Key events
In less than 20 minutes, the last two group-stage games will be underway. One will decide which two out of Algeria, Austria and Iran take the last spots in the knockout rounds.
The other game has Messi … maybe. He’s not starting. No need.
Thanks for following this one with me – I’m exhausted myself, and I wasn’t running around in a sauna for 90 minutes.
Mail check
Mary Waltz, on the assistant coach I mentioned earlier: “Maybe a chubby Tommy Shaw.”
I envy the Styx lead singer/guitarist for how well he has stayed in shape over the years.
Another email was withdrawn – basically a conspiracy theory that the offside call was made to keep Ronaldo in the Cup. But it wouldn’t have affected Portugal’s progress. A draw or a loss – doesn’t matter. Second place either way.
Third-place watch
If Austria and Algeria draw, they both advance and eliminate Iran.
Which has a bit of historical irony …
Any result other than a draw would send Iran into the round of 32 – unless Jordan rout Argentina.
Final Group K standings
7 pts. Colombia
5 pts. Portugal
4 pts. DR Congo
0 pts. Uzbekistan
DR Congo will play England. Colombia vs. Ghana. Portugal vs. Croatia, with the winner likely facing Spain.
The spiffy graphic shows the offside call. He was off by the length of a big toe. To me, that’s within the margin of error. Unfortunate.
But credit to Diogo Costa – the Porto goalkeeper had a brilliant game.
It was a pulsating game, with players somehow managing to go end to end much of the game on a sweltering night in Florida.
Full time: Colombia 0-0 Portugal
The scoreline lies. Colombia should have won this game. They had 24 shots, six on target. Final xG is 1.63. Portugal weren’t shy, either, with 0.69 xG on 13 shots, two on target.
90 min +5 Chance for Colombia! Shot blocked. Ball played back in and dummied, but Costa beats the onrushing attacker to the ball.
90 min +3 Chance for Portugal! Leão, a teammate of one Christian Pulisic, beats a defender and shoots wide.
Matheus Nunes replaces Nuno Mendes in the last Portuguese sub.
DR Congo up 3-1. Enjoy the round of 32.
VAR check
Colombia take the corner out to the corner of the penalty area. There’s a cross, and Sánchez heads it down and in!
Flag goes up for offside. Replay … I don’t think so.
VAR disagrees with me. Not sure how at first glance.
88 min Chance for Colombia! And another! And another! Ruben Dias gets a head to the ball a foot or two from his own goal line on a dangerous cross. The ball comes back out, played back in, and Costa intervenes. Follow-up shot is wide.
86 min Some clever work from Portugal, but it’s finally knocked out of play. For Colombia, Puerta ends up with a yellow card for a foul in the build up.
Muñoz replaces Santiago Arias, which means the number Ariases in this game has dropped from two to zero.
85 min Colombia keep passing to an immobile Suárez, and the ball is intercepted each time.
84 min Credit to both teams – they have not wilted in this heat and humidity. This is still an above-average World Cup game.
South Korea would be eliminated if the DR Congo result holds.
83 min Portugal free kick, and several Colombian players end up clattered to the ground.
82 min Foul on Quintero, who blasts the ball away. That’s supposed to be a yellow card, but no one seems to be calling it.
So if Portugal give up two goals and DR Congo score three more … Portugal end up third.
81 min Colombia handle the corner kick well and break, but Portugal recover.
DR Congo score again! They’re on their way to the knockout round if they can hang on.
80 min Ronaldo has the ball in some space but not a great angle. He earns a corner kick.
79 min Machado threads a beautiful pass, but then a cross to Luis Díaz doesn’t quite get there.
77 min Just noticed that an assistant coach looks just like Tommy Shaw of Styx.
Corner kick for Portugal, played out to Dalot, who curls a shot from outside the box that doesn’t miss by much.
76 min Huge ovation for James as he and Jhon Arias depart. Castaño and Quintero are in for Colombia.
75 min I’ve live-blogged 165 minutes of soccer in the past two nights, and I have not seen a goal.
74 min Oh, we have a penalty shout. Suarez was eyeing a shot and swung his leg, but Mendes’ body was in the way. Mendes didn’t initiate contact, though, so play on.
73 min Luis Suárez turns brilliantly! And scuffs his shot.
Colombia maintain possession, and James takes a long-range shot that deflects.
71 min DR Congo have apparently scored. Now 1-1. If you care about a team on the third-place bubble, that really matters.
Subs for Portugal: Rafael Leão replaces João Félix, and Samú Costa replaces Vitinha.
Nuno Mendes was the player down in the box, and he gets some treatment before walking off … just as we begin hydration.
66 min Colombia in the attack, the ball is cut back to Jhon Arias, and Costa has to react well after a slight deflection.
Corner kick, Portuguese player down in the box, and Puerta runs onto a ball and just misses the post.
65 min Suárez runs past the defense onto a through ball. Not a great angle, but his shot yields a corner kick. Not much comes of it, though.
63 min Another error from Ríos – a wholly unnecessary late tackle, giving Portugal a free kick from a little more than 30 yards.
Portugal chip it in for Ronaldo, but it goes out.
The xG on that shot was 0.44. Ríos should’ve done better.
62 min Good overlapping run from Santiago Arias, played into the box, and Ríos puts his shot wide.
60 min Colombia decide not to mark Félix any more, and he’s wide open. He passes to Ronaldo, but the 41-year-old is overeager and drifts offside. He missed anyway.
For Colombia, Luis “Not That One” Suárez and Richard Ríos is in, while Córdoba and Lerma are out. Surprised James is still in. He has hit the wall.
58 min Portugal taking the air out of the ball at the moment. Colombia press for an instant but back off again. Energy conservation appears paramount here. But this could still be a dangerous possession.
Félix tries a cross for Ronaldo but puts it over his head.
56 min The fans have come back to life (or maybe come back from buying water), and the tension level has gone up a bit as Portugal pass and pass. Félix turns and shoots into a wall of yellow.
54 min Whoa! That was a scorcher from Lerma from 22 yards, but it goes straight to Costa, who just has to raise his fists to punch clear from Portugal’s goal. A follow-up shot presents an easier save.
53 min Other way quickly, and Félix is off to the races but doesn’t pass sharply.
53 min The temperature has cooled to a wintry 85 degrees.
Colombia go direct but can’t really control.
