The World Cup Boot Battle: Day 7
In a day that was highly-anticipated to have plenty of goals, the players seemed to forget to score many. But despite the lack of scoring, today’s results proved to be instrumental for the futures of certain teams in this tournament.
Uruguay through, Morocco out as Ronaldo scores AGAIN
Ronaldo sends Morocco home: Portugal 1-0 Morocco
It began so promisingly. Cristiano Ronaldo, after just four minutes, headed powerfully home from a cross. At that point we were thinking it could be four or five goals for Portugal. We were praying for the Moroccans. They have families! Have mercy!
It was far from easy though, for Portugal as Morocco now had nothing to lose. After losing their opening match to Iran, they needed to push for an equaliser or they’d be going out – pending a Spain win against Iran.
And push they did, as Portugal seemed to be happy to drop back into their own half and soak up the pressure. Morocco came closest when Rui Patricio pulled off a spectacular save from a Younes Belhanda header, but they couldn’t find that all-important goal and the European Champions held on.
Two birds, one Suarez goal: Uruguay 1-0 Saudi Arabia
Okay, so the Saudis lost 5-0 to a very average and hugely out of form Russian side. Uruguay beat Egypt in an unconvincing 1-0 victory where Luis Suarez was very anonymous. So surely this one must have had goals right? Not quite.
Midway through the first half, Suarez finally did something at this World Cup other than miss a great chance. As a corner was floated across, Mohammad Al Owais (Saudi keeper) had faith and trusted that he could simply just run under the ball instead of catching it, but everything would be alright. It wasn’t, and Suarez was there to finish into an empty net.
It was slightly unfortunate for the middle-easterns, who compared to their first performance were playing like the Harlem Globetrotters of football. Nevertheless, they couldn’t breach the Uruguayan defence and ultimately succumbed to a second defeat and subsequent group-stage exit.
This just proves that money can’t buy you World Cup success. It can buy you a World Cup (Qatar), but not World Cup success.
Defeat may Costa-lot for Iran: Spain 1-0 Iran
Apologies, we really are very sorry. We have evolved away from VAR puns but have now resorted back to this level. Costa, cost a… It really was the best we could do. Anyway, Spain versus Iran. Surely, surely now with these teams the match would be littered with goals. Right? Please tell me I’m right. Please give me something.
Wrong again. This was an incredible match but not really for the reasons you’d want it to be. Imagine a brick wall that is six foot high. Just picture that. Now picture that massive Ice wall in Game of Thrones (shout out to Khaleesi), the one that was indestructible for so many seasons, that took an hour to scale and was the most intimidating thing in a world where eight-foot soldiers would casually walk around the streets on the regular bearing a sword. That is what Spain were up against, an Iranian ice wall.
SPOILER ALERT, that was eventually destroyed by a dragon. Spain didn’t have a dragon. Instead, they had something a bit uglier, Diego Costa. They toiled and picked away at an Iran defence that was very well structured and ten-men strong at all times. But it took Costa and co. until the beginning of the second half to find the net.
When the goal did come, it came with a whole lot of fortune. Costa was found in the box and the defender, as tight as ever, kicked the ball against the Atletico striker and it somehow flew into the net. Iran, like Morocco and Saudi Arabia before them, tried hard to find an equaliser, and they thought they had one as well. Saeid Ezatolahi poked in from close-range but his effort was disallowed after mass Iranian celebration.
Boot of the day – Nike Mercurial Vapour XIIs
Nike Mercurial Vapour XII football boots
Isco was pivotal in all of Spain’s play and he is one of many who wears the Vapours.
Goal of the day – Cristiano Ronaldo
This is like picking who your favourite dictator is, there just isn’t much quality to choose from. Ronaldo takes the biscuit though, as Costa’s goal was a deflection and Suarez’s goal was a tap-in. So, no credit for Ronaldo here, his goal was the best of a bad bunch.
Assist of the day – N/A
We aren’t even dignifying this with an answer because like the goals, no assist was good at all. None worthy of the acclaimed FBG ‘assist of the day’ title, we wouldn’t want to bring its integrity and quality into question.
Moment of the day – Milad Mohammadi’s throw in fail
It is the dying seconds of the match. Iran are desperately pushing for that equaliser when Mohammadi runs over to take a throw-in. He takes a run up, moves forward and then proceeds to do a good old rollie pollie, before not releasing the ball. Bizarre, brilliant, bemusing? Yes.
The World Cup Boot Battle: Day 7
Points Awarded
Portugal v Morocco
Rui Patricio +3 (Puma) – Clean sheet which was harder-earned than many may think.
Pepe +2 (Umbro) – He may be the most theatrical player to grace a pitch (ever), but he is still worthy of his two points for a clean sheet.
Jose Fonte +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
Cedric Soares +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
Raphael Guerreiro +2 (Adidas) – Clean sheet.
Cristiano Ronaldo +8 (Nike) – Another MOTM performance and the all-important goal.
Joao Moutinho +2 (Adidas) – Assisted Ronaldo’s header.
Uruguay v Saudi Arabia
Fernando Muslera +3 (Puma) – Valuable clean sheet.
Diego Godin +6 (Puma) – MOTM performance, lead from the back and got the clean sheet.
Guillermo Varela +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
Jose Gimenez +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
Martin Caceres +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
Luis Suarez +4 (Adidas) – Scored the goal, redeemed himself from his first performance.
Carlos Sanchez +2 (Nike) – Assisted Suarez.
Spain v Iran
Sergio Ramos +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
Gerard Pique +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
David De Gea +3 (Adidas) – Clean sheet, slight redemption for his first-match error.
Jordi Alba +2 (Adidas) – Clean sheet.
Daniel Carvajal +2 (Nike) – Clean sheet.
Diego Costa +4 (Adidas) – Scored the luckiest goal in the world but still gets four points.
Isco +4 (Nike) – Won MOTM.
The World Cup Boot Battle: The best football boots in the world
| Adidas | Asics | Diadora | Mizuno | New Balance | Nike | Puma | Umbro | Under Armour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 501 | 78 | 2 | 4 |
Puma adds to their tally as Umbro get their first points on the board. Nike are still the ones to catch though!
Tomorrow’s World Cup matches
Denmark v Australia 13:00 (GMT)
France v Peru 16:00 (GMT)
Argentina v Croatia 19:00 (GMT)
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