Brilliant for Qatar, who held their nerve as the Swiss took them too lightly,. the celebrations are loud and raucous. What a header that was from Khoukhi. What a moment.
Here’s the two heroes of the hour for Qatar, as we sign off.
The embryonic Golden Boot table takes shape. Emolo failed to add to his total.
Here’s the match report on a match with a surprising denouement, though one Switzerland probably deserved for being so casual. Though perhaps that is harsh on Qatar, who defended like demons and their goalkeeper had a good game. Also: the mystery of the offside that never was for Swiss penalty goal.
The headline on the Swiss newspaper website Blick is “Catastrophe at the start of the World Cup.”
Anyway, well done, Qatar: the greatest moment in the country’s football history? Has to be, even if they have won the last two Asian Cups.
Mike in Vancouver gets in touch: “Stadium looks packed to me. Pity those knocking everything couldn’t leave their negativity at home. Guess they must have been listening to those commercials for American Express Traveller’s Cheques. “Don’t leave home without it.” Reminder: they’re a bit dated, too..”
Mike Smith gets in touch: “i’m not going to defend Fifa’s pricing. But I’ll point out that I saw the “other”semifinal of Euro 96 in front of 40,000 empty seats at Old Trafford. A quick Google search tells me Portugal versus the Czech Republic drew 26,000 to Villa Park in the quarters. while the dog of the tourney (Bulgaria v Romania, group stage) saw 19,000 at St. James Park. I don’t remember any hand-wringing about the hosts not filling their stadium or Uefa charging too much for tickets.”
Well, I do. And I paid £55 for tickets for the quarter-final at Old Trafford when it usually cost me £16 to go to watch United. Can’t we agree that none of this is good?
Brilliant for Qatar, who held their nerve as the Swiss took them too lightly,. the celebrations are loud and raucous. What a header that was from Khoukhi. What a moment.
90+7 min: Switzerland push for the second goal that’s evaded them all day. It doesn’t come, their desperation to score fails them once more. They had 26 shots on goal.
90+6 min: What a moment, what a cross, and the goal music is excellent, and Homan Ahmed was the supplier.
Oh my! A first ever point for Qatar? Khoukhi’s header is brilliant.
90+2 min: Julen Lopetegui is full of rage on the sideline, asking his team for more. Murat Yakin is looking cooler and taking on water.
90 min: Six minutes added on as Qatar hope for their chance. Reider is slow to read a fine ball passed across goal. That would have killed it off.
89 min: Late changes. Edmilson off, Al Haydos, the Jordan Henderson of Qatar, comes on. The vibes man.
For Switzerland, Freuler and Rodriguez off, Muheim and Jashari on.
87 min: Nice cross to the back post,. when Afif smashes the ball in, a deflection almost takes the ball beyond Kobel who does well to read the flight in the glare of the mid-afternoon sun.
86 min: Manzambi fancies a shot, and has another dig. At least he’s trying to make something happen.
85 min: The stadium announcer delivers the attendance figures, over 67,000. Hmm. Embolo. as if he has his doubts, loses his touch just as he looked to created a decent chance for himself.
84 min: That Qatar wall continues to frustrate the Swiss. Freuler tries to spark something but the ball is blocked.
82 min: An injection of zest from Manzambi who fires wide.
Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “From what I saw of the 2023 Asian Cup, Qatar were deserving champions. They’ve been a shadow of that side today. They’re as bad as they were in 2022. Despite the stability of the squad for the last decade. it seems like two completely different players put on that Maroon shirt, depending on whether they’re playing for continental or global honours. They’re Asian champions, but global whipping boys.”
81 min: Zeki Amdouni, the Burnley man, and his team need to do far better. They’ve had 22 shots on goal, only one of them convincing.
80 min: Qatari change: Madibo off, Al Manai on. Swiss change: Vargas off, Amdouni on.
78 min: Qatar come forward again. Their attack is rusty, it has to be said. The chances they have had have been rushed, almost coming as a surprise.
76 min: Bit of confidence in the Qatar ranks? Edmilson and Afif go hunting for scraps, and Alaeedin shoots. That’s blocked and the Swiss go away, Vargas snatching at a chance. The second phase sees Embolo curve across the goal, behind Qatari lines but choose the wrong foot to shoot with.
74 min: Roger Kirkby gets in touch: “So, we’re at Levi’s Stadium built in 2014 with no shade. Ok, they can’t put a roof on it, but the Romans had sails draped over poles 2,000 years ago. How droll is it’s name…field of jeans.”
73 min: Akanji has to do some defending, as he tackles Afif. Up in the stands is a smiling Gianni Infantino, chilling away.
71 min: Switzerland really want that second goal. This was supposed to be the easy game. They have come up against a well-organised Qatar.
69 min: Andy Wood gets in touch: “Hi John, re your earlier comment. the stadium not being full - the issue is that the tournament is priced like 104 Superbowls. I live 40 minutes from this game. there was no way I was paying those prices for group games in that stadium. I don’t know anyone going to a game tbh.”
The resumption has to wait for Whitney Houston to be turned off. Yes, really.
67 min: Xhaka zips a ball across goal. It’s there to be hit, but nobody does. And here’s a drinks break as soundtracked by Proud Mary, Ike and Tina Turner version.
65 min: xG fans: The Swiss are at 2.32. So below the level. They make two changes: Ndoye and Aebischer off, Manzambi and Rieder.
The stadium announcer pronounced Dan Ndoye as “Darn Ndoye”.
64 min: Alan McWilliam gets in touch: “Maybe given Fifa’s adoption of newspeak (or no speak in the case of the offside) we should rename this WC to World Cup 1984…”
63 min: Vargas is lively, and it takes two challenges to end his run. Another free-kick into that packed area. It will have to be good. It’s not, and Ndoye can’t pick up the loose ball.
61 min: The stadium yet emptier though the concourses as full, as it’s shelter from the heat.
60 min: Qatar wanted to make subs but as it’s a Swiss corner they demure. Once that’s cleared, on come three players: Fathy, Boudiaf, Alaaeldin.
Al Oui, Gaber, Abdurisag go off.
58 min: Qatari subs are imminent. Switzerland pass the ball around with little pressure on the ball. Afif fancies escaping but the key pass is cut out.
56 min: That second Swiss goal is taking its time. Qatar have done well and they may be better suited to lasting out in what appear to be baking conditions.
54 min: Paul Keane gets in touch: “The cynic in me notes that if everyone is talking about questionable offsides. Fifa not being forthcoming with the material used by VAR, it is moving the conversation away from ticket prices, empty seats, and super-sized concourses - that’s a well-worn tactic.
“On the Mexican Wave. I’m sure you’re aware that local Bay Area icon Krazy George Henderson claims credit for first doing it in the late-70’s: He can still be seen at San Jose Earthquakes MLS games, where he regularly plays the role of Number 1 Cheerleader.”
53 min: More corners, which has been a feature of this World Cup. Qatar seem well-drilled in defending them. Lopetegui is a coach not without his talents, despite what Hammers fans might say.
51 min: Peter Oh gets in touch: “Speaking of the forward-thinking Fifa-backwards talisman. he needs to do more to control the game. In other words he needs to act more like the joystick of the Qatari console.”
Geddit? Atari being local to Santa Clara, Nolan Bushnell and all that.
50 min: It’s all Vargas so far,. he sets up Freuler to boom in a pass for Embolo to spin and shoot wide. Embolo has done a fine, old-fashioned centre-forward’s job, sans goal so far.
49 min: Vargas smashes back in, Akanji the target, and Xhaka sees glory, smashing a side-winder. The keeper saves, and the ref does not see it a corner. This seems to be a problem as this tourney.
48 min: Swiss free-kick, smashed in by Vargas, and headed behind with some element of panic. Vargas’s corner is almost as dangerous. And results in another.
47 min: Mike Wilner gets in touch: “The halftime adverts are on here in the USA. Messi is in most of them. He doesn’t say a word, just dribbles a ball around the product. Beckham is in the rest of the ads. He won’t shut up. Go figure.”
Becks’ on a lot of TV back home, too. Both of them are, in fact.
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