Thomas Plummer Men

By Thomas PlummerPosted on Posted in World Cup

With the end of the first round on Tuesday 19/6, the 2018 World Cup is already showing some signs. Of the 16 games played, the increase in the amount of penalties, but not goals, compared to the last World Cup stands out.

+ Meet the top scorers of all World Cups

+ Check out the best Memes from the Russian Cup

+ Find out which teams are favorites for the 2018 World Cup

Nine penalties were scored in 16 games, an average of 0.56 penalties per game, or one every two games, three of them (for France, Sweden and Peru) with the help of VAR. It took 25 games to reach this number of penalties in the 2014 World Cup.

The increase in penalties was not reflected in more goals in the first round of the group stage of this World Cup. It can be said that Peru's Cueva and Argentina's Messi, who both missed their kicks, contributed to this.

So far, 38 goals have been scored in 16 games, an average of 2.37 per game. In 2014, the first round ended with 49 goals, an average of 3.06 per game.

Check out the top scorers of World Cup 2018 below!

1. Harry Kane (England) 6 goals

Harry Kane shone in England's opening game against Tunisia, scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes and the second goal in stoppage time.

In the second match of the World Cup 2018, Harry kane made a hat trick, scoring three goals against Panama. The first and second were from a penalty kick and the third was with a shot from far away from Loftus-Cheek, the ball deflects off Kane and goes into the goal. The referee's doubt was regarding the position of the English striker, but ends up giving the goal to him.

The sixth goal came from a silly penalty, on Harry Kane, from a corner kick in the 9th minute of the match England vs. Colombia, in the round of 16. Harry Kane did not forgive. With the goal in normal time (the third penalty kick), Harry Kane reaches six goals in the World Cup, equaling Gary Lineker, England's record holder in a single World Cup (he was the goal scorer of the 1986 tournament).

2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 4 goals

The Portuguese star made his debut with a hat trick, scoring three goals against Spain and ensuring a draw for Portugal. With less than 4 minutes, Cristiano Ronaldo hits with category, takes away the goalkeeper and opens the score for Portugal. In the second goal, he receives a pass from Guedes on the edge of the area and hits a low shot, to the failure of the goalkeeper De Gea. To complete, CR7 closes the score with a beautiful shotfoul, in the 42nd minute.

In the second round, he scored the only goal that decided the match with a header against Morocco.

3. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) 4 goals

The top scorer in the history of the Belgian national team made his debut in the Russian Cup with the right foot. Lukaku scored his first goal with his head after a beautiful cross from De Bruyne. The forward even closed the scoring when he took advantage of Hazard's pass to tap the ball past goalkeeper Penedo.

In the second match, between Belgium and Tunisia, he scored two more goals: on a counter-attack, Mertens stole the ball on the right and left it to the number 9, who scored alone, and in the second, he received a good pass from Meunier in front of goal and made a great finish.

4. Denis Cheryshev (Russia) 4 goals

The Russian attacking midfielder scored twice on his debut, against Saudi Arabia, and once against Egypt, in Russia's 3-1 victory, and was named player of the match in both matches. Cheryshev ended his participation in the competition by opening the scoring for Russia in the first half against Croatia, with a left-footed shot, making his fourth goal in the competition.

It is worth remembering that the player only entered the World Cup because of the injury to Dzagoev (then the main player of the Russian national team) in the opening match against Saudi Arabia, was elected best player in the two matches of the host team, and has already become the main name of the sensation team of the competition.

5. Mbappé (France) 4 goals

The striker, only 19 years old, appeared when the match was tied and within four minutes ensured France's qualification for the World Cup quarterfinals.

Mbappé is now the youngest player to score twice in a World Cup match since none other than Pelé, the Brazilian soccer legend did it twice, back in 1958.

More than that, the two are the only two in history with a two-goal game in World Cup knockout matches. The young star's first goal was scored against Peru in the match that secured their place.

The striker's last goal came in the final of the tournament, against Croatia, when Hernández made a beautiful move down the left side and played a pass to Mbappé, who scored the fourth goal.

6. Griezmann - 4 goals

So far, Griezmann is the top scorer in France's decisive matches. His first goal was a penalty kick in the opening match against Australia.

The second was in the goal-filled game against Argentina, where he opened the scoring by converting another penalty, and the last one was when Muslera swallowed a chicken-shot from Griezmann's unpretentious shot, compromising the Uruguayan reaction and decreeing the French victory.

His last goal in the Cup was in the final, when Griezmann scored from a penalty kick after a VAR consultation, and hit it straight to the left corner of Subasic, who fell to his right, making it 2-1.

7. Diego Costa (Spain) 3 goals

The Brazilian-born Spanish striker scored twice in the opening game against Portugal and another against Iran in the second match.

Diego Costa has not only joined a select group, but has taken over the "top scorer" position of Brazilians who have scored for foreign teams in World Cups.

8. Cavani (Uruguay) 3 goals

In the Round of 16, Cavani was decisive not only with two goals, but in securing Uruguay's victory against Portugal.

In the seventh minute of the first half, Cavani opened with Suarez on the left, who controlled with his chest and crossed to the head of his attacking partner. In the second, Suarez set up a counterattack, which ended with Cavani scoring his second with a beautiful shot into the corner of Rui Patrício's goal.

9. Dzyuba (Russia) - 3 goals

Treated like a Russian "Brocador", the big striker of 1.96m scored two goals in two World Cup matches, against Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In the round of 16, against Spain, he successfully concluded the penalty kick!

10. Y Mina (Colombia) - 3 goals

The World Cup's top scorer is responsible for Colombia's advance to the knockout stage. against Poland, the former Palmeiras player received a perfect cross from James Rodriguez, rose higher than anyone and from up high headed the ball into the back of the net. against Senegal, after Cuadrado's corner kick, Mina rose higher than the defense, scored his second goal of the World Cup andguaranteed the classification of the Cafeteros.

In the Round of 16, he scored Colombia's equalizing goal against England!

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