What did you miss last night? And what’s on the schedule for today? Our daily concise overview—this time featuring the nerve-of-steel Egyptians, an underdog that pushed world champion Argentina to the limit, and the Colombians, who need to work on their efficiency.
Salah, as cheeky as ever
Early this evening, Egypt, led by its superstar Mo Salah, reached the Round of 16 for the first time in its history. However, it took a penalty shootout against Australia to get there. Socceroos coach Tony Popovic initially tried to surprise everyone with a goalkeeper change, but in the end, it was the Pharaohs who converted every one of their penalties and prevailed 4–2 in the shootout—Salah, among others, scored with a cheeky Panenka.
Despite Great Spirit: Cape Verde’s World Cup Dream Ends
In the Round of 16, the Egyptians now face none other than defending champions Argentina. The Albiceleste, however, had to work hard last night against a sensational Cape Verde side. Argentina took the lead twice, and the World Cup newcomer came back both times; particularly noteworthy was the 2–2 equalizer by Sidny, who once played for Rot-Weiß Erfurt in the Regionalliga Nordost and for Viktoria Köln in the 3. Liga. In the end, it was a corner kick from Messi that Cape Verde’s Diney deflected into his own net for the 3–2 winning goal in extra time. With Emiliano Martinez also standing tall in goal, the world champions are through to the Round of 16. Messi, by the way, shone with a goal and an assist.
Colombia claims the final Round of 16 spot
Colombia snatched the final round of 16 spot last night. The team led by Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz lived up to its role as favorite against Ghana, but squandered plenty of chances. In the end, it was an early goal by Jhon Arias that made the difference in this hard-fought and, at times, rather scrappy match.
Here’s what to expect on World Cup Day
The Round of 16 kicks off on Saturday. Canada and Morocco will open the round at 7 p.m. (CEST). Will the World Cup fourth-place finisher and reigning African champion halt the co-host’s winning streak? At 11 p.m., Paraguay—Germany’s nemesis—hopes for another upset, but the South Americans face a tough matchup against the French, who have been so convincing so far. Meanwhile, there’s bad news for night owls: No games will be played on Saturday night into Sunday morning.