Panama — Croatia

I-BMO Field, eToronto. Iqembu L. Ibhodi lamaphuzu litshela indaba ecacile — umdlalo uqobo utshela indaba ephithizelayo. Nansi into exakayo: I-Croatia yawina ngo 1-0, kodwa yashiya amathuba amabili amakhulu engawasebenzisanga futhi yaqeda nge-xG engu-1.65. I-Panama yakhiqiza i-xG engu-0.55 kuphela — ithuba layo elilodwa elikhulu laphuthelwa, ishothi layo elilodwa eliqonde emgomeni lagcinwa. Isikolo asijabulisi nhlangothi zombili ngokugcwele. Siyabonga e-Croatia kuqala. Balawula ingxenye yokuqala ngokuphatha ibhola ngama-64%, bekhuthazela futhi benenjongo. ULuka Modrić — ngisho nanamuhla — usafunda umdlalo izinyathelo ezimbili ngaphambi kwabanye bonke. Ikhono lakhe lokwehlisa ijubane, ukuthola izikhala, ukushintsha umdlalo lalibonakala ngokugcwele, futhi isilinganiso sakhe esingu-7.67 sasiwufanele. Ukushintsha kwabadlali ababili ngesikhathi sekhefu kwakunesibindi: U-Ante Budimir no-Andrej Kramarić bobabili bangeniswa ngesikhathi sekhefu, futhi phakathi nemizuzu eyisishiyagalolunye uBudimir wayeseshaye igoli — isiphetho somgadli esasiwufanele umdlalo ngokuphelele. Kodwa i-Croatia bekufanele ngabe iwunqobile lo mdlalo. Amathuba amabili amakhulu achithwa ngemuva kwegoli lokuqala — lolo uhlobo lokumosha oluqeda amaqembu emijikelezweni yokukhishwa. Manje i-Panama. Babedluliselwe ngaphezu kwamandla abo ekuphatheni ibhola futhi bephakanyiswe nge-xG — masikhulume iqiniso ngalokho. Kodwa babengathule. Amaphutha ayishumi nesishiyagalolununye atshengisa indaba yeqembu elalilwela yonke ibhola lesibili futhi elenqaba ukudatshulwa kalula. U-Yoel Bárcenas wafanisa isilinganiso sikaModrić esingu-7.67 — iqiniso elifanele ukushiwo ngokuzwakalayo. Yena wayeyinhlansi, umthwali wosongo. Ingxenye yabo yesibili yabukeka inokuncintisana njengoba ukuphatha ibhola kwenyuka kwafinyelela kuma-50%, ukulungiswa kwamasu okungokoqobo. Ubuthakathaka? Lelothuba elilodwa elikhulu, elaphuthelwa. Uma udala okuncane kangaka ngokumelene neqembu eliphezulu, awukwazi ukumosha isikhathi umdlalo okusipha sona. Ukushintsha kusuka kuma-36% kuya kuma-50% ekuphatheni ibhola ngemuva kwekhefu kutshengisa ukuthi i-Panama yakholwa futhi yajwayela. Kodwa ukukholwa ngaphandle kokuqeda kumane nje kungumsindo. Ku-FootLegion, igoli likaBudimir ngomzuzu wama-54 lingele-Croatia phakade — akekho olithathayo. Imibuzo emibili yamazwana: Ingabe ukumosha kwe-Croatia phambi kwegoli kuyisixwayiso sangempela semijikelezo yokukhishwa — noma ukushaya okukodwa komdlalo? Futhi ingabe i-Panama, ngaleli zinga lokulwa, inakho okwanele ukuhlala iphila Eqenjini L?