Beginning with the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and a thrilling Last 16 encounter on Saturday, where France have beaten Argentina 4-3, to reach the Quarterfinals of the Tournament.

Kylian Mbappe was the Star of the French Victory, as he scored 2 goals, and also Earned a Penalty for his Side. The explosive 19-year-old netted France’s 3rd Goal in the 64th minute, and Sealed the WIN 4 minutes later, with a cool finish.

Benjamin Pavarr also netted a fine strike for France, after Antoine Greezmann’s 13th Minute Penalty had opened the Scoring. France will next play the Winners of the game between Portugal and Uruguay in the Last 8.

It was the moment that Colombia had prayed for and, when it came, the release of emotion was overwhelming. South America’s second most populous nation needed a win to make sure of their place in the last 16, even though a draw would actually have sufficed in the end because of Poland’s surprise 1-0 win over Japan.

Colombia wanted to make sure themselves and they did so when Yerry Mina rose to meet Juan Quintero’s whipped corner in the 74th minute. When the towering centre-half rises in such areas, the alarm bells ring loudly and, just as he had done in Colombia’s restorative 3-0 win over Poland in the previous game, he thumped home his header.

The result, coupled with that in the other tie, meant that Colombia advanced as the Group H winners into a last-16 showdown with England or Belgium. The delight was etched into every pore of José Pekerman’s players, who performed a team dance after the goal. Up in the stands, the great Carlos Valderrama led the celebrations.

Poor Senegal. They had dominated the first half, without managing to extend David Ospina in the Colombia goal, and their performance was marked by sound tactics, organisation and aggressive pressing – together with speed on the counterattack.

But the roof fell in on them after Mina’s goal and, in the end, they were squeezed into third place and out of the competition on yellow cards accumulated, having finished level with Japan on points, goal difference and goals scored. Two bookings was all the difference. Each of Africa’s five representatives has now exited at the group phase.

The stadium was swathed in bright yellow – it really was a Colombian takeover – and the noise was deafening from the first whistle until a sudden gasp and silence on 17 minutes. Senegal thought they had a penalty and it would have been just reward for a pacy and positive opening.

The referee, Milorad Mazic, pointed to the spot, after Davinson Sánchez had jumped into a challenge on Sadio Mané, even if the decision looked harsh in real time. Enter VAR and it quickly became apparent that, although the Colombia defender might have brushed Mané’s shin first, he clearly took the ball. To immense Colombian relief, Mazic reversed the decision.

Mané had found the space off the shoulder of Sánchez to glide on to the through-ball and it had to be said it is not always a good look for a central defender to have to dive back into a last-ditch slide tackle.

Aliou Cissé had started with Mané up front alongside the powerful and direct M’baye Niang in a 4-4-2 formation and the movement of both strikers caused problems. Mané looked to have the beating of every Colombia defender and it was an uncomfortable first half for Colombia, as Senegal imposed themselves.

In the previous round of matches, Poland had sat off Colombia and allowed them to play. José Pekerman’s team duly did and the victory was transformative. Previously, the mood in Colombia had been heavy on negativity – and that went back to before the opening group tie against Japan.

Senegal were not going to make the same mistake. Mané was electric when he had the ball and it was an exhilarating sight for the small knots of Senegal fans, one group of which stepped a couple of paces to one side and then back to the other in perfect harmony, when he tore into dangerous areas. He looked as though he would make something happen. On the other hand, there was disappointment for Senegal at half-time in the failure to create any clear-cut opportunities.

Colombia could point to a 12th minute free-kick from Juan Quintero that bounced awkwardly in front of Khadim Ndiaye, forcing the goalkeeper to push it round for a corner, but they were disjointed and strangely passive before the interval.

A hammer blow for them had come on 31 minutes when James Rodríguez was forced off. The attacking midfielder – the pin-up boy from their bolt to the quarter-finals of the last World Cup – had carried a calf injury into the tournament and he did not look fit. He touched the ball only 15 times and, when he slumped to the turf, it was in obvious frustration. He walked straight off down the tunnel.

German football fans wiped away tears of despair and disappointment in Berlin on Wednesday, as they watched their national football team eliminated from the 2018 World Cup by South Korea in their final group match of the tournament.

South Korea managed to end their tournament with glory as they eliminated the former World Cup champions with a 2-0 win.

South Korea’s first goal was initially declared offside but a VAR review sealed Germany’s fate as the referee handed a goal to South Korea after revision.

Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s ill-timed attack assistance backfired when South Korea managed to score its second goal and sent Germany out of the World Cup in a shock defeat.

(Source: Ruptly)

Argentina great Diego Maradona insisted he was “fine” after needing medical treatment in the wake of his nation’s win over Nigeria.

Maradona, who threatened to steal the show with his antics in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, was seen being treated by paramedics after Argentina moved into the last 16 thanks to a dramatic 2-1 victory.

© getty

Amid concerns over his health, the 1986 World Cup winner denied being taken to the hospital, and revealed he was told to leave at halftime.

Maradona, 57, wrote on Facebook that he was fine after suffering from a sore neck.

© getty

“I want to tell everyone that I am fine, that I am not, nor was I, hospitalised,” he wrote.

“At half-time of the game against Nigeria, my neck hurt a lot and I suffered a decompensation.

© getty

“I was checked by a doctor and he recommended that I leave before the second half, but I wanted to stay because we were playing for everything. How could I leave?

“I send a kiss to everyone. Thanks for the support.”

© getty

Maradona was seen dancing, celebrating and sleeping before offering middle-finger salutes to fans after Marcos Rojo’s 86th-minute winner.

Argentina will face France in Kazan in the last 16 on Saturday.

Culled from msn sports

Argentina and Lionel Messi scraped into the knockout stages of the World Cup by the skin of their teeth on Tuesday after an 86th minute strike from defender Marcos Rojo gave them a barely deserved 2-1 win over Nigeria, eliminating the African side.

The twice World Cup champions will face France in the last 16 while Croatia, who advance as winners of Group D with the maximum nine points after beating Iceland 2-1, will take on Denmark.

Nigeria were just minutes away from progressing before central defender Rojo superbly volleyed home a Gabriel Mercado cross from the right.

As the drama unfolded in St Petersburg, Iceland were simultaneously fighting with all their Nordic might for a win over the Croats in Rostov-on-Don that could have sent them through. The Argentines, however, had enough on their plate with a feisty Nigeria to worry about results elsewhere.

Messi had put them ahead in the 14th minute, with a fabulously taken goal but the Africans equalised through a Victor Moses penalty in the 51st minute.

Culled from Presstv

The France and Denmark men’s national football teams have played out an uninspiring goalless draw in their final 2018 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup Group C match.

French and Danish soccer players rarely threatened each other’s goalposts during the fixture at the Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital city of Moscow on Tuesday as chances for either side were few and far between.

Both teams were just happy to sit back and earn the point as they had already advanced to the knockout stage.

It was the first scoreless match of the tournament after 36 games.

The France men’s national football team, nicknamed Les Bleus (The Blues), will take on the runner-up of Group D in the round of 16, while Danish Dynamite will next face that group’s winner.

During the official 2018 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony at Kremlin State Palace in the Russian capital city of Moscow on December 1 last year, the host nation, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay were put in Group A in the preliminary round of the tournament.

The Iran men’s national football team, nicknamed Team Melli, has joined Portugal’s A Selecção, Spain’s La Furia Roja and Atlas Lions of Morocco.

France is drawn in Group C, and is pitted against Australia, Peru and Denmark.

Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria are drawn in Group D.

Group E consists of Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia.

While the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea shape Group F, Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England are in Group G.

Group H has Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 14 to July 15. Russia opened the event against Saudi Arabia in a Group A fixture at Luzhniki Stadium. The hosts won the match 5-0.

A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities. Source: Presstv

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was fortunate to escape a red card despite a VAR review following an elbow in Monday’s 1-1 draw at the World Cup.

Portugal will face Uruguay in the last 16 after advancing as runners-up of Group B, but Queiroz insisted Ronaldo deserved to be sent off for catching Iran defender Morteza Pouraliganji with an elbow to the face.

“I don’t want to talk too much, it’s about my country and a player. I know it’ll be a war against me,” said Queiroz, who coached his native Portugal at the 2010 World Cup. “But the reality is you stopped the game for VAR, there is an elbow. An elbow is a red card in the rules. In the rules it doesn’t say if it is (Lionel) Messi or Ronaldo…”

It was a busy evening for the video assistant referee in Saransk as two penalties were awarded upon review, on top of the Ronaldo altercation.

“We accepted human mistakes before, that was part of the game. Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes and referees make mistakes,” said Queiroz. “But now you have one system that cost a fortune. It’s high-tech with five, six people inside and what happens? Nobody takes responsibilities.”

He further said, “We need to be like rugby. When there is a decision by VAR I need to know what the referee is saying to them, people need to know what is going on.”

“So in my opinion, Mr. Infantino and FIFA, everybody agreed that VAR is not going well,” he added. “That’s the reality, there’s a lot of complaints.”

Ricardo Quaresma struck a brilliant opening goal with a trademark curling effort using the outside of his right foot on the stroke of half-time.

Ronaldo had the chance to double the lead with a penalty five minutes into the second half after he was upended by Saeid Ezatolahi, but his effort was save by Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand.

Portugal defender Cedric was then penalized in stoppage time for a handball, and Karim Ansarifard converted from the spot to give Iran a lifeline.

Mehdi Taremi nearly snatched a dramatic winner after a deflected shot rolled into his path, but he fired into the side netting as Iran were eliminated in agonizing fashion.

Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure after failing to add to his four-goal tally at the Mordovia Arena, suffering the same penalty misfortune as Lionel Messi earlier in the competition.

“I understand, it’s normal. The best players in the world face that when there isn’t an opportunity to really make it happen,” said Portugal boss Fernando Santos. “That hurts a lot more to them than to other players. They always want to win. They want to be the best and refuse to fail, and when they fail they get very upset.”

Santos said he thought the referee made the right decision in terms of the Ronaldo flashpoint.

“No I wasn’t concerned (about a red card), it seemed like a normal thing in the match. The referee did what he had to do,” he added. “He went to the VAR twice or three times, he considered two penalties and one yellow card. I’d have to watch it again to talk about it, but I think the VAR did its job.”

A late equalizer from Iago Aspas that earned Spain a 2-2 draw with Morocco pushed the European champions down into second place.

“To us what is important is to be in the last 16 and we want to carry on in this tournament,” Santos said. “Uruguay have high quality and top-notch players. They’re excellent but Portugal are too and we’re going to try and find a way to win.”

• (Source: AFP)

Colombia’s World Cup campaign roared back into life with a 3-0 win over Poland in Group H on a sweltering evening at the Kazan Arena which sent the Poles tumbling out of the tournament on Sunday.

Defender Yerry Mina opened the scoring in the 40th minute with captain Radamel Falcao and winger Juan Cuadrado sealing a deserved victory with two goals in five minutes as the desperate Poles chased the game in the last quarter.

Midfielder James Rodriguez, winner of the Golden Boot at the last World Cup, returned to the starting lineup after injury and played a part in two of the goals as Colombia got back on track after their opening loss to Japan.

The victory puts Colombia in third place in the group on three points behind the Japanese and Senegal, who shared a 2-2 draw earlier on Sunday to move to four points apiece.

A victory over the Africans in their final first-round match in Samara on Thursday would secure Colombia a spot in the last 16 as they target at least matching their charge to the quarter-finals in Brazil four years ago.

For Poland, the optimism fostered by their quarter-final spot at Euro 2016 and a strong qualifying campaign proved to be misplaced as they slumped to a second successive defeat.

The match started to a barrage of noise from the yellow-shirted Colombian fans and the early exchanges were frenetic with Poland putting in some physical challenges and Robert Lewandowski getting close attention from the Colombian Defense.

Poland’s offensive tactics were limited to launching long balls towards their prolific striker and although Colombia were trying to play the ball on the floor they could not get their passes to stick.

Cuadrado was causing some problems down Poland’s right flank, however, and a piece of mazy dribbling in the 37th minute saw the winger forge the first genuine opening, which goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny blocked behind.

The respite was brief and on the next Colombia attack Juan Quintero found Rodriguez lurking inside the box and the midfielder chipped a delightful cross into the danger area for Mina to head the ball into the net from point-blank range.

The Poles came out firing at the start of the second half but their limitations remained and Cuadrado was soon causing them more problems down the right.

Lewandowski finally got a chance to score his first World Cup goal in the 58th minute but his first touch on the long ball was not his best and goalkeeper David Ospina smothered his shot.

Quintero played creator in the 70th minute and Falcao turned the last defender before stroking the ball past Szczesny with the outside of his boot for his first World Cup strike.

Poland pushed forward to try and get back into the game and five minutes later were caught on the break by the Colombians with Rodriguez rasping a pass across the field to allow Cuadrado fitting reward for a fine performance.

Mexico has taken a giant step toward reaching the last-16 stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by beating South Korea and putting the East Asians to the sword.

The rampant Mexicans built on their shining victory against Germany in their opening game in Group F by beating the Koreans 2-1 at Rostov Arena, Russia, on Saturday.

Mexico’s sea of fanatical supporters watched how Carlos Vela gave them the lead by scoring from the penalty spot in the 26th minute while all-time top scorer Javier Hernandez, known to many in Europe as Chicharito, finished off a brilliant move from  Hirving Lozano, one of Mexico’s best in the tournament, to seal the victory in the second half.

A sensational solo from Son Heung-min, the Tottenham Hotspur talisman, in the injury time was too late to revive South Korea’s hopes for a draw.

South Korea will be out of the tournament if Sweden draw or win against Germany in the other match of the group later on Saturday. Mexico will also be assured of a place in the last 16 if Germany fail to beat Sweden.

Mexico stormed past Germany with a 1-0 victory in the opening game of the group last Sunday. Sweden beat South Korea with the same score line a day later.

The world cup began on June 14 and will continue until July 15 in 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities.

The Belgium men’s national football team has exhibited an impressive display of speed, power and attacks during its second showdown at the preliminary round of the preliminary round of the 2018 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Russia, outclassing Tunisia.

On Saturday, De Rode Duivels (The Red Devils) completely overran their North African opponents from the start of the Group G fixture at the Spartak Stadium in the Russian capital city of Moscow, and thumped a 5-2 win.

Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard scored two goals apiece for the Belgian side, while substitute Michy Batshuayi was on target once.

Dylan Bronn and Wahbi Khazri netted for Tunisia.

The Belgium football team will seal its place in the Round 16 if Panama fails to beat England on Sunday.

During the official 2018 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony at Kremlin State Palace in the Russian capital city of Moscow on December 1 last year, the host nation, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay were put in Group A in the preliminary round of the tournament.

The Iran men’s national football team, nicknamed Team Melli, has joined Portugal’s A Selecção, Spain’s La Furia Roja and Atlas Lions of Morocco.

France is drawn in Group C, and is pitted against Australia, Peru and Denmark.

Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria are drawn in Group D.

Group E consists of Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia.

While the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea shape Group F, Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England are in Group G.

Group H has Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 14 to July 15. Russia opened the event against Saudi Arabia in a Group A fixture at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. The hosts won the match 5-0.

A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities.