Recaps of Wednesday's Matches

        Portugal looked to rebound after a disappointing draw to Mexico as they were about to play the host team, Russia. Portugal quickly took the lead in the 8th minute, when Raphael Guerriero played a nice cross into the box to a wide open Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo caught the Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev off his line, and Ronaldo's header beat Akinfeev for the first tally. Ronaldo nearly got a second when he beat defender Viktor Vasin, but Akinfeev blocked Ronaldo's close shot. Russia entered the half still in the game, only down 1-0.
        Portugal had another great oppotunity to make it 2-0 when Andre Silva headed in a cross that Akinfeev parried out with his left hand in the 50th minute. Akinfeev had a total of five saves in the game, keeping his team in it. However, Russia could not find the final touch. Russia had nearly as many shots as Portugal, but lacked that final touch to get it on goal. In the 2nd minute of stoppage time, Russia's best chance occured. After Portuguese keeper Rui Patricio gifted Russia a corner, the result was a Alexsandr Samedov cross that led to a Georgi Dzhikiya header that just went over the bar. Portugal won the game 1-0 and moved to the top of Group A.

       The later game soon became an elimination game for New Zealand after Portugal's win, as a loss would eliminate them. Mexico's coach Juan Carlos Osorio confused everyone, resting 8 of his starters from the game against Portugal, thinking they would still easily win. It nearly didn't work. Chris Wood had many great chances in the first 50 minutes, including 3 1-on-1 chances with Mexico's keeper Alfredo Talavera, but Talavera saved 2 of them. The other, however, beat Talavera. In the 42nd minute, Mexico gave the ball over, and Clayton Lewis played a great through-ball to Wood. Wood finally beat the keeper, giving New Zealand the lead. As soon as Osorio sent on his first sub at the start of the second half, it was then Mexico's game to lose.
       In the 49th minute, New Zealand's Stefan Marinovic saved Javier Aquino's shot. After Wood squandered his third 1-on-1 chance with Talavera in the 50th minute, Mexico leveled the score 4 minutes later. Raul Jimenez got the ball just inside the box, then quickly turned around and shot the ball into the top corner. Mexico got the game-winner in the 72nd when Aquino crossed it low to Oribe Peralta, who smashed it in from point blank range. New Zealand nearly equalized in the 85th when Ryan Thomas' shot hit the crossbar. Things got real chippy in stoppage time, when Mexico's Diego Reyes brought Michael Boxall to prevent a counter-attack. Reyes got a yellow for the foul, only after Boxall pushed Hector Herrera, and a brawl ensued between both teams. Only Boxall and Herrera were the other two to get booked and no one got sent off. Still, Mexico held on for the win, eliminating New Zealand and moving into a tie for first.

The brawl that ensued at the end of the Mexico-New Zealand game.