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FIFA World Cup 2018 Last 16: Brazil, Belgium advance at expense of
Mexico, Japan
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July 5, 2018
Original URL: https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_2018_Last_16:_Brazil,_Belgium_advance_at_expense_of_Mexico,_Japan
On Monday, Brazil defeated Mexico 2 -- 0 and Belgium defeated Japan 3 --
2 in the FIFA football World Cup in the ''Last 16'' knockout phase.
Brazil is now scheduled to play Belgium in the quarter-finals.
== Brazil vs Mexico ==
Brazil faced Mexico in Samara Arena. Mexico had greater ball possession
in the match. Before the half-hour mark, Neymar, Thiago Silva, Gabriel
Jesus and Philippe Coutinho had attempts for goal but their attempts
were blocked or saved by Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Both sides
were tied goalless at the halftime.
In the second half, Brazil opened the scoring in the 51st minute when
Neymar scored a close-range shot from Willian's assist. Hirving Lozano
and Carlos Vela had their attempts for equalising for Mexico but were
unsuccessful. Chicharito was substituted out in the 60th minute. Brazil
made two substitutions in the final ten minutes of the 90-minute game,
as Fernandinho and Roberto Firmino were substituted in. In the 88th
minute, just two minutes after coming on the field, Firmino scored a
goal, doubling the lead for Brazil. The South Americans won the match 2
-- 0.
After the match, Mexico's coach Juan Carlos Osorio said, "Being able to
play at such a level with a team like Brazil, it shows Mexico is a good
team. We just didn't have that extra quality they had in front of goal.
We were able to play a balanced game and it says a lot about us and our
style. We need to keep developing and we hope our players will come and
play in Europe so they can play every weekend against the best clubs in
the world, and then our national team will improve."
== Belgium v Japan ==
Belgium faced Japan at the Rostov Arena. Belgium had greater ball
possession versus Japan, who were the only Asian team left in the
tournament. In the first ten minutes, Japan's Shinji Kagawa and Gen
Shoji missed their attempts for goals. Belgium's Axel Witsel, Romelu
Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany had attempts
to put Belgium in lead but both the sides remained goalless in the first
half.
Three minutes in the second half, Genki Haraguchi opened the scoring for
Japan, from Gaku Shibasaki's assist. Four minutes later, Takashi Inui
scored from Kagawa's assist doubling the lead for Japan. In the 65th
minute, Yannick Carrasco was replaced by Nacer Chadli. Four minutes
later, Jan Vertonghen scored the first goal for Belgium. Fellaini scored
an equaliser in the 74th minute from Hazard's assist. In the injury
time, Chadli added the third goal from Thomas Meunier's assist which
proved to be the match-winning goal.
After the match, Japan's coach Akira Nishino said, "I am devastated. Yes
we took the lead but we couldn't win. It might have been a very small
difference but I felt there was nothing in it. Maybe it was my decisions
as a coach or my tactics, and we couldn't keep up with Belgium, who
upped their game." He added, "I don't want to admit it. I do feel that
it was a tragedy but I have to accept the defeat as a fact."
----
Roberto Firmino
Filipe Luís
Casemiro
|goals2 = Edson Álvarez
Héctor Herrera
Carlos Salcedo
Andrés Guardado
|stadium = Samara Arena, Samara Russia
|attendance = 41,970
|referee = Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)
}}
----
Marouane Fellaini
Nacer Chadli
|goals2 = Genki Haraguchi
Takashi Inui
Gaku Shibasaki
|stadium = Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
|attendance = 41,466
|referee = Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)
}}
== Sources ==
* https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/match/300331535/#match-liveblog
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYIf8I1dvdo
|pub = You Tube
|date = July 2, 2018
}}
* https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44597762
* https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/match/300331551/#match-liveblog
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJeJuc27ggE
|pub = You Tube
|date = July 2, 2018
}}
* https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44597759
.