Qatar World Cup 2022 Day 13: South Korea reaches last 16 with 2-1 win against Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana out

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Vlahovic starts for Serbia as Swiss lose Sommer to illness

Striker Dusan Vlahovic makes his first start of the World Cup for Serbia in Friday's must-win game against Switzerland following a groin injury that has limited him to just one substitute appearance in Qatar.

Vlahovic takes the place of midfielder Nemanja Maksimovic and joins Aleksandar Mitrovic in attack for Serbia in the only change from the 3-3 draw with Cameroon.

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer is unavailable due to illness as Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel fills in, with defender Nico Elvedi also missing for the same reason.

Fabian Schaer deputises for Elvedi alongside Manuel Akanji at the back, while Xherdan Shaqiri returns having missed the 1-0 loss to Brazil, reportedly because of a thigh problem.

Switzerland will advance with a draw if Cameroon fail to beat Brazil in the night's other Group G match.

Neymar joins teammates to watch Brazil's game at World Cup

Injured star Neymar will be at Lusail Stadium Friday to watch Brazil's match against Cameroon at the World Cup.

It will be the first time Neymar joins his teammates at a match since injuring his right ankle in Brazil's opener against Serbia last week.

Neymar was the only player who stayed at the team's hotel in the match against Switzerland on Monday. He had stayed behind undergoing treatment for damaged ligaments on his foot.

NOTÍCIA BOA NUNCA É DEMAIS! 🇧🇷🫶🏻 ELE VAI VOLTAR! PODEM SE PREPARAR! Fiquem com mais um vídeo de Neymar Jr evoluindo e próximo de retornar pra Copa! Volta, craque! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crédito: CBF pic.twitter.com/d1lPeBKlLB

— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) December 2, 2022

Right back Danilo and left back Alex Sandro, who also won't play against Cameroon because of injuries, also were with the team at Lusail Stadium.

Brazil, which has already qualified for the round of 16, needs a draw against Cameroon to finish first in Group G and set up a last-16 matchup against South Korea.

Brazil doctors have yet to say when Neymar was expected to return. The team said the Paris Saint-Germain player will be reevaluated on Saturday.

Ghana's Amartey says was 'important' to deny Uruguay World Cup progression

Ghana centre-back Daniel Amartey admitted that his team were determined that if they could not qualify for the World Cup knockout stage on Thursday, they would at least prevent Uruguay from doing so.

Both sides were eliminated after Friday’s drama-filled match due to South Korea's 2-1 win over Portugal.

Portugal and South Korea advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup. 🚨🇵🇹🇰🇷 #Qatar2022

Uruguay and Ghana are OUT of the World Cup. 🇺🇾🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/AgVlbIQyJY

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 2, 2022

"I just told my teammates that we need a goal now but they need a goal now so we have to defend for ourselves so that if we can't go, they don't go," Amartey said.

Asked if it was important to deny Uruguay a place in the last 16, Amartey said: "For me, yes."

"It was tough because you can see their centre back, everybody comes (forward).

"Uruguay needed one goal to go through and you can see we defend four against five or three against two but we managed to defend."

Amartey denied the Ghanaians had revenge on their minds for what happened in 2010, pointing out that no-one in the current squad, except captain Andre Ayew, was even at the South Africa World Cup.

And he admitted the team did have some regrets after Ayew missed a penalty minutes before Uruguay opened the scoring in the first half.

"It's football, it happens. If we score that penalty I think we kill them but we miss the penalty and you can see the game changed," he said.

Suarez heroics not enough as Uruguay and Ghana both exit World Cup

Uruguay crashed out of the World Cup on Friday despite beating Ghana 2-0 after South Korea scored a late winner in the other Group H match to leapfrog the South American side.

Giorgian De Arrascaeta netted twice in quick succession in the first half, with 35-year-old Luis Suarez having a hand in both goals.

🏆 1930
🏆 1950
🤔 2022

⏪ A Uruguayan first-half brace has only happened twice before in the #FIFAWorldCup, and both times they've gone on to win the trophy... pic.twitter.com/8pO7aKtxqR

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 2, 2022

Ghana struggled to create anything in response. The closest they came to pulling a goal back came with nine minutes remaining, when Rochet brilliantly tipped away Kudus's powerful low drive.

However, Suarez finished the match on the bench in tears as the news came in of South Korea's last-gasp victory over Portugal, which meant the Asian side had moved above the Uruguayans into second place in Group H on goals scored.

Uruguay and Ghana’s match ended with pushing and shoving, with Suarez distraught at his team's fate.

South Korea beat Portugal to squeeze into next round at World Cup

South Korea scored a last-gasp goal to beat already-qualified Portugal 2-1 at the World Cup in a comeback win that sent the Asian side into the last 16 ahead of Uruguay on goals scored.

With the clock ticking down on South Korea's time in the tournament, striker Son Heung-min ran free after a Portugal corner in added time and slipped a pass to Hwang Hee-chan who fired past Diogo Costa to spark wild celebrations.

Into the #FIFAWorldCup knockout stage for the first time since 2010 🙌

What a feeling for Korea Republic! 🇰🇷#Qatar2022

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 2, 2022

After the whistle blew, the anxious Korean players gathered in a circle awaiting the end of the Uruguay-Ghana game and exploded with joy when the news arrived that the South Americans had only won 2-0 in their Group H clash.

South Korea had to beat Portugal at the Education City Stadium to stand a chance of going through to the last 16 and their win catapulted them from fourth to second place by virtue of having scored four goals in the tournament to Uruguay's two.

Portugal finished top despite the loss and should avoid facing likely Group G winners Brazil in the knockout stage.

Winger Ricardo Horta had put Portugal ahead with their first goal attempt in the fifth minute when he found himself inside the box and converted a neat cut-back by defender Diogo Dalot.

The Koreans thought they had levelled in the 17th when a close-range shot by defender Kim Jin-su beat keeper Diogo Costa at his right post but the effort was disallowed for offside.

However, they did manage to equalise 10 minutes later through defender Kim Young-gwon who scored after the ball bounced off Cristiano Ronaldo's back following a corner.

Ronaldo, seeking a goal to equal Portugal's overall World Cup record of nine scored by the great Eusebio, had his first chance just after the half-hour mark with a solo effort which Kim Seung-gyu saved and he was in any case offside.

The Portugal captain had another one-on-one with Kim but his effort was too weak to trouble the keeper and he was given a rest in the 65th minute when replaced by striker Andre Silva.

(Reuters)

South Korea 2 - 1 Portugal

Hwang Hee-chan puts South Korea in the lead with a second goal in extra time.

Hwang Hee-Chan gives South Korea the lead in the 91st min

🇰🇷 South Korea 2-1 Portugal 🇵🇹pic.twitter.com/oCuu3io9vL

— FIFA World Cup 2022 (@2022_QatarWC) December 2, 2022

Halftime: Uruguay 2 - 0 Ghana

Ghana squandered an early penalty against Uruguay in their decisive Group H match at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday.

Ghana captain Andre Ayew hit a feeble left-footed effort from the spot in the 21st minute which was saved by goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, who had been adjudged after a lengthy VAR review to have brought down Mohammed Kudus.

Suarez was sent off but the subsequent penalty, which would have put the Black Stars into the semis, was hit against the crossbar by Gyan, and Ghana went on to lose the subsequent penalty shootout.

(Reuters)

Halftime: Portugal 1 - 1 South Korea

South Korea and Portugal were level at 1-1 by halftime in their World Cup Group H clash on Friday, with Kim Young-gwon giving the Taeguk Warriors a lifeline in game they must win to stand a chance of reaching the knockout round.

Portugal had grabbed the lead with a fifth minute goal from Ricardo Horta, who met a Diogo Dalot cross and hammered it home from close range.

Korea equalised off a corner with Kim pouncing on a bouncing ball in the goalmouth and hooking it into the net.

The Koreans, with one point so far, must beat Portugal and hope the result of Ghana's match with Uruguay goes their way in order to reach the next round.

(Reuters)

Uruguay 2 - 0 Ghana

Giorgian de Arrascaeta scores a second goal for Uruguay at minute 32.

21'—Ghana miss a penalty
26'—Uruguay take the lead
32'—Uruguay make it 2-0

GIORGIAN DE ARRASCAETA DOUBLE FOR URUGUAY 😤 pic.twitter.com/ruGqCWfluR

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 2, 2022

Portugal 1 - 1 South Korea

South Korea are level after Kim Young-gwon scores at minute 27.

SOUTH KOREA 🇰🇷 1-1 🇵🇹 PORTUGAL
⚽ 27' Young-Gwon Kim 🇰🇷#FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/jnkyq5qEBC

— All goals replay (@goalsreplayg) December 2, 2022

Uruguay 1 - 0 Ghana

Giorgian de Arrascaeta puts Uruguay in the lead after scoring at minute 26.

Giorgian De Arrascaeta. Uruguay sonríe.
pic.twitter.com/7XtLt0PtOz

— Fútbol Vertical (@futbol_vertical) December 2, 2022

Portugal 1 - 0 South Korea

Ricardo Horta scores for Portugal in the first 5 minutes.

Diogo Dalot assists Ricardo Horta for Portugal against South Korea! 🎯#MUFC

pic.twitter.com/BWWdcbZOE8

— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) December 2, 2022

Uruguay opt for Suarez against Ghana in re-run of 2010 showdown

Uruguay give a start to veteran striker Luis Suarez and have dropped captain Diego Godin from their defence for their must-win World Cup Group H decider against Ghana on Friday.

Suarez, playing in his fourth World Cup, will be at the centre of a three-man attack with Darwin Nunez and Facundo Pellistri, who gets a start for the second time, in a match the South Americans have to win to avoid their first group stage exit since 2002.

The 35-year-old Suarez is reviled in Ghana for using his hand in the 2010 World Cup to block a Ghana stoppage-time winner in the quarter-finals. Suarez was sent off in that match, but the Africans missed the resulting spot kick and eventually lost in a penalty shootout.

(Reuters)

Portugal looking to avoid Brazil by winning World Cup group

Portugal needs a point in its last Group H match against South Korea on Friday to guarantee finishing in first place. That might come with a perk — avoiding Brazil in the last 16.

"If we had to face each other, it would be a game between two great teams," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. "But our wish, and Brazil’s, is that we meet later on."

After the 2-0 win over Uruguay on Monday, Santos said he wasn't planning to rest too many key players against South Korea. Ronaldo may be an exception.

Ronaldo missed team training on Wednesday, instead completing a session in the gym, and there’s a chance he will be saved for the last 16. That would give the likes of Gonçalo Ramos or Andre Silva a rare chance to start up front.

"He'll be training today," Santos said Thursday about Ronaldo. "If he is well enough physically, he will be playing. I don’t even know if the chance is 50-50. It depends on our training session. I hope he'll be able to play."

Spain in recovery mode after losing to Japan at World Cup

Spain survived but heads into the round of 16 against Morocco with bruised confidence after losing 2-1 to Japan.

"We have to recover emotionally," Spain coach Luis Enrique said after the match Thursday. "We will be playing against one of the surprise teams of the World Cup and we will have to be fully prepared. There are only 16 teams left in the tournament and you have to play better. It’s going to be very difficult."

"We have to analyze what happened and fix what we didn’t do well," Luis Enrique said. "I need to try to get the players cheered up again."

Read more about it here.

Tunisia's Khazri announces retirement from national team

Tunisia striker Wahbi Khazri announced his retirement from international football after the national side were eliminated at the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar.

"After the Tunisia match, and in a meeting that included all the players and the technical and administrative staff, I told everyone that this moment is appropriate, and I thanked everyone and wished them success," Khazri told Bein Sports French.

The win against France was not enough to save Tunisia as Australia beat Denmark to book their place in the last 16 where they will meet Argentina.

(Reuters)

Read more about it here.

Moroccans rejoice at reaching World Cup last 16

Ecstatic Moroccans celebrated last night after their team qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

"We've waited 36 years," one fan cried after the Atlas Lions beat Canada 2-1 to storm into the round of 16 as winners of their group.

In the capital Rabat, the iconic Avenue Mohammed V thronged with supporters wrapped in their country's flag, setting off firecrackers as drivers honked their horns.

More on this story here.

Luis Suarez 'not sorry' for 2010 Ghana match handball

Uruguayan captain Luis Suarez has said that he will not apologise for a handball at the 2010 World Cup that denied Ghana a place in the semi-finals of that tournament.

In the dying moments of that Ghana v Uruguay match 12 years ago, Suarez committed a handball that stopped a goal that would have sent Ghana into their first-ever World Cup semi-final.

He was given a red card, and Ghana were handed a penalty. Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty, and Uruguay progressed to the semi-finals.

Ahead of the teams' match on Friday, Suarez told the press that his red card had been punishment enough for his foul.

"Maybe I'd apologise if I tackled and injured a player... but I took a red card," Suarez said at a FIFA press conference on Thursday.

"The Ghana player missed the penalty, not me," he said.

"It's not my fault, because I didn't miss the penalty."