TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2018 19 GROUP F Swede penalty downs Korea MP W D L GF GA +/- PTS Sweden 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 Reuters | Nizhny Novgorod, After dominating the game ed penalty of the World Cup, despite the absence of defend- Tae-yong had no complaints Mexico 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 Russia but missing a string of chances, Sweden’s 33-year-old captain er Victor Lindelof through about the penalty, and praised S Korea 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 the Swedes won a 65th-minute Andreas Granqvist swept the illness. his team’s battle with Sweden Germany 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 weden won an opening penalty when Kim Min-woo ball low and left of impressive Swedish coach Janne Anders- for aerial superiority. World Cup game for the brought down Viktor Claesson goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo. son said the penalty was “crys- Sfirst time since 1958 with in the box. Salvadoran refer- “The VAR took a while but we tal-clear”, adding: “I felt the Croatia’s Kalinic a narrow 1-0 victory over South ee Joel Aguilar initially waved are very pleased they had it ... I wait for VAR was unnecessary.” Korea, but they will need to find the Swedes away, before being was pretty sure,” Granqvist said sent home after their shooting boots if they are called to consult the Video As- of the wait. Son V Forsberg refusing sub role to match their two other, trickier sistant Referee system. The result brought wild cel- In a game short on finesse, sev- Andreas opponents in Group F. In the second VAR-award- ebrations from hordes of yel- eral of Sweden’s best chances Granqvist low-clad Swedish fans, fearful fell to Marcus Berg, who had their team would draw another one close-range side-foot shot blank after failing to score in spectacularly saved by Cho off their last three games. his knee in the 21st minute. Sweden had not won an open- “We played the match the way ing World Cup game since 1958, we intended, but I’m a little un- when they were the hosts and happy with chances we didn’t eventual runners-up. put away,” added Andersson. The Asians began the game Both teams’ star players pro- brighter, harrying for the first vided their creative drive, Son Croatia’s Nikola Kalinic 15 minutes against an initially Heung-min trying to drive Ko- sluggish-looking Sweden. rea forward from the left flank But the Scandinavians quickly but again failing to have the Reuters | Roshchino, Russia Monday June 18 SWEDEN 1 0 S.KOREA found their poise, coping com- same impact on the interna - 65’ (pen) Granqvist fortablyNizhni with Novgorod Korea’s Stadium attacks tional stage as he does in the roatia striker Nikola Group F Premier League. For Sweden, CKalinic has been sent Sweden 1 -Referee 0 South Korea the pacy Emil Forsberg home from the World Cup AndreasJoel Aguilar Granqvist (SLV) (65’ penalty) constantly fed the after refusing to come on as Players Possession frontmen,Players and also a substitute in the team’s 1 Olsen 23curledH.W. Jo a shot over opening game against Ni- 2 Lustig from2 Y. Lee outside the box. geria, coach Zlatko Dalic 4 Granqvist (cap) 6 Korea’sJ.H. Park best chances28’ fell to said yesterday. 52% 48% 6 Augustinsson Koo7 H.M. Ja-cheol, Son who headed just “During the Nigeria 7 Larsson 81’ wide9 S.W. inKim the second66’ half and encounter, Kalinic was 8 Ekdal 71’ 11HwangH.C. Hwang Hee-chan who saw his warming up and was sup- 9 Berg 15 Shots 5 13 J.C. Koo 73’ 10 Forsberg 16stoppage-timeS.Y. Ki (cap) header also just posed to come on in the 17 Claesson 4 On target 0 17missJ.S. during Lee a late, desperate second half,” Dalic said in 18 Jansson 19siege.Y.G. Kim a statement. South Korea’s Kim Young-gwon in action with Sweden’s20 Toivonen Marcus Berg 77’ 20 Fouls 23 20 TheH.S. Jang Asians’ coach Shin “However, he then stat- 15 Hiljemark 71’ (cap) = Captain Yellow card 12 M.W. Kim 28’ ed that he wasn’t ready 22 Thelin 77’ Substitution Red card 15 W. Jung 66’ to come on due to a back 13 Svensson 81’ og=own goal, pen=penalty 10 S. Lee 73’ issue. The same thing Source: FIFA happened during the Brazil friendly in England, as well Saudi face S. American powerhouse as before the practice ses- sion on Sunday. Reuters | Moscow complacency. Asked by a re- “I have calmly accepted porter whether beating the that, and since I need my fter shipping five goals Saudis would essentially guar- players fit and ready to play, Aagainst hosts Russia - the antee passing the group stage, I have made this decision,” lowest-ranked team in the defender Jose Gimenez pushed he added. World Cup, Saudi Arabia could back. The Croatian Football probably do with facing a ri - “Easy, easy. We need to keep Federation (HNS) said val other than South American a cool head. We know that any that Dalic had taken the powerhouse Uruguay and its game here is very hard, and we decision after consul- star forward Luis Suarez. need to think of it that way. tation with his coach- On Wednesday, the two Group I think that if Uruguay ing team. A teams will face off in Rostov- do things right on-Don, with Uruguay hoping we have a lot of to appease some worries after chances of pass- only beating Egypt 1-0. ing,” said Gimenez, Bizarrely, two-time World who scored the 89th-minute WORLD CUP PREDICT AND WIN Cup champions Uruguay have header against Egypt. never beaten the ‘Green Fal - Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Otayf in action with Russia’s Aleksandr Golovin Saudi Arabia seem unlikely to Yesterday’s lucky winner is cons’; Saudi Arabia won a emulate the surprisingly strong Ezekiel Nyanumba Osoro friendly in 2002 while a 2014 usually ruthless Suarez missed clobber Saudi Arabia, the sec- performances of underdogs friendly ended in a draw. three chances against Egypt on ond-lowest World Cup team in Mexico and Switzerland, and In another potential source Friday in their opening game. the FIFA rankings at No. 67. the players themselves seem Winner will be contacted of reassurance for the perenni- But Group A favourites Uru- Nevertheless, the South to be preparing the ground for ally underachieving Saudis, the guay are still widely expected to Americans are guarding against another defeat. DAY 6, 19th JUNE 2018 POLAND SENEGAL DRAW COLOMBIA JAPAN DRAW RUSSIA EGYPT DRAW Entry should be submitted before 2pm.