World Cup Recap: Day 6
Wins for Japan, Senegal and Russia as host nation continues to score big
Jun 19, 2018, 5:15 pm
Russia is now 2-0 as hosts of the World Cup. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
The final games in the first round of the group stage would be played on Tuesday as Russia vs. Egypt would kick off the second wave of group matches. A lot of the attention would be the stars of European leagues like Colombia’s James Rodriguez, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, Senegal’s Sadio Mané and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.
Colombia 1-2 Japan
Mordovia Arena, Saransk
Attendance: 40,842
Colombia are one of the teams considered a “dark horse” in this World Cup, but Los Cafeteros could not have gotten off to a more nightmarish start. A handball in the third minute not only conceded a penalty in favor of Japan but it also left Colombia to battle the remainder of the 87-plus minutes with 10 men after the red card to defender Carlos Sanchez. Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa converted from the penalty spot and Japan was up 1-0 early. Colombia reorganized themselves in midfield but their best opportunity would come on a dead ball after Radamel Falcao won a free kick in the 37th minute. Juan Fernando Quintero sneaked the ball through the ground as the players on the wall jumped and - with confirmation from the goal-line technology - Colombia tied the score.
Japan was able to rectify their form in the second half, they took control of possession and made use of the man-advantage. Both teams generated five shots in the first half but Japan had the better second half, outshooting Colombia nine to three. After their persistence in attack, Japan finally broke through on a corner as Yuya Osako headed in the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute.
Analysis: Colombia will be disappointed not to have gotten off to a better start but better to have this setback in the first match while they still have time to rectify their form. They will play their most important match yet against Poland, who will not be an easy outing. Japan pick up a big result that could see them advance to their first round of 16 since South Africa 2010, if they are able to capitalize on this result. Group H is wide open.
Notable stat: Japan is the first Asian side to beat a South American opponent at a FIFA World Cup
Poland 1-2 Senegal
Spartak Stadium, Moscow
Attendance: 44,190
Senegal are the first African team to pick up a win at the 2018 FIFA World Cup after defeating Poland. Both sides had opportunities to take the lead but the opening goal would come off an own-goal from Poland in the 37th minute. A shot by Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye rebounded off the leg of Polish defender Thiago Cionek to make it 1-0. That was the clearest scoring opportunity as neither teams generated a shot on goal in the first half.
The deficit would open up the game and bring out a more attacking Poland in the second half. Robert Lewandowski had a good opportunity from a free kick that was saved by the Senegalese goalkeeper Khadim Ndiaye. Senegal would increase their lead in a bit of controversial fashion as forward Mbaye Niang re-entered the match from injury to sprint and score in the 60th minute. Poland had a high line in defense and were caught off guard of Niang re-entering the field. Poland finally got on the board in the 85th minute with a header from Grzegorz Krychowiak but were unable to get the draw or the comeback.
Analysis: This is a big win for Senegal considering the success of European countries at this World Cup. The Teranga Lions have a good chance to finish top of the group - depending on what happens from here, of course - but their biggest focus should be on bettering their form as a round of 16 match will likely come against Belgium or England. Poland now stares at a possible elimination match against Colombia on Sunday, depending on what happens between Senegal and Japan.
Notable stat: Senegal have yet to lose a group stage match at a FIFA World Cup (now 1-3-0)
Russia 3-1 Egypt
Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Attendance: 64,468
After finishing as the top scorer in the Premier League and guiding Liverpool to the UEFA Champions League Final, Mohamed Salah made his awaited debut for Egypt at the World Cup. The Egyptian star, coming back from a shoulder injury, would have a quiet match with only one shot in the first half. Neither side did much in the first half, for that matter, as tensions grew with each passing minute. Unfortunately for Egypt, the game would be blown wide open with an own goal off defender Ahmed Fathi in the 47th minute. Denis Cheryshev would add to his tally - and tie Cristiano Ronaldo in the Golden Boot race - with Russia’s second goal in the 59th minute. Artem Dzyuba scored Russia’s third in the 62nd to extend the lead to 3-nil. Salah would convert a penalty in the 73rd minute to open his account but Egypt would not be able to reverse the momentum.
Analysis: Russia picked up a huge result to all but secure their passage into the round of 16, which would be the farthest they have advanced since the fall of the Soviet Union. An Uruguay win would set up for a battle for the top spot of the group. Egypt, on the other hand, depends on a miracle win from Saudi Arabia to keep their hopes alive. Mo Salah’s debut may have come too late for the Egyptians as they stare at an early exit.
Notable stat: Egypt’s last goal at a World Cup also came off a penalty, converted by Magdi Abdelghani in a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands at Italy 1990.
Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Wednesday, June 20
7 a.m. - [Group B] Portugal vs. Morocco (FS1, Telemundo)
10 a.m. - [Group A] Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia (FOX, Telemundo)
1 p.m. - [Group B] Iran vs. Spain (FOX, Telemundo)
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Through 20 games, the Houston Astros have managed just six wins and are in last place in the AL West.
Their pitching staff trails only Colorado with a 5.24 ERA and big-money new closer Josh Hader has given up the same number of earned runs in 10 games as he did in 61 last year.
Despite this, these veteran Astros, who have reached the AL Championship Series seven consecutive times, have no doubt they’ll turn things around.
“If there’s a team that can do it, it’s this team,” shortstop Jeremy Peña said.
First-year manager Joe Espada, who was hired in January to replace the retired Dusty Baker, discussed his team’s early struggles.
“It’s not ideal,” he said. “It’s not what we expected, to come out of the shoot playing this type of baseball. But you know what, this is where we’re at and we’ve got to pick it up and play better. That’s just the bottom line.”
Many of Houston’s problems have stemmed from a poor performance by a rotation that has been decimated by injuries. Ace Justin Verlander and fellow starter José Urquidy haven’t pitched this season because of injuries and lefty Framber Valdez made just two starts before landing on the injured list with a sore elbow.
Ronel Blanco, who threw a no-hitter in his season debut April 1, has pitched well and is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts this season. Cristian Javier is also off to a good start, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in four starts, but the team has won just two games not started by those two pitchers.
However, Espada wouldn’t blame the rotation for Houston’s current position.
“It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster how we've played overall,” he said. “One day we get good starting pitching, some days we don’t. The middle relief has been better and sometimes it hasn’t been. So, we’ve just got to put it all together and then play more as a team. And once we start doing that, we’ll be in good shape.”
The good news for the Astros is that Verlander will make his season debut Friday night when they open a series at Washington and Valdez should return soon after him.
“Framber and Justin have been a great part of our success in the last few years,” second baseman Jose Altuve said. “So, it’s always good to have those two guys back helping the team. We trust them and I think it’s going to be good.”
Hader signed a five-year, $95 million contract this offseason to give the Astros a shutdown 7-8-9 combination at the back end of their bullpen with Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly. But the five-time All-Star is off to a bumpy start.
He allowed four runs in the ninth inning of a 6-1 loss to the Braves on Monday night and has yielded eight earned runs this season after giving up the same number in 56 1/3 innings for San Diego last year.
He was much better Wednesday when he struck out the side in the ninth before the Astros fell to Atlanta in 10 innings for their third straight loss.
Houston’s offense, led by Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, ranks third in the majors with a .268 batting average and is tied for third with 24 homers this season. But the Astros have struggled with runners in scoring position and often failed to get a big hit in close games.
While many of Houston’s hitters have thrived this season, one notable exception is first baseman José Abreu. The 37-year-old, who is in the second year of a three-year, $58.5 million contract, is hitting 0.78 with just one extra-base hit in 16 games, raising questions about why he remains in the lineup every day.
To make matters worse, his error on a routine ground ball in the eighth inning Wednesday helped the Braves tie the game before they won in extra innings.
Espada brushed off criticism of Abreu and said he knows the 2020 AL MVP can break out of his early slump.
“Because (of) history,” Espada said. “The back of his baseball card. He can do it.”
Though things haven’t gone well for the Astros so far, everyone insists there’s no panic in this team which won its second World Series in 2022.
Altuve added that he doesn’t have to say anything to his teammates during this tough time.
“I think they’ve played enough baseball to know how to control themselves and how to come back to the plan we have, which is winning games,” he said.
The clubhouse was quiet and somber Wednesday after the Astros suffered their third series sweep of the season and second at home. While not panicking about the slow start, this team, which has won at least 90 games in each of the last three seasons, is certainly not happy with its record.
“We need to do everything better,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “I feel like we’re in a lot of games, but we just haven’t found a way to win them. And good teams find a way to win games. So we need to find a way to win games.”