Group H delivers us incredible drama, some of the World Cup’s biggest stars find themselves warming the pine, and Dua Lipa makes a surprise appearance.
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Here are today’s World Cup quick hits.
1. Agony and ecstasy in Group H
It doesn’t get much better than the final minutes of group stage games with every result still on the table. And the final moments of the two Group H clashes certainly delivered.
Cabo Verde was level with Saudi Arabia, knocking on the door but unable to find a goal as the score remained 0-0. That would be enough for them though, so long as Spain won its game against Uruguay in Guadalajara.
Cabo Verde celebrates its unlikely qualification for the round of 32. (Getty Images: Michael Steele)
And as the clock ticked down with Spain’s 1-0 lead holding firm, Uruguay progressively unravelled. Coach Marcelo Bielsa, apparently the target of a mutiny in the camp during the week, dragged the goalkeeper Fernando Muslera at half-time and best player Federico Valverde not long after, and let mayhem reign.
The tackles were flying in, a couple of shockers on Pedri and Lamine Yamal were punished only with yellows. But in injury time, when Agustin Canobbia went flying into Pau Cubarsi with an outrageous challenge, the ref finally whipped out the red.
Agustin Canobbio lost his head in the dying stages of Uruguay’s defeat. (AP: Ricardo Mazalan)
Meanwhile, the Cabo Verde players were gathered around a phone, watching the stream as Uruguay’s World Cup came to an end. The Cabo Verde journey, on the other hand, is only just beginning.
2. To rest or not to rest?
Without stand-out striker Erling Haaland and nine other starters in the line-up, Norway lost 4-1, but with no coaching regrets about load management now that the knockout stage has arrived and with a Round of 32 game against Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
“The break that we had from the last game to this game is the shortest of any team, and we have another match in just a couple of days, so it’s a no-brainer,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said.
Erling Haaland sat out Norway’s defeat to France. (Getty Images: Maddie Meyer )
“Fans around Norway and also in the arena would have liked to see Erling, but that is not really the issue here. We want to proceed as long as we can here in the tournament, so that’s what we focus on.”
Hours later, news came through that Lionel Messi would start Argentina’s final group game against Jordan on the bench.
It’s a point of contention among coaches of the strongest nations at this World Cup, and the question of “rest or no rest?” doesn’t seem to have a clear answer.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez, now at his third World Cup, says he has learned from experience that squad management can only take you so far.
Lionel Messi will start Argentina’s game against Jordan on the bench. (Getty Images: Maja Hitij)
“I believe that the focus should be trying to win every game, trying to create the best possible atmosphere in your dressing room, forget about the opponent,” Martinez said.
“Respect the opponent, but if you want to do well in the tournament, you have to be able to beat everybody and anybody.”
3. Dua Lipa crashes Bobby’s presser
Speaking of Roberto Martinez.
A special guest crashed the Portugal coach’s pre-match press conference — Grammy winner Dua Lipa.
Well, her sound, anyway.
Speakers inside the interview room at the stadium started blaring some of Dua’s songs for a few minutes in the middle of Martinez’s presser. It wasn’t totally clear why — some wires got crossed, evidently, during a rehearsal happening inside the stadium — but nobody seemed to mind that it happened.
Martinez even swayed a little in his chair while journalists laughed and workers tried to find a way to silence the music.
“Dua Lipa’s supporting Portugal, I believe,” he said.
4. Calm down Anthony, you’re already through
Anthony Elanga’s equaliser helped Sweden qualify for the World Cup’s round of 32 following a 1-1 draw with Japan, but while his teammates were celebrating the result, the striker collapsed on the ground in frustration thinking they had not qualified.
Elanga, believing they had needed a win, was pushing his teammates to find a second goal and even pulled up with cramp, earning some harsh words from his teammate Alexander Isak.
Anthony Elanga didn’t quite have a full grip on Sweden’s position in the closing moments of its game against Japan. (AP: Tony Gutierrez)
“He got a little scolding from me there. He was a little frustrated at the end of the match, and you can understand that now,” Isak told reporters after Thursday’s match.
Elanga said his teammates were trying to shout at him, but he did not know that they only needed one point to qualify until the match was over.
“I just shouted, come on, we can go for more … I got cramp at the end but didn’t want to stop running,” he said.
Elanga was not the only player unaware that they had qualified.
Sweden coach Graham Potter could not help but smile about Elanga’s confusion.
“It couldn’t have been any clearer for him. He’s obviously thinking about something else, bless him. I love him at the moment, but dear me,” he told reporters.
5. Panama players clash at training
Panama striker Cecilio Waterman and midfielder José Luis Rodríguez had a brief physical confrontation during training.
Waterman pushed Rodríguez in the chest, and the two were separated by teammates during training ahead of their Group L game against England.
Probably best not to mess with Cecilio Waterman… (Getty Images: Alex Pantling)
As ever in these situations, the coach looked to put a positive spin on what, to outsiders, looks like a pretty blatant case of frustration and disharmony.
“This is a normal situation,” Panama coach Thomas Christiansen said.
“I would have liked to see these situations more often in the training. That means the team is alive, they are willing to do a good effort for being in the squad on the first 11 for the game for tomorrow.
“So, again, if this happens another time, it’s a good sign that they are alive.”
Bring the mouthguards to training then, boys.
