Saturday, July 8, 2017

Weekly Recap: Germany Beats Title to Win Cup; Mexico Collapses to Portugal

           The third place game (Portugal vs. Mexico) and the final (Chile vs. Germany) occurred Sunday. Mexico scored first in the 54th from a low cross that deflected off Portuguese defender Luis Neto and in, but it was 1-1 in the dying moments when Pepe headed in a cross into the goal. In extra time, things got heated after Adrien Silva converted on a penalty that Mexico was unhappy about. Portugal would go down to 10 when Nelson Semedo got his second yellow in the 106th minute, only for Mexico to lose their man advantage 6 minutes later when Raul Jimenez got his second yellow. Mexico once again showed its inability to close out and win games against top teams.
          Chile and Germany faced off in the final, where Chile outplayed Germany in terms of offense. The lone breakthrough came by Germany in the 20th minute when Timo Werner beat Chile keeper Claudio Bravo and tapped it to Julian Stindl to slot home. Chile lacked a finishing touch and had several shots blocked by German defenders or saved by keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The most impressive was on the last play of the game, when ter Stegen denied a free kick goal from Alexis Sanches, allowing Germany to win its first Confederations Cup.

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Germany celebrate after the lone goal of the game.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Predictions: Third-Place Match and Final

Who: Mexico vs. Portugal
When: Sunday, July 2 @ 8 AM EST
Where: Otkritie Arena, Moscow
Watch: FS1, Telemundo (TV); Fox Sports Go (Streaming)
Prediction: 1-1 AET (Mexico wins in PKs): Portugal will be without Cristiano Ronaldo, but will still find a way to score. This is a big game for the Mexican team and coach Juan Carlos Osorio, but his team will win by the skin of its teeth, due in part to Portugal's lack of scoring on penalty kicks.

Who: Chile vs. Germany
When: Sunday, July 2 @ 2 PM EST
Where: Krestovsky Stadium, St. Petersburg
Watch: FS1, Telemundo (TV); Fox Sports Go (Streaming)
Prediction: 2-2 AET (Chile wins in PKs): Chile shows its tournament dominance, by winning in PKs, again. Chile have won both Copa America tournaments in the las two years by winning the final in penalties, and advanced to this final by winning in penalties. Germany and Chile will open up this game with scoring, but after a scoreless extra time, Chile will have the advantage and win its 3rd international tournament in as many years.
Germany's Julian Draxler (left) and Chile's Alexis Sanchez (right)

Friday, June 30, 2017

Germany Handles Mexico Easily, Moves on to Final

            Germany and Mexico faced off for a spot in the final against Chile. Leon Goretzka opened the scoring in the 6th minute when Ben Henrichs moved the ball upfield for Germany, and gave the ball to Goretzka, who was wide open. Goretzka fired it first touch, and it hit the far left post past Mexican keeper Guillermo Ochoa. Goretzka made it two-nil two minutes later when he beat Ochoa to the ball and scored into the open net. Germany could have made it 3-0 in the 19th when Timo Werner was one-on-one with Ochoa, but Ochoa made the save. Mexico had chances in the 34th minute, when both dos Santos players (Giovani and Jonathan) had chances saved by Marc-Andre tear Stegen, and Javier Hernandez had a header go over the bar in the 36th.
            Germany almost made it 3-0 in the 52th minute when Henrichs sent Werner into the box with a beautiful pass. Werner put it across the face of goal. Germany finally got their 3rd in the 59th when Julian Draxler played the ball, who passed it to Jonas Hector. He found Werner open facing an empty net, and Werner got his goal. Mexico had more chances to score in the final 15 minutes. In the 75th, Hirving Lozano played a cross to Raul Jimenez, and his header to the far post hit the crossbar. In the 82nd, Miguel Layun shot a curving ball that ter Stegen saved. Marco Fabian got Mexico a goal in the 89th with his strike from 30 yards out curling into the far corner past ter Stegen, but Germany kept the deficit 3 two minutes later when Emre Can played a through ball to Amin Younes to slice home. Mexico lost a very important game and will only end up playing for third, while Germany will play for their first Confederations Cup title.
ter Stegen with a fine save on Giovani dos Santos.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Chile Outlasts Portugal in Semifinal

               Chile and Portugal began semifinal play yesterday with an eventful scoreless draw after 120 minutes. Andre Gomes found himself in space in the box and was open, but his shot was saved by Chile keeper Claudio Bravo. In the 6th minute, Alexis Sanchez found Eduardo Vargas in the clear, but Vargas put his shot wide of goal. One minute later, Andre Silva got a great cross from Cristiano Ronaldo, but Silva's shot was right at Bravo. After the first 10 minutes, Portugal slowed the game down with lots of passing and possession.
               Chile should have scored in the 54th when Arturo Vidal connected his head to a Jean Beausejour cross. Vidal was just in front of the goal, but headed it over the bar. In the 57th, Portuguese keeper Rui Patricio stopped Vargas' bicycle kick at the near post off the corner to keep the score level. Ronaldo had some looks for Portugal; in the 59th, his close range shot was saved by Bravo; and in the 72nd, his shot was deflected just over the crossbar. The last chance in the final rest 90 was Ronaldo's header wide of goal in the 85th.
            As the game headed to extra time, chances from both teams still came. Sanches thought he won it for Chile with his header, but the ball spun just wide of goal. Chile had a penalty appeal in the 112th when Francisco Silva got tripped up by Jose Fonte, but there was no whistle. Chile should have scored in the 119th when Vidal's curled away from Patricio and hit the bar, and sub Martin Rodriguez' put-back attempt hit off the crossbar.
           After 120 minutes of end-to-end soccer, penalties came. Claudio Bravo made fine stops on Portugal's first free kicks, stopping Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho, and Nani. For Chile, Vidal, Charles Aranguiz, and Sanches delivered for the win. Chile will be in the final facing the winner of Germany-Mexico, while Portugal will face the loser of that game.


           

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Match Preview: Semifinals

The final 4 teams left in the tournament 

Who: Portugal vs. Chile
When: Wednesday, June 28 @ 2 PM EST
Where: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Watch: FS1, Telemundo (TV); Fox Sports Go (Streaming)
Prediction: 2-2 (AET); Chile wins in PK 4-2 - Chile is a more offensive team than Portugal but have missed many opportunities to score and could have more goal in this tournament. Portugal have scored on most of their few, scoring chances, and will do so against Chile. Chile will score 2 goals, but the game will head into extra time and penalties locked at 2. There, Chile's offensive players will convert on their penalties kicks to send Chile to the final.

Who: Germany vs. Mexico
When: Thursday, June 29 @ 2 PM EST
Where: Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi
Watch: FS2, Telemundo (TV); Fox Sports Go (Streaming)
Prediction: 2-1 (AET) Mexico - Mexico and Germany will go end-to-end on the pitch with great scoring chances on both sides, but the goals will come in extra time. There, Germany and Mexico would exchange goals, followed by a late winner by Mexico's Chicharito himself to send Mexico to their 2nd Confederations Cup final.




Monday, June 26, 2017

Germany Cruises Past Cameroon; Australia Hangs Tough with Chile

         The last two spots for the semi-finals were on the line yesterday as Cameroon and Australia faced must-win games against Germany and Chile. The first game to recap is Germany-Cameroon. After both teams exchanged possession in the first 20 minutes, Germany slowly created chances. In the 21st minute, Emre Can had a 20-yard shot go just wide of the far post, and Joshua Kimmich had a header in the 24th from 6 yards out go wide of the far post. Cameroon had the best chance of the half on the last play when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa first-time shot from point blank caused a quick reaction save from German keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
         Kerem Dirembay got his first goal with the German national team in the 48th when he found space just outside the box, and hit it top corner. In the 54th, Cameroon's Fabrice Ondoa made two fine saves on Joshua Kimmich and after Timo Werner's attempt. Soon afterward, Germany would soon dictate possession and control the game, with help of being up a man. In the 64th, Ernest Mabouka kicked Emre Can in the thigh to get a loose ball, and Mabouka got a straight red. Germany would make it 2-nil 2 minutes later when Kimmich sent in a cross that Werner headed into the ground to past Ondoa. Cameroon would get one back in the 78th when Vincent Aboubakar headed a goal from the front post past ter Stegen, but Germany sealed the win in the 81st when Werner shot it home from 6 yards out. Werner would attempt for a hat trick, but Ondoa made a fine save. Germany clinched first in the group and will face Mexico.

         With Cameroon out and Germany in, only one spot was left for Australia and Chile. Australia, needing a two-goal win to advance, relied on keeper Mathew Ryan to make fine saves, and he did in the first half. They got one goal in the 41st when Australia countered Chile and Robbie Kruse's blocked shot found James Troisi, who chipped Chilean keeper Claudio Bravo inside the box. Chile nearly equalized in the 44th when Arturo Vidal's header was deflected just wide of goal, but Australia missed a great chance to make it 2-0 in stoppage time when Troisi put the ball in the Chilean box that found Trent Salinsbury wide open. Chile looked for an offsides flag, but he wasn't, and Salinsbury's attempted shot went way over the bar.
       Eduardo Vargas and Alexis Sanches continued to spurn good shots on goal, but Ryan held firm and saved all of them. Chile would find their goal in the 67th when Vargas's header found Martin Rodriguez, whose shot got past Ryan. In the end, the 1-1 draw was earned after chances from both teams, and Chile will move on and play Portugal.
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Troisi's beautiful chip over Bravo.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Mexico Knocks out Hosts; Portugal Routs New Zealand

        The two final Group A games kicked off simultaneously with spots for the semi-finals on the line. First game to recap: Russia-Mexico. Russia needed a win to move on, Mexico anything but a loss. Russia looked to get a goal by causing a penalty in the 6th minute when Yuri Zhirkov fell in the box and the 17th minute when Fedor Smolov got brought down by Mexican players, but the ref let play continue both times. Russia did find their goal in the 25th after a shot by Smolov hit the post. Alexandr Yerokhin had his shot blocked by Mexican keeper Guillermo Ochoa, but Russia kept possession and found Aleksandr Samedov in the box to coolly place the ball in the net. Mexico would make it 1-1 when, in the 30th minute, Hector Herrera's cross found Nestor Araujo, and he headed it over Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev and down inside the far post.
         Russia, like the first half, started the second half offensively, and had a goal by Samedov disallowed in the 48th because of offside. Mexico would make it 2-1 in the 52nd minute when Herrera cleared the ball out and Akinfeev got out to attempt to clear. The ball failed to get inside the box, and Hirving Lozano chipped the ball over Akinfeev to score. Yerokhin nearly made it 2-2 in the 58th when his shot curled just wide right of the right post. Mexico nearly made it 3-1 when Hector Moreno scored, but VAR ruled he was fractions offside (correctly). Yuri Zhirkov hurt his team in the 68th when, after elbowing Miguel Layun, got a second yellow and red. Russia struggled to find possession and chances after the red, and lost 2-1 to eliminate themselves. Mexico would then watch the end of the other game to see where they placed in the standings.

        The other game, Portugal-New Zealand, was between a team playing for the Cup and one playing for pride. Portugal didn't rest any players, albeit the easy opponent and only needing a tie, and pressured New Zealand early and often. After New Zealand controlled the first 15 minutes, Portugal dictated the game and broke through in the 33rd via a Cristiano Ronaldo PK. Before then, after a Ronaldo header that hit the crossbar and found the New Zealand keeper, Danilo got shoved in the box by Tom Doyle and Tommy Smith. Ronaldo executed the PK perfectly. Portugal got their second in the 37th when Ricardo Quaresma went down the line to give to Eliseu, who cut it to Bernando Silva to strike home.
       Portugal remained dominant in the last 45 minutes, but New Zealand had a great chance in the 58th when Doyle cut the ball on a counter to Chris Wood, whose shot was saved off the line by Portugal's keeper Rui Patricio. Andre Silva made it 3-0 in the 80th when he blasted his shot past keeper Stefan Marinovic, and the score was made final in the 91st minute when Nani when his shot just outside the box beat Marinovic. Portugal got first in Group A, Mexico second, and New Zealand with 3 L's and back-to-back L's to Russia.
The Russian players are dejected whilst the Mexican players celebrate.
Russian players exhausted and upset after losing their must-win game.