BREAKING: The pitch invader during the Portugal-Uruguay match, Italian guy Mario Ferri, has just announced that he has been released with no consequences. pic.twitter.com/bZL8n1lNZV
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) November 29, 2022
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Tunisia vs France
World Cup Game 37 📝
France 🇫🇷 vs Tunisia 🇹🇳
30th November 3pm 🕓 pic.twitter.com/mSo0A7nUGo
— UK Soccer Cards | Adam Pybus ⚽️ (@soccer_cards) November 30, 2022
SportsMole:
Having already confirmed a place in the last 16, France visit the Education City Stadium for Wednesday’s final World Cup 2022 Group D encounter with Tunisia.
Meanwhile, the African nation sit bottom of the standings and must overcome the reigning champions to stand any chance of making it through to the knockout stages.
Still waiting for their first goal of the 2022 edition, Tunisia are on the brink of an early exit from the globe’s biggest footballing tournament after coming up short in a 1-0 loss to Australia on Saturday, which saw the Socceroos leapfrog their fellow Group D rivals in the standings…
The Eagles of Carthage can take some encouragement in the fact that their side have never gone through an entire World Cup campaign without scoring before, and France may just take their foot off the gas slightly with qualification already in the bag…
Now boasting six wins on the trot at the World Cup, France could equal Italy’s second-best record of seven consecutive victories on the grandest stage, although they are still some way off matching the all-time record of 11 set by Brazil between 2002 and 2006.
France and Tunisia will be locking horns for the first time since 2010 this week, with that friendly ending in a 1-1 draw, and the last four clashes between the two nations have seen Les Bleus alternate between a win and a draw – a good omen before this largely inconsequential tie for Deschamps’s men.
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Australia vs Denmark
🔮 Prediction: Denmark’s lineup vs. Australia#ForDanmark #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/adPqsqe6Ly
— Danish Football (@DanishFTBL) November 29, 2022
SportsMole:
Australia and Denmark round off their World Cup group stage campaigns when they meet at the Al Janoub Stadium on Wednesday.
With France already through from Group D, this has essentially become a winner-takes-all encounter.
Australia have the upper hand going into this fixture, following their win over Tunisia in Saturday’s early offering, moving them into second with four points…
In contrast, Denmark were imperious in qualification, winning their opening nine qualifiers with eight clean sheets, but now face the very real prospect of early elimination.
They can take inspiration from the fact that they lost both their opening two games of Euro 2020 and still managed to make the semi-finals thanks to a phenomenal display against Russia in their final group game.
Previous form at the World Cup also gives cause for optimism, because unlike Australia, they have made it out of the group stage in four of their five finals appearances.
They must end a five game winless run at the World Cup to do so though, as the defeat to France last time out ended a run of four successive draws.
Kevin
France playing the second team most likely with their spot in the knockout stage assured. They could still win big!
Denmark and Australia might be a better game with everything on the line.
artem1s
found this great bracket online. Updated in real time. Thank the FSM, Elon can’t break everything on the innertubes.
https://worldcup.cole.ws/
check out the creator’s bio here…
https://cole.ws/
phdesmond
8 mins: NO GOAL!
phdesmond
@phdesmond: i was disappointed to read this on the Guardian:
Alison Rose
Pulling for an upset by Tunisia, and a win by Australia, if only because I have a friend there and I know she’ll be fucking ecstatic.
phdesmond
from the Grauniad:
Alison Rose
@phdesmond: I guess they’re feeling lazy since they’ve already advanced, but that’s pretty lame.
phdesmond
@Alison Rose:
boys’ night off.
JMG
I daresay any manager whose team has already qualified would take Deschamps’ approach to the third group stage match. His job is to win the Cup, not provide entertainment at the risk, however slight, of injury to his irreplaceable star.
Alison Rose
Huzzah!
Christian Pulisic, on the Mend, Says He’ll Play on Saturday
Alison Rose
@JMG: Sure, there’s some validity to that, but they still ought to at least appear like they’re trying to win the match.
phdesmond
GOAL! Tunisia 1-0 France (Khazri, 58).
at this moment Tunisia qualifies for the next stage
edit: not any more, because Australia scored in their game.
PAM Dirac
@Alison Rose:
For the guys who have been on the bench, this is their opportunity to show they belong on the first team. I would be shocked if lack of effort is the problem. More likely unfamiliarity with each other.
Alison Rose
Man, that was some nifty footwork there. Yay Aussies! And I see Tunisia also scored!
Geminid
@Alison Rose: The Carthage Eagles! What a great name.
I looked up the Iranian team to see if they had flown back across the Gulf to their home country, and what kind of reception they got. No news on that yet.
I did see the poignant story of Iranian midfielder Saied Ezatolahi sinking to the turf at game’s end and sobbing. American forward Josh Sargent knelt next to Ezatolahi and hugged him, and then teammates Brendan Aaronson, DeAndre Yedlin and Tim Weah came over to console their opponent.
Scenes were not so positive in Iran. Some people took their anger at the regime out on the national team, honking horns and setting off fireworks when the American team scored its lone goal and then hung on to win. The BBC says there was retaliation:
Amir Khalid
With his rainbow flag and his shirt that says “Save Ukraine” on the front and “Respect for Iranian Women” on the back, this guy Mario Ferri has his heart in all the right places.
Alison Rose
Bodies In the Box would be a great title for a soccer-themed thriller novel.
Alison Rose
Fortunate break for Australia there…
Kent
Wow, I just got to work and turned on FUBO streaming on my computer to see Tunisia up 1-0 in the 80th minute. This would be huge
I guess looking at the standings, Tunisia still needs Australia to lose if they are going to advance.
PAM Dirac
Comment from earlier on the Guardian commentary:
Alison Rose
Yay!!!! Way to go, Aussies!!!
PAM Dirac
Full time: Australia 1-0 Denmark. Australia goes through.
Alison Rose
Also, wow, France equalized in like the last minute or so of stoppage.
ETA or not!! Called back for offsides. Wow.
phdesmond
GOAL! Tunisia 1-1 France (Griezmann, 90+8).
edit: invalidated!
PAM Dirac
Antoine Griezmann at the death to salvage a little French pride. As one of the Guardian commenters said, the French manager will have no selection controversy for the knockout stage.
ETA: well maybe no salvaged pride, but definitely no selection controversy.
Sandra Taylor
this
Sandra Taylor
Antoine Griezmann at the death to salvage a little French pride. As one of the Guardian commenters said, the French manager will have no selection controversy for the knockout stage.
Alison Rose
So Tunisia does get the win–even without moving on, it must feel good to end on a nice note like that.
phdesmond
@Alison Rose:
a victory is a considerable accomplishment, especially against a top team like France.
Steve in the ATL
@Alison Rose: or an erotic murder mystery, preferably written by one of our own jackals.
Hoodie
@phdesmond: Maybe, but France didn’t play a lot of their regulars and didn’t insert others until very late in the match. Happy for Tunisia to get a win, but glad the Aussies also won because they deserved to go through. You can understand DeChamps resting his regulars to avoid additional injuries after the losses of Benzema and Pogba but, because of the math of the group stages, giving Tunisia an enhanced opportunity to win effects other teams in the group. Tunisia could easily have lost by several goals if Mbappe et al. had started and played a full 90.
trollhattan
@Geminid:
Honk horn: get killed. Iran seems to be telling Russia “Hold our near-beer.” Ugh.