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For the first time, yellow-card tiebreaker decides World Cup group

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Colombia’s Yerry Mina kicks the ball during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, today.

MOSCOW >> It doesn’t get any tighter than it did between Japan and Senegal on Day 15 at the World Cup, and they weren’t even playing each other. Both lost 1-0 in simultaneous matches, and since they were tied on every other measure, for the first time, a World Cup group was decided by who had fewer yellow cards.

Senegal went home and Japan joined Colombia in advancing.

Belgium avoided any such complicated scenarios by topping England 1-0 to win their group in a game that seemed more about jockeying for position since both had already qualified to move on.

And as group play wrapped up, Tunisia overcame the tournament’s record ninth own-goal for a 2-1 comeback win — its first World Cup victory in 40 years — and send World Cup first-timers Panama home with a third defeat.

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