World Cup 2022

GRANIT XHAKA did his best to reignite a Balkan war as he shoved bitter rivals Serbia through the World Cup exit door.The Swiss skipper has never forgotten how he was fined by FIFA for making a ‘political gesture’ when he scored the last time these nations met at the 2018 World Cup.
Xherdan Shaqiri gave Switzerland the lead before he told the Serbia fans to be quietCredit: EPA
Aleksandar Mitrovic levelled things up for Serbia midway through the first halfCredit: Reuters
Dusan Vlahovic then put Serbia in front with a clever strikeCredit: Getty
Breel Embolo levelled for Switzerland shortly before half-timeCredit: AP
Remo Freuler finished off a delightful Switzerland move to grab the winnerCredit: AP
Granit Xhaka and Nikola Milenkovic were involved in a bust-up towards the endCredit: Getty
The pair had to be pulled apart by their team-matesCredit: Reuters
Tempers flared at the end of the game as both sets of players’ emotions ran highCredit: EPA
The referee dished out a total of 11 bookings during the gameCredit: PA
And when Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic threw himself to the floor in a pathetic attempt to win a penalty, Xhaka had a few choice words for the Serbian subs protesting on the sidelines.
To make matters worse, the Arsenal midfielder then grabbed himself in a private area and sparked a brief pitch invasion by the entire Serbian bench and coaching staff before order was finally restored.
And he wasn’t finished there and had to be pulled away from Mitrovic after another furious bust-up in stoppage time.
But given the bad blood which has been bubbling under the surface for the past four years between these unlikely enemies, it came as absolutely no surprise when it all kicked off again with a place in the last-16 at stake.
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And the way both teams went for the jugular right from the start confirmed that no-one was going to be taking a backwards step in this battle for the right to face Portugal in the next round.
It was Xherdan Shaqiri who predictably lit the blue touch paper when he fired Switzerland into a 20th-minute lead and then raced to the Serbian fans who had been booing his every touch to give them a hush.
Like Xhaka, the former Stoke and Liverpool star has never been forgiven by the Serbs for making the double eagle gesture in honour of his Kosovan roots when he scored the last minute winner in Russia four years ago.
But this time he only succeeded in poking the hornet’s nest and within six minutes Mitrovic levelled with a magnificent header into the far corner from Dusan Tadic’s cross.
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Former Southampton playmaker Tadic was running riot down the left flank and it was his through ball which teed up Dusan Vlahovic to fire Serbia ahead in the 35th minute with an angled shot inside the far post.
The £60million Juventus striker, who turned down a move to Arsenal last season, was making his first start of the World Cup after angrily denying that he had been having an affair with the wife of reserve keeper Predrag Rajkovic.
And Serbia’s week went from bad to worse as Breel Embolo levelled on the stroke of half-time, before Remo Freuler gave the Swiss the lead three minutes after the break.
Shaqiri had inevitably played a leading role in both goals, although it was Ruben Vargas’ wonderful lay-off which had opened the way for Freuler’s strike.
He might be on the wrong side of 30 and plying his trade in the MLS but Shaqiri still revels in his role of pantomime villain and was certainly in no rush to leave the pitch when he was subbed immediately after that 65th-minute flare up.
An appeal over the stadium tannoy for an end to offensive chants inevitably fell on deaf ears as the game reached its conclusion with a spate of yellow cards.
And the only surprise was that the game finished with all 22 players still on the pitch. More

FRANCE face a left-back injury crisis as Theo Hernandez is reportedly in doubt for this weekend’s action.The world champs face Poland in the last-16 on Sunday afternoon.
Theo Hernandez is reportedly an injury doubt ahead of France’s last-16 game on SundayCredit: Rex
Theo’s brother Lucas tore his ACL against AustraliaCredit: Getty
The winners will play England, should Gareth Southgate’s side get past Senegal.
But Football-Italia report that Hernandez, 25, has picked up an ankle injury in training.
The AC Milan left-back missed training with his national team in Qatar on Friday.
He was promoted into the first team after his brother Lucas suffered a serious knee injury.
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His sibling tore his ACL in France’s opening game against Australia.
This means that Didier Deschamps could be without a natural left-sided full-back for Sunday’s clash.
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga played there against Tunisia on Wednesday in their final Group D game.
Les Bleus had already qualified so it is unknown if Deschamps was trying Camavinga at left-back with one-eye on the knockout stages.
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Elsewhere in the squad, team-mates are reportedly divided over Benjamin Pavard’s disappointing performance at the World Cup so far.
That is according to L’Equipe, who claim Pavard’s poor display in Les Bleus’ opener against Australia caused frustration among his team-mates.
The Bayern Munich right-back was at fault for the Socceroo’s opening goal as he failed to track Graig Goodwin’s run into the box but the reigning world champions turned it around and won 4-1.
Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele was reportedly among those who were “railing against” the 26-year-old.
However, the full-back has received the backing of some of his veteran team-mates, such as captain Hugo Lloris and France’s joint-all time top scorer Olivier Giroud.
Pavard hasn’t started for the Tricolores since as he was replaced by Jules Kounde against Denmark and Axel Disasi against Tunisia. More

EDINSON CAVANI punched the VAR monitor in the tunnel after being denied a late penalty as Uruguay crashed out of the World Cup.The South Americans beat Ghana 2-0 in their final Group H match in what for a long time looked set to be enough to clinch them a place in the last-16.
Edinson Cavani thought he should have been awarded a penalty late in the gameCredit: Reuters
He took his anger out on the VAR monitor, punching it on his way down the tunnel
It toppled over as a furious Cavani looked on in disgust
But in stoppage-time at the end of the other game in the group, South Korea struck a dramatic late winner to beat Portugal 2-1 and move above Uruguay.
The news filtered back through to Diego Alonso’s side as they entered eight minutes of added time.
They then knew they were going out on goals scored unless they found another goal.
And Valencia striker Cavani, 35, thought he had earned his side a penalty when Seidu Alidu clipped his leg inside the area.
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But referee Daniel Siebert waved away the protests and VAR deemed it to be the right call.
Uruguay were incensed but then had to re-focus on the matter at hand as they continued to try and find the all-important goal.
It did not come, however, with the Uruguay players and staff then choosing to surround Siebert in a rage after the final whistle.
Cavani headed down the tunnel but could not resist a momentary lash out in anger.
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As he trudged off to the dressing room he took the opportunity to punch the VAR monitor at the end of the tunnel.
And the force of the whack saw the monitor tumble to the floor as Cavani walked off in disgust.
Portugal finished top of Group H, with South Korea pipping Uruguay to second place and Ghana coming bottom.
Cavani’s punch comes after a heartbroken Romelu Lukaku lashed out at the dug-out after Belgium crashed out yesterday.
Lukaku took aim at the dugout after his heartbreaking exit from World Cup More

GERMANY’S World Cup flops landed back in Munich after a dismal campaign in Qatar.Hansi Flick’s side were knocked out at the group stages for a second consecutive tournament.
Manuel Neuer looked a tad sheepish after landing back on home soilCredit: Reuters
Thomas Muller hinted at international retirement after Germany crashed out in QatarCredit: Reuters
Jamal Musiala was a bright spark for the GermansCredit: Reuters
Antonio Rudiger wheeled his case after arriving back in GermanyCredit: Reuters
Their 4-2 win over Costa Rica on Thursday wasn’t enough to make it to the last 16 after Japan’s highly controversial win over Spain.
And the Germans were quick to head home after their nightmare campaign.
They landed back in Munich on Friday looking glum following their group stage exit.
Captain Manuel Neuer donned a red beanie after arriving back in the cold from the Qatar desert.
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Thomas Muller was also seen wheeling his suitcase after landing back at arrivals earlier than anticipated.
The 33-year-old may have played in his last World Cup, having hinted at retirement after the early exit.
Joshua Kimmich appeared glumCredit: Reuters
Serge Gnabry wheeled his suitcase after arriving back in GermanyCredit: Reuters
Muller said: “If that was my last game for Germany, a few words to the German fans: It was a tremendous pleasure. 
“Thank you very much. I always tried to show heart on the pitch. Sometimes there were tears of joy, sometimes pain.
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“I did it with love. I need to think about everything else now.”
The same can possibly be said for Neuer, who will be 40 by the time of the next tournament.
Meanwhile, Joshua Kimmich looked glum as he spoke on his mobile phone.
Teenage sensation Jamal Musiala also appeared downcast on his return, despite the 19-year-old being a bright spark in a dismal campaign for the Germans.
Some excited fans gathered to snap shots of the team arriving back, including ex-Chelsea man Antonio Rudiger, but it was far from a hero’s welcome at Munich arrivals.
A 4-2 win over Costa Rica was not enough to make it to the last 16Credit: Getty More

BRAZIL are hoping to get their talisman Neymar back in action as soon as possible, and have posted a morale-boosting clip of him in training for the Samba faithful.Neymar suffered ankle ligament damage in the opening game against Serbia.
Neymar Jr está trabalhando intensamente ao lado dos preparadores físicos da Seleção para voltar o quanto antes a treinar com o grupo e ficar à disposição do técnico Tite. Hoje ele treinou na academia! Bora, Ney! 👊🏽 Danilo e Alex Sandro também fizeram trabalhos individuais.💛💚 pic.twitter.com/yEukGQONM0— Neymar Jr Site (@NeymarJrSite) December 2, 2022

Neymar pictured in the gymCredit: Twitter/@NeymarJrSite
Neymar was spotted on the pitch ahead of Brazil’s clash with CameroonCredit: EPA
He is with the squad on the sidelines cheering them on in their final group gameCredit: Getty
And with fears mounting that he may in fact be out for the remainder of the World Cup, Brazil posted a video of him in training in order to try and ease these fears.
The video shows Neymar, 30, in the gym doing on-the-ball drills while putting weight on his ankle and doing muscle work.
Later in the video, he can also be seen doing some jumping drills as he steps up his recovery.
The post itself is captioned: “Neymar Jr is working hard alongside the national team’s physical trainers to return to training with the group as soon as possible and be available to coach Tite.
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“Today he trained at the gym! Let’s go, Ney!
“Danilo and Alex Sandro also made individual works.”
Having already qualified Brazil had no need to risk some of their crocked stars against Cameroon, but boss Tite will be desperate to see Neymar come back in time for the knockout rounds.
Brazil’s medical department believe they can get him fit in time for the Last 16.
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With the absence of Danilo at right-back, Dani Alves has come into the team to face Cameroon.
The 39-year-old is wearing the captain’s armband and has become his nation’s oldest ever player at the World Cup, beating out a record set by Thiago Silva earlier this week. More

IT took nearly TEN minutes of excruciating wait after full-time for South Korea to celebrate qualification to the World Cup knockouts.Hwang Hee-chan’s dramatic injury-time winner saw the Koreans through ahead of Uruguay on goals SCORED.
South Korea celebrate getting through to the knockouts after waiting on the Ghana vs Uruguay whistleCredit: AFP
The players dive across the pitch in front of the travelling fansCredit: AFP
Son threw off his mask in an emotional celebrationCredit: AFP
But they had to wait for the South Americans to complete added time in their game with Ghana before they could let themselves party.
They waited with bated breath in the centre circle as coaches streamed the other Group H game.
Rivals Uruguay won 2-0 in the simultaneous match but Son and his pals squeaked into the knockout stage on goals scored on another Qatar evening of last-gasp football.
And they threw drinks in the air and bounced up and down, ecstatic with the result.
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The Koreans finished second behind group winners Portugal who were already assured of qualification before the match.
Fans loved it on social media as the drama unfolded and Korea headed to the last 16.
One joked: “That one guy with the good cell service”.
Another added: “Absolutely incredible. South Korea with a 91st minute winner to go through and send Uruguay home. What a World Cup.”
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It looked as if their dream would die as Portugal refused to buckle just as the PA announcer informed the 44,000 people in the crowd that there would be six minutes of overtime in their clash.
From a Portugal attack in the Korean box, Son picked up the ball and galloped two thirds the length of the pitch in a run similar to his wonder goal against Burnley in 2019.
But instead of going all the way this time, he stopped, held up the ball with three players around him then poked a brilliant through ball into the path of Hwang who drilled his shot home to spark delirious scenes on and off the turf.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s revenge mission on Luis Suarez did not go to plan – but at least the Uruguayan did not have the last laugh on them. 
The Black Stars had waited 12 years to get their own back after the man known as “the devil himself” denied them a place in the 2010 World Cup semi-finals. More

GHANA fans were jumping for joy after their clash with Uruguay – despite being dumped out of the World Cup.The Black Stars suffered a 2-0 defeat to the South Americans in the final round of Group H fixtures.
Ghana were dumped out of the World Cup following a 2-0 defeat to UruguayCredit: REUTERS
But their fans were jubilant after the match as Uruguay were also eliminatedCredit: TWITTER@AZIZFAARAH@
Ghana fans’ hatred of Uruguay stems from Luis Suarez’s handball in their 2010 World Cup quarter-finalCredit: GETTY
Defeat to the Uruguayans ended their hopes of progressing through to the last 16 and saw them finish rock bottom of the group.
But they were still jubilant as a late winner from South Korea against Portugal sent Uruguay home.
Scores of Ghana fans stayed in the Al-Janoub Stadium after the final whistle to celebrate La Celeste’s shortcomings.
Footy fans were quick to comment, with one saying: “I respect this level of salt, TBH.”
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Another said: “This is amazing.”
And another said: “That’s the spirit.”
One remarked: “This is hilarious.”
Another chimed in: “It’s not Ghana, it’s Africa, credit to Suarez 2010.”
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Video footage emerged of some Ghanaian fans repeatedly chanting “Uruguay home” and “Korea” outside the stadium shortly after the match.
Ghana fans revelled in Uruguay’s elimination as the South Americans controversially dumped them out of the 2010 tournament at the quarter-final stage.
Ghana were pipped to a historic place in the last four on penalties, although it was the circumstances that led to the shootout which is at the centre of their hatred.
Uruguay legend Luis Suarez denied the Ghanaians a spot in the semis when he deliberately hand-balled Dominic Adiyah’s shot on the goal line in extra time.
Uruguay legend Luis Suarez was in floods of tears after their eliminationCredit: AP
The former Liverpool man was given a straight red, but Asamoah Gyan ended up missing the ensuing pen and the chance to write his name into the history books.
Suarez instantly became a figure of hate for Ghana fans, many of whom rejoiced after seeing him cry his eyes out after the final whistle. More