Source : the age
The Algerians lifted in the run up to half-time linking passes together and creating a few shots on goal, sadly that were comfortably saved.
It will be interesting to see how expansive Switzerland are after the break or whether they knuckle down and try to hold out for a 1-0 win.
Embolo’s goal has them in front, but I reckon they will need at least one more goal.
We’ve reached drinks in Vancouver with Breel Embolo’s goal having his side ahead 1-0.
Algeria are playing quite a direct style and trying to loft some passes over the Swiss defence but they haven’t had much joy yet.
Switzerland have a pretty simple plan too, get the ball to Manzambi on the left and let him attack the defence – it worked for the first goal and still looks most likely to create a second one.
Switzerland 1-0 Algeria, 27 minutes
Switzerland have struck first with Breel Embolo tapping in a pass from Manzambi.
He slides into the corner in celebration – Manzambi did all the hard work and his big man in the middle stood tall and knocked it home.
Switzerland 1-0 Algeria, 10 minutes
I’ve been asked three times since I got into the office about why Croatia’s potentially game-tying goal was called offside, so I’ll offer an explanation here.
Please note that I’m not a referee, just a long-time observer of this wonderful sport.
Australian sporting fans will be very much used to Snicko from international cricket and that kind of technology is working at this world cup to show if contact is made with the ball in key situations like offsides.
So the Snicko metre showed contact with the ball from Igor Matanovic (No.20) as he rose for that header, so him making even glancing contact is ruled as a pass and with his teammate, Josko Gvardiol, in an offside position, that meant he was immediately offside and the goal was ruled out.
I hope that helps. Switzerland and Algeria are now off and playing in Vancouver.
G’day everyone. It’s Roy Ward here and I’ll be taking you through the last round of 32 game for today with Switzerland taking on Algeria in Vancouver with kick-off set for 1pm AEST.
It should be a compelling game and I feel like we haven’t seen Algeria at their attacking best yet while Switzerland has an outside chance for the Golden Boot in Johan Manzmabi who has scored three goals and looks a very dangerous finisher in the box.
Enjoy the hours to come.
Boston: A Massachusetts city home to one of the nation’s largest Cape Verdean communities will impose a nighttime curfew ahead of Cape Verde’s World Cup match on Friday (Saturday AEST) after police said recent post-game celebrations were marred by shootings, stabbings and other violence, prompting city officials to request National Guard assistance.
Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues announced what he called a “temporary safety curfew” within the Boston suburb at a news conference on Wednesday. Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa that qualified for the World Cup for the first time this year, is scheduled to face Argentina on Friday in the knockout stage of the tournament.
“The purpose of this curfew is to protect public safety, reduce criminal activity associated with post-game celebrations, and enable police, fire and emergency personnel to effectively maintain order and respond to emergencies,” Rodrigues said.
The curfew will run from 10pm Friday until 5am Saturday in parts of Brockton, where thousands of people have gathered after Cape Verde’s World Cup matches, pouring into downtown streets waving flags, dancing and celebrating late into the night. No one will be allowed to enter establishments serving alcohol after 7pm, and last call will be at 9.30 pm.
Toronto: Goncalo Ramos headed in the stoppage-time winner as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a wild finish that also included a Croatian goal disallowed for offside just before the final whistle.
The game featured a match-up of 40-somethings Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, in his sixth World Cup, and Croatia’s Luka Modrić, making his fifth bid for a tournament title.
Ronaldo initially tied things up in the 68th minute on a penalty kick and give the megastar his first knockout stage goal at the World Cup before being subbed out in the 81st minute. But, it was Ramos who gave Portugal the victory and a berth in the round of 16.
The game ended in controversy as Croatia thought they had tied things up 2-2 in the very last moments, but Mario Pasalic was called offside as VAR ruled no goal. Croatia fans threw bottles on the field and whistled in protest.
