World Cup Post-Match Recap: Croatia v Belgium, Canada v Morocco, Japan v Spain, & Costa Rica v Germany

The Group Stages of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar proceed toward their completion. For now, here’s the most up-to-date recap and highlights at the WorldCup22!

The Rundown: Croatia vs Belgium

Romelu Lukaku missed three golden opportunities as Belgium was eliminated from the 2022 World Cup. As a result, Croatia advanced as the Group F runner-up behind Morocco.

Within 10 seconds of the kickoff, Ivan Perisic flashed a shot wide, virtually dashing Belgium’s already slim hopes. However, Belgium responded with two good scoring opportunities of their own. Dominik Livakovic came out to block a shot by Yannick Carrasco and then Dries Mertens blasted high and wide after receiving a ball from Kevin De Bruyne.

When Carrasco brought down Andrej Kramaric, Croatia assumed they had a penalty since they were the more dangerous team. After a lengthy review by VAR, however, the call was reversed because of offside.

Knowing that elimination was imminent, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez substituted Lukaku at halftime after Morocco took the lead against Canada. Thibaut Courtois made quick saves from Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, and Luka Modric as Croatia remained the team most likely to force a breakthrough after a brief Belgium burst.

Player of the game: Thibaut Courtois

The Real Madrid goalkeeper had another solid outing, and he may be the only Belgian player who can walk away from the team in high spirits.

Belgium v Croatia final score

Group F winners Croatia and Morocco, who defeated already-eliminated Canada, go to the round of 16. Due to finishing third, one point behind Croatia, Belgium is eliminated from the World Cup competition. As we approach the Round of 16, don’t forget that you can utilize our World Cup 2022 fixtures Singapore time page for that.

The Rundown: Canada vs Morocco

As a result of their 2-1 victory over Canada in Group F play, Morocco not only qualified for the round of 16, but also won the group. This marked Morocco’s first World Cup knockout round appearance since 1986.

As a result of their goalless draw with Croatia, Belgium was eliminated. Morocco won first place, and Croatia came in second. Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri scored for the African nation in the first half, sealing the deal for three points.

However, despite another valiant effort, Canada was unable to find the back of the net after being penalized for defensive miscues. Naif Aguerd scored an own goal right before halftime as he deflected a cross from Sam Adekugbe.

Player of the game: Hakim Ziyech

Ziyech’s undeniable talent was on full display when Morocco defeated Canada. Since joining Chelsea in 2020, Ziyech has failed to demonstrate it. When the Canada goalie gave the ball to the winger early in the game, he kept his cool to send the ball over Borjan and give Morocco the lead. The winger went on to be a key cog in Morocco’s dominating performance.

Ziyech showed why Regragui was so eager to have him return from international exile by linking well between right-back Hakimi and striker En-Nesyri while starting on the right side of a front three.

Canada v Morocco final score

After Canada’s third straight loss, Morocco clinched first place in Group F and advanced to the knockout stage.

After a scoreless draw with Belgium, Croatia secured second place. With their elimination in the group stage, Belgium’s Golden Generation is likely to come to an end. Spain, the group runner-up, will play host to Morocco, while Japan, the group winner, will take on Croatia.

The Rundown: Japan vs Spain

Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka scored second-half goals as Japan rallied for a stunning comeback victory over Spain and an early exit from the 2022 World Cup for Germany. This means we’ll be seeing more of Japan at our World Cup 2022 livestream as the tournament continues to Round of 16.

With their win, the Japanese topped Group E and advanced to the round of 16, where they will face the runners-up from Group F, Croatia, while La Roja will play Morocco. Replays appeared to suggest that Kaoru Mitoma had taken the ball over the byline and cut it back for Japan’s second goal, which Tanaka tapped in.

After some prolonged referral to VAR, the goal was unexpectedly granted and a disheartened Spain could not produce an equalizer. After Alvaro Morata scored his third goal in as many games for La Roja on a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta, the team was able to coast into halftime.

Player of the game: Ritsu Doan

Ritsu Doan Doan, who entered the game at halftime, was named the game’s most valuable player after scoring a fantastic goal and setting up Japan’s eventual game-winning cross. He leveled the score with a shot from outside the box, and Ao Tanaka finished the comeback after a Kaoru Mitoma cutback that looked to have fallen out of play at first.

Japan v Spain final score

Having won Group E with 6 points, Japan will play the runner-up in Group F, Croatia, on December 5. With four points and a better goal differential than Germany, Spain comes in second and advances to play Group F champion Morocco on December 6. Together with Germany, Costa Rica finishes last in Group E with three points and is eliminated from the tournament. Full details can be found on our World Cup betting odds 2022 page.

The Rundown: Costa Rica vs Germany

Despite finishing Group E with an exciting 4-2 win against Costa Rica, Germany did not advance to the knockout stage for the second World Cup in a row.

Four-time champions and first-round losers at Russia 2018 scored three times in the closing 17 minutes to defeat a Costa Rica team that had hopes of advancing to the round of 16. But Japan’s victory over Spain in the other game ensured that they, together with Colombia, would advance to the next round, leaving Germany behind.

Germany needed a win to keep their tournament hopes alive, so they jumped out to an early lead. Jamal Musiala played a key role in the Germans’ fast start. Germany kept on pressing; Navas made a great face save from Fullkrug, but he was eventually beaten for the third time when Gnabry set up his second of the night.

After a VAR review, Fullkrug poked in a fourth goal late in the match, but Germany’s destiny had already been determined.

Player of the game: Kai Havertz

The game was turned around by a pair of goals from replacement Kai Havertz, and it stayed that way until fellow sub Niclas Fullkrug scored in the 89th minute to make the score 4-2. Unfortunately, they still trail Spain and Japan despite the victory. Havertz, in any case, puts Germany ahead of Costa Rica in the encounter.

Costa Rica v Germany final score

Despite the exciting 4-2 victory over Costa Rica, Germany was eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage for the second year in a row. Stephanie Frappart, a Frenchwoman, made history during this game as well, being the first woman to referee a game at the men’s World Cup. Neuza Back, a Brazilian, and Karen Diaz Medina, a Mexican, served as assistants, making for a purely female in-game staff.

And that concludes our look at the latest news surrounding the 2022 World Cup. Get your free World Cup bets and other great deals at Solarbet right now!