As the World Cup is dynamic, each new possibility of elimination ends up taking the focus away from the previous one. Germany and Belgium were still digesting their early exits in the group stage on Thursday (1st) when Uruguay entered the field against Ghana on Friday (2nd) threatening to join them. Last in group H and without having scored a single goal, they desperately needed to win. But it was not just that.
The match was hot before it even started because it brought out one of the most unusual moments in the history of the World Cups: Luis Suárez’s defense with his hands against the Ghanaians in the 2010 quarterfinals.
Practically a volley block, he avoided a clear goal from the opponent and helped the Uruguayans to win. Before the reunion in Qatar, the striker said he would not apologize for the moment that competes at a bizarre level in World Cups with another one of his, the bite of Chiellini in 2014.
This time Ghana again missed a penalty. Arrascaeta scored two goals. But with minutes to go, South Korea scored against Portugal in the other group match. Hope turned to despair and Celeste ended up eliminated by the criteria of goals scored. Sad to see an early end for Suárez, Cavani and co. With one more world champion gone, let it serve as a lesson for those who stay.
Whether it came out or not, the fact is that the credit belongs to Japan
If you’ve spent the day after Japan beat Spain 2-1 trying to figure out whether or not the ball went over the baseline on Japan’s comeback play, know that you’re not alone.
There were countless analyzes of sports TV channels showing the bid from different angles – on the one hand the ball is out of bounds, on the other hand it pinches the line; home videos of those who took their cell phones and a ball at home and pasted masking tape on the floor to show that the interpretation varies depending on how you look at it; and even the suggestion by a commentator here in England that the rule could be changed so that the ball has to be physically in or out of bounds, not just that the curvature of it is over the line.
If anyone hasn’t seen it yet, the controversy was at the beginning of the second half when the game was 1 to 1. Kaoru Mitoma received the ball on the line and crossed for Ao Tanaka to score. The referee disallowed the goal, the VAR (video referee) intervened and confirmed. The confusion was greater because the images from the TV transmission cameras gave the impression that the ball had gone out, and the angle used by VAR was not disclosed at the time.
The bid was even more prominent because the three points of the Japanese victory left Germany out of the Cup. It will still generate debate, but one thing is certain: it was not Japan that took out the Germans. Germany eliminated itself. With a win, a draw and a defeat, it leaves for the second time in a row in the group stage of a world cup. Merit for those who beat two European powers.
Trio with Brazilian makes history
It was to be expected that any newspaper, when highlighting the match between Costa Rica and Germany on its Friday (2nd) cover, would choose a shot from the game as the main photo. But the British The Guardian, one of the most important in the world, placed the Brazilian Neusa Back, the French Stéphanie Frappart and the Mexican Karen Diaz Medina – the first female arbitration trio in a men’s soccer World Cup.
It took 92 years for this to happen. Congratulations to them for the achievement and for inspiring other girls to pursue this career.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
