2018 FIFA World Cup Quarter Final Analysis

In football’s most lucrative tournament, only eight sides remain. Each and every one of them are now captivated by the dream of getting their hands on the World Cup trophy. The two fixtures played on the 6th of July 2018 were Uruguay v France and Brazil v Belgium. Those mouth-watering ties were then followed by Sweden v England and Russia v Croatia which were both played on the 7th of July.

Uruguay 0-2 France

Group C winners France entered their encounter with high expectations of the defensively disciplined, group A winners Uruguay. Although still favourites for the clash, France would be tested by a Uruguay side which had only conceded once in their first four 2018 World Cup encounters.

Both sides kept the ball and tried to get into dangerous areas in the first half, but struggled to create any clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities. The greater chances of the opening half didn’t come until France were awarded a free-kick over 30-yards from Uruguay’s goal. Antoine Griezmann floated the ball well over the wall and into the sea of eagerly awaiting players inside the penalty area. After a stuttered run-up Raphael Varane displayed unparalleled assertiveness to read the cross and allow it to glance off his head, past Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera. France were now 1-0 ahead and sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat.

The remainder of the half saw one more glorious opportunity present itself, this time to the Uruguayans. After a well centred free-kick, Martin Caceres headed powerfully towards the bottom corner of the French net. The tremendous header was met equally by a diving Hugo Lloris at full stretch. Uruguayan centre-back Diego Godin charged in to score off the rebound but disappointingly blasted well over the French goal. Minutes later the referee blew his whistle to signal half-time to the players.

France having already taken the lead late in the first half came out with an assertive intent of doubling that lead in the second half. In the 61st minute France got exactly what they wanted. Antoine Greizmann receive the ball from Corentin Tolisso, twenty-five yards from goal. He sized up the opportunity, lined up his body and smashed the ball directly toward Muslera. The task seemed simple enough for the Uruguayan keeper, until he spilled the ball over his own shoulder and into the back of the net. France had the two-goal cushion they were looking for and were now cruising into the semi-finals.

The remainder of the match continued in anticipatable fashion, with the only other highly dangerous opportunity landing at the feet of Corentin Tolisso in the 73rd minute. Paul Pogba found him in the middle, about 20 yards away from goal. Tolisso let fly with a curling effort using the inside of his boot but it sailed just over the cross-bar. France held on comfortably to maintain their 2-0 and ensure their place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Brazil 1-2 Belgium

With their 7-1 drubbing at the hands of Germany in 2014 still fresh in the Brazilian minds, they entered their quarter final fixture with the hope of eliminating a Belgium squad which is now being referred to as the country’s golden generation.

Brazil squandered opportunities early on, the best of which came in the 8th minute when Neymar’s driven near-post corner glanced off the head of Miranda before deflecting off Thiago Silva’s thigh and lofting into the frame of the goal. Brazil would live to rue their missed opportunities in the 13th minute. Nacer Chadli whipped in a dangerous corner past the deceiving run of Vincent Kompany, which caught Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho off-guard as he turned the ball into his own net, 1-0 Belgium.

Following the opening goal, Brazil kept up the pressure as Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois was tested time and time again, but on each occasion proved he was prepared to tackle the Brazilian onslaught in whatever form it took. In the 31st minute Neymar’s corner fell short as Marouane Fellaini headed away any potential danger. Belgium’s number nine Romelu Lukaku dropped in deep to meet the loose ball and outbody Fernandinho. Lukaku gave himself the time to turn, as he took off he got ahead of the desperately back tracking Paulinho and then wrong footed Fernandinho once again. Lukaku looked up and saw Kevin De Bruyne with space out on the right-hand side of the pitch. He played De Bruyne promptly, who then took the ball in his stride, took three more touches, wound up and sent the ball rifling into the bottom left corner of the Brazilian net. Belgium had doubled their lead and it all appeared to be falling apart once again for Brazil coming into half time.

Fifteen minutes following half-time the players re-emerged from the tunnel, the fans re-took their seats and the referee blew his whistle to signal the start of another forty-five minutes of mayhem. Early into the second-half Brazil made their intentions clear as they threw everything they had at the Belgian defence, but they were still unable to find a way through as Thibaut Courtois once again proved impenetrable. The Belgian number one responded assertively to save a glorious chance from close range coming from Paulinho. Shortly after he dived low to punch away Douglas Costa’s driven effort which was heading straight for the bottom left corner of the net. Belgium’s second half consisted primarily of absorbing the relentless pressure coming from the Brazilians and trying to catch them out on the counter attack utilising the pace and attacking prowess of De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku.

Brazil finally managed to get their noses back into the game in the 76th minute. Philippe Coutinho found himself with some space in the middle of the park and delicately lofted a ball over the top of Vincent Kompany to the head of Renato Augusto. Augusto leapt high and headed the ball down into the bottom corner of the Belgian net. Augusto took no time in celebrating as time was of the essence for the Brazilians, he picked up the ball and returned it to half-way to get the game restarted. Augusto was presented with another great opportunity as the clock ticket over to 80 minutes, but he sent his shot flashing across the face of goal, much to the dismay of the on-looking Brazilians. Neymar soon after found Coutinho in the area but he couldn’t manage to keep his shot down as he sent it sailing marginally high and wide of Courtois’ goal. Belgium continued to break through Eden Hazard who displayed fantastic ball retention to continuously wrong foot and out-pace his opposing Brazilian numbers. Brazil has one last opportunity fall to them deep into added time. Douglas Costa cut in from the right-hand side and dropped the ball off to Neymar who opened up his body and curled a shot towards the top right corner. Thibaut Courtois who was having one of the best games of his career would not be defeated. Courtois leapt high and wide, using his fully extending arm managed to finger-tip Neymar’s shot over the cross-bar.

Belgium held on for the few minutes that remained and ensured a semi-final berth, which was only the nation’s second in history. With Belgium’s current crop highly regarded as their golden generation, they might just be two matches away from lifting their first ever World Cup title.

Sweden 0-2 England

A fixture that poised two of the tournament’s biggest dark horses thus far, face to face with one another. Sweden had survived a group with Germany, Mexico and South Korea, whereas England finished second in a group featuring Belgium, Panama and Tunisia.

The first half belonged solely to the English as their disciplined defensive structure was able to prevent the Swedish from creating any dangerous goal-scoring opportunities. England saw a glorious opportunity flashed across the face of goal by marksman Harry Kane in the 19th minute. They continued to retain possession and get the ball forward and finally managed to capitalise in the 30th minute. Ashley young delivered a divine corner into the Swedish penalty area which landed perfectly onto the head of Leicester City centre back Harry Maguire. Maguire forced his way into the mix of players battling in the area and lived up to his reputation of being one of the premier league’s biggest aerial threats, as he headed the ball hard and low into the Swedish net.

As half time loomed England surged forward in an attempt to increase their lead and almost certainly knock Sweden out of the contest. With less than one minute to play before the fourth official signalled for added time Jordan Henderson thumped the ball over the top of Sweden’s flat footed back four. Raheem Sterling sat deep and latched onto the end of the pass. He now found himself face-to-face with Swedish keeper Robin Olsen. Sterling attempted to side-step the keeper, but Olsen managed to get a hand to the ball. Sterling was then forced to back track and in doing so gave Sweden’s Andreas Granqvist time to get directly between Sterling and Sweden’s goal. Sterling, under pressure attempted to get another shot off but Granqvist sent it out for a corner. As England failed to make anything of the set piece the half-time whistle blew. Both sides headed for the tunnels, but the English knew that at 1-0 up, it was now their game to lose.

Early into the second half Sweden looked as though they had returned to the field with new life having been breathed into them. In the 47th minute Ludwig Augustinsson curled the ball deep into England’s penalty area which was met by the head of Marcus Berg. Berg directed the ball down towards the bottom corner of Jordan Pickford’s net, but the English keeper displayed cat-like reflexes to deny him with a brilliant diving save.

England went on to ensure that the Swedes would rue their missed opportunities when in the 59th minute Jesse Lingard calmly lofted a ball over the top of the once again static Swedish defence. Dele Alli reacted promptly to reach the cross and head the ball straight past Robin Olsen, 2-0 England. Sweden tried to respond immediately but in the 62nd minute Jordan Pickford denied Marcus Berg tremendously from close range once again. England continued to throw away any other half-chances which they would manage to create. To rub further salt in the Swedish wounds Jordan Pickford once again denied Marcus Berg from inside the penalty area. The third time in the second half that Pickford prevented the Swede, to ensure that England held on to a clean-sheet and progressed through to the semi-finals, where they would await the winner from Russia v Croatia.

Russia (3) 2-2 (4) Croatia

Like Sweden v England, the fixture between tournament hosts Russia, and group D’s surprise winners Croatia boasted two of the tournament’s most highly achieving dark horses.

A tense first half in which both sides fought valiantly, was only divided on the 31st minute thanks to a moment of brilliance. Russia’s shining light this tournament Denis Cheryshev dribbled through the midfield and laid the ball off to Artem Dzyuba. Cheryshev continued his run towards goal as Dzyuba rolled the ball back into his path. He then took a touch, leaned back and let fly on his left-foot. The effort left Croatian goalkeeper Subasic helpless as he could only watch the ball go over his head and into the top corner of the net. To the delight of the nation, the hosts were 1-0 up.

Croatia now in need of a goal made swift work in pulling themselves level. They brought the ball out wide down the left-hand side through Mario Mandzukic, who drove the ball forward. Mandzukic made it right to the touch line and managed to cut the ball back at head height. Lurking in the Russian box was Croatia’s second striker Andrej Kramaric who timed his run to perfection. The ball was fizzed in and Kramaric connected perfectly to use the force of the pass to drill the header into the Russian goal. Croatia had drawn level shortly before the half-time whistle.

The second half saw chances few and far between for both sides. The best opportunity of the second period fell to Croatia in the 60th minute. A cross was dealt with poorly by the Igor Akinfeev which led to the ball landing at the feet of Croatian winger Ivan Perisic. Perisic took a touch to give himself some room and marginally mishit the ball towards the Russian goal. The ball ricocheted off the inside of the Russian goal-post but didn’t manage to cross the line. The 89th minute gave the Croatians an enormous scare when goalkeeper Subasic went down with what looked like a potentially game-ending injury. But to a nation’s relief he managed to play on. Shortly after, the referee signalled that it was the end of ninety minutes.

When the second-half appeared to be relatively uneventful, extra-time proved to be almost the opposite, with both sides seemingly discovering second-wind as the match clicked up a gear. Right as the clock ticked over to the 100-minute mark, Domagoj Vida rose and headed Luka Modric’s sailing corner through the crowded penalty area and subsequently into the back of the Russian net. Croatia’s ecstasy wasn’t to last as Russia dug deep and found an equaliser of their own. In the 115th minute, with time as Russia’s biggest opponent, Alan Dzagoev curled in a free-kick which was met hastily by Russian fullback Mario Fernandes. His header precise, powerful and left Subasic no chance as he watched the ball sail into the corner of the net. Russia were level, and the game would be going to a penalty shoot-out.

First up in the shootout was Russia’s Fyodor Smolov. He took a short run-up and tried to arrogantly dink the ball into the bottom corner with a panenka style shot. Danijel Subasic made sure the only player being humiliated would be Smolov as he reacted quickly to leap towards the bottom corner and parry the penalty away. Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic took no time in putting the ball down and dispatching his penalty to put Croatia 1-0 up. Russia levelled the score through Alan Dzagoev who wrong footed Subasic to send his effort into the bottom corner. Igor Akinfeev then put Russia on level terms when he flew across his goal to prevent Mateo Kovacic’s well placed penalty. Mario Fernandes then had the responsibility of putting Russia ahead for the first time in the shootout. The pressure appeared to be all too much. Fernandes ran up and smashed his effort well wide of Subasic and the goal itself. Luka Modric was next in line, his penalty without doubt one of the most fortunate moments of the World Cup so far. Modric’s penalty deflected off Akinfeev, then off the inside of the post and then flew across the face of goal before nestling into the opposite side of the net. Croatia were now 2-1 up. Sergei Ignashevich and Domagoj Vida both drilled their efforts across their body and made no mistake from the spot either, leaving the score at 3-2 in Croatia’s favour. Daler Kuzyayev had to score in order to keep Russia in the game. He made no mistake by confidently sending Subasic the wrong way, putting the result in Croatia’s hands. Ivan Rakitic, who scored the winning penalty against Denmark now had the opportunity to do the same to Russia. Rakitic sized up the opportunity ahead of him, jogged towards the ball, opened up his body and drove it across the goal. Akinfeev went the wrong way and Croatia had won their second successive shootout to the elation of the players, staff and supporters.

Croatia would now have England awaiting them in the semi-finals of football most kaleidoscopic and enthralling tournament.