Argentina outclass Poland despite Messi penalty miss to advance

Lionel Messi missed a first-half penalty but Argentina's Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez scored in a 2-0 victory over Poland at Stadium 974 on Wednesday as both teams booked their places in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Argentina's victory propelled Lionel Scaloni's side to the top of Group C and they will face Australia in the last-16 while second-placed Poland, who qualified on goal difference after Mexico beat Saudi Arabia 2-1, take on reigning champions France.

Argentina took the lead just one minute into the second half when Mac Allister got on the end of Nahuel Molina's cross and, despite making weak contact, he saw his shot creep over the line with Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny beaten.

The goal was just reward for Argentina who had dominated possession while Poland had barely managed to get out of their own half, with the South American side's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez a mere spectator for the majority of the game.

The second goal was the result of some patient buildup where Argentina knocked the ball around before Enzo Fernandez unlocked the defence with a through-ball for Alvarez, who found space in the box and smashed it into the top corner.

"We are satisfied with the match we played. It wasn't easy, it was a must-win match," Scaloni said.

"I think that we read the match very well, my players did a great job. They played very well and I'm very happy. Sometimes you're not happy, but today I am."

CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY

Poland were up in arms in the first half when Argentina were awarded a controversial penalty after a VAR check for a foul on Messi when Szczesny's glove brushed his face as the Paris St Germain forward rose up for a header at the far post.

But Szczesny was up to the task and despite the thousands of Argentina fans raising the decibel levels inside the arena, he kept his composure and guessed correctly, diving to his left and using one hand to swat aside Messi's effort from the spot.

Despite the miss, Messi ran the show for Argentina in a match where the two skippers represented Barcelona's past and present.

With a last-16 spot and potential elimination both on the cards in a close group, it was Barca's record goal scorer Messi who was at the heart of Argentina's attacks, dictating play by dropping deep and tormenting the Polish defence.

Poland's Robert Lewandowski, who has 18 goals in 19 games for Barca this season, did not have a single attempt on goal.

"He was very much involved and committed. I'm not attacking anyone in the team, but we didn't help him score," Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz said.

"If our team had a higher percentage of possession, if Messi played with us and Lewandowski played with Argentina, he would score five goals... Messi didn't score, did he?"

At the other end, Szczesny had been kept busy the entire half with the Poland defence breached time and again but the Juventus keeper stood firm to deny Argentina who grew more confident with every attack.

He first denied Alvarez when the Manchester City forward broke through the offside trap before he tipped Angel Di Maria's cross over the bar when his Juve team mate attempted to score directly from a corner kick.

'DREAM COME TRUE'

But Szczesny could do nothing but scramble helplessly when Mac Allister took his shot even before Poland could settle down after the restart while Alvarez's shot for the second goal was too good for any keeper.

"It's so emotional for me, for the whole squad. It's a dream come true," Mac Allister told reporters. "I debuted with this team, I'm so proud of that. And now managing to score in a World Cup - I'm so happy.

"(After Messi's penalty) we tried to stay positive, to stay calm. We did not feel down. We tried to be optimistic... Fortunately we managed to win and go through."

Argentina nearly made it 3-0 in second-half added time when Nicolas Tagliafico was released down the left and he chipped the ball over Szczesny, only to see Jakub Kiwior track back to make a timely intervention and head the ball off the line.

But Argentina got what they wanted -- leapfrogging Poland to take top spot in the group and avoid an early knockout fixture against the mighty France.

Poland, meanwhile, will be relieved to reach the last-16 by the skin of their teeth for the first time since 1986.

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Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden repay Gareth Southgate's England tactical masterstroke

 It was a night when everything went right for England.

A morale-boosting win, Gareth Southgate’s changes worked perfectly and now we can start thinking about Senegal in the last 16 next Sunday.

Marcus Rashford scored twice, played a part in another and even wrote his name into the history books as his second was England’s 100th goal at a World Cup finals.

And England also brought an end to an era for this Wales team as Gareth Bale was substituted at half time after being unable to summon one last piece of magic.

It must have felt sweet for the England fans who sang: “You’re going home in the morning” as payback for what happened at Euro 2016 when the Wales players were filmed celebrating England’s demise to Iceland.

Yes, Wales had passion and they belted out the national anthem in stirring fashion in the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium but their days are gone. England, meanwhile, have a quality and strength in depth which could yet take them a long way in this tournament.

They face Senegal for the first time on Sunday and, if they can produce the sort of football they showed in the second half against Wales, then they should fancy their chances.

Southgate also deserves major credit because his decision to start with Rashford and Phil Foden came off and, as the clock ticked down, England even had the luxury of being able to take some of their big guns off for an early bath. It was that easy in the end.

The public clamour for Foden has been huge and he repaid Southgate’s faith but it was also the England manager’s decision to put Foden on the left and swap Rashford to the right at half time which was a tactical masterstroke. That reaped rich rewards.

From the boos after the bore draw with the United States, the England fans were singing “Southgate you’re the one” again by the end.

Make no mistake, it was a struggle in the first half because Wales were resolute in defence, hard to break down and England struggled to create big chances. Kane slipped Rashford through for an early chance but Wales keeper Darren Ward was out like lightning to make a brave block.

Wales offered absolutely nothing going forward. This feels like the end game for this generation of Welsh players and, while it’s been a fun and colourful ride, they have been one of the worst teams at this World Cup.

Wales were forced into a concussion change as Neco Williams - who bravely blocked Rashford’s fierce shot by heading the ball - was replaced by Connor Roberts at left back.

But England then found top gear after half time as Wales just surrendered. And you did feel when they got one goal then others would follow.

And that is exactly how it panned out. It was Foden who tricked and teased his way past about three players, Roberts then fouled him and gifted England a free kick in a very inviting position just outside the box.

Rashford stepped up and then curled a brilliant free kick into the top corner and way beyond Ward’s reach. The England fans were banked behind that goal and went wild.

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Brazil edge gritty Switzerland to gain round of 16 World Cup spot

 Resolute Switzerland keep Brazil at bay for most of the match, but Casemiro’s audacious strike breaks the deadlock.

A superb finish by Casemiro is enough to give Brazil victory over Switzerland and guarantee a place in the knock-out stages of the football World Cup in Qatar.

Brazil’s coach, Tite, had named nine forwards to his squad, but it took a defensive midfielder to break the scoreless deadlock in the 83rd minute of Monday’s match. Casemiro made an audacious strike from the outside of his boot, which took a tiny deflection off defender Manuel Akanji’s backside.

The result at Stadium 974 means Brazil, five-time world champions, qualify comfortably for the round of 16 with a game against Cameroon still to play in the group stage of the tournament.

Switzerland sit second in Group G after a thrilling six-goal draw between Serbia and Cameroon earlier in the day left both teams with a point each.

Brazil forward Neymar stayed at the team’s hotel, treating a right ankle injury sustained in the opener against Serbia. Team doctors have not yet given a timetable for his return – or said if he will return at all. In his absence, former Watford striker Richarlison took centre stage in Brazil’s attack but couldn’t find a way to score and was substituted for Gabriel Jesus in the 74th minute.

Switzerland managed not a single shot on target but were able to keep Brazil at bay for the majority of the match. The scoreless first half was a fairly even-handed affair.

Vinicius Jr thought he had given Brazil the lead with a shot from inside the area after a pass by Casemiro in the 64th minute, but a video review spotted Richarlison offside in the build-up to the strike.

After Casemiro’s lightning 83rd minute goal, Brazil looked likely to score a second – despite a brief flurried counterattack from the Swiss – as Vinicius Jr tried to take on Akanji when he could have passed. Moments later, he instead fed a ball to Rodrygo, only to see the forward’s shot blocked out for a corner.

Brazil, who have not lost a World Cup group stage game in 17 matches, are the second team to qualify for the round of 16 after defending world champions France.

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Brazil looks to book place in knockout stage without injured star man Neymar

 The image of Neymar limping off the pitch, his right ankle visibly swollen, would have left millions of Brazil fans fearing the worst.

Fortunately for them, the player who has become this generation’s talisman will be fit in time to play in the 2022 World Cup knockout stage, should Brazil qualify, after being diagnosed with an ankle sprain.

Brazil’s opening round 2-0 win over Serbia was far from pretty at times, though Tite’s iteration of the Seleção is known more for its pragmatism and efficiency than its aesthetics.

As the second half wore on and Richarlison scored his and Brazil’s second to seal the victory, the players in those famous canary yellow shirts began to show flashes of the flair that World Cup fans have become used to seeing over the years.

But Neymar’s absence for Brazil’s two remaining Group G matches will be a huge blow, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward’s creativity so crucial to this team breaking defenses down.

However, it is also a considerable personal blow to Neymar, whose legacy with the national team will be largely defined by how he and Brazil perform in Qatar. Now 30, this World Cup will likely be his best chance at lifting the trophy.

Despite being just two goals away from equaling Pele’s all-time Brazil record of 77 goals, Neymar has never quite received the same adoration as the Brazilian greats of old, but victory in Qatar would go a long way toward changing that.

Switzerland goes into the game off the back of a hard-fought win over Cameroon, with Cameroon-born Breel Embolo scoring the second-half winner.

The match was certainly a slog at times and Switzerland was fortunate that Cameroon was unable to convert a number of golden chances to open the scoring in the first half.

Embolo’s pace, movement and finishing will certainly be enough to give Brazil’s defense trouble, in particular in the absence of the injured Danilo, while Xherdan Shaqiri is still capable of producing an individual moment of brilliance.

New Manchester City signing Manuel Akanji has proven himself to be one of the world’s best defenders, with left-back Ricardo Rodriguez always a threat with his deliveries from crosses and set pieces.

The opening win over Cameroon will have given this Switzerland team a huge boost of confidence as it looks to qualify from one of the tournament’s most competitive groups, with the aim of reaching a first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954.

Group H

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal sit pretty atop Group H after the opening round of fixtures, but their place at the summit doesn’t tell the whole story.

Portugal squeezed past Ghana 3-2 in perhaps the most entertaining match of the World Cup so far and could quite easily have thrown it away at the death, as Iñaki Williams slipped at the crucial moment after sneaking up behind goalkeeper Diogo Costa to steal the ball.

Ronaldo’s penalty to break the deadlock meant the 37-year-old became the first men’s player in history to score at five World Cups, but he admitted post-match that he was far from his best.

Ronaldo, likely playing in his last World Cup, remains Portugal’s greatest goal threat and he will be coming up against familiar foes Diego Godín and José María Giménez in the Uruguayan back line.

The former Real Madrid forward spent many years in La Liga coming up against the Uruguayan center-back pairing when they played together for Atlético Madrid and Ronaldo will know he faces a physical battle on Monday.

Uruguay put in a disappointing performance against South Korea in its opener and stars such as Godín, Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani are really showing their age.

However, in Federico Valverde, Uruguay boasts one of Europe’s best midfielders and his energy will be crucial to guiding La Celeste through the group stage.

Group H’s other match pits Ghana against South Korea, with both teams desperate for a win to kickstart their World Cup campaigns. In hindsight, the Koreans will perhaps be regretting showing Uruguay too much respect in their opening game, sitting back for too long in a game that was there to be won.

Star man Son Heung-min showed glimpses of his quality, but looked slightly off the pace on his return from injury, donning a protective mask to protect his fractured eye socket.

In Ghana, Korea knows it faces a team with an abundance of quality in the final third, as the match against Portugal proved. Williams and Mohammed Kudus have the individual ability to trouble any defense, while Premier League pair Mohammed Salisu and Daniel Amartey form a solid defensive base.

Both teams will feel as though the three points are there for the taking, with a draw not a particularly favorable result for either side.

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Neymar suffers ligament injury to right ankle and will miss next game

 Five-time World Cup champion Brazil will be without stars Neymar and Danilo for their next match due to injury, the team announced on Friday.

Brazilian team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed both players will miss the team’s next match against Switzerland on Monday, but remained hopeful they would play again in the tournament.

“We thought it was important to do an image exam, an MRI so that we had more data on the evolution of the two players,” Lasmar said.

“The scans showed a lateral ligament injury to Neymar’s right ankle along with a small bone swelling. And a medial ligament injury to Danilo’s left ankle.

“Today has become one of the hardest moments in my career… and again in a World Cup,” Neymar, who was injured for Brazil’s World Cup semifinal in 2014, wrote on Instagram on Friday.

“I have an injury, yes, it’s bad, it’s going to hurt, but I’m sure I’ll have the chance to come back because I’ll do my best to help my country, my teammates and myself.

“A long time waiting for the enemy to knock me down like this? NEVER!

“Players remain in treatment. It is very important for us to be very calm, peaceful, this assessment will be carried out daily so that we have information and make the best decisions based on that.

“We can already say that we will not have the two players for our next game, but they remain in treatment with our objective of trying to recover in time for this competition.”

Neymar sprained his right ankle in his side’s opening World Cup match – a 2-0 win over Serbia – on Thursday, Lasmar had already confirmed last night in a post-game press conference.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was substituted with 10 minutes remaining after going down under a challenge, and Neymar looked emotional once he got to the bench, sitting down and covering his face with his shirt.

Cameras caught the 30-year-old Neymar looking down at his ankle, which appeared to be very swollen as he made his way off the pitch.

It will no doubt be a huge concern to Brazil – and football fans around the world – whose chances of success would decrease considerably without its star man.

Before he departed injured, Neymar had already displayed his class, creating Brazil’s first goal when he danced through the Serbia defense to set up a chance for Vinícius Jr., whose shot was saved and fell to Tottenham’s Richarlison to finish for the first of his two on the night.

Brazil began this World Cup as the favorite to win its first World Cup since 2002, with a 20% chance of winning the tournament according to Nielsen’s Gracenote, after losing just three times in 50 matches since it was eliminated from the 2018 World Cup by Belgium.

Neymar will face a race to be back to full fitness by the time Brazil plays Switzerland in its next Group G match on November 28.

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World Cup 2022: Portugal defeats Ghana 3-2, Ronaldo makes history

 Portugal won its first game of the 2022 World Cup, defeating Ghana 3-2 Thursday evening in Qatar. 

All five goals came in the final 45 minutes of play, but Portugal outlasted Ghana to secure a win in Group H. 

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo got the scoring started in the 65th minute, putting Portugal up 1-0 by converting on a penalty. 

Ronaldo became the first male player to score at five World Cups with the goal. 

Ronaldo’s first World Cup was in 2006, when he converted a penalty against Iran. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Ronaldo had five goals. 

However, his heroics alone were not enough for Portugal to earn three points as Ghana tied the game at 1-1 on a goal by Ghana's Andre Ayew in the 73rd minute. 

Portugal quickly responded, scoring goals in the 78th and 80th minutes to put the game away. 

It has been an interesting few days for soccer’s biggest star, as Ronaldo and Manchester United agreed to part ways on Tuesday after the 37-year-old was critical of his English Premier League club in an interview. 

In an appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Ronaldo said he felt "betrayed" by the club and accused senior officials of trying to force him out. 

"Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect," Manchester United said in a statement posted to Twitter. "The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.

"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."

Ronaldo now has a record 118 international goals. 

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Saudi Arabia stun Messi and Argentina in one of World Cup history's biggest shocks

 LUSAIL, Qatar -- Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the biggest World Cup shocks ever to come from behind to beat Argentina 2-1 on Tuesday.

Argentina, one of the favourites to lift the trophy, dominated the first half and went ahead through Lionel Messi's first-half penalty. But a stunning fight back from Saudi Arabia after the break saw Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari both score in the space of five minutes to leave Argentina defeated for the first time since June 2019 -- a run of 36 incredible matches.

Rapid reaction

1. Saudi Arabia cause one of the biggest shocks ever

Argentina don't start World Cups well, but this was a stunning upset even for them. Saudi Arabia, ranked 51st in the world (between Qatar and Greece), scored twice in five chaotic minutes early in the second half to record one of the competition's biggest-ever shocks -- similar to Cameroon beating Diego Maradona's reigning champions in 1990.

Saudi Arabia were barely in the game during a first 45 minutes dominated by Argentina and headed off the field at half-time looking like a team clinging on for dear life. But goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari -- a right-foot effort that flew into the top corner and an early contender for goal of the tournament -- capped a remarkable turnaround.

And when the impetus was on Argentina and captain Lionel Messi to find a comeback, they lacked composure and precision in front of goal.

Argentina will cling to the fact that after losing to Cameroon in their opening game of the 1990 World Cup they still managed to reach the final. But after arriving in Qatar as reigning South American champions and on the back of a 36-match unbeaten run, this campaign was meant to be different. Just as they did at Russia 2018, it looks as if they are again going to make hard work of the group stage.

2. Argentina only have themselves to blame

Lionel Scaloni's side should have been out of sight at half-time but somehow found themselves behind early in the second half. They only had themselves to blame; with a bit more care, they could have been 5-0 up at the break.

Messi had a good chance saved by Mohammed Al-Owais. After the penalty, they had three goals chalked off because of offside, twice from Lautaro Martinez and another from Messi.

Saudi Arabia came into the World Cup with a reputation of finding goals hard to come by. Despite failing to register a single shot in the first half, they managed to beat Emi Martinez twice in five minutes in the second half.

What will worry Scaloni most is that Argentina had more than 30 minutes after going behind to force a draw or even win the game, but they quickly resorted to pumping crosses into the box that the Saudi defence mopped up with ease. With games against Poland and Mexico to come, Argentina will still believe they can qualify for the knockout rounds, but it was not the start they were expecting.

3. Saudi Arabia back up fans' confidence

Saudi Arabia supporters have crossed the border into Qatar in the thousands and arrived genuinely hopeful of matching their performance at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, when they reached the round of 16.

Perhaps before the tournament kicked off, they were the only ones who believed it, but not anymore. Most of the supporters who travelled to the Lusail Stadium early on Tuesday morning admitted they were not expecting much from the game vs. Argentina and thought they would likely have to pick up points against Poland and Mexico to progress from Group C. Instead, they dealt a huge win for football in Asia -- especially after both Qatar and Iran opened their campaigns with abject performances against Ecuador and England, respectively.

It was only after half-time that they began to defend like a team that kept six clean sheets in qualifying. Their last World Cup began with a 5-0 thumping by hosts Russia, but what a difference four years can make: a day that will go down in both the history of Saudi Arabian football and the World Cup itself.

Player ratings

Argentina: E. Martinez 6, Molina 5, Tagliafico 5, Romero 4, Otamendi 5, Parades 6, De Paul 6, Gomez 5, Di Maria 6, Messi 6, La. Martinez 6.

Subs: Li. Martinez 6, Fernandez 6, Alvarez 6, Acuna 6.

Saudi Arabia: Al-Owais 9, Al-Bulayhi 8, Abdulhamid 7, Al-Shahrani 7, Al-Tambakti 8, Al-Malki 7 Al-Dawsari 8, Al-Shehri 8, Kanno 7, Al-Faraj 7, Al-Brikan 6.

Subs: Al-Abid 6, Al-Ghannam 6, Al-Burayk 6, Asiri 6, Al Amri 6.

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Best and worst performers

BEST: Mohammed Al-Owais

The Saudi goalkeeper made two fantastic saves, one to deny Messi after 90 seconds and another in the second half when the ball rebounded off Nicolas Tagliafico.

WORST: Cristian Romero

The defender wobbled when Saudi Arabia put Argentina under pressure after half-time and was substituted after the second goal.

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Highlights and notable moments

Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Argentina's Lionel Messi: "It is a very hard blow for everyone; we did not expect to start this way. Things happen for a reason. We have to prepare for what is coming; we have to win, and it depends on us.

"There are no excuses. We are going to be more united than ever. This group is strong, and we have shown it. It is a situation that we haven't gone through in a long time. Now we have to show that this is a real group.

"My message to the supporters is to have faith. We won't leave them stranded. We knew that Saudi Arabia is a team with good players, that they move the ball well and that they push the [defensive] line a lot. We worked on it, but we rushed a bit. We have to go back to the base of who we are. We have to think about what's next."

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni: "They scored two goals in their only two shots on goal. We have to get up. It's a sad day today, but we need to have our heads up and continue. We are hurt, but we need to turn things around and win our next games. We continue to believe the same as we did before. The World Cup has this: you can be infinitely superior, and things don't go your way. It's never good to lose. We came into the World Cup in the best possible way, on a good run. We knew that it would eventually end. Fortunately, we have two [more] group games, and we are going to get it done."

Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard: "All the stars in the sky were aligned for us, but don't forget Argentina are still a fantastic team. This is football, sometimes totally crazy things can happen...

"Sometimes the opposition does not have the best motivation. It's normal; it also happened to us when playing lower teams. Some people don't understand, but you can imagine that when you're playing against Saudi Arabia, the motivation is not the same as playing against Brazil."

- Messi became the fifth player in history to score at four FIFA World Cups. He scored 16 years after his first World Cup goal (vs. Serbia in June 2006), which is the longest gap between goals by the same player in World Cup history.

- Argentina were flagged for as many offsides (7) in the first half against Saudi Arabia as in their entire previous two World Cup group stages combined (5 in 2018, 2 in 2014).

- Saudi Arabia are the second Asian nation to score vs. Argentina in a World Cup. The other is South Korea (scored in 1986 and 2010).

- Saudi Arabia scored multiple goals in a match for the first time since October 2021 (W 3-2 vs China.)

- Argentina entered on a 36-game unbeaten streak (started in July 2019), one shy of tying the longest in men's national team history (2018-21 Italy.)

- According to Caesars' official Twitter account, Saudi Arabia was 25-1 to defeat Argentina. Argentina moved from +550 before the tournament to +700 to win the World Cup as a result of the upset.

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Up next

Argentina: Lionel Scaloni's men will take on Mexico at the same stadium on Saturday in a match which will prove crucial to their hopes of qualifying. They wrap up the group stage against Poland on Nov. 30 at Stadium 974 in Doha.

Saudi Arabia: Next up for Saudi Arabia comes Robert Lewandowski's Poland at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan on Saturday, with their final group game against Mexico on Nov. 30 in this stadium.

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