MATCH 10 – French Rout

MATCH 10  – GROUP E

FRANCE          3-0          HONDURAS

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Goals-

FRA: Benzema 45′(P), 72′, Valladares 48′(OG);

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Venue : Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre

Referee : Sandro Meira Ricci (Brazil)

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The French National Team needs a booster. The big controversies and player mutinies of the last World Cup will be remembered as one of the darkest days in their history. They needed a big win. For themselves and the fans. And they got it. France completely destroyed a tough-tackling Honduras team, even without their best player and talisman, Franck Ribery, who was ruled out of the World Cup due to injury. Based this performance, fans can believe again. France could go a long way in this World Cup. It wasn’t without drama though. Let’s see how one of football’s stupidest controversies panned out.

TEAM LINE-UPS

France: Lloris, Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, Evra, Pogba (Sissoko 57), Cabaye (Mavuba 65), Matuidi, Valbuena (Giroud 78), Benzema, Griezmann.
(Manager: Didier Deschamps)

Honduras: Valladares, Beckeles, Bernardez (Osman Chavez 46), Figueroa, Izaguirre, Najar (Claros 58), Wilson Palacios, Garrido, Espinoza, Bengtson (Boniek Garcia 46), Costly.
(Manager: Luis Suarez)

France played with star man Karim Benzema as a lone striker up front, with youngster Griezmann and the pacey Valbuena behind him. Supplying them were the formidable central midfield trio of Matuidi, Pogba and Cabaye. Real Madrid youngster Varane got the nod ahead of the likes of Koscielny to partner Sakho in central defence. The star men for an inexperienced Honduras side were the England-based contingent of Figueroa, Espinoza and Palacios.

THE MATCH

It was a rough game right from the start. Honduras lived up to their reputation of being one of the most physical sides in the world. Tackles were flying everywhere. But it wasn’t just Honduras who were causing the damage. It seemed that France had come out determined to meet fire with fire. France themselves got 3 players booked in the first half. In the 27th minute, a clash between Pogba and Palacios saw them both booked, but it could’ve easily been red. Palacios seemed to kick Pogba while the Frenchman retaliated by lashing back out. But, the game went on, but not for long for the Honduras man. A minute before half time, he clumsily crashed into Pogba just inside the penalty box. Easy decision for the ref. Second yellow card. Sent off.

Palacios – Losing his calm.
Red Card.

A clear penalty. Up steps the man who has a lot of pressure on his head from fans and the media, Benzema. Pressure? What’s that? He coolly buries the ball in the net, sending the keeper the wrong way. Great way to end the half for France. As for Honduras, being a goal down and a man down, it was going to be a long night.

Benzema – Mr. Cool.
France 1-0 Honduras.

The second half began with France predictably in control. They looked real lively, especially trickster Valbuena who was working his shoes off in the pitch. And it didn’t take long for the hard work to be paid off for the French, as 3 minutes into the second half, they doubled the lead. But it wasn’t without controversy. A delightful pass from Cabaye to Benzema, followed by a wonderful half volley shot by the striker led to the ball hitting the far post and hitting the keeper on the other side on the rebound, who couldn’t gather it fully and fumbled with the ball near the goal line. When everyone thought that it was great save, the referee blows the whistle and for the first time at the FIFA World Cup 2014, Goal-line Technology comes into play. Goal for France. Well, the controversy started moments later, when the giant screen at the stadium showed the replay where it said ‘NO GOAL’ first and then ‘GOAL’ later on. Confused and furious Honduras fans roared in anger. The players were surrounding the referee. It was chaos. But, it was just stupid. Because all these people just misunderstood what was being shown. The replay showed that the ball wasn’t in when it initially hit the post, but it went in, after the goalkeeper’s fumble. It was an own goal by the keeper. If everyone had just concentrated a bit more on the replay, before shouting out in anger, there would have been no problem. But, that’s football fans for you. That’s the passion. That’s what I love about it.

Benzema – Is it in?
France 2-0 Honduras.

After that, Honduras had no way back. France kept on threatening the goal. Finally in the 72nd minute, both France and Benzema got another one. A beautiful move found its way to the Real Madrid man’s feet who blasted a shot from the ride side of the goal into the top of the net. Rounded off a brilliant performance by the striker.

Benzema – Icing on the Cake.
France 3-0 Honduras.

 

Man Of The Match : Karim Benzema

CONCLUSIONS

France got the morale booster they needed. Although Honduras weren’t exactly a quality opponent, it will help their confidence. They face tough tests ahead against the Swiss and Ecuador, but with Benzema in the form he is, France can push them all away.

As for Honduras, its a steep uphill task from now. With their star man suspended and a poor goal difference means their hopes of qualifying are all but over.

MATCH 9 – Swiss Bliss

MATCH 9  – GROUP E

SWITZERLAND        2-1          ECUADOR         

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Goals-

SUI: Mehmedi 47′, Seferovic 90’+2;

ECU: E. Valencia 21′;

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Venue : Estadio Nacional, Brasilia

Referee : Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

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What a spectacular finish to the game! This is what you get in World Cup. This is the reason why football fans all over the world go crazy once in 4 years. An absolute nail biting finish. Just when everyone thought that it would be the first match to end as a draw in this edition of the World Cup, all those thoughts have been shattered by a visionary pass from the Liverpool FC target, Ricardo Rodriguez which was calmly finished by La Real forward Haris Seferovic. All this happened in seconds after a valiant tackle by Valon Behrami to deny Ecuador from wrestling away with 3 points. It was a mediocre contest all through the game but has suddenly sprung to life in the final minutes. Let’s look at how the game panned out.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Von Bergen, Djourou, Rodriguez, Inler, Xhaka, Behrami, Stocker (Mehmedi 46), Drmic (Seferovic 75), Shaqiri;

Ecuador: Dominguez, Guagua, Erazo, Paredes, Noboa, Montero (Rojas 76), W. Ayovi, Gruezo, A. Valencia, E. Valencia, Caicedo (Arroyo 70)

THE MATCH

What has been one of the most exciting finishes to a game, didn’t start off all the same. The match was a bit towards the boring side with no teams able to create as many chances as expected. It was Ecuador to lead in the first half, thanks to Enner Valencia’s header.

Enner Valencia – Towering high. Switzerland 0-1 Ecuador.

Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has made a tactical master class of a substitution after being unhappy with the sluggish start. And, it has paid off in less than 3 minutes, as the substitute Admir Mehmedi headed home a delightful corner from Ricardo Rodriguez.

Mehmedi – Tit for Tat.
Switzerland 1-1 Ecuador.

In the 61st minute, the linesman was harsh on the Swiss as he denied a close range effort from Drmic which came from a brilliant dummy by Xherdan Shaqiri.Everyone thought the game is all but over until the 91st minute. Antonio Valencia was surging forward with pace and has found Arroyo in the box who was denied by Valon Behrami by means of a brilliant last-ditch tackle. In the matter of seconds, the Swiss launch a terrific counter attack in full speed. Ricardo Rodriguez surged with pace on the left an has eventually found Haris Seferovic making an intelligent run away from the two center backs and has put in a brilliant pass dodging his marker. Seferovic has finished it close range with a delightful one touch finish. It was mere seconds from the first stalemate of the 2014 World Cup and then Haris Seferovic pops up to score a 92nd-minute winner for Switzerland. Delight for them, agony for Ecuador.

Seferovic – Late Drama.
Switzerland 2-1 Ecuador.

CONCLUSION

It was a thrilling end to a contest that had not always lived up to the drama and excitement we have already seen from most games in this World Cup. Switzerland are now on the front foot in the group and face France, who were winners later in the day, on June 20. A win will in all probability secure their place in the second round, but France were hugely impressive against Honduras and will be tough opponents. It’s all but decided regarding who is going to qualify from Group E. Although, it’d interesting to see who would top the group. My bet is on France, given their form and coordination against Honduras. If Switzerland have any hopes of topping the group, their performance should be taken to a level way above what has been seen in this game against Ecuador.

MATCH 8 – Samurai Trampled

MATCH 8  – GROUP C

   CÔTE D’IVOIRE       2-1        JAPAN

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Goals-

CIV: Bony 64′, Gervinho 66′;

JPN: Honda 16′;

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Venue : Arena Pernambuco,Recife

Referee : Enrique Osses (Chile)

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TEAM LINE-UPS

Côte d’Ivoire: Barry, Aurier, Bamba, Zokora, Boka (Djakpa 75), Tiote, Yaya Toure, Die (Drogba 62), Gervinho, Bony (Konan 77), Kalou.

Japan: Kawashima, Uchida, Morishige, Yoshida, Nagatomo, Yamaguchi, Hasebe (Endo 53), Okazaki, Honda, Kagawa (Kakitani 86), Osako (Okubo 68).

Well, when you think of Ivory Coast, you think of the likes of Drogba and Yaya Toure and you expect them to deliver. Similarly when you think of Japan, you think of Kagawa & Honda. Not a star studded contest this, but it was a contest full of drama of the highest quality.

Ivory Coast started the game with their talisman Didier Drogba on the bench but had loads of arsenal in their attack with the likes of Wilfried Bony and Gervinho. Also, assisting the attack was ex-Chelsea forward Kalou with the man from Manchester City Yaya Toure playing as a No. 10.

Japan on their hand depended on the man from Milan, Honda and a rather forgotten , yet talented figure from Manchester United, Shinji Kagawa who played behind their striker Yuya Osaka.

THE MATCH

The game started rather swiftly with the likes of Yaya Toure and Gervinho constantly attacking the goal of Eiji Kawashima until a brilliant piece of play in the 16th minute from the Japanese ended in the ball landing in Honda’s feet who fired the ball into the back of the net using a strong left foot. Boubacar Barry didn’t have to move because the power of the shot didn’t give him even a fraction of a second to do so. The goal came early in the half which left the team from Africa scratching their heads including Didier Drogba sitting on the bench who was of no help then.

Honda – Blasting it in. Ivory Coast 0-1 Japan.

With Drogba on the bench, everyone expected Yaya to deliver but it didn’t happen. He got a couple of dead ball opportunities which he used to bury in the back of the net when playing for the blue team from Manchester but that didn’t happen that day.

The half finished with the Japanese leading 1-0. Everyone expected some changes in the second half but they didn’t happen at half time. The Japs controlled the game at a steady pace until the Ivory Coast coach decided that he’d seen enough of his team. On came Drogba for Serey in the 62nd minute and what followed was quite dramatic in its own. It was like some God had descended from the heavens which lifted the countrymen. Drogba didn’t have an impact on the ball but the impact off the ball showed what he meant to his team mates. Inside 2 mins of his substitution, Ivory Coast equalised from a header of Wilfred Bony after a beautifully weighted cross from S. Aurier met his head.

Bony – Doing what he does best.
Ivory Coast 1-1 Japan.

What followed next made every viewer hold his head with his hands as Aurier provided a similar cross, this time landing on Gervinho’s head and the ex-Arsenal man made it 2-1. Some may argue that the Japanese goalkeeper could have done better after getting his hands on the ball but Drogba and co didn’t care as the whole squad ran on the pitch to celebrate the goal.

Gervinho – Completing the Miracle.
Ivory Coast 2-1 Japan.

It was a great turnaround from the team from Africa. After trailing the game for about 50 mins, they lead the game by scoring 2 goals in 2 mins. The Japanese were left shell shocked and the Ivorians couldn’t believe it either. They slowed the game down to walking pace, keeping the ball among themselves for the next 20 odd minutes leaving the Japanese chasing it. The Ivorians took the life out of the game and made it rather boring to watch.

The Japanese coach then threw the dice a final time and expected the right numbers to come up by bringing in Yoichiro Kakitani in the 86′ for Shinji Kagawa expecting an impact but it wasn’t to be as Ivory Coast held on to the slender lead which they achieved so dramatically.

Yes, it was a team effort but Drogba’s substitution would be remembered as one of the best in the World Cup finals, even though he didn’t get his name on the scoresheet and also couldn’t give an assist.

What changed it all.

 

CONCLUSIONS

Group C being the most unpredictable of the lot, this result doesn’t guarantee anyone anything. Japan are still not out of this and Ivory Coast still have work to do. With Colombia and Greece all strong teams, Group C could get really interesting. With such dramatic matches, I’m sure it will.

MATCH 7 – The Italian Job

MATCH 7  – GROUP D

   ENGLAND       1-2        ITALY

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Goals-

ENG: Sturridge 37′;

ITA: Marchisio 35′, Balotelli 50′;

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Venue : Arena Amazonia, Manaus

Referee : Bjorn Kuipers (Holland)

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Days before this game began, many fans were curious of results that would come out from Italy vs England. Many had argued that Italy would win this game because Italy’s squad has more experiences in World Cup and their defense is just impeccable comparing to England’s. But I had a little bit of doubt for Italy when I heard Buffon would sit out from the game (twisted ankle during practice) because he spearheads The Azzurri defense. So, I had my own doubts if Sturridge and Rooney could disrupt the Italian defense. However, fans guessed it correctly that Italy will win this match and in fact they won 2-1 but not without breaking a sweat.

TEAM LINE-UPS

England: Hart; Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines; Gerrard, Henderson (Wilshere 73); Sterling, Rooney, Welbeck (Barkley 61), Sturridge (Lallana 79).

Italy: Sirigu; Darmian, Paletta, Barzagli, Chiellini; Verratti (Thiago Motta 57), Pirlo, De Rossi; Candreva (Parolo 79), Marchisio; Balotelli (Immobile 79).

This was the first game of the group stage for these two teams but however, both teams played as if they were in the World Cup finals already. England played in the Liverpool style (out of 11 starters, 5 were from Liverpool) while Italy played in manner of the chain with a strong emphasis on defense in order to suffocate England’s counterattacks. England’s manager, Roy Hodgson, used mixture of young stars and experienced veterans such as Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, and Leighton Baines to initiate full on attack against Italy’s defense. However, England failed to smile at the end at the final whistle. Here is our match review and player ratings.

THE MATCH

The first half began brightly, with Raheem Sterling seemingly hitting the top corner with a rasping 30-yard drive (the only suspicious thing being that neither Sterling nor any of his team-mates celebrated at all, I got off my seat!) replays soon showed the ball hitting the side netting. The tricky Liverpool man was a menace throughout most of the game and was an instrumental part in much of England’s best play. However, despite a good start, including a glorious chance for Daniel Sturridge (pretty unlucky for him) and a stinging shot from Jordan Henderson, there was still no breakthrough. Italy had chances of their own, with the impressive Antonio Candreva giving Hart an anxious moment with an audacious attempt, before a well-worked set piece, including a brilliant dummy by Andrea Pirlo, saw Claudio Marchisio shoot crisply into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Joe Hart. Italy shed first blood.

Marchisio – Inch Perfect. England 0-1 Italy.

England did not dwell on this setback, and only a few minutes after Italy’s opener the impressive Sterling threaded a superb through-ball to Rooney, who then hit a brilliant cross into the path of Sturridge, who duly snapped up the opportunity. 1-1. Game on.

Sturridge – Bundling it in. England 1-1 Italy.

The enigmatic Mario Balotelli then saw his first chance of the match go begging when his chip over a helpless Hart was headed off the line by Phil Jagielka. A few minutes later, Marchisio’s ball over the top found Candreva, who cut inside and hit a snapshot that Hart did well to turn onto the post. Italy’s period of dominance finally paid off just after the interval, with the Balotelli getting on the scoresheet. After Candreva had turned Baines inside-out, he floated an inviting cross into the box, Balotelli then peeled off Gary Cahill at the back stick to power a header home.

Super Mario.
England 1-2 Italy.

To England’s credit, they kept pressing after this deflating moment. Steven Gerrard had a penalty appeal turned down, Rooney drove narrowly wide, and Leighton Baines had a curling free-kick well-saved by Italy’s stand-in goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. Ross Barkley also made an impression in his cameo appearance, and his bold run almost resulted in a goal, but he was denied by Sirigu. The imperious Pirlo then almost added to Italy’s advantage late on, wafting his right-footed free-kick against the bar.

Man Of The Match : Antonio Candreva.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, it was performance with a lot of promise. It was exciting to see England unleash the shackles after previous tournaments dominated by conservative, stodgy football. However, the possession statistics show that England may continue to struggle in the years to come against teams with technically superior players, like Italy. The match did suggest though that England have the quality and attacking intent to win both of their remaining group games. One could say that England were simply outclassed in midfield and the humid and hot conditions in Manaus were certainly not favouring them.

MATCH 6 – The Tables Have Turned

MATCH 6  – GROUP D

   URUGUAY       1-3        COSTA RICA

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Goals-

URU: Cavani 24′(P);

CRC: Campbell 54′, Duarte 57′, Urena 84′;

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Venue : Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza

Referee : Felix Brych (Germany)

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TEAM LINE-UPS

Uruguay: Muslera, Caceres, Lugano, Godin, Pereira, Gargano (Gonzalez 59), Arevalo, Rodriguez (Hernandez 76), Stuani, Forlan (Lodeiro 59), Cavani.

Costa Rica: Navas, Gamboa, Umana, Gonzalez, Duarte, Diaz, Bolanos (Barrantes 87), Borges, Tejeda (Cubero 74), Ruiz (Urena 83), Campbell.

With the Liverpool goal machine Luis Suarez not deemed fit to start due to injury, the pre-match talk centred around the question of whether PSG star striker Edinson Cavani could make his own presence felt. And with coach Oscar Tabarez looking to maximise the attacking talent at his disposal, he decided to field a classic (read ancient) 4-4-2 formation to best accomodate the attacking talents of wingers Cristian Rodriguez and Christian Stuani, and centre forwards Diego Forlan and Cavani.

Coming into the mtach as underdogs and facing the powerful presence of Edinson Cavani and 2010 Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan, Costa Rica started with a more conservative 5-4-1 formation with Arsenal youngster Joel Campbell, starting alone upfront and Fulham’s creative force Bryan Ruiz on the right side of midfield. Another familiar name in the Tico line up was Levante’s rising star between the sticks Keylor Navas, who is sure to attract a lot of attention from top clubs who battle for his signature after the World Cup.

THE MATCH

The reason that the 4-4-2 formation has become something of an antiquated commodity is that with every player now being required to contribute defensively in a team’s play, the traditional big centre forward is now considered more a liability than an important pivot in a team’s attacking game. And with most teams now preferring to employ 3 central midfielders, the 2 man midfield of a 4-4-2 is prone to being over-run.

A perfect example of this was highlighted in this game. The game started off as a scrappy affair with neither team really able t asser their infuence on the game. Costa Rica enjoyed more possession but with no real playmaker asserting himself on either side, a goal was more likely to come from a set-piece or an individual mistake than a piece of attacking genius.And on the 24th minute Uruguay were awarded a penalty as Diego Lugano was brought down by Junior Diaz in the penalty area. Up stepped Edinson Cavani and converted with a neat right footed shot.

Cavani – Slotting it in.
Uruguay 1-0 Costa Rica.

With Joel Campbell playing alone up front, his speed was always going to cause problems to the experienced Uruguayan centre half pairing of Diego Lugano and Diego Godin, who although great readers of the game, would not really be giving the Flash a run for his money (pun unintended).

And on the 27th minute, the Arsenal’s Olympiakos loanee fired a warning shot as his shot whistled just wide of Muslera’s goal. Campbell broke free a few other times but was denied a clear sight of goal by timely tackles by Diego Godin. And although Campbell looked like the man who would make things happen for the Tico, the lack of proper service meant he was dropping back into midfield to collect the ball thus leaving Costa Rica without a man to occupy the Uruguayan backline.

And as the referee blew for half time, Uruguay although having played out a scrappy affair; lead by a solitary goal that they looked content with. With the performance of Forlan leaving a lot to be desired, Uruguay were missing the spark and touch a genius to kill off the game (wink Suarez).

The second half saw Campbell stay central and occupy Lugano and Godin; but with Ruiz stationed on the right and looking ghostly ineffective; again the only decent service to Campbell was going to have to come from crosses or set-pieces, both of which Godin and Lugano on an ideal day, should have been able to repel without too much of an effort.

With just under 10 minutes played, a brilliant cross whipped in from the right by-line by the impressive full-back Cristian Gamboa evaded Lugano and Godin, and fell to the unmarked Campbell who lashed in a powerful half volley to equalise for Costa Rica as he celebrated by putting the ball inside his jersey and immitate a pregnant woman.

Campbell – Blasting it in.
Uruguay 1-1 Costa Rica.

And just 2 minutes later, as Tico centre half Oscar Duarte wheeled away in delight, Uruguay were behind. Another wonderful free-kick whipped in from the centre by left-sided midfielder Christian Bolanos was met by a stooping Duarte at the near post, which meant that Uruguay had conceded two goals in 3 minutes via situations that their defence was really expected to deal with.

Duarte – Sneaking in at the far post.
Uruguay 1-2 Costa Rica.

Oscar Tabarez immediately rang in the changes. Creative midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro replaced the largely ineffective and disappointing Forlan and the more attack minded Alvaro Gonzalez replacing Napoli hard-man Walter Gargano. Uruguay were now passing with greater urgency and tempo, but they still lacked the spark to create something truly special.

Urena – Running away with the glory.
Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica.

With Uruguay looking desperately to find the equaliser, Tico keeper Navas gave a good account of himself with a crucial save to deny Cavani. And with Abel Hernandez coming on, any hopes of a Suarez cameo were extinguished. And on the 84th minute a combination of a wonderful slide rule pass by the impressive Campbell and an impeccably timed run by Marco Urena who had just come on a minute ago, meant that the coup de grace was administered with there being just enough time for Uruguayan wing back Maxi Perreira to get his marching orders after kicking out at Joel Campbell.

Pereira – Frustration taking over.
Red Card.

 

Man Of The Match : Joel Campbell

With an impressive work rate, and a lethal combination of speed, power, incisive passing and good finishing Costa Rican youngster Joel Campbell is defintely among the young stars to watch out for this World Cup. And if Costa Rica are to qualify even further, then Campbell will have to keep up performances of this pedigree, if not go one better.

Joel – See that, Wenger?

CONCLUSIONS

The result left Uruguay to do things the hard way, if they are to qualify for the round of sixteen.

Meanwhile Costa Rica must surely be looking forward to their next matches againt the Azzuri and the Three Lions. If they manage to win even one of the two games, then surely they should be in with a chance to weave the fairy tale run of this World Cup even further.

MATCH 5 – Greeks Conquered

MATCH 5  – GROUP C

   COLOMBIA          3-0          GREECE

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Goals-

COL: Armero 5′, Gutierrez 58′, Rodriguez 90’+3;

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Venue : Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte

Referee : Mark Geiger (USA)

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The World Cup has officially started for group C as the first match between Colombia and Greece took place at the Estádio Mineirão stadium(The beautiful Horizon)  at Bela Horizonte.This match was a clear clash between the dangerous attack of the coffee growers against the mighty defence of the Spartans. With their star striker Radamel Falcao out of the tournament, many considered Colombia to be a dampened side, especially after considering the fact that Greece hasn’t had any major injuries.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Colombia: Ospina, Zuniga, Zapata, Yepes, Armero (Arias 73), Sanchez Moreno, Aguilar (Mejia 68), Rodriguez, Cuadrado, Gutierrez (Martinez 76), Ibarbo;

Greece: Karnezis, Manolas, Torosidis, Papastathopoulos, Holebas, Maniatis, Katsouranis, Kone (Karagounis 78), Salpingidis (Fetfatzidis 56), Gekas (Mitroglou 63), Samaras;

 

THE MATCH

The crowd was a loud and strong sea of yellow as the match kicked off, over-dominating their blue Greece counterparts. The scene was similar on the grass, where the Colombians were running over the Greek defense at the initial stages of the game. The greeks tried to play deep on their defense. Sooner than later, Defender Pablo Armero put the cheeky ball home right in the 5th minute, following a dummy shot by Rodriguez on a Cuadrado ball inside the box. The shot from Armero was deflected by the Greek defender Manolas before sneaking into the bottom-left corner. It was Quite a shocker considering that Greece has had 8 clean sheets in the past 10 games!

Armero – Starts the Coffees surge. Colombia 1-0 Greece.

Greece had a chance soon after, but Kone dissapointed the fans as he shot wide from the edge. The game continued with Colombia attacking relentlessly, and Greece playing a uncanny high line defense. Greece got another chance in the 26′ but the fullback Torisidis headed a free-kick off target. Slowly, Greece started to take control of proceedings and kept possession. A brilliant shot by Kone forced a brilliant save by the Colombian keeper Ospina right before the half time whistle.

Pekerman apparently had a good pep talk in the half-time break as Colombia started to take over the game soon after the second half started, pushing for a second conclusive goal. They found their need in the 58′ when Gutierez put the ball into the net from a corner by the Monaco winger James Rodriguez, after a small flick by Abel Aguilar.

Gutierrez – Doubling the lead. Colombia 2-0 Greece.

Luck favored the Colombians as the Greek striker Gekas hit the crossbar after a ball in by Torisidis. This continued through out the game as most of the shots were either weak or off target by the Greeks. Gekas was immediately substituted by Mitroglou, but that brought little change.

Colombia finished their easy win over the greeks with a cool finish by James Rodiguez who tapped in the ball behind a distraught Karnezis. The game ended a welcoming 3-0 as they jump their way to the top of the table.

James Rodriguez – Nail in the Greek coffin.
Colombia 3-0 Greece.

 

CONCLUSIONS

The game was clear as soon as it started. Greeks were lacking the flair, the creativity and the one touch., which the Colombians possessed and used against them in the match. Cuadrado, the wonder-kid started showing his class by taking many runs through the side wings and putting a platitude of balls in, some of them converted and many of them blocked. James Rodriguez, though playing a pivotal role in the Colombian team didn’t stand up to what he is capable of, mostly because of the lack of Falcao, which would have allowed him to come to the center and have a more dangerous role. On the defensive side, they tactically employed a man-to-man marking system to keep the greek strikers at bay, knowing that they had little flair. Colombia didn’t do much wrong in the game. They can slightly improved their central midfield, but the team looks quite geared up to face the other contenders in the group.

Greece on the other hand, played like the defensive team it always has been. Sometimes with over 6 players in the back-line they were hardly attacking. And even when they did, they often lost the ball in the final half on either interceptions or unforced mistakes. They appeared quite clueless on the attacking third, with the exception of Samaras who was the pivot of the team, passing the ball and demanding it back. He ensured that Greece had meaningful attacks, himself taking a few shots on target. The game later got better when Karagounis was subbed in and the pair of Karagounis and Samaras started taking shape. But it was already too late for them. The Greek defense were not their usual self. They let balls through, weren’t able to man-mark properly, quite unlike what they were a few years ago. Now they look just like a shadow of the 2004 Euro winning side. Greece has to pep up it’s defense and maybe add some spice to their attack, and soon, i.e if they want to qualify into the knock out stages.

MATCH 4 – A Chilean Delight

MATCH 4  – GROUP B

   CHILE          3-1          AUSTRALIA

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Goals-

CHI : Sanchez 12′, Valdivia 14′, Beausejour 90’+2;

AUS: Cahill 35′;

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Venue : Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba

Referee : Noumandiez Doue

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TEAM LIME-UPS

Chile : Bravo, Isla, Medel, Jara, Mena, Diaz, Vidal (Gutierrez 60′), Aranguiz, Valdivia (Beausejour 68′), Sanchez, Vargas (Pinilla 84′).

Australia : Ryan, Davidson, Spiranovic, Wilkinson, Franjic (McGowan 49′), Milligan, Jedinak, Leckie, Bresciano (Troisi 81′), Oar (Halloran 69′), Cahill.

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THE GAME

It was rather one sided in the first 15 minutes of the game when the Chileans have run riots against the Aussies with two spectacular goals, one from the Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez and the other from Jorge Valdivia. Leading 2-0, Chile was under complete control of the game before Tim Cahill’s effort to pull one down. Since then, Australia has been a completely different team. They have been fearless and have created a few very good chances before Jean Beausajour made it 3-1 in the injury time for Chile and ensuring their 3 points.

Chile took just 12 minutes to take the lead, and Australia did themselves no favours, with defence and goalkeeper all bewildered to allow Sanchez to score with a simple finish.

A delighted Sanchez opens for the Chileans.
Chile 1-0 Australia

A minute later, Sanchez, now turned provider, gave a delightful pass to find the playmaker Jorge Valdvia who made an amazing curling effort at goal which put Chile 2-0 up after just 14 minutes of play.

Valdivia blasts one to double the lead.
Chile 2-0 Australia

Chile were starting to show signs of absolute control and ruthlessness as the game progressed, yet as much as Chile were dominant, the decision to field two diminutive full-backs as a centre-back pairing against a team whose strategy mostly revolves around crossing to a striker who is strong in the air came back to haunt them. Tim Cahill with a delightful header sent one past Claudio Bravo from an Ivan Franjic cross.

Cahill – Hope restored.
Chile 2-1 Australia

As the second half got down, it was expected that Chile would continue their onslaught. But, it was not meant to be. Australia has turned on their style and were looking dangerous. Howard once again had the ball in the net, but was rightly called offside, as the underdogs continued to threaten. Chances became fewer and fewer between in the game, as Chile were forced back by the passionate Aussie attack. Tim Cahill came close to scoring a second but it went over the bar onto the top of the net. Unlucky there. However, Chile in the end has secured their three points with a goal from the substitute Jean Beausajour who has come on for Jorge Valdivia.

Beausejour round things off in style.
Chile 3-1 Australia

CONCLUSIONS

Australians are now placed 3rd in the group ahead of the reigning World Cup Champions Spain, who were placed at the bottom after an unlikely humiliating defeat against Netherlands. If Australia had any chance of getting into the knockout stage it was this game. Although, they have much to be proud of their second half performance.

MATCH 3 – Revenge Of The Dutchmen

MATCH 3  – GROUP B

   SPAIN         1-5          NETHERLANDS 

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Goals-

ESP: Alonso 27′(P);

NED: van Persie 44′, 72′, Robben 53′, 80′, de Vrij 64′;

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Venue : Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

Referee : Nicola Rizzoli

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Revenge is a dish best served cold. And these vengeful sentiments must have been extremely prominent in the men in Oranje because last night the spaniards were overwhelmed. In the 5-1 rout the Spaniards were outclassed sending shockwaves across the football fraternity as Netherlands take their revenge for the World Cup 2010 final loss. The Dutch have reaffirmed their status as contenders for the cup with Louis van Gaal, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben leading the charge. The Spaniards have been left questioning the potency of their attacking ideologies and solidity of their defence.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Spain: Casillas, Azpilicueta, Sergio Ramos, Pique, Jordi Alba, Alonso (Pedro 63), Xavi, Busquets, Silva (Fabregas 78), Diego Costa (Torres 62), Iniesta.

Netherlands: Cillessen, Janmaat, Vlaar, De Vrij (Veltman 78), Martins Indi, Blind, De Guzman (Wijnaldum 62), Sneijder, De Jong, Van Persie (Lens 79), Robben.

THE GAME

In purely tactical terms, last night’s game was a tale of two halves. The first half was a showcase of Spanish supremacy. The grace and elegance displayed in the center of the park was a joy to behold. Bar the initial Dutch surge, the Spanish dominated the center of the park and created a number of good chances. The midfield alliance of Xavi, Xabi Alonso, and Sergio Busquets thrived in the absence of any hint of a challenge from Nigel de Jong and Jordi Clasie and starved the Dutch for the ball for long stretches. The 3-man defence of Bruno Martins Indi, Ron Vlaar, and Stefan de Vrij initially seemed composed and well coordinated, however as time wore on they failed to track the movement of Andres Iniesta and David Silva. Iniesta in particular gave the Dutch plenty of grief by consistently finding spaces in the Dutch defence and slipping in beautiful balls which were not taken advantage of. With Arjen Robben having to drop deeper and deeper for the ball, any attacking threat from the Dutch side was visibly negligible. Indeed, Alonso’s opener from the penalty spot after Diego Costa was brought down by de Vrij under dubious circumstances (Costa’s most significant contribution the entire game) seemed apt justice considering the flow of the game. With Xavi’s distribution being spot on and near-perfect synchronization between different elements of the midfield, it only seemed a matter of time before Costa actually showed up on the field and began demolition. Manager Louis van Gaal had other things in mind.

Alonso buries the penalty. Spain 1-0 Netherlands.

A minute before half time, a beautiful delivery from the excellent Daley Blind was looped over Casillas by the ever clinical Superman RVP as Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique were caught woefully out of position. Brilliant ball in. Brilliant finish. And thus began the demolition nobody expected.

Superman!
Spain 1-1 Netherlands

Van Gaal is a tactical genius. Period. Subtle changes often make the difference. In the second half, van Gaal suffocated the spark of the Spanish team, Andres Iniesta. With at least three men around him all the time, the magician failed to pull off his tricks effectively. With Xavi tiring every passing moment and Alonso not at his creative best, the threat of the Spanish seemed to be dwindling. From his analysis of the first half, van Gaal also noticed that the high defensive line of Ramos and Pique failed very often to track back. These two observations and their corresponding tactical alterations proved to be the foundation stones of a brilliantly executed tactical masterclass. Mr. Van Gaal, I tip my imaginary hat.
What followed was a complete turnaround in the structure of the game. Another brilliant ball in from Blind was superbly controlled by Robben, dazzling Pique and finishing before Ramos could interfere.

Robben easing past Pique before blasting it in.
Spain 1-2 Netherlands.

Unlike his counterpart, Vicente del Bosque miserably failed to adapt to the changing tide and any changes were absent. Finally, Diego Costa was put out of his misery and booed off the field with Fernando Torres his replacement. In response, Netherlands added a third with a Wesley Sneijder freekick missing everybody and slotting in goal after hitting de Vrij at the far post. Casillas was partly at fault with Azpilicueta also failing to track de Vrij’s run.

de Vrij sneaks in at the back post to head home.
Spain 1-3 Netherlands

 

Iker’s night was about to get way worse though. In the 72^nd minute a howler from the man was taken advantage of by Robin van Persie who made it 4-1.

RVP leaves a stunned Iker behind.
Spain 1-4 Netherlands

 

Sorry, Iker. No love from Sara tonight.

 

Oh, Sara!

To complete the rout, in the 80^th minute, Arjen Robben displays his exquisite pace and leaves Ramos and Pique yards behind to score after beating the keeper.

Robben completes the demolition with the icing on the cake.
Spain 1-5 Netherlands

Ramos, Pique, Casillas shamed.

Van Persie, Robben exquisite.

Game. Set. Match.

Conclusion:
In what was the most unexpected result in recent times, the Dutch perfectly countered the initial midfield exhibition showcased by La Furia Roja. Tactically astute with moments of individual brilliance, the win was well deserved.

Vicente del Bosque needs to address some gaping holes in his tactical set up. The defensive pair of Ramos and Pique has to be less adventurous and refrain from venturing forward as often as they did against Holland. Casillas needs to look himself in the mirror, assess his errors and come back strong in Spain’s next game. Diego Costa may well be over burdened with the expectations people have of him and he was ridiculously devoid of any potency in front of goal. The transition to a more direct approach from the Barcelona system is far from complete. Spain needs to get its affairs in order if the team wishes to proceed ahead in the tournament.

Although Netherlands destroyed the Number 1 ranked team in the world, there is still scope for improvement. The 3-man defensive wall was often porous which could have lead to a couple of goals against their team against more potent finishers. Nigel de Jong and Jordi Clasie also have to be more visible and hassle opposition effectively. In future games, Netherlands will not be taken lightly and the attacking duo of RVP and Robben will not be allowed this much freedom. Their overreliance on the two may well cause them some grief later on in the tournament.

The night before last meant different things to different sects of people. To the Dutch it meant sweet revenge. To the Spaniards, the 5-1 drubbing served as a wake up call. They are far from untouchable. To us simple followers of the beautiful game, last night may well be viewed as the end of an era, the collapse of arguably the finest football empire the world has ever seen. The night before last may well signal the death of Spanish football.

MATCH 2 – The Mexican Relief

 

MATCH 2 – GROUP A

   MEXICO          1-0          CAMEROON

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Goals-

MEX : Peralta 61′;

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Venue : Estádio das Dunas, Natal

Referee : Wilmar Roldán

 

SUMMARY

It was relief for Mexicans at Arena das Dunas, Natal as they have beaten an African team for the first time in the World Cups. Placed in a group containing the hosts and Croatia, a win in this match was much needed for both the teams. But the urge to win the match was more on the Mexicans as they dominated the game most of the time. Amid heavy rains in Natal, the first half saw a couple of goals all of which were denied by some close and controversial offside decisions. But a second half strike from Oribe Peralta gave the Mexicans a much deserved win.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Mexico : Ochoa, Rodriguez, Marquez (c), Herrera, Layun, Dos Santos, Moreno, Guardado, Peralta, Aguilar, Vazquez;

(Manager : Miguel Herrera)

Cameroon : Itandje, Assou-Ekotto, Nkoulou, Djeugoue, Song, Moukandjo, Eto’o (c), Choupo Moting, Chedjou, Mbia, Enoh;

(Manager : Volker Finke)

Cameroons preparations for the world cup have been less than perfect after a row on player bonuses sparked mass controversy. The squad even refused to board the Brazil bound flight until the dispute was ended. Further their main striker Samuel Eto’o was accused of “high treason “by the local media after refusing to accept a symbolic flag from their Prime minister. But putting the controversies aside Cameroons warm-ups were much promising after the win over Moldova and draw over title favourites Germany. With players like Luis Montes out with injury Mexico was having a tough time in the warm-ups where they lost against debutants Bosnia and Portugal. But they are the 2012 Olympic Gold medalists and underestimating a team like this is the greatest mistake that an opponent team can make.

The Mexicans made a rather expected change as coach Miguel Herrera chose Oribe Peralta (one of the stars of Mexico’s 2012 Olympic winning team) over Manchester United’s forward Javier Hernandez. Cameroon on the other hand went with an experienced team including players like Alex Song, Assou-Ektou and Samuel Eto’o.

THE GAME

The lively start to the game was provided by the Mexicans whose exuberant attacking style football was evident as the wing backs Layun and Aguilar were getting forward most of the time in the starting minutes. The Africans seriously struggled to attack as Peralta and Dos Santos forced the Cameroonians to make defensive errors. At the 12^th minute, Mexico thought that they have the lead as Giovani Dos Santos smashed a volley from a Marquez cross past the Cameroonian goalkeeper, Itandje but it was ruled out for offside. The TV replays showed that the decision was immensely harsh and close. This early scare made the Africans to attack more and they almost earned a reward for this tactic as a goal from Moukandjo was ruled out offside . Mbia’s headed flick landed at the feet of Moukandjo who gets the ball in from an offside position. The best chance for Cameroon came at the 22^nd minute when a great run of Assou-Ektou provided Samuel Eto an accurate low cross ,but the shot from him narrowly missed the post. The period between 20^th to 30^th minute saw both teams attacking but it was again an unlucky moment for Dos Santos whose goal was disallowed in the 30^th minute again due to offside. A cross was headed by Dos Santos into the far post but the assistant raised his flag for offside. Yet again, the TV replays clearly shows that it was not offside. With three goals disallowed in 30 minutes the match was gaining momentum towards the end of first half. During the 45^th minute the Mexicans were denied a penalty after Chedjou clumsily brings Dos Santos down. The referee, however, gives a corner.

The start of the second half saw the Mexicans looking a bit more disciplined. They became a bit more relieved when Peralta provided them with the lead in the 61^st minute. The Mexican struck from a rebound as Dos Santos’ shot was saved by Itandje.

 

Peralta hits the much needed goal for the Mexicans.

After the goal Mexico chose to go with a back five formation making Agulilar and Layun to be more of an orthodox full back. The goal scorer Peralta was replaced by the “little pea” Hernandez in the 74^th minute. Dos Santos continued making chances for his team but this time the Cameroons defence was able to clear most of it. Cameron showed their desperation to get a goal after Alex song was substituted for Fenerbache’s Peter Webo. The 90^th minute saw two crucial misses by both the teams. An Assou-Ekotto’s cross was directed toward goal with a powerful header by Moukandjo but the Mexican goalkeeper rises to the occasion as he leapt across to catch the ball in a rather acrobatic fashion. The second chance was Chicharito’s after a great cross from Layun was hit over the cross bar.

Man Of The Match : Giovani Dos Santos

He was surely the man of the match for me, though the match has been a bit unlucky for him.

CONCLUSION

As the final whistle was blown, the Mexicans felt more relieved as this was their first win against an African team in the world cups. The victory was much deserving for them after two goals were turned down in the first half. Giovani Dos Santos was surely the man of the match for me though the match has been a bit unlucky for him. Meanwhile the Cameroonians face an uphill task as they face Croatia and then Brazil. Their recent world cup form of team is very disappointing as they have won only one of their last 14 games. Mexico can now take this momentum as they face the hosts Brazil for their next match and Croatia after that. If the Mexicans show this intent in their next matches then we can expect group A to be more interesting.

MATCH 1 – Test One – Pass

MATCH 1  – GROUP A

   BRAZIL         3-1          CROATIA 

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Goals-

BRA : Neymar 29′, 71′(P), Oscar 90′;

CRO: Marcelo 11′(OG);

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Venue : Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

Referee : Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)

Arena Corinthians – Pumped for the Opener.

Yes, folks. Believe it or not, the World Cup has truly begun. Fans all over the world turned their eyes to Brazil yesterday and it will stay fixed there for the next full month. I can’t truly put my excitement into words and do justice to it. The biggest carnival on Earth has begun. The evening started with a grand Opening Ceremony with one of the most colourful displays of entertainment I’ve ever seen. If there’s two things Brazilians are good at – that’d be Entertainment and Football. By the end of the night, they had proved both, but the latter was a bit more difficult than what they would have expected. Let’s get straight to the action!

This is Match No 1 of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014. Woo Hoo!

 

TEAM LINE-UPS

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Luiz, Marcelo, Paulinho (Hernanes 63), Gustavo, Hulk (Bernard 68), Oscar, Neymar (Ramires 88), Fred.
(Manager : Luis Felipe Scolari)

Croatia: Pletikosa, Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Kovacic (Brozovic 61), Olic, Jelavic (Rebic 78).
(Manager : Niko Kovac)

No big surprises in the two line-ups. Brazil started with the same side that won them the Confederations Cup. In the absence of suspended star striker Mario Mandzukic, Nikica Jelavic was tasked with getting the goals up front for the Croats.

 

THE GAME

With the world watching, the favorites have taken their first step towards that coveted prize. Brazil kick off their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Croatia, much to the utter delight of the thousands at the stadium and a million others in Brazil. Seemingly a comfortable win for the hosts, the real story was far from it. It might not have been the best match in terms of quality, but it had no lack of drama. Comic own goals, soft penalties, disallowed goals – the match had it all. In the end, the one person on the field who got the most attention after the game wasn’t goalscorers Neymar or Oscar, it was the referee Nishimura. With plenty of controversial moments in the match, with almost all favouring the hosts, the match left everyone (apart from Brazil fans of-course!) in a sour mood. Not a good start for the officials’ reputations. But Brazil will take it. They needed this victory and they have it.

But it didn’t quite start well for the host nation. After 11 minutes into the game, the carnivals in Brazil came to a stop with a sudden stunned silence. The first goal of the FIFA World Cup 2014 had been scored and although it was a Brazilian who put it in, it unfortunately happened to be the wrong goalpost. Croatia had been threatening to score a couple of times in the opening minutes, with a shot by Kovacic and header by Olic going wide. But, Olic was finally able to lose his marker Dani Alves, and whip a cross in. It came to the striker Nikca Jelavic in an awkward position, so he could only scuff the shot, but to his delight, the ball found the feet of a completely surprised and clueless Marcelo, who could only watch in despair as the ball went into the net. Brazilians  in shock. Croats in joy. The World Cup has made its first mark.

Marcelo turns the ball into his own net.
Brazil 0-1 Croatia

But Brazil had nearly 80 minutes to get back in the game and hopes of a comeback were still high. Brazil kept threatening, but never could get passed the solid Croatian defence. Then, the referee came into the picture. Starting off with a potential sending off for Brazil’s star man Neymar when he poked a forearm at Modric’s face in the 27th minute. Although he got a yellow card, it could’ve easily been a different colour. Maybe Nishimura feared for his life. Sending off Neymar in the first game within the first half an hour couldn’t have done much good to his reputation with the locals. Anyways, the result was, a rejuvenated Neymar and Brazil. 2 minutes after the booking, Neymar managed to find some space outside the box, after brilliant work by Oscar on the right, and he took a shot at goal with his weaker left foot. Yes, a weak shot it was, but it was aimed at the bottom right corner with perfect precision that it crawled its way past the goal line, with a fallen Pletikosa left bewildered. He really should have done better with the shot and he knows it. Brazil have their equaliser. 1-1. Game on.

Neymar’s long and grounded shot found its way in.
Brazil 1-1 Croatia

The game went for long without any clear chances for either team, although both teams were looking dangerous, the hosts in particular. But, with 20 minutes left to play, once again, the referee intervenes. Oscar, once again, managed to find a pass to Fred in the box who had Lovren right behind him and as the ball came to him, Lovren was trying to jostle for the ball, when Fred fell to the ground dramatically. Whistle blows. Its a penalty. Replays showed that there was hardly any contact and Lovren didn’t do anything any other defender in the world wouldn’t do. Anyways, up stepped the man of the moment, Neymar. With a stop start run-up, he blasts it to the left. The goalkeeper Pletikosa got a hand to it, but couldn’t stop it from going in the net. Once again, Pletikosa would feel he could’ve saved it. The Croatians felt terrible. All their hardwork, undone. Brazil lead 2-1.

Neymar dispatches the penalty.
Brazil 2-1 Croatia

It was always difficult from then on, with Brazil putting men behind the ball. Croatia kept pressing nevertheless. Then, again with nearly 7 minutes to go, a cross comes in and Olic and the Brazilian goalkeeper Cesar jump for the ball and collide and the ball comes off the collision to a Croat but the whistle blows for a foul. Again, replays showed that it was no foul at all. Another gift to the Brazilians by Mr. Nishimura.

Then, going into injury time, the hosts laid the icing on the cake. A through ball found Oscar, who had been brilliant all night, with 2 defenders along. The Croatians had committed too many men forward and Oscar took a run, found some space, took a shot and it beat Pletikosa on his near post. Nobody deserved a goal that night more than he did. Brazil 3-1. All done.

Man Of The Match : Oscar

Oscar after rounding off a great victory with the third goal.
Brazil 3-1 Croatia

CONCLUSION

Tough luck Croatia! I feel bad for them. They played really well for most of the game. They would feel cheated of a point by the referee. They might want to look into a better goalkeeper, though.

As for the hosts, they have taken a big step towards glory. They have started off with a win and confidence must be soaring in the dressing room. Although the match was ugly, and will always be remembered for the referee’s decisions, they’ll take it. The Brazil fans want that trophy so badly, I’m sure they wouldn’t care how they do it. Exciting times ahead for the public.

Test 1 – Pass.