2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil - Predictions/Discussions/Updates

[_____V_____]

Final Scoreline for Match 37:

COSTA RICA - 0


ENGLAND - 0

As many as NINE changes in the England squad for this game, but none of them could find a single goal among them in the 90 minutes of match time. England had many chances of going ahead, but squandered them. Costa Rica on the other hand were happy enough to play out the draw. Having already qualified for the next round, all they needed was a point out of the game, really.

England were already out of the WC, and tonight they pack their bags. Costa Rica move into the Round of 16 as Group Winners, and deservedly so.


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Final Scoreline for Match 38:

ITALY - 0


URUGUAY - 1
(Godin 81')

What an ill-tempered and controversial match this ended up being. Italy needed a draw and a point to move ahead, while Uruguay needed to win.

Seemed like the Italian coach had drilled the draw into his players' heads so badly that they did everything in their power to ensure the draw - defiantly defensive, fouls galore, kicks, slaps, elbows, shoulders, literally everything rained on the Uruguayans to keep them away from the Italian goal. The normally lightning-fast Balotelli was also very subdued, and a grossly unfair head-hit went unpunished as he got only a yellow card for it. Pirlo took a moment of the referee's concentration lapse in reverse-"slap"ping Luis Suarez which left the young talent literally stunned for a few minutes. Suarez was so frustrated that he went to headbutt a defender, and might have got his teeth involved as well. He was very, very lucky to escape that incident, because the referee didn't see it.

Anyway, Italy paid dearly for this very defiant foul-riddled defensive play, when Marchisio was red-carded for a horrible tackle in the 2nd half. Italy went down to 10 men, and as if that spurred Uruguay on, they started pressing forward and Godin headed in THE goal of his career in the 81st minute to give Uruguay the much-needed lead, and the eventual win.

Wrong tactics by the Azurri cost them the tournament. They should have gone for a win instead of being uber-defensive. As things stood in the end, Uruguay enter the Round of 16, breathing a huge sigh of relief, while Italy, angry and defiant at many decisions of the referee while being guilty of quite a few unpunished fouls themselves, will be packing their bags to catch a flight home.

[_____V_____]

Final Scoreline for Match 39:

JAPAN - 1
(Okazaki 46')


COLOMBIA - 4
(Cuadrado 17', Martinez 55', 82', Rodriguez 90')

Well, I was sleeping so can't comment on how the game actually was, but it must have been a scorcher for Colombia fans. Half-time ended at 1-1 so it was anybody's game, but it's evident that Colombia upped their play several notches and scored thrice in the second half to leave Japan reeling.

Japan are out of the WC, while Colombia storm into the Round of 16.


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Final Scoreline for Match 40:

GREECE - 2
(Samaris 42, Samaras 93' PK)


IVORY COAST - 1
(Bony 74')

Absolute heart-break for Ivory Coast!

After the equalizer in the 74th minute, they must be really fancying a draw going into extra time after the full 90 minutes were over, until Greece was awarded a penalty kick and thundered in a last-gasp goal to snatch the win.

Until then, it was sure that the Ivory Coast boys will be through to the Round of 16, and Greece were on their way out. That one goal reversed the fortunes of either team. Now Greece go through to the R-16 stage, while Ivory Coast had to pack their bags.

[roshiq]

It's pretty inevitable that Suarez will be banned from at least this major tournament and that's gonna be a big blow for Uruguay. It's really frustrating to lose such a talented striker for this sort of freaking-stupid kind of act in the field.

[roshiq]

[Angra]

[_____V_____]

Final Scoreline for Match 41:

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - 3
(Dzeko 23', Pjanic 59', Vrsajevic 83')


IRAN - 1
(Ghoochannejhad 82')

Iran needed to win, and win big, to equal Nigeria on points and have a better goal difference. Instead, it was Bosnia & Herzegovina who played the party spoilsport by being the aggressor throughout the game and keeping Iran on their toes.

First goal came in the 23rd minute and Iran went into the half-time break trailing 0-1, and when the second goal happened with a little over 30 minutes on the counter, Iran was all but out. They needed at least 4 goals, but were thwarted by the Bosnian defense. A very late Iranian goal seemed to down the deficit somehow, but the immediate Bosnian goal back within a minute sealed Iran's fate.

Consolation win for Bosnia & Herzegovina who were already out, and they take Iran home with them.


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Final Scoreline for Match 42:

NIGERIA - 2
(Musa 4', 47')


ARGENTINA - 3
(Messi 3', 46', Rojo 50')

All Nigeria needed from their final match was a draw to keep Iran out, and the game started in spectacular fashion.

Lionel Messi thundered in a ball in the 3rd minute itself, and Nigeria's Musa pulled one back on the break in the 4th minute itself, both goals scored within 80 seconds of each other. It was the first time in World Cup history that both teams scored a goal each within the first 5 minutes, and so this match went down into the record books.

When Messi got another one in just seconds before the half time whistle, it seemed like the second half will have plenty of more action in store. Musa thundered one back into the Argentinian goal to make it 2-2, as both teams were not relenting even one bit from each other. Marcus Rojo headed in the 3rd for Argentina to take the lead again, and the attacking soccer by both teams continued till around the 60th minute. News of B&H leading 2-0 over Iran must have filtered down here then, because Lionel Messi was immediately substituted and Argentina looked like pulling their shutters down from then onwards. Nigeria kept at it for a while, but both teams looked content from the final result, and although it ended as a loss for Nigeria, both teams secured places in the Round of 16.

Spectacular match, if only the attacking had continued for the entire duration. Special mention must be made of the Nigerian keeper for keeping plenty of Argentinian thunders out, else the score would have been much worse than it actually ended with.

Finally Argentina found their toes and are looking ominous with Messi in really dangerous form. If they continue like this, they should be real contenders for the title.

[_____V_____]

Final Scoreline for Match 43:

ECUADOR - 0


FRANCE - 0

Strangely, the French were very subdued in this game, compared to the sizzlers they dished out in their earlier two games. It was Ecuador who threatened many times to go into the lead and upset the heavyweights, until a Antonio Valencia red card stopped them dead in their tracks. France by and large dominated the midfield play, and also knocked on the goal's door a few times, but as they say, "close, but no cigar".

France through, Ecuador out.


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Final Scoreline for Match 44:

HONDURAS - 0


SWITZERLAND - 3
(Shaqiri 6', 31', 71')

Keep a huge tab on Xherdan Shaqiri, guys. The man has suddenly burst into red-hot form and might cause a few upsets in the elimination stage, if the Swiss are serious about going ahead. His thundering hat-trick of goals in this match ensured Switzerland went through to the Round of 16 on the strength of his brilliance alone.

Swizterland now face Argentina in the eliminator. Should be a real cracker of a game, with Shaqiri and Messi facing each other.

[roshiq]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

Finally Argentina found their toes and are looking ominous with Messi in really dangerous form. If they continue like this, they should be real contenders for the title.

Seriously...do you really think so?? They played little better than those first 2 match but still not convincing enough to call them 'real contenders for the title', IMO. Like Belgium (H) & Colombia (C), they haven't been tested with some good & quality challenge from their opponents so far; whereas teams in Group A, B, D & G already played against far better teams in general in round 1. But yeah...they will able to manage a win against the Swiss, I think.

[Angra]

Still funny.

[_____V_____]

Final Scoreline for Match 45:

USA - 0


GERMANY - 1
(Muller 55')

USA started this match needing only a draw to ensure their R16 spot, and even though they lost it 0-1, they still made it to the Round of 16.

Germany were their usual attacking self for the first 25-odd minutes, but resolute US defense saw them fall back and be content with possession and midfield play. The second half turned out to be more rewarding when Thomas Muller converted a brilliant pass to him into a clear goal, taking Germany ahead.

The US didn't press enough, and reports of Portugal leading Ghana by a slim margin made both teams play ultra-defensive till the final minutes. A few more chances by Germany weren't tried with conviction for converting, so the match stayed that way.

Germany win, and both teams move ahead to the Round of 16.


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Final Scoreline for Match 46:

PORTUGAL - 2
(Boye 31' OG, C. Ronaldo 80')


GHANA - 1
(A. Gyan 57')

This was the more exciting contest of the two. Portugal needed to win big, and their fortunes depended more on the Germany-USA match than their own. The heavier defeat Germany inflicted on the USA, the better chances Portugal had of going through. A 4-goal difference was huge, such was the impact of their huge-margin opening loss to Germany.

Portugal pressed on right from the outset and were very aggressive, unsurprisingly given the task on hand. Cristiano Ronaldo's THREE fantastic chances for goal were thwarted by the Ghana keeper, else Portugal would have been 3-0 within the first 30 minutes already. As things stood, a blunder by the Ghana defense had Portugal in the lead, and that's how they went through to the half-time break.

But then came the stunner in the second half. Asamoah Gyan thundered in an equaliser in the 57th minute, which must have broken quite a few of the Portuguese fans' collective hearts. None more so than the keeper, who was replaced by another keeper, because he had become quite disconsolate for allowing the equaliser. Portugal attacked and attacked, but still they couldn't bring more goals to the table. A very late Cristiano Ronaldo goal in the 80th minute, his 50th goal for Portugal in international matches, awarded Portugal the win, but it just wasn't enough for them to go through.

Portugal won the battle, but lost the war. Both teams bow out of WC 2014.