Five Memorable Moments O Room for Lionel Messi Spins and Rolls Along Sweden and Mexico Advanced from That Group

MONDAY, JULY 16, 2018 19 Goals, Neymar, Kalinic Following is a factbox on the best goals, most memorable moments and biggest disappointments of the 2018 World Cup: Five memorable moments o room for Lionel Messi spins and rolls along Sweden and Mexico advanced from that group. in this list, but Cristiano Cristiano Ron- the ground left pun- Russia. Not one moment, but two. Ranked an NRonaldo bags a spot with aldo proved dits and commenta- Everybody knew that England could not win 8 embarrassing 70th in the world at the start of some individual brilliance that will tors chuckling, and 8 penalty shootouts at World Cups – they had the tournament, and coming into it on the back of live long in the memory. why he is the launched a thousand last lost all three previous World Cup deciders a nine-month winless run, tension hung over the Having led Spain twice, but trailing ultimate hero social media memes. (1990, 1998 and 2006) not to mention losing three World Cup opening match like a shroud. 3-2 in the dying minutes of their opening as he scored out of four in European Championships. Never mind that the opponents were lowly group game, Portugal won a free kick a dramatic There was an So when Colombia equalised in injury time, and Saudi Arabia, this match had the potential for host from 25 yards out. late equaliser 8 element of farce the sides were still dead-locked after extra-time, humiliation. Instead, the Russian side smashed Cometh the hour, cometh to complete a to South Korean Son the smart money was on the South Americans to through their visitors, storming to a 5-0 victory the man ... Ronaldo hitched Heung-min’s goal reach the quarter-finals. paving the way for an unlikely qualification from his shorts up to Y-front hat-trick and against champions It had looked like ‘same ole, same ole’ when their group. proportions and nailed it, deny Spain Germany, but the Jordan Henderson’s spot kick was saved by David Had qualification seemed unlikely, what came smashing and curling the victory in sheer weight of its Ospina, but Mateus Uribe hit the bar and Jordan next was extraordinary, as the Russians beat effort past David De Gea to Cristiano a what was impact ensures his Pickford saved from Carlos Bacca, leaving Eric mighty Spain in a penalty shootout which created complete his hat-trick. Ronaldo a six-goal strike wins a place in Dier to squeeze the decisive penalty home and a new hero out of goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev who World Cup this list. send England through. saved two spot kicks. Perhaps predictably, the world’s classic in The Germans had 8 most expensive footballer, Neymar, not been eliminated would be expected to claim one of Sochi in the opening round the more memorable moments for 80 years, but in of this World Cup. Maybe not the dying seconds of a like this, though. dramatic night in Ka- While the Brazilian did zan, that is precisely what happened. come in for some tough Germany had pushed everybody, in- tackling during the tour- cluding goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, for- nament, his over-the-top ward in search of an equaliser allowing histrionics, swan-like Son to sprint onto a long clearance and dives, howls, and roll the ball into an empty German net, gravity-defying consigning them to bottom spot in their group. Adding to the piquancy of the moment, the South Kore- ans celebrated crazily, in the mistaken belief their victory would see Neymar them reach the last 16, when in fact Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev saves the last penalty shot by Spain’s Iago Aspas WORLD CUP PREDICT AND WIN Yesterday’s lucky winner is Sameer Parker. Winner will be contacted Five best world cup goals Five biggest disappointments Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal 3-3 Spain, Group B, Sochi Lionel Messi of their group. The Blue Sam - onaldo had already struck The Argentine’s fourth urai came within Rtwice in this early thriller World Cup, and probably a whisker of giving between two European titans his hopes of winning the Asia their first quar- but typically he made sure he game’s greatest prize, ter-finalists since the had the final say with a sensa- ended in disappointment continent first hosted tional free kick which fizzed in the round of 16 loss to the tournament in 2002 over the wall and dipped down France. before Belgium came into the net, completing a hat- One magnificent goal from two goals down to trick for the five-times player against Nigeria, a missed knock them out with a of the year. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo scores a goal with a free kick penalty against Iceland last-gasp Nacer Chadli and two assists as Argenti- strike. Nikola Kalinic Ahmed Musa, Nigeria 2-0 first time with the outside of his Denis Cheryshev, Russia 2-2 na chased the game against Iceland, Group D, Volgograd right boot, giving it irresistible Croatia AET (Croatia win on France were the most mem- Germany They needed a late Toni Kro- he striker conjured an out- top spin which took it beyond penalties), quarter-final, orable moments of an oth- Even if fellow heavy - os strike against Sweden just to Trageous piece of skill to the reach of Argentina’s out- Sochi erwise forgettable tour- weights Spain and Bra- stay alive until their final group control a cross into the area, stretched goalkeeper Franco nament for one of the zil also failed to get to match, where South Korea de- sending it spinning into the air Armani, putting his side back heryshev had made a name world’s great players. the business end of livered a 2-0 coup de grace that and leathering it into the net on track. Cfor himself by fuelling Rus- the tournament and left the Germans bottom of a on the half volley to give his sia’s explosive run in the tour- Africa defending champi- group they would have expect- Lionel Messi side a surprise lead, which he Kevin de Bruyne, Brazil 1-2 nament and he delivered again For the first time since ons going out in the ed to dominate. later doubled with another Belgium, quarter-final, with the most impressive of all 1982, not a single African side group stage has become a trend impressive strike. Kazan his strikes to break the dead- made it out of the group stage. at World Cups, Germany’s exit Nikola Kalinic lock in their biggest game, Senegal came closest, falling was particularly humiliating. The AC Milan striker’s tourna- Benjamin elgium’s skipping past one defender behind Japan in Group H be- ment lasted five days before he Pavard, Bcrucial outside the area and cause of their disciplinary re- was sent home for refusing to France 4-3 Argentina, second goal in just as two more cord but no sense of grievance come on as a substitute in Cro- round of 16, Kazan their triumph approached, at that outcome can disguise a atia’s first game against Nigeria, Ahmed over the five- sent the ball hugely disappointing showing saying he had a back problem. rance were trail- Musa times winners flying high from the five representatives of Coach Zlatko Dalic said he had Fing 2-1 to Argen- was sparked into the the continent. used same excuse in a previous tina and heading out b y a storming run net with a friendly and to skip training. until the relatively through midfield by Romelu scorching Asia In his absence, Croatia went unknown Pavard Lukaku and finished off with strike. Asia’s five teams at least got on to get to final for first time, caught sight of Lu- a deadly arrowed shot by some wins on the board, some- guaranteeing remaining 22 cas Hernandez’s De Bruyne into the far bot- Kevin De thing the continent’s represent- players a place in the country’s wayward cross, tom corner, leaving Brazil Bruyne atives conspicuously failed to sporting pantheon. The phrase leant back and on the rocks just as half- do in Brazil four years ago, but “Don’t be like Nikola Kalinic” struck the ball time approached. only Japan managed to get out Germany’s Thomas Muller went viral on social media..

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