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Oct 4There was lots of drama on Day 13 of the World Cup. South Korea secured a last-gasp win over Group H winners Portugal to leapfrog Uruguay on goals scored and reach the last 16, while Switzerland joined Brazil in the knockout stage from Group G after beating Serbia, who needed to beat Murat Yakin's side to progress.
Here's how it all unfolded...
The day’s results
South Korea 2-1 Portugal
Ghana 0-2 Uruguay
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
Cameroon 0-0 Brazil
Match summaries
South Korea 2-1 Portugal
Hwang Hee-chan proved the unlikely hero as South Korea dramatically defeated Portugal on 91 minutes to jump over Uruguay and book a last-16 spot for the first time in 12 years.
Fernando Santos made six changes for this game and Ricardo Horta, one of those to come in, swept home inside five minutes on his major tournament debut for his country after Diogo Dalot had skipped into the box and squared to him.
However, the Tigers of Asia, without their Portuguese boss Paulo Bento on the sidelines after he was red-carded against Ghana, lived up to their nickname and equalised shortly before the half-hour mark as Lee Kang-in's corner bounced off Cristiano Ronaldo and into the path of Kim Young-gwon, who slid in to level.
Dalot and Vitinha then tested Kim Seung-gyu, with Ronaldo heading wide from close range from the latter effort.
After the break, Hwang In-beom stung the palms of Diogo Costa, while talisman Son Heung-min appealed for a penalty for handball against Joao Cancelo, only for his appeals to be rightly waved away.
However, Son was to have a telling impact at the death, bursting forward and slipping in Hwang, who kept his cool to drill in the winner that took his nation above Uruguay into second place on goals scored, despite the South Americans beating Ghana 2-0.
With this game finishing first, South Korean players watched the other Group H match anxiously on their phones, but soon they were overcome with relief as the final whistle blew at Al Janoub Stadium.
South Korea will now play Brazil on Monday at Stadium 974, while Portugal face Switzerland in Lusail the following day.
Ghana 0-2 Uruguay
Uruguay beat Ghana in a highly anticipated rematch of their dramatic 2010 World Cup clash - but Diego Alonso's men crashed out of the tournament in heartbreaking fashion as South Korea scored a late winner against Portugal.
Twelve years on from Luis Suarez's infamous handball that has led to be branded "the devil" in Ghana, the two teams were reunited.
It was the West African nation who came into the game in second place and had the chance to strengthen their grip on the runners-up position in Group H when Sergio Rochet brought down Mohammed Kudus, with the penalty given by referee Daniel Siebert following a VAR review.
Andre Ayew stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved as Rochet made the save to spare his own blushes.
Shortly after Mohammed Salisu got back superbly to clear Darwin Nunez's dink off the link, Ayew and Ghana were heavily ruing that missed opportunity as Nunez's cross was brought down by Suarez, who cut inside Alidu Seidu and had his shot saved by Lawrence Ati-Zigi.
However, Giorgian de Arrascaeta met the spinning ball virtually on the goalline, stooping to nod in.
If that was an easy finish, De Arrascaeta's second on 32 minutes was anything but as Facundo Pellistri's ball forward was headed down by Nunez to Suarez, whose flicked pass to his left looped high into the air for the Flamengo midfielder to slam in a venomous volley.
In response, Osman Bukari's cross-shot bobbled agonisingly out of the reach of Kudus and Antoine Semenyo screwed wide, either side of a wayward Pellistri shot and an Ati-Zigi save to deny Federico Valverde.
Rochet was the next goalkeeper to be called on as he pushed away Kudus' effort, before the Ajax midfielder saw a piledriver blocked by former Liverpool centre-back Sebastian Coates as the Black Stars threw the kitchen sink at their opponents, with both teams out on their feet at the final whistle as Uruguay players surrounded referee Siebert, believing they should have got two penalties, with Suarez in tears as his World Cup career ended abruptly.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
Switzerland progressed to the last 16 at Serbia’s expense in a seesaw encounter at Stadium 974.
In what was the best first half of the tournament so far, Murat Yakin’s men could easily have gone in front inside 25 seconds, but Eagles goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic blocked Breel Embolo’s attempted lob before palming away Granit Xhaka’s drive on the follow-up.
However, Murat Yakin’s men took the lead on 20 minutes when Ricardo Rodriguez’s cross from the left was prodded away by Strahinja Pavlovic, but only into the path of Djibril Sow, who steadied himself before laying off for Xherdan Shaqiri to slam home from roughly 12 yards out.
Serbia, needing a victory to leapfrog Switzerland and progress to the last 16, hit back as Dusan Tadic surged down the left and put a pinpoint cross onto the head of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who powered the ball home for his 52nd international goal.
The game turned on its head on 35 minutes when Mitrovic’s strike partner Dusan Vlahovic, starting for the first time this tournament, found the back of Gregor Kobel’s net via a post after Tadic’s through-ball was inadvertently diverted into Vlahovic’s path by Remo Freuler.
Embolo atoned for failing to score his earlier gilt-edged chance though, the Monaco forward proving sharpest in the box as he converted Silvan Widmer inviting cross in the corridor of uncertainty.
Freuler was the next player to make amends after earlier disappointment to put Switzerland, slamming in Ruben Vargas’ impudent backheel from Shaqiri’s clipped ball into the area.
Tensions flared towards the end as Serbia desperately looked for a way to keep their World Cup dream alive, but 10 minutes of stoppage time wasn't long enough to find two goals as Dragan Stojkovic's golden generation of players wonder what might have been, while Switzerland can look forward to a meeting with Portugal in Lusail on Tuesday.
Cameroon 1-0 Brazil
A much-changed Brazil were unable to find a way past eliminated Cameroon - but were still topped the group with ease.
Tite made nine changes from the team that squeaked past Switzerland 1-0, with Fred and Gabriel Martinelli combining to force Devis Epassy into a good save.
Just before the break, the Selecao had the first shot on target on their goal in the entire tournament to date as Moumi Ngamaleu's cross found its way to Bryan Mbeumo at the back post, with the Brentford forward's downward header clawed away brilliantly by Ederson.
And on 92 minutes, Jerome Ngom Mbekeli sped down the right and put in an excellent cross that was headed home by Vincent Aboubakar, who whirled his shirt wildly round his head in celebration, only to be given a second yellow card having been booked earlier in the half.
Cameroon may be out, but this landmark victory will live long in the memories of the Indomitable Lions, who not many would have predicted to get four points from the group. Brazil meanwhile face South Korea in the last 16 on Sunday.
Goal of the day
Giorgian de Arrascaeta - Uruguay
Uruguay were a bit late to the party when it came to showcasing their attacking credentials, but their second goal against Ghana was divine as Darwin Nunez and then Luis Suarez released the ball at dizzying speed, with De Arrascaeta displaying incredible technique to judge the flight of Suarez's pass and volley in with aplomb.
Save of the day
Ederson - Brazil
Despite Brazil ultimately ending their group stage with a blip by losing to Cameroon, they are at least safe in the knowledge that they have (at least) two quality goalkeepers to rely, with Ederson deputising for Alisson against Cameroon and pulling off a superb fingertip stop to keep out Bryan Mbeumo's downward header with the scores at 0-0.
Player of the day
Xherdan Shaqiri - Switzerland
Shaqiri often seems the man for the big occasion for Switzerland, and he delivered once again on the international stage.
Knowing that avoiding defeat against Serbia would send his nation through, Shaqiri swept home emphatically on 20 minutes, allowing Murat Yakin to breathe a little easier.
And after a dramatic first half which ended 2-2, Shaqiri played a key part in Switzerland's winner, lofting the ball into the box for Ruben Vargas to backheel brilliantly to Remo Freuler, who applied the finish for the winner.
Magic moments
- Xherdan Shaqiri is just the third player to have scored in the last three World Cups. The other two? Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Esteemed company.
- South Korea moved second on goals scored after their dramatic 91st-minute winner over Portugal. With their match over, Paulo Bento's players got in a circle to watch the conclusion of Ghana vs Uruguay on their phones and celebrated wildly as the South Americans failed to get the third goal of the game they needed to jump back above the Warriors of Asia.
- Switzerland vs Serbia was the first World Cup match since 1998 to feature two goals for each team before half-time.
Quote of the day
Ian Wright on Uruguay losing their cool at full-time against Ghana after being knocked out on goals scored, 12 years after their infamous World Cup meeting:
"I'm just glad that Ghanaians are smiling tonight!"
Image of the day
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Upcoming fixtures
Saturday 3 December:
Round of 16
Netherlands vs USA - 3pm KO
Argentina vs Australia - 7pm KO
