Today featured 4 games and the third and final games of the Group Stage began. The first 5:00pm kick-off was a Group B match between Australia and Spain at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba. Spain got their first points of the tournament as they beat the Socceroos 3-0. The final group standings leave Spain in 3rd place with 3 points and Australia in 4th place with 0 points. Both teams bow out of the tournament. After a slow opening, Spain turned up the tempo and Villa broke the deadlock nine minutes before the break with an improvised flick from close range. Spain struggled to rediscover a high tempo after the break, with several misplaced passes curtailing promising attacks. Manchester United’s Juan Mata was subbed on shortly before the hour mark, replacing David Villa, who made his last ever appearance for Spain and he was shaking his head as he emotionally exited the pitch before burying his head in his hands on the substitutes bench. With 20 minutes remaining Iniesta sent a defence-splitting pass through to Torres, who collected on the left of the box before calmly slotting right-footed into the far corner. Further gloss was added to the scoreline in the 82nd minute when substitute Cesc Fabregas picked out Mata in the penalty area, and the Manchester United man slipped the ball under the goalkeeper to secure third place in Group B and restore some pride despite the reigning champions’ early exit.
Spain may have crashed out of their World Cup campaign early with embarrassing defeats to Holland and Chile but this isn’t the end of La Roja.
Spain have been dominant for 6 years now, so they will not end now. Spanish football is only getting better, before the start of this tournament Spain were the holders of the World Cup and they are the holders of the Champions League, Europa league and are European Champions.
They have had one bad tournament, so they will be back stronger for Euro 2016, just as long as they change their Manager and tactics.
Australia may have been favourites to finish bottom of the group but they never went down without a fight and have one the hearts of many. They played well and deserved a point against Chile, they were close to getting points against Holland, but they was clearly overpowered by Spain. Maybe if the group was kinder to them, they may of progressed.
Frustratingly Manchester United’s David De Gea was the only player on the Spain national team not to play a game due to injury. Also Juan Mata only played 30 minutes of World Cup action in Spain’s campaign which was too little too late to save Spain as their exit had already been confirmed. Mata played well, bagging himself a nice goal with a lovely touch and finish for Spain’s final goal. Mata always impresses in every game, I have never seen him play bad.
The second 5:00pm kick-off featured Louis Van Gaal’s Netherlands and Chile of Group B at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo. Holland defeated Chile 2-0 and they top the group with all 9 points while Chile are left in 2nd spot with 6 points. Both teams advance to the second round. A meeting of two of the competition’s most eye-catching teams had been highly anticipated, yet it had failed to live up to its billing before late heroics from Fer and Memphis. With the Netherlands requiring just a draw they opted for a cautious approach as the two counter-attacking sides largely cancelled each other out. But it was always Van Gaal’s men who had looked the most likely to secure victory, with their third successive triumph ultimately coming from two unlikely sources. The South Americans were beginning to enjoy the better of proceedings and came close to breaking the deadlock when Felipe Gutierrez curled over after being picked out by Alex Sanchez’s clever corner.
But Louis van Gaal’s men responded well, enjoying a good spell towards the end of the opening period. Any momentum built up before the break had disappeared afterwards as both sides struggled to fashion opportunities, the desperation best summed up when Sanchez hit wildly over from 35 yards. With 77 minutes gone Leroy Fer met Daryl Janmaat’s cross with a bullet header that flew into the corner. Chile failed to respond as Robben tricked his way down the left wing and squared the ball for Memphis Depay to tap home in injury-time.
The Netherlands have clearly shown they are strong contenders for the World Cup as they have topped their group and have won all their games, including the 5-1 demolition of Spain. I think Holland can win it, but it would depend who they would get in the final to see if they will. Chile have also shown they are a strong team, but I don’t think they can get futher than the Quarter Finals as they are not good enough yet.
To be Manchester United Louis Van Gaal said: “I think Manchester United has nothing to do with this and, if you look at my CV, I win a lot of matches. You just have to play according to your strengths… it’s all about winning. I’ll pick a system that helps me win. This is proof of the pudding. We’re not giving away very much, but we’re creating a lot. Me and my staff, we only ever want to score one goal more than the opponents.”
Louis Van Gaal has made a name for himself this World Cup, building a good first impression for United fans. We can’t get excited to early though, as it will take time for him to build a new team at MUFC.
Arjen Robben starred in Oranje’s win and he is showing that this is his World Cup. He scored 2 goals against Spain, one of them he broke the record for the fastest sprint by a football player. He scored against Australia and set up Depay’s goal against Chile by abusing his incredible pace.
Memphis Depay was subbed on against Australia and Chile, and scored both times. In my opinion he is a really good player who is young, strong, fast and has a great shot. If I could I would beg Man Utd to sign him, he can solve one part to our attacking problems and he can only get better.
The first 9:00pm kick-off involved Group A’s Cameroon and hosts Brazil, at the Estádio Nacional in Brasília. Brazil defeated Cameroon 4-1 and they top Group A with 7points advancing to the Last-16. Cameroon have been knocked out of the Tournament as they finish in 4th with 0 points. Brazil will now play Chile in the Second round. It was Cameroon’s susceptible backline that was first to be breached in the 17th minute when Neymar, inexplicably unmarked, cleverly turned home Luiz Gustavo’s low cross from the left. Despite their woeful defending, Cameroon looked dangerous at the other end and in the 26th minute Matip side-footed Allan Nyom’s cross into an empty net, scoring Cameroon’s first goal of the tournament to draw them level. With Brazil seeking a response Neymar again stepped up 8 minutes later, with the help of some more schoolboy defending as he was awarded far too much and the Barcelona forward cut inside from the left and sent the keeper the wrong way. The goalkeeper had to be on high alert again after the interval, denying Hulk and Neymar in quick succession. But he could do little in the 49th minute when Fred, was left free in the area and the under-pressure forward headed home David Luiz’s cross. 6 minutes before the end, Fernandinho, who came on as a half-time replacement for Paulinho, settled any nerves with a cool finish following a fine move involving Oscar and Fred made sure the hosts finished in top spot.
Brazil are considered one of the favourites of this tournament, but I don’t think they stand a chance as they have played at an average standard in every group game, they may have finished top spot as expected but it should of been an easy group for them and they made it look like hard work. I believe they will beat Chile in the Last-16 but I highly doubt they will get past Germany in the Quarter-Finals . They need to beat a top side to prove they can go far in this tournament.
Cameroon didn’t really have a chance of advancing when their star man Samuel Eto’o got injured in the first game against Mexico. Every team they played overpowered them, they just didn’t have the quality to escape.
Neymar starred in this World Cup and he is now the top scorer of the competition, but I don’t consider him a World Class player yet. He plays amazing for Brazil all the time and carries the team but he has played against easy opponents and we will need to see how he plays against a World Class side. Also he played awful for Barcelona last season. He needs to be playing for Barça like he does for Brazil to be a World Class player.
The other 9:00pm game was a Group A match between Croatia and Mexico at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife. Mexico beat Croatia 3-1 and they finish in 2nd of Group A, going through to the knockout stages. Croatia have been eliminated as they finish in 3rd place with 3 points. Mexico now face the Netherlands in the Last-16. Manager, Herrera, was adamant in the build-up that Mexico were not going to simply play for the draw they needed and, although Croatia controlled the early possession, the Central Americans looked typically dangerous on the break. Croatia continued to look unconvincing in attack as an ill-tempered first half wore on. Despite some tactical tweaking from Kovac at the break, with Luka Modric seemingly taking up a more advanced position, Croatia’s lack of creative spark was not remedied. Srna luckily escaped conceding a penalty in the 65th minute as he clearly used his arms to block a Guardado shot, but it all went wrong for Croatia soon after. Marquez gave Mexico a deserved lead with 72 minutes on the clock, nodding in Herrera’s corner despite Stipe Pletikosa’s best efforts and a second swiftly followed. With Croatia attempting to pile on the pressure, Mexico sprang an incisive breakaway and, after receiving a squared pass from substitute Chicharito, Peralta set up Guardado for an easy finish inside the area. Mexico gave the scoreline a more resounding look in the 82nd minute as Marquez flicked on a cross and Manchester United’s Chicharito was on hand to nod in from close range. Perisic did get Croatia on the scoresheet with a clever finish from an angle, but Rebic ended any hopes of an improbable comeback with a callous challenge on Carlos Pena, earning a straight red as the European side go home early.
Mexico were the favourites to go through behind Brazil for me, and they did. They deserved it as well, put up great performances in all of their games, beating Cameroon, held Brazil and finished off Croatia. But they face a strong Dutch side in the Second Round and can’t see them standing a chance against Louis Van Gaal’s men.
Croatia did well in their group as they put up a good performance against Brazil despite losing and they thrashed Cameroon. But I expected better from them against Mexico, they conceded poor goals and could of conceded more, this game showed why I thought they could not advance.
Manchester United’s Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez came off the bench and scored Mexico’s last goal with a poaching header at the back post, living up to his nickname of the ‘Super Sub’. His goal takes the tally of MUFC players scored in the World Cup to 6 with combined goals of 8. He played well in the time he got, he was part of Mexico’s second goal and his timely header wrapped up the game for El Tri.
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