Group D
Scenario: Costa Rica, the weakest link in the group according to its FIFA classification (28) is the first team to qualify. England (classified at 10) comes home early. Uruguay needs to beat Italy to qualify.
Italy 0 Costa Rica 1
Ruiz 44
Match statistics
Italy
Buffon, Abate, Darmian, De Rossi, Barzagli, Chiellini, Candreva (Insigne), Motta (Cassano), Balotelli, Pirlo, Marchisio (Cerci)
Coach: Cesare PRANDELLI
Yellow cards: Balotelli
Costa Rica
Navas, Gamboa, Díaz Campbell, Umaña, Gonzalez, Duarte, Ruiz (Brenes), Borges, Campbell (Ureña), Tejeda Valverde (Cubero), Bolaños
Coach: Jorge Luís PINTO
Yellow cards: Cubero
Ball possession: Italy 61% Costa Rica 39%
Shots/on target: Italy 10/4 Costa Rica 11/5
Corners: Italy 4 Costa Rica 5
Fouls committed: Italy 10 Costa Rica 23
Group D
Costa Rica 2 0 0 4 1 +3 6
Italy 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
Uruguay 1 0 1 3 4 -1 3
England 0 0 2 2 3 -1 0
Goal scorers
Costa Rica: Campbell, Duarte, Ureña, Ruiz
Uruguay: Cavani (pen), Suarez (2)
England: Sturridge, Rooney
Italy: Marchisio, Balotelli
Scenario: Costa Rica, the weakest link in the group according to its FIFA classification (28) is the first team to qualify. England (classified at 10) comes home early. Uruguay needs to beat Italy to qualify.
Group A: Second round
Cameroon 0 Croatia 4
Olic 11, Perisic 48, Mandzukic 61, 73
Croatia started well, in a first half which was balanced. Both teams managed seven shots (Croatia had 4 on target to Cameroon's nil) Cameroon had 2 corners to Croatia's 3... Croatia scored...and Cameroon had a player sent off (Alexandre Song).In the second half, Croatia turned on the pressure, scored three more goals...and Cameroon is out of the World Cup.
Match statistics
Cameroon
Itandje, Matip, Assou-Ekotto, Song, N'Koulou, Chedjou (Nounkeu), Moukandjo, Mbia, Aboubakar (Webó), Enoh, Choupo-Moting (Salli)
Coach: Volker FINKE
Yellow card: -
Red card: Song (Misses next match)
Croatia
Pletikosa, Srna, Pranjic, Rakitic, Corluka, Lovren, Perisic (Rebic), Modric, Mandzukic, Cruz Campos (Kovacic), Olic (Eduardo)
Coach: Niko KOVAC
Yellow card: Eduardo
Ball possession: Cameroon 42% Croatia 58%
Shots/on target: Cameroon 17/2 Croatia 18/2
Corners: Cameroon 4 Croatia 7
Fouls committed: Cameroon 11 Croatia 9
Brazil 0 Mexico 0
Match statistics
Brazil
Julio César, Dani Alves, Marcelo, Luiz Gustavo, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Ramires, (Bernard), Paulinho, Fred (Jô), Neymar, Oscar (Willian)
Coach: Luiz Felipe SCOLARI
Yellow cards: Thiago Silva, Ramires
Mexico
Ochoa, Aguilar, Layún, Moreno, Márquez, Rodríguez, Herrera (Fabián), Vázquez, dos Santos (Jiménez), Peralta (Hernández), Guardado
Coach: Miguel HERRERA
Yellow card: Aguilar, Vázquez
Ball possession: Brazil 53% Mexico 47%
Shots/on target: Brazil 15/6 Mexico 13/2
Corners: Brazil 4 Mexico 3
Fouls committed: Brazil 13 Mexico 18
First round
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0
O. Peralta 61
Cameroon can say that they could have come away from this match with a point, and this is backed up by the match statistics: 10 shots for Cameroon, 4 on target, against nine shots from Mexico, 5 on. Cameroon had five corners to the Aztecs' two. Mexico, however, had two goals ruled out before Cameroon had a chance right at the end of the game when Ochoa somehow managed to save Benjamin Moukandjo's header in the top left corner of the goal.
Match statistics
Mexico
Ochoa, F. Rodriguez, Marquez (Capt), Herrera (Salcido), Layun, Dos Santos, Moreno, Guardado (Fabian), O. Peralta (Hernandez), Aguilar, Vazquez
Coach: Miguel HERRERA
Yellow card: Moreno
Cameroon
Itanjde, Assou Eketto, Nkoulou, Djeugoue (Mounkeu), Song (Webo), Moukandjo, Eto'o (Capt), Choupo-Moting, Chedjou, Mbia, Enoh
Coach: Volker FINKE
Yellow card: Nounkeu
Ball possession: Mexico 62% Cameroon 38%
Shots/on target: Mexico 9/5 Cameroon 10/4
Corners Mexico 2 Cameroon 5
Fouls committed Mexico 11 Cameroon 12
Brazil 3 Croatia 1
Neymar 29 Marcelo (own goal, o.g. 11)
Neymar 71 (pen)
Oscar 90
Hrvatska! This was the first roar the Arena Corinthians Stadium heard this evening as the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicked off with the Group A game between hosts Brazil and Croatia, when after ten minutes Marcelo poked a loose ball into his own net, the sequence of a Croatia counter-attack from Brazil's first corner of five on nine minutes.
Brazil kept pressing, despite the setback and after 29 minutes, the amazing Neymar equalized, three minutes after getting a yellow card for elbowing. His left-footed shot rebounded off the woodwork, leaving Croatia's solid keeper, Pletikosa, beaten.
In the second half, Neymar (penalty) and Oscar added two more goals for Brazil on 71 and 90 minutes, the last coming seconds after Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar made a crucial save.
Croatia will certainly prove a difficult opponent for Cameroon and Mexico in the same group but can hardly complain about this result, such was the dominance of Brazil's attacking display.
Match statistics
Brazil
Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, T. Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo, Hulk (Bernard), Paulinho (Hernanes), Fred, Neymar (Ramires), Oscar, L. Gustavo
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Coach: Luiz Felipe SCOLARI |
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Yellow cards: Neymar, L. Gustavo
Croatia
Pletikosa, Vrsaljko, Perisic, Corluka, Lovren, Rakitic, Jelavic (Rebic), Modric, Srna, Olic, Kovacic (Brozovic)
Coach: Niko KOVAC
Yellow cards: Corluka, Lovren
Ball possession: Brazil 61% Croatia 39%
Shots/on target: Brazil 14/6 Croatia 11/3
Corners Brazil 7 Croatia 3
Fouls committed Brazil 5 Croatia 20
Groups
Group
Country Won Drawn Lost Goals for Goals against Goal difference Points
Group A After two games
Brazil Cameroon Croatia Mexico
Brazil 1 1 0 3 1 + 2 4
Mexico 1 1 0 1 0 +1 4
Croatia 1 0 1 5 3 +2 3
Cameroon 0 0 2 0 5 -5 0
Goal scorers:
Brazil: Neymar (2) Oscar 1
Mexico: O.Peralta
Own goals: Marcelo 1 Brazil (for Croatia)
Croatia: Olic, Perisic, Mandzukic (2)
Scenarios:
Mexico v. Croatia. A draw or a win is enough to put Mexico through, a Croatia win is enough to put Croatia through. A draw or a win against Cameroon puts Brazil through. The complication is if Brazil loses and Mexico draws or wins, in which case, in which case goal difference kicks in.
Group B After 2 games
Australia Chile Netherlands Spain
Spain 0 Chile 2
Vargas 19, Aránguiz, 43
Spain's Vicente del Bosque and his tiki-taka pupils had no answer for Chile today. The result is two games, seven goals against, one for (penalty), and an early exit from the World Cup. Spain has some serious introspection to do and one good idea would be to contract Portugal's José Mourinho to coach the side to their former glory. This would begin by retiring Iker Casillas.
Match statistics
Spain
Casillas, Azpilicueta, Alba, Alonso (Koke), Javi Martínez, Ramos, Pedro (Cazorla), Busquets, Diego Costa (Torres), Silva, Iniesta
Coach: Vicente DEL BOSQUE
Yellow card: Alonso
Chile
Bravo, Isla, Mena, Jara, Medel, Silva, Aránguiz (Gutierrez), Díaz,Vidal (Carmona), Sánchez, Vargas (Valdívia)
Coach: Jorge SAMPAOLI
Yellow card: Mena, Vidal
Ball possession: Spain 63% Chile 37%
Shots/on target: Spain 16/6 Chile 8/4
Corners: Spain 7 Chile 1
Fouls committed: Spain 14 Chile 15
Australia 2 Netherlands 3
Cahill 21 Robben 20
Jedinak 54 Van Persie 58, Depay 68
(pen)
Group B
Australia had a fantastic first half, playing as equals with the Netherlands and blocking the Dutch midfield. It was the Netherlands however that opened the score when Robben latched on to a ball that was intercepted from the left, ran from the halfway line and fired with his left foot to the left of the keeper.
Australia's reaction was as immediate as it was amazing. Cahill made contact with his left foot, volleying home a cross from the right near the half-way line leaving Cillesen no chance. On 30' and 31' Bresciano and Spiranovic could have put Australia ahead with good chances but the first half ended badly, with Bruno Martins (Netherlands) behind stretchered off after a foul from Cahill, which earns him a one-match band for round 3.
In the second half, Australia went ahead, through a penalty from Jedinak on 54' but the Netherlands came back, with an equalizer from Van Persie on 58' and the winner, ten minutes later (Depay). Australia has lost two games but leaves a very positive impression for the future after this game, which it was unlucky to lose.
For the Netherlands, 2 games, 6 points, 8 goals scored... what more could one ask for? Is this the Year of the Orange?
Match statistics
Australia
Ryan, McGowan, Davidson, McKay, Wilkinson, Spiranovic, Leckie, Jedinak, Cahill (Halloran), Bresciano (Bozanic), Oar (Taggart)
Coach: Ange POSTECOGLOU
Yellow cards: Cahill (Misses next match)
Netherlands
Cillessen, Janmaat, Blind, Martins Indi (Depay), Vlaar, de Vrij, de Guzmán (Vijnaldum), de Jong, Sneijder, van Persie (Lens), Robben
Coach: Louis VAN GAAL
Yellow card: Van Persie
Ball possession: Australia 50% Netherlands 50%
Shots/on target: Australia 10/4 Netherlands 14/9
Corners: Australia 3 Netherlands 2
Fouls committed: Australia 18 Netherlands 25
First round
Spain 1 Netherlands 5
Xavi Alonso Van Persie 44, 72; Robben 53, 80; de Vrij 64
(pen) 27
The Netherlands has the first candidate for the goal of the tournament: Van Persie's equalizing header from the middle of the area, following an inch-perfect pass from the left (Daley Blind). Spain had edged ahead, through a penalty (Xabi Alonso) after Diego Costa was brought down in the area by de Vrij, after a wonderful move from Iniesta, David Silva and Xavi Alonso.
After the break, an avalanche buried Spain and their tiki-taka short-passing game (Brazil had already shown how to play against this system in the Confederations Cup, which they won 3-0. The answer is the application of the WM formation, massing the midfield).
The second Dutch goal came on 52'. Arjen Robben shot past Casillas in the centre of the area (assist from Daley Blind) after holding the ball, skipping past two defenders and finding a shooting position. Goal 3 came after a foul by Robben on Casillas and shines a light on what the media has started calling bad refereeing (dubiously, because Brazil's penalty was legitimate, and Cameroon gave Mexico a scare). De Vrij converted the goal from a set piece.
After this, Spain pressed and the Netherlands acted like poisoned arrows in a classic counter-attack game. On 72', Casillas went out of his goal to counter Van Persie, who controlled the ball, skipped past the fallen keeper and rifled the shot between two desperate Spanish defenders. Spain's miserable night was compounded on 80', when Arjen Robben fired his shot past Casillas' left hand into the right-hand corner of the goal, after a perfect assist from Wesley Sneijder.
Match statistics
Spain
Casillas, Azpilicueta, Alba, Alonso (Pedro), Piqué, Ramos, Silva (Fabregas), Busquets, Diego Costa (Torres), Xavi, Iniesta
Coach: Vicente DEL BOSQUE
Yellow card: Casillas
Netherlands
Cillessen, Janmaat, Blind, Martins Indi, Vlaar, de Vrij (Veltman), de Guzman (Wijnaldum), de Jong, Sneijder, van Persie (Lens) Robben
Coach: Louis VAN GAAL
Yellow cards: De Vrij, de Guzman, Van Persie
Ball possession: Spain 64% Netherlands 36%
Shots/on target: Spain 10/4; Netherlands 14/10
Corners: Spain 4 Netherlands 1
Fouls committed: Spain 5 Netherlands 18
Chile 3 Australia 1
Sanchez 12 Tim Cahill 35
Valdivia 14
Beausejour 90
Match statistics
Chile
Bravo, Isla, Mena, Diaz, Medel, Jara, Aránguiz, Valdívia (Beausejour), Vargas (Pinilla), Sánchez, Vidal (Gutierrez)
Coach: Jorge SAMPAOLI
Yellow card: Aránguiz
Australia
Ryan, Franjic (McGowan), Davidson, Milligan, Wilkinson, Spiranovic, Leckie, Jedinak, Cahill, Bresciano (Troisi), Oar (Halloran)
Coach: Ange POSTECOGLOU
Yellow cards: Cahill, Milligan, Jedinak
Ball possession: Chile 65% Australia 35%
Shots/on target: Chile 10/5 Australia 13/4
Corners: Chile 3 Australia 1
Fouls committed: Chile 9 Australia 18
Group B
Netherlands 2 0 0 8 3 +5 6
Chile 2 0 0 5 1 +4 6
Australia 0 0 2 3 6 -3 0
Spain 0 0 2 1 7 -6 0
Goal scorers:
Spain: Xabi Alonso
Netherlands: Van Persie (3), Robben (3), de Vrij, Depay
Chile: Alexis Sanchez, Valdivia, Beausejour, Vargas, Aránguiz
Australia: Cahill (2), Jedinak
Scenarios:
There aren't any. Australia and Spain are out of the World Cup. Netherlands and Chile will play against either Brazil, Mexico or Croatia.
Group C
Colombia Greece Ivory Coast Japan
Second round
Japan 0 Greece 0
Match statistics
Japan
Kawashima, Uchida, Nagatomo, Yamaguchi, Yoshida, Konno, Okubo, Hasebe (Endo), Osako (Kagawa), Honda, Okazaki
Coach: Alberto ZACCHERONI
Yellow card: Hasebe
Greece
Karnezis, Torosidis, Holebas, Katsouranis, Manolas, Papastathopoulos, Maniatis, Kone (Salpingidis), Mitroglou (Gekas), Fetfatzidis (Karagounis), Samaras
Coach: Fernando SANTOS
Yellow card: Katsouranis, Torosidis, Samaras
Red card: Katsouranis
Ball possession: Japan 74% Greece 26%
Shots/on target: Japan 18/4 Greece 9/4
Corners: Japan 5 Greece 7
Fouls committed: Japan 23 Greece 18
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Goal scorers Colombia: Armero, Gutiérrez, James Rodríguez (2), Quintero Ivory Coast: Bony, Gervinho (2) Japan: Honda |
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Group C After 2 games
Colombia 2 0 0 5 1 +4 6
Ivory Coast 1 0 1 3 3 0 3
Japan 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1
Greece 0 1 1 0 3 -3 1
Scenarios: Colombia is qualified. Greece must beat Ivory Coast to qualify and if Japan does not beat Colombia, Greece goes through. If Japan beats Colombia, it is a question of goal difference.
Colombia 2 Ivory Coast 1
Rodriguez 64 Gervinho 73
Quintero 70
The statistics say it all: another African team dominates the game, has more ball possession, has more shots but less on target, has the same number of corners, commits less fouls, and loses the game.
Match statistics
Colombia
Ospina, Zuñiga, Armero (Arias), Sánchez, Zapata, Yepes, Cuadrado, Aguilar (Mejía), Gutiérrez, Rodríguez, Ibarbo (Quintero)
Coach: José PEKERMAN
Yellow card: -
Ivory Coast
Barry, Aurier, Boka, Gonzaroua Die (Bolly), Zokora, Bamba, Gradel (Kalou), Tioté, Bony (Drogba),Y Touré, Gervinho
Coach: Sabri LAMOUCHI
Yellow card: Zokora (misses next match), Tioté
Ball possession: Colombia 45% Ivory Coast 55%
Shots/on target: Colombia 11/6 Ivory Coast 13/3
Corners: Colombia 5 Ivory Coast 5
Fouls committed: Colombia 11 Ivory Coast 14
First round
Colombia 3 Greece 0
Armero 5
Gutiérrez 58
James Rodríguez 90
Colombia got off to the best start possible, putting the ball away on 5 minutes, when Armero shot through a crowded area, blinding Greek goalkeeper Karnezis to the shot. When he saw it, it was in his net. 1-0 to Colombia, which then sat back and gave possession to Greece.
On 6', Kone shot just wide, Torosidis headed just wide on 28', two corners ensued on 34' and 39' and on 44', Kone forced Ospina to make a great save, conceding another corner.
However, after 45 minutes, the score remained at 1-0 to Colombia. After the break, James Rodriguez tested Karnezis. Greece did noit take advantage of the ball possession, and things got worse after 58' when Gutiérrez fired home his shot after a corner. Greece's misery and ineffective attack, which made the team look as miserable as its coach, the Portuguese Fernando Santos looking on as if he was attending a tragedy, was compounded as the game ended, when James Rodríguez fired in the third.
Greece distributed the ball around the park but has to do far better in the remaining games.
Match statistics
Colombia
Ospina, Zapata, Yepes (Capt), C. Sanchez, Armero (Arias), Aguilar T. (Mejia), Teo (Jackson Martínez), James Rodríguez, Cuadrado, Ibarbo, Zuñiga
Coach: Jose PEKERMAN
Yellow cards: Sanchez
Greece
Karnezis, Maniatis, Manolas, Samaras, Kone (Karagounis), Salpingidis (Fetfatzidis), Torosidis, Gekas (Mitroglou), Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Cholevas, Katsouranis (Capt)
Coach: Fernando SANTOS
Yellow card: Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Salpingidis
Ball possession: Colombia 48% Greece 52%
Shots/on target: Colombia 13/6 Greece 11/2
Corners: Colombia 4 Greece 4
Fouls committed: Colombia 19 Greece 14
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Ivory Coast 2 Japan 1 Bony 64 Honda 16 Gervinho 66
Ivory Coast Barry, Aurier , Boka (Djakpa), Gonzaroua Die (Drogba), Zokora, Bamba, Kalou, Tioté, Bony (Ya Konan), Y Touré, Gervinho Coach: Sabri LAMOUCHI Yellow cards: Zokora, Bamba
Japan Kawashima, Uchida, Nagatomo, Hasebe (Endo), Morishige, Yoshida, Okazaki, Yamaguchi, Osako (Okubo), Honda, Kagawa (Kakitani) Coach: Alberto ZACCHERONI Yellow card: Morishige, Yoshida
Ball possession: Ivory Coast 58% Japan 42% Corners: Ivory Coast 8 Japan 5 Fouls committed: Ivory Coast 12 Japan 13
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Goal scorers Colombia: Armero, Gutiérrez, James Rodríguez (2), Quintero Ivory Coast: Bony, Gervinho (2) Japan: Honda
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Group C After 2 games
Colombia 2 0 0 5 1 +4 6
Ivory Coast 1 0 1 3 3 0 3
Japan 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1
Greece 0 1 1 0 3 -3 1
Group D
Costa Rica England Italy Uruguay
Group D
Second round
Group D
Italy 0 Costa Rica 1
Ruiz 44
Match statistics
Italy
Buffon, Abate, Darmian, De Rossi, Barzagli, Chiellini, Candreva (Insigne), Motta (Cassano), Balotelli, Pirlo, Marchisio (Cerci)
Coach: Cesare PRANDELLI
Yellow cards: Balotelli
Costa Rica
Navas, Gamboa, Díaz Campbell, Umaña, Gonzalez, Duarte, Ruiz (Brenes), Borges, Campbell (Ureña), Tejeda Valverde (Cubero), Bolaños
Coach: Jorge Luís PINTO
Yellow cards: Cubero
Ball possession: Italy 61% Costa Rica 39%
Shots/on target: Italy 10/4 Costa Rica 11/5
Corners: Italy 4 Costa Rica 5
Fouls committed: Italy 10 Costa Rica 23
Uruguay 2 England 1
Suarez Rooney 75
39, 84
Match statistics
Uruguay
Muslera, Cáceres, Pereira, Arévalo Rios, Giménez, Godín, González (Fucile), Lodeiro (Stuani),Suarez (Coates), Cavani, Rodríguez
Coach: Oscar Washington TABAREZ
Yellow card: Godín
England
Hart, Johnson, Baines, Henderson (Lambert), Cahill, Jagielka, Sterling (Barkley), Gerrard, Sturridge, Rooney, Welbeck (Lallana)
Coach: Roy HODGSON
Yellow card: Gerrard
Ball possession: Uruguay 37% England 63%
Shots/On target: Uruguay 8/2 England 12/6
Corners: Uruguay 7 England 6
Fouls committed: Uruguay 17 England 12
First round
Uruguay 1 Costa Rica 3
Cavani 24 Campbell 54, Duarte 57 Ureña 84
(pen)
Match statistics
Uruguay
Muslera, Maxi Pereira, Cáceres, Gargano (González), Lugano, Godín, Stuani, Arévalo Rios, Forlán (Lodeiro), Cavani, Rodríguez (Hernández)
Coach: Oscar Washington TABAREZ
Yellow cards: Gargano, Lugano, Cáceres
Red Card: Maxi Pereira
Costa Rica
Navas, Gamboa, Díaz Campbell, Umaña, Gonzalez, Duarte, Ruiz (Ureña), Tejeda Valverde (Cubero), Campbell, Borges, Bolaños (Barrantes)
Coach: Jorge Luis PINTO
Ball possession: Uruguay 56% Costa Rica 44%
Shots/on target: Uruguay 9/3 Costa Rica 13/4
Corners: Uruguay 5 Costa Rica 6
Fouls committed: Uruguay 20 Costa Rica 18
England 1 Italy 2
Sturridge 37 Marchisio 35, Balotelli 50
Despite losing the match and despite the fact that Italy looked like a team of men playing against boys, a team which if necessary would put another ball in the net, there can be no doubt that the experience and intelligence of team coach Roy Hodgson has taken England to another dimension.
It is a pity for England that key players, such as Wayne Rooney, despite being an excellent supporting strike force, whose passing and vision is second to none when he is on form, fail to put the ball away in situations which would see any boy in any park celebrate a goal. This underlines the notion that football players can systematically fail to display what would be basic skills in any other profession and yet still keep their jobs, the notion that football players can commit massive mistakes and go unpunished, when any executive, for ten times less, would lose his job.
For those who state that a footballer's lot is not an easy one, then when one takes into account that the players have been practicing their art daily since they were knee-high to a grasshopper, the argument falls flat.
That said, England showed too much skill and collective will to leave the competition in the group phase and should prove too hot to handle for the Group C rivals in the last 16. Hodgson seems to have booked his team's place in the last 8, together inevitably with Italy, Brazil, Netherlands, probably Croatia and Spain if they can pick themselves up and learn how to play tiki without taka.
Match statistics
England
Hart, Johnson, Baines, Henderson (Wilshere), Cahill, Jagielka, Welbeck (Barkley), Gerrard (Capt), Sturridge (Lallana), Sterling, Rooney
Coach: Roy HODGSON
Yellow card: Sterling
Italy
Sirigu, Darmian, Chiellini, De Rossi, Barzagli, Paletta, Candreva (Parolo), Verratti (Motta), Balotelli (Immobile), Pirlo, Marchisio,
Coach: Cesare PRANDELLI
Yellow card: -
Ball possession: England 44% Italy 56%
Shots/on target: England 18/5 Italy 13/4
Corners: England 9 Italy 2
Fouls committed: England 8 Italy 11
Group D
Costa Rica 2 0 0 4 1 +3 6
Italy 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
Uruguay 1 0 1 3 4 -1 3
England 0 0 2 2 3 -1 0
Goal scorers
Costa Rica: Campbell, Duarte, Ureña, Ruiz
Uruguay: Cavani (pen), Suarez (2)
England: Sturridge, Rooney
Italy: Marchisio, Balotelli
Group E
Ecuador France Honduras Switzerland
Switzerland 2 Ecuador 1
Mehmedi 48 Valencia 22
Seferovic 90
It was Ecuador that scored the first goal against the run of play. Valencia, 22 minutes. Following a free kick from the left, the Swiss defence allowed three Ecuadorian players into the penalty area, outnumbering the defending team and Valencia fired home. 1-0. Switzerland had far more of the ball in the first half, but the result remained at the interval.
In the second half, Mehmedi scored the equalizer, heading into the goal in front of Domínguez, after a corner. Switzerland, well organized, soaked up attacks from Ecuador and had the ball in the net on 69', but it was clearly offside. However, Ecuador did enough to deserve the draw and Switzerland's winner (Seferovic, 90) seemed to be a little flattering for a good, organized European side, but equalled by Ecuador, 20 places below at 26 in the FIFA ranking, on the field.
Match statistics
Switzerland
Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Rodriguez, Inler, Djourou, Von Bergen, Shaqiri, Behrami, Drmic (Seferovic), Xhaka, Stocker (Mehmedi)
Coach: Ottmar HITZFELD
Yellow card: Djourou
Ecuador
Domínguez, Paredes, Ayoví, Gruezo, Guagua, Erazo, A. Valencia, Noboa, Caicedo (Arroyo), E. Valencia, Montero (Rojas)
Coach: Reinaldo RUEDA
Yellow card: Paredes
Ball possession: Switzerland 62% Ecuador 38%
Shots/on target: Switzerland 17/6 Ecuador 10/4
Corners: Switzerland 8 Ecuador 5
Fouls committed: Switzerland 9 Ecuador 15
France 3 Honduras 0
Benzema 45′ (pen),
72′
Valladares 48′ (og)
France
Lloris, Debuchy, Evra, Cabaye (Mavuba), Varane, Sakho, Pogba, (Sissoko), Matuidi, Benzema, Valbuena (Giroud), Griezmann
Coach: Didier DESCHAMPS
Yellow card: Cabaye, Pogba
Honduras
Valladares, Beckeles, Izaguirre, Palacios, Bernárdez (Chávez), Figueroa, Najar (Claros), Garrido, Costly, Bengtson (García), Espinoza,
Coach: Luis SUAREZ
Yellow card: Palacios, Garrido, Garcia
Red card: Palacios
Match statistics
Ball possession: France 71% Honduras 29%
Shots/on target: France 20/5 Honduras 4/1
Corners: France 8 Honduras 0
Fouls committed: France 13 Honduras 14
Group E
France 1 0 0 3 0 +3 3
Switzerland 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3
Ecuador 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
Honduras 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0
Goal scorers
Ecuador: Valencia
Switzerland: Mehmedi, Seferovic
France: Benzema (2) Valladares (og)
Group F
Argentina Bosnia-Herzegovina Iran Nigeria
Argentina 2 Bosnia-Herzegovina 1
Kolasinac 3 (og) Ibisevic 85
Messi 65
Match statistics
Argentina
Romero, Garay, Campagnaro (Gago), Zabaleta, Di Maria, Messi (Capt), M. Rodríguez (Higuain), Mascherano, Rojo, F. Fernandez, Aguero (Biglia)
Coach: Alejandro SABELLA
Yellow card: Rojo
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Begovic, Bicakcic, Spahic (Capt), Kolasinac, Besic, Pjanic, Misimovic (Medunjanin), Dzeko, Mujdza (Ibisevic), Lulic, Hajrovic (Visca)
Coach: Safet SUSIC
Yellow card: Spahic
Ball possession: Argentina 59% Bosnia-Herzegovina 41%
Shots/on target: Argentina 12/2 Bosnia-Herzegovina 16/6
Corners: Argentina 2 Bosnia-Herzegovina 6
Fouls committed: Argentina 10 Bosnia-Herzegovina 14
Iran 0 Nigeria 0
Match statistics
Iran
Haghighi, Montazeri, Pooladi, Nekounam, Hosseini, Sadeqi, Heydari (Shojaei), Teymourian, Ghoochanneijhad, Hajsafi, Dejagah (Jahanbakhsh)
Coach: Carlos QUEIRÓZ
Yellow cards: Teymourian
Nigeria
Enyeama, Ambrose Emuobo, Oshaniwa, Mikel, Omeruo, Oboabona (Yobo), Musa, Onazi, Emenike, Azeez (Odemwingie), Moses (Ameobi)
Coach: Stephen KESHI
Yellow cards: -
Ball possession: Iran 36% Nigeria 64%
Shots/on target: Iran 7/3 Nigeria 10/6
Corners: Iran 2 Nigeria 7
Fouls committed: Iran 18 Nigeria 16
Group F
Argentina 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3
Iran 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Nigeria 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Bosnia-H 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
Goal scorers
Argentina: Messi Kolasinac (own goal)
Bosnia-H.: Ibisevic
Group G
Germany Ghana Portugal USA
Group G
Germany 4 Portugal 0
Müller
12, 45, 78
Hummels 32
A disaster for Portugal, not only in the result, but also in its magnitude and the trail the game leaves: injuries to Hugo Almeida and Fábio Coentrão, and possibly Patrício, the goalkeeper. What marked the game for Portugal, also, was the idiotic display of childishness by central defender Pepe, sent off for placing his head aggressively against Müller, who was sitting on the ground. Germany was far more effective and efficient, Ronaldo did not seem 100% match fit as he claimed, the choice of Paulo Bento for his squad is dubious in terms of fitness and one questions what is going on in the heart of the Portuguese management and medical teams.
However, Portugal has two games (USA and Ghana) to get it right.
Match statistics
Germany
Neuer, Höwedes, Hummels (Mustafi), Khedira, Özil (Schürrle), Müller (Podolski), Lahm (Capt), Mertesacker, Kroos, Götze, Boateng
Coach: Joachim LOEW
Yellow cards: -
Portugal
Rui Patrício, João Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Miguel Veloso (Ricardo Costa), Fábio Coentrão (Almeida), Cristiano Ronaldo, João Moutinho, Hugo Almeida (Éder), Raul Meireles, Nani
Coach: Paulo BENTO
Yellow card: João Pereira
Red card: Pepe
Ball possession: Germany 57% Portugal 43%
Shots/on target: Germany 13/6 Portugal 13/4
Corners: Germany 4 Portugal 6
Fouls committed: Germany 8 Portugal 12
Ghana 1 USA 2
A. Ayew 82 Dempsey 1, Brooks 86
If ever there was a snatched result, this was it. Ghana was all over the USA, but what matters is the result. The USA took their chances, Ghana arrived at the area, but the USA had already parked the bus in front of goal,so was reduced to long shots.
Match statistics
Ghana
Larsen Kwarasey, Opare, Asamoah, Muntari, Boye, Mensah, Atsu (Adomah), Rabiu (Essien), Gyan, J.Ayew (Boateng), A.Ayew
Coach: James APPIAH
Yellow cards: Muntari, Rabiu
USA
Howard, Johnson, Beasley, Beckerman, Cameron, Besler (Brooks), Bedoya (Zusi), Bradley, Dempsey, Altidore (Jóhannsson), Jones
Coach: Juergen KLINNSMANN
Yellow cards: -
Ball possession: Ghana 62 USA 38
Shots/on target: Ghana 21/3 USA 8/4
Corners: Ghana 7 USA 3
Fouls committed: Ghana 10 USA 12
Group G
Germany 1 0 0 4 0 +4 3
USA 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3
Ghana 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
Portugal 0 0 1 0 4 -4 0
Goal scorers
Germany: T. Müller (3), Hummels
USA: Dempsey, Brooks
Ghana: A. Ayew
Group H
Algeria Belgium Rep. Korea Russia
Group H
Belgium 2 Algeria 1
Fellaini 70 Feghouli 24 (pen)
Mertens 80
Match statistics
Belgium
Courtois, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Dembélé (Fellaini), Van Buyten, Kompany, De Bruyne, Witsel, Lukaku (Origi), Chadli (Mertens), Hazard
Coach: Marc WILMOTS
Yellow card: Vertonghen
Algeria
M'Bolhi, Mostefa, Ghoulam, Medjani (Ghilas), Bougherra, Halliche, Feghouli, Taïder,Soudani (Slimani), Bentaleb, Mahrez (Lacen)
Coach: Vahid HALILHODZIC
Yellow card: Bentaleb
Ball possession: Belgium 67% Algeria 33%
Shots/on target: Belgium 17/8 Algeria 3/1
Corners: Belgium 7 Algeria 2
Fouls committed: Belgium 20 Algeria 18
Group H
Russia 1 Republic of Korea 1
Kerzhakov 74 Lee Keun-ho 68
Match statistics
Russia
Akinfeev, Eshchenko, Kombarov, Faizulin, Berezoutski, Ignashevitch, Samedov, Glushakov, Kokorin, Shatov, Zhirkov
Coach: Fábio CAPELLO
Yellow card: Shatov
Republic of Korea
Jung Sung-ryong, Lee Yong, Yun Suk-young, Ki Sung-yueng, Hong Jeong-ho, Kim Young-gwon, Lee Chung-yong, Han Kook-young, Park Chu-young, Koo Ja-cheol, Son Heung-min
Coach: HONG Myungbo
Yellow cards: Ki Sung-yueng, Son Heung-min
Ball possession: Russia 49% Republic of Korea 51%
Shots/on target: Russia 18/5 Republic of Korea 10/5
Corner: Russia 4 Republic of Korea 4
Fouls committed: Russia 15 Republic of Korea 7
Group H
Belgium 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3
Russia 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Rep. Korea 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Algeria 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
Goal scorers
Algeria: Feghouli
Belgium: Fellaini, Mertens
Russia: Kerzhakov
Rep. Korea: Lee Keun-ho
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
(timothy.hinchey@gmail.com)