{"id":528999,"date":"2026-07-02T08:21:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T08:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/528999\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T08:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T08:21:08","slug":"senegal-left-sleepless-in-seattle-over-penalty-in-124th-minute-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/528999\/","title":{"rendered":"Senegal left sleepless in Seattle over penalty in 124th minute \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the World Cup<\/a> was taking its time to warm up, safe to say the knockout phase has been jammed with thrills and spills thus far, the latest batch of games producing no end of drama. A little more drama than England would have liked<\/a>, mind, with BBC commentator Guy Mowbray left wondering aloud whether they were on the verge of their worst ever World Cup defeat \u2013 even more humiliating than losing to the United States in 1950! \u2013 when they went a goal down to the Democratic Republic of Congo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Woeful defending and iffy goalkeeping had contributed to them falling behind as early as the seventh minute when Brian Cipenga put DR Congo ahead, a lead they came close to doubling when Yoane Wissa rattled the post just before half-time. <\/p>\n

Those first 45 minutes saw England at their abject worst. It\u2019s not that they didn\u2019t create chances, though, but goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was in a \u201cthou shalt not pass\u201d kind of mood, making a string of outstanding saves. <\/p>\n

Who else but Harry Kane came to the rescue with an equaliser in the 75th minute and a peach of a winner four minutes from time, just when extra-time was looming. As Mowbray put it: \u201cCry \u2013 \u2018God for Harry, England and St George!\u201d Mexico are up next for England … in Mexico City.<\/p>\n

If there was a dramatic ending to that game in Atlanta, it was put in the ha\u2019penny place next to events in Seattle<\/a>, where Belgium came from 2-0 down with four minutes to go to force extra-time against Senegal. And then they scored the latest goal in World Cup history to win it, Youri Tielemans\u2019 penalty clocked at 124 minutes 44 seconds. In time, Senegal will figure out how they lost that one, but it won\u2019t be any time soon. <\/p>\n

Next up for Belgium will be the United States, who saw off Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a> in Santa Clara to keep their party going, Folarin Balogun scoring on 45 minutes before Malik Tillman wrapped up their 2-0 win from a free-kick eight minutes from time.<\/p>\n

The considerable dampener on the triumph was the sending-off of Balogun with half an hour to go, the Monaco man becoming the first player to score and pick up a red card in the same World Cup game since a certain Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final. He deserved it too after he raked his studs down Tarik Muharemovic\u2019s calf after the pair got into a tangle. Still, the States are through, this their first knock-out win since 2002.<\/p>\n

Results: England 2 (Kane 75, 86), DR Congo 1 (Cipenga 7); Belgium 3 (Lukaku 86, Tielemans 89, 120+5 pen), Senegal 2 (Diarra 24, Sarr 51); United States 2 (Balogun 45, Tillman 82), Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.<\/p>\n

Goal of the day: It had to be Harry, eh? <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f 2-1 \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde9<\/p>\n

Harry Kane and England are not to be denied as the Bayern Munich man creates some space for himself before unleashing a world class finish beyond Mpasi<\/p>\n

Watch all 104 games from the #FIFAWorldCup<\/a> on RT\u00c9 pic.twitter.com\/tBmfmpa2XR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 RT\u00c9 Sport (@RTEsport) July 1, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Moment of the week: When your nation \u2013 Paraguay \u2013 is one penalty kick away from advancing to the last 16 of the World Cup, and in the process inflicting on Germany their first ever shoot-out defeat in the tournament, but the telly signal fails just as Jose Canale steps up and for one moment half the room has no clue whether he has scored. It brings a whole new meaning to \u201cfrom agony to ecstasy\u201d. <\/p>\n

Picture of the day: Your team is 2-0 up with four minutes to go and somehow manage to get knocked out of the World Cup. For these Senegal supporters gathered in Dakar to watch the game, it was the stuff of nightmares. <\/p>\n

\"SenegalSenegal supporters at a fan zone in Dakar after their team’s defeat to Belgium in the World Cup on Wednesday. Photograph: Patrick Meinhardt \/ AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Question of the day: Which English Premier League club\u2019s players scored the most goals (seven) in the group stage of this World Cup? <\/p>\n

Coming up today: Spain v Austria, 8pm (RT\u00c9 2, BBC1), Portugal v Croatia, 12am (RT\u00c9 2, BBC1), Switzerland v Algeria, 4am (RT\u00c9 2, UTV).<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in sport: In advance of this weekend\u2019s All-Ireland hurling semi-finals, Ciar\u00e1n Murphy wonders whether we\u2019re all being a bit presumptuous about the inevitability of a Limerick v Cork final<\/a> \u2013 could Galway and\/or Clare produce a twist in the tale yet? Gordon Manning looks at the shape Galway are in ahead of their meeting with Cork, elder Tribesman Conor Whelan<\/a> leading them from the front.<\/p>\n

Gerry Thornley previews Ireland\u2019s Nations Championship game against Australia<\/a> in Sydney, Andy Farrell making five changes to the team that started the final Six Nations game, and hears from Jack Conan<\/a> ahead of the encounter. <\/p>\n

Answer to question: Sunderland. There were three goals from the Netherlands\u2019 Brian Brobbey and one each from Granit Xhaka (Switzerland), Habib Diarra (Senegal), Wilson Isidor (Haiti) and Nilson Angulo (Ecuador).<\/p>\n