#WorldCup : Crazy Ronaldo hat-trick as Portugal and Spain draw 3-3 - Unbelievable match

Crazy draw as Cristiano Ronaldo becomes oldest to score World Cup hat trick
This means, of course, that Iran is in first place in Group B

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a dramatic hat-trick against Spain on Friday, bringing Portugal level at 3-3 in the dying minutes of their Group B clash in Sochi.

The Real Madrid forward opened his account with an early penalty before scoring again just before half-time. He completed his hat-trick with a magnificent strike from a free-kick in the 88th minute.

It was one of the most talked about matchups of the group stage. And we got one of the most entertaining World Cup matches in recent memory. In Group B, Spain and Portugal played out a wild six-goal thriller, with the teams drawing 3-3. Spain overcame a 2-1 deficit to take the lead in the second half before Cristiano Ronaldo completed his hat trick with a crazy late free-kick goal.  

Here's how it went down. 

Just four minutes into the game, Ronaldo tricked the referee into awarding a penalty kick on a non-foul from Nacho, and he put it away:


He draws the penalty and buries it to give Portugal an early 1-0 lead against Spain. #PORESP


Then 20 minutes later, Spain drew level with an absolutely wonderful goal from Diego Costa, who made some moves and found some space for a low rifle:


Then again, 20 minutes later, it was Ronaldo again, who put a shot on frame that David De Gea could not handle, with the first major goalkeeper blunder of the World Cup:


But again Spain had an answer. Ten minutes into the second half, it was Costa again, finishing off a beautifully-executed set piece in front of goal:

Spain's training-ground free kick ends up in the back of the net thanks to Busquets and Costa. 👏👏

Then, another quick punch. As Spain was dominating, it got another goal from Nacho who produced a delicious hit into the corner off the post three minutes later:



The defender makes up for his early mistake with a beauty to put Spain ahead 3-2.

But the last laugh would go to Ronaldo. Becoming the oldest player to score a hat trick in World Cup history, the 33-year-old got the equalizer in the 87th minute with an out-of-this-world free kick that left De Gea frozen:


Iran is in first place in Group B with three points. What a world. And so far, what a World Cup.

WORLD CUP 2018 DRAW: WINNERS AND LOSERS #Russia2018

The draw for World Cup 2018 was completed on Friday in Moscow, with the 32 qualified teams having learned their fates.

There are big guns who will be worried about their progress in the competition, those concerned that they might not be stretched enough early on, and, of course, sides delighted by the prospects the draw has thrown up.

WINNERS

ENGLAND

Having been seeded second, there were fears that Gareth Southgate’s side could be landed in a tricky group, but instead they have a pool that they should feel is very manageable. 

They open up against a Tunisia side that they will be favoured to beat, while a fixture against Belgium means that they will be up against a group of players that they will be familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of.

But it is not on the group stage that the Three Lions should feel good about – their path to the quarter-finals looks relatively serene, with a potential knockout round match against Poland, Senegal, Japan or Colombia. 

Southgate has refused to write off England’s chances in this competition, and they have improved after this draw.

SPAIN

Another second seed who will be breathing something of a sigh of relief. When they were initially paired with Portugal in Group B, there were the makings of a ‘Group of Death’, yet subsequently Morocco and Iran were also placed in that pool.

While the North Africans will be no pushovers, they are more favourable opponents than others they could have faced.

Iran, meanwhile, come into the competition as dark horses, despite being ranked as high as 32 in the FIFA Ranking, but they are opponents that Julen Lopetegui’s side will feel confident of having enough to see off. They were the weakest of the third seeded sides.  

In the last 16, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay lie in wait, so their chances of going deep in the competition appear good.

BRAZIL

Drawn in Group E, the five-time world champions begin their quest for a sixth title with a relatively clement group. After their stunning 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals of 2014, there will be a great deal of pressure upon the Selecao to make up for that loss with some style.

The South Americans have been handed Switzerland as their second seeds, with that clash taking place at Rostov-on-Don in their opening match of the competition. Even if they were to spill points in that, which Neymar et al. are not expected to do, they follow that up with fixtures against Costa Rica and Serbia.

With so much talent in their ranks, there should be few fears about a surprise early exit, although if there were to be any surprises, Germany are a potential last-16 opponent for Tite’s men.

LOSERS

ARGENTINA

Although they boast a plethora of world-class players, they struggled to avoid elimination in the qualifying phase to reach Russia. Indeed, only a Lionel Messi masterclass against Ecuador in their final match guided them to the finals.

Jorge Sampaoli’s side have been drawn in one of the toughest groups on paper, with three tricky ties to negotiate before the knockout stage.

Messi & Co will face the unique challenge of Iceland, who were Euro 2016 quarter-finalists after dumping out England, plus fixtures against Nigeria and Croatia – two sides who will fancy their chances against opponents currently lacking in confidence.

If Argentina are to progress through to the last 16, they will have to improve dramatically in the months ahead. 

FRANCE

While it may seem strange to say it, but the apparently kind draw on paper will do little for France’s hopes of winning the World Cup. 

Les Bleus have been there before, with memories of South Africa in 2010 still fresh. On that occasion, they were paired with the hosts, Uruguay and Mexico, and were expected to cruise through. Instead, they found themselves on the first plane home, having approached the competition with a poor attitude.

Didier Deschamps has not yet effectively channelled the supreme talents of a great pool of players and France could have really used a strong competitive test before the last 16. If they are pushed in a group that contains Peru, Australia and Denmark, again, then it will likely be because they have not been at 100 per cent.

France could really have used a push before a potential last-16 encounter with Argentina, Croatia, Iceland or Nigeria.

RUSSIA

The host nation could have wished for a far kinder drawn than they have been handed, particularly as their form has been wholly unspectacular in recent months. Indeed, despite playing every match at home during 2017, they have lost more fixtures than they have won.

Now they have been pitted in a really awkward group that includes an Egypt side expected to be dangerous and a Uruguay team bristling with the offensive talents of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. 

Consequently, they will have to perform on the opening night of the competition, when the pressure was going to be on them in any case. In that fixture, they will tackle Saudi Arabia in a game that they really cannot afford to lose now. 

Failure to beat the side 63 in the latest FIFA Ranking – the lowest in the competition – will leave them with no room for error and two tough opponents. Can Stanislav Cherchesov’s side line up to that pressure?

Via : Goal.com

Germany leaps over Argentina, while Spain crashes out

Brazil remains the favorites of Punters even after their surprising draw against Mexico.
But after their impressive display against Ronaldo's Portugal, Germany leaps over Messi inspired Argentina to be the 2nd favorites.

Defending Champions Spain's chances are fading - Latest Odds

After the biggest upset so far in the FIFA World Cup 2014, Defending Champions Spain who were 3rd favorites to win this World Cup at 13/2 behind Hosts Brazil and their South American rivals Argentina, has fallen to fourth. Their odds have reached now 11/1.

Netherlands who surprised everyone by their astonishing goal scoring display yesterday, have risen upand now their odd stands at 12/1 just behind Spain.

The latest odds from leading betting institutions.

Hosts Brazil vs Hottest Argentina - Arch Rivals tops Odds

Top Bookies rate Hosts Brazil as the hot favorites to win #WorldCup2014 as the greatest sporting event starts today.
Lionel Messi's Argentina closely follows the Seleção and Defending Champions Spain are third on the list.

Brazil faces Croatia in the first match tonight.

Hosts Brazil - Hot Favorites - FIFA World Cup 2014

Hosts Brazil are the hot favorites to win the World Cup which starts in 20 days.

Their arch rivals and another Latin American power house Argentina is in the close 2nd place and Germany is the 3rd favorites.

Defending champions Spain are in 4th place according to leading Betting syndicates.

This is the latest combined odds of favorites to win the coveted FIFA World Cup 2014.

Spain - Team Profile - World Cup 2014

Spain 60 Second Team Profile | Brazil 2014 World Cup

Brazil 2014 World Cup - Who is the favorite? Latest Odds

Brazil 2014 World Cup

Brazil will be hosting the World Cup in 2014. FIFA's rotation system means the World Cup was due to be held in South America and Brazil were the only nation to submit a bid.

Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times and are favorites in the World Cup odds to make it six.

Brazil have hosted the World Cup before, in 1950, but they lost in the final to Uruguay. They are likely to be very strong favorites in the World Cup 2014 with home advantage.

World Cup 2014

Win Tournament

Odds
4.50	Brazil
6.00	Argentina
6.50	Spain
9.00	Germany
24.00	Holland
25.00	England
26.00	Italy
29.00	Belgium
38.00	France
41.00	Colombia
44.00	Portugal
48.00	Uruguay
51.00	Mexico
62.00	Russia
81.00	Chile
114	USA
152	Croatia
190	Ivory Coast
201	Ecuador
219	Switzerland
228	Sweden
238	Ghana
251	Japan

Spain crowned World Champions

FINAL



6:30 PM GMT, July 11, 2010
Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa



Final score - after extra time


Netherlands
0 - 1
Spain

In a game when a record number of yellow cards were given and John Heitinga was sent off in extra-time, both sides missed great chances from Arjen Robben and Cesc Fabregas, but Andres Iniesta netted in the 116th minute to give European champions Spain their first World Cup title.


Iniesta struck with four minutes remaining to settle a tetchy encounter and crown Spain world champions, while Netherlands were left to rue Robben's missed opportunity to open the scoring in normal time.


Iniesta pounced on a pass from Cesc Fabregas before thumping the ball past Maarten Stekelenburg and the Barcelona star's moment of class means that Spain are world champions for the first time, and the first European side to win the World Cup outside of the continent.


Spain also emerged victorious at Euro 2008 - making them the third team to hold both titles after West Germany and France - and Del Bosque paid tribute to his team for achieving the remarkable feat.

The game will be noted for the flurry of cards - 14 in all - starting in the 14th minute when Howard Webb booked Robin van Persie.

Pretty soon combative midfield duo Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong joined him for challenges - a late lunge on Joan Capdevila and a kung fu kick on Xabi Alonso respectively - that could easily have ended their evening.

That Wesley Sneijder was not even cautioned for a similarly woeful attempt at stopping Pedro could only be put down to either Webb being unsighted or the Dutch playmaker diverting attention by claiming to be injured himself.

Spain were not complete innocents in all of this, but it was the European Champions who were feeling most aggrieved, which only intensified when Webb did not see a niggly second-half challenge from Van Bommel that sparked a reaction from Barcelona playmaker Iniesta.

It certainly made for unsightly viewing at times, but Vicente del Bosque's side did play some exquisite passing football at times, with Xavi and Iniesta helping Spain dominate possession. The best first-half chance fell to Sergio Ramos but his header from Xavi's cross was palmed away superbly by Maarten Stekelenburg.

Netherlands struggled to get into the game but in the second-half were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead; Spain skipper Iker Casillas making a quite brilliant save to deny Robben after the former Chelsea star had been set free by Sneijder.



Robben must have thought he had done everything right. Running at pace - past a stranded Carles Puyol - until he saw the whites of Casillas' eyes, he shaped to go one way, then placed his shot to the other corner. Casillas was committed in the other direction but stuck out a leg and turned the effort wide.

It was by some distance the best opportunity of the regulation 90 minutes, although Ramos had another decent opening himself heading umarked over the bar.

Robben threatened to sprint through again, only to be denied by Casillas, but losing possession did not come before Puyol had made a desperate grab for the Bayern Munich winger, who was convinced the Barcelona defender should have been sent off.

On as a substitute, with a point to prove after mustering the grand total of 93 minutes prior to tonight, Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas twice came close to breaking the deadlock in extra-time, when Xavi also had a penalty claim turned down.

John Heitinga was sent off for his second yellow card when he pulled back Iniesta, giving Spain the man advantage, yet the Dutch held firm and looked like taking the tie to penalties.

However, Spain were not to be denied. Fabregas slotted it through to Iniesta and after one touch to control it, his second was a crisp volley past Stekelenburg.

Del Bosque's side held on and the final whistle saw euphoric scenes as Spain's ecstatic players celebrated an inaugural World Cup triumph.

Scoring Summary

Netherlands	Spain
	Andrés Iniesta (116')

Match Stats

Netherlands

Spain

13(5)	Shots (on Goal)	19(6)
28	Fouls	19
6	Corner Kicks	8
7	Offsides	6
43%	Time of Possession	57%
8	Yellow Cards	5
1	Red Cards	0
5	Saves	5

Match Information

Stadium:	Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Attendance:	84,490
Match Time:	18:30 GMT
Official(s):	Howard Webb

Man of the Match: Andres Iniesta.

MATCH SUMMARY

Man of the Match: Andres Iniesta.Once again Iniesta and Barcelona team-mate Xavi were imperious in the centre of midfield, bossing possession and helping Spain play the same patient game that has characterised their triumphant campaign. Possessing vision, craft, and guile in abundance, Iniesta produced a number of fine flicks and back-heels, while his winning goal was taken with aplomb.

Netherlands verdict: After an unimpressive first period - in which four players were yellow carded - Bert van Marwijk's side came into the game more after the interval, trying to get the ball to Arjen Robben as much as possible. It almost worked to devastating effect on two occasions when Carles Puyol's pace was exposed, but Robben was twice thwarted by Iker Casillas. Were outclassed in extra-time and after losing their cool a third World Cup final defeat will be the bitterest pill to swallow.

Spain verdict: Completely dominated possession but had few clear-cut chances to show for it, with a free header from Sergio Ramos and a David Villa strike that was deflected over the best opportunities in normal time. Demonstrated some excellent touches in midfield, with plenty of classy interchanges and never showed frustration when they couldn't break through. Defensively, they looked shaky when Puyol was dealing with long balls but after letting the Oranje back into the game in the second half, Spain upped their tempo in extra-time. The introduction of Fabregas injected some much-needed freshness into Vicente del Bosque's side and the winning goal was just reward for the team that unquestionably played the better football.

Could do better: Robin van Persie. A terrible tournament for Van Persie was epitomised by an anonymous performance in the final. Nothing was working for the Arsenal frontman against Spain, and he never seemed to have the ball under control. An early booking meant he always looked reluctant to chase back and even when he was played through by Sneijder and called offside, he missed an open goal after the whistle had gone.

Stat attack: The 14 yellow cards handed out in the match by referee Howard Webb is the record for most ever in a World Cup Final.