Games 5 & 6
Group H: Game 5 - Japan 0-1 Poland
Group H: Game 6 - Senegal 0-1 Columbia
With these kicking off at 3pm on a Thursday I wasn’t able to watch from the start, being stuck at work. My mate was taking a later dinner break so I asked him to watch a bit and report back. He did his best to invoke the style of a crap TV pundit as he described Colombia get a reprieve when a decision to award a penalty to Senegal was reversed after VAR got involved. He even made the international sign language for VAR, tracing a square in the air.
Afterwards BBC pundits all agreed that VAR had got it right, but even after watching it three times I still thought the ref had initially got it right and it should have been a penalty. True the defender did get a heal on the ball, but he had made contact with Mané first, knocking him over before touching the ball. Not only that but the tackle had come from behind, which I didn’t think was allowed.
The only other notable thing that happened in the first half was James Rodríguez going off with an injury after about half an hour.
The next I saw it was 0-0 in each game at half time.
By the time I’d left work and got to the car, Bednarek had scored for Poland, volleying in at the far post; it wasn’t quite as good as his goal against Chelsea, but still a decent finish. This meant that both Senegal and Colombia were going through and Japan would join Poland in going home early. Radio 5 Live was covering the Senegal v Colombia game and the commentators were saying how poor it had been and yet both sets of supporters were in jubilant mood, making a right old racket.
It seemed that the commentator was always saying “the hold up is because VAR is taking a look.” So much for this system not holding the game up at all.
Then, from a Colombian corner, centre-back Yerry Mina rose high to bury a powerful header; it was an excellent finish as he headed it down so it bounced up over the keeper and into the net. All of a sudden Colombia were winning the group while Senegal had slipped to third as Japan, despite still being behind were up into second, place because of the fair play ruling after receiving less yellow cards.
Senegal had to score, and there was a good save from David Ospina to deny Mbaye Niang, as a proper game broke out. Ismaila Sarr then came close from a corner and moments later skied a volley at the far post.
It could have changed again as Poland had a great chance to get a second, but instead of steering the ball into the corner Lewandowski blazed it over the bar. If that had gone in Senegal would have been back up to second.
When I got home B had recorded the Senegal v Colombia game for me, but I decided just to watch the end of the game to see how things unfolded live.
As Senegal got more and more desperate against Colombia, Japan were just playing the ball around at walking pace while Poland stood and watched. A dodgy tactic as one goal for Senegal in the other game and Japan would have been out.
The Japan game finished first, but they couldn’t celebrate as it still wasn’t certain they were going through. As it was, there was no drama and Senegal were out, meaning no African team in the last 16 for the first time for 36 years.
Colombia ended up top with Japan squeezing into second place, because they were nicer, and I saw a nice picture afterwards of Bednarek and Yoshida hugging with big smiles on their faces.
Both Japan and Colombia now wait for the outcome of the England v Belgium game.
Group H: Game 6 - Senegal 0-1 Columbia
With these kicking off at 3pm on a Thursday I wasn’t able to watch from the start, being stuck at work. My mate was taking a later dinner break so I asked him to watch a bit and report back. He did his best to invoke the style of a crap TV pundit as he described Colombia get a reprieve when a decision to award a penalty to Senegal was reversed after VAR got involved. He even made the international sign language for VAR, tracing a square in the air.
Afterwards BBC pundits all agreed that VAR had got it right, but even after watching it three times I still thought the ref had initially got it right and it should have been a penalty. True the defender did get a heal on the ball, but he had made contact with Mané first, knocking him over before touching the ball. Not only that but the tackle had come from behind, which I didn’t think was allowed.
The only other notable thing that happened in the first half was James Rodríguez going off with an injury after about half an hour.
The next I saw it was 0-0 in each game at half time.
By the time I’d left work and got to the car, Bednarek had scored for Poland, volleying in at the far post; it wasn’t quite as good as his goal against Chelsea, but still a decent finish. This meant that both Senegal and Colombia were going through and Japan would join Poland in going home early. Radio 5 Live was covering the Senegal v Colombia game and the commentators were saying how poor it had been and yet both sets of supporters were in jubilant mood, making a right old racket.
It seemed that the commentator was always saying “the hold up is because VAR is taking a look.” So much for this system not holding the game up at all.
Then, from a Colombian corner, centre-back Yerry Mina rose high to bury a powerful header; it was an excellent finish as he headed it down so it bounced up over the keeper and into the net. All of a sudden Colombia were winning the group while Senegal had slipped to third as Japan, despite still being behind were up into second, place because of the fair play ruling after receiving less yellow cards.
Senegal had to score, and there was a good save from David Ospina to deny Mbaye Niang, as a proper game broke out. Ismaila Sarr then came close from a corner and moments later skied a volley at the far post.
It could have changed again as Poland had a great chance to get a second, but instead of steering the ball into the corner Lewandowski blazed it over the bar. If that had gone in Senegal would have been back up to second.
When I got home B had recorded the Senegal v Colombia game for me, but I decided just to watch the end of the game to see how things unfolded live.
As Senegal got more and more desperate against Colombia, Japan were just playing the ball around at walking pace while Poland stood and watched. A dodgy tactic as one goal for Senegal in the other game and Japan would have been out.
The Japan game finished first, but they couldn’t celebrate as it still wasn’t certain they were going through. As it was, there was no drama and Senegal were out, meaning no African team in the last 16 for the first time for 36 years.
Colombia ended up top with Japan squeezing into second place, because they were nicer, and I saw a nice picture afterwards of Bednarek and Yoshida hugging with big smiles on their faces.
Both Japan and Colombia now wait for the outcome of the England v Belgium game.
