MOSCOW (AP) – The Latest on Friday at the World Cup (all times local): 12:50 a.m. Soccer superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham have…
MOSCOW (AP) – The Latest on Friday at the World Cup (all times local):
12:50 a.m.
Soccer superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham have struck a deal ahead of the World Cup quarterfinal game between their two countries on Saturday.
Ibrahimovic challenged Beckham via Instagram and the bet was relayed on the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Twitter account.
“Yo @davidbeckham if @england wins I buy you dinner where ever you want in the world,” the Galaxy and ex-Sweden forward wrote, stipulating that if the Swedes wins Beckham must buy him whatever he chooses from furniture store Ikea.
Beckham, the former England and Galaxy midfielder, accepted the risk of furnishing Ibrahimovic’s L.A. mansion – with a twist.
If Beckham’s team wins Saturday in Samara, Ibrahimovic must come to a future England game “wearing an England shirt and enjoy fish & chips at half time.”
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11:30 p.m.
Brazilian fans are consoling one another after their national team was knocked out of the World Cup by Belgium.
Brazilians had crowded plazas and bars to watch the quarterfinal game on Friday afternoon local time. In Rio de Janeiro’s Maua Square, the atmosphere was festive and light ahead of the game, with the weekend and a hoped-for win on the horizon.
When Belgium scored first and then again before halftime, the atmosphere grew more tense. Some still shouted: “I believe!”
Brazil is soccer-mad, but this year’s Cup served as an especially welcome distraction as the country emerges from a deep recession and suffers a crisis of confidence in its leaders.
After the 2-1 loss, the fans in Maua Square were hugging one another. Five-time champion Brazil reached the semifinals four years ago when it hosted the World Cup but the 7-1 loss to eventual champion Germany stunned the nation.
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11:05 p.m.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez says his squad’s execution was perfect in the World Cup quarterfinal win over five-time champion Brazil.
Belgium reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time in 32 years with the 2-1 win, setting up a meeting with France and sending Neymar home without living up to his status as soccer’s most expensive player.
Martinez says his Belgians “were incredible.”
“Sometimes you have to accept that Brazil has got this finesse, that quality, and that they’re going to break you down, and (Belgium) just refused to accept that,” Martinez adds. “The execution was perfect. These boys deserve to be something special back home in Belgium.”
Belgium’s golden generation lived up to their hype as Kevin De Bruyne netted the winning goal by completing a counterattack led by Romelu Lukaku in the 31st minute.
Belgium and France will meet in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The next day in Moscow it will be England or Sweden against Russia or Croatia.
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10:55 p.m.
Belgium has beaten Brazil 2-1 to reach the semifinals of the World Cup for just the second time. The Belgians led 2-0 at halftime and withstood late pressure from the five-time champions after Renato Augusto cut the margin with a header in the 76th minute.
Belgium, which last reached the semifinals in 1986, will next face 1998 champion France in St. Petersburg.
It will be the first time since 2006 that four European teams will feature in the World Cup semifinals. The two other spots will be decided in Sunday’s quarterfinals which feature Russia vs. Croatia and England vs. Sweden.
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10:36 p.m.
Brazil substitute Renato Augusto has pulled one back for the five-time champions, reducing Belgium’s lead to 2-1 in their World Cup quarterfinal.
Augusto, who went on three minutes earlier as a replacement for Paulinho, connected with a cross from Philippe Coutinho and headed the ball into the net to beat ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois in the 76th minute.
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9:47 p.m.
A Fernandinho own goal and a perfectly executed finish from Kevin De Bruyne have given Belgium a 2-0 lead over Brazil at halftime in the World Cup quarterfinal match at Kazan.
Belgium took the lead in the 13th minute after a Belgium corner from Nacer Chadli was met at the near post by Vincent Kompany with a flick, then diverted into the back of the net by Fernandinho’s shoulder.
De Bruyne doubled Belgium’s lead in the 31st minute following a swift counterattack following a Brazil corner. After the corner was cleared, Romelu Lukaku went on a mazy run through Brazil’s midfield before laying a pass off to his left for the oncoming De Bruyne, who struck his shot low into the corner of the Brazil net and beyond the dive of goalkeeper Alisson.
Brazil has had chances to get back into the game, notably in the 37th minute when a curling shot from outside the area from Philippe Coutinho was palmed away by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The winner in Kazan will advance to a semifinal match against France.
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9:33 p.m.
Kevin De Bruyne has made it 2-0 for Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil with a superb strike from the edge of the area at the end of a swift counterattack.
De Bruyne was set up on the right side of the box by striker Romelu Lukaku, who recovered the ball in Belgium’s half and ran for about 30 meters before delivering a pinpoint pass to his teammate on the left. De Bruyne unleashed a low shot beyond the dive of ‘keeper Alisson and into the corner of the Brazil net in the 31st minute.
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9:17 p.m.
Belgium has taken a 1-0 lead against the run of the play in its World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil through an own goal from Fernandinho.
Nacer Chadli’s corner kick that was met at the near post by Vincent Kompany with a flick, then diverted into the back of the net off Brazil midfielder Fernandinho’s shoulder in the 13th minute.
Brazil had been in control with a high press and a couple of good chances, including a Thiago Silva’s effort onto the post.
The winner of the Belgium-Brazil game will meet France in the semifinals.
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8:40 p.m.
Belgium fans are getting excited at Kazan Arena as their unofficial anthem, Gala’s “Freed From Desire” Eurodance song, plays over the stadium’s loudspeakers. Released in 1996, the song was a hit in many European countries and remains very popular among the Red Devils’ supporters.
Belgium is playing five-time champion Brazil for a spot in the World Cup semifinals.
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8:35 p.m.
Antoine Griezmann says it was “normal to not celebrate” the goal that sealed France’s 2-0 win over Uruguay and sent his team into the World Cup semifinals.
Griezmann did not smile, or perform his trademark dance from the Fortnite game, after Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera spilled a long-range shot into the net in the 61st minute.
The France forward explains he was mentored in soccer by a player from Uruguay and has friends from the country: “I love Uruguayan culture and I love Uruguayans.”
He was playing against his Atletico Madrid teammates Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez who helped make Uruguay the toughest World Cup team to score against. Godin is the godfather to Griezmann’s daughter.
Griezmann says: “I was also playing against friends, so out of respect I thought it was normal to not celebrate my goal.”
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8 p.m.
Brazil coach Tite has made two changes from the team that beat Mexico for the World Cup quarterfinal match against Belgium at Kazan Arena.
Marcelo has recovered from a back injury to take his place at left back in favor of Filipe Luis and Casemiro’s absence through suspension has given Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho a start.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has brought Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli into the starting lineup in place of Yannick Carrasco and Dries Mertens.
The two players played big roles in Belgium’s comeback win over Japan in the round of 16, both scoring in the team’s 3-2 victory. Chadli scored the winner in the final seconds of the match following a thrilling counterattack.
The changes suggest that Belgium is likely to play a more direct approach as it tries to make the semifinals of the World Cup for the first time since 1986. The winner in Kazan will meet France in the semifinals.
Lineups:
Brazil: Alisson, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Marcelo, Paulinho, Fernandinho, Willian, Fagner.
Belgium: Thibaut Courtois, Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen, Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne, Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Thomas Meunier, Nacer Chadli.
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7:45 p.m.
For some reason, Croatia can’t seem to avoid drawing the host country at the World Cup.
Croatia has only qualified for the World Cup five times, the first coming in 1998. And for the third time in those trips, the Croatians are matched up with the home team. This time it’s in the quarterfinals against Russia.
Croatia lost to France 2-1 in the semifinals in 1998. In 2014, Croatia was drawn into the same group as host Brazil and fell 3-1 in the opening match of the tournament. In both 1998 and 2014, Croatia took 1-0 leads only to see the home country rally.
Clearly, Croatia is ready for a different result. A win would put the Croatians in the semis for the second time.
Coach Zlatko Dalic says “We cannot choose our opponents, be it hosts or somebody else. We are facing a huge game, quarterfinals, it doesn’t matter who is the opponent. Maybe the only thing is the vociferous support by the fans.”
Dalic says is players regularly play way games at packed stadiums “fans howling” for their clubs and “this shouldn’t be a problem for us.”
“And ultimately we should not be asking or looking for any excuses. We have to play our own game, irrespective of who is in the stands.”
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7:30 p.m.
England coach Gareth Southgate says there is a generation of young players finally starting to challenge the duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in world soccer.
Much to his delight, one of them is in his team.
Southgate says Harry Kane has reached “another level” by scoring six goals to top the scoring charts at the World Cup and that the striker is one of the “exciting young players from right across the world announcing themselves” in Russia.
Kane, though, says Messi and Ronaldo are still the benchmark for emerging players and that “you can never write them off.”
While Messi’s Argentina and Ronaldo’s Portugal are already out of the World Cup, Kane can lead England to the semifinals for the first time since 1990 if his team beats Sweden in Samara on Saturday.
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7:20 p.m.
Jamie Vardy is still a doubtful starter for England’s World Cup quarterfinal match against Sweden because of a groin injury.
Coach Gareth Southgate says the Leicester City striker did what he needed to do in training before the squad left for Samara for the match, but he still worked out “slightly separate” from the team.
