In the last weeks, we had been hearing about Russia 2018 being the World Cup of big data and technology. Nigeria and Iceland, which faced each other yesterday – with the Super Eagles prevailing 2-0 – are a great example of it.
Since the very moment the Nigerian playing kit for World Cup 2018 got released, it quickly went viral. Citizens from all around the globe were trying to buy it, and their manufacturing brand quickly got it out of stock, making it one of the most purchased football jerseys even – more than 3 million sales.
Iceland, on the other hand, made their appearance into the football global planet when they qualified for Euro 2016. Everybody remembers how players and the fans used to symbolically become one thing after every single game, celebrating with an iconic rhyhtmed applause – the Geyser Dance.
But in the last days, people have been looking for an Icelandic name on Google also for reasons not strictly related to sport: When midfielder Rurik Gislason was sent in during the second half of the game with Argentina, men and women from around the world immediately wanted to know who that attractive guy was. The Bundesliga 2’s club SV Sandhausen player is already on his way to become the most attractive one of the tournament. His tattoos, muscles and the fact that he is a singer as well, make him a perfect idol for the social media world.
With just 330000 inhabitants, Iceland is the smallest nation to have ever participated to a FIFA World Cup, a place which could be the perfect background for any science-fiction story. If you think about Ben Stiller travelling around the country with his skateboard in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, you get an idea.
A place where horses can perform two additional gaits, on top of the three all horses from everywhere else in the world can do – walk, trot, and gallop. The first additional gait is a four-beat lateral ambling gait known as the tölt, and the second is called a Valhopp. Both varieties are normally uncomfortable to ride.
Even the coach of the team is a part-time dentist!
But when it came to football, yesterday it was time for a painful reality check for the Icelandic, which had to give way to the Nigerian Super Eagles. The game started with Nigeria controlling the ball, and completing more than twice of the passes done by the Vikings. Unfortunately, they lacked the creativity they needed to make any damage to the very well organized and solid Icelandic defense. In the last minutes of the first half, Iceland made three good attempts to score, always looking for the head of their strikers.
Right after the break, their captain Aaron Gunnarsson advanced too far to perform a throw-in, leaving the midfield line unprotected. This allowed the Nigerians to go for a fast counterattack, beautifully finished by CSKA Moscow striker Ahmed Musa.
With Iceland then forced to attack in order to look for an equaliser, the space for the Eagles’ counters increased, and in the 75th minute another change of speed by Musa produced Nigeria’s second goal – as well as his personal brace. The Icelandic eventually gained a penalty, but Gylfi Sigurdsson shot it out of target, and the score didn’t change anymore.
The Africans’ victory turned Group D upside down, giving new hopes to the Argentinians despite of their shocking loss to Croatia. Get ready for the last games next Tuesday (Argentina-Nigeria and Croatia-Iceland) because in a group like this, anything seems possible to happen.
MATCH REPORT
June 22, 2018 – World Cup Group Stage Pool D
NIGERIA-ICELAND 2-0
SCORERS: 49′ Musa, 75′ Musa
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NIGERIA (3-5-2): Uzoho; Balogun, Troost Ekong, Omeruo; Moses, Etebo (90′ Iwobi), Obi Mikel, Ndidi, Idowu (46′ Ebuehi); Iheanacho (85’ Ighalo), Musa (Ezenwa, Akpeyi, Shehu, Echiejile, Awiazem, Obi, Onazi, Ogu, Nwankwo) Coach: Rohr |
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ICELAND (4-4-2): Halldorsson; Saevarsson, Arnason, R. Sigurdsson (65’ Ingason), Magnusson; Gislason, Gunnarsson (87’ A. Skulason), G. Sigurdsson, Bjarnason; Bodvarsson (72’ Sigurdarson), Finnbogason (Schram, Runarsson, Eyjolfsson, Fridjonsson, A. Gudmunsson, J. Gudmundsson, O. Skulason, Hallfredsson, Traustason) Coach: Hallgrimsson |
REFEREE: Cogner (New Zealand)
NOTES: Attendance: 40904; Yellow Card: Idowu (N); Extra Time: 1st half 2′, 2nd Half 6′
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Click below to relive some other matches in Group D:
Argentina-Iceland 1-1
Argentina-Croatia 0-3
Another great article! In this case I’m glad that Nigeria won!