- Roo Legend: Rooney Retires from England duty!
- Australasia gets represented in the Premier League this year!
- Sanchez in North London, Where Have We Heard That Before?
- Sigurdsson Sale: Swansea could face Ragnarok after losing Thor!
- 2017/18 Premier League Predictions!
- PSG set to trigger record Neymar Fee!
- Mourinho thrives with a Prag-Matic approach!
- The Loan Ranger: Game of Loans!
- Rome(-lu) Wasn’t Built In A Day, But Hernandez Is Heading Hammers Way!
- Man United, Arsenal, and Huddersfield are all in a dash to splash the cash!
MOTD: Brazil 2-1 Colombia
Brazil are through to the World Cup Semifinals, but almost as many cornering issueswill be taken away from the Quarterfinal meeting as positive things for Brazil. They scraped away with the win over Colombia, but will have to face Germany in the Semifinals without Thiago Silva as the captain and center-back stupidly earned himself a suspension with a booking. Meanwhile, Neymar fractured his vertebrae after taking a clumsy knee full force to the back from Juan Zuniga at the end of the match, leaving him injured for the Germany game and whatever part Brazil will take at the World Cup after that, in either the final or third place match.
Yet the feeling throughout Brazil is far from disappointment. The nation is filled with celebrations, and after the scrappy finish to the match the country is filled with relief. Mind, the finish was not the only scrappy part of the match. While the game was much more stretched out and open than any other knockout game so far, fifty-four fouls and four bookings marred the match – in fact, all of the three goals game from set pieces.
Silva started the trend just seven minutes in, finding himself wide open at the far post in behind his marker, and bundling home a Neymar corner from the left. Colombia had looked sluggish before going down, but responded well from Brazil’s opener – Silva was soon forced into some work at the other end to get enough on the ball to deflect Juan Cuadrado’s low dipping effort just wide of the frame. But play was right back down to the other end, and David Ospina was forced into two brilliant stops. The goalkeeper got down low to his right to palm Hulk’s eight yard volley away, before bringing down Oscar’s curling twenty-yard effort from the rebound.
Brazil were largely in control, though, and Hulk forced Ospina into another low reflect save via a shot from the left before Fernandinho glanced a header wide. However, Colombia did find the back of the net through Yepes early on in the second half, only for the goal, which had proceeded from a goal-mouth melee after James Rodriguez had swing in a free-kick, to be called back for offside. Another free-kick was called shortly afterwards in the sixty-eighth minute, with Rodriguez finding himself in the book for taking Hulk down thirty yards out from goal. It seemed worth it, however, stopping Brazil from breaking at a distance which looked far to far out to be scored from. Yet David Luiz stunned all, especially Ospina, who could only flap at the Chelsea defender’s dipping and swerving screamer as it nestled into the top right corner.
Brazil looked to have the game buried and put to bed, yet Colombia went for it and pulled one back eighty-one minutes in as Julio Cesar came out and took down Carlos Bacca, who had been slipped in on goal via a lovely Rodriguez through ball just moments after coming on as an attacking substitute for Colombia. Rodriguez buried the penalty, and a nervy finale ensued. Anywhere would do for Brazil as Colombia forced them on their heels, and Bacca came inches close with a glancing header that in the end was called back for offside. Ramos the header over, yet after a serious of stupid fouls from Colombia the final whistle blew. Brazil held on for the win. If only Neymar hadn’t been injured in the final moments and Silva booked.