Questions surrounded Senegal heading into the World Cup after star attacker Sadio Mané was ruled out of the tournament, but the Lions of Teranga aren't the champions of Africa because of the efforts of one single individual. Senegal clinched the runner-up spot in Group A and eliminated Ecuador by defeating La Tri 2-1 at Khalifa International Stadium on Tuesday.
DOHA - Doha’s Stadium 974 thrummed to the samba beat on Monday night as Brazilian fans brought Latin American swagger to this patch of Qatar and Casemiro fired Brazil into the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup finals with a 1-0 victory over Switzerland.
The midfielder’s spectacular 83rd minute goal sent Brazil through with a game to spare and lit a touch paper to a contest that up to then had struggled to smolder.
When Ghana, the youngest team at the World Cup, eventually meets the USMNT, the second-youngest, in the World Cup semifinals, it's clear that the juvenile inconsistencies of both will allow one team to shine in the opening 45 before the other side comes storming back in the second half.
It is official. Soccer is the greatest sport on earth. Source: Monday’s early World Cup kickoffs.
Ghana looked in control against South Korea with two first-half goals, but they have the youngest team at the tournament and their inexperience snuck through around the hour mark when Cho Gue-sung scored a three-minute brace to level the score at two. With the game in the balance, up stepped Mohammed Kudus.
KUDUS PUTS GHANA ON TOP pic.twitter.com/PAtyNhSXvE
The only thing that makes a spectacular comeback better is when it's started with a stunning goal. Needing a moment to act as the catalyst, to give the Indomitable Lions a kick back into contention, Vincent Aboubakar provided that spark with a silky solo goal to put Cameroon within one against Serbia.
WHAT A CHIP
After a VAR check, the goal stands and Cameroon takes one back! pic.twitter.com/2zwCtckDjW
Serbia and Cameroon arguably played the best game of the 2022 World Cup on Monday with a six-goal thriller that ended 3-3. The game also saw a Serbia tiki-taka goal that honestly looked like it could have been scored by that legendary 2010 Spain squad.
The Eagles of Serbia were soaring after scoring two goals in first-half stoppage time to take a 2-1 lead. Playing with supreme confidence, Serbia scored one of the prettiest team goals of the tournament in the 53rd minute.
Look at this string of passes from the Serbs.
Germany still has a chance to advance out of the group stage, however it will be an uphill battle as the 2014 World Cup champions tied Spain 1-1 on Sunday. German fans will be disappointed not to come away the three points as their team botched several big chances.
In the final moments of the game Leroy Sané broke free toward Spain’s goal. In the middle he had Niclas Füllkrug as an option or he could shoot. Instead, he did this.
This entire sequence was WILD
After vowing to f**k Croatia up Sunday, Canada manager John Herdman could only watch in horror as his side showed its extreme World Cup naivety in a 4-1 defeat to the 2018 runners-up.
Canada — the leading side in Concacaf during qualifying — is now the second to exit the tournament, following quickly in the footsteps of the host nation Qatar.
Belgium has been stunned by a moment of Moroccan magic, that puts the African nation top of Group F. Midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri scored a ridiculous free kick from the most unlikely of angles to get Morocco’s winner against the highly favored Belgians.
MOROCCO TAKES THE LEAD VS BELGIUM pic.twitter.com/hhCQVeHCaO
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 27, 2022
Los Ticos were in a world of hurt after their opening match, losing 7-0 to a well-oiled Spain side. The Costa Ricans were sentenced to death by passing as Luis Enrique’s side completed a staggering 1,045 passes in the match, but their performance against a Japan side that shockingly beat Germany on matchday one was more than laudable, grabbing a winner in the 81st minute while also keeping the Samurai Blue off the score sheet.