The World Cup has entered its hottest and most dramatic phase of the group stage. Last night and the early hours of this morning offered four clashes that completely rearranged the forces in Groups G and H.
From the devastating comeback of European champion Spain, through the incredible and historic feat of Egypt, to the unexpected disappointments for the favorites Belgium and Uruguay - here's how players, coaches and the world media reacted to the hot events from the fields in North America.
Spain - Saudi Arabia 4:0
The champion woke up. After the disappointing goalless draw of The start, Luis de la Fuente's Spain showed their full brilliance in Atlanta. 18-year-old phenomenon Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal tore through the Saudi defense before the break.
Coach Luis de la Fuente remained firmly grounded: “We had to regain our good feeling on the pitch and correct the mistakes of the first match. However, there is still a lot to improve if we want to make it to the final on July 19.“
The hero Oyarzabal, who was substituted at half-time despite scoring two goals, demonstrated exceptional team spirit to the media: “It is logical for the coach to give minutes to everyone. When we are on the pitch, we give 100%“.
Madrid newspaper Marca ran the headline “Spain has finally arrived at the World Cup“, noting that this is the familiar attacking and ruthless style that fans have come to expect.
The authoritative portal The Athletic highlighted Yamal's historic achievement, who became only the second under-18 player in history to score a goal at the World Cup after the great Pele in 1958.
Belgium – Iran 0:0
The Belgian “Red Devils“ experienced another frustrating night of the tournament after failing to break down an organized Iran team in Los Angeles, ending in a goalless draw and finishing the match with 10 men after Natan Ngoy's red card.
Iranian coach Amir Galenoi was euphoric about the performance of his goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, who made the save of the tournament: “Alireza had a fantastic day. This point leaves us alive in the fight.“
The Belgian camp was tense, not only because of the game but also because of personnel issues.
Al Jazeera described the match as a “battle of nerves“, praising the Iranian defensive wall, while the Belgian media criticized the lack of creativity up front and the tactical helplessness against ten men in defense.
Uruguay – Cape Verde 2-2
Africa's Cinderella stole the show. Debutants Cape Verde continue to be the most romantic story of this World Cup. After snatching a point from Spain, the Africans shocked Uruguay as well, reaching a dramatic 2-2 draw in Miami, thanks to a blunder in the Uruguayan defense in the second half.
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa took full responsibility for the result: “Without a doubt, Uruguay had a better team than Cape Verde, but we didn't show it on the scoreboard. I take responsibility.“
At the same time, Cape Verde's players literally overwhelmed their goalkeeper on the pitch, and their camp was filled with distrust of their own feat.
USA Today described Cape Verde as the “Cinderella of the World Cup“. Sports analysts note that Uruguay is up against the wall and will have to look for a mandatory victory against Spain in the final round to avoid an embarrassing elimination in the groups.
Egypt - New Zealand 3:1
Mohamed Salah ended a 92-year curse. The most emotional moment of the morning came from Vancouver. Egypt made a famous comeback from 0:1 to 3-1 against New Zealand to record their first victory in the history of the World Cup finals since their debut in 1934.
Captain and superstar Mohamed Salah, who scored the second goal, did not hide his tears: “In years to come, people will remember that this was a historic achievement. Thanks to our incredible audience here, we felt like we were playing in Cairo. A great victory, an incredible energy!“
Statistical offices immediately calculated a curiosity - Egypt needed exactly 33,628 days to wait between the first match of the World Cup and the first triumph. Egyptian newspapers came out with extraordinary circulations, glorifying Salah and Mustafa Zico (author of a goal and an assist), and world agencies noted that the “Pharaohs“ showed a championship mentality that Africa rarely demonstrates under such pressure.