Nigeria and Spain win, host Colombia surprise France
THE FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place in Colombia began group play last Friday, and the early rounds saw some favourites move ahead, a couple of sides thought out of the picture do well, and the host nation’s side get a big win. All in all, it was an exciting first weekend of the tournament.
Expected wins, surplus of draws Nigeria outplayed Guatemala for a 5-0 win, while Spain pushed over Costa Rica 4-1. Both clubs are considered favourites in the tournament, along with Argentina and Brazil.
The tournament had been mixed at best for the African teams prior to Nigeria taking to the pitch. South Korea beat Mali, and Cameroon was forced to settle at a draw with New Zealand.
Egypt did manage a draw with Brazil, which keeps them at a good position in Group E, where all sides played to a draw and the group sets at one point each.
Group B is in the same place, as Portugal and Uruguay managed a draw to join Cameroon and New Zealand. Group C had one win and a draw, showing Spain on top with three points with Australia and Ecuador holding one. The same balance is in place in Group F. Argentina defeated Mexico, while England and North Korea played to a draw.
Two upsets bring surprise wins.
There are two groups that have two first-match winners with three points each, and they both involve surprise wins. Group D has Nigeria on top, but right below them is Saudi Arabia, who pulled off a 2-0 win over Croatia, a side expected to do well in the tournament.
The biggest early upset came from the host nation, who trounced France 4-1. Colombia almost scored just two minutes in and had the run of the game early. Still, it was France who found the back of the net first. Gilles Sunu beat his marker and sent the ball powerfully in, shocking the Colombia crowd in the 21st minute.
It would take until the 30th minute for James Rodriguez to find the equaliser, and once brought even, Colombia again dominated the game.
A brace from Luis Muriel and the final goal added by Santiago Arias made for the final score. France had not only been favoured to do well, but to win the group. That’s a much tougher challenge now.
There are some important showdowns to come in group play, like when Nigeria face Saudi Arabia August 6 or the match between Colombia and South Korea one day before. It will also be interesting to see how France respond to the loss.
They play South Korea today. Another team to watch for more surprises are Egypt.  (Yahoo Sport)