It's the Word Cup (12)

Day Thirteen

4 Games ! England for pride, Uruguay because they need to, draw and Japan. if you made me pick.

But lets watch hand learn

Game One:  (game thirty-seven )

Costa Rica - England  - This is a game to nothing for England, change of goalkeeper nearly goes all worn as flatfooted he watches a cheeky speculator just miss. Sharpen up!

Strange moment at 7 minutes when there were 21 players in the Costa Rica half, England on attack.

First real opportunity Sturridge who flashes one wide, it den a settling 12 minutes. He has another speculator on 18 minutes.  Organised defences though make this a difficult game to break down for the attack, and both teams have well organised defences.

22 minutes and Costa Rica have a free kick parried onto the bar and behind, nice effort. 5 minutes later England cognitive to miss a great opportunity in front of goal, poor touch and good defence.

Keeping possession for both teams problematical.  3 corners in a row, the first blocked, the second scrambled unwittingly behind, and the 3rd too the far post and the mover the top from Sturridge. He has been lively.

Final attacking effort from Costa Rica bundled out, and for England a free kick played straight to the goalkeeper. Final action see Costa Rica striker fluff the opportunity to take it to the half 0-0

England appear more aggressive in the first few minutes and have a free kick amounts to nothing and then some ping pong brings out a great eve from the Costa Rica stopper.

Bodies litter the midfield as players get closer as the midfield becomes more compressed. On the hour England can't make the final pass from a dart into the box, it's still 0-0

Attacking free kick England into the wall and breaks down, seems the story of the game.  sturridge has another chance, but he can't buy a goal. He really looks most likely.

England substitute Gerrard into the game, he's not a goal scorer of note. Rooney going to be cute or going to really show his ability?

10 to go, not a game to have got up in the early hours for, Costa rica clearly playing not to lose though, England playing not to lose again....

Final 5 Gerard tries to find Rooney and fails, bringing the curtains down on what was a shambles from an England team.

Game Two: (game thirty-eight )

Italy - Uruguay  - Uruguay cant afford a draw and need to win to progress. Two teams of high emotion this could be a cracker of a match. Some serious tacking being made and at 5  minutes I'm surprised there are no yellow cards shown already.

Uruguay with the first chances but it remains 0-0 Italy have their chances too but nothing changes. 20 minutes or tussle so far. Mad Mario leaps like an AFL player and gets a card for his troubles.  Uruguay have a chance well blocked by the Italy goal keeper Buffon, Mario is on the floor again holding a part of his body. He is distracted and a distraction to the game in this mood.

Final moments of the  half Urugauay have a free kick parried behind for a corner, more bodies on the ground holding various bits of body, and the half peters out 0-0

Most of the possession - 58% for Italy, more shots on goal for Uruguay  with 5. 24 stops for free kicks. sigh

Second half starts, and lo! there are bodies on the ground. Now we have arm waving and gestures as penalties are declined and indiscretions denied. More bodies on he ground.

near an hour into this, something special is needed to break this up. Uruguay flash one past the far post, Italy need to sharpen up.  It had to happen a RED card for handbags waved hands and push and shove.  Followed by swarm the referee, talk whilst you walk sunshine. It was a nasty tackle that has no place in the game. Clown.  A betting man might take money on their being another.

20 to go, at some point the fitness and having a man short might start to show.  More bodies. Then in the most bizarre incident since he bot someone on the arm, Suarez runs into the box, at a defender and head buts, or perhaps he bites him in the back of the head or shoulder, claims it wasn't him of course, and he coped an elbow in the face for his troubles.  It's a bite mark that Tyson would be proud of!

Suarez has a history of biting people not sure that this is all over.

Anyhoo - 10 to go - and a penalty declined for Uruguay, needing a goal and they get it from a cross that is perfectly headed past Buffon. !-0 Uruguay.  Or was facing the wrong direction and it was in off his shoulder blade, ugly counts the same as deft and delicate. We've all been waiting for Godin...

Italy with a mountain to climb.  An ill tempered affair gets more bizarre as the coaching staff kick off on the bench and in the technical areas, and one of them is shown the way to the stands to calm down.

Final 5 + 5 added minutes - and bodies on the ground, whistle, arms, whistle, you see how this is going - Final play see the Italy goalkeep join the attack and it comes to nothing

An improbably 1-0 win to Uruguay and Italy are on the bus home. Extraordinary story in this pool. Italy held the possession at 55% Uruguay still had more shots on goal at 9 to 5, and there were 39 stops for free kicks.

Game Three: (game thirty-nine )

Greece - Cote d'Ivoire  - An intesting game in prospect. Muted start and the first chance to Greece. Cote d'Ivoire measured and working out their plan.

Saves at both ends but nothing that was difficult. At 15 minutes the Greece goalkeeper pulls up lame, the 2nd Greece player to do so, magic spray being used and he stays on. For five minutes and then he's off to get a warm shower and a sit down.

30 minutes Cote d'Ivoire  corner leads to a breakout and the shot hits the bar with the Cote d'Ivoire  goalkeeper nowhere near it.

A match with not a lot of opportunity and played at a slower pace on 40 minutes  Greece gain possession from some sloppy midfield play from Cote d'Ivoire  and one-on-one with goalie make no mistake to take a 1-0 lead nice finish.  Half time.

Immediately from the restart Greece get a corner, weirdly their first of the game. Deep cross to the back results in another corner. For nothing. Cote d'Ivoire are pressing to get the equaliser goal, poor finishing and good defending though stops them.

From open play Greece nearly score  the toe poke just wide with the goal keeper floundering, not quite end to end but both teams are trying hard. Greece counter-attack and gain a free kick on the edge of the box,  which is smashed into the wall.

The bar saves Cote d'Ivoire again the goalkeeper is all over the place.

20 to go. Tension begins to mount, and pressure and the best move by Cote d'Ivoire of the game so far results in a great opportunity from midfield and it's 1-1

15 to go all to play for. 10 to go, it seems to be in that lull before the final storm...

Nothing much divides these two in the closing minutes, a draw suits Cote d'Ivoire.

How close what that, again the Cote d'Ivoire goalkeeper was all over the place and the defence did well to skip over the ball and avoid the ignominy of an own goal.

Final minutes Cote d'Ivoire take too much time where they had a man over and can't close out the game.

Unbelievable Greece get a penalty player trips over himself in front of the ref but he has to make an instant call and Greece go 2-1 with only seconds to play

Greece make the knockout stages, #scenes Cote d'Ivoire  take the bus home.

Game Four (game forty)

Japan - Colombia - Only a win for Japan will do. Japan have the bestow the opening minutes,.

15 minutest he Colombia defence is sturdy, oooo a Penalty for Colombia on a breakout clumsy challenge for a player moving away from the goal, clear penalty though.

1-0 Colombia thunderous kick that the goalkeeper would have had no chance with.  Quirky celebration dance follows.  Japan need to press and gain a free kick on 20 minutes and 20 years out. in to the wall and a bit of a waste. Kagawa forces a save from the goalkeeper and the corner was not well worked.

30 minutes, Japan are doing all the work. 40 minutes Colombia appear to gained some control back and are making opportunity.

In overtime in the first half and a great header for Japan level it 1-1 !!!

55 minutes, Colombia mis a chance at the far post. Doesn't take them long to get back into attack though and at 55 minutes they go ahead 2-1  with a left foot shot across the goalkeeper to the far post.

Frantic minutes after and Japan come close to the equaliser goal.

An hour in, Japan appear to be making the play. nicely worked play but not finished Japan. Colombia looking to catch Japan at the back as they press.

20 to go and Colombia punish Japan on a fast break to go 3-1 , it's all gone wrong for Japan, Forward has time to switch from his right to left foot and slots it past the goalkeeper, nice finish nice move and that should be enough.

Worlds oldest goalkeeper makes his appearance for Colombia in what is taking the Mickey really with 5 to go. Japan can't find enough power, despite having chances.

 

If it wasn't over it is at 89 minutes as Colombia go to 4-1 in a score that flatters them a little. Fantastic finish.

4-1 #Scenes