Carlos Casemiro scored the only goal for Brazil as the South American giants beat Switzerland in their second match of the FIFA World Cup on Sunday night and secured their place in the tournament’s Round of 16 with two wins from two games. Following the match played at Doha’s Stadium 974, Brazil are now top of the points table in Group G with six points from two matches. Switzerland are right behind them with three points, while Serbia and Cameroon have a point each after their thrilling 3-3 draw earlier in the day.  Brazil headed to this match without their main star Neymar who sustained a blow to his ankle in their World Cup opener. Tite’s men felt the absence of Neymar throughout the match.  It was assumed that a Brazil team without Neymar would not win a match easily against an opponent like Switzerland.  Read More: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Mohammed Kudus scores winner as Ghana beat South Korea in five-goal thriller Vinicius Jr won a free kick early in the match. He was running unopposed down the left flank. All of a sudden, he was stopped by only a Swiss foul. Richarlison, the hero of Brazil’s first win, took the free kick that passed over everyone.  Legendary Brazilian striker RonaldoI, as well as Cafu and Roberto Carlos, the best-ever fullback pairing for the Selecao, all of them World Cup winners in 2002, were seen in the gallery of the 974 stadium. That might have inspired Brazilian supporters to come in full voice in the gallery. The Swiss supporters were outnumbered in this match in the venue. Richarlison ran well behind the Swiss defense. In the 14th minute of the match, Paqueta fed him with an outside of the boot flick, but Richarlison failed to reach Vinicius Jr in the middle. It was a really lovely piece of play from the men of Tite.  After a few minutes into the game, Switzerland had a good platform in the center of the pitch after a foul by Casemiro. They took a free kick that was not strong enough to reach Brazil’s net. Switzerland were a bit wasteful whenever they reached Brazil’s half.  Brazil were slightly better than Switzerland in the first half of the game. But the Swiss also grew into the game.  Coming into the second half of the match, Brazil got brighter and they kept attacking relentlessly.  Read More: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Cameroon, Serbia share points as match ends in 3-3 draw In the 66th minute, Vinicius Jr looked like he put Brazil in front with a neat finish, but his strike was ruled out for an offside in the build-up. Brazil did not stop there. They eventually scored in the 83rd minute when the ball fell to Casemiro inside the box and the midfielder lashed home an audacious first-time finish with the outside of his boot.  The Casemiro goal came as a sigh of relief for the Brazilians as they managed to get over the line in this game against Switzerland, leaving nothing to chance in their remaining group game, for which Neymar will again be missing. The Paris Saint Germain star is expected to be fighting to be fit for the knockout phase games.

The match was anticipated to be intense because both sides were fighting for victory. Ghana and South Korea did not disappoint football fans with their aggressive displays. The African side, Ghana, finally came out as winners against South Korea thanks to Mohammed Kudus' goal in the 68th minute. Ghana's chances of advancing to the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 have enhanced as a result of this victory. World Cup 2022: Ghana vs South Korea The match between Korea and Ghana was expected to be an exciting one because both teams were searching for three points to move up the Group H points table. South Korea dominated possession of the ball, but Ghana was always a real threat going forward, especially on counterattacks. Read More: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Cameroon, Serbia share points as match ends in 3-3 draw Ghana had frequently found enough room in the Korean defense to equalize as the Asian side couldn't maintain discipline in their back line due to their ultra-aggressive approach. In doing so, Ghana stunned the Korean side by scoring two consecutive goals in the space of ten minutes in the first half. The first came from a tangled situation involving a cross ball from the left wing, where multiple players on both sides attempted to get a touch, but Mohammed Salisu of Ghana eventually slammed it into the back of the net. Ten minutes later, Mohammed Kudus headed the ball to the net after receiving another cross from the left wing. The Ghanaian side was in relief after taking a 2-0 lead at the end of the first half. Ghana didn't realize that South Korea would come out with even more aggression in the second half and, more importantly, that they would be able to score two goals in quick succession. Korea found the net twice in the space of four minutes, as Cho Gue-Sung's brace helped his side make the score 2-2. However, Mohammed Kudus regained Ghana's lead in the match after just seven minutes, and it held up to the very end. Read More: Portugal vs Uruguay FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where and how to watch online and on TV Channel, predicted XI Aftermath Both Ghana and South Korea wanted victory from this contest, so they were gearing up to go all the way against each other. However, Ghana eventually defeated South Korea in a high-scoring 3-2 game to advance to second place in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Group H point standings.

The Netherlands is on the verge of reaching the knockout stage at the World Cup and an overwhelming favorite in its final Group A match on Tuesday against host nation Qatar. If the Dutch advance it will put more focus on 71-year-old coach Louis van Gaal, who stepped out of retirement just over a year ago to take over the national team while being treated for aggressive prostate cancer. Host nation Qatar has lost its first two matches and already missed its chance to move on from the group stage. But coach Felix Sanchez says his team will be prepared to face one of soccer’s traditional powers. “When you play against a team such as the Netherlands, you don’t need any motivation,” Sanchez said. “It’s a challenge for our players to face such a team.” “This was a very demanding group for us,” Sanchez added. “We’ve competed with our ups and downs. We’d have preferred to be in a better situation.” For the Netherlands a draw will suffice to advance and put the team into contention again in a World Cup after failing to qualify four years ago. The Dutch could even get through with a loss if Ecuador beats Senegal in the other Group A match. In the round of 16, the Netherlands would face one of the top two teams from Group B, where England is the favorite with Iran, Wales, and the United States scrambling for a spot. Van Gaal said before the World Cup that the Netherlands can win it all, although few see this as one of the country’s best teams. He repeated it on the eve of the Qatar game. “I think you always have to identify the goal, the purpose for which you are here, and then you can work your way toward that purpose. If you say ‘well, the round of 16 is enough, the quarterfinals are enough’, that isn’t the right way to do things,” Van Gaal said. “The right way to do things is to think you will become champions,” Van Gaal added. “I never said that we’re going to become world champions, but that we can become this.” He has reason to be optimistic. The Netherlands is on a 17-game unbeaten run since Van Gaal returned to lead the team for the third time. No powerful soccer nation has come up short at the World Cup as often as the Dutch, who have been the runners-up three times: in 1974 against West Germany, in 1978 facing Argentina, and in 2010 vs. Spain. The Dutch also finished third in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after losing a shootout against Argentina in the semifinals. After being out of the game for several years, Van Gaal came out of retirement and replaced Frank de Boer in August of 2021. He said he did it out of duty. “Because, simply, no one else was available at that time,” Van Gaal said. Van Gaal’s matter-of-fact courage has to be a motivator for the Dutch. But he might also stir up Qatar. Earlier this year the outspoken Van Gaal said it was “ridiculous” holding the World Cup in Qatar, a tiny country of 3 million. Qatar’s vast wealth is fueled by natural gas and oil. “It’s ridiculous that we’re going to play in a country to — what does FIFA say? — to develop football there,” Van Gaal said, adding that Qatar is too small and lacks a soccer culture. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s about money, commercial interests. That’s what matters to FIFA,” Van Gaal added.  

Neymar stayed at the team hotel for physiotherapy treatment on his right ankle Monday as the Brazil squad played Switzerland at the World Cup. The Brazil striker was the only player who did not go to Stadium 974 for the team’s second match in Qatar. Danilo, who also missed the game because of an ankle injury, accompanied the rest of the squad to the stadium. Read: Qatari bathrobes’: German commentator under fire for disparaging remark about traditional attire Brazil coach Tite used midfielder Fred as Neymar’s replacement against Switzerland, while Éder Militão came in for Danilo in the right back position. Neymar damaged ankle ligaments in Brazil’s opening 2-0 win over Serbia on Thursday. He said he will play again at the World Cup but team doctors have not yet given a timetable on his recovery. The right ankle also kept Neymar from playing in the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. Five years earlier, he was taken out of the World Cup in Brazil after hurting his back in the quarterfinals against Colombia. Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatari fans hit back at Germany by recalling Özil in protest Neymar, trying to win his first major title with Brazil, is making his third World Cup appearance. He is two goals shy of Pelé’s all-time record of 77 with the national team. Brazil’s last group match is against Cameroon on Friday.

Touring Bangladesh women's cricket team conceded a seven-wicket defeat against hosts New Zealand XI in a tour match at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln Monday. Bangladesh team will play their second match against the same side Wednesday at the same venue. The visitors will play a three-match T20 series on December 2, 4 and 7, and a three-match ODI series on December 11, 14 and 17 against the Kiwis. In the day's match, Bangladesh batted first and were all out for 203 in the stipulated 50 overs with Ritu Moni scoring 80-ball 46 runs with four boundaries. Read: Bangladesh’s women cricketers on a roll Three Bangladesh batters – Murshida Khatun, captain Nigar Sultana and Fargana Haque – were allowed to bat twice in the match. Molly Penfold grabbed five wickets for 36 runs in her 10-over spell and Hannah Rowe took two wickets for 44 runs. Read: Women cricketers join individual training programme In reply, New Zealand reached their target, scoring 204 runs for the loss of three wickets, in 46.2 overs. But the Kiwis continued to bat and scored 228 runs for five in 50 overs. Opener Rebecca Burns and middle-order batter Thamsyn Newton made 46 and 45 runs, respectively. For Bangladesh, Ritu claimed two wickets for 26 runs in her six-over spell.

If England needs any added motivation ahead of its final World Cup group game against Wales on Tuesday, it only has to watch a certain video from 2016. Footage of Wales players celebrating wildly as their UK neighbor crashed out of the European Championship after losing to Iceland went viral at the time. England was humiliated. Wales, which lost 2-1 to the Three Lions in the group stage but went on to reach the semifinal, was jubilant. Much has changed since then — a point England forward Marcus Rashford made ahead of the Group B match. Read: Qatari bathrobes’: German commentator under fire for disparaging remark about traditional attire “I don’t think it takes a genius to see how we’ve improved since 2016. For me it feels like a completely different team. We’ve come on so much. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves along the way,” he said. “Back in 2016, if you look at that performance when we got knocked out the Euros, it is a million miles off where we are now. You cannot really compare the two situations.” That sentiment is backed up by England’s tournament performances over the last four years — reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018 and the final of last year’s European Championship, which it lost on penalties to Italy. England is among the favorites to triumph in Qatar and only needs a point against Wales to guarantee qualification to the knockout stages. Depending on goal difference, England could still progress even if it loses that match. Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatari fans hit back at Germany by recalling Özil in protest Bottom of the group with one point from its first two matches, Wales must win to have any chance of reaching the round of 16 at its first World Cup since 1958. “That’s the hurt at the moment,” said midfielder Joe Allen. “It’s a feeling of missed opportunity in the first two games.” “Our focus now moves onto getting on the training pitch, putting in the work and preparing for the performance of our lives against England,” he added. Wales will be looking for inspiration from Gareth Bale if it is to win against England for the first time since 1984. The Los Angeles FC forward came into the tournament on the back of just one game since the start of October and has looked labored in his performances. Meanwhile, England’s Harry Kane is yet to score at this World Cup and was off the pace in his team’s 0-0 draw with the United States after hurting his ankle in the previous game against Iran. The Golden Boot winner from 2018 is just three goals away from overtaking Wayne Rooney’s total of 53 to become his nation’s all time leading scorer. “He’s enjoying his football,” said Rashford. “But for any forward you want to be scoring goals. I’m sure if he keeps doing what he’s doing he’ll score.”

The crucial Group G match between Cameroon and Serbia ended in a 3-3 draw at Al Janoub Stadium today as both sides earned a point each. Cameroon have taken the third spot in the group's points table thanks to a better goal difference, while Serbia moved to the fourth spot. Both teams are still in the race for a top-two finish, which will secure a spot in the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Qatar World Cup 2022: Cameroon vs Serbia match report Serbia dominated the game, as expected, with a high percentage of ball possession, while the Cameroonian side was constantly eying to find a space in the Serbian defense to equalize. In fact, Cameroon scored the first goal of the match thanks to Jean-Charles Castelletto's 29th-minute strike. Read More: Portugal vs Uruguay FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where and how to watch online and on TV Channel, predicted XI Cameroon, however, could not maintain their lead for long. Strahinja Pavlovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored for Serbia in the first-half injury time and swung the momentum in their favour. Serbia continued their dominance in the second half, and it took only eight minutes for them to make the scoreline 3-1. This time, Aleksandar Mitrovic was the equalizer. At that point, Serbia were well and truly in control of the match and was the favourite to win it eventually. However, Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar came off the bench and did the job for his team by scoring a goal in the 63rd minute, followed by setting up another one for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the 66th minute to make the scoreline 3-3. Both sides tried to score the winning goal in the remaining time of the contest, but neither side was successful. Read More: Qatar World Cup 2022 Day 9: Neymar-less Brazil to face Switzerland, Ronaldo’s Portugal to take on Uruguay Aftermath The Cameroon vs Serbia match was important in the context of the Group G points table, which eventually ended in a 3-3 draw. Brazil and Switzerland should have been happy with the outcome as they are currently sitting in the first and second positions, respectively, with 3 points each in Group G of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Former Germany forward Sandro Wagner is under fire for a disparaging remark he made about Qatari men’s traditional attire while commentating for TV during Germany and Spain’s World Cup match on Sunday. Wagner was commentating on the teams’ 1-1 draw for German broadcaster ZDF when he said in the 79th minute he thought one end of the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor was full of German fans. READ: FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatari fans hit back at Germany by recalling Özil in protest “Only then did I realize that they are the Qatari bathrobes,” Wagner said Wagner was referring to the thaub, the traditional white full-length robes with long sleeves worn by many men in the region. Wagner’s comments led to furious reactions on social media. READ: England players' wives, girlfriends spend £20,000 at Qatar cruise liner party ZDF replied to some of the complaints on Twitter with a short statement: “Sandro Wagner’s comments about the thaub unfortunately occurred during an emotional phase of the game. He’s not permitted (to say that). We’ll talk about it.” Wagner previously made eight appearances for Germany and played for Bayern Munich among a host of German clubs. READ: US Soccer's gesture of support for Iranian protesters During the game, Qatari fans protested against the Germany team by covering the mouths while holding pictures of former Germany player Mesut Özil, a target for racist abuse in Germany following the team’s early exit from the World Cup in 2018.

Substitute Vincent Aboubakar scored one goal and created another as Cameroon rallied from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Serbia at the World Cup on Monday. He lobbed goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the 64th minute and then set up striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting two minutes later. The thrilling draw was the first game at the World Cup in Qatar in which both teams gave up a lead. But the result suited neither side. Read: Qatar World Cup 2022 Day 9: Neymar-less Brazil to face Switzerland, Ronaldo’s Portugal to take on Uruguay They each have one point after two Group G matches and either Brazil or Switzerland can qualify with a win when they meet later Monday. Cameroon led through central defender Jean-Charles Castelletto’s 29th minute tap-in but also conceded twice in quick succession. Strahinja Pavlovic scored the equalizer on a header in the first minute of first-half stoppage time and, two minutes later, midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic struck from 20 meters. Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic made it 3-1 in the 53rd at Al Janoub Stadium. Cameroon coach Rigobert Song dropped goalkeeper Andre Onana for the match. It was not immediately clear why Onana was left out amid reports it was for disciplinary reasons. Onana, who has 34 international caps and plays for Inter Milan, responded by posting the lineup on Instagram. His absence overshadowed a fine comeback performance when all the talk should have been about Aboubakar. Aboubakar, the top scorer at last year’s African Cup of Nations, turned the game when he came off the bench in the 55th minute. Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Croatia down Canada 4-1 First, he calmly guided the ball over goalkeeper Milinkovic-Savic. The goal was given offside but awarded following a video review. Then, a quick break sliced open the Serbian defense as Aboubakar sprinted down the right and squared the ball to give Choupo-Moting an easy goal. Both sides lost their opening games, with Serbia beaten 2-0 by Brazil and Cameroon losing 1-0 to Switzerland. Cameroon took the lead when Pierre Kunde’s corner from the left was flicked on by Nicolas Nkoulou to the back post and found his fellow central defender Castelletto unmarked. Castelletto dropped to his knees to kiss the grass then pointed to the sky, as the entire bench swarmed across the field to engulf him in celebration. The Serbian bench did the same when central defender Pavlovic headed the equalizer from a free kick by Dusan Tadic. Serbia’s second goal came after Napoli’s highly-rated midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa got into a tangle trying to clear the ball. The ball found its way to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic on the edge of the penalty area, who shot into the bottom right corner. Mitrovic then made no mistake as Serbia prized open Cameroon with three passes and he stroked the ball into an empty net for his seventh goal in six games for his nation and 51st overall. Then it was the turn of Serbia’s defense to fall apart.

After his exit from Manchester United, football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has received a three-year contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr club worth $225 million following the Qatar World Cup - allowing him to continue playing into his 40s, according to CBS Sports. Ronaldo is now a free agent after Manchester United terminated his contract recently, and Al Nassr and other Middle Eastern clubs have long been interested in signing him. As the 37-year-old entered his fifth tournament, CBS Sports reported in August that his interest would stretch beyond the World Cup 2022. He had expressed a desire to compete at the best level in Europe. Ronaldo scored in his fifth World Cup during Portugal’s opening match against Ghana, breaking another record on the international stage. Read: Ronaldo's next club options after leaving Manchester United Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr believes that Ronaldo would be eager to pioneer new territory after the tournament, and after in-depth discussions with his representation, sources close to the club claim that interest is “stronger than ever.” Ronaldo is reportedly being offered terms worth $75 million year. As a result of the summer’s initial contact, it is believed that negotiations are somewhat advanced but are still pending Ronaldo’s final choice. According to sources cited by CBS Sports, a transaction would be completed quickly if he decided to accept the offer. Ronaldo requested to leave Manchester United in the summer, but none of Europe’s top teams were eager to give him the opportunity to play in the Champions League. It seems unlikely that the market has expanded among the continent’s elite following an explosive interview with Talk TV in which he accused Manchester United of “betraying” him and said he did not respect head coach Erik ten Hag. Read: England players' wives, girlfriends spend £20,000 at Qatar cruise liner party One of the most successful clubs in Asia and Saudi Arabia, Al Nassr won nine league championships and advanced to the AFC Champions League final in 1995. Ronaldo has also been connected to their fierce rival Al Hilal. It is believed that Al Nassr’s offer is the sole official contract that has been made to the Portugal international, whose future is anticipated to be decided after the Qatar World Cup. Ronaldo found it difficult to have a significant impact on Manchester United’s success after switching from Juventus in the summer of 2021. Despite the fact that he led the team in scoring last season with 24 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions, United dropped from second to sixth in the Premier League. Ronaldo was reduced to a supporting position after Erik ten Hag was hired, starting only four matches in the top division. The veteran striker had been engaged in several other incidents before the interview that caused him to leave, including leaving the field early during a preseason friendly and refusing to enter the game as a substitute in a loss to Tottenham. Cristiano Ronaldo is known to be an ambitious player who likes to compete at the highest level and win big things, whether on a personal level or for his team. Playing in a completely new territory at the age of nearing 40, where he doesn't have prior experience, could be a real challenge for the Portuguese superstar. But Cristiano always likes to take on challenges, and most often he comes out as a winner. Now, it will be interesting to see whether Ronaldo accepts Saudi club Al Nassr's mammoth $225 million offer after confirming his exit from English club Manchester United last week. Read More: Qatar World Cup 2022 Day 9: Neymar-less Brazil to face Switzerland, Ronaldo’s Portugal to take on Uruguay