Portugal 4 - Northern Ireland 2; Russia 4 - Luxembourg 1

Russia hoped a home date with Luxembourg in Kazan could right their ship after two consecutive qualifying losses.  This match will be remembered as the attack of the Alexander.  Alexander Kerzhakov headed a ball with two men covering him into the path of Alexander Kokorin.  Kokorin saw the Luxembourg netminder off his line, so he flicked a very high chip shot that softly landed in the goal to give Russia the lead within one minute of the opening whistle.  With ten minutes to go in the half, a Dmitry Kombarov free kick from close range was flicked on by the head of Kokorin to the back post.  The halftime score was Russia 2, Luxembourg 0.

Two headers in the box proved a recipe for success for the Russians off a corner.  Sergey Ignashevich's header was nodded in by Kerzhakov from three yards out to make it 3-0 for the hosts.  Luxembourg pulled one back in the final minute of regulation.  Yannick Bastos had slipped inside the Russia box, but he was able to kick back to Aurelien Joachim, whose power shot went through the hands of the goalkeeper.  Russia scored once more in extra time, however.  Alexander Ryantsev did the heavy lifting, nutmegging his marker on a full sprint and drawing the goalkeeper out.  Ryantsev made a simple pass laterally for Alexander Samedov to push home for the final goal.  Russia win 4-1 and temporarily jump back on top of Group F.  The result eliminates Luxembourg, as well as Azerbaijan.

There was a nasty, rainy match today in Belfast between hosts Northern Ireland and Portugal.  Helder Postiga flicked a header from a corner back upfield to Bruno Alves, who managed to score with a side-foot shot from seventeen yards through traffic to put Portugal ahead 1-0.  Just over a quarter hour later, the hosts were back on level footing.  Gareth McAuley rose to meet a corner with a booming header to equalize, an embarrassing occurrence for Portugal, who had five men defending the one McAuley.  Postiga was sent off for Portugal in minute 43, leaving the visitors down a man before the half.  The first half ended with the score 1-1.

Northern Ireland took a bogus lead when a shot hit the chest of one of their players who was in an offside position and went in from two yards out.  The player was so offside that even the goalkeeper was higher up the pitch than he was, but the assistant referee was asleep during the action.
In minute 60, the sides were again equal in terms of players on the match as Northern Ireland lost Chris Brunt to a second yellow.  With less than a quarter of the match left to play, Cristiano Ronaldo finally left his mark for Portugal.  First, he ran a great route to power home a header from eight yards off a Joao Moutinho corner.  Fabio Coentrao sent a long ball over the top to Ronaldo, who somehow was unmarked amidst three Northern Irish defenders for a header from seven yards out.  Kyle Lafferty was sent off for a dirty tackle in minute 80, leaving the hosts down a man and down a goal in the closing stages of the match.  Ronaldo sent a twenty-yard free kick through a hole in the wall created by two teammates, and the ball made its way into the net to finish off his hat trick and Northern Ireland.  Portugal win 4-2 and reclaim pole position in the group table.

Portugal 17 pts +8
Russia 15 pts +9
Israel 11 pts +7
N. Ireland 6 pts -5
Azerbaijan OUT
Luxembourg OUT

Goals
Russia
Alexander Kokorin 1, 35
Alexander Kerzhakov 60
Alexander Samedov 90+3

Luxembourg
Aurelien Joachim 90

Portugal
Bruno Alves 20
Cristiano Ronaldo 68, 77, 83

Northern Ireland
Gareth McAuley 36
Jamie Ward 52

Match Reports:
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2013/9/6/4703102/russia-vs-luxembourg-2014-world-cup-qualifying-final-score-result
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23947093
http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/ronaldo-hat-trick-sinks-northern-ireland/29369

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jcwrnvj7h4 (Russia v. Luxembourg)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZwgxCj5lXo (Portugal v. Northern Ireland)