RIO DE JANEIRO, June 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Regular participants of the Round of 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil were determined on the 14th day of the tournament. They were the national football teams of Argentina, Nigeria, France and Switzerland.
The Argentinian team secured a place in the World Cup’s playoffs beforehand, so the result of the match with Nigeria was not of principle importance for it. But the defeat was not in the plans of the South American team, because Argentinians did not want to lose the first place in Group F.
The match in Porto Alegre gave spectators a lot of bright emotions and an abundance of goals. Through the efforts of Lionel Messi, the Argentinian team went ahead in the third minute. But Nigerians were not upset at all. In two minutes, CSKA forward Ahmed Musa equalized the score. In injury time, Messi scored another goal using a free kick.
In the second half of the match, Musa scored yet another goal for Nigeria. But Argentina’s Marcos Rojo, who played for Spartak Moscow just two years ago, shot a third goal for his team after a corner kick. The match ended 3-2 for Argentina.
Argentina won three matches of the group tournament, and Nigerians, despite the defeat, still secured their place in the Round of 16.
In another game, Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Iran 3-1. BiH’s Edin Dzeko took his team ahead in the first half. In the 59th minutes, Italy’s Roma FC’s midfielder Miralem Pjanic shot another goal for BiH.
Iran later returned to the game. Reza Ghoochannejhad scored the first goal for Iran at the 2014 World Cup in the 82nd minute. But in a minute, BiH’s Avdija Vrsajevic shot another goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Group F standings:
1. Argentina (9 points, 6 goals for, 3 goals against).
2. Nigeria (4, 3-3).
3. Bosnia and Herzegovina (3, 4-4).
4. Iran (1, 1-4).
The matches of the third tour in Group E did not make spectators happy by an abundance of goals. For example, France played Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Rio de Janeiro. Ecuador needed a victory over France to continue fighting for a place in playoffs, but this did not happen, so they left the World Cup.
Switzerland played Honduras in Manaus. Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri performed a hat-trick scoring three goals for his team in the 6th, 31st and 71st minutes. The Swiss team thus secured a place in the Round of 16.
Group E standings:
1. France (7 points, 8 goals for, 2 goals against).
2. Switzerland (6, 7-6).
3. Ecuador (4, 3-3).
4. Honduras (0, 1-8).
In the last sixteen, France will play Nigeria and Switzerland will play Argentina.
Russia will play Algeria in Curitiba. The Russian team, which is currently in the third place in Group H, should defeat Algeria and hope for South Korea to be unable to beat Belgium with a difference of over one goal.
Group H standings: 1. Belgium (6 points, 3 goals for, 1 goal against).
2. Algeria (3, 5-4).
3. Russia (1, 1-2).
4. Republic of Korea (1, 3-5).