SPORT Monday 18 June 2018 PAGE | 1818 PPAGEA | 20 Kolarov stunnerer BelgiumBe eye flying gives Serbiabia ststarta against victoryry PPanamaa Mexico’s Andres Guardado (right) reacts MEXICO GERMANY as Germany’s Sami Khedira looks on during 1 0 their World Cup Hirving Lozano match in Moscow, - 35' yesterday. TODAY'S FIXTURES GROUP F Nizhny Novgorod SWEDEN vs SOUTH KOREA 3.00pm GROUP G Sochi BELGIUM vs PANAMA 6.00pm GROUP G Volgograd TUNISIA vs ENGLAND 9.00pm Mexico shock Germany AFP After Sami Khedira lost pos- MOSCOW: Defending cham- session, Javier Hernandez trig- FACTBOX pions Germany crashed to the gered a lightning counter before Following is a factbox after Germany were first defeat in their opening game finding a charging Lozano, who stunned 1-0 by Mexico in the opening of a World Cup since 1982 as cut inside a covering Ozil and game of their World Cup defence yester- Hirving Lozano’s clinical finish lashed low inside Neuer’s near day. earned Mexico a shock 1-0 post to spark deafening roars → It was only the second defeat in an open- victory yesterday. from the sizeable Mexico support. ing match at the World Cup finals for Ger- The highly-rated PSV Eind- Germany hit back, Toni many (and West Germany until 1994). hoven forward struck the winner Kroos rattling the crossbar with The first came against Algeria in 1982 - on 35 minutes after a blistering a 25-yard free-kick that needed when the Germans still managed to reach counter-attack at the Luzhniki the fingertips of a scrambling Stadium in Moscow as Mexico Ochoa to keep it out, but Mexico the final * After a draw with Uruguay in beat Germany for just the second barely clung on to their 1986, Germany had won their opening time in history. advantage. Marco Reus was game in each of the last seven World Germany’s preparations for introduced on the hour as Loew Cups the tournament were plagued by sought to invigorate a struggling → Germany had won every one of their pre- poor results and controversy, and side, while 39-year-old Rafael vious tournament openers at European their problems were magnified Marquez became just the third Championships and World Cups since in the Russian capital, leaving player to feature at five World Joachim Loew took over as coach in 2006 their proud record of never being Cups as he was brought on the * Germany had scored 20 goals in their eliminated in the group stage of tighten Mexico’s defence. previous four opening matches at World a World Cup already in danger. Joshua Kimmich’s acrobatic Cups Joachim Loew started eight overhead kick looped onto the → It was the second successive World Cup Mexico’s Hirving Lozano celebrates after scoring their first goal against Germany, yesterday. INSET: roof of the net, with substitute that the champions were beaten in their Edson Alvarez then blocking Germany’s coach Joachim Loew gestures during the match. opening match after Spain were thrashed bravely to thwart Draxler. 5-1 by the Netherlands in Brazil four years of the nine 2014 World Cup open start saw Timo Werner backline with regularity. Reus also hammered a volley ago * Brazil, in 2006, are the only reign- Mexico deserved winners in his squad, with Mesut sprint in behind the Mexico Carlos Salcedo nearly over from a narrow angle before Ozil returning from a knee injury defence before dragging across diverted a teasing cross into his a frenetic finale saw Julian ing champions in the last five editions of the win. Our cover and Manuel Neuer back in goal the face of goal, while Mats own net, while Timo Werner hit Brandt, just on for Werner, smack the World Cup to win their opening match was often not good following his lengthy absence for Hummels shot straight at tamely at Ochoa when an the outside of the post with a → The reigning champions have lost their and we were left the Group F clash. Guillermo Ochoa after a botched umarked Julian Draxler appeared thunderous effort from 20 yards. opening match in four of the last eight many times with just Jerome Boateng’s build-up clearance. the better option. One desperate last attack had World Cups with Germany (2018) joining to the finals was also hampered Neuer held well twice in Mexico continued to Neuer come up for a corner, but Spain (2014), France (lost to Senegal in Jerome Boateng and by a groin injury, but the Bayern quick succession, first from a threaten, Miguel Layun narrowly a towering header from the 2002), and Argentina (lost to Cameroon myself in the back: Munich centre-back was on the long-range Hector Herrera strike unable to latch onto a through veteran Marquez and subsequent in 1990) as losers German defender alert inside 60 seconds to thrust and then again to keep out ball, but their goal arrived 10 claim from Ochoa allowed → Mexico have now won five and drawn one himself desperately in front of a Hector Moreno’s header, as minutes before the break as Mexico to close out an unforget- of their last six World Cup openers Mats Hummels Lozano effort. A remarkably Mexico attacked the Germany Germany were again sliced apart. table triumph. 18 SPORT MONDAY 18 JUNE 2018 Kolarov stunner gives Serbia victory AP opening minute and moments later Marco Urena’s angled shot for Costa SAMARA, RUSSIA: Aleksandar Kolarov Rica was saved in the left corner by (pictured) scored from a left-footed Vladimir Stojkovic. free kick in the 56th minute and Serbia Ivanovic made his record 104th opened its World Cup with a 1-0 appearance for the national team, sur- SERBIA COSTA RICA victory over Costa Rica yesterday. passing Dejan Stankovic’s mark. The After David Guzman was handed 34-year-old Ivanovic had matched a yellow card, Kolarov curled the Stankovic’s record last Saturday in a 1 0 ensuing free kick over the wall. Costa 5-1 friendly win over Bolivia. Stankovic, Kolarov- 56' Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who known as “Deki,” played for the plays for Real Madrid, couldn’t reach national team from 1998-2013, it. through three different eras: Yugo- Serbia, which missed out on the slavia, Serbia-Montenegro and finally 2014 tournament, had the early Serbia.Ivanovic currently plays for advantage in a tough group that Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg, but includes five-time champion Brazil and he’s best known for his time at Chelsea Switzerland. (2008-17). After a scoreless first half, Navas Costa Rica defender Ronald fought off a barrage of challenges to Matarrita was ruled out of the World open the second with the boisterous Cup earlier this week because of a Costa Rican fans cheering him on at right hamstring injury. He was replaced Samara Arena. on the roster by Kenner Gutierrez. The final moments of the match Costa Rica advanced out of the were marked by a squabble on the group stage in Brazil with victories sidelines as Nemanja Matic got into a over Uruguay and Italy and a draw tussle with a Costa Rican coach. with England, but the country’s players Players from both teams rushed insisted in the run-up to Sunday’s toward the scrum but it was quickly game that this team should not be diffused. judged on the past. The Ticos were the surprise of the “There’s always a lot of talk about last World Cup, sweeping through to four years ago, but this is a new World the quarterfinals in Brazil before being Cup, a new history,” Costa Rica ousted by the Netherlands on pen- defender Giancarlo Gonzales said. alties. It was the furthest the small “Some of us are repeating, but Central American nation had advanced there are teammates who are playing in soccer’s premier tournament. their first World Cup. We know the But there was some uncertainty eyes of the world are on us.” surrounding the Ticos after a pair of Costa Rica will next face Brazil on friendly losses heading into the World Friday in St. Petersburg, while Serbia Cup, including a 4-1 rout by Belgium plays Switzerland on Friday in a week ago. Kaliningrad. Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic, who Milinkovic-Savic gave Navas a replaced Slavoljub Muslin last year, put workout in the first half, and while he together a veteran defense with didn’t score, he is clearly a potent Kolarov, who plays for Roma, and weapon for Serbia. former Chelsea player Branislav He challenged Navas in the 27th Ivanovic. minute from just outside the box, but Also included were Manchester Navas fell on the ball. Navas also United midfielder Matic, and Sergej stopped Milinkovic-Savic’s bicycle kick Milinkovic-Savic, who had an apparent in front of goal in the 42nd minute, falling out with Muslin but was brought but it was ruled offside. to Russia by Krstajic. Currently with Italian club Lazio, The opening half between Costa rumors have swirled that Manchester Rica and Serbia was back and forth United might be interested in the from the start: Aleksandar Mitrovic’s dynamic 23-year-old header missed the target in the Milinkovic-Savic. Korean focus Jedinak admits VAR ‘frustration’ on VAR: AFP Cameras can’t green and gold were left feeling the same. For France coach KAZAN, RUSSIA: Australia Didier Deschamps, there were be tricked captain Mile Jedinak put on a -- not surprisingly -- no com- AP brave face but admitted the frus- plaints: “I’m not going to com- tration was palpable a day after plain about the use of video the Socceroos’ World Cup today, because it went in our MOSCOW: South Korea coach campaign was compounded by favour.