In Group F, early risers in the UK witnessed Japan’s commanding victory over Tunisia in Monterrey. Fans of Crystal Palace were likely not surprised by Daichi Kamada’s stellar performance, as he stepped into an advanced position to replace the injured Takefusa Kubo in Japan’s lineup.
“Daichi has mostly been deployed as a defensive midfielder recently, but considering our current team situation, we had him shift to the shadow striker position today,” explained Hajime Moriyasu, Japan’s head coach. “The idea was to bring out his strengths and have him control the team’s offence and defence from that advanced position.”
Tunisia faced elimination alongside Turkey after Herve Renard took the reins from the dismissed Sabri Lamouchi, but was unable to reverse their fortunes. Their last outing ended in defeat against the Netherlands.
“The score is heavy but it reflects the difference between the two teams tonight,” Renard acknowledged. “Even if we are eliminated we still have a third game to play. We are in a World Cup, and we must remain focused. It is important to get ready to fight for this third game against the Netherlands.”
In Group E, Germany secured their spot in the knockout stage for the first time since their 2014 triumph, rallying from a halftime deficit against Côte d’Ivoire.
“We showed great character today,” said Deniz Undav, who came off the bench to score twice, netting a late winner and boosting his tally to nine goals in 11 international caps.
Undav’s position has generated interest under Julian Nagelsmann, who has previously critiqued the striker’s performances despite his scoring. Undav conveyed dissatisfaction with his role as a substitute.
“I could have him in the starting lineup,” Nagelsmann remarked yesterday. “I think that every player would love to be in the starting lineup, but I think he’s very happy as it is right now.”
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“I think I need a statue in Curaçao now,” stated Eloy Room, after his remarkable performance helped earn his nation its first World Cup point by holding Ecuador to a draw. His clean sheet was particularly impressive following the 7-1 defeat against Germany in their opening match.
“A little bit annoyed that I don’t have the record from Tim Howard, but I think he was sweating in front of the TV because I was close,” Room added.
“I haven’t heard anything from other coaches and I’m sure they’re busy with preparing their own teams and we never expect them to show any reaction,”
The draw places Curaçao in a favorable position to advance from Group E, contingent on a victory against Côte d’Ivoire in their upcoming match.
Here’s a recap of the Saturday World Cup action:
Sweden rebounded from their 5-1 opening victory over Tunisia, only to suffer a similar fate, losing 5-1 to the Netherlands, with Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey scoring twice in Houston.
Deniz Undav continued his impressive scoring streak for Germany, contributing both goals off the bench, including a decisive late score against a determined Côte d’Ivoire in Toronto.
Curaçao celebrated their first World Cup point by holding Ecuador to a goalless draw, with goalkeeper Eloy Room making an astounding 15 saves in Kansas City.
Herve Renard’s debut as head coach of Tunisia mirrored the struggles of Sabri Lamouchi’s last match as Japan dominated the scoring in Monterrey.
Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, voiced his frustration regarding the lack of support from fellow coaches at the World Cup amid rising tensions ahead of their crucial match against Belgium.
The Iranian team arrived in Los Angeles from Tijuana, Mexico, shortly after midday on Saturday, less than 24 hours before their second Group G match. Iran had sought to arrive in LA two days prior to the match, but their request was denied, prompting them to express feelings of being the “But if I had seen another team being treated the way we’ve been treated, I would have [done it]. “I have not seen any reactions from anyone but it seems like the honourable coach of Belgium [Rudi Garcia] has said we are here for football, not politics, and I’m saying exactly the same thing. Our grievances are to do with the way [Fifa] have behaved towards us.” team in the tournament. In contrast, Belgium arrived on Friday to prepare.
“They [Fifa] phoned me and said: ‘Are you ready if we get you a flight at 6pm?’ I welcomed that but we sat and waited and waited,” Ghalenoei noted. “But if I had seen another team being treated the way we’ve been treated, I would have [done it].
“We waited until 7pm, nothing happened. ‘OK, sorry, we weren’t able to do that.’ That’s going to affect us mentally, especially me as a head coach … I know Fifa is trying its best, I thank them for that but it doesn’t mean they have succeeded.”
Ghalenoei further elaborated on how Iran remained in limbo on Friday evening after receiving indications from FIFA that they might be allowed to travel to LA earlier than scheduled. He mentioned that the team was ready to leave their base in Tijuana, but as the evening progressed, FIFA failed to provide the necessary approval.
“Why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?” Ghalenoei recounted. “They’ve allowed us to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel but unfortunately for the first two games others made these decisions for us.”
Ghalenoei confirmed that they have now received permission to fly to Seattle two days prior to their final Group G match against Egypt on Friday, but he questioned the reasoning behind not being allowed to do so for their earlier matches in the US. “Why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?” the 62-year-old queried. “They’ve allowed us to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel but unfortunately for the first two games others made these decisions for us.”
Tunisia is out of the tournament following their heavy defeat to Japan in Group F. Meanwhile, Curaçao remains in contention after a valiant 0-0 draw against Ecuador in Group E. Germany and the Netherlands, however, continue to progress ominously.
