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Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Sports / Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) (494826 Views)
Flying Eagles Of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (South Korea 2017) / FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 Full Time Table And Fixtures / Super Eagles Of Nigeria Thread: 2017 AFCON Qualifiers. (2) (3) (4)
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Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by AIG07: 11:46am On Jun 10, 2015 |
hrykanu231:i know d crew will do d needful. But our guys will strike them like lightening within 90mins come tomorow. The only time this team played 90mini wit out a goal was during d u-17 AYC championship against d Ivory coast. As long as our defence is not letting in goals i'm sure by God's grace our attack will deliver. Fly Super flying Eagles 3 Likes |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mrham03(m): 11:49am On Jun 10, 2015 |
mikron:thanks bro, mali deserved to make the quarters and they did, am jux glad africa already has 2 reps in the quarters with naija surely to join them. I hope an african team wins the trophy dis year. 2 Likes |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by safarigirl(f): 11:50am On Jun 10, 2015 |
Badosqi:add 1 CONMEBOL. Either Brazil/Uruguay will go solo for S/America. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by Badosqi(m): 11:56am On Jun 10, 2015 |
2 group winners are out, Ghana and Ukraine. Both knocked out by third place teams Mali and Senegal. Senegal to meet winner of Austria vs Uzbekistan. Senegal may reach the semi-final. 2 Likes |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by United4lyf(m): 11:58am On Jun 10, 2015 |
ajf:bros uruguay will knock out brazil. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by Badosqi(m): 12:01pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
safarigirl:yeah you are right. I see brazil winning that game. 4 teams came from Conmebol now they are left with just 1 slot. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by joseph1013: 12:01pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
[b][size=14pt]Man City Website Tips Iheanacho For Senior Squad[/size] The strongest indication yet has emerged that Nigerian youngster Kelechi Iheanacho will play with Manchester City’s senior squad next season. The Flying Eagles forward has not lit up the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup as expected, but he did enough with City’s U-21s last season to impress Manuel Pellegrini. Having been tipped by the Manchester Evening News and the Telegraph as a potential member of the senior squad next season, Iheanacho has now got the backing of the club’s official website, mcfc.com. In an ongoing daily trivia of alphabets regarding City players past, present and future, Iheanacho was one of three players featured on Tuesday on the website, along with Stephen Ireland and Eike Immel, both former City stars. Here is how the website describes Iheanacho under the heading ‘I is for Iheanacho’: “One of the brightest prospects to emerge from African youth football in recent times, Kelechi Iheanacho is expected to break into the senior side at some point in the coming season. “A product of the Taye Academy in Nigeria, Kelechi had to wait for his City EDS (Elite Development Squad) debut after awaiting international clearance to play and then promptly picked up an injury just five minutes into his first match for the Blues! “He showed flashes of his talent on last year's summer tour of the US and scored a cracker against Manchester United towards the end of the 2014/15 EDS campaign before jetting off to play in the Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand – definitely one to watch out for.” Below the description, the website adds a video of Iheanacho’s highlights from last year’s pre-season tour, in which he stood out even in the presence of several senior stars. COMPLETESPORTS[/b] 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by Badosqi(m): 12:04pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
United4lyf:nothing is impossible in football, YES True. But Uruguay will have to up their game(like the Malians) to make it pass the brazilians. That group stage Uruguay team is no match for the brazilians. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 12:19pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
mrham03:and u think those 3rd placed matches are not tough enough? 1 Like |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by khattab02: 12:32pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
LeeCodeman:I think this is their best time to make and hit it big. Kudos to them so far! If they can get Premiership right, DSTV will be sorry they are already attracting Nigerians already. Kudos to them(star times). Keep working hard, Nigerians will patronize you and you will be on top soon. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mrham03(m): 12:34pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
mikron:lmao, i didnt say they arent tough but our motivation isnt always there. We go for the ultimate and when we dont get it, bronze doesnt matter to us. Btw, there's no way mali will beat us in an afcon qualifier, group match or a fifa worldcup qualifier. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 12:43pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
psamies24:oh now u know, i remember u were one of those skeptical fans advocating for us to play to a draw in order to dodge the Germans and play the Serbians. so u can see there are no easy teams at this stage of the competition. because u topped your group does not mean u cant be beaten by the 2nd placed team in the other group. football is not mathematics |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 12:50pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
mrham03:very true 1 Like |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by joseph1013: 1:02pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
[b][size=14pt]Quotes of the Day[/size] Quotes: Ghana-Mali Sellas Tetteh, Ghana coach First of all I’d like to congratulate my fellow coach from Mali and his team, who deserved their place in the quarter-finals today, but of course I’m also extremely disappointed. We simply didn’t settle into our game, and in the last third in particular we just lacked ideas and creativity. We also made too many unnecessary mistakes in our build-up play, and our opponents severely punished us for that. Mali were the better team today. You’re always going to lose a match where every 50/50 ball lands at the feet of your opposition. Fanyeri Diarra, Mali coach We were extremely well prepared to face Ghana today and did exactly what we set out to do. My team kept things very compact and we delivered a great performance. The players in this squad are able to put my tactical ideas into practice, so I’m very happy about that and delighted that we’ve made the quarter-finals. We’ve got a good mix in this side; some of the lads still play in Africa while others come from Europe. The European players have brought some superb experience with them and have lifted the team to a much stronger level. Quotes: Ukraine-Senegal Oleksandr Petrakov, Ukraine coach It is difficult to express myself. I’m very disappointed and feel very empty now. Because the teams were equal, the game was quite tough. We trained for penalties as well and then the players were scoring well. But we had no luck today. We are not so experienced when it comes to this kind of high level tournament. I’ve been with this team for 5 years now. This time, it will be the last time I coach this team. I will have to say goodbye. I hope the next team will make it to this tournament again and I hope that I can be with them. I would like to thank New Zealand, which was hosting us very well. I liked my time here a lot. Joseph Koto, Senegal coach This was a very important victory for all Senegalese people. Thanks to the people in stadium tonight for their warm support here. We prepared seriously for this tournament, we did not come here to be only a part of it. We came here for results. After the group stage, we won’t do any more calculations, we will take things from match after match. As the game went on, we saw the possibility to reach something. After the match, I told my team we have not reached our goal yet. This competition ends with the final. That’s our goal. Quotes: USA-Colombia Carlos Restrepo, Colombia coach We wanted more. It’s a shame we didn’t manage to score a goal; you need that to win games. Nevertheless, I really like this generation of players. They’re technically very strong and I’m sure that some have a great career ahead of them. It’s just the start of a long road for them. Tab Ramos, USA coach I’m very happy and satisfied with my team’s performance. Above all, of course, I’ve got to mention our goalkeeper. He held on to our win against a dominant Colombian side. The match was very close and hard-fought. Both teams could have won it and our opponents pushed us all the way to the final whistle. They never gave up, but we did everything in our power to stop them. Quotes: Serbia-Hungary Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic: "I was totally convinced that we were going to get an equaliser [to force extra time]. This team have scored a lot of goals in the last few minutes of matches because they always keep going right down to the wire; we have 21 lions who play football with their hearts and give absolutely everything on the pitch. We always had faith and kept believing. When we equalised, I said to myself, 'This is ours to win'. I asked the lads to wait for a chance and told them that one would come. When it finally did, we converted it. We're still alive and kicking." Hungary coach Bernd Storck: "I'm very proud of my team. They played really well today and overall it was a fantastic tournament for us. Unfortunately we lost in extra time, but it was a very good performance. The team performed at a really high level; our country and the Hungarian Football Association can be very proud of how we represented them. Every single player left everything out on the pitch, but ultimately luck, which has a role to play too, wasn't on our side." [/b] 1 Like |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 1:12pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
achimotan:a very good team. so sorry for ur lose |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 1:15pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
mrham03:bro no boasting here but i believe 100% we re beating the Germans come 2mrw. im already celebrating |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by safarigirl(f): 1:21pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
Badosqi:terrible tournament for CONMEBOL. As for Brazil, we'll have to wait and see 1 Like |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mrham03(m): 1:21pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
mikron:okay bro gudluck to ur team. I will remember ur quote. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 1:21pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
AIG07:wetin u do wey anti-spam bot ban u? |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by BascoVanVeli(m): 1:38pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
This tourney is to the world an eye opener to Africa together we will rule the world of football. I can see a Nigeria vs Senegal final. Sidy Sarr is a star not scared of any moment he proved that in Senegal, he should get a deal in Europe asap. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by chaberry(m): 1:53pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
safarigirl:You are among those, that said Mali and senegal are in the tournament to complete the number, but here they are in quater final 2 Likes |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mackfame: 1:58pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
joseph1013: Still finding it strange that he sits on the bench while Bulbwa plays. plus he was played in the wrong position against Brazil. just for the simple fact that he wears "10" doesn't mean he is a midfielder (he is an attacker) . #Manuknowsbest 2 Likes |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by joseph1013: 2:16pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
[b][size=14pt]Penalty heroes emerge amid late drama[/size] THE DAY REPLAYED – By the end of a day of great goals, late drama and goalkeeping heroics, Mali, USA, Serbia and Senegal had secured their places in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015. In an all-African affair in Wellington, Mali avenged their 3-0 defeat to Ghana in the match for third place at the CAF African U-20 Championships by the very same scoreline. The effervescent Malians capped a stylish performance with three superb goals as they ran out easy winners. A dogged Serbia were rewarded for their perseverance against Hungary, snatching a late equaliser to take the tie into extra-time, where they bounced back from having a man sent off to clinch victory with a late own goal. Despite firing 22 shots on goal to USA’s six, Colombia could not convert their attacking intent into goals, and were made to suffer when Rubio Rubin pounced on the hour-mark for the only goal of the game. Finally, Senegal produced another late recovery to level their tie with Ukraine at 1-1 with nine minutes of normal time remaining, with Sidy Sarr responsible for the first goal conceded by the eastern Europeans in 353 minutes of action here in New Zealand. The more adventurous of the two sides over two hours of football, the Africans were ultimately rewarded for their efforts thanks to the shootout exploits of keeper Ibou Sy, who saved three penalties. Results Ghana 0-3 Mali Serbia 2-1 Hungary (aet) USA 1-0 Colombia Ukraine 1-1 Senegal (PSO 1-3) Goal of the day Ghana-Mali 0-1, Diadie Samassekou (20) Mali’s ball-playing entertainers lit up a windy Wellington with a delightful move that began when Diadie Samassekou drifted in from the right and pushed a pass through to Adama Traore just outside the box. It was then that the fun began, with the duo playing an inventive double one-two that allowed the No8 to burst into the Ghana area and hammer a low shot into the corner of the net, setting Les Aigles on the way to their first last-eight appearance in the competition since 1999. Memorable moments Cry me a river The sight of Attila Talaber slumped on the pitch at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium with his head between his legs and sobbing uncontrollably is undoubtedly one of the most moving of the tournament to date. After all, there can be few footballing fates quite as bad in football as scoring a decisive extra-time own goal in a world finals knockout match, especially when your side had come within seconds of victory in normal time. The Hungarian defender’s woe was triggered when he inadvertently sliced an attempted clearance over the head of his keeper Gyorgy Szekely and into the back of the net, gifting Serbia a 2-1 win. So distressed was the unfortunate Talaber that even Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz was moved to console him. Let’s hear it for Ibou There are few more appealing characters at New Zealand 2015 than Senegal goalkeeper Ibou Sy. With his orange-tipped hair, the extrovert custodian has a unique style between the posts, one that helped him keep out three penalties in the shootout that saw his side into the quarter-finals. Another impressive moment came in the second period of extra-time, however, when he thought nothing of racing up the pitch to lend a helping hand to his cramp-stricken opposite number Viktor Kovalenko, a gesture that earned him a much-deserved round of applause. Right said Zack Senegal are not the only team with a keeper capable of rising to the occasion. USA owe their place at New Zealand 2015 in part to their gloveman Zack Steffen, who kept out a penalty at a vital stage of their decisive qualifying match against El Salvador. The big keeper was at it again in Wellington. With nine minutes left and his side down to ten men, he got down smartly to his right once again to deny Jarlan Barrera from the spot and preserve his side’s precious 1-0 lead. The stat 18 - The number of FIFA U-20 World Cup matches that Ghana coach Sellas Tetteh has now taken charge of, putting him fourth on the all-time list, one ahead of former Spain boss Inaki Saez. His side’s defeat to Mali means Tetteh will have to wait at least two years before he can pull level with the third man on that list, Jesus Maria Pereda, who made 19 appearances in the Spain dugout. The words “This team have scored a lot of goals in the last few minutes of matches because they always keep going right down to the wire. We have 21 lions who play football with their hearts and give absolutely everything. When we equalised, I said to myself, 'This is ours to win'." Veljko Paunovic, Serbia coach. Next matchday Thursday, 11 June 2015 (all times local) Round of 16 Austria-Uzbekistan (16.00, Whangarei) Germany-Nigeria (16.00, Christchurch) Portugal-New Zealand (19.30, Hamilton) Brazil-Uruguay (19.30, New Plymouth) FIFA.COM[/b] |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by joseph1013: 2:16pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
[b][size=14pt]The Day's Games Review: Penalty heroes emerge amid late drama[/size] THE DAY REPLAYED – By the end of a day of great goals, late drama and goalkeeping heroics, Mali, USA, Serbia and Senegal had secured their places in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015. In an all-African affair in Wellington, Mali avenged their 3-0 defeat to Ghana in the match for third place at the CAF African U-20 Championships by the very same scoreline. The effervescent Malians capped a stylish performance with three superb goals as they ran out easy winners. A dogged Serbia were rewarded for their perseverance against Hungary, snatching a late equaliser to take the tie into extra-time, where they bounced back from having a man sent off to clinch victory with a late own goal. Despite firing 22 shots on goal to USA’s six, Colombia could not convert their attacking intent into goals, and were made to suffer when Rubio Rubin pounced on the hour-mark for the only goal of the game. Finally, Senegal produced another late recovery to level their tie with Ukraine at 1-1 with nine minutes of normal time remaining, with Sidy Sarr responsible for the first goal conceded by the eastern Europeans in 353 minutes of action here in New Zealand. The more adventurous of the two sides over two hours of football, the Africans were ultimately rewarded for their efforts thanks to the shootout exploits of keeper Ibou Sy, who saved three penalties. Results Ghana 0-3 Mali Serbia 2-1 Hungary (aet) USA 1-0 Colombia Ukraine 1-1 Senegal (PSO 1-3) Goal of the day Ghana-Mali 0-1, Diadie Samassekou (20) Mali’s ball-playing entertainers lit up a windy Wellington with a delightful move that began when Diadie Samassekou drifted in from the right and pushed a pass through to Adama Traore just outside the box. It was then that the fun began, with the duo playing an inventive double one-two that allowed the No8 to burst into the Ghana area and hammer a low shot into the corner of the net, setting Les Aigles on the way to their first last-eight appearance in the competition since 1999. Memorable moments Cry me a river The sight of Attila Talaber slumped on the pitch at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium with his head between his legs and sobbing uncontrollably is undoubtedly one of the most moving of the tournament to date. After all, there can be few footballing fates quite as bad in football as scoring a decisive extra-time own goal in a world finals knockout match, especially when your side had come within seconds of victory in normal time. The Hungarian defender’s woe was triggered when he inadvertently sliced an attempted clearance over the head of his keeper Gyorgy Szekely and into the back of the net, gifting Serbia a 2-1 win. So distressed was the unfortunate Talaber that even Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz was moved to console him. Let’s hear it for Ibou There are few more appealing characters at New Zealand 2015 than Senegal goalkeeper Ibou Sy. With his orange-tipped hair, the extrovert custodian has a unique style between the posts, one that helped him keep out three penalties in the shootout that saw his side into the quarter-finals. Another impressive moment came in the second period of extra-time, however, when he thought nothing of racing up the pitch to lend a helping hand to his cramp-stricken opposite number Viktor Kovalenko, a gesture that earned him a much-deserved round of applause. Right said Zack Senegal are not the only team with a keeper capable of rising to the occasion. USA owe their place at New Zealand 2015 in part to their gloveman Zack Steffen, who kept out a penalty at a vital stage of their decisive qualifying match against El Salvador. The big keeper was at it again in Wellington. With nine minutes left and his side down to ten men, he got down smartly to his right once again to deny Jarlan Barrera from the spot and preserve his side’s precious 1-0 lead. The stat 18 - The number of FIFA U-20 World Cup matches that Ghana coach Sellas Tetteh has now taken charge of, putting him fourth on the all-time list, one ahead of former Spain boss Inaki Saez. His side’s defeat to Mali means Tetteh will have to wait at least two years before he can pull level with the third man on that list, Jesus Maria Pereda, who made 19 appearances in the Spain dugout. The words “This team have scored a lot of goals in the last few minutes of matches because they always keep going right down to the wire. We have 21 lions who play football with their hearts and give absolutely everything. When we equalised, I said to myself, 'This is ours to win'." Veljko Paunovic, Serbia coach. Next matchday Thursday, 11 June 2015 (all times local) Round of 16 Austria-Uzbekistan (16.00, Whangarei) Germany-Nigeria (16.00, Christchurch) Portugal-New Zealand (19.30, Hamilton) Brazil-Uruguay (19.30, New Plymouth) FIFA.COM[/b] |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by Icon4s(m): 2:59pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
mackfame: Bulbwa kept Iheanacho on d bench -during 2013 CAF U17 Qualifiers -And also during d 2013 CAF U17 Championship -Iheanacho got his first appearance in d tourney in d 1-0 lose to CIV when he came in as a 2nd half sub for d less than impressive Bulbwa. -Iheanacho started in d 3rd game against Congo and d sebsequent semi and final game. -Iheanacho scored 4goals in d 3games he played -Bulbwa failed d MRI before d FIFA U17 WC and nacho pined down d shirt. -Fast forward to U20 & Bulbwa is back keeping Iheanacho on d bench during d AYC qualifiers. -Mancity did nt release Iheanacho for d AYC and Bulbwa pined down d shirt. -Now dey are both in d team and Bulbwa is benching Iheanacho again. Does this nt mean dat Bulbwa is more useful to d team dan Iheanacho? 1 Like |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by linked: 3:17pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
Hmm... My favourite Ifeanyi or in-form Sokari... . Who ganna start?... . Well #manuknowsbest |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by tbaba1234: 3:25pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
Ibrahima sy reminds me of mexico former keeper jorge Campos. 2 Likes |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 3:30pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
safarigirl:Senegal's goalie, Sy saved 3 penalties. that keeper is superb. guy is good 1 Like |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by mikron(m): 3:31pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
ajf:that is if uruguay brazils nemesis never remove them in the round of 16. i believe brazil will be on their way home |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by tbaba1234: 3:35pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
For those to young to remember Jorge campos, one of my favorite keepers of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk-k2DW65c8&feature=youtube_gdata_player The video does not do him justice, most eccentric keeper of all time. Sy reminds me of him. 3 Likes |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by AIG07: 3:48pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
mikron:Thanks mon ami. I think shuttling btw d SFE n SF thread caused t. |
Re: Flying Eagles of Nigeria Thread: U-20 World Cup (New Zealand 2015) by joseph1013: 3:50pm On Jun 10, 2015 |
[b][size=14pt]Sub Saponjic is Serbia's saviour[/size] It was a decision that took Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic just 60 seconds to make, yet it could not have proved more decisive for his team’s hopes at the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015. Hungary were still celebrating the 57th-minute Bence Mervo strike that had put them 1-0 up in their Round of 16 tie in Dunedin, when Paunovic turned to the bench and called on his No7. After a few words and a couple of encouraging pats on the back, the next time the ball went out of play on went Ivan Saponjic in place of Filip Jankovic. The youngest player in the White Eagles’ squad, at the age of just 17, Saponjic thus joined the fray on 58 minutes to add his weight to an attack that had tried everything – only to be denied time and again by a Hungarian keeper, Gyorgy Szekely, in inspired form. Come the 91st minute, however, the rangy young striker, measuring in at 1.92m, would finally break Szekely’s resistance. “I saw the ball dropping between three defenders [from a corner], and with little twist of my head I managed to get a header away and into the net,” said Saponjic in an exclusive chat with FIFA.com. “Beforehand I had a feeling that I was going to get a goal,” continued the FK Partizan Belgrade front-man, whose last-gasp effort sent the match into extra time. “I’m very happy for the team and, of course, on a personal note too. We deserved this win: we’d been the better team on the pitch, we looked brighter, and I’m very happy that ended up being reflected in the scoreline.” Up against it The wind should thus have been in Serbia’s sails for the added 30 minutes, but that changed after Milan Gajic was dismissed for a second yellow card shortly after Saponjic’s equaliser. In their fourth game in just eleven days, Paunovic’s charges thus needed to tackle the whole of extra time with ten men... “The coach told us that we had to play the way we always do, that nothing needed to change with a man down,” revealed Saponjic. “He said we had to show the same character and the same passion we’d shown in all our games. There were no tactical changes, he just asked me to play a little bit deeper to help out my colleagues defensively.” I think we deserved it because we showed a lot of heart. Today we gave everything. Ivan Saponjic, Serbia forward on his side's victory over Hungary. The first half of extra time came and went without further movement on the scoreboard and though Serbia did cede some of the initiative, plenty of attacking intent still remained. No more so than via Saponjic who, even when surrounded by up to six opponents, never stopped offering himself as an outlet whenever his side had possession. And with the match seemingly drawing to a conclusion once more, Saponjic, this time aided by a helping hand from Lady Luck, again provided a decisive intervention. Picking up the ball on the right flank in the 118th minute, the youngster drove forward before aiming a low cross at team-mate Mijat Gacinovic. The ball flicked up off the boot of Hungary defender Attila Talaber and looped into the back of the net. “Right at the end we got lucky with the own goal,” admitted Saponjic. “But I think we deserved it because we showed a lot of heart. Today we gave everything, we put everything into it. We had a lot of shots at goal and in the end, with God’s help, we were rewarded with the win. Not just for how we played in this game, but for all the effort we’ve been putting in so far at this championship.” All of which meant a dramatic spectacle ended with wild celebrations on one side and deep sadness on the other. Serbia can now turn their thoughts to the quarter-finals, when they will meet USA in Auckland, while the Hungarians face a long, painful trip home. “This game will give us a huge boost,” said Saponjic, as the interview drew to a close. “Hungary gave us a very tough game, but that’s a positive thing. We picked up a lot of experience and we’re still chasing the title. I’m sure that all these feelings, all these emotions, will help us along the way.” FIFA.COM[/b] |
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