FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (UPDATES)

 

HIGHLIGHTS (4 MATCHES)

SWITZERLAND VS MOROCCO

Breel Embolo’s goal lifted Switzerland to a 1-0 win over Cameroon at the World Cup on Thursday and he kept his promise not to celebrate scoring against the country where he was born. The Swiss forward from Yaounde struck with a right-foot shot in the 48th minute, standing all alone eight meters (yards) out in the middle of the goalmouth to take Xherdan Shaqiri’s low pass. Cameroon’s streak of losses at World Cup finals tournaments extended to eight games dating back to 2002.

URUGUAY VS SOUTH KOREA

Uruguay hit the post twice but couldn't break down South Korea's defence as both teams played out a pulsating 0-0 draw in a Group H clash at the Education City Stadium. Diego Godin rattled the post with his header in the first-half, before Federico Valverde's effort crashed the crossbar. South Korea, too, had plenty of openings but couldn't find the back of the net. South Korea started the game with plenty of pressing in the first 45, before Uruguay started to dictate tempo after the break. Hwang Ui-jo had the biggest opportunity for Korea but he had blazed his effort just over the bar. Darwin Nunez had a couple of cracks in front of the goal but dragged his effort wide. In the second-half, South Korea heavily relied on the counters but failed to create something major.

PORTUGAL VS GHANA

Portugal got their World Cup campaign up and running with a 3-2 win against Ghana as quick-fire goals from Joao Felix and Rafael Leao helped them to victory at Stadium 974.Cristiano Ronaldo put his side ahead in the 65th minute -- after leaving Manchester United by "mutual agreement" earlier in the week -- with a penalty which made him the first male player to score at five World Cups. Ghana also showed great resilience as Andre Ayew scored in the 73^rd minute and another goal in the 89^th minute by Osman Bukhari’s header brought some late nerves for both the teams but in the end Portugal crossed the finish line victorious.

BRAZIL VS SERBIA

Richarlison scored a second-half brace as Brazil swept aside Serbia to register a 2-0 win in a Group G match at the Lusail Stadium. After failing to break the Serbian defence for more than an hour, Richarlison scored twice in eleven minutes (62’, 73) to hand Brazil a comfortable win in the end. Vinicius Jr was involved in both the goals. Brazil had hit the post multiple times during the match, while Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had also made some decent saves before Brazil turned up the heat in the second-half. However, Serbia didn't offer much up top as Alexander Mitrovic and Co. struggled to make any meaningful impact

UPCOMING MATCH PREVIEW (4 MATCHES)

WALES VS IRAN

At the World Cup, Wales and Iran have had very different starts. In their first match, Iran suffered a 2-6 humiliation against England, whereas Wales managed to salvage the draw in the match against the United States. With no wins to their backs, this is going to be a virtual knockout for both teams. Following their late comeback against the USA, however, Wales should be more confident going into the match. Iran will aim to put on a much better performance after being dismantled from England. While their attack looked good at times, their defense exposed them. The Iranian team will have to put on a compact defensive display otherwise it will be a long match.

QATAR VS SENEGAL

The hosts Qatar will take on Senegal on Friday at the Al Thumama Stadium. Both teams are looking for their first FIFA World Cup 2022 win. In the first game of the World Cup, the hosts Qatar lost to Ecuador 2-0, which was the worst thing that could have happened. The Asian champions were outplayed the whole game and didn’t look like they belonged on the world’s biggest stage. Senegal also lost to the Netherlands by a score of 2-0. Cody Gakpo and Davy Klassen scored late goals to give the Dutch all three points. The African champions played just as well as the European champions for most of the game, but Edouard Mendy made two mistakes in the goal.Both teams lost their previous games, which put them behind in Group A. This made Friday’s game a must-win for both teams. Both teams are already playing catch-up, but they would still have everything to play for if they both won their last group games.

NETHERLANDS VS ECUADOR

Netherlands and Ecuador can almost guarantee a place in the next round of the World Cup if they get the three points from Friday's clash in Qatar. Netherlands left it late to beat Senegal in their first match of the competition, with Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen firing them to three points in the last 10 minutes. Ecuador, on the other hand, were dominant against tournament hosts Qatar in the opening game of the tournament, with Enner Valencia the star of the show.

ENGLAND VS USA

Gareth Southgate will be pleased with his team’s first match in FIFA World Cup 2022, a 6-2 victory, which is exactly how he intended them to begin following a string of criticism for their poor outcomes. England demonstrated why they are among the tournament favorites with a dominant showing and will endeavor to improve on this performance. Individually skilled players have shown cooperation and will remain cohesive in other contests as well.  After drawing with Wales, the United States require a desperate win. They posed a threat, but tenacious Wales found a way to keep them at bay. USA now face a daunting job in their next match. Although the USA have never succumbed to England in the World Cup, they will have to give their life and soul on Friday if they are to prolong this record.

As time passes and all the teams gets ready for their second battle, the tournament gets more intense and to get all the updates just stay tuned with me. Thanks for reading.