World Cup Recap: Day 10
Kroos scores last-gasp winner for Germany; Mexico and Belgium also triumphant
Jun 23, 2018, 9:09 pm
Excitement at the 2018 FIFA World Cup only amplified as Belgium, Mexico and Germany all picked up thrilling wins. Germany’s win left the qualifying possibilities open in Group F while Belgium and Tunisia await the result of Sunday’s match between England and Panama.
Spartak Stadium, Moscow
Attendance: 44,190
After a 3-0 win in their opener against Panama, Belgium gave another dominating display that showed why they are among the countries with possibilities to win the tournament. Tunisia hardly gave itself a chance, conceding a penalty during the first five minutes of the match. Chelsea standout Eden Hazard would convert for the spot to put the Belgians up in the sixth minute. Manchester United striker Romelo Lukaku scored in the 18th minute to increase the lead to 2-nil. A set piece would give Tunisia hope as 23-year-old Dylan Bronn - a defender in the Belgian League - headed in a goal to cut the score to 2-1. Lukaku would score again, just before halftime, as he chipped the keeper to increase Belgium’s lead back to two goals. 3-1 Belgium at halftime.
The Belgians would return in the second half with determination to see out the result. Six minutes after halftime, Hazard received a long ball ball between two defenders and scored his second of the day. Hazard and Lukaku would be rested as the half went on and others like Yannick Carrasco and Michy Batshuayi would pick up the attacking responsibilities the Red Devils. Batshuayi would cap off a great season in Europe by showing the continuation of his good form in this match and scoring Belgium’s fifth in the 90th minute. The Carthage Eagles would pick up a consolation goal in stoppage time thanks to Wahbi Khazri.
Analysis: Belgium were the far better team on paper but especially given the unpredictability of this World Cup, they still had to come out and show it. They executed to perfection and picked up the six points they needed. Tunisia had to play a perfect match and failed by giving away a penalty so early. Regardless, neither team qualified or was eliminated from advancing to the next round as we await the result of Sunday’s England vs. Panama match. An England victory or draw would clinch a berth for the Belgians while Tunisia will need a long-shot win from Panama to say alive.
Notable stat: Lukaku and Hazard are the first duo to score twice in the same World Cup match since Toni Kroos and Andre Schurrle did so in Germany’s 7-1 win over Brazil in 2014.
Rostov Arena, Rostov-On-Don
Attendance: 43,472
Mexico and South Korea traded opportunities early but discipline would determine the result of this match. Both goalkeepers would come up with two important saves in the first half but the defining moment came in the 24th minute when a Korean defender Jang Hyunsoo had his hand raised during a defensive slide, prompting the referee to call handball and award a penalty in favor of El Tri. Los Angeles FC striker Carlos Vela would convert from the spot and put Mexico up 1-nil.
The lead gave Mexico confidence and freedom to make more quality attempts and the national team’s all-time leading scorer, Javier Hernandez, would pick up his 50th international goal in the 66th minute. Son Heung-min, the top Korean scorer in Premier League history, would take a shot from range in second half stoppage time to put South Korea on the board. The match would end 2-1, with all eyes on the following match between Germany and Sweden to see what the score would amount to.
Analysis: Mexico were confident they could walk away with the win and completed the task. They inched closer to advancing to the round of 16 and are in pole position to finish top of the group. Still, nothing is guaranteed give the result of Germany vs. Sweden. The most important detail is that the Mexicans hold their destiny in their hands as they approach the last matchday. Thanks to Germany’s win over Sweden, Korea are still alive but will need a win versus the Germans to have any hope of advancing.
Notable stat: Javier Hernandez became the first Mexican scorer to reach the half-century mark in goals with the national team. He also joined Luis Hernandez as the only Mexicans to score four goals in FIFA World Cups and joined Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Rafa Marquez as the third Mexican to score in three World Cups.
Fisht Stadium, Sochi
Attendance: 44,287
Germany were looking to reverse their fortunes after dropping their opening match to Mexico while Sweden were aiming for three points to secure their passage into the next phase. The Germans had some chances but were lucky not to have had a penalty called against them in the 13th minute. The Sweden team would remain true to their cause and would be rewarded by punishing Germany. Ola Toivonen chipped a ball over Manuel Neuer to put Sweden up 1-0, sending the Germans to the locker room with a feeling of embarrassment.
Manager Joachim Löw must have given a good speech at halftime because Germany would return with fury in the second half. Marco Reus would get the equalizer in the 48th minute but Germany would struggle to find the back of the net after that, despite multiple attempts. As desperation built, Germany would be left with 10-men to finish the job as defender Jerome Boateng received his second yellow - and ejection - in the 82nd minute. A set piece opportunity in stoppage time would give Germany one last hope, with Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos converting to become a national hero.
Analysis: This result keeps everything in the group wide open, with all to be determined on the last matchday. The defending champions were fortunate to get out of this match with a win, staving off elimination and keeping their back-to-back title hopes alive. Germany also earned the opportunity to control their destiny in their final match against Korea. For Sweden, this was a missed opportunity but cool heads must prevails as a win against Mexico will still send the Swedes to the knockout phase.
Notable stat: Toni Kroos’ goal is the latest winner scored at a FIFA World Cup (94:39), passing up Francesco Totti’s goal for Italy (94:26) against Australia in 2006.
Sunday, June 24
7 a.m. - [Group G] England vs. Panama (FS1, Telemundo)
10 a.m. - [Group H] Japan vs. Senegal (FOX, Telemundo)
1 p.m. - [Group H] Poland vs. Colombia (FOX, Telemundo)
The NFL Draft, NBA playoffs, and NHL playoffs all dwarf baseball in the sports pecking order this week, but that doesn’t detract from the Astros playing their best stretch of baseball in the still young season. Following up taking two of three from the previously sizzling hot Padres by sweeping the Blue Jays three straight has the Astros’ record at a just fine 13-11 as they open a three-game weekend series in Kansas City. 13-11 may not sound special, because it isn’t, but having come home from St. Louis last week with the record at 8-10 makes 13-11 a quality leap. Plus, a 13-11 pace over 162 games extrapolates to 87 wins, which last season were enough to win the American League West and for an AL Wild Card spot.
Batter up!
While no one will be confusing the potency of this Astros’ lineup with those of the 2017 or 2019 juggernauts, some welcome perking up may have kicked in, despite Yordan Alvarez still not getting rolling. After Joe Espada gave Christian Walker a “mental rest” game off Monday, Walker produced a three-hit game Tuesday and a two-hit follow-up Wednesday, including a home run. Walker’s .202 batting average and .640 OPS are still lousy, but a much lesser grade of lousy than the statistical abyss he was in starting the Toronto series. Yainer Diaz has been much worse than Walker to this point. Diaz managed at least one hit in all three games of the Jays series. Baby steps. He is still sitting on an unacceptable three walks in 78 plate appearances.
Speaking of hits and walks, Jeremy Pena carries a 14-game hitting streak into the weekend. One-quarter of the way to Joe DiMaggio’s big league record! Willy Taveras set the Astros’ record with a 30-gamer back in 2006. Pena hasn’t been crushing it during the streak, during which he has just two multi-hit games. He’s had stretches where he has hit better and slugged harder (2022 postseason anyone?), but while too small a stretch to declare a leap has been made, it is noteworthy that over the 14 games Pena has drawn six walks. That gives him eight free passes in 24 games this season. More math fun! That’s one walk drawn per three games, which over 162 games would make for 54. Last season in 157 games played Pena drew a paltry 25 walks. Add in that his defense has been superb so far this season with a number of fabulous plays made and just one error committed, and Pena could be making modest offensive improvement that makes him a meaningfully better player.
Furthermore speaking of hits and walks, it’s been a struggle on both fronts the last couple of weeks for Jose Altuve. A two-week funk does not represent a crisis, but there are troubling trends that bear watching as Altuve sets to turn 35 years old May 6. Over his last 14 games, Altuve’s OPS is a sub-Maldonadian .547. In this stretch he has two doubles as his lone extra base hits and drawn just two walks. Altuve has struck out 22 times in 24 games. Setting aside the short 2020 COVID season when Altuve never got it going, last year he had the worst strikeout percentage of his career, while his walk rate was his worst since 2015. So far this season, Altuve’s strikeout rate is more than 20 percent worse than last year’s, with his walk rate down 30 percent from 2024. He is hitting line drives at a much lower rate than ever before, and struggling to get the ball in the air. The season still isn’t 20 percent old, but since Altuve last season finished with his lowest OPS (.790, again, exempting 2020) since 2013, and his current .728 OPS is 62 points lower than that, the antennae of at least mild concern are up. This is the first season of Altuve’s five-year 125 million dollar contract extension. Remember, the Astros would not offer Kyle Tucker a contract that took him to age 35.
Bringing the heat!
Hunter Brown makes his next start Sunday in Kansas City. Good luck Royals! Until getting a doubleheader against the pathetic Rockies Thursday, K.C. was averaging under three runs per game. Brown's earned run average through five starts is 1.16! It's waaaaay early to focus on this, but the best season ERA for an Astro pitcher who qualified for the statistical lead (one inning pitched per team game played) belongs to Nolan Ryan who posted a 1.69 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Over a full-schedule season, Justin Verlander's 1.75 in 2022 is the standard. Brown has fired 24 consecutive shutout innings. Ryan Pressly holds the Astros’ record with 38 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. Orel Hershiser set the Major League record by finishing the 1988 regular season with a ridiculous 59 straight shutout innings. Yes he won the National League Cy Young Award. The Cy Young is strictly a regular season award. Hershiser in 1988 also won the League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award, and World Series MVP.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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