Source :- THE AGE NEWS
In the final game on Sunday, Japan will take on Tunisia in the second Group F clash of the day, at the Estadio BBVA (or, under FIFA rules, Estadio Monterrey), kicking off at 2pm. Japan are coming off that thrilling 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, where the Samurai Blue managed to come from behind twice to end level with the European heavyweights. Tunisia were thrashed by Sweden 5-1 at the same stadium in the opening round.
Japan will be without attacker Takefusa Kubo. The Real Sociedad playmaker, who delivered the assist as Japan scored their late equaliser against the Netherlands, sustained a knee injury in that game and is out.
A loss here and Tunisia would join those already knocked out of the World Cup before the final group games.
Japan: Zion Suzuki, Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ao Tanaka, Ritsu Doan, Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Kaishu Sano, Ayase Ueda
Tunisia: Aymen Dahmen, Ali Abdi, Montassar Talbi, Omar Rekik, Dylan Bronn, Yan Valery, Hannibal Mejbri, Ellyes Skhiri, Anis Ben Slimane, Sebastian Tounekti, Elias Saad
That’s a growth of more than 400,000 within an hour!
Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack, allowing The Blue Wave to earn a 0-0 draw against the heavily favoured La Tri on Saturday night and earn the tiny island nation their first-ever World Cup point.
The outcome also allowed Germany, who beat Ivory Coast earlier in the day, to clinch Group E.
The 37-year-old Room, whose shut-out of Jamaica in November sent Curacao to its first World Cup, bounced back from a 7-1 loss to Germany with one of the finest performances by a goalkeeper in World Cup history. His save total was one shy of the record – since saves became an official stat in 1966 – of 16, set by Tim Howard of the US against Belgium on July 1, 2014.
The draw does not eliminate either team from the knockout stages but it puts Ecuador in dire shape going into their group finale. Those matches take place on Friday (6am AEST), with Curacao facing Ivory Coast in Philadelphia and Ecuador playing Germany in New York.
Ecuador’s players are in tears. Advocaat is in tears (again). The small pocket of Curacao supporters in the stands are beside themselves. The rest of the stadium are beside themselves for a different reason. Ecuador manager Beccacece is gathering his squad in a huddle and giving them an impassioned pep talk.
The pressure will be on him now, leading into the final group game against Germany next Friday morning (AEST). That tournament-opening 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast is looking even less good – let’s go with more bad – now. Ecuador sit third in a finely poised Group E, ahead of Curacao only on goal difference. They had 27 shots to get it done but somehow failed in that quest.
Room made 15 saves over the 90 minutes – a men’s World Cup record for a 90-minute match (Howard’s record of 16 was set over 120 minutes). He and his team made history by qualifying for these finals, and have now made history with a first World Cup point. They still have plenty to play for in what shapes as an exciting final group encounter with Ivory Coast (also on Friday morning AEST).
I am on the edge of my seat. Holding my breath. Waiting to see if either team will break this stalemate. Waiting to see if this penalty shout becomes an awarded penalty. A VAR check confirms it does not. And then the full-time whistle blows and this absolutely stunning result is secured for a nation with a population of 150,000.
Ecuador 0-0 Curacao, full-time
The number has climbed by more than 20,000 in the past 15 minutes or so, and I have no reason to believe it’ll not continue to do so.
The 37-year-old, who plays for USL Championship outfit Miami FC, remains on 15 saves and does not have a chance to add to it when Preciado hits the woodwork in the 90th minute.
There will be five minutes of added time.
Ecuador 0-0 Curacao, 90 minutes
Advocaat is 78 years old and his World Cup debutants are hanging in there by a thread. If you would like further proof of this, Valencia has just missed a MASSIVE opportunity to score. It’s so easy – he has the time and he has the space in the goalmouth – and yet he still directs his shot wide.
Ecuador 0-0 Curacao, 84 minutes
It’s a free header. All he has to do is … well, you know. Instead, he inexplicably sends it high. Room does not need to do a thing. He had just done another thing in the sequence prior, though, with yet another classy save to stop new substitute Nilson Angulo.
Room has 14 saves. Apparently, 16 will equal the record for a single World Cup match. That honour belongs to America’s Tim Howard against Belgium in the round of 16 at Brazil 2014.
He makes his 15th save in the 80th minute to draw level with Howard’s record.
Ecuador 0-0 Curacao, 81 minutes
Not in a controversial sense but just two series of absolutely bonkers moments in quick succession.
Ecuador are still hunting for that elusive goal and they very nearly have it on the hour mark off a corner, except that Room makes ANOTHER huge save to deny a Hincapie header.
THEN Curacao are off on the counter and Ecuador’s goalkeeper Hernan Galindez makes not one, not two, but THREE saves to stop the Caribbean minnows from taking the lead.
That was the 61st minute. In the 62nd, Ecuador race off on their own counter-attack and Valencia has another crack, this time at Room’s near post. Room, of course, makes the save. Would you expect anything less?
Jeremy Doku, a starting winger on Belgium’s World Cup team, wants to be with his wife when she gives birth to their first child.
The only problem is that if Belgium make it out of group play and the knockout round, he would need to return to his country and potentially miss a key match. The expected due date for his wife, Shireen, falls in the second week of July when the quarter-finals are scheduled.
The 24-year-old Doku has drawn criticism for his family-over-nation stand. Doku, who plays for Manchester City, is resolute in wanting to be with his wife but can’t drown out the critics.
“If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also know that football involves many other considerations,” Doku told Reuters. “I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We’ll see what we can do.”
