FIFA World Cup 2018 :Group matches were a pack of surprises

Upsets were galore, new records were written, 122 goals were scored, defending champions Germany was ousted and several new beginnings made in the group matches of the FIFA World Cup 2018 that came to an end on Thursday.

After a days’ rest, second round matches will start on Saturday.

Eighteen goals from penalties – highest in any of previous World Cup finals and eight “own” goals have made the current  FIFA World Cup different.

“Own goals” – eight – emerged as the single largest scorer. England skipper Harry Kane is next with five goals while skipper of Portugal C. Ronaldo has four goals to his credit. He has joined select band of those soccer players who have scored goals in each of four World Cups they played.

1. Ronaldo of Portugal scored the first hat-trick of the tournament. He and Lionel Messi (Argentina) were also in headlines for missing penalties.

Asian champions Iran, Saudi Arabia and South Korea failed to advance to the round of 16. Japan after losing its last game against Poland, made it to the next round because of its Fair Play standing in the tournament.

In the pre quarterfinals, 16 qualifiers have been divided into four clusters like A and B, C and D, E and F, G and H.

Winner of one group will play against number two team of the other group.

Here are some interesting statistics from the group stages in Russia:

* Most Own Goals: 9

* Most Penalties Awarded: 24

* Most Penalties Converted: 18

* Total no. of goals in Group stages: 122

* Most Game-Winning Goals in 90th Minute or Later in Regulation: 8

* Only two teams got zero points: Egypt and Panama

* Lowest points to qualify for knockout stages: 4 (Argentina and Japan)

* First country in history to qualify via Fair Play Decision: Japan

* Teams qualifying with -ve point difference: Argentina (-2), Mexico (-1)

* Only one Asian country in elimination Rounds: Japan

* Top goal scorer in Group Stage: Harry Kane (5)

* Joint-top assisters in Group Stages: Juan Quintero, James Rodriguez, Aleksander  Golovin, Viktor Claesson, Carlos Sanchez, Youri Tielemans and Toni Kroos (2)

* Teams that won all three group stage matches: Belgium, Croatia, and Uruguay

* Teams that drew most matches: Denmark, Portugal, and Spain (2)

* Only goalkeeper to not concede a single goal in Group Stages: Fernando Muslera, Uruguay

* Players sent off in Group Stages(Red Cards): Carlos Sanchez (Colombia), Jerome Boateng (Germany), Igor Smolnikov (Russia)

* Lowest attendance in a match: Egypt vs Uruguay (27,015)

* Only South American nation to be eliminated from Group Stage: Peru

* Germany eliminated in the Group Stage of a World Cup for the first time

* First time since 1982, no African nation in knockout stages

Qualifiers for round of 16

Uruguay (winners  Group A)(b Egypt 1-0, b Saudi Arabia 1-0, b Russia 3-0)

Russia (runners-up Group  A)(b Saudi Arabia 5-0,b Egypt 3-1, lost to Uruguay 0-3)

Spain (winners Group B)(drew with Portugal 3-3, b Iran 1-0, drew with Morocco 2-2)

Portugal (runners-up Group B)(drew with Spain 3-3,b Morocco 1-0,drew with Iran 1-1)

France (winners Group C)(b Australia 2-1,b Peru 1-0, drew with Denmark 0-0)

Denmark (runners-up Group C)(b Peru 1-0,drew with Australia 1-1,drew with France 0-0)

Croatia (winners Group D)(b Nigeria 2-0,b Argentina 3-0,b Iceland 2-1)

Argentina (runners-up Group D)(drew with Iceland 1-1,lost to Croatia 0-3,b Nigeria 2-1)

Brazil (winners Group E)(drew with Switzerland 1-1,b Costa Rica 2-0,b Serbia 2-0)

Switzerland (runners-up Group E)(drew with Brazil 1-1,b Serbia 2-1,drew with Costa Rica 2-2)

Sweden (winners Group F)(b Korea 1-0,lost to Germany 1-2, b Mexico 3-0)

Mexico (runners-up Group F)(b Germany 1-0,b Korea 2-1, lost t Sweden 0-3)

Belgium (winners Group G)(b Panama 3-0, b Tunisia 5-2,b England 1-0)

England (runners-up Group G)(b Tunisia 2-1,b Panama 6-1,lost to Belgium 0-1)

Colombia (winners Group H)(lost to Japan 1-2,b Poland 3-0,b Senegal 1-0)

Japan (runners-up Group H)(b Columbia 2-1,drew with Senegal 2-2,lost to Poland  0-1)(qualified on basis of Fair Play)

Other eye catchers:

Debutants in World Cup Finals 2018 : Iceland, Panama. Both were eliminated in group matches.

First Hat-trick of 2018 World Cup: C. Ronaldo (Portugal) against Saudi Arabia

2500^th World Cup Finals goal:Fakhereedine Bon Youssef (Tunisia) against Panama

Lionel Messi (Argentina) missed a penalty against Iceland

1. Ronaldo (Portugal) missed penalty against Iran

Henry Kane (England) scored two penalty goals against Panama