Preview ahead of the final group games.

One thing has become clear in this World Cup: Anything is possible. Throw the common wisdom out the window.

The reigning champs are already out.

Three teams from CONCACAF, the confederation of North and Central American teams, could make it to the knockout round for the first time ever.

In Group C, the supposed group of champions, three teams ranked in FIFA’s top 10  — former World Cup champions Italy, England and Uruguay — were supposed to fight it out for two spots in the knockout stages. Instead, unheralded Costa Rica are through and currently top the group, England are out, and Uruguay and Italy face off for the right to move on.

The four tournament favorites have all looked beatable. Brazil drew with Mexico, Germany drew with Ghana, Argentina needed a stoppage time goal to beat Iran, and Spain is out of the tourney. Mexico, Ghana and Iran are ranked No. 20, 37, and 43, respectively, by FIFA.

Yes, all but one of the early teams to clinch advancement are highly ranked teams. But so much remains open that it feels like a different sort of tournament. Goal-scoring is up. Games are wild. This kind of thing doesn’t often happen.

Qualification scenarios

Every team has one game left to play in the group stage, so every team knows what must happen for them to move on. Here’s a breakdown:

Eliminated: England, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Australia, Spain, Cameroon.

Advanced to second round: Netherlands, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, Belgium.

Several groups feature matches between two teams fighting for the same spot in the second round, notably Mexico-Croatia on Monday and Italy-Uruguay on Tuesday.

There is even the unlikely but possible scenario that one second-round spot could bedecided by a coin flip between Nigeria and Iran.

For full tiebreaker rules — and they definitely matter, certainly for Team USA — click here.

 

What is each teams nickname?

If you want to show off your sports knowledge to friends this World Cup, we’ve got you covered.

ESPN commissioned Brazilian artist Cristiano Siqueria to create posters for all 32 teams competing in the World Cup. They display each team’s unique and oftentimes poetic nickname, so impress your friends by saying “La Furia Roja” instead of “Spain.”

The nicknames range from the simple, such as Switzerland’s “La Nati,” which means “the national team,” to more elaborate ones, such as England’s “The Three Lions,” an homage to the Royal Arms of England. All of the names provide interesting bits of trivia about their respective countries.

Check out Siqueria’s posters and a brief background on the teams’ nicknames, below:

• Algeria, “Les Fennecs”

  In honor of the national animal of Algeria, the national team is “Les Fennecs,” the small, nocturnal foxes native to North Africa.

  

• Argentina, “La Albiceleste”

  As beautiful as it is eloquent, “La Albiceleste” means “The White and Sky Blue,” and refers to Argentina’s famous striped uniforms.

  

• Australia, “The Socceroos”

  This is probably the kookiest nickname: Australia’s national team combines “soccer” and “kangaroos.” Now, you’ve got yourself the Australian squad.

  

• Belgium, “The Red Devils”

  The Belgians are known affectionately in all three of the country’s spoken languages — Dutch, French and German — as “The Red Devils.” The name was coined when a journalist called the Belgian squad “The Red Devils” after three “devilish” wins in 1906, just two years after forming.

  

• Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Zmajevi”

  Like Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina owes its nickname to a commentator who called the players “zmajevi” or “dragons” in 2010, and the name stuck.

  

• Brazil, “Seleção”

  “The Selection” is Brazil’s nickname because it’s what Brazilians call every soccer team: a “seleção. But only the national team is “the “Seleção.” Brazil is also known as “Canarihno” (“Little Canary”) due to the team’s bright yellow uniforms.

  

• Cameroon, “The Indomitable Lions”

  Cameroon’s nickname is actually a nod to the country’s lion-preservation efforts. In the wild and on the pitch, the Cameroon lions or “Lions” are “indomitable.”

  

• Chile, “La Roja”

  The Chileans prefer simplicity, earning their nickname from the team’s notable red uniforms.

  

• Colombia, “Los Cafeteros”

  “Los Cafeteros” loosely translates to “one who makes or drinks coffee,” and Colombians do both. The national team is nicknamed after one of Colombia’s biggest exports: coffee.

  

• Costa Rica, “Los Ticos”

  “Los Ticos” is the shortened, more conversational name for “Costarrincenses” or “native Costa Ricans.”

  

• Croatia, “Vatreni”

  “Vatreni” means “The Blazers” in Croatian, a nod to both the passion of the players on the pitch and the fans in the stands. Lately, Croatia is also known as “Bilic’s Boys,” a reference to the team’s head coach, Slaven Bilic.

  

• Ecuador, “La Tricolor”

  “La Tricolor” refers to the three colors of the Ecuadorian flag: yellow, blue and red.

  

• England, “The Three Lions”

  England’s namesake refers to the country’s rich history, going back to Richard the Lionheart, the King of England from 1189 to 1199. The three lions that appear on the national team’s crest also appear on the Royal Arms of England.

  

• France, “Les Bleus”

  The boys in “bleu” got their nickname because the color dominates the French team’s uniforms. It’s even a nickname for most teams across French sports.

  

• Germany, “Die Mannschaft”

  Call it German efficiency: “Die Mannschaft” means “The Team” in German. Simple, practical and formidable when spoken.

  

• Ghana, “The Black Stars”

  A refrence to the sole black star on Ghana’s national flag, the players of the national team are stars to their fans.

  

• Greece, “Ethniki”

  “Ethniki” or “national” is Greece’s nickname. The Greek team is also known as “Piratiko,” after a Greek radio broadcaster who christened the team with the name during the opening ceremony of UEFA Euro 2004.

  

• Honduras, “Los Catrachos”

  “Los Catrachos” is the name for native Hondurans, derived from General Florencio Xatruch who fought an American insurrectionist’s attempts to reintroduce slavery. Xatruch’s men were called “xatruches,” which then became “catruches,” and so on.

  

• Iran, “Team Melli”

  Like other teams in the World Cup, “Team Melli” simply means “National Team.”

  

• Italy, “Azzurri”

  Like France’s team, “Azzurri” means “the blues.” Though not part of the national flag colors, blue was the color of House Savoy which unified Italy in 1861.

  

• Ivory Coast, “Les Elephants”

  Ivory Coast; ivory tusks. The national team is named “Les Elephants” due to their part in the 19th century ivory trade.

  

• Japan, “Samurai Blue”

  Adorned in “blue” uniforms, the Japanese squad honors the country’s historical warriors, and become “samurais” on the pitch.

  

• Mexico, “El Tri”

  Every national team’s nickname honors its country, but Mexico’s nickname “El Tri” conjures up intense national pride. A shortened “El Tricolor,” Mexico’s nickname refers to the three colors — red, white and green — of the Mexican flag.

  

• Netherlands, “Oranje”

  Named for the team’s famous orange kits, the color is actually nowhere to be found on the Netherlands’ flag. Instead it refers to the color of the old Dutch royal family: House of Orange-Nassau. The team’s invention of a precise method of passing to maintain ball control — Total Football — also earned the Dutch team the nickname and Kubrickian homage “Clockwork Orange.”

  

• Nigeria, “The Super Eagles”

  Nigeria’s nickname is rooted in classic one-upmanship. The national team adopted the nickname “The Super Eagles” after losing to Cameroon’s “The Indomitable Lions” in the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

  

• Portugal, “Seleção das Quinas”

  Portugal’s nickname, “The Selection of the Shields,” refers to the five shields (the “quinas”) and the five dots within each shield (the bezants) on the country’s flag.

  

• Russia, “Sbornaya”

  Short on originality, but strong and powerful in pronunciation, Russia’s “Sbornaya” means “National Team” in Russian.

  

• South Korea, “Taegeuk Warriors”

  The “taegeuk” refers to the symbol on South Korea’s national flag, which represents a spiritual balance, similar to China’s yin and yang symbol. Also known as “The Reds” due to the team’s red uniforms, fans have called themselves the “Red Devils” since 1995.

  

• Spain, “La Furia Roja”

  “The Red Fury,” Spain’s nickname, comes from two sources. “La Roja,” like other team nicknames, comes from the colour of the team’s uniforms, while “La Furia” describes its “direct, aggressive, spirited style” of play in the 1920s — a “fury” on the pitch.

  

• Switzerland, “La Nati”

  The Swiss team kept its nickname short and to the point. “La Nati,” means “The National Team” in French. Due to the many languages used in Switzerland, the team is also known as “Schweizer Nati” in German and “Squadra Nazionale” in Italian, but they ultimately all mean the same thing.

  

• Uruguay, “La Celeste”

  Not quite Argentina’s “La Albiceleste,” but equally as beautiful when spoken, Uruguay’s “La Celeste” also refers to the team’s sky-blue uniforms.

  

• U.S.A., “The Yanks”

  Unlike other countries competing in the World Cup, the U.S. doesn’t have an official nickname. In the past, the team has been called “The Yanks,” but the jury’s still out on it being the official name of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Other nicknames include “The Stars and Stripes” or just “Team USA.”

The most dedicated fans of the World Cup so far.

Soccer isn’t just the most popular sport in the world — it’s a religion to millions of people.

The devout followers who made the pilgrimage to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup came decked in their best gear to celebrate the tournament, and — most importantly — to cheer their squads to victory.

Grab your pom-poms and face paint to cheer along with the zaniest and most spirited World Cup fans.

• The mysteriously dressed Mexico fan

  

  You know you have a heck of an outfit when a pair of teal shorts is the most out-of-place article of clothing you’re wearing.

• The Brazilian style guru

  

  This Brazil fan seems to be borrowing fashion tips from Elvis, Prince and Pee-wee Herman. We just hope that hair holds up in the humidity.

• The Captains America

  

  We’re not sure how you get a shield through airport security, but either way, these American fans are having a marvelous time sporting red, white and blue.

• The Colombian Tiger Lover

  

  The dual tiger action here is likely a tribute to Colombian striker Radamel “El Tigre” Falcao, who’s missing the 2014 World Cup while recovering from knee surgery.

• The German Human Soccer Ball

  

  Plot twist: The soccer ball is filled with the wind taken out of Portugal’s sails when Germany crushed them 4-0.

• The Mexican Golden Eagle

  

  Some fans dress in their country’s colors. This fan made feathered wings, possibly a reference to the golden eagle from Mexico’s coat of arms. Feathered. Wings.

• The Youngest Brazil Fan

  

  Start them off early, right? Arthur might be too young to remember the game, but at least he’ll have a great profile picture one day.

• The ‘Die-Hard’ Ghana fan

  

  If the body paint and hair feathers didn’t give it away already, this Ghana fan wants the world to know how much he loves his team by writing it on his chest.

• The Saddest Japan fan

  

  Losing the first game of group play like Japan did is an awful way to start the World Cup. Let’s hope that paint is waterproof if Japan gets eliminated.

• The Germany Fan From Sesame Street

  

  If you spend that much time dressing up a puppet for a game, it must mean a whole lot to you. If you spend that much time explaining the game to him, it’s time to go home.

• The French Morph Suit Man

  

  There’s getting dressed from head to toe in your country’s colors, and then there’s covering your entire body in them.

• The Electrifying Colombia Fan

  

  The World Cup atmosphere is electric, and this fan is proving it. Or maybe he just went Super Saiyan?

• The Fiery Algeria Fan

  

  This guy is wearing Algeria’s flag in three different places, which is probably why he looks like he’s about to explode with patriotism.

• The Friendly Australian With a Serious Kangaroo

  

  This fan seems to be enjoying the World Cup, but that kangaroo seems unimpressed.

• The Combat-Ready U.S. Fan

  

  Not only was he able to paint a flag on both his face and his beard, but he even came prepared with some patriotic — and protective — headgear.

• The Eccentric Belgium Fans

  

  The clean, symmetrical lines of face paint add an aesthetically pleasing touch to an eclectic outfit. Also, the wig-hat combo on the fan to the right is pretty sweet, too.

• The Possibly Treasonous Brazil Fan

  

  Brazil prohibits using the flag as clothing, but this man made a whole suit out of Brazilian flags. Maybe the authorities will be more forgiving after a World Cup championship.

• The Brave Netherlands Fan

  

  How bold is it to get a copy of the World Cup trophy before your team even wins a game? Not as bold as wearing an Oompa Loompa wig and a fat suit in front of thousands of people.

• The Eager Chile Fans

  

  Like their Dutch counterparts, this Chilean crew is getting ready for ultimate victory.

• The Mexican Luchadores

  

  Wrestling and soccer might seem like a strange combination, but the lightning bolt motif on Mexico’s uniforms was actually inspired by the mask of Mexican-American WWE star Rey Mysterio.
• The Detail-Oriented Uruguay Fan
  

Flag-facing is pretty common, but the level of detail on the sun is impressive. Major props.

• And this Random Scottish fan….
• 

13 GIF’s that sum up England v Uruguay.

• 1. Could Wayne Rooney break his World Cup curse?

  

• 2. Luis Suarez returned after knee surgery and looked strong. Surgery schmergery.

  

• 3. Handball!

  

  (Not as bad as Suarez’s 2010 World Cup handball against Ghana.)

• 4. Bending, bending, bending … nope.

  

• 5. Rooney’s header goes high. The curse continues.

  

• 6. Yep, Suarez is definitely back. 1-0 Uruguay.

  

• 7. Ouch.

  

• 8. Double ouch.

  

• 9. Rooney sccooooooorrrrreees his first-ever World Cup goal. 1-1

  

• 10. A nation celebrates…

  

• 11. …but not for long. Suarez scores again. 2-1 Uruguay.

  

• 12. England loses.

  

• 13. Uruguay wins.

  

  * Courtesy of Mashable.

 

The Reign of Spain Ends in Pain

Former World Cup champions Spain have been booted out of the tournament, losing to Chile 2:0 in Brazil. Their defeat has triggered a social media storm, with memes poking fun at the Spanish team flooding Twitter.

Spain’s performance at the World Cup this year has been dubbed “the great disappointment” by the Spanish media.

The defending champions were humiliated right from the onset of the tournament, losing 5:1 to Holland. The Spanish team was finally knocked out of the running by Chile on Wednesday evening, prompting a wave of scathing memes on Twitter under the hashtag #CHIvsESP.

 

“The King just sent a Whatsapp to Del Bosque (manager of the Spanish team)…”
“Shall we abdicate together?”

Continuing the theme, Twitter user @viniami2009 posted a meme of Del Bosque.

“Come on guys, let’s get back to Spain to see the coronation of the new king.”

 

 

“Don’t turn off the engine! We won’t be long!”

Disappointed fans targeted Spanish keeper Iker Casillas, who was responsible for letting in seven goals over the course of the first two World Cup matches.

“If you know I’m gonna mess up, why do you bother inviting me?”

Fans also targeted Spanish striker Diego Costa, who changed his nationality from Brazilian to Spanish to play for the World Cup team.

Following the match, elated Chilean football fans flooded Italia Square in the country’s capital, Santiago, to celebrate victory. The Chilean team now goes on to face The Netherlands on Monday.

Bests of the 1st round!

The first round of fixtures of the 2014 FIFA World Cup have now passed and given us a fair bit of excitement, goals, controversy and general all round awesomeness!

49 goals, 1 hat-trick, 3 red cards, only 6 clean sheets and only one African victory, here is our recap of the first round of fixtures.

Goal of the Round – Robin van Persie (1) vs. Spain

This is a tough one as Joel Campbell’s goal against Uruguay was a brilliant team goal, Clint Dempsey’s slalom run was mesmerising and Lionel Messi scored a superb solo goal. But while all of those were great, the goal by Robin van Persie with a diving header against the World Champions Spain was a goal of pure class and a goal that few words would do justice to.

Player of the Round – Thomas Müller (Germany)

Arjen Robben and Joel Campbell ran this close for me, but Thomas Müller was the star of the show for Germany. He has now scored 8 World Cup goals in his career and hit his 20th goal in his 50th cap against Portugal. His goals were not World class or anything, but his persistent hassling and positioning made him a thorn in the side of Portugal. Don’t be surprised if he is the golden boot winner again at this World Cup!

Controversy of the Round – Mexico second offside goal

The first offside goal was a ridiculously tight call that you can forgive the linesman for, the second was as atrocious a call as Ive seen. It almost appeared that the linesman and ref were so scared to make incorrect calls that they overly erred and made an atrocious one. Fortunately Mexico got the goal they deserved and in the end the error did not cost them, but if they fail to progress on goal difference then it could still be the biggest poor call of the tournament.

Nimwit of the Round – Pepe (Portugal)

I am not condoning the over reaction of Müller in the build up, but Pepe is not a smart man. His reputation for being a hot head and losing his cool came to the fore once again as he let his team mates and his country down with a display as childish as you can expect from the Real Madrid man. Portugal may be better off with him not playing in the next games.

Team of the Round – Netherlands

Few had given Netherlands a chance of beating Spain, even less had given them the chance of annihilating Spain. But annihilate is exactly what they did. After Spain received a dodgy penalty from a Diego Costa tumble, Holland produced a masterclass in ruthless football. Robin and Robben robbed the Spanish of their dignity and made one of the best keepers in the world, Iker Casillas, look like a Sunday League amateur. Their odds have also been dramatically cut on potential winners after that display.

Upset of the Round – Costa Rica 3-1 Uruguay

Uruguay won the FIFA World Cup the last time it was hosted in Brazil and as reigning South American champions had been tipped as a definite dark horse for winning the cup. They of course were also strongly tipped to run away with a group that also features England and Italy. But on the day they met a Joel Campbell inspired Costa Rica in a display so brazen that even England and Italy would have been stunned. Costa Rica were expected to complete the numbers, but now are competing for points. It makes the World Cup a lot more exciting. Uruguay on the other hand face elimination if they don’t beat England on Thursday.

Match of the Round – England 1-2 Italy

England and Italy were poised to offer up a tense, turgid affair, but instead offered a neutrals dream match as they produced what can safely be said is the game of the tournament so far. The match produced 30 shots at goal at a frenetic pace. England can feel hard done by on being the wrong side of the defeat as both sides produced some sublime football.

The three goals were also all quality, one strike from range and the other two both from fantastic crosses. If ever a team could be proud of their performance in defeat, it was England. Italy on the other hand are well poised now to progress to the latter stages.

World Cup 1st round review.

The Netherlands’ 5-1 defeat of Spain has been one of the most-watched matches of the tournament.

A record 82 percent of Italian viewers watch Italy’s 2-1 win over England, as first-round matches involving Spain, the Netherlands and Mexico also top ratings worldwide.

The 2014 soccer World Cup has been a ratings hit out of the box, with first-round matches this past weekend outperforming even the impressive figures of the last tournament in 2010.

A series of high-profile matchups, including a rematch of the 2010 final between world champions Spain and the Netherlands, helped boost viewing figures, especially among neutrals. Approximately 11.2 million Spaniards, or 68.5 percent of the national audience, caught the game in which Spain was battered 5-1 by Holland. In the Netherlands, 7.5 million watched, an 82.9 percent share. But even in neutral Germany, fully 14.6 million viewers, just under 50 percent of the audience, caught the game.

Italy’s 2-1 defeat of England in the opening match was a similar draw. Although the match kicked off at midnight Italian time on Saturday, 12 million soccer-mad Italian fans tuned in, for a staggering 82 percent share combined between state broadcaster RAI and satellite rival Sky Italia. It was the highest ever rating in Italy, in terms of market share, for a sporting event.

BBC’s coverage of England’s first World Cup game averaged 11.5 million viewers for a 68.4 percent share, with the audience peaking at 15.4 million, a share of 76.4 percent, when England scored an equalizer to tie the match 1-1. The figures were down from England’s opening match against the U.S. in the 2010 World Cup, which drew an average 16.1 million viewers, a drop partly attributable to the late hour broadcast.

England vs. Italy was also the most-watched first-round game, aside from the opening-night kickoff, among U.S. viewers on ESPN, where the match drew a 2.6 rating, or 4.62 million viewers. ESPN said the figure was a record for a regular first-round match not involving Team USA.

The largest TV audience in Europe was in France for Les Bleus’ opening match against Honduras, which France won 3-0. An average of 15.8 million French viewers watched on commercial network TF1, peaking at 17 million in the second half. The figures represent 57 percent of all French households and 71 percent of all French men under 50.

Team by Team.

Neymar, Raheem Sterling and Arjen Robben have all made telling starts to the World Cup. 

1)Holland

Top of the pile after embarrassing a full-strength Spain side: the current world and European champions – easily the result of the round. From three to five at the back, it isn’t quite total football, but will keep even the best teams guessing.

2) Germany

Miss out on the top spot only because their win was against 10 men. Should now steamroll the group and likely to face a relatively weak Group H runner-up in last-16, and France in the quarter-finals. An easy draw. Who needs strikers anyway?

3) France

A new age for Les Bleus: only three of the team that thrashed Honduras played in 2010. Didn’t appear to miss Franck Ribéry and have arguably the easiest route to the quarter finals than any other team. Karim Benzema is on top form.

4) Italy

Beat Costa Rica and the Azzurri all but progress from the group. Whisper it, but the early pessimism surrounding their chances echoes that of 2006. The return of Mario Balotelli’s mojo and Gianluigi Buffon may be back for the upcoming games.

5) Argentina

Remains the most frightening attack but signs against Bosnia-Herzegovina that their defence could come unstuck – surely Lionel Messi cannot bail them out every match. Or can he? The manager, Alejandro Sabella, still does not appear to know if 5-3-2 or 4-3-3 works best.

6) Colombia

Could not have hoped for a better start with their biggest ever World Cup win in a relatively weak group. Radamel Falcao may be absent but they celebrated their goals with a togetherness that usually carries a team deep into the competition. Greece, in fairness though, were desperately poor.

7) Chile

No injuries (apart from Arturo Vidal but he is on the mend), no suspensions and three points on the board. A tough group but likely only to need a draw against Spain to qualify and have a counter-attacking game not dissimilar from the Dutch technique which tore the Spanish apart.

8) Brazil

A win and a draw, even if they have been more laboured than fans would have hoped for. Home advantage means they remain the bookies’ favourites but Chile or Spain are likely last-16 opponents while Hulk remains an injury doubt and Fred out of form and out of touch.

9) Spain

Despite a heavy defeat to Holland, only a fool would write off the holders and European champions, who also lost their opening game on their way to victory four years ago. The strongest squad in the tournament means that Vicente del Bosque’s promised changes should not weaken them against Chile.

10) Croatia

Sneaking inside the top 10 despite defeat in their opening match as they showed glimpses of brilliance against Brazil, only to be undone by refereeing decisions. Luka Modric has not trained because of a foot injury but should recover in time for Cameroon, while Mario Mandzukic returns from suspension.

11) Mexico

An opening victory followed by an impressive performance against the hosts has put Mexico in a decent position ahead of their final crunch match against Croatia, all without conceding a goal in the tournament so far, mainly due to the brilliance of Guillermo Ochoa in goal.

12) Belgium

Belgium deserved their win against Algeria even if the performance did not always live up to the high standards expected of one of the more favoured European teams at the tournament. A reasonably easy group on paper should see them progress. Eden Hazard was relatively quiet in the opening game but has the potential to be one of the stars.

13) England

A defeat, but at least England looked like a team that wanted to reinvent itself, with Raheem Sterling key to the freshness. A nervy week ahead for Roy Hodgson: Thursday’s opponents Uruguay looked vulnerable in their opener, but Costa Rica may yet provide an unwelcome sting in the tail.

14) Costa Rica

Jorge Luis Pinto’s side shocked Uruguay in their first game but it was not as if they did not thoroughly deserve their victory. After a quiet first half they exploded in the second half with Joel Campbell the outstanding performer. May struggle against Italy but could well draw or even beat England in their last group game.

15) Ivory Coast

A crucial win against a difficult opponent has put Sabri Lamouchi’s team in a strong position in Group C. Lamouchi was brave enough to start Didier Drogba, still not fully recovered from injury, on the bench and has hinted that Wilfried Bony will keep his place up front. Ivory Coast has quality in every department.

16) USA

A magnificent win, but with Jozy Altidore looking like he could miss the rest of the tournament, Jürgen Klinsmann’s decision to leave Landon Donovan out looks costly. USA’s defence, where Matt Besler is struggling with an injury, must again be on top form if they are to stop Germany and Portugal and progress.

17) Switzerland

Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side were lethargic at times in their opening game against Ecuador but it feels as if this is a more attack-minded Swiss team than four years ago. The front players – Xherdan Shaquiri, Granit Xhaka and Josip Drmic to name three – have speed, trickery and youthful exuberance in abundance. Likely to progess together with France.

18) South Korea

The South Koreans, under the shrewd guidance of Hong Myung-bo, were on top for large spells against the Russians and in, Han Kook-young , have one of the up and coming players of their continent. “The condition of players and organisation of team was good,” Hong said after the game – and what more can you ask for?

19) Bosnia-Herzegovina

The Bosnians played well against Lionel Messi’s Argentina and arguably deserved to draw the game. Miralem Pjanic’s performance was one of the best in the opening round of games and, with Nigeria and Iran coming up, Bosnia should be hopeful of progressing.

 20) Russia

Fabio Capello’s side bounced back from Igor Akinfeev’s horrible mistake to draw their opening game but it was a pretty lifeless performance. Belgium and Algeria are next up: Capello, with his massive salary, could be looking at an early exit.

21) Portugal

A nightmare start for Portugal, losing Pepe to suspension and Fábio Coentrão and Hugo Almeida to injury. But don’t write them off yet: beat Ghana and USA (who suffered their own injuries in the opening game), as they still should with a fit-again Cristiano Ronaldo, and they are through.

22) Uruguay

What a disappointing opening performance by Uruguay, encapsulated by Maxi Pereira’s late and ugly kick on Joel Campbell. They have bounced back before, of course, and did so during the World Cup qualifying, and may have a certain striker back against England.

23) Japan

Japan took an early lead against Ivory Coast but were disappointing in the end. Alberto Zaccheroni’s side defended too deeply and, once the opponents had thrown on Didier Drogba and switched to 4-4-2, were overrun in the end. Progressing now will be very difficult.

24) Ecuador

Reinaldo Rueda’s side were somewhat unlucky to lose to a late Swiss goal in a helter-skelter end to their opening game. Jefferson Montero and Antonio Valencia played well in the wide positions but they may need a result against France now to go through.

25) Ghana

Ghana will be kicking themselves after losing their first game despite Andre Ayew scoring an 82nd-minute equaliser. Predictably, reports of a player revolt soon emerged but that has now been denied by the Ghana Football Association.

26) Algeria

Vahid Halilhodzic’s side did everything that could have been asked of them against Belgium but still ended up on the losing side. The coach was furious about a foul in the build-up to Belgium’s winning goal but will have been heartened by his side’s performance and espcially that of the excellent Sofiane Feghouli.

27) Nigeria

Hopes were high in Nigeria before the Iran game but all that positivism evaporated within 90 insipid minutes against a defensively well-organised Iran side. All Nigeria’s attack-minded players were disappointing and Stephen Keshi has a huge job on his hands now. They had to win that game.

28) Iran

Arguably the weakest side at the tournament, Carlos Queiroz’s team must be given credit for the way they battled for a draw against the African Cup of Nations champions. But with Argentina and Bosnia to come, do not expect this stubbornness to last.

29) Cameroon

The Indomitable Lions proved anything but against Mexico and were lucky not to have lost by more after a couple of dodgy offside decisions. Samuel Eto’o’s knee injury rules him out for the Croatia game and without their talisman and captain, Cameroon look set for an early exit.

30) Honduras

There was nothing that was good about Honduras’s opening game. They were poor and they were far too physical and in the end France were lucky to escape without any serious injuries. Wilson Palacios is suspended for the next game against Ecuador.

31) Greece

Deep divisions exist with both the manager and captain scathing of the team’s “ridiculous” performance against Colombia. With an out-of sorts forward line, they already look doomed.

32) Australia

Less than convincing in qualifying for the tournament, the Socceroos showed some encouraging glimpses against Chile but were ultimately well beaten. With the prospect of Holland and Spain still to come, it is all but certain Australia are heading home next week.

 

 

 

5 reasons for Englands losses this WC.

England’s defeat makes them the first ever Three Lions side to lose their third consecutive World Cup match.

Luis Suarez

You got the impression in the run up to the game that Uruguay were so confident that the Liverpool striker’s mere presence would befuddle England – that they would have fielded him in a mobility scooter if necessary. And sure enough, a month after undergoing keyhole surgery on his knee and almost six weeks since he last played, Suarez needed only two telling contributions to prove them right.

He took his chances superbly in a manner which underlined the fact that England have not, for a very long time, had a player capable of influencing a match single-handedly at an international tournament.

That is the true barometer of the over used phrase “world class” and frankly, none of our players fit that bill.

Dodgy defending

The one nagging doubt which refused to go away during England’s largely successful qualifying campaign was whether the central defenders would be good enough when it came to facing the likes of Suarez at the World Cup.

Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill, both decent, honest and hard working lads, always felt more like the best of a bad bunch than the cream of the crop and neither covered himself in glory last night. Jagielka was unable to match the anticipation by Suarez of Edinson Cavani’s fine cross for the first goal, and Cahill was caught in no man’s land as Steve Gerrard inadvertently flicked on Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera’s route one clearance for the second.

Both former England manager Glenn Hoddle and ex international defender Rio Ferdinand described it as “schoolboy defending” from their respective TV sofas and one can imagine John Terry, wherever he is on holiday, kicking his sun lounger in disgust and pondering what might have been.

Lack of adventure

After the opening game against Italy there were encouraging signs that, although beaten, England had at least shown a spirit of adventure both in the team selection and their willingness to get forward. Having been humiliated by Costa Rica, Uruguay appeared jaded and lacking in pace, with a goalkeeper who looked like a man trying to catch a bar of soap fired from a howitzer every time the ball came anywhere near him above waist height.

Even with Suarez and Cavani back in harness in a team which showed five changes, the 2010 semi finalists approached last night’s game with little more than a narrow 8-2 formation which invited England to attack down the flanks.

Unfortunately it was 75 minutes before the penny dropped. Glenn Johnson’s dart down the right after good work by Daniel Sturridge set up Wayne Rooney to finally tap in his first ever World Cup goal after 760 barren minutes on the biggest stage of all. But it was to be a largely isolated incident as the likes of Egidio Arevalo Rios and Alvaro Gonzalez cut off the supply at source.

The enemy within

Uruguay’s goalscoring hero, of course, has recently been voted by his peers and the press as the top performer in the self proclaimed “best league in the world”. All 14 players who represented England in Sao Paulo are also Premier League stars and yet the maxim “the better the devil you know” does not seem to apply to them, while the foreign imports certainly seem to subscribe to the notion that familiarity breeds contempt.

This is the sixth World Cup match in which an English based player has scored against his adopted country (there are no prizes but try to guess the others) and England have never won a single one of those ties. FA Chairman Greg Dyke’s belief that the premier league’s cosmopolitan nature is stifling the national side will strengthen after this latest capitulation.

But does anyone genuinely believe that country will ever again come before club in English football?

Time to say goodbye?

Just about everyone who attended Fabio Capello’s final media conference of the last World Cup campaign came away with the feeling that an era had ended and that this was the time to take risks and look ahead into the future.

The coach had to go, as did many of his senior players, in order for England’s national team to evolve as other nations already had. None of which happened of course.

This time I detect a genuine feeling that the nation believes Hodgson deserves to survive (as do I) – but only as the custodian of a new generation. We must say farewell and thank you to Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Phil Jagielka, James Milner, Rickie Lambert, Ben Foster and possibly even Wayne Rooney.

The time has come for a team built around Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Jack Wilshere Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, aided and abetted by Luke Shaw, John Stones, Jon Flanagan and Saido Berahino. With the expansion of Euro 2016 into a 24-team tournament you would expect even a new breed of England players to qualify and even if they failed it would be a price worth paying if it meant they came back stronger for the 2018 World cup.

How many more nights like the one in Sao Paulo can we really take?

World Cup 2014: How the big names performed in the opening round in Brazil

As the first round of matches of the group stage come to a close we take a look at the stars who were supposed to dazzle in Brazil.

Neymar:

He is one of the most exciting young footballers in the world, and at the age of 22, has already become somewhat of an icon in Brazil.

With 33 goals under his belt, Neymar carries the hopes of the hosts on his shoulders but in the two group stage matches, Neymar has failed to match his own lofty standards.

Against Croatia, he did get a brace but it was hardly a convincing performance. The first goal, a tentative shot from outside the box, which just managed to evade the stretched hands of Pletikosa.

The other- a dubious penalty which never should have been. But strikers make their own luck so Neymar does deserve some credit for helping Brazil take all three points.

In the second game against Mexico, Neymar was shut down. He was given no space and the Mexican midfield kept him at bay all evening. It was a frustrating match for the Brazilian who was unable to go on that trademark, weaving, dazzling runs as the Mexicans roughed him up.

Overall performance rating: 3/5

Robin van Persie:

The 30-year-old Manchester United striker came to Brazil on the back of a lackluster, injury plagued season but he has taken the world cup by storm.

RvP’s lob header for the first goal went viral and has become the subject for memes and has earned him the nicknames ‘Batman’ and the ‘Flying Dutchman’.

Overall performance rating: 5/5

Diego Costa:

The Brazilian in the Spanish squad generated a lot of buzz with his performances for Athletico Madrid in their odds defying title winning season.

Costa however failed to impress, and only added to the woes of Vicente Del Bosque. Costa’s physical style of play went completely against the possession based tiki-taka that the Armada enjoys.

Overall performance rating: 1/5

Yaya Toure:

The midfield marshal from Manchester, Toure would be hoping to lead the elephants to the second round.

While Ivory Coast came from being one goal down against Japan to win 2-1 on the day, Toure failed to leave his mark on the match raising doubts over his fitness. Playing a more advanced midfield role than what he is used to at City, Toure was often found stranded watching the match from the sidelines, so to speak. Toure remains one of the best box-to-box midfielder in the world, but seems ill suited as a number 10.

Overall performance rating 3/5

Balotelli:

‘Madman Mario’ is a maverick. On a given day he can change the course of a match in a single moment and on another he can self-destruct.

Against England, to Prandelli’s relief, the good guy showed up. Balotelli scored the winner and put the Azzuri in charge of the group.

Overall performance rating 4/5

Wayne Rooney:

Nobody divides England like Rooney does. Sections of the English press love to berate him over his fitness and many think he is past his prime. Roy Hodgson meanwhile, has faith in him, but he played him out wide on the left.

While Rooney got an assist for the lone goal for England, but he remained a peripheral figure for most of the match.

However, Rooney is expected to return to his favoured number 10 position against Uruguay.

Overall performance rating: 2/5

Karim Benzema:

The Real Madrid striker could have had the first hat-trick of the 2014 World Cup if it wasn’t for the goal-line technology.

France have a really exciting young squad with a very talented midfield. With Honduras down to 10-men, Benzema wreaked havoc at the Estádio Beira-Rio notching up two goals.

Overall performance rating 5/5

Lionel Messi:

The god of football, the genius from Barcelona, according to many experts, will be the key man at the world cup. Argentina have a star studded squad and fans hope that Messi will be able to finally bury his world cup hoodoo.

Messi did score the winner against Bosnia and Herzegovina, his first in a world cup in eight long years, but he hardly put in a commanding performance.

Overall performance rating 3/5

Thomas Muller:

The golden boot winner from 2010, Thomas Muller scored the first hat-trick of 2014 world cup.

In a scintillating performance Germany completely humiliated Portugal and Muller was in the thick of the action. His vision, and knack of finding spaces in the defense line rattled the Portuguese and allowed the German midfield take control in a completely one sided contest.

Overall performance rating 5/5

Cristiano Ronaldo:

The world footballer of the year looked like a child who had lost his favourite toy.

Ronaldo started the match well, and then disappeared from the field. Portugal were at sixes-and-sevens against Der Mannschaft. Before the game Ronaldo had declared himself fit but he looked completely out-of-it as Portugal had a nightmare of an opening game. With Pepe sent off, and Coentrao ruled out of the tournament with a thigh injury Paulo Bento would be hoping for a miracle if Portugal have to qualify from the group.

Overall performance rating 1/5

Eden Hazard:

The Chelsea winger is seen as one the young stars who will take the world cup by storm. With a sensational run up to Brazil, Belgium have got lots of critics excited with their attacking football.

Against the lowly Algeria however, Belgium, and Eden Hazard, left it late. After going a goal down in the first half hour thanks to a penalty, Belgium scored two goals in the space of ten minutes in the second half to take all three points. The second goal saw the Red Devils mount a stunning counter attack with Hazard running through the Algerian midfield. He set up Mertens with a defense splitting pass. Hazard made some nice runs down the left wing, but struggled to find an opening till the 80th minute.

Overall performance rating: 3/5

World Cup 2014: Five record-breaking moments from the 1st round of group games

The first round of group stage matches in the FIFA World Cup 2014 have been completed.

Some teams find themselves already in dire straits in the tournament with do-or-die matches coming up. It is all started with revenge and vindication but heartbreaks also became the part for some teams.

The World Cup’s opening group games have produced several record-breaking moments in a scintillating start to the tournament.

1. The first 16 games produced 49 goals, an average of 3.06 per game.

The scoring spree has made this World Cup one of the most exciting in memory and it is on track to be the highest scoring since the 1958 finals in Sweden which averaged 3.60 goals.

Hosts Brazil helped push up the tally with a 3-1 victory against Croatia while Germany’s 4-0 win over Portugal in their opener boosted the total.

So far the Dutch have netted the most in a match, thrashing Spain 5-1 in the tournament’s highest scoring game. Only one match has so far finished goalless – Iran v Nigeria.

The 1998 World Cup in France produced 171 goals, the most overall in a tournament.

2. Clint Dempsey scores fifth-fastest World Cup goal

The United States captain shocked Ghana 30 seconds into the match when he slammed a left-footed shot in off the post in their Group G opener.

The strike, behind Bryan Robson’s goal in 27 seconds for England in 1982 and ahead of Emile Veinante’s 35-second goal for France in 1938, also made Dempsey the first American to score in three World Cups.

The fastest goal at a World Cup was scored after 11 seconds by Turkey’s Hakan Sukur against hosts South Korea in 2002 in the third-place playoff match.

3. Six come from behind wins in the first 16 games

The see-saw action has shown that no lead is safe. Brazil fell behind to an own goal to Croatia to start tournament but fought back for a 3-1 win.

World champions Spain opened the scoring with a Xabi Alonso penalty before Robin Van Persie led a Dutch fightback.

Costa Rica recovered to shock Uruguay, Switzerland regrouped to defeat Ecuador in stoppage time and the Ivory Coast rebounded to beat Japan. Belgium came from behind to win against Algeria.

4. Germany become first team to play 100 World Cup games

Germany became the first side to play 100 matches as the three-time champions strolled to a 4-0 victory against Portugal.

Germany boast a record of 61 wins, 19 draws and 20 defeats while scoring 210 goals and conceding 117. They won the World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

5. Juergen Klinsmann maintains undefeated opening day record

United States coach Klinsmann preserved his record of having won the opening match at every World Cup he has competed in as a player and coach after a last-gasp 2-1 victory against Ghana.

Klinsmann played for Germany at the 1990, ’94 and ’98 World Cups and guided them to third spot at the 2006 finals on home soil.