Author: Vishwajit Sawant
The U-20 World Cup witnessed two outstanding performances, with Brazil and Nigeria showing their prowess on the pitch. Brazil thrashed the Dominican Republic with a resounding 6-0 victory, while Nigeria showed their strength by securing a confident 2-0 win over Italy. These impressive results further solidify Brazil and Nigeria’s positions as strong contenders in the tournament, leaving their opponents in awe and setting the stage for the exciting matches to come.
Brazil bounce back with dominant 6-0 win over Dominican Republic
Brazil bounced back in style from their earlier defeat to Italy with a dominant 6-0 win over the Dominican Republic in Wednesday’s final games of the U-20 World Cup in Argentina. The Brazilians faced little resistance from their opponents and asserted their authority from the start. Brazil’s attacking prowess was on full display, with goals from several players.
Sávio opened the scoring for Brazil in the 37th minute, followed quickly by Marcos Leonardo (38′), who scored the second goal just a minute later. The first half ended with Brazil comfortably leading 2-0. In the second half, Brazil’s relentless attack continued and they scored four more goals. Jean Pedroso (57′), Giovane (82′), Marlon Gomes (90’+1′) and Matheus Martins (90’+3′) all contributed goals to seal Brazil’s comprehensive victory.
The Dominican Republic struggled to contain the Brazilian attack and failed to mount a significant offensive threat throughout the match. Their frustrations were further increased when Edison Azcona was shown a straight red card in the 85th minute, reducing the Dominican Republic to ten men.
This bombastic victory not only helped Brazil regain momentum after their defeat to Italy, but also showed their attacking firepower and their ability to bounce back strongly. The result puts Brazil in a favorable position in their quest for a place in the knockout phase of the tournament.
With the win, Brazil are now 2nd in Group D with 3 points and have a great goal difference compared to Italy, who also have 3 points. While Nigeria lead Group D with 2 wins and 6 points, the Dominican Republic are 4th and have yet to open the scoring.
Nigeria beat Italy to take first place
Nigeria’s U-20 national team took a significant step towards securing a place in the knockout phase of the U-20 World Cup with a flawless performance in Argentina.
The team secured a crucial 2-0 win over Italy in Mendoza, strengthening their position in Group D. Salim Lawal’s well-executed header in the 61st minute gave Nigeria the lead. Jude Sunday’s goal (90’+5′) in stoppage time sealed the victory and increased the pressure on Italy, who were considered one of the tournament favorites.
Nigeria’s last match in the group stage will be against Brazil, scheduled for today at 3 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Ciudad de La Plata Stadium in Argentina. Even if they finish third, Nigeria still have a chance of progressing to the next round. Italy, on the other hand, will face the Dominican Republic today at 3pm (Brasília time) at the Malvinas Argentinas Stadium in Mendoza, Argentina.
Nigeria began their campaign with a 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic. The next few matches will be crucial for all the teams involved in the fight for progression in the tournament. Nigeria’s consistent performances and promising form have put them in an advantageous position in the fight to make their mark at the U-20 World Cup.
Other results:
In Group A, Argentina are top with 6 points, while New Zealand are in 2nd place. position, with 4 points. Uzbekistan are in 3rd place with 1 point from 2 games, while Guatemala are in 4th with no points. Argentina will face New Zealand at the top of the group, while Uzbekistan will take on Guatemala.
In Group B, the USA are the leaders with 6 points and need just 1 point to secure their place in the qualifiers. Slovakia and Ecuador have 3 points each and will play for 2nd place. Fiji lost both their matches. Ecuador will face Fiji and the USA will compete against Slovakia in the final group game.
In the results of Group C, Colombia came from behind to beat Japan 2-1. In the other Group C match, Israel and Senegal drew 1-1. Thus, after the second round, Colombia lead Group C with 6 points, with Japan in second place with 3 points. Israel and Senegal are in 3rd and 4th respectively, with 1 point each. In the final round, Colombia will face Senegal and Japan will take on Israel.
In Group E, England face Iraq and Tunisia meet Uruguay in the third round. With 6 points, England are top of Group E, while Uruguay and Tunisia have 3 points. Iraq have yet to score in the group and are in 4th place. It will be interesting to see who gets the playoff spot.
In Group F, Gambia are top with six points from two games and need just one point to progress to the last 16. South Korea are in 2nd place in the group with 4 points, Honduras have 1 point and the big surprise is France, who are in 4th place. In the last match, Gambia faced South Korea, while France, bottom of the group, faced Honduras.