SERBIA 1 COSTA RICA 0 (SAMARA)
A stunning free kick by Aleksandar Kolarov in the 56th minute gave Serbia the unlikely victory over Costa Rica. Despite being the lowest ranked nation of Group E (34), the European underdogs entered this match with confidence, taking over possession quickly. In the first half, the Serbian striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, alone, had more touches in the opposition box (seven), than the entire Costa Rica side combined (five). Minutes after the second half began, a frustrated David Guzman fouled Kolarov, handing Serbia a free kick in a threatening area. The Serbian skipper managed to capitalize the moment by perfectly curving the ball into the top corner of the goal. Though Costa Rica tried to retaliate by attempting three shots on target, Serbia’s dominance proved too powerful. Kolarov’s efforts mark the first ever goal in a match between these two nations, and Serbia’s first opening game victory since 1998.
MEXICO 1 GERMANY 0 (MOSCOW)
READ: MEXICO UPSET GERMANY 1-0
BRAZIL 1 SWITZERLAND 1 (Rostov-on-Don)
The 2014 World Cup hosts disappointed as they drew 1-1 against a resilient Switzerland in their opening game. In an attempt to reestablish themselves after their humiliating 2014 exit, Brazil adopted an offensive style of football from the start. The 20th minute saw Phillip Coutinho gain possession on the edge of the box and bend the ball beautifully to meet the back of the top right corner, earning Brazil a 1-0 lead. Switzerland trailed behind achieving merely one shot on target in 45 minutes. The halftime break proved vital for the European nation, who returned energized and ready to take on the Latin American giants. Not five minutes after the whistle, Xherdan Shaqiri fired in a powerful cross that allowed Steven Zuber to head the ball into the goal and equalize the match. Though Brazil managed to maintain 55% possession and achieve five shots on target, the World Cup favorites could not regain the lead.
