Curacao’s new hero, Saka and Rice injury latest – World Cup round-up | Football | Sport
Eloy Room was Curacao’s World Cup hero against Ecuador (Image: (Photo by Alex Pantling – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images))
Here is everything you need to know about what happened overnight at the World Cup…
- Injury concerns have dominated the latest headlines, with worrying news emerging regarding England pair Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. The winger was absent from training on Saturday, while Rice has disclosed that his ongoing problem stretches back to Christmas — his premature exit against Croatia strongly suggesting he is finding it increasingly difficult to manage.
- Meanwhile, Germany’s Nico Schlotterbeck has picked up a fresh injury, with head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirming the Liverpool transfer target will require a scan, adding that “it doesn’t look too good – unfortunately”. His side fared considerably better on the pitch, however, staging a comeback to shatter Ivory Coast’s hopes with a 2-1 victory courtesy of Deniz Undav’s 94th-minute winner.
- The standout story overnight was undoubtedly Curacao’s stunning draw against Ecuador. Goalkeeper Eloy Room was awarded player of the match after producing an extraordinary 15 saves — the most EVER recorded in 90 minutes of World Cup football.
- Room was swamped by jubilant team-mates at the final whistle, and his heroics have catapulted him to global recognition, with his Instagram following soaring by over 600,000 in just a matter of hours.
- Curacao boss Dick Advocaat — who famously worked wonders in the Premier League with Sunderland — was visibly struggling to contain his emotions on the touchline as the magnitude of the occasion clearly overwhelmed him.
- Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha also shot to prominence for keeping a clean sheet against Spain, and his mother — who had been dealing with visa complications — has since made it to the United States. The pair were subsequently filmed sharing a warm embrace following a training session.
- Turning back to injury news, World Cup broadcasters issued a statement explaining their decision not to air replays of Ismael Kone’s horrific leg injury.
- Japan vs Tunisia is in the final stages, with goals from the likes of Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada and Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda placing the latter on the brink of elimination.
- Sunday’s schedule is brimming with World Cup action, and Belgium vs Iran is among the standout fixtures. Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has once again voiced his frustration at the treatment of his side, revealing that FIFA failed to follow through on two two scheduled flights to transport his squad from Mexico to Los Angeles.
- Uruguay vs Cape Verde is another of today’s later matches, with the hugely unpopular hydration breaks firmly in the crosshairs of Marcelo Bielsa. Speaking at a press conference, he said: “Playing four halves instead of two alters the conception that had been culturally constructed to interpret football. It adds nothing and takes away a lot. When it was divided into four, no thought was given to the effect it might have on what made football a sport that captivates people, but rather to another type of repercussions that I neither discuss nor analyse. Before this decision, football had one characteristic; now it has another.”
