Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – European champions Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal aim to book their places in the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday as Algeria looks to salvage some pride for African football. Spain takes on Austria in Los Angeles, where a win will keep them on course for a potential meeting with Portugal in the next round. Portugal plays Croatia in Toronto in a game that could mark the final career World Cup match for either Ronaldo or his former Real Madrid teammate and veteran Croatian midfielder Luka Modric.
The late match sees Algeria aim to revive African fortunes after a rocky start to the knockout rounds for teams from the continent. Ivory Coast, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have all fallen at the first knockout hurdle in the last 32 after advancing from the group stage. Algeria, who squeezed into the last 32 with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Austria on Saturday, faces Switzerland in Vancouver.
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After arriving at the World Cup as one of the favorites, Spain has made a relatively low-key start to the tournament. A shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde was followed by a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia before an attritional victory over Uruguay. But Spain coach Luis de la Fuente maintains his team is on an upward curve and is exactly where they want to be as they reach the business end of the tournament. “This squad is used to breaking records and overcoming rough patches; we are determined to keep moving forward,” De la Fuente said on Wednesday. “From the time we arrived here up to the Uruguay match, we’ve seen the team begin to regain the automatic movements and patterns they had in the past. Now we have to deliver; there is no margin for error.”
Spain was eliminated on penalties in the last 16 of the past two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022, and has prepared for the eventuality of another shoot-out against Austria. “Taking a penalty is no trivial matter,” De la Fuente said. “Not everyone is cut out to take one. There’s the psychological aspect – it’s a human element, and every footballer is different.” A win over Austria will see Spain advance into a last 16 game with the winner of Portugal’s tie with Croatia.
The game in Toronto will mark the first time that two outfield players aged over 40 — Ronaldo and Modric — will take to the same field in a World Cup match. Portugal midfielder Vitinha described Modric as a “great reference for all football players.” “It’s a pleasure to play against him and hopefully tomorrow he’ll be a little bit sadder than me,” Vitinha said. “We have to stop a team tomorrow, and hopefully that will be the team of Luka Modric.”
The late match will see Algeria attempt to avoid becoming the latest African team to fall by the wayside in the knockout rounds following the demise of Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal. Only Morocco has gone through. Algeria has never won a World Cup knockout game in four previous trips to the tournament.
Thursday’s action takes place after another spellbinding day of drama on Wednesday that saw England stumble into the last 16 thanks to two late goals from captain Harry Kane against DR Congo in Atlanta. Kane’s double secured a 2-1 win and headed off a monumental upset. England will now face a daunting trip to take on Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday.
Belgium, meanwhile, snatched an improbable 3-2 victory over Senegal despite trailing 2-0 with four minutes of normal time remaining. Furious Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye later said he would be “taking a break” from playing for his country while the current management is in charge. Gueye started the game but coach Pape Thiaw substituted him for Lamine Camara after an hour. “I will come back to say a few words about the elimination… but I am announcing today that as long as this coaching staff is in place, I will be taking a break from the national team,” Gueye, who scored twice in their group-stage win over Iraq, said on social media.
Senegal had a turbulent start to the year when they won the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, a victory later awarded on appeal in March to opponents and tournament hosts Morocco. The United States booked their place in the last 16, where they will face Belgium, after a 2-0 defeat of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California. The US win was bittersweet though, with star striker Folarin Balogun — who scored the opening US goal — receiving a red card in the second half, which will rule him out of the Belgium game.
© 2024 AFP
