Highlights of the Confederations Cup
The first games for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup taking place in Russia have now been played, and there have already been plenty of thrills and spills. Take a look at the highlights thus far, and see who is ahead in the game.
Russia: 2, New Zealand: 0
The 1st time a Russian national soccer team took part in a game held at the St Petersburg Stadium saw them triumph, as they defeated New Zealand by 2 points. This surprise win no doubt went a long way towards boosting the home team’s morale.
Michael Boxall’s own goal after Denis Glushakov’s rounding of the keeper and knocking the ball against the field post and a 2nd-half strike from Fedor Smolov saw the host team’s pre-tournament nerves quelled as they took the match.
Their next meeting is with the Portuguese European Champions in Moscow.
Portugal: 2, Mexico: 2
The 2nd Group A match was held between the Mexican team, who are Gold Cup winners, and the Portuguese squad, and played host to the Confederations Cup debut of the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ricardo Quaresma scored in the 34th minute, but Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez levelled the totals just 8 minutes later, and in doing so became the only player in this tournament to have scored in an earlier edition of this competition. He scored 3 goals back in 2013.
The second Group A game between Gold Cup winners Mexico and European champions Portugal saw the Confederations Cup debut of the world’s best player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s presence on the field has set online betting sites a-flurry, as they make markets available for sports betting fans around the world.
The Portuguese players will next be facing off against Russia in Moscow, and Mexico is set to meet up with New Zealand in Sochi.
Chile: 2, Cameroon: 0
The champions from South America, Chile, and the holder of the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon, opened the matches for Group B at the Spartak Stadium.
Alexis Sanchez, who replaced Edson Puch at the 58th minute, proved to make the match, playing a vital part in both of the goals scored later on in the game. The first was thanks to Arturo Vidal, the second Eduardo Vargas, and the seesaw game that unfolded included 2 disallowed goals for each side.
The winger from Arsenal may see trouble in the tournament coming up however, since rumours of a badly swollen ankle after Sunday evening’s game are doing the rounds. Vidal took Man of the Match, thanks to the instrumental part he played in the midfield, and may well prove to be Chile’s pivotal player going forward, especially in light of the uncertainty regarding Sanchez’s continued participation.
The Cameroonians are set to face off against Australia in St. Petersburg next, while Chile will play against Germany, in Kazan.
German: 3, Australia: 2
The current world champions Germany, and winners of the Asian Cup Australia gave a thrilling 5-point game on Monday. The Germans will be moving on to face a rigorous opponent in Chile in Kazan next, and Australia is set for a date with the Cameroonians in St Petersburg. Both sides will be looking to make their 1st points for the 2017 Russia Confederations Cup with these games.
