World Cup Day Eleven: Excitement Interspersed With The Banal

More great matches today, but I believe we have a contender for the dullest game of the tournament amongst them. Shall we continue?

Belgium beat Russia with a late goal two minutes from time. This, by no means, shows this match to be end to end stuff with on team pipping the other at the death. It was dull, uninteresting and lifeless for eighty odd minutes. Belgium are dark horses and they have now confirmed their place in the last sixteen, but it was not a vintage display worthy of champions in the making. Russia were not without blame in this game. They rarely threatened and were toothless when they did come forward. Russia now have to beat Algeria in their final group match to progress after their equally lacklustre draw against South Korea.

Portuguese goals bookended their draw against the United States. Again, another fantastic display of attacking football from both teams. However, watching Portugal play makes you wonder what might have happened were Sweden to have qualified in their place. Beaten by Germany in their first match, they needed to prove a point against the US and instead did the complete opposite. Standing on the precipice of qualification for the last sixteen must be a strange place for America, but it comes as no surprise to those of us who have already seen the giant killing teams in this World Cup.

South Korea v Algeria has all the hallmarks of being the last game on Match Of The Day, right before the Football League Show. Any belief that this could have been dull were quickly dispelled by half time as the Algerians raced into a three nil lead at half time. Then when South Korea scored five minutes after the restart the game kicked into life. Korea were in the ascendency and only brought back to earth by an Algerian goal against the run of play which put them back in the safe zone. Korea were undeterred and found time for another goal before the end of he natch but it was too little too late for Korea. I cannot call who will join Belgium in qualifying.

Bring on the last round of matches!

World Cup Day Ten: Titans Shaken

This tournament just keeps getting better. The final match featured today is the only time I've ever seen my dad get excited about a football match. He really got into it. If my dad can get into this World Cup then anyone can.

Let's start with a result that I was somewhat surprised by. Nigeria beat Bosnia Herzegovina. I have to say that it's a shame Bosnia will not be progressing to the next round, they have a wealth of attacking talent which was successfully blunted by a Nigerian defence which just wants to qualify. The goal from Odemwingie was good and worthy of celebration. The last match against Argentina will be interesting.

Talking of Argentina, they needed a moment of individual brilliance by none other than Lionel Messi himself to beat Iran. He wants to cement his place as the best player to have played the game in his generation and he can't do that without a World Cup winners medal. That's a shame, simply because whilst he is deserving of one, the rest of the team aren't. Iran looked great and they took the match to the wire. It definitely wasn't a situation where they parked the bus, in fact it was the complete opposite. Iran consistently pushed forward and put Argentina on the back foot. Argentina are unlikely to make the semis the way they're playing.

Finally, Germany came up against Ghana in a pulsating and totally intoxicating match that seemed destined to be just another match after the first half but exploded after the interval. It was proper end to end football and you really couldn't pick between the two.  A mixture of crosses and long range shots with cheeky through balls, this match had it all. Enough to have my dad jumping at every missed opportunity by both teams. So far, the match of the tournament, and that's saying a lot when you consider how many excellent matches we've seen so far this year.

Let it continue for many more games this year!

World Cup Day Nine: Local Derby Time

There have been loads of goals in this World Cup. Many have been amazing goals, worthy of the top tier of world football. It's definitely the best Cup I've ever watched and it's even got those beautiful upsets that can only happen under these conditions.

One of those surprises have been Costa Rica. Their victory over Italy was everything any football fan ever dreamed of. Tenacious defence coupled with a ferocious attack is something the Italians themselves have been famous for. In the old days of Cannavaro and Matterazzi, Italy didn't mess about in defense and Pirlo and Inzaghi ruled the roost up front. In Joel Campbell, Costa Rica have a serious runner and in intelligent playmaker to boot. In Gamboa, they have a defender who is a proper no nonsense man the like of which England used to produce in swathes. I am so looking forward to seeing them in the next round, it's exciting.

Ecuador managed to do what England couldn't and beat Honduras to tip themselves in favour of qualification for the next round. A somewhat laborious victory after going a goal down, but we'll deserved as they fought hard and managed the two goals needed. Ecuador face France next up, so I doubt they'll go through.

Switzerland and France faced each other in a rare local derby. France look extremely impressive this year. As I always say, they're due a good World Cup as the last one was dreadful. Goals flew in from every corner of the park. Benzema and Giroud in amongst them. They are looking good value for money this year and there's no reason why they can't progress far. Their victory over Switzerland, even though they conceded twice, was better to watch than the Netherlands against Spain as they picked off a team with professionals under the age of a hundred.

It's an exciting prospect as all the matches open up. Bring on the next round!

World Cup Day Eight: Four More Years Of Hurt

Why do we put ourselves through this? There were sections of the English population who believed that, because there was no pressure on us this time around and we'd had an undefeated qualifying campaign, we could go on and do extremely well this time around. Maybe even win the damned thing. Alas, that was not to be, as we were knocked out by an inspired display by Luis Suarez.

However, before I get around to reviewing our woeful excursion to the tropics, there are two other matches I need to cover (along with an apology, this is somewhat later than anticipated). So let's start with Japan and their attempt to beat man-down Greece in their Group C match. Greece have only won a single World Cup match in eight attempts and Japan have moved past the group stages before but the Euro 2004 champions weren't so easy to break down. Greece had the better of the chances straight after going down to ten men and might have scored were it not for Katsouranis and his misjudged tackling. It's always difficult to play a full half when someone has been sent to the showers early, but ex-Man City striker Georgios Samaras very nearly put them a goal up after the restart. As it was, both Japan and Greece have been left with an opportunity to qualify. However, I believe that the Ivory Coast stand a better chance.

Speaking of the Ivory Coast, they were many's dark horses for this tournament. Now, I'm not saying it's the new psychic octopus, but I was playing Football Manager the other day and it predicted that Brazil would beat Columbia in the final. On the face of it, that seams believable seeing as Columbia are topping their group and saw off the Elephants from West Africa in a nail-biting second half that showed real grit and determination to get through to the next round. Ivory Coast needed a consolation Gervinho goal to give them hope, something Roma know all too well about this season. When you consider their attacking options, it's a surprise to me that Gervinho is the one to get this goal, but then Columbia did prove to be difficult to break down and it was a brilliant piece of individual skill to score. Whatever happens in the last round of games, I wish to pass on my sincere condolences to Kolo and Yaya Toure on the death of their brother, it is an awful tragedy on a family that has really inspired football throughout Africa.

Now onto the fun stuff. Where do I begin with England? Well, let's go with team selection to begin with and let's start at the back. Is there anything that Joe Hart can get right? I've seen some incredible saves in this tournament, some truly amazing goalkeeping and it makes you realize that you are watching the cream of the crop. Watching Joe Hart play is like watching David Seaman getting lobbed by Ronaldinho in 2002, you know there's a great goalkeeper there somewhere but you just can't quite see it. For Seaman, it was one tournament, and he had been good until that point. With Hart, I doubt he can cut it at the highest level, he's been poor this tournament and the last one. He needs to sort out his positioning because he is constantly being caught in no man's land when crosses are being delivered. With the back four, Gary Cahill and Glen Johnson had decent matches. I'm not a big fan of either of them, but I can see that they will be part of the England team for many years and I believe they deserve to be. Leighton Baines had an excellent season for Everton, but showed that he is mere mortal on the international stage up against Italy and against Uruguay. I can see the pace of Costa Rica tearing through his flimsy defence without even trying, and that scares me. Luke Shaw would have been a better bet, but if you're looking for an all-rounder at left-back, then Roy Hodgson should have considered Keiran Gibbs. He may not be as attacking as Baines, but he's a shedload better defensively. I'm biased, obviously, but there are few who could disagree on the merits of the last two matches. Moving on, why, for the love of God, would anyone in their right mind play Jordan Henderson in two consecutive matches at the World Cup? He offers nothing to the team. He's there to make up the numbers. If Hodgson was that desperate to make up the numbers, he had two better midfielders in Lampard and Wilshere that could have made a huge difference going forward. In those two players, there's enough attacking strength to really push the opposition and force them into closing down the midfield, thus tiring them out quicker and ensuring a few late goals. Henderson consistently looked like a deer in headlights when he got the ball. Dreadful. Gerrard also should reconsider his international future. He was a great player, and his new position at Liverpool has transformed his game and molded that team in his image, but the incident against Chelsea towards the end of the season has clearly affected him and now he can chalk up another assist for Suarez to his resumé. With the attackers, Sterling looked very impressive, as did Sturridge and Rooney, but only two goals in two games gives pause for thought about how effective they are together. Welbeck certainly looked out of place and a poor season at Utd is very much to blame for that.

England out, but Costa Rica sail through to the next round. So they should do its a delight to watch. Again, sorry for lack of anything these last few days, but I'm going to catch up this evening and move on.

World Cup Day Seven: Holders Humiliated, Again

Sorry this post is a little late today, I'm still trying to get over the incredible events of yesterday. What an amazing match and the official end of an era.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves and start with another match, Cameroon v Croatia. This was a goalfest, and a glorious one at that. Let's be honest here, bar Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon have no world class players. Yes, they've got players who ply their trade in the upper echelons of European football but none of them a consistently fighting for titles at those clubs. Croatia, on the other hand, have a wealth of experience in title challenges and the difference between the two sides was very much on display throughout this emphatic victory.

Wow, there were a few great teams on display yesterday. Australia may be the lowest ranked team in the tournament but you wouldn't have guessed it after the match yesterday. An incredible end to end game against a team that dismantled the reigning champions only a few days ago. The Dutch, to their credit, contributed to one of the most enjoyable and entertaining matches of this tournament, which is saying something. The winner wasn't especially late which meant there was still over twenty minutes of football to watch. Twenty minutes which didn't lose the tempo of the previous seventy. It's a shame to see Australia out of the World Cup, but the Netherlands are joined by Chile in the last sixteen.

Talking of Chile, they were imperious in their ruthless attack against the reigning champions who are out at the first hurdle. Spain were poor, they've looked poor for a while now. They're old and tired. The tiki taka style of playing hasn't worked for them. They need to get rid of the old guard and bring in fresh blood. Players like Xavi and Iniesta are looking past their best so why would you play them and not Fabregas or Cazorla? Pathetic is the best way to describe them, fully undeserved of qualifying. Chile will enjoy the next match and so they should. I reckon they will get to the semis the way they're playing.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch England play Uruguay. Why would you play Jordan Henderson? He's shit! More tomorrow.

World Cup Day Six: Hosts Held

Well well, I'm still here and still boring you all to death. I've heard Arsenal get the chance to thrash Crystal Palace in the opening match of next season but, as I listen to some pretty horrific Dutch singing, I've got to concentrate on this World Cup in Brazil and that fixture list.

Let's start with Group H and the highly anticipated Russia v South Korea match. Just kidding. It was like drawing blood from a stone. South Korea looked like the better side initially and did seem the more likely to score first. However, they needed some luck, and poor goalkeeping, to squeeze in the opener. After that, Russia were in the ascendency and they were rewarded six minutes later with an equaliser. By that point, Russia had found another gear and the South Korean keeper was called into action a couple more times before the final whistle to hold on for a pretty standard draw. When you consider the other two teams in this group, it could be any combination of teams that goes through.

Belgium are one of those teams and many, including yours truly, have touted them as dark horses this summer. That vision of them was slowly and painfully picked apart by an Algerian side intent on causing as much pain as possible. Sure, Belgium eventually won the game and we should applaud the mindset of those players that came back from a goal down to win, but it showed that they were vulnerable. When you consider the other European heavyweights, like the Netherlands and Germany, in the tournament it becomes quite clear that a 2-1 victory over Algeria is not going to stand them in good stead if the were to come up against one of them. Like I said, I cannot call who is going through. It will be an interesting group to watch though.

Finally onto the hosts. Brazil played Mexico and two teams more full of gentlemen you will not see at this World Cup. For two teams from an area of the world where sportsmanship is not second nature, or even third nature, there was a surprising amount of it on display at Castelão. Yes, it was one of those most tedious of scorelines, nil nil, but it was an exciting match to watch. Proper end to end football. Precisely the kind of match a football fan wants to watch, except without the goals. Brazil will qualify, but who will join them? They don't look invincible like Superman, more like Boris from Goldeneye.

Happy? No? See you tomorrow anyway.

World Cup Day Five: Another Comprehensive Trashing

Well as this World Cup steamrollers its way through the week, there are still surprises in stall. It exploded into life the other day with Spain's unceremonious defrocking at the hands of the Netherlands and has continued in the way it had been billed.

However, amongst this chaos and brilliance in the world of football, we were treated to that insanely boring of all scorelines, the nil nil draw. This snoozefest came at the expense of Iran against Nigeria. I would attempt sarcasm but I feel it would be lost. What a boring match to watch! It wasn't even close to what it could have been. The African Cup Of Nations champions playing a team that hasn't played a competitive international in a year. It should have been a walkover. All respect to Iran for their performance but they should have presented more of a goal threat against a team that didn't really offer much of their own.

Not exactly the riveting spectacle we've come to expect from this World Cup, Ghana v USA proved to be an important victory for the States. With American goals bookending the game, Ghana chipped in with one of their own on the 82nd minute. It's a tough group to qualify from, but then upsets can happen.

Which brings me nicely onto our first hatrick hero of the World Cup, Thomas Muller. What a display from Germany to not only put four goals past Portugal but also to keep a clean sheet against one of the best players this game has ever seen in Ronaldo. Germany were imperious and whoever they face in the next round should be scared. Looking at the rest of their group, I can see them winning the other two matches. Who qualifies alongside them is any guess. USA have just won and Portugal are facing a tough task with a -4 goal difference already.

This is shaping up to be a fascinating World Cup and can on get better as we move into these second round of fixtures. See you all tomorrow!