A week at the World Cup and my search for a goal

When Davy Klaassen swept home to score against Senegal, little did I know the impact it should have had on me at this World Cup. That goal, the second of a 2-0 win for the Netherlands in Group A on the tournament’s first Monday, would be the last I would see for nearly four days.

It has been a tournament of 0-0 draws – five up to this point, more than halfway through it. This reporter in Doha has been at four of them.

First came Denmark and Tunisia, an often lively game played out against a deafening backdrop of African drums for the duration. Next was Morocco and Croatia a day later, a far less exciting encounter, the less said about it the better.

The third pitted two of the more exciting teams in the tournament, Uruguay and South Korea, both blessed as they are with big-name attacking talent all over the pitch. But, alas, for anyone watching or reporting, little of note transpired, both sides instead seemingly fearing defeat too much to go all out for victory.

Meanwhile, all around me goals were flying in: colleague Miguel Delaney an early eye-witness to a 4-1 and a 7-0. Richard Jolly and Mark Critchley, also part of The Independent team in Doha, joined Miguel for England’s 6-2 opening rout of Iran.

To Thursday then and Brazil’s arrival on this grandest of stages. Surely the Selecao, the five-time winners and favourites for a sixth wouldn’t let me down? A bits and pieces first-period against Serbia passed though, a seventh goalless half in succession I had witnessed since that 99th-minute Klaassen strike. Then, at last, it came. If the first goal in almost four days wasn’t a classic – a tap-in by Tottenham striker Richarlison to open the scoring for Brazil – the second certainly was.

Flicking the ball up and pausing for a split-second before leaping into the air and firing over his shoulder and into the net, Richarlison doubled his tally with one of the goals of this or any World Cup. My own personal goal drought was over in emphatic fashion. It was worth the wait.

Yours,

Ben Burrows

Sports editor