Verde. They know to have their chance at winning the World Cup, they'd need a better result against Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are hoping to carry the momentum from their 1-1 draw with Uruguay. In 3 prior matches, Spain have come away the victors each time, including a 1-0 victory at the 2006 World Cup. Lamine Yamal would finally make his impact felt in the 10th minute to give Spain the 1-0 lead. From that point, they did not look back. Mikal Oyarzabal would score a brace with goals in the 21st and 24th minutes to take a 3-0 lead into the break. Saudi Arabia would score a goal, but unfortunately for Hassan Altambakti, his 49th minute goal would be into his own net to give Spain the 4-0 advantage, and ultimately the match. Spain momentarily move into first place, and Saudi Arabia fall to fourth.

 

 

Japan find the Ueda to Eliminate Tunisia

 9/26ths of the World Cup

 

 

Tunisia's loss to Sweden 1 goal to 5 left the team in turmoil. Head Coach Sabri Lamouchi was fired after only his 5th match in charge. Enter Herve Renard for his third appearance at a World Cup. He lead Morocco to the 2018 World Cup where they finished bottom of the group, and Saudi Arabia to the 2022 World Cup where they also finished bottom of the group. Tunisia were in desperate need of a win to not finish bottom of the group, though it would be hard to place all the blame on Herve Renard. Japan were riding the high of coming back twice to draw Netherlands at 2 goals apiece. A win here would put them in contention for Group Winners, and leave them with more points than Sweden for an automatic spot in the Round of 32. Japan would start quickly with a goal in the 4th minute by Daichi Kamada. Ayase Ueda would double the lead in the 31st minute infuriating Tunisia's coach Renard. The second half would also fall to Japan with a goal by Junya Ito at the 69th minute, and capped off by a second goal from Ayase Ueda in the 83rd minute. Japan sit 2nd in Group F with all to play for in their final match against Sweden. Tunisia join Haiti and Turkiye as teams eliminated after their second match day of the Group Stage.

 

 

  

Two competitors picked Germany to be victorious over Cote d'Ivoire  by the score of 2 goals to 1. Only one of those competitors managed to earn 26 points, cutting their deficit to second place from 5 points to 1, and to first place from 20 points to 6. Congratulations Praeceptor on the performance of the day.

 

 Four more matches on Sunday as groups H and G sort themselves out further. Both groups saw all teams finish in draws, sitting with 1 point each. To the victors go the spoils, may you pick the right outcomes.

 

 

 

Cura-WOW! Ecuador Held to a Draw

 35/104ths of the World Cup

 

 

Ecuador's loss to Cote d'Ivoire left them hungry for a win. Curacao's thrashing at the hands of Germany left them looking to prove they belong at the World Cup. The shortest distance between the two countries is 1,070 miles, and yet they have never played one another before. Ecuador dominated the match in all the major statistics except one. They could not finish with more goals than Curacao. The 90 minute stalemate earns Curacao their first World Cup point and leaves them with a slim opportunity to escape the Group Stage. Ecuador sit ahead of Curacao only thanks to a better goal differential. They will be hard pressed to move further in the tournament without a victory. Their hardest test will be against Germany, while Curacao will fight for their lives against Cote d'Ivoire.