WC 2014 Matchday 13: It'll be France vs Nigeria, Argentina vs Switzerland in knockouts

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FRANCE 0-0 ECUADOR: click here to read the match report SWITZERLAND 3-0 HONDURAS: click here to read the match report

Full time: So France and Switzerland are through to the last 16, where the former will face Nigeria and the latter Argentina. Considering how Shaqiri scored a Messi-like goal in the match, the Argentines better be wary of this diminutive and dangerous trickster.

HAT-TRICK for Shaqiri! 72 minutes

Another sweeping finish from another Drmic pass from the left and Shaqiri has his hat-trick – the first by a Swiss player at the World Cup since 1954.

GOALL!! Shaqiri again! 31 minutes

This one’s simpler — Drmic plays it to Shaqiri from the left and the Bayern man composes himself before doubling Switzerland’s lead.

GOAALL! Swiss take the lead! 6 minutes

Talk about curl, talk about beating defenders, talk about precision – Xherdan Shaqiri gets the ball on the right, evades a few defenders and wham! He’s curled it into the corner beautifully.

Honduras XI: Valladares, Figueroa, Bernardez, J Garcia, W Palacios, Bengtson, Costly, B Garcia, Espinoza, Claros, Beckeles Switzerland XI: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Inler, Xhaka, Behrami, Rodriguez, Mehmedi, Drmic, Djourou, Schaer, Shaqiri

France XI: Lloris; Sagna, Koscielny, Sakho, Digne; Pogba, Schneiderlin, Matuidi; Sissoko, Benzema, Griezman. Ecuador XI: Domínguez; Paredes, Guagua, Erazo, W. Ayoví; Noboa, Minda, A.Valencia, Montero; Arroyo, E.Valencia.

ARGENTINA 3-2 NIGERIA: click here to read the match report BOSNIA 2-1 IRAN: click here to read the match report

GOALS!! Bosnia 3-1 Iran, 84 minutes

Iran pull a goal back but Bosnia quell any hopes of a comeback from their opponents as Vrsajevic scores after a minute of Ghoochannejhad’s goal.

Musa, Lavezzi miss great chances, 77 minutes

First its Lavezzi who works a fine freekick with Di Maria and misses from a tight angle. Seconds later Musa runs onto a beauty of a through ball from deep, takes a fine touch to cut inside and beat his man and then sees his shot blocked!

Bosnia double their lead, 63 minutes

Gift from Iran! Hosseini gives the ball away to Dzeko who slips it to Pjanic and it’s a simple finish from there on.

GOALLSSSS! Musa equalises again and Argentina lead within minutes

What a game this is! Ahmed Musa squirms between two defenders and executes a brilliant finish before Messi’s corner is kneed in by Rojo for his first international goal. It’s 3-2 to Argentina as it stands and this match promises more goals.

MESSI!! Argentina lead again, 45+1 minute

Same place, same distance, same post, same keeper, same kick-taker – different result. Lionel Messi has sent in a glorious freekick to the back of the net and this time Enyeama is rooted to his position.

Enyeama keeps out Messi’s brilliant freekick, 44 minutes

Messi goes for goal from about 30 yards out and this time he chooses the near-post. But Enyeama is aware and keeps out the dipping swerving shot with both hands.

Aguero off, Lavezzi on. 35 minutes

Diego Maradona’s son-in-law comes off for Lavezzi – looks like he pulled something. Argentina will hope it’s not something serious. Meanwhile, Messi has attempted another shot but it’s over. This is a good open game.

DZEKO scores! 23 minutes

Talk about a solo goal! Dzeko drives forward from midfield, shifts the ball to his left and sends in a low rocket into the net.

https://twitter.com/TransferSources/status/480439005507756033

GOAAAALLLSSSS!! Messi scores and Musa replies within a minute

Just four minutes into this Argentina vs Nigeria game, and there are two goals already. Messi opens the scoring, it’s not as spectacular as the other two he’s scored in the World Cup – but he taps in from the rebound after Di Maria forced a fine save from Enyeama. Within a minute, Ahmed Musa is left alone on the inside left, he runs onto the pass and takes a touch before curling it in.

Argentina XI: Romero; Zabaleta, Garay, Fernandez, Rojo; Mascherano, Gago, Di Maria; Messi, Aguero, Higuain. Nigeria XI: Enyeama; Omeruo, Yobo, Ambrose, Oshaniwa; Mikel, Onazi; Babatunde, Musa, Odemwingie; Emenike

Bosnia XI: Begovic, Vrsajevic, Spahic (c), Kolasinac, Besic, Pjanic, Ibisevic, Dzeko, Susic, Sunjic, Hadzic Iran XI: Haghighi, Haji Safi, Hosseini, Sadeghi, Nekounam, Shojaei, Timotian, Montarezi, Ghoochannejad, Dejagah, Pooladi

6.45 pm: Crazy fight at Mexico vs Croatia Game

Mexico outclassed Croatia 3-1 to book their place in the last 16 a couple of days ago, there were some ugly scenes at the Arena Pernambuco as a crazy fight broke out between the Mexico and Croatia fans. Here’s the video.

6.00 pm: British press comes down hard on Suarez

The British press that he has blamed for failing to respect him in the past was on Wednesday united in condemnation of Uruguay’s Luis Suarez after he appeared to bite an Italian opponent.

Suarez, who plays his club football in England for Liverpool, was an “animal” said The Sun tabloid, while the Daily Mail called for FIFA to “Make Biter Suarez a Pariah”.

“Luis Suarez has twice been on the naughty step for biting but was plainly not deterred,” wrote Paul Hayward, the Daily Telegraph’s chief sports writer, calling for him to be banned for six months from all football.

FIFA “must know that keeping him in (the tournament) would do more damage than kicking him out, and not just of international football,” he wrote.

The Times’s award winning sports columnist Matthew Syed wrote that unless Suarez – who is rumoured to be eyeing a move to Real Madrid – was severely punished, football would the loser.

“There is a case for a lengthy worldwide ban that sends an unmistakeable signal that talent can never justify the kind of behaviour that, in other circumstances, might bring a man before a judge for common assault,” he wrote.

The Sun headlined its coverage “Chew Dirty Rat”, saying that Suarez seemed to have reverted to his bad old ways after showing his best side in England last season when he scored 31 goals as Liverpool came close to winning the Premier League.

AFP

5.15 pm: Ghana government airlifts $3 to Brazil to pay appearance fees for its World Cup squad

Ghana’s government said on Wednesday that it is sending more than $3 million in cash on a chartered plane to Brazil to pay appearance fees for its World Cup squad.

Deputy Sports Minister Joseph Yamin told radio station Citi FM in Accra that the government chartered a plane to fly from Ghana to Brazil on Tuesday after the Black Stars demanded they be paid their appearance fee and rejected having the money wired to them.

“The players haven’t been paid their appearance fee as such today,” Yamin said. “It’s as a result of the decision as to which mode of payment should be affected in this current World Cup.”

A statement from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) said President John Dramani Mahama personally assured the players that they would receive their money.

Ghana, which is West Africa’s second-largest economy, has recently been struggling with a 10.8 percent budget deficit and a rapidly depreciating currency.

Yamin defended the cash payment to the Black Stars, saying a successful football team is crucial for national morale.

“Football is the passion of the nation and everybody seems to turn against government, not this government, but government if anything goes bad against the team,” Yamin said.

AFP

4.25 pm: Norwegian wins $916 bet on Suarez bite

A Swedish gambling company says a punter in Norway has won 5,600 kroner ($916) on a bet that Uruguay striker Luis Suarez would bite someone during the World Cup.

Betsson group spokesman Mikael Mellqvist told The Associated Press in an email on Wednesday that a bettor in Norway won the money on a 32 kroner bet, increasing the outlay 175-fold.

He said the company received bets on a Suarez bite amounting to “six-figures in Norwegian kroner.”

Norwegian media identified the winner as Thomas Syversen, who reportedly was asleep during the Uruguay-Italy game on Tuesday, when Suarez allegedly bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the left shoulder.

A foul was not called but FIFA is investigating the claim and might suspend Suarez, who has twice before been disciplined for biting opponents.

AP