Check it out match today on 18 june 2018 Belgium vs Panama world cup Russia 2018 in group G. In 2 am, England vs Tunisia. Now we are focus on this game.
Expect Fireworks from Belgium
Belgium is the heavy favorite in this game, with Panama at odds of 20-1 or greater. We should gets several goals, and at least one from a Hazard-Lukaku linkup for Belgium. We’ll see …
For Belgium, Raised Expectations
In 2014, Belgium felt that a place in the quarterfinals was acceptable success. Now, considering the lineup and expectations, it might be a bit of a disappointment.
SWEDEN completely outclassed South Korea to kick off match day five of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The Swedes still needed luck on their side, however, as a dramatic, late Video Assistant Referee (VAR) penalty decision was all that separated the two teams at full time. South Korea are on the ropes in Group F after the 1-0 loss, still needing to play Germany and Mexico.
Sweden’s win preceded Belgium’s match against Panama, which began at 1am, before the final game of the day between Group G sides Tunisia and England at 4am.
A VAR-awarded penalty gave Sweden a narrow but deserved victory in their opening Group F match against a poor South Korea side in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday.
Veteran Swedish skipper Andreas Granqvist scored the only goal of the game from the spot after Viktor Claesson was upended by South Korean substitute Kim Min-woo Kim in the 62nd minute.
Despite furious appeals, El Salvadorean referee Joel Aguilar, who had ironically been whistle-happy up until that point, initially waved away Swedish penalty claims.
But after consulting the video, he pointed to the spot.
It was the third VAR penalty awarded at these championships after France and Peru also benefited from video referrals.
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Football commentators wereimpressed to see the technology actually work.
However, the delayed decision by the referee showed the VAR system still has many awkward problems to fix as South Korea’s raid up the other end of the field was stopped to allow the referee to review the tackle.
The win was reward for Sweden’s more attacking approach, but it was unsurprising the winner came from the penalty spot in a game between two sides who had only managed two goals between them in seven games heading into Russia.
Sweden never really convinced that they would score prior to the penalty despite their domination and a toothless South Korea did not manage one shot on target.
However they should have equalised in the 90th minute but Hwang Hee-chan put a free header wide, spurning the Koreans’ best chance of the game by far.
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The victory leaves Sweden joint top of the group after Mexico’s surprise victory against world champions Germany on Sunday.
Next up for the Swedes is an intriguing encounter against Germany in Sochi on June 23.
South Korea started the game brightly, forcing the first corner in the fourth minute, but were gradually forced back by an attritional Swedish side.
It was the Europeans who came closest to breaking the deadlock when forward Marcus Berg was denied by a fine point-blank save Jo Hyeon-woo in the 20th minute.
Berg was denied again nine minutes later by a desperate last-ditch block from Kim Young-gwon.
Despite their increasing dominance, Sweden also demonstrated why they have struggled to score goals.
Berg, again, and Claesson went close before the end of the half, but it was clear for everyone to see why they had only scored once in their four matches prior to Russia.
Korea threatened only on the break where Son Heung-min’s pace troubled 33-year-old Granqvist, who was without defending partner Victor Lindelof, who was ill.
The somewhat rancorous build-up to the game — where Sweden were accused of spying on their opponents — was increasingly reflected in the niggly nature of the match.
Resilient Sweden held firm after the goal and the Hwang late scare aside, and a half-hearted South Korea appeal for a penalty, their defence rarely looked troubled.
The huge celebrations, the first match played in the $290 million stadium, at the end showed the importance the Swedes attached to this match.
Before the game, South Korea’s coach Tae Yong-shin called it a “must win” game but the defeat leaves his side contemplating only an early exit.
Belgium’s Starting Lineup
1. Courtois
2. Alderweireld
5. Vertonghen
6. Witsel
7. De Bruyne
9. R. Lukaku
10. E. Hazard
11. Carrasco
14. Mertens
15. Meunier
20. Boyata
Kompany Out: Missing from the Belgian lineup is Vincent Kompany, the stalwart veteran from Manchester City. He has an injured groin, and his return is uncertain — perhaps the final group game.
Panama’s Starting Lineup
1. Penedo
2. Murillo
4. Escobar
5. R. Torres
6. Gomez
7. Perez
8. Barcenas
11. Cooper
15. Davis
20. Godoy
21. J. Rodriguez
Who’s the star? It’s hard to single one out, but Torres, the linebacker-sized Seattle Sounders defender, has the potential to be a cult hero.
Belgium vs. Panama Top Story Lines
• Belgium, stocked with talented players, has crept up into the soccer elite in recent years. Panama is at the opposite end of the spectrum: a surprise qualifier over the United States, it seems to be in happy-to-be-here mode.
• No team will be as unfamiliar to a worldwide audience as Panama, with a squad largely drawn from its own league as well as Major League Soccer. Panama’s qualification was painted as a collective success for a team devoid of individual stars. That, combined with the sheer delight at being in Russia, could make Panama dangerous.
• On paper, Belgium has everything it needs to succeed: a tight defense, a talented midfield, prolific strikers and, in Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens, the sort of players who can win games on their own. Can Roberto Martínez, the team’s Spanish coach, bring it all together?
• This Golden Genertation of Belgians got 9 points out of 9 at the last World Cup, eventually falling, 1-0, to Argentina in the quarterfinals. Two years ago the team fell at the quarterfinal stage of the Euros, upset by Wales. The country is still waiting for the performance that stamps this team as a special one.
• The list of stars on Belgium never seems to end: notably, deadly striker Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United and wizardly midfielders Eden Hazard of Chelsea and Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester United.
• Panama is in its first World Cup, but has a tall order to advance. It is a veteran side, to say the least, and two 37-year-olds, Blas Perez and Luis Tejada, might be playing key scoring roles.
• Who says the United States didn’t make the Cup? Five M.L.S. players are in Panama’s team, including Anabel Godoy of San Jose, Roman Torres of Seattle, Michael Murillo of the Red Bulls and Adolfo Machado of Houston.