FIFA Day 9 -- Portugal and Brazil Join France in the Round of 16

 DAY 9 Monday

Portugal and Brazil Join France in the Round of 16

Ghana beat South Korea, and Cameroon and Serbia tied to keep its World Cup hopes alive.

Here’s what to know:
Bruno Fernandes aims for Ronaldo’s head but finds the goal instead.
Brazil believed the goal was coming. The scorer was the surprise.
Ghana defeats South Korea in a back-and-forth thriller.

U.S. team distances itself from federation’s decision to alter Iran flag. A day before a critical World Cup match with abounding political and competitive ramifications, players and coaches on the U.S. national team on Monday distanced themselves from social media posts made by their soccer federation that showed support for the women of Iran by doctoring that country’s flag.

Gregg Berhalter, the American soccer coach of the US team, said Monday that neither he nor any players were involved with the decision to remove Iran’s official emblem and two lines of Islamic script in posts on Twitter and Instagram.

Now coming on to the electricity charged 4 games one by one.

In a result that scarcely helped either team, Cameroon clawed back from a two-goal deficit on Serbia in the second half to force a 3-3 draw, giving both teams a difficult path to advancing out of Group G.

Serbia looked like the clearly better team for the first hour, going up 3-1 after two stoppage time goals and an Aleksandar Mitrovic tap-in in the 53rd minute. But Cameroon mounted a furious rally with goals in the 63rd and 66th minutes by Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

Both teams will have to win on Friday to have any chance of advancing to the round of 16, and neither team has an easy task: Cameroon will play Brazil, and Serbia will take on Switzerland. Brazil and Switzerland will play later on Monday.

Ghana defeated South Korea, 3-2, in an action-packed World Cup game on Monday. The result gave new hope to Ghana and left South Korea in a tough spot to advance from the group stage.

South Korea dominated the earliest stages, controlling possession and putting several balls in the box, while Ghana struggled to get any kind of attack going. So it was a shock when Ghana scored first.

A free kick by Jordan Ayew into the South Korea box in the 24th minute fell to the ground amid several leaping players, and an opportunistic Mohammed Salisu booted the ball into the net for a classic poacher’s goal.

Late Casemiro goal takes South Americans into World Cup last 16. Yes I am talking about Brazil Vs Switzerland match.

late Casemiro goal took Brazil into the last 16 of World Cup 2022 as the resistance of a dogged Switzerland side finally cracked late on in the second round of Group G games.

Deprived of Neymar by injury, Brazil struggled to find a way through a typically disciplined Switzerland defence, Vinicius Junior having the best chance of the opening period when he drifted into space at the far post only to fail to connect properly with Raphinha's cross, allowing Yann Sommer to save.

Switzerland more than held their own and had glimmers of openings without ever really creating a gilt-edged opportunity with neither side finding it easy to unlock the opposing backline. Brazil brought on Rodrygo at the break and he was soon linking up with his Real Madrid teammate Vinicius, who sent in a sumptuous cross with the outside of his right foot that Richarlison only narrowly failed to turn in.

Brazil were turning up the heat and just past the hour thought they had broken through when Rodrygo played in Vinicius down the left to skip Nico Elvedi's challenge and roll the ball past Sommer. A lengthy VAR check found Richarlison to be offside earlier in the same phase of play, however, and the effort was chalked off.

The South American side would not be denied, however, Vinicius and Rodrygo combining once again seven minutes from time to work space in the area for Casemiro, and a fine half-volley flicked Manuel Akanji on its way past Sommer and inside the far post.

Sommer pushed over Rodrygo's effort with Akanji blocking another goal bound Rodrygo strike in added time, but Brazil had already done enough to join holders France in the last 16 after Serbia and Cameroon.

In the last match of the day
Bruno Fernandes leads Portugal past Uruguay into World Cup knockout round.

Bruno Fernandes scored a pair of goals as Portugal beat Uruguay 2-0  to move to six points in Group H at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar on Monday night and clinch a spot in the knockout rounds.

Portugal survived a hectic finish to the game to become the third team after France and Brazil to qualify for the last 16 and will finish group play against South Korea on Friday.

Portugal dominated with close to 70% possession against Uruguay in a scoreless first half, but it was the South Americans who came closest to scoring when Rodrigo Bentancur charged through only to see his 32nd minute shot blocked by keeper Diogo Costa.

Cristiano Ronaldo set the tone for the match with some early showboating when he used a shoulder to redirect a long throw into the path of William Carvalho, whose powerful volley sailed over the bar.

Portugal looked threatening on the approach but struggled to create goalscoring chances, with Bernardo Silva, Fernandes and Joao Felix frustrated in front of goal early on.

Fernandes scored from the left flank in the 54th minute with a whipped in cross-shot that Ronaldo appeared to have redirected into net past Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet. However, on closer inspection the goal, originally given to Ronaldo, was credited to his former Manchester United teammate Fernandes.

The match was briefly interrupted shortly after the goal when a protester carrying a pride flag entered the pitch before being chased down and led away by security staff.

Uruguay battled to get back on level terms and nearly did through substitute Maxi Gomez's curling shot from the top of the penalty area in the 75th minute, but with Costa beaten it impossibly came back off the post.

That was all in four electrified games on day 9 of FIFA WC 2022 worth commenting on.