Late drama

England - Congo DR 2 - 1

Clearly one for the underdog, it wasn't even my anti-English sentiment that made me happy about Congo taking the lead. They had a couple more chances before half time, and it didn't really look like England was gonna trouble them.

But, of course, pressure intensified somewhat in the second half. A few saves from Mpasi, but it felt like Congo can still fob England off. Well, they couldn't. As soon as the first Harry Kane goal went in, it became a case of Congo needing to hold on until the end. England is not really a team to amp up the pressure, but they did so on this occasion. It was mostly driven by Harry Kane, and it feels right that it was him again who scored the winning goal, 5 minutes from time.

Also, because I saw some debate on the internet: was there a penalty on Mpasi stopping Harry Kane? Easy one. Clearly not. It doesn't matter in the end, but it would have become a national injustice had England gone out. And... it was a correct decision not to award a penalty.

Heartbreak for Congo, who had a great tournament, and they played really well against England, but it is massively important to know how to deal with advantage against a better team. It worked for Paraguay against Germany, it didn't work for Congo. Easy for me to say, but not much more to do now, but wait for the next time.

Belgium - Senegal 3 - 2

Speaking of game management, it did look like Senegal took a sheet out of that book. Cruising comfortably against Belgium, 2-0 at half time and being the more attacking team. Flirting very closely with 3-0 on a couple of occasions in the second half. Them all of a sudden...

BAM BAM! Super-gol from Lukaku, and a keeper goal to draw it level. 86' and 89', 2-2. Lukaku's goal can be forgiven, it's a brilliant execution from Belgium's best player this tournament. It is baffling to me that Lukaku doesn't start for Belgium, he carried them almost single-handedly so far and he'd be in the league with Haaland, Ronaldo or Harry Kane is they'd make place for him in the starting line-up.

The second goal was very much a keeper mistake, coming out but missing the ball, thus leaving Tielemans to send it into the open net. It will be very much a case of FMM Prunea in Senegal in the coming years. But yeah, 5 minutes slip-up and all the good work done in the first 80 minutes of the game stands for nowt.

Belgium did not deserve to go into extra time, but sometimes they squeezed through, and the rest is history. Penalty in the 120+5 minute, and the latest goal ever at a World Cup sends Senegal home. Was it a penalty? Well... kind of. It wasn't given on field, and VAR said it's worth another look. There was contact, the defender touches Tielemans' foot, but by that time the ball has gone. Reason enough for a penalty, but, had it not been a foul, that would have been a ball of no consequence. And, it being the 120th minute of a World Cup knock-out game, I feel more consideration should be given to the idea that the game should be decided by the action on the pitch rather than by official decisions. 

With all the evidence considered, I would not have given a penalty. But the ref did, and Tielemans made it 3-2 with virtually no time for Senegal to do anything about it. More than heartbreak, Senegal will feel hard done by, and not without reason if you ask me. Plus, it further enforces the narrative of FIFA having an agenda against African countries. Not a stretch to believe this to be true.

USA - Bosnia 2-0

This being the late game, like all late games, I've struggled with. So seen very little of it, and only scattered bits, and now I wonder if it isn't by design that we only get big drama for the prime time games. But 2-0 USA, with the second goal scored while haivng played in 10 for 20 minutes, does not say a flattering story about Bosnia. They slogged through the group and capsized in front of half-decent opposition. Not a great story for a team that left Italy home.

Spain - Austria 3-0 

Once again, a game without much of a story. Spain dominating beginning to end with Austria never looking like they stand a change of progressing. Comfortable win for a Spanish team that hasn't yet been properly tested. They will now face Portugal, who is at the opposite end of the spectrum, having been put through the grinder a few times already. That will be am amazing game. 

Portugal - Croatia 2-1

What a game! I have said before the torunament, Portugal are my favourites, and I genuinely believed they can win it. I'm a lot less sure now, but they have delivered some of the best games in the tournament so far, and this one was certainly the most dramatic.

I had lost count of the amount of goals cancelled, and it decided by a VAR call once again in the dying moments. Perisic opened the scoring, only for Ronaldo to have two goals cancelled for offside on either side of the penalty he levelled from. Penalty that, once again, was not given on field, but came from a VAR review.

Then Portugal scores from a cross in the 90'+4' minute. Uncontested by technology, for once. Deep into injury time, Croatia scores again, which is a bit of a house specialty. Then VAR called it off. Debate about offside, and apparently IT WAS offside, but only decided by the sensor inside the ball, explained by FIFA and based on data that is not publicly available.

Talk about hard done-by. To be fair, had the goal had stood, game would have gone to penalties, and that's as much a lottery, as this VAR malarkey. Only that's more out in the open.

But I feel for Croatia, I really do. People slagging them off as a past-it team, all of the 'Modric's last stand' bullshit that's been going on for more than 5 years now, and yet they really did pull some performances! I thought they're past it myself after the England game, but it turns out that was the outlier. If I was to be conspirational I could even say that was a write-ff, knowing they only need 4 points from games against Panama and Ghana. They are tough motherfuckers, always fearsome as an opponent, and they are right to feel done-by. The match with Portugal was pretty even, either of the team could have won it, despite the very different styles of play. It was Portugal on this one occasion, but Croatia will be back. The idea that they're going home while Belgium, for instance, is still in the torunament - pretty hard to digest.

Switzerland  - Algeria 2-0

Another late game, another failed attempt to watch it, though the result was a bit of a given from the off. Algeria only qualified because they had Jordan in their group, one of the weakest teams of the torunament, and because they held Austria to that crazy 3-3 draw that I didn't see. But they couldn't have hoped for much more, even if Switzerland is probably one of the easier draws they could've had. The buck will stop here for Switzerland too, they are to play either Columbia (most likely) or Ghana, and wither of those is favourite ahead of them. 

Round of 32 will be completed today with Egypt beating Australia, Colombia and Ghana offering us a very entertaining and evenly matched game and... how amazing would be if Cape Verde goes through? Vozinha vs Messi is the ultimate David v Goliath fight, and I know who I'll be rooting for.