FIFA World Cup 2014: World Champions Spain eliminated

10. The news of the day is related to the conflict within different collectives. Not all of them get available for public discussions, but sometimes it is hard to hide. France was the champion of conflicts in the last World Cup. This time it is most probably going to be Cameroon. Greece will also become a candidate of such a trophy, as their defender Maniatis books tickets back to Athens after a conflict within the team. The coach Fernando Santos has apparently been able to stop the 27-year-old player.

  2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Official Book

 9. Australia – Netherlands 2-3: A match, which was supposed to be one to forget for Australia, became one of the best performances in the Australian football history.
The Socceroos came back only a minute after conceding, thanks to an excellent strike from Tim Cahill. The Ducth team presented the same line-up as in the already historical match against Spain. The result of that match was so impressive, that the football society had forgotten the way the Netherlands played in the first half of that match. And again, the opponent was able to create lots of chances in front of Cillessens goal. And the absence of creative midfield made it easier for Australia to control the ball in the centre. Fortunately for
Louis van Gaal, Australians were not too effective to turn all the chances into goals. And, of course, the great duo of van Persie and Robben, later joined by young Memphis Depay, can drive any defence crazy. The match was over after the Netherlands came in front for the second time. Robin van Persie will have to miss the last match of the group stage, as he was cautioned for the second time in this World Cup.

 Defence: 0,5 – 0,5
 Midfield: 0,5 – 1
 Attack: 1,5 – 1,5
 Interplay: 1 – 1,5
 TOTAL: 3,5 – 4,5


 7. Leckie (AUS) – 1,5
 9. van Persie (NED) – 1
 11. Robben (NED) – 1
 21. Memphis (NED) – 1
 2. Vlaar (NED) – 0,5
 4. Cahill (AUS) – 0,5

   8. Spain – Chile 0-2: Less than 24 hours after the last teams played their opening matches in the 20^th World Cup Spain was eliminated from the group stage. This is the most ridiculous thing to happen in the history of World Cups, as the defending World Champions and twice European champions lose their first two matches and are embarrassingly thrown out of the tournament so early. In their first match of the World Cup 2014 Spain scored only once, after being awarded a controversial penalty, and conceded seven goals. In this particular match Vicente Del Bosque’s team had to win, but a draw would leave some small chances for advancement, too. The team was clearly under pressure, so the coach had decided to leave Xavi on the bench and play Javi Martinez, normally a defensive midfielder, in the centre of defence. Chile, on the other hand, had an extra defender in the starting line-up. But this didn’t make Spanish defenders’ life easier. Sometimes Chile was attacking with seven people in front. Only seconds later there were seven to defend. This quick and flexible tactics brought two goals in the first half. Defending the favourable score against a devastated team was just a matter of time. With this defeat Spain has delivered the two Play-off tickets to the Netherlands and Chile, blocking Australia’s chances, too. Chile’s energetic football is a result of huge work by coach Jorge Sampaoli, the motor of the team Arturo Vidal, and the best player Alexis Sanchez, who helps the defenders not less than creating dangerous attacks. Great job by Chile. The only player who managed to bring small troubles to Chile was Andres Iniesta. Spain’s era is over, the crisis has started.

 Defence: 0,5 – 1,5
 Midfield: 0,5 – 1,5
 Attack: 1 – 2
 Interplay: 1 – 2
 TOTAL: 3 – 7

 7. Sanchez (CHL) – 2
 8. Vidal (CHL) – 1
 6. Iniesta (ESP) – 1
 1. Bravo (CHL) – 1
 4. Isla (CHL) – 1
 5. Silva (CHL) – 0,5
 17. Medel (CHL) – 0,5
 20. Aranguiz (CHL) – 0,5
 11. Vargas (CHL) – 0,5

 7. Cameroon – Croatia 0-4: This was the match, where the teams had no right to lose. Cameroon’s Volker Finke had left Samuel Eto’o on the bench, hoping for Aboubakar to create danger in front of Croatia’s goal. As for Croatia, Mario Mandzukic was back in the starting line-up. The match was practically over by the 40^th minute, when Barcelona’s Alexandre Song was sent off for punching Mandzukic. Croatians were leading 1-0 by then. The Africans were silent during the whole match for the second time in this World Cup. Niko Kovac’s side scored three times more, to seal a 4-0 victory. In fact, the Europeans made several mistakes in defence, but their attacking potential seemed to be far from its limit. Modric, Rakitic, Perisic and Olic were great partners for Mandzukic, who scored two. They have to win over Mexico in their last match. Cameroon was surely far from being ready for such a big event. The stupid actions by the expulsed Song and the Tottenham’s Assou-Ekotto, who headbutted his partner for not passing the ball, talk about a very deep crisis and psychological unpreparedness within Volker Finke’s fighters. Cameroon is the third team to officially leave the tournament after the group stage.

 Defence: 0 – 1
 Midfield: 0 – 1,5
 Attack: 0,5 – 1,5
 Interplay: 0,5 – 1,5
 TOTAL: 1 – 5,5

 4. Perisic (CRO) – 1,5
 10. Modric (CRO) – 1
 17. Mandzukic (CRO) - 1
 18. Olic (CRO) – 1
 7. Rakitic (CRO) – 1
 11. Srna (CRO) – 0,5

 6. Colombia showed that the team is not only about Falcao. A great result achieved by a decent performance. 3-0 win doesn’t guarantee better opportunities for the team to qualify, but it is at least enough, if the team doesn’t lose concentration in the last two matches of the group stage.

 5. Ivory Coast earned three points after Didier Drogba came in as a substitute in the first match against Japan. The team didn’t impress despite the 2-1 win, so Sabri Lamouchi has to find some ways to improve the game not to lose to Colombia.

 4. Uruguay was one of the negative surprises of the first round. Losing to Costa Rica is not something easy to correct in the remaining two matches against England and Italy. However, Luis Suarez is fit to play. Oscar Tabarez needs a win to have chances to develop the list of Uruguay’s great achievements of the past 4 years.
  3. The loss to Italy doesn’t necessarily mean that England is done with the World Cup. Roy Hodgson’s side, as their next opponents Uruguay, needs to win, to remain in the fight. Assuming that Costa Rica will not continue winning over the favourites, England might also be satisfied with a draw, if they have the nerves to wait for the last match. The English society demands Hodgson to play Rooney in the centre rather than in the left wing.

 2. Japan of Alberto Zaccheroni was unable to hold the victorious score in their first match, so now it is time to earn points, if advancement has to take place. The team didn’t look fresh and creative in the match against Ivory Coast.

 1. Greece lost by a margin of 3 goals in the first match. This might destroy the harmony within the team. Fernando Santos’s players have to defeat Japan otherwise they will be the next European team to get eliminated from the World Cup after Spain.

  The Official 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Fact Files