World Cup - Matchday 15

Welcome to another WhoReps look at the 2018 World Cup. Today we'll be recapping Thursday's action and looking ahead to the knockout rounds! Enjoy.
                                            
We did it! After two weeks and 48 group stage matches, the World Cup knockout rounds are upon us. The most magical time in sports is here once again after its four year hibernation. Prepare for heartbreak, for ecstacy, for excruciating extra time, and for the worst / best of all: penalties.
 
The final entrants into the Round of 16 were set today, with Colombia beating Senegal 1-0 and Poland topping Japan by the same margin. Defender Yerry Mina​ managed the only score of the day for the Colombians, a 74th minute header past Senegalese keeper Khadim N'Diaye. Its his second goal of the tournament, and it ensured Colombia topped the group with their second win in group stage play. The eliminated Poles made things interesting, with a win over a Japan side still dreaming of World Cup glory. Centre back Jan Bednarak struck in a right footed volley in the second half, just the 22 year old's third goal ever for club or country. Poland goes home with a win in their pocket.

Today's action left both Japan and Senegal sitting at one win, draw, and loss apiece. The first tiebreaker is overall goal differential, which they both had even at zero. From their it's goals scored, where they were again both even at four. Additionally, they drew 2-2 when they played each other, so no help there. That left an unfortunate metric to determine who goes home — yellow cards. Senegal picked up five yellows in their three matches, while Japan had just three. The Land of the Rising Sun endures. It's a rough break for a very deserving Senegalese team. But deserve ain't got nothing to do with it. For the first time since 1982, not a single African side escapes the group stage.

In Group H, England and Belgium dueled it out for the top spot and the right to take on Japan in the Round of 16. Both teams had already clinched advancement, thanks to their waxings of minnows Panama and Tunisia. In a rather underwhelming and forgettable game featuring plenty of substitutes, Belgian winger Adnan Januzaj picked up his first ever goal in international play. A beautiful lefty strike that bent past diving keeper Jordan Pickford, it constituted the only scoring. Belgium tops the group and plays Japan, while England finishes second and faces Colombia. English manager Gareth Southgate should've thought about playing star Harry Kane, given it meant avoiding a much tougher Colombian side. Instead, they go into the knockout rounds with questions abound.

Rounding out the group stage action, Panama and Tunisia faced off with the loser likely going down ignominiously as the single worst of the tournament. Panama, making their first ever appearance at the World Cup, took the lead early when a Jose Rodriguez shot was deflected in by Tunisian midfielder Yassine Meriah. That marked the ninth own goal of this World Cup, already the most all-time. Alas, the lead would not hold up. Fakhreddine Ben Youssef equalized for Tunisia with a tap-in early in the second half, then Wahbi Khazri gave the Tunisians a 2-1 lead that would remain unchanged, thanks to a similar touch past a frazzled Panamanian defense. Despite three losses, Panama returns home proudly — the first side to ever make the World Cup from their tiny nation.

The knockout rounds kick off on Saturday, with France taking on Argentina and Uruguay facing Portugal. Stay tuned to WhoReps' as we recap it all!