World Cup 2014: Germany v Algeria – in pictures
Monday, June 30, 2014
World Cup 2014: Germany v Algeria – pictures
wrold cup 2014 france V/S Nigeria News
France 2 Nigeria 0
World Cup 2014France
Nigeria
France's Paul Pogba rises highest to put his team 1-0 up against Nigeria in their World Cup last 16 game in Brasília.
It was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests but France, inspired by a substitution that changed the complexion of the game, eventually broke Nigeria’s brave resistance to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. It took 79 minutes for a goal to arrive and felt desperately cruel that the otherwise outstanding Vincent Enyeama should be the man who gifted France the lead. Paul Pogba took full advantage and Joseph Yobo’s late own goal sealed Nigeria’s fate.
For France, these are special times, all the more so because of the farce of four years ago, when Raymond Domenech’s side returned from South Africa in disgrace. A warm welcome awaits Didier Deschamps’ players no matter what happens in their quarter-final in Rio on Friday. They have restored pride in Les Bleus with their performances in Brazil and, with a place in the World Cup semi-finals only 90 minutes away, their supporters could be forgiven for starting to dream.
This, however, was a tough contest and for the first hour there was nothing to choose between the two teams. The turning point came when Deschamps decided to withdraw the anonymous Olivier Giroud and replace him with Antoine Griezmann, the Real Sociedad winger. Karim Benzema, who had started wide on the left, shifted across to his favoured role through the middle and France were a totally different proposition.
With Nigeria badly missing the influence of Ogenyi Onazi, who was forced to leave the field on a stretcher after a poor challenge from Blaise Matudi that earned the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder a booking, France took control of the game. Griezmann’s pace and Benzema’s penetration up front were too much for Nigeria to handle as France exploited the space that began to open up when Stephen Keshi’s side started to run on empty.
Nigeria held out for a while, due in no small part to the brilliance of Enyeama, who raced off his line to smother at Benzema’s feet, following a lovely exchange with Griezmann, before denying the Real Madrid striker again with a fingertip save. In between those two chances Yohan Cabaye rattled the crossbar after Mikel John Obi had hacked off the line.
There was, in other words, a sense that the goal was coming; what nobody could have imagined was that Enyeama would serve it up on a plate. Coming for a corner that he had no chance of getting, the Lille goalkeeper flapped at the ball and Pogba, in space at the back post, had the simple task of heading it into the unguarded net. The expression on Enyeama’s face said it all. Yobo’s unfortunate own goal, as he tried to prevent Griezmann from turning the ball home, wrapped things up.
Afterwards, Keshi, the Nigeria coach, complained bitterly about the performance of the referee, Mark Geiger, who he accused of being “biased”. Keshi was angry Emmanuel Emenike had a goal ruled out early in the first half, despite replays showing the assistant referee had been right to flag for offside and complained about Matuidi’s challenge on Onazi.
“I am not happy with the officiating because Onazi, on two occasions, he had a very bad tackle and nothing was done by the referee,” Keshi said.
“I think the referee was just … for me, I think he was biased. This is the first time I will speak about the referee in my life as a coach but it wasn’t good.
“If you look at the goal we scored, I don’t think there was any infringement. The referee is a human being, bound to make some mistakes, but a lot of mistakes is questionable.”
There were certainly some contentious decisions – Giroud was fortunate that Geiger took a lenient view of an elbow that caught Mikel in the first half – but it was hard to argue France were not worthy of victory in the end.
Nigeria had started brightly and caused France plenty of problems in the first half, when Onazi was breaking up play and Ahmed Musa, Peter Odemwingie and Emmanuel Emenike looked threatening going forward.
Emenike thought he had given Nigeria the lead in the 19th minute when he got away from Laurent Koscielny and neatly converted Musa’s cross.
The stadium erupted – there was no doubt which team the locals were supporting – but the raised flag of the assistant referee on the far side stopped the celebrations.
Pogba was at the centre of France’s best moment in the first half when he set off on a marauding run from deep and, after swapping passes with Mathieu Valbuena, struck a first-time volley that Enyeama repelled with two hands. France, though, were spluttering a little and it needed the arrival of Griezmann to liberate them.
Unable to keep the ball, Nigeria were retreating deeper and deeper, inviting more and more French pressure. Benzema played a one-two with Griezmann that sliced an increasingly stretched Nigeria defence wide open but Enyeama saved superbly. Another Benzema effort was half-cleared and Cabaye, perfectly positioned on the edge of the area to pick up the loose ball, thumped a 20-yard shot against the crossbar.
There was another reprieve for Nigeria when Benzema’s header, from Valbuena’s free-kick, was flicked over the bar by Enyeama but the Super Eagles’ good fortune was about to run out. From the corner that followed Enyeama went wandering and Pogba headed home.
Enyeama, to his immense credit, produced a splendid one-handed save to deny Griezmann moments later but France kept coming back for more, and they killed the game when Valbuena’s cross was turned into his own goal by Yobo, under pressure from Griezmann, in injury time.
It was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests but France, inspired by a substitution that changed the complexion of the game, eventually broke Nigeria’s brave resistance to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. It took 79 minutes for a goal to arrive and felt desperately cruel that the otherwise outstanding Vincent Enyeama should be the man who gifted France the lead. Paul Pogba took full advantage and Joseph Yobo’s late own goal sealed Nigeria’s fate.
For France, these are special times, all the more so because of the farce of four years ago, when Raymond Domenech’s side returned from South Africa in disgrace. A warm welcome awaits Didier Deschamps’ players no matter what happens in their quarter-final in Rio on Friday. They have restored pride in Les Bleus with their performances in Brazil and, with a place in the World Cup semi-finals only 90 minutes away, their supporters could be forgiven for starting to dream.
This, however, was a tough contest and for the first hour there was nothing to choose between the two teams. The turning point came when Deschamps decided to withdraw the anonymous Olivier Giroud and replace him with Antoine Griezmann, the Real Sociedad winger. Karim Benzema, who had started wide on the left, shifted across to his favoured role through the middle and France were a totally different proposition.
With Nigeria badly missing the influence of Ogenyi Onazi, who was forced to leave the field on a stretcher after a poor challenge from Blaise Matudi that earned the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder a booking, France took control of the game. Griezmann’s pace and Benzema’s penetration up front were too much for Nigeria to handle as France exploited the space that began to open up when Stephen Keshi’s side started to run on empty.
Nigeria held out for a while, due in no small part to the brilliance of Enyeama, who raced off his line to smother at Benzema’s feet, following a lovely exchange with Griezmann, before denying the Real Madrid striker again with a fingertip save. In between those two chances Yohan Cabaye rattled the crossbar after Mikel John Obi had hacked off the line.
There was, in other words, a sense that the goal was coming; what nobody could have imagined was that Enyeama would serve it up on a plate. Coming for a corner that he had no chance of getting, the Lille goalkeeper flapped at the ball and Pogba, in space at the back post, had the simple task of heading it into the unguarded net. The expression on Enyeama’s face said it all. Yobo’s unfortunate own goal, as he tried to prevent Griezmann from turning the ball home, wrapped things up.
Afterwards, Keshi, the Nigeria coach, complained bitterly about the performance of the referee, Mark Geiger, who he accused of being “biased”. Keshi was angry Emmanuel Emenike had a goal ruled out early in the first half, despite replays showing the assistant referee had been right to flag for offside and complained about Matuidi’s challenge on Onazi.
“I am not happy with the officiating because Onazi, on two occasions, he had a very bad tackle and nothing was done by the referee,” Keshi said.
“I think the referee was just … for me, I think he was biased. This is the first time I will speak about the referee in my life as a coach but it wasn’t good.
“If you look at the goal we scored, I don’t think there was any infringement. The referee is a human being, bound to make some mistakes, but a lot of mistakes is questionable.”
There were certainly some contentious decisions – Giroud was fortunate that Geiger took a lenient view of an elbow that caught Mikel in the first half – but it was hard to argue France were not worthy of victory in the end.
Nigeria had started brightly and caused France plenty of problems in the first half, when Onazi was breaking up play and Ahmed Musa, Peter Odemwingie and Emmanuel Emenike looked threatening going forward.
Emenike thought he had given Nigeria the lead in the 19th minute when he got away from Laurent Koscielny and neatly converted Musa’s cross.
The stadium erupted – there was no doubt which team the locals were supporting – but the raised flag of the assistant referee on the far side stopped the celebrations.
Pogba was at the centre of France’s best moment in the first half when he set off on a marauding run from deep and, after swapping passes with Mathieu Valbuena, struck a first-time volley that Enyeama repelled with two hands. France, though, were spluttering a little and it needed the arrival of Griezmann to liberate them.
Unable to keep the ball, Nigeria were retreating deeper and deeper, inviting more and more French pressure. Benzema played a one-two with Griezmann that sliced an increasingly stretched Nigeria defence wide open but Enyeama saved superbly. Another Benzema effort was half-cleared and Cabaye, perfectly positioned on the edge of the area to pick up the loose ball, thumped a 20-yard shot against the crossbar.
There was another reprieve for Nigeria when Benzema’s header, from Valbuena’s free-kick, was flicked over the bar by Enyeama but the Super Eagles’ good fortune was about to run out. From the corner that followed Enyeama went wandering and Pogba headed home.
Enyeama, to his immense credit, produced a splendid one-handed save to deny Griezmann moments later but France kept coming back for more, and they killed the game when Valbuena’s cross was turned into his own goal by Yobo, under pressure from Griezmann, in injury time.
World cup 2014 Germany V/s Algeria news
World cup 2014 Germany V/s Algeria news
Germany 2 Algeria 1
World Cup 2014Germany
Algeria
André Schürrle celebrates scoring for Germany in the second minute of extra time against Algeria in Porto Alegre
Germany remain a bit of a puzzle. Touted as the most technically gifted team in the nation’s history, it had been hoped that they would cut a swathe through opponents at this World Cup, dazzling with fast and flamboyant football. The 4-0 victory over Portugal in their opening group tie further fired the expectations.
They have been more prosaic since, qualifying despite a wobble against Ghana and a slightly unsatisfactory win over the USA, and there could be a couple of grumbles here, despite a fully merited victory over Algeria that has set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against France in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. They were sloppy in the extreme for the majority of the first half and, for long spells, their patient possession football teetered towards the realms of the ponderous.
And yet, having gradually assumed control, having browbeaten a game Algeria team, the telling blow that they struck was coated in the highest quality. André Schürrle made the difference after he came on for the second half of regulation time and his goal early in the extra period was worthy of swinging any tie.
From Thomas Müller’s deflected cross, he showed impeccable timing to flick home with the inside of his trailing foot. Mesut Özil made certain of Germany’s progress towards the very end, when he lashed home after a combination with Schürrle and Algeria’s goal, volleyed home by the substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou, came too late to make any difference.
For Algeria, in what was their first World Cup knockout tie, there could be pride in defeat and the knowledge that they had rocked their more illustrious opponents in the early running. But there would be no revenge for what has gone down as the Disgrace of Gijón.
It had been almost impossible to separate the sense of history from this tie; those grisly memories from the Spain World Cup in 1982 when Germany and Austria carved up the 1-0 Germany win that secured qualification for both of the European nations and pressed Algeria to the exit. Algeria remain the only country to have been eliminated from a World Cup group with two wins.
The Algeria players from back then had called upon the current crop to help them forget. Algeria were flying the flag for the Arab world and, following Nigeria’s loss to France earlier in the day, for Africa as well. But despite a bright start, Germany wrestled the tie from them. Ultimately, Germany’s streetwise game management became the story.
“It was a victory of willpower,” Joachim Löw, the Germany manager, said. “We didn’t play well in the first half – we had major problems – but the important thing was that we got through. You cannot always play fantastically. You will get these games at a tournament. It’s about winning.”
The defender Per Mertesacker said: “Would you rather we played beautiful football but got knocked out? Do you think that just Mickey Mouse teams are involved in the last 16? All that matters is we’re in the quarter-finals.”
Algeria were the better team in the first half, as Germany failed to settle, even in conditions that were supposed to favour them. They had struggled in the searing heat during their group matches yet it was cooler here in Porto Alegre; even a little chilly. The name of this stadium translates as the Riverside and it felt more like an evening in Middlesbrough than Brazil.
Germany’s back line was extremely high – Löw could be seen telling his defenders to squeeze up – and Algeria sought to expose them with quick counters and balls into the channels. It was surprising to see how loose Germany were in the first half; their game was pockmarked by errors. When Benedikt Höwedes was guilty of one, Löw scowled and Germans in the crowd laughed. What was going on?
With the defenders so high, the goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, resembled a sweeper at times and he sparked alarm with a series of bolts from his line. Following the first of them, from the left-back Faouzi Ghoulam’s ball forward, Islam Slimani got around him, only to find the angle to goal against him. Slimani had the ball in the net with a first-half header from Ghoulam’s whipped cross but was correctly called back for offside, and then Ghoulam flashed wide from a tight angle and Mehdi Mostefa’s sweetly struck shot was deflected wide off Jérôme Boateng.
Germany hogged 70% of the possession but only towards the end of the first-half did they begin to stretch Algeria and ask questions. The goalkeeper, Rais M’Bolhi, saved low from Toni Kroos in the 41st minute and got up to deny Mario Götze at close quarters on the rebound. The second save was excellent and it would not be his last impressive moment.
This German generation is gifted with an abundance of highly skilled midfielders and so the temptation to cram as many of them into the team is understandable. But in doing so, Löw sacrifices pace on the flanks which clips their wings. Bit by bit, though, phase by phase, their possession game stifled Algeria. It pressed them back and, unlike in the first half, they found that they could not get out.
It came to feel like a question of when Germany would fashion the decisive moment and they threatened it in the second half. Schürrle came on for Götze on the right, which meant that Özil switched flanks, and the Chelsea player’s first involvement was a deflected shot that looped up and dropped narrowly wide. Moments later, from Kroos’s cross, Shkodran Mustafi thudded a header straight at M’Bolhi – a good chance wasted – while from Bastian Schweinsteiger’s lay-off, Philipp Lahm drew a finger-tip save from M’Bolhi.
Algeria’s power on the counter ebbed. Slimani, who has done so much to enhance his reputation at this tournament, burst forward and struck with glorious sweetness only for the effort to lack precision. It thwacked into Neuer’s midriff.
Germany pushed, and when the big chance in regulation time came, they would surely have chosen for it to fall to Müller. Sami Khedira, on for Mustafi, who damaged his hamstring, crossed from the right and Müller seemed certain to add to his tally of four goals. His free header, though, was too close to M’Bolhi, whose reflexes were sound. Schürrle’s rebound was blocked by Essaïd Belkalem.
Müller jinked inside Belkalam moments later, but could not finish, while at the end of the 90 minutes, Schweinsteiger fluffed another free header from Lahm’s cross. Algeria were hanging on. Schürrle would break them.
Germany remain a bit of a puzzle. Touted as the most technically gifted team in the nation’s history, it had been hoped that they would cut a swathe through opponents at this World Cup, dazzling with fast and flamboyant football. The 4-0 victory over Portugal in their opening group tie further fired the expectations.
They have been more prosaic since, qualifying despite a wobble against Ghana and a slightly unsatisfactory win over the USA, and there could be a couple of grumbles here, despite a fully merited victory over Algeria that has set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against France in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. They were sloppy in the extreme for the majority of the first half and, for long spells, their patient possession football teetered towards the realms of the ponderous.
And yet, having gradually assumed control, having browbeaten a game Algeria team, the telling blow that they struck was coated in the highest quality. André Schürrle made the difference after he came on for the second half of regulation time and his goal early in the extra period was worthy of swinging any tie.
From Thomas Müller’s deflected cross, he showed impeccable timing to flick home with the inside of his trailing foot. Mesut Özil made certain of Germany’s progress towards the very end, when he lashed home after a combination with Schürrle and Algeria’s goal, volleyed home by the substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou, came too late to make any difference.
For Algeria, in what was their first World Cup knockout tie, there could be pride in defeat and the knowledge that they had rocked their more illustrious opponents in the early running. But there would be no revenge for what has gone down as the Disgrace of Gijón.
It had been almost impossible to separate the sense of history from this tie; those grisly memories from the Spain World Cup in 1982 when Germany and Austria carved up the 1-0 Germany win that secured qualification for both of the European nations and pressed Algeria to the exit. Algeria remain the only country to have been eliminated from a World Cup group with two wins.
The Algeria players from back then had called upon the current crop to help them forget. Algeria were flying the flag for the Arab world and, following Nigeria’s loss to France earlier in the day, for Africa as well. But despite a bright start, Germany wrestled the tie from them. Ultimately, Germany’s streetwise game management became the story.
“It was a victory of willpower,” Joachim Löw, the Germany manager, said. “We didn’t play well in the first half – we had major problems – but the important thing was that we got through. You cannot always play fantastically. You will get these games at a tournament. It’s about winning.”
The defender Per Mertesacker said: “Would you rather we played beautiful football but got knocked out? Do you think that just Mickey Mouse teams are involved in the last 16? All that matters is we’re in the quarter-finals.”
Algeria were the better team in the first half, as Germany failed to settle, even in conditions that were supposed to favour them. They had struggled in the searing heat during their group matches yet it was cooler here in Porto Alegre; even a little chilly. The name of this stadium translates as the Riverside and it felt more like an evening in Middlesbrough than Brazil.
Germany’s back line was extremely high – Löw could be seen telling his defenders to squeeze up – and Algeria sought to expose them with quick counters and balls into the channels. It was surprising to see how loose Germany were in the first half; their game was pockmarked by errors. When Benedikt Höwedes was guilty of one, Löw scowled and Germans in the crowd laughed. What was going on?
With the defenders so high, the goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, resembled a sweeper at times and he sparked alarm with a series of bolts from his line. Following the first of them, from the left-back Faouzi Ghoulam’s ball forward, Islam Slimani got around him, only to find the angle to goal against him. Slimani had the ball in the net with a first-half header from Ghoulam’s whipped cross but was correctly called back for offside, and then Ghoulam flashed wide from a tight angle and Mehdi Mostefa’s sweetly struck shot was deflected wide off Jérôme Boateng.
Germany hogged 70% of the possession but only towards the end of the first-half did they begin to stretch Algeria and ask questions. The goalkeeper, Rais M’Bolhi, saved low from Toni Kroos in the 41st minute and got up to deny Mario Götze at close quarters on the rebound. The second save was excellent and it would not be his last impressive moment.
This German generation is gifted with an abundance of highly skilled midfielders and so the temptation to cram as many of them into the team is understandable. But in doing so, Löw sacrifices pace on the flanks which clips their wings. Bit by bit, though, phase by phase, their possession game stifled Algeria. It pressed them back and, unlike in the first half, they found that they could not get out.
It came to feel like a question of when Germany would fashion the decisive moment and they threatened it in the second half. Schürrle came on for Götze on the right, which meant that Özil switched flanks, and the Chelsea player’s first involvement was a deflected shot that looped up and dropped narrowly wide. Moments later, from Kroos’s cross, Shkodran Mustafi thudded a header straight at M’Bolhi – a good chance wasted – while from Bastian Schweinsteiger’s lay-off, Philipp Lahm drew a finger-tip save from M’Bolhi.
Algeria’s power on the counter ebbed. Slimani, who has done so much to enhance his reputation at this tournament, burst forward and struck with glorious sweetness only for the effort to lack precision. It thwacked into Neuer’s midriff.
Germany pushed, and when the big chance in regulation time came, they would surely have chosen for it to fall to Müller. Sami Khedira, on for Mustafi, who damaged his hamstring, crossed from the right and Müller seemed certain to add to his tally of four goals. His free header, though, was too close to M’Bolhi, whose reflexes were sound. Schürrle’s rebound was blocked by Essaïd Belkalem.
Müller jinked inside Belkalam moments later, but could not finish, while at the end of the 90 minutes, Schweinsteiger fluffed another free header from Lahm’s cross. Algeria were hanging on. Schürrle would break them.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Fifa World Cup 2014 power ranking Teams & country
Fifa World Cup 2014 power ranking Teams & country
James Rodríguez has been one of the stars for Colombia as they cruised through the World Cuo group stage.
1) Colombia ▲4
They promised to do it without Radamel Falcao, and Colombia have been as good as their word. The rampaging manner in which they topped Group C, with a 100% record and a plus-seven goal difference, seems to have gone under the radar. The playmaker James Rodríguez has been the star turn, scoring in the wins against Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan and creating two goals for Jackson Martínez in the last of these, but others such as Martínez and Teófilo Gutiérrez have also stepped up to make their talisman’s absence seem an irrelevance. Colombia’s transitions from defence to attack are thrillingly swift and, even if their back line has not yet been tested to its limit, they look a very good bet to go far.
• Match report: Colombia 2-1 Ivory Coast
• Match report: Colombia 3-0 Greece
• Match report: Colombia 4-1 Japan
2) Holland ▲1
Hope, rather than expectation, was bestowed upon Louis van Gaal’s side when they travelled to Brazil. They were viewed by many as third-favourites to progress from Group B behind Spain and Chile, but questions centred around the raft of youngsters in the squad and the eternal conundrum of whether Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie could hit it off simultaneously. They answered the second in stunning fashion against Spain in their first game; the second match, against Australia, was more frayed in nature but a dogged, efficient 2-0 win over the Chileans confirmed that Van Gaal’s collection of youth and experience can skin a cat in several different ways. The suspicion is that another performance like that produced against the Australians will cost them, but Holland have done enough to be taken very seriously.
• Match report: Holland 5-1 Spain
• Match report: Holland 3-2 Australia
• Match report: Holland 2-0 Chile
Hope, rather than expectation, was bestowed upon Louis van Gaal’s side when they travelled to Brazil. They were viewed by many as third-favourites to progress from Group B behind Spain and Chile, but questions centred around the raft of youngsters in the squad and the eternal conundrum of whether Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie could hit it off simultaneously. They answered the second in stunning fashion against Spain in their first game; the second match, against Australia, was more frayed in nature but a dogged, efficient 2-0 win over the Chileans confirmed that Van Gaal’s collection of youth and experience can skin a cat in several different ways. The suspicion is that another performance like that produced against the Australians will cost them, but Holland have done enough to be taken very seriously.
• Match report: Holland 5-1 Spain
• Match report: Holland 3-2 Australia
• Match report: Holland 2-0 Chile
3) Brazil ▲4
Are Brazil going to time their run to perfection? They haven’t quite convinced yet despite qualifying from Group A in relative comfort and, even though the shouts of “scandal” that accompanied their somewhat lucky win over Croatia on the opening night have died down, question marks remain. Neymar is carrying the fight in style and Fred is, however fortunately, off the mark after scoring against Cameroon, but Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side have been more diligent than dazzling thus far, with the impact made by Fernandinho in that match with the Indomitable Lions highlighting that incisive possession football had hitherto been a problem. Then again, Scolari is a master of playing for the result – and if his team are, as we might cautiously discern, gathering momentum then it would be difficult not to see him pulling off several more.
• Match report: Brazil 3-1 Croatia
• Match report: Brazil 0-0 Mexico
• Match report: Brazil 4-1 Cameroon
4) Germany ▶
Job done so far for the Germans, whose early rout of Portugal removed any real doubts about their fortunes in a tough-looking group. Ghana gave them a scare in Fortaleza, although that merely afforded Miroslav Klose the chance to write his name in the history books, and thoughts of a cordial draw with USA were banished when Thomas Müller added to his hat-trick against the Portuguese with a second-half winner. Germany have not been at their best since that opening game, but they have hardly needed to be: in theory, a second-round meeting with Algeria should keep them keen enough for a likely quarter-final with France. Marco Reus’s absence has not been felt yet, although they may miss his change of pace in later rounds.
• Match report: Germany 4-0 Portugal
• Match report: Germany 2-2 Ghana
• Match report: Germany 1-0 USA
5) Argentina ▲1
Perhaps Messidependencia is justified. Argentina might just have been in a bit of trouble were it not for player who has appeared determined to make this tournament his. They eventually won Group F at a stroll but Lionel Messi’s solo goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina and, most importantly, his stupendous last-gasp hit against Iran were immeasurable in value, and his arcing free-kick against Nigeria was pretty handy, too. His contribution has papered over plenty of cracks; Argentina were ragged in their opening game against Bosnia and uninspired against the Iranians, and there is justifiable concern about a lack of quality behind their feted front three – one of whom, Sergio Agüero, may miss the rest of the tournament. But with Messi in this mood, will it matter?
• Match report: Argentina 2-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Match report: Argentina 1-0 Iran
• Match report: Argentina 3-2 Nigeria
6) France ▼5
We might not get the true measure of France until – if – they face Germany in the quarter-finals, but the unity and verve displayed by Didier Deschamps’ team have had critics rubbing their eyes. Honduras provided a straightforward start, but the manner in which Switzerland were dismantled was exhilarating. Whisper it, but France look sharper and more coherent without Franck Ribéry, and their wide options are particularly intriguing. Karim Benzema, who has three goals already, has played both centrally and on the left – Olivier Giroud leading the line brilliantly against the Swiss – while Mathieu Valbuena and Antoine Griezmann have both impressed. All of a sudden, Deschamps has flexibility throughout his squad – and appears to have instilled a strong sense of commitment and discipline, too.
• Match report: France 3-0 Honduras
• Match report: France 5-2 Switzerland
• Match report: France 0-0 Ecuador
7) Belgium ▲2
Among the pre-tournament favourites in some eyes, Belgium are in the curious position of perhaps seeing their stock fall despite claiming nine points from nine in Group H. All of their wins came late on and, while this says plenty for the fitness and resolve of Marc Wilmots’ team, few would say things have clicked. Movement on and off the ball has been laboured, and the absence of Christian Benteke in attack – Romelu Lukaku has, so far, proved no replacement – has been keenly felt. The squad has depth, though: a much-changed side defeated South Korea with 10 men, while the contribution of the teenager Divock Origi has been both surprising and decisive. If they improve, they can still be a major force – but USA will run them all the way in the last 16.
• Match report: Belgium 1-0 Russia
• Match report: Belgium 2-1 Algeria
• Match report: Belgium 1-0 South Korea
8) Mexico ▲2
What a wonderful tournament Miguel Herrera’s team are having. They have barely missed a beat since kicking off against Cameroon – a game in which they shrugged off having two goals wrongly disallowed to win with style. Their subsequent draw with Brazil was thoroughly deserved, even if the exploits of the goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa took the headlines, and they kept their heads brilliantly to see off Croatia – keeping their opponents at arm’s length before tiring them into submission and killing them off ruthlessly. Mexico will take on Holland full of confidence: Héctor Herrera gave a midfield masterclass on Monday night while, in front of him, Oribe Peralta and Giovani Dos Santos continue to look sharp. Add a pair of exciting wing-backs and the option of Javier Hernández, and they have the tools to go further still.
• Match report: Mexico 1-0 Cameroon
• Match report: Mexico 0-0 Brazil
• Match report: Mexico 3-1 Croatia
9) Chile ▼7
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that Chile found no way through against the Holland side that smothered them with surprising effectiveness in their third game. Expectations might have skyrocketed otherwise: a dizzying first-half spell against Australia had set the tone nicely enough but the 90 minutes of sustained excellence that toppled Spain at the Maracanã seemed to be the crystallisation of all the pre-tournament hype. Perhaps Jorge Sampaoli’s team really could go all the way. They will have to do it the hard way now, facing a Brazil side that will have noted how the Dutch dulled Chile’s high-intensity game, and will need to hope that the influential Arturo Vidal – barely fit before the tournament but heroic against the Spaniards – can set their tempo once more.
• Match report: Chile 2-0 Spain
• Match report: Chile 3-1 Australia
• Match report: Chile 0-2 Holland
10) USA ▲2
Second place in Group G seemed there for the taking from the start, and the USA proved far more resilient and consistent in their application than Portugal or Ghana. They did not quite maintain the pace they set through Clint Dempsey’s first-minute goal against Ghana but John Brooks’ winner in that game proved the most significant moment in the group. It meant the USA could probably afford a draw with the Portuguese, although they were bitterly disappointed to be pegged back with the last touch of a game they had dominated. Jürgen Klinsmann’s team is short on stars but big on heart and reliability, and has adapted well to Jozy Altidore’s early injury. Their match with Belgium does not look easy to call.
• Match report: USA 2-1 Ghana
• Match report: USA 2-2 Portugal
• Match report: USA 0-1 Germany
11) Costa Rica ▼3
The success story of the tournament so far. Costa Rica were supposed to be a carrion for the rest of the group of death to feed on but ended up being the ones gorging on their carcasses. After overturning a first-half deficit against Uruguay they defeated Italy with a performance that was all the more impressive for the way in which you could see Bryan Ruiz’s winner coming, and a draw with England was a pleasant enough way to celebrate topping the group. Jorge Luis Pinto’s team counterattack at speed, led by the Arsenal striker Joel Campbell, FC Copenhagen’s Christian Bolaños and the outstanding Rosenborg wing-back Cristian Gamboa, and is based on a defensive block that has been breached only by Edinson Cavani’s penalty. Potential quarter-finalists? You bet.
• Match report: Costa Rica 3-1 Uruguay
• Match report: Costa Rica 1-0 Italy
• Match report: Costa Rica 0-0 England
12) Algeria ▲7
Vahid Halilhodzic is an excellent early shout for coach of the tournament. While it was well documented that he had moved Algeria away from the dire football produced in 2010, little appeared to have changed when a dogged rearguard action was finally breached by Belgium in their first game. In fact, this was simply a pragmatic – and nearly successful – attempt to wrest points from superior opponents: against South Korea, Algeria cut loose and produced one of the tournament’s best attacking displays, setting up a decider with Russia in which they showed both faces to come from behind and reach the knockout stages for the first time. Germany should prove too strong, but Halilhodzic and Algeria have shown such variation that they cannot be taken lightly.
• Match report: Algeria 1-2 Belgium
• Match report: Algeria 4-2 South Korea
• Match report: Algeria 1-1 Russia
13) Switzerland ▲5
Switzerland have been an enigma so far and, if they do not tighten up, will probably be picked off by Argentina. A flat performance against Ecuador was rescued by two substitutes and eventually decided their progress, while their efforts against a vibrant French side seemed little more than suicidal at times. Even their 3-0 win against Honduras was notable for the number of times in which their centre-backs – a problem area marked “urgent” – were exposed by limited opponents. Against all that, Xherdan Shaqiri’s hat-trick suggested that one the gifted playmaker is peaking at the right time, while Granit Xhaka’s consolation against the French showed that he, too, can provide penetration – but for all their midfield riches, the Swiss appear likely to fall short elsewhere.
• Match report: Switzerland 2-1 Ecuador
• Match report: Switzerland 2-5 France
• Match report: Switzerland 3-0 Honduras
14) Greece ▲11
When will we learn? It is impossible to write off a Greece side that, time and again, presents more than the sum of its parts. As at Euro 2012, Fernando Santos’s side brushed off a poor start to pip a far better-placed rival to the post. Ivory Coast were the victims this time in a game that was notable for an uncharacteristically imaginative attacking display from the Greeks, although it took a last-gasp Giorgios Samaras penalty to turn the tables so spectacularly. A resilient performance against Japan after an early Kostas Katsouranis red card was what had kept them alive in the first place; perhaps Greece, who will not mind facing Costa Rica now, have more to their bow than expected.
• Match report: Greece 0-3 Colombia
• Match report: Greece 0-0 Japan
• Match report: Greece 2-1 Ivory Coast
15) Nigeria ▲1
Nigeria have, eventually, thrived on being given space to play in. Iran smothered them in an exasperating first match, denying open grass to their pacy forwards, but Bosnia-Herzegovina’s setup was an open invitation to Michael Babatunde, Emmanuel Emenike, and, particularly, Ahmed Musa, who overran them down the flanks and made light of the fact that Stephen Keshi’s side has little inspiration in central areas. Musa stepped up yet further in an entertaining match with Argentina, scoring two fine goals, and if France leave themselves exposed on Monday then perhaps Nigeria will capitalise. The defence lacks mobility, though, and a more immediate problem seems to have reared its head in – you guessed it – an argument about player bonuses.
• Match report: Nigeria 0-0 Iran
• Match report: Nigeria 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Match report: Nigeria 2-3 Argentina
16) Uruguay ▼2
It begins and, most probably, ends with you-know-who. Uruguay’s preparations were clouded by major doubts over Luis Suárez’s fitness and he was sorely missed when Costa Rica struck three times in the second half of their opening game to leave them on the brink. His return and subsequent performance against England were, regardless of anything that has happened since, an astonishing feat and meant victory over Italy would send an otherwise workmanlike Uruguay through. They grafted and growled against the Italians and gained their reward – but the headlines were made by Suárez’s encounter with Giorgio Chiellini and, with the striker now ruled out of the tournament, the Colombians should have too much quality in their meeting on Saturday.
• Match report: Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica
• Match report: Uruguay 2-1 England
• Match report: Uruguay 1-0 Italy
17) Ivory Coast ▼2
Not the most crushing disappointment but certainly the most crushingly disappointed. If Giovanni Sio had not tripped Giorgios Samaras (or did he?) at the end of their meeting with Greece, the Elephants would have made it to the last 16. We won’t see Didier Drogba at another World Cup now; the same might be said of Yaya Touré, too. One generation has died out but there were, at least, green shoots from another: the right-back Serge Aurier did his hopes of an Arsenal move no harm with two assists against Japan that seemed to have set them fair, while Gervinho and Wilfred Bony both emerged with their stock enhanced. Not so their coach, Sabri Lamouchi, who has resigned.
• Match report: Ivory Coast 2-1 Japan
• Match report: Ivory Coast 1-2 Colombia
• Match report: Ivory Coast 1-2 Greece
18) Ecuador ▼1
The World Cup will miss Enner Valencia, the diminutive striker whose elastic leap inspired awe and whose three goals would, another time, have seen them through to a tie with Argentina. That might have been achieved if Antonio Valencia, the Manchester United winger, had not been sent off against a much-changed France side with Reinaldo Rueda’s slow burner of a gameplan seemingly starting to pay off. While respectable in isolation, a draw was not enough, the attack that broke down and let Switzerland in for Haris Seferovic’s late, late winner in the first game eventually deciding their fate. Enner Valencia and the winger Jefferson Montero will surely soon be plucked from the Mexican league by whoever can afford to do so.
• Match report: Ecuador 1-2 Switzerland
• Match report: Ecuador 2-1 Honduras
• Match report: Ecuador 0-0 France
19) Spain ▲11
The 3-0 win over Australia provided a few nice endnotes – David Villa’s backheeled goal, for example, was surely valedictory – but it couldn’t paper over any cracks. An era has concluded and in the most sobering manner. In control against the Dutch for nearly 45 minutes, they capitulated in a manner unthinkable during what had been six years of complete dominance; when the chance came to put things right against Chile, they were outfought and outplayed by a team as relentless on and off the ball as they used to be. Spain have a fine batch of youngsters to lead the inevitable regeneration, whether under Vicente del Bosque or not, but this was a sad and sudden end for the finest international side of their time.
• Match report: Spain 1-5 Holland
• Match report: Spain 0-2 Chile
• Match report: Spain 3-0 Australia
20) Croatia ▼7
Niko Kovac’s team seemed to enter the World Cup under the radar, despite having a midfield trio of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic that most would die for. They soon announced themselves with a vigorous opening display against Brazil that deserved at least a point; when they put four past Cameroon, they appeared to be well on track for the last 16. But they fell badly short in their must-win final game against Mexico, visibly wilting in the Manaus humidity and eventually being overrun by the Central Americans. Ivan Perisic excelled on his step up to this level, scoring twice, while the veteran Ivica Olic was a rampaging presence on the left, but Croatia proved to be one of several European teams outdone by a combination of highly skilled opponents and oppressive conditions.
• Match report: Croatia 1-3 Brazil
• Match report: Croatia 4-0 Cameroon
• Match report: Croatia 1-3 Mexico
21) Italy ▼10
What went wrong? Although Italy’s win over England wasn’t without flaws, it seemed implausible that they wouldn’t garner enough from their final two games to make it through the group. But defeat against Costa Rica cost them dearly: Mario Balotelli missed the early chance that would eventually define his tournament and Cesare Prandelli’s side were puzzlingly subdued thereafter. A point against Uruguay in what descended into a cynical, bitty affair would still have sufficed but the writing was on the wall when Claudio Marchisio was sent off and Diego Godín’s late winner came as little surprise. Andrea Pirlo’s influence faded after the England win and, overall, Italy may reflect on a lack of aggression in midfield and attacking areas.
• Match report: Italy 2-1 England
• Match report: Italy 0-1 Costa Rica
• Match report: Italy 0-1 Uruguay
22) Bosnia-Herzegovina ▲5
Regrets? They’ll have a few. If Sead Kolasinac had not put through his own net within three minutes of the Bosnians’ World Cup bow, perhaps a highly vulnerable-looking Argentina side would have been shocked; if Edin Dzeko’s legitimate first-half goal against with Nigeria had stood, perhaps the errors that led to Peter Odemwingie’s winner minutes later would have been immaterial; if Safet Susic had sent out teams with the balance and conviction that ensured Iran were beaten so comfortably, perhaps the above would not even have registered. It was a frustrating fortnight for Bosnia in what proved to be a weak group. As expected, they played some fine football – but the overall impression was that Susic, who has since quit, was found tactically wanting at this level.
• Match report: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-2 Argentina
• Match report: Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-1 Nigeria
• Match report: Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Iran
23) Portugal ▼3
No Cristiano, no party. That was pretty much how it went for the Portuguese, whose talisman – suffering from a knee injury – was able only to flicker intermittently. He did provide an exceptional last-minute assist against USA and a winner against Ghana, but an unremarkable side needed more, especially after Pepe’s stupid red card in a chastening defeat to Germany and Fábio Coentrão’s injury during the same game. Yet despite being outplayed by the Germans and, at times, the Americans, Ronaldo and Portugal actually weren’t far off. They finished three goals shy of qualification and, in a basketball-like second half against Ghana, should have scored them – a fired-up Ronaldo uncharacteristically missing a hat full. As it is, we seem likely never to see the best of him at a World Cup.
• Match report: Portugal 0-4 Germany
• Match report: Portugal 2-2 USA
• Match report: Portugal 2-1 Ghana
24) England ▲5
A colossal letdown or a meeting of low expectations? Perhaps somewhere between. There was little hand-wringing after an entertaining defeat to Italy in which promises of a youthful, attacking approach held true. It seemed plausible that Roy Hodgson’s team would come away with what it needed against Uruguay and the group’s surprise package, Costa Rica, but a loose performance against the former was punished by a half-fit Luis Suárez. A goalless draw with the Costa Ricans, who had sealed England’s fate by stunning Italy, was merely a footnote. England return amid a predictable cloud of admonition but having shown evidence enough that Hodgson and his employers should keep faith in their new model.
• Match report: England 1-2 Italy
• Match report: England 1-2 Uruguay
• Match report: England 0-0 Costa Rica
25) Australia ▲3
If this was indeed a dress rehearsal for next year’s Asian Cup, then Australia know their lines fairly well. Three defeats did not tell the full story of their endeavours in Brazil: despite being overrun by Chile early on, Ange Postecoglou’s young side almost fought back to draw – and they might even have done better than that against Holland five days later. They went 2-1 up in that game, only to concede two goals that both directly followed glorious counterattacking opportunities to score again. Defeat against Spain did little to quell the sense of progress: while the veteran Tim Cahill took the headlines with his astonishing volley against the Dutch, the young wide pair Tommy Oar and Mathew Leckie were among those to suggest that Australia’s football outlook may look more positive than ever.
• Match report: Australia 1-3 Chile
• Match report: Australia 2-3 Holland
• Match report: Australia 0-3 Spain
26) Russia ▼3
Few will mourn the passing of Fabio Capello’s side, who conjured up barely a single moment of ingenuity in their three games. As expected, Russia were organised enough; they did, too, badly miss the initiative of the midfielder Roman Shirokov. But a stodgy 1-1 draw with South Korea set the tone, both stylistically and in the manner of their concession. That goal arrived when the usually reliable Igor Akinfeev flapped Lee Keun-ho’s shot over the line; it would be Akinfeev, two matches later, who lost the flight of Abdelmoumene Djabou’s free-kick and allowed Islam Slimani to head the goal that sent Algeria through in their stead, which Capello blamed on the laser pen being shone at the keeper. Russia could do with establishing some kind of style before inviting the world to their party in 2018.
• Match report: Russia 1-1 South Korea
• Match report: Russia 0-1 Belgium
• Match report: Russia 1-1 Algeria
27) South Korea ▼3
“It was my shortcomings as a coach that caused this result,” said Hong Myung-bo after his side lost to 10-man Belgium. At half-time in that game, a two-goal victory against Marc Wilmots’ depleted side would have been good to send South Korea through, but in truth theirs was an anonymous performance in Brazil. It might have been a different story if they had held on to their fortunately gained lead over the Russians, but when Algeria blitzed them during the first half in Porto Alegre the game was all but up. South Korea showed neither the intensity nor the quality of previous sides, although Son Heung-min, the Bayer Leverkusen winger, lived up to his billing as one of Asia’s most promising talents.
• Match report: South Korea 1-1 Russia
• Match report: South Korea 2-4 Algeria
• Match report: South Korea 0-1 Belgium
28) Japan ▼2
Japan’s high point came in the 16th minute of their opening game, when Keisuke Honda finished emphatically against Ivory Coast. What followed from a supposedly progressive side was hugely disappointing; Alberto Zaccheroni’s erstwhile charges seemed stuck in the same gear throughout their three games and, an excellent Shinji Okazaki header against Colombia aside, there was little thrust to cap their midfield probings. The 4-1 defeat to the Colombians was perhaps coloured by Japan’s desperate need to pour forward, but the damage was done when they laboured against 10 men for more than 45 minutes of a turgid encounter with Greece, Yoshito Okubo’s horror miss the defining tableau of their disappointment.
• Match report: Japan 1-2 Ivory Coast
• Match report: Japan 0-0 Greece
• Match report: Japan 1-4 Colombia
29) Iran ▼7
Lionel Messi’s injury-time winner in Belo Horizonte appeared to crush Iran, who had stood up to the Argentinians in their second game and, particularly through the striker Reza Ghoochannejhad, had chances to win it themselves. A good victory over an already-eliminated Bosnia could still have sent them through, but Carlos Queiroz’s team never seemed confident in approaching the task – and certainly had troubled adapting to an uncharacteristically proactive mien after falling behind. Perhaps their effort against Argentina, one of the finest defensive performances at this World Cup, had sapped them. Either way, Queiroz won’t be around to improve it – “You can’t have a marriage when only one side wants to commit,” he said after talks regarding a new contract failed to materialise.
• Match report: Iran 0-0 Nigeria
• Match report: Iran 0-1 Argentina
• Match report: Iran 1-3 Bosnia-Herzegovina
30) Honduras ▲1
There was little surprise in seeing Luis Fernando Suárez head home early after some costly episodes of indiscipline. The Honduras coach, that is: his side entered the tournament with a “bad boy” billing that they seemed determined to justify as they roughed France up early on, Wilson Palacios’s first-half red card rivalling Pepe’s as the tournament’s most predictable. They kept it cleaner against Ecuador and even took the lead, but their defence never seemed solid and Enner Valencia’s goals meant Switzerland would have to be beaten comfortably in Manaus. That was never on the cards, although they should have scored at least a couple; eventually, Honduras simply lacked quality and Suárez’s parting admission that “I want to do something else” said enough.
• Match report: Honduras 0-3 France
• Match report: Honduras 1-2 Ecuador
• Match report: Honduras 0-3 Switzerland
31) Ghana ▼10
If Cameroon’s dismal antics fuelled the fire for those who nay-say African football’s progress, Ghana were depressingly swift to provide the ignition. They had a chance of qualifying from Group G after an exciting draw with Germany but a row over bonuses and a training ground spat more worthy of the playground resulted in the coach, Kwesi Appiah, sending Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng home the day before the game. He admitted that the disputes had caused him sleepless nights. The die was cast and, although they briefly looked like getting the win they needed against Portugal, their tournament ended miserably. It was a shame for a side that had genuine flair in André Ayew and Christian Atsu, but Ghana’s problems clearly run far beyond the pitch.
• Match report: Ghana 1-2 USA
• Match report: Ghana 2-2 Germany
• Match report: Ghana 1-2 Portugal
32) Cameroon ▶
If a World Cup ever becomes wearing, a spot of Cameroon bingo tends to pass the time. They had the full house this time out: a pre-tournament bonus dispute; a disjointed opening game with attacking moves foundering around a glowering Samuel Eto’o; and, most glaringly, a horror show of a performance against Croatia – in which Alex Song was dismissed for a grimly predictable piece of petulance before the Croats, who later watched incredulously as Benoît Assou-Ekotto launched into team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo. A despairing manager, Volker Finke, called his team “disgraceful”: they most certainly were and, although they gave Brazil a run for their money in the first half of their final game, the Indomitable Lions departed with little pride.
• Match report: Cameroon 0-1 Mexico
• Match report: Cameroon 0-4 Croatia
• Match report: Cameroon 1-4 Brazil
Are Brazil going to time their run to perfection? They haven’t quite convinced yet despite qualifying from Group A in relative comfort and, even though the shouts of “scandal” that accompanied their somewhat lucky win over Croatia on the opening night have died down, question marks remain. Neymar is carrying the fight in style and Fred is, however fortunately, off the mark after scoring against Cameroon, but Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side have been more diligent than dazzling thus far, with the impact made by Fernandinho in that match with the Indomitable Lions highlighting that incisive possession football had hitherto been a problem. Then again, Scolari is a master of playing for the result – and if his team are, as we might cautiously discern, gathering momentum then it would be difficult not to see him pulling off several more.
• Match report: Brazil 3-1 Croatia
• Match report: Brazil 0-0 Mexico
• Match report: Brazil 4-1 Cameroon
4) Germany ▶
Job done so far for the Germans, whose early rout of Portugal removed any real doubts about their fortunes in a tough-looking group. Ghana gave them a scare in Fortaleza, although that merely afforded Miroslav Klose the chance to write his name in the history books, and thoughts of a cordial draw with USA were banished when Thomas Müller added to his hat-trick against the Portuguese with a second-half winner. Germany have not been at their best since that opening game, but they have hardly needed to be: in theory, a second-round meeting with Algeria should keep them keen enough for a likely quarter-final with France. Marco Reus’s absence has not been felt yet, although they may miss his change of pace in later rounds.
• Match report: Germany 4-0 Portugal
• Match report: Germany 2-2 Ghana
• Match report: Germany 1-0 USA
5) Argentina ▲1
Perhaps Messidependencia is justified. Argentina might just have been in a bit of trouble were it not for player who has appeared determined to make this tournament his. They eventually won Group F at a stroll but Lionel Messi’s solo goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina and, most importantly, his stupendous last-gasp hit against Iran were immeasurable in value, and his arcing free-kick against Nigeria was pretty handy, too. His contribution has papered over plenty of cracks; Argentina were ragged in their opening game against Bosnia and uninspired against the Iranians, and there is justifiable concern about a lack of quality behind their feted front three – one of whom, Sergio Agüero, may miss the rest of the tournament. But with Messi in this mood, will it matter?
• Match report: Argentina 2-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Match report: Argentina 1-0 Iran
• Match report: Argentina 3-2 Nigeria
6) France ▼5
We might not get the true measure of France until – if – they face Germany in the quarter-finals, but the unity and verve displayed by Didier Deschamps’ team have had critics rubbing their eyes. Honduras provided a straightforward start, but the manner in which Switzerland were dismantled was exhilarating. Whisper it, but France look sharper and more coherent without Franck Ribéry, and their wide options are particularly intriguing. Karim Benzema, who has three goals already, has played both centrally and on the left – Olivier Giroud leading the line brilliantly against the Swiss – while Mathieu Valbuena and Antoine Griezmann have both impressed. All of a sudden, Deschamps has flexibility throughout his squad – and appears to have instilled a strong sense of commitment and discipline, too.
• Match report: France 3-0 Honduras
• Match report: France 5-2 Switzerland
• Match report: France 0-0 Ecuador
7) Belgium ▲2
Among the pre-tournament favourites in some eyes, Belgium are in the curious position of perhaps seeing their stock fall despite claiming nine points from nine in Group H. All of their wins came late on and, while this says plenty for the fitness and resolve of Marc Wilmots’ team, few would say things have clicked. Movement on and off the ball has been laboured, and the absence of Christian Benteke in attack – Romelu Lukaku has, so far, proved no replacement – has been keenly felt. The squad has depth, though: a much-changed side defeated South Korea with 10 men, while the contribution of the teenager Divock Origi has been both surprising and decisive. If they improve, they can still be a major force – but USA will run them all the way in the last 16.
• Match report: Belgium 1-0 Russia
• Match report: Belgium 2-1 Algeria
• Match report: Belgium 1-0 South Korea
8) Mexico ▲2
What a wonderful tournament Miguel Herrera’s team are having. They have barely missed a beat since kicking off against Cameroon – a game in which they shrugged off having two goals wrongly disallowed to win with style. Their subsequent draw with Brazil was thoroughly deserved, even if the exploits of the goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa took the headlines, and they kept their heads brilliantly to see off Croatia – keeping their opponents at arm’s length before tiring them into submission and killing them off ruthlessly. Mexico will take on Holland full of confidence: Héctor Herrera gave a midfield masterclass on Monday night while, in front of him, Oribe Peralta and Giovani Dos Santos continue to look sharp. Add a pair of exciting wing-backs and the option of Javier Hernández, and they have the tools to go further still.
• Match report: Mexico 1-0 Cameroon
• Match report: Mexico 0-0 Brazil
• Match report: Mexico 3-1 Croatia
9) Chile ▼7
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that Chile found no way through against the Holland side that smothered them with surprising effectiveness in their third game. Expectations might have skyrocketed otherwise: a dizzying first-half spell against Australia had set the tone nicely enough but the 90 minutes of sustained excellence that toppled Spain at the Maracanã seemed to be the crystallisation of all the pre-tournament hype. Perhaps Jorge Sampaoli’s team really could go all the way. They will have to do it the hard way now, facing a Brazil side that will have noted how the Dutch dulled Chile’s high-intensity game, and will need to hope that the influential Arturo Vidal – barely fit before the tournament but heroic against the Spaniards – can set their tempo once more.
• Match report: Chile 2-0 Spain
• Match report: Chile 3-1 Australia
• Match report: Chile 0-2 Holland
10) USA ▲2
Second place in Group G seemed there for the taking from the start, and the USA proved far more resilient and consistent in their application than Portugal or Ghana. They did not quite maintain the pace they set through Clint Dempsey’s first-minute goal against Ghana but John Brooks’ winner in that game proved the most significant moment in the group. It meant the USA could probably afford a draw with the Portuguese, although they were bitterly disappointed to be pegged back with the last touch of a game they had dominated. Jürgen Klinsmann’s team is short on stars but big on heart and reliability, and has adapted well to Jozy Altidore’s early injury. Their match with Belgium does not look easy to call.
• Match report: USA 2-1 Ghana
• Match report: USA 2-2 Portugal
• Match report: USA 0-1 Germany
11) Costa Rica ▼3
The success story of the tournament so far. Costa Rica were supposed to be a carrion for the rest of the group of death to feed on but ended up being the ones gorging on their carcasses. After overturning a first-half deficit against Uruguay they defeated Italy with a performance that was all the more impressive for the way in which you could see Bryan Ruiz’s winner coming, and a draw with England was a pleasant enough way to celebrate topping the group. Jorge Luis Pinto’s team counterattack at speed, led by the Arsenal striker Joel Campbell, FC Copenhagen’s Christian Bolaños and the outstanding Rosenborg wing-back Cristian Gamboa, and is based on a defensive block that has been breached only by Edinson Cavani’s penalty. Potential quarter-finalists? You bet.
• Match report: Costa Rica 3-1 Uruguay
• Match report: Costa Rica 1-0 Italy
• Match report: Costa Rica 0-0 England
12) Algeria ▲7
Vahid Halilhodzic is an excellent early shout for coach of the tournament. While it was well documented that he had moved Algeria away from the dire football produced in 2010, little appeared to have changed when a dogged rearguard action was finally breached by Belgium in their first game. In fact, this was simply a pragmatic – and nearly successful – attempt to wrest points from superior opponents: against South Korea, Algeria cut loose and produced one of the tournament’s best attacking displays, setting up a decider with Russia in which they showed both faces to come from behind and reach the knockout stages for the first time. Germany should prove too strong, but Halilhodzic and Algeria have shown such variation that they cannot be taken lightly.
• Match report: Algeria 1-2 Belgium
• Match report: Algeria 4-2 South Korea
• Match report: Algeria 1-1 Russia
13) Switzerland ▲5
Switzerland have been an enigma so far and, if they do not tighten up, will probably be picked off by Argentina. A flat performance against Ecuador was rescued by two substitutes and eventually decided their progress, while their efforts against a vibrant French side seemed little more than suicidal at times. Even their 3-0 win against Honduras was notable for the number of times in which their centre-backs – a problem area marked “urgent” – were exposed by limited opponents. Against all that, Xherdan Shaqiri’s hat-trick suggested that one the gifted playmaker is peaking at the right time, while Granit Xhaka’s consolation against the French showed that he, too, can provide penetration – but for all their midfield riches, the Swiss appear likely to fall short elsewhere.
• Match report: Switzerland 2-1 Ecuador
• Match report: Switzerland 2-5 France
• Match report: Switzerland 3-0 Honduras
14) Greece ▲11
When will we learn? It is impossible to write off a Greece side that, time and again, presents more than the sum of its parts. As at Euro 2012, Fernando Santos’s side brushed off a poor start to pip a far better-placed rival to the post. Ivory Coast were the victims this time in a game that was notable for an uncharacteristically imaginative attacking display from the Greeks, although it took a last-gasp Giorgios Samaras penalty to turn the tables so spectacularly. A resilient performance against Japan after an early Kostas Katsouranis red card was what had kept them alive in the first place; perhaps Greece, who will not mind facing Costa Rica now, have more to their bow than expected.
• Match report: Greece 0-3 Colombia
• Match report: Greece 0-0 Japan
• Match report: Greece 2-1 Ivory Coast
15) Nigeria ▲1
Nigeria have, eventually, thrived on being given space to play in. Iran smothered them in an exasperating first match, denying open grass to their pacy forwards, but Bosnia-Herzegovina’s setup was an open invitation to Michael Babatunde, Emmanuel Emenike, and, particularly, Ahmed Musa, who overran them down the flanks and made light of the fact that Stephen Keshi’s side has little inspiration in central areas. Musa stepped up yet further in an entertaining match with Argentina, scoring two fine goals, and if France leave themselves exposed on Monday then perhaps Nigeria will capitalise. The defence lacks mobility, though, and a more immediate problem seems to have reared its head in – you guessed it – an argument about player bonuses.
• Match report: Nigeria 0-0 Iran
• Match report: Nigeria 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Match report: Nigeria 2-3 Argentina
16) Uruguay ▼2
It begins and, most probably, ends with you-know-who. Uruguay’s preparations were clouded by major doubts over Luis Suárez’s fitness and he was sorely missed when Costa Rica struck three times in the second half of their opening game to leave them on the brink. His return and subsequent performance against England were, regardless of anything that has happened since, an astonishing feat and meant victory over Italy would send an otherwise workmanlike Uruguay through. They grafted and growled against the Italians and gained their reward – but the headlines were made by Suárez’s encounter with Giorgio Chiellini and, with the striker now ruled out of the tournament, the Colombians should have too much quality in their meeting on Saturday.
• Match report: Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica
• Match report: Uruguay 2-1 England
• Match report: Uruguay 1-0 Italy
17) Ivory Coast ▼2
Not the most crushing disappointment but certainly the most crushingly disappointed. If Giovanni Sio had not tripped Giorgios Samaras (or did he?) at the end of their meeting with Greece, the Elephants would have made it to the last 16. We won’t see Didier Drogba at another World Cup now; the same might be said of Yaya Touré, too. One generation has died out but there were, at least, green shoots from another: the right-back Serge Aurier did his hopes of an Arsenal move no harm with two assists against Japan that seemed to have set them fair, while Gervinho and Wilfred Bony both emerged with their stock enhanced. Not so their coach, Sabri Lamouchi, who has resigned.
• Match report: Ivory Coast 2-1 Japan
• Match report: Ivory Coast 1-2 Colombia
• Match report: Ivory Coast 1-2 Greece
18) Ecuador ▼1
The World Cup will miss Enner Valencia, the diminutive striker whose elastic leap inspired awe and whose three goals would, another time, have seen them through to a tie with Argentina. That might have been achieved if Antonio Valencia, the Manchester United winger, had not been sent off against a much-changed France side with Reinaldo Rueda’s slow burner of a gameplan seemingly starting to pay off. While respectable in isolation, a draw was not enough, the attack that broke down and let Switzerland in for Haris Seferovic’s late, late winner in the first game eventually deciding their fate. Enner Valencia and the winger Jefferson Montero will surely soon be plucked from the Mexican league by whoever can afford to do so.
• Match report: Ecuador 1-2 Switzerland
• Match report: Ecuador 2-1 Honduras
• Match report: Ecuador 0-0 France
19) Spain ▲11
The 3-0 win over Australia provided a few nice endnotes – David Villa’s backheeled goal, for example, was surely valedictory – but it couldn’t paper over any cracks. An era has concluded and in the most sobering manner. In control against the Dutch for nearly 45 minutes, they capitulated in a manner unthinkable during what had been six years of complete dominance; when the chance came to put things right against Chile, they were outfought and outplayed by a team as relentless on and off the ball as they used to be. Spain have a fine batch of youngsters to lead the inevitable regeneration, whether under Vicente del Bosque or not, but this was a sad and sudden end for the finest international side of their time.
• Match report: Spain 1-5 Holland
• Match report: Spain 0-2 Chile
• Match report: Spain 3-0 Australia
20) Croatia ▼7
Niko Kovac’s team seemed to enter the World Cup under the radar, despite having a midfield trio of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic that most would die for. They soon announced themselves with a vigorous opening display against Brazil that deserved at least a point; when they put four past Cameroon, they appeared to be well on track for the last 16. But they fell badly short in their must-win final game against Mexico, visibly wilting in the Manaus humidity and eventually being overrun by the Central Americans. Ivan Perisic excelled on his step up to this level, scoring twice, while the veteran Ivica Olic was a rampaging presence on the left, but Croatia proved to be one of several European teams outdone by a combination of highly skilled opponents and oppressive conditions.
• Match report: Croatia 1-3 Brazil
• Match report: Croatia 4-0 Cameroon
• Match report: Croatia 1-3 Mexico
21) Italy ▼10
What went wrong? Although Italy’s win over England wasn’t without flaws, it seemed implausible that they wouldn’t garner enough from their final two games to make it through the group. But defeat against Costa Rica cost them dearly: Mario Balotelli missed the early chance that would eventually define his tournament and Cesare Prandelli’s side were puzzlingly subdued thereafter. A point against Uruguay in what descended into a cynical, bitty affair would still have sufficed but the writing was on the wall when Claudio Marchisio was sent off and Diego Godín’s late winner came as little surprise. Andrea Pirlo’s influence faded after the England win and, overall, Italy may reflect on a lack of aggression in midfield and attacking areas.
• Match report: Italy 2-1 England
• Match report: Italy 0-1 Costa Rica
• Match report: Italy 0-1 Uruguay
22) Bosnia-Herzegovina ▲5
Regrets? They’ll have a few. If Sead Kolasinac had not put through his own net within three minutes of the Bosnians’ World Cup bow, perhaps a highly vulnerable-looking Argentina side would have been shocked; if Edin Dzeko’s legitimate first-half goal against with Nigeria had stood, perhaps the errors that led to Peter Odemwingie’s winner minutes later would have been immaterial; if Safet Susic had sent out teams with the balance and conviction that ensured Iran were beaten so comfortably, perhaps the above would not even have registered. It was a frustrating fortnight for Bosnia in what proved to be a weak group. As expected, they played some fine football – but the overall impression was that Susic, who has since quit, was found tactically wanting at this level.
• Match report: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-2 Argentina
• Match report: Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-1 Nigeria
• Match report: Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Iran
23) Portugal ▼3
No Cristiano, no party. That was pretty much how it went for the Portuguese, whose talisman – suffering from a knee injury – was able only to flicker intermittently. He did provide an exceptional last-minute assist against USA and a winner against Ghana, but an unremarkable side needed more, especially after Pepe’s stupid red card in a chastening defeat to Germany and Fábio Coentrão’s injury during the same game. Yet despite being outplayed by the Germans and, at times, the Americans, Ronaldo and Portugal actually weren’t far off. They finished three goals shy of qualification and, in a basketball-like second half against Ghana, should have scored them – a fired-up Ronaldo uncharacteristically missing a hat full. As it is, we seem likely never to see the best of him at a World Cup.
• Match report: Portugal 0-4 Germany
• Match report: Portugal 2-2 USA
• Match report: Portugal 2-1 Ghana
24) England ▲5
A colossal letdown or a meeting of low expectations? Perhaps somewhere between. There was little hand-wringing after an entertaining defeat to Italy in which promises of a youthful, attacking approach held true. It seemed plausible that Roy Hodgson’s team would come away with what it needed against Uruguay and the group’s surprise package, Costa Rica, but a loose performance against the former was punished by a half-fit Luis Suárez. A goalless draw with the Costa Ricans, who had sealed England’s fate by stunning Italy, was merely a footnote. England return amid a predictable cloud of admonition but having shown evidence enough that Hodgson and his employers should keep faith in their new model.
• Match report: England 1-2 Italy
• Match report: England 1-2 Uruguay
• Match report: England 0-0 Costa Rica
25) Australia ▲3
If this was indeed a dress rehearsal for next year’s Asian Cup, then Australia know their lines fairly well. Three defeats did not tell the full story of their endeavours in Brazil: despite being overrun by Chile early on, Ange Postecoglou’s young side almost fought back to draw – and they might even have done better than that against Holland five days later. They went 2-1 up in that game, only to concede two goals that both directly followed glorious counterattacking opportunities to score again. Defeat against Spain did little to quell the sense of progress: while the veteran Tim Cahill took the headlines with his astonishing volley against the Dutch, the young wide pair Tommy Oar and Mathew Leckie were among those to suggest that Australia’s football outlook may look more positive than ever.
• Match report: Australia 1-3 Chile
• Match report: Australia 2-3 Holland
• Match report: Australia 0-3 Spain
26) Russia ▼3
Few will mourn the passing of Fabio Capello’s side, who conjured up barely a single moment of ingenuity in their three games. As expected, Russia were organised enough; they did, too, badly miss the initiative of the midfielder Roman Shirokov. But a stodgy 1-1 draw with South Korea set the tone, both stylistically and in the manner of their concession. That goal arrived when the usually reliable Igor Akinfeev flapped Lee Keun-ho’s shot over the line; it would be Akinfeev, two matches later, who lost the flight of Abdelmoumene Djabou’s free-kick and allowed Islam Slimani to head the goal that sent Algeria through in their stead, which Capello blamed on the laser pen being shone at the keeper. Russia could do with establishing some kind of style before inviting the world to their party in 2018.
• Match report: Russia 1-1 South Korea
• Match report: Russia 0-1 Belgium
• Match report: Russia 1-1 Algeria
27) South Korea ▼3
“It was my shortcomings as a coach that caused this result,” said Hong Myung-bo after his side lost to 10-man Belgium. At half-time in that game, a two-goal victory against Marc Wilmots’ depleted side would have been good to send South Korea through, but in truth theirs was an anonymous performance in Brazil. It might have been a different story if they had held on to their fortunately gained lead over the Russians, but when Algeria blitzed them during the first half in Porto Alegre the game was all but up. South Korea showed neither the intensity nor the quality of previous sides, although Son Heung-min, the Bayer Leverkusen winger, lived up to his billing as one of Asia’s most promising talents.
• Match report: South Korea 1-1 Russia
• Match report: South Korea 2-4 Algeria
• Match report: South Korea 0-1 Belgium
28) Japan ▼2
Japan’s high point came in the 16th minute of their opening game, when Keisuke Honda finished emphatically against Ivory Coast. What followed from a supposedly progressive side was hugely disappointing; Alberto Zaccheroni’s erstwhile charges seemed stuck in the same gear throughout their three games and, an excellent Shinji Okazaki header against Colombia aside, there was little thrust to cap their midfield probings. The 4-1 defeat to the Colombians was perhaps coloured by Japan’s desperate need to pour forward, but the damage was done when they laboured against 10 men for more than 45 minutes of a turgid encounter with Greece, Yoshito Okubo’s horror miss the defining tableau of their disappointment.
• Match report: Japan 1-2 Ivory Coast
• Match report: Japan 0-0 Greece
• Match report: Japan 1-4 Colombia
29) Iran ▼7
Lionel Messi’s injury-time winner in Belo Horizonte appeared to crush Iran, who had stood up to the Argentinians in their second game and, particularly through the striker Reza Ghoochannejhad, had chances to win it themselves. A good victory over an already-eliminated Bosnia could still have sent them through, but Carlos Queiroz’s team never seemed confident in approaching the task – and certainly had troubled adapting to an uncharacteristically proactive mien after falling behind. Perhaps their effort against Argentina, one of the finest defensive performances at this World Cup, had sapped them. Either way, Queiroz won’t be around to improve it – “You can’t have a marriage when only one side wants to commit,” he said after talks regarding a new contract failed to materialise.
• Match report: Iran 0-0 Nigeria
• Match report: Iran 0-1 Argentina
• Match report: Iran 1-3 Bosnia-Herzegovina
30) Honduras ▲1
There was little surprise in seeing Luis Fernando Suárez head home early after some costly episodes of indiscipline. The Honduras coach, that is: his side entered the tournament with a “bad boy” billing that they seemed determined to justify as they roughed France up early on, Wilson Palacios’s first-half red card rivalling Pepe’s as the tournament’s most predictable. They kept it cleaner against Ecuador and even took the lead, but their defence never seemed solid and Enner Valencia’s goals meant Switzerland would have to be beaten comfortably in Manaus. That was never on the cards, although they should have scored at least a couple; eventually, Honduras simply lacked quality and Suárez’s parting admission that “I want to do something else” said enough.
• Match report: Honduras 0-3 France
• Match report: Honduras 1-2 Ecuador
• Match report: Honduras 0-3 Switzerland
31) Ghana ▼10
If Cameroon’s dismal antics fuelled the fire for those who nay-say African football’s progress, Ghana were depressingly swift to provide the ignition. They had a chance of qualifying from Group G after an exciting draw with Germany but a row over bonuses and a training ground spat more worthy of the playground resulted in the coach, Kwesi Appiah, sending Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng home the day before the game. He admitted that the disputes had caused him sleepless nights. The die was cast and, although they briefly looked like getting the win they needed against Portugal, their tournament ended miserably. It was a shame for a side that had genuine flair in André Ayew and Christian Atsu, but Ghana’s problems clearly run far beyond the pitch.
• Match report: Ghana 1-2 USA
• Match report: Ghana 2-2 Germany
• Match report: Ghana 1-2 Portugal
32) Cameroon ▶
If a World Cup ever becomes wearing, a spot of Cameroon bingo tends to pass the time. They had the full house this time out: a pre-tournament bonus dispute; a disjointed opening game with attacking moves foundering around a glowering Samuel Eto’o; and, most glaringly, a horror show of a performance against Croatia – in which Alex Song was dismissed for a grimly predictable piece of petulance before the Croats, who later watched incredulously as Benoît Assou-Ekotto launched into team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo. A despairing manager, Volker Finke, called his team “disgraceful”: they most certainly were and, although they gave Brazil a run for their money in the first half of their final game, the Indomitable Lions departed with little pride.
• Match report: Cameroon 0-1 Mexico
• Match report: Cameroon 0-4 Croatia
• Match report: Cameroon 1-4 Brazil
Saturday, June 28, 2014
world cup news brazil 2014/Germany’s Joachim Löw warns against underestimating Algeria
Germany’s Joachim Löw warns against underestimating Algeria
Germany's national coach Joachim Löw at a news conference where he discussed their next match, against Algeria.
Joachim Löw says now is the time for his Germany side to show their true value while warning against underestimating their last-16 opponents Algeria. With sides such as Spain, Italy, Portugal and England eliminated in the group stages, Löw feels his side have a real opportunity of going all the way to the World Cup final, but their first hurdle in the knockout stages is not to be taken lightly.
“Personally, I cannot remember a group stage in which so many of the favourites were knocked out,” he said at a press conference. “But tournaments are marathons, not a 100-metre sprint. Many nations in the past have won their first three games, and then lost their fourth. We’ve seen it all before. A team’s got to be able to raise their game all the time. If you can manage that, then that’s a masterstroke.”
Germany are set to do that with Löw admitting there is still plenty of margin for improvement. “There’s been lots of light, but also plenty of shadows; some good things, but also things which didn’t work,” he said. “We won our group, which was our primary objective, so we are happy, but we are also self-critical and we know that we can play better. We’ve not reached our limit yet, and now the knockout phase begins, the decisive games are here.”
First up are Algeria, who have revenge on their mind for the so-called no-aggression pact between Germany and Austria in 1982 which resulted in their elimination. “If anybody thinks or believes – and I think this is a feeling among the general public – that Algeria are easy opponents and that we can already start thinking of the next round, then they’re making a huge mistake,” Löw warned.
“We must remain focused and on our toes because any complacency will be punished. I took a look at Algeria yesterday for an hour and I know we’re up against a very compact side who run a lot and are aggressive. I’ve rarely seen a team defend so vehemently, but still attack with purpose. Their whole country is euphoric, so we’re up against strong opponents.”
That euphoria is also rooted in that 1982 Gijón match which Löw insists means nothing to his players, even if it “may be an additional motivation” for Algeria. “When I hear people talking about revenge, it irritates me,” he said. “Apart from maybe [Miroslav] Klose or [Roman] Weidenfeller, none of our players were even born then so they have no idea what happened. For our players, it’s not an issue.”
Löw said that the Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will not feature on Monday due to a muscular problem, but that he would be available for selection again “for our next game – should we get through”. Jérôme Boateng was also treading lightly in training, but he will be available, Löw said.
Algeria hope to give Germany World Cup absolution for ‘Shame of Gijón’
The Algeria coach, Vahid Halilhodzic has rectified a lack of fitness and psychological strength in his side.
If revenge is a plate best served cold, Algeria will hope to dish it out to Germany in their round of 16 match on Monday, 32 years after one of the most shameful games in World Cup history. In all likelihood, however, a powerful Germany side will bring the Desert Foxes’ run to an end and deprive them of retribution and glory. But it might not be easy.
The Germans, champions in 1954, 1974 and 1990, arrived in Brazil as one of the favourites. They showed their credentials by demolishing Portugal 4-0 in their opening game, but stumbled slightly against Ghana, drawing 2-2. They then dismissed USA with a strong performance that still left some room for improvement, although striker Thomas Müller again showed his potency.
Algeria, guided by Vahid Halilhodzic and carrying the hopes of the Arab world with them, have impressed with their tenacity and ball skills. After losing their opening match to Belgium, they overwhelmed South Korea 4-2 in Porto Alegre. In their crucial final group game, a headed goal by Islam Slimani brought them back from 1-0 down against Russia to secure a draw, sending them into the last 16, and their fans – possibly the most devout in the tournament – into ecstasy.
Algeria have beaten Germany in the World Cup before, defeating the then-West Germany 2-1 in Spain in 1982, but what followed was shameful. After also defeating Chile, Algeria were on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stage. West Germany met Austria in the final group game, with a narrow German victory enough for both teams to go through – and eliminate Algeria.
After an early German goal, the two kicked the ball around aimlessly without trying to score again. The cynical display has gone down in the annals of footballing infamy as “the Shame of Gijón”.
So the stage is set for a grand show in Porto Alegre’s Estádio Beira-Rio, with the winner’s reward a quarter-final against France or Nigeria.
Germany can expect a warm welcome in the Rio Grande do Sul capital – the state has a significant population of German descent from immigration in the 19th century. Though satisfied with Germany’s performance against the United States, the coach, Joachim Löw, signalled a need to tighten up in several aspects of their play. He criticised the finishing and said they were also careless in the match’s later stages, squandering possession in midfield.
“We lost the ball at the end of the match unnecessarily and that’s really dangerous – other teams take advantage of that,” Löw said. “We could have had two or three more goals if we had played with a bit more finishing concentration.”
Still, with four goals, Müller is the tournament’s joint top scorer with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and, before Saturday’s game against Chile, Brazil’s Neymar. The German machine must be favoured to accomplish their mission.
Algeria will hope Porto Alegre will be propitious after their historic battle here against South Korea, when their four goals made them the highest-scoring African side in a World Cup game. This is also the first time two African sides have reached the last 16 – African champions Nigeria being the other. Halilhodzic had complained after the loss to Belgium that his team lacked the fitness to press to the end and needed to be psychologically stronger. That seems to have been rectified.
Algeria, whose team is built around French-born players from the former colonial power’s immigrant community, were on the back foot against the Russians for much of the first half, but they rallied magnificently in the second.
Slimani is also proving to be one of the tournament’s players to watch and after his 60th-minute goal, Algeria had the discipline to hold firm against surging Russian attacks.
“I love it as a coach to see my team fighting like this,” Halilhodzic said after the match. “[Germany] are a huge team. It’s going to be very complicated for us. We are small Algeria against big Germany.”
Joachim Löw says now is the time for his Germany side to show their true value while warning against underestimating their last-16 opponents Algeria. With sides such as Spain, Italy, Portugal and England eliminated in the group stages, Löw feels his side have a real opportunity of going all the way to the World Cup final, but their first hurdle in the knockout stages is not to be taken lightly.
“Personally, I cannot remember a group stage in which so many of the favourites were knocked out,” he said at a press conference. “But tournaments are marathons, not a 100-metre sprint. Many nations in the past have won their first three games, and then lost their fourth. We’ve seen it all before. A team’s got to be able to raise their game all the time. If you can manage that, then that’s a masterstroke.”
Germany are set to do that with Löw admitting there is still plenty of margin for improvement. “There’s been lots of light, but also plenty of shadows; some good things, but also things which didn’t work,” he said. “We won our group, which was our primary objective, so we are happy, but we are also self-critical and we know that we can play better. We’ve not reached our limit yet, and now the knockout phase begins, the decisive games are here.”
First up are Algeria, who have revenge on their mind for the so-called no-aggression pact between Germany and Austria in 1982 which resulted in their elimination. “If anybody thinks or believes – and I think this is a feeling among the general public – that Algeria are easy opponents and that we can already start thinking of the next round, then they’re making a huge mistake,” Löw warned.
“We must remain focused and on our toes because any complacency will be punished. I took a look at Algeria yesterday for an hour and I know we’re up against a very compact side who run a lot and are aggressive. I’ve rarely seen a team defend so vehemently, but still attack with purpose. Their whole country is euphoric, so we’re up against strong opponents.”
That euphoria is also rooted in that 1982 Gijón match which Löw insists means nothing to his players, even if it “may be an additional motivation” for Algeria. “When I hear people talking about revenge, it irritates me,” he said. “Apart from maybe [Miroslav] Klose or [Roman] Weidenfeller, none of our players were even born then so they have no idea what happened. For our players, it’s not an issue.”
Löw said that the Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will not feature on Monday due to a muscular problem, but that he would be available for selection again “for our next game – should we get through”. Jérôme Boateng was also treading lightly in training, but he will be available, Löw said.
Algeria hope to give Germany World Cup absolution for ‘Shame of Gijón’
If revenge is a plate best served cold, Algeria will hope to dish it out to Germany in their round of 16 match on Monday, 32 years after one of the most shameful games in World Cup history. In all likelihood, however, a powerful Germany side will bring the Desert Foxes’ run to an end and deprive them of retribution and glory. But it might not be easy.
The Germans, champions in 1954, 1974 and 1990, arrived in Brazil as one of the favourites. They showed their credentials by demolishing Portugal 4-0 in their opening game, but stumbled slightly against Ghana, drawing 2-2. They then dismissed USA with a strong performance that still left some room for improvement, although striker Thomas Müller again showed his potency.
Algeria, guided by Vahid Halilhodzic and carrying the hopes of the Arab world with them, have impressed with their tenacity and ball skills. After losing their opening match to Belgium, they overwhelmed South Korea 4-2 in Porto Alegre. In their crucial final group game, a headed goal by Islam Slimani brought them back from 1-0 down against Russia to secure a draw, sending them into the last 16, and their fans – possibly the most devout in the tournament – into ecstasy.
Algeria have beaten Germany in the World Cup before, defeating the then-West Germany 2-1 in Spain in 1982, but what followed was shameful. After also defeating Chile, Algeria were on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stage. West Germany met Austria in the final group game, with a narrow German victory enough for both teams to go through – and eliminate Algeria.
After an early German goal, the two kicked the ball around aimlessly without trying to score again. The cynical display has gone down in the annals of footballing infamy as “the Shame of Gijón”.
So the stage is set for a grand show in Porto Alegre’s Estádio Beira-Rio, with the winner’s reward a quarter-final against France or Nigeria.
Germany can expect a warm welcome in the Rio Grande do Sul capital – the state has a significant population of German descent from immigration in the 19th century. Though satisfied with Germany’s performance against the United States, the coach, Joachim Löw, signalled a need to tighten up in several aspects of their play. He criticised the finishing and said they were also careless in the match’s later stages, squandering possession in midfield.
“We lost the ball at the end of the match unnecessarily and that’s really dangerous – other teams take advantage of that,” Löw said. “We could have had two or three more goals if we had played with a bit more finishing concentration.”
Still, with four goals, Müller is the tournament’s joint top scorer with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and, before Saturday’s game against Chile, Brazil’s Neymar. The German machine must be favoured to accomplish their mission.
Algeria will hope Porto Alegre will be propitious after their historic battle here against South Korea, when their four goals made them the highest-scoring African side in a World Cup game. This is also the first time two African sides have reached the last 16 – African champions Nigeria being the other. Halilhodzic had complained after the loss to Belgium that his team lacked the fitness to press to the end and needed to be psychologically stronger. That seems to have been rectified.
Algeria, whose team is built around French-born players from the former colonial power’s immigrant community, were on the back foot against the Russians for much of the first half, but they rallied magnificently in the second.
Slimani is also proving to be one of the tournament’s players to watch and after his 60th-minute goal, Algeria had the discipline to hold firm against surging Russian attacks.
“I love it as a coach to see my team fighting like this,” Halilhodzic said after the match. “[Germany] are a huge team. It’s going to be very complicated for us. We are small Algeria against big Germany.”
World Cup 2014: Brazil v Chile – picture collection
http://worldcupnews2014inbrazil.blogspot.com/
World Cup 2014: Brazil v Chile – picture collection
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