Ronaldo announces his arrival as Brazil dance to Richarlison’s tune
World Cup Diaries: Day 5
World Cup Diaries: Day 5
24th November 2022
We’ve reached the end of the first round of games in the initial Group stages of this winter’s World Cup, and five days in I thought it time to return to the human story as well as casting an eye over my beloved Liverpool Reds, past and present. I’m penning these diary entries with a great zeal and relish but I miss the expectation of yet another no lose game for Liverpool and whether they can triumph over the sporting odds once more.
With this in mind, I thought I’d check in with some friends, old and new.
The chaos of Cameroon
SWITZERLAND 1 (Embolo 48)
CAMEROON 0
It was therefore a delight to see a glorious Red of Christmas past in the day’s first game, a slow and stodgy stop start affair won by the only goal of the game from Cameroon born Breel Embolo against the country of his birth and for his adopted nation of Switzerland. Touchingly, Embolo didn’t celebrate his simple tap in goal on 48 minutes but was soon swamped by the celebrations of his colleagues and a Switzerland team who always seem to qualify but flatter to deceive before their one paced football is found out and exploited in the knock-out stages. Their 1–0 win today doesn’t guarantee the Swiss a passage into the later stages but I’ll be surprised if don’t progress alongside Brazil from Group G. They have attacking width and a real threat in the form of Silvan Widmer and a nagging defensive shield in captain Granit Xhaka behind the creatity of Ruben Vargas and ex Liverpool Red Xherdan Shaqiri. He was fairly quiet today, as was his captain. But Switzerland always seem to find a way of winning dull, uninspiring low scoring games.
Cameroon in all honesty didn’t deserve any more than their limp 1–0 defeat. The African nation will forever hold a place in my footballing heart for their chaotic introduction to the 1990 World Cup but today’s “Indomitable Lions” didn’t roar, and after a fairly even first 45 minutes they were boringly passed to death by a team adept at winning such tight low scoring games. I expected more from Napoli’s Andre-Frank Anguissa whilst being impressed yet again by Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and felt the early second half substitution of their talismanic striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting rather summed up their disappointing day. The Bayern Munich attacker was bright and energetic in an even first half before almost grinding to a halt early in the second, necessitating his substitution and a somewhat limp footballing surrender from his simpering lions.
The man charged with such decisions is Cameroon manager Rigobert Song and the man with the nattiest of dreadlocks beneath his baseball cap. It’s good to see the old man again who at 46 is younger than me! Song played for Liverpool for just 2 tumultuous seasons at the turn of the century, and when the Reds were turning from also-rans into genuine trophy winners once more. Song largely missed the progression to such heights but was always well regarded as a minor cult hero during his 34 appearances that were epitomised by his energy and infectious enthusiasm. It was good to see the old man again but I fear his team will tumble out of the World Cup at the very first hurdle.
The bore draw
URUGUAY 0
SOUTH KOREA 0
I don’t see the same early exit fate befalling the past and present Liverpool Reds in the guise of Uruguay’s striking pair of Luis Suarez and Darwin Nunez, but their dull 0–0 draw with South Korea may give some pause for thought in the coming days. A dreadful game with very little in the way of redeeming features, the game’s only shot on target was in fact a header from inspirational Uruguay captain Diego Godin that thumped against the inside of the Korean goal before rebounding to safety. That was it. A dull, even first half didn’t particularly catch fire in the second either with arguably the only highlight of real note being Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez making a yard of space for himself on the edge of the Korean penalty area before curling his long range drive a yard or so outside of the far post.
It was somewhat strange seeing the old and new of Liverpool past and present, and the grizzled old veteran in the shape of Luis Suarez alongside the ponytailed bright young thing in Darwin Nunez. But there was no magic here today from either team, and alongside Ghana and Portugal, Group H could be a footballing nightmare to qualify from.
The arrival of the GOAT
PORTUGAL 3 (Ronaldo 65, Felix 78, Leao 80)
GHANA 2 (Ayew 73, Bukari 89)
The arrival of the “greatest of all time” (Lionel Messi surely? Apoplectic Editor) followed the pattern of the five World Cup days so far as well as the Brazil/Serbia game that would follow it. A drab, tense and unexciting first half before the flow of goals in the second. Ronaldo pushed, barged and finagled his way to three minor first half chances that are only noteworthy as nothing much else happened! But 5 goals would be shared in 25 frantic second half minutes as Ghana refused to lie down or go away quietly and can be rightly aggrieved that the game’s greatest ever player hoodwinked them.
Twenty minutes into a second half as deadly dull as the first, Mohammed Salisu’s challenge on Ronaldo as he angled his run across the Ghana penalty area was a light tangle and touching of knees. At best. But with Ronaldo sprawling in the penalty area, a penalty was given and Ronaldo, who else, smashed home the resultant spot kick. It was INCREDIBLY harsh on Ghana but 8 minutes later they were level as Andre Ayew ghosted in between Raphael Guerreiro and Danilo Pereira to tap in a simple cross from Mohammed Kudus. His annoying persistence and tenacity paid off as Portugal simply switched off and both he and goal scorer Ayew found huge pockets of space in the Portuguese penalty area.
17 minutes to go. Game on.
But Ghana would be level for just 5 minutes and it would be the unlucky Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu at the centre of the action again as this time he couldn’t cut out the simplest of passes forward from Bruno Fernandes that allowed Joao Felix a free run at goal and simple “dink” over an advancing and exposed Lawrence Ati-Zigi in the Ghana goal. Two minutes later Ghana as a team were now exposed to the lightning pace of substitute Rafael Leao and he gratefully received another assist from Bruno Fernandes by expertly sliding a cross shot into the far corner of the Ghanian net, leaving goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi with no chance.
Substitute Osman Bukari gave the “Black Stars” of Ghana late hope with his 89th minute header but the goat and the goalkeeper, Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Costa, survived late scares, and Portugal will progress from this group in the coming days. Time will tell as to who will join them.
Richarlison at the double
BRAZIL 2 (Richarlison 62 and 73)
SERBIA 0
After an utterly dreadful first half the game sparked into life in the second and you may well have read that somewhere before! Right off the bat: Serbia were awful. According to the statisticians they had 5 shots at the Brazil goal manned by Liverpool’s goalkeeping custodian Alisson Becker, but I fail to remember the Reds favourite and future goalkeeping legend making any saves whatsoever. He tangled with Serbia’s undoubted attacking spearhead Aleksandar Mitrovic for a cross he collected comfortably, but aside from this Mitrovic, captain Dusan Tadic and their speedy wide player Andrija Zivkovic were all absent from the fray come the second half, and a second period of play in which Brazil finally came out to play and relentlessly ground their Serbian opponents into the Qatar turf.
Richarlison is my diary entry “Man of the Day” and if you think it hurts me saying that as a Liverpool fan with Richarlison an ex Everton Blue, you’d be right! But wait until you see who I’ve given my “Man of the Match” award to!
But Richarlison, that nagging, moaning and over theatrically expressive Brazilian striker deserves my grudging praise for a poached first goal on 62 minutes before an incredible bicycle kick volley 11 minutes later ended any possible Serbian resistance. Three touches of the ball: from the outside of the right boot of Vinicius Junior to the outside of Richarlison’s left boot and a set up for a bicycle kick style volley over his shoulder that sent the ball flying past a flailing Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the Serbia goal. It’s an incredible goal and already a certain contender for “Goal of the Tournament”.
Where Serbia were reduced to just 5 uneventful shots on the Brazil goal, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had to repel 8 shots on his goal in an outstanding display even in a losing cause. The giant Serbian pulled off a string of second half saves as well as seeing his post rattled on the hour mark by a tremendous long range drive from Alex Sandro and then his crossbar twenty minutes later as Casemiro almost capped a faultless performance with a beautiful goal instead of the frustration of seeing his curling shot rebound loudly off the bar. Manchester United’s Casemiro was my man of the match and the glue needed by this Brazilian team to allow the likes of Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Neymar free attacking reign to press their opponents if not into submission, very definitely deeper and deeper inside their own half. If ever Serbia tried to relieve the pressure it was usually Casemiro who blocked their path and with a Serbian midfield and defence deep inside their own half, Casemiro also had a free play to ping expansive and expressive attacking balls forward.
After praising both Richarlison and Casemiro I now need to wash my mouth out with soap and water!
So Ronaldo has joined the party as we reach the end of the first round of group games and Brazil have joined England and Spain as the three teams that have impressed me the most in these opening five days. All three teams had easy looking opposition and all three brushed them aside efficiently and effectively. Spain just shade England and Brazil as to the early tournament pacesetters but I have a feeling there are far more shocks in store before the final on 18th December.
Thanks for reading. In addition to the delights that can be found within the cave of wonders that is my archives, I’m penning a day to day diary of the World Cup and here are days 2 through 4:
Bellingham shines for 6 goal England as Gareth bales out Wales
World Cup Diaries: Day 2.medium.com
Saudi Arabia shake up the world as the holders skip past the Socceroos
World Cup Diaries: Day 3medium.com
Pedri dazzles as Germany are humbled and politics returns to the World Cup once more
World Cup Diaries: Day 4medium.com