Saturday’s World Cup action featured four exciting matches. This is the only day of the entire tournament that features four games. Let’s take a look at how it all went down.
Colombia vs Greece
Biggest Question: In a group as wide open as this one, how would Colombia play without their star striker Radamel Falcao? The answer came early in the match.
Does experience count? The Greek side had six starters that have participated in prior World Cup play, but scoring first changed the game plan for Greece, who were forced to open up their style of plan in sharp contrast to their last five wins, all of which were 1-0 finals.
Biggest Winner: The Colombia team, having the support of virtually the entire stadium in Belo Horizonte. While the sea of yellow jerseys in the stands could be misconstrued as Brazilians, they were actually supporters of Los Cafeteros.
Biggest Loser: The Greek midfield, which is sorely lacking a creating midfield. While Greece lacks goal scorers, having a midfielder who could create opportunities for their strikers would make a huge difference in their goal production.
Biggest Surprise: 85 percent of the teams that win their opening match advance beyond the group stage.
Worth Noting: While the U.S. side doesn’t play until Monday evening, the center referee, Mark Geiger, is an American referee. And his presence marks the first time that a U.S. referee has officiated in the center of a World Cup pitch since 2002. Quite an accomplishment for a former New Jersey high school math teacher.\
Bonus video clip: It’s a celebration!
Uruguay vs Costa Rica
Biggest Question: As yet another South American team loses its starting striker in Luis Suarez (if only for the opening game), how would Uruguay respond to the challenge? This was a team that finished fourth in the last World Cup and won the Copa America the following year, so expectations are high in 2014.
Biggest Winner: Los Ticos, by a mile. In one of the biggest wins in recent memory, Los Ticos had never scored more than two goals in a World Cup match. Until today. The game that was played in the snows of Colorado last winter that resulted in a bitter defeat for Costa Rica is now a distant memory.
2nd Biggest Winner: England. With Italy arguably the best team in the group, the second spot was expected to be a battle between England and Uruguay. With an opening loss, one player receiving a red card and several carrying yellow cards, Uruguay’s chances to advance beyond the group stage just got a whole lot more difficult.
Honorable Mention: The referee in the match, Mark Borsch, awarded a penalty kick in the 23rd minute. A close replay clearly showed the Costa Rican defender gave a veritable bear hug to Diego Lugano, denying him the opportunity to play the ball in an obvious goal scoring situation. While the Cup started with some dubious calls, the man with the whistle was dead non here.
Biggest Loser: The aging Uruguayan defense. With games against England and Italy upcoming, their defense was exposed as perhaps being too old and slow to cover the balls that come across the box.
Best Goal: Joel Campbell scored in the 53rd minute, at the time leveling the game at 1-1. He rarely sees the pitch with his club team, Arsenal, in the EPL. But he is the go to striker for Los Ticos, and his goal set the tempo for another Costa Rican goal by Duarte three minutes later.
Worth Noting: Uruguay is among the least populated nations (just over 3 million people), yet their success in football is impressive. Oscar Tabarez, their current manager, has held that position over the past 24 years. Fast forward to Mexico, which is a heavily populated country with football as a major institution. Their current manager, Miguel Herrera, was their fourth in a six week span in 2013 during the World Cup qualifiers. Clearly the Uruguayan concept of continuity has been key to their success, but with an aging defense and an overall disjointed performance, is the ride over?
England vs. Italy
Biggest Winner: Italian Goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, who had been waiting patiently behind Buffon for his opportunity to be the starting goalkeeper for Italy. When it was decided a few hours before the game that an injury Buffon suffered in practice yesterday would sideline him for today’s match, Sirigu, currently the starting goalkeeper at Paris Saint- Germain in Ligue 1, got his shot. And with Buffon almost a decade older than Sirigu, will we be seeing the last of Buffon in international play?
Biggest Loser: Had England earned a point, coupled with the Uruguay loss, their passage out of the group stage would’ve gotten a little easier.
Best Goal: Andrea Pirlo dummied the ball, allowing Claudio Marchisio to strike a rocket in the corner of the net from outside the box in the 35th minute.
GOLAZOOOOO de Marchisio!!! Que grande eres Andrea Pirlo, medio gol es tuyo. https://t.co/uma4LxRWve
— Actual Fútbol (@actualfutbol) June 14, 2014
Biggest shortcoming: This is the first time since 1986 that England did not win their match opener in the World Cup since 1986.
Ivory Coast vs Japan
Biggest Winner: In past campaigns, the Samurai Blue would rely on a bunker style of defense. However, with new manager Alberto Zaccheroni at the helm, the Japanese are more committed to an open style of offense, taking the game to the opponent. Time will tell whether this is a winning strategy, but from the flow of play against the Ivory Coast, they’re off to a good start.
Honorable Mention: The rain gear vendors. I doubt that the fans brought much rain gear with them, and the rain fell continually in Recife before, during and after the game. Yet virtually all of them were covered with some protection from the rain..
Biggest Loser: The veterans on the Ivory Coast. While this was the “last hurrah” for many of them, they spent most of their time on the bench. When Didier Drogba committed to Les Elephants, it was not to watch the better part of the game from the bench. But when he entered the match, he gave the team an instant spark.
Biggest shortcoming: CIV waiting until the 60th minute before bringing in Drogba. With no offense being generated, manager Sabri Lamouchi turned up the heat. And it paid off and changed the entirety of the match.
The team scored two goals in 98 seconds, and capitalized on their chances, while Japan failed to—proving these matches can change in a moment’s notice.
The Japanese fans were let down by a second half that changed when Drogba entered the game. This will be the veteran’s last World Cup, and he’s making his final minutes count.
#Japan #WorldCup fans in NYC. After two lighting goals by Ivory Coast, Japan down 2-1 with 10 minutes to go. pic.twitter.com/EM7gPAENZM
— Hiroko Tabuchi (@HirokoTabuchi) June 15, 2014
(H/T: News Football, Actual Futbol)
