Clinical Germany enter quarters
Skipper Jann-Fiete Arp struck a brace as a clinical Germany outplayed Colombia 4-0 in a Round-of-16 fixture of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Apart from striker Arp (seventh and 65th minutes), Yann Bisseck (39th minute) and John Yehboa (49th minute) found the back of the net to overpower Colombia. Germany will now take on the winner of the match between Brazil and Honduras. Germany pressed high from the beginning and, as a result, the Colombian defence succumbed in the seventh minute. Right winger John Yeboah got hold of an aerial ball and gave a brilliant pass to Arp, who missed the scoring opportunity at first touch as the goalkeeper Kevin Mier dived on the ball. But the ball wobbled out of Mier's hands and Arp grabbed the ball again and slammed into the net from a tight angle.
In the 33rd minute, Germany got a good opportunity to increase the lead when Dennis Jastrzembski got a brilliant chance but he was denied by the cross-bar.
But six minutes later, Basseck made it 2-0 after rising high to meet a corner and head the ball home.
The second half saw more fierce attacks by the German players. Yehboah once again came into the limelight when he scored in the 49th minute. Arp moved to the left of the Colombian box before cutting it back to Yehboah, who just had tap it in to make it 3-0.
Colombia, failing to step up the pressure, continued with the same strategy and soon conceded one more goal. In the 65th minute, Germany's skipper Arp capitalised on a defensive error from Giellermo Tegue at the right midfield and charged towards the Colombian box before dinking over Colombian keeper Mier's right shoulder to score his second goal of the match.
USA crush Paraguay to enter quarters
Striker Tim Weah lived upto his famous surname with a spectacular hat-trick that enabled the United States of America rout Paraguay 5-0 in the pre quarter-final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Delhi.
In a fast-paced encounter, the Americans put up their best performance of the tournament to make it to their sixth quarterfinals of the U-17 showpiece event.
Weah, son of former AC Milan and Liberian legend George Weah showed why Paris Saint-Germain have decided to invest in his talent.
USA had finished third in Group A while Paraguay had topped Group B and today's pre-quarterfinal match was expected to be a tight one but in the end it turned out to be a completely one-sided match as the South American side never seemed to turn up.
Weah struck in the 19th, 53rd and 77th minutes while Andrew Carleton and captain Josh Sargent joined the American party in the 63rd and 74th minute in front of the 34,895 spectators at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
USA, who had beaten India 3-0 in their campaign opener, will now play the winner of tomorrow's pre-quarterfinal match between England and Japan. The quarterfinals will be held Margao on October 21.
