Photo © Jono Vernon-Powell Exactly a month ago, one of, if not the greatest World Cup finals reached a breathtaking endgame. With a nonchalance betraying the occasion and his relative inexperience (this was his 22nd international), Gonzalo Montiel stroked home the winning penalty. The 25-year-old had entered the frenetic match as a substitute in extraContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – 18th January 2023”
Author Archives: richardfoster60
World Cup semi-final Nuggets Part II
Argentina’s convincing win over Croatia was only the third time since 1990 that a World Cup semi has been decided by more than one goal. In 2006 Italy beat Germany 2-0 with two very late goals in the dying embers of extra time the first coming in 119th followed by the second in 120th minute.Continue reading “World Cup semi-final Nuggets Part II”
World Cup semi-final Nuggets Part I
Argentina take on Croatia this evening, a match that has been characterised as the meeting of two players who are heading for Roger Milla’s Last Chance Saloon. The battle of the legendary LMs – Lionel Messi versus Luka Modrić. It is understandable that these two are the headline act although there is so much moreContinue reading “World Cup semi-final Nuggets Part I”
World Cup – Fair Play Trophy
England’s quarter-final elimination to the French was hard to take for Harry Kane as an evenly matched game swung on his skied penalty six minutes from the end of full time. If the England captain is looking for a tiny sliver of a silver lining, Gareth Southgate’s side look odds on to pick up theContinue reading “World Cup – Fair Play Trophy”
World Cup Nuggets – The quarter-finals Part II
So we already know one semi-final after both quarter-finals went the distance to be decided on penalties as Luka Modric’s Croatia take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina and what an absolute cracker that is going to be. The massive question is who is going to join them in the last four. MOROCCO – PORTUGAL Surely MoroccoContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – The quarter-finals Part II”
World Cup Nuggets – The quarter-finals Part I
It has been a hellish two days without any World Cup action so thankfully the quarter-finals now are here and each one has something to attract our attention and get us excited. The wait is almost over and the even better news is that we have Nuggets aplenty. We start with an absolute humdinger thatContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – The quarter-finals Part I”
World Cup Nuggets – A hatful of hat-tricks
7th December 2022 In scoring the first hat-trick of the 2022 World Cup Gonçalo Ramos received immediate, global acclaim. Having replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portuguese starting line-up the 21-year-old had already caused quite a stir and the eyes of the world were trained on the Benfica striker. He joined an illustrious list of playersContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – A hatful of hat-tricks”
World Cup Nuggets Day 16
What a climax to the Last 16. From the seventh goalless draw of the tournament – equalling the record – that led to a memorable Moroccan penalty shoot-out to the biggest win in a Last 16 match Portugal’s 6-1 shellacking of Switzerland, including the first hat-trick of the tournament from Gonçalo Ramos, more of whomContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets Day 16”
World Cup Nuggets Day 15
With six of the quarter-finalists now decided there has yet to be a turn-up for the books, with all the favoured sides winning their Last 16 games so far. CROATIA SPOT ON – Four of Croatia’s last five knock-out matches have gone to extra time, and three of those have gone to penalty shoot-outs withContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets Day 15”
World Cup Nuggets Day 14
So far the favourites have sailed through their Last 16 ties, after Netherlands and Argentina the day before, France dispatched Poland 3-1 and England coasted past Senegal 3-0. FRANCE ON COURSE – Les Bleus could become only the third side to retain the World Cup after Italy (1934 & 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962). IndeedContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets Day 14”
The Football Mine 