DALLAS, July 4 -- The hamstring had kept Mohamed Salah off the training pitch for days and restricted him to a peripheral role through nearly two hours of football that could have ended Egypt's tournament without the captain ever truly arriving. When the penalty shootout came and his moment demanded composure above all else, Salah placed the ball, took four steps, and chipped a Panenka straight down the centre as Mat Ryan dived left. "If someone was going to do it," he said afterward, "it was going to be me."

Egypt beat Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw through extra time on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, advancing to the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in the nation's history. Egypt had not won a single kn...