World Cup - Matchday 9

Welcome to another WhoReps look at the 2018 World Cup. Today we'll be recapping Friday's slate of games and looking ahead to tomorrow's matches! Enjoy.
                                            
One of the great spectacles of a World Cup, and really of any major global competition, is seeing international conflict harmlessly played out on the pitch. Where once there was bloodshed, there is now celebration. Friday's match between Switzerland and Serbia had more than enough of both for media around the world to devour. Things aren't just forgotten. 

When Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri put home a 90th minute goal to give his side a late 2-1 victory, it reverberated for reasons far beyond the World Cup and far beyond football. Shaqiri, like several players on the Swiss national team, was born in what was then Yugoslavia and what currently constitutes part of Serbia. Ethnically Albanian, his family fled persecution and growing violence amidst the Yugoslav Wars. While he escaped, much of his family wasn't so lucky. To put it very kindly, what is now Serbia was not particularly welcoming to the minority Albanians of the era. Leading his Swiss side out of the group stage at the World Cup against them is the best revenge he could hope for.
 
But Shaqiri's immediate family was fortunate. They were able to get out early and live relatively peaceful lives in the Alps. His countryman now and then, Granit Xhaka, wasn't as lucky. Xhaka's father, a student, became a political prisoner for protesting the Communist government. Relocating to Switzerland, both he and Shaqiri have embraced their second homes and become some of the greatest Swiss players of their generation. Xhaka blasted in a rocket equalizer in the second half, and then flashed the Albanian eagle pictured above. Shaqiri followed suit after his deciding goal. It may draw some controversy, given that they aren't actually playing for Albania, but some things are bigger than football.

In St. Petersburg, Brazil escaped a Costa Rican side clearly playing for a tie, which they nearly got. Philippe Coutinho put an extra time goal past the great Keylor Navas that eliminated the Costa Ricans and, more importantly, ensured the World Cup goes another matchday without a 0-0 draw. Neymar snuck in another in the 97th minute to provide the final 2-0 margin. Brazil is almost certainly through the group stage. 
 
Earlier, Nigeria handled Iceland with an ease that reminded us why the tiny island nation was such a lovable underdog to begin with. Ahmed Musa first put the Nigerians in command with a beautiful strike just after halftime. Then he doubled the Super Eagles' lead with a more casual touch later, after keeper Hannes Halldorsson got off his line. A missed penalty in the second half by midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson doomed Iceland. Musa becomes the highest scoring Nigerian in World Cup history, thanks to today's showing in addition to the two goals he put home during the tournament's 2014 edition.  

Nigeria's next match, against disappointing Argentina, is now for all the marbles. Win and you're on to the knockout rounds. Stay tuned to WhoReps' as we recap it all!