“First-half strikes by Islam Slimani and Rafik Halliche helped Algeria defeat South Korea, 4-2, on Sunday and become the first team from Africa to score four goals in a World Cup match. Algeria led by 3-0 at halftime and withstood a stronger South Korean performance in the second half to claim its first Cup win since 1982 and move into second place in Group H with one match left.” NY Times
“Sometime before he died, my uncle told me that in his youth, his dream had been to watch a World Cup game in person. He passed away before he could do it, so when Costa Rica qualified for the FIFA World Cup, I seized the chance to go. I contacted welcoming friends in Brazil, bought a ticket to see my team play football against England, and planned my trip. Like many fans around the world, I wanted to appreciate the beautiful game played at the highest level.” New Republic
6. Johan Cruyff
“Welcome to the Guardian’s choice of the World Cup’s top 100 footballers. Led by Lothar Matthäus and Zico, our international panel of 40 experts compiled a countdown of the finest players to grace the globe’s greatest sporting event. You can see who the judges are and read how we compiled the list here. Starting with No1 in the top left corner, click on the individual players to read more about them.” Guardian
“The Brazilian flag reads, “Ordem e Progresso” — “Order and Progress” — which is somewhat curious in this wonderfully jumbled and beautiful country. For an outsider who has visited the samba-infused nightclubs of Rio de Janeiro, the Amazonian jungle or São Paulo, with its ramshackle favelas and snarled traffic, order is not what springs to mind. Until you arrive in Brasília. In a country known for its flair for improvisation, Brasília stands in jarring contrast, a city so orderly, it is hard to believe it is really in Brazil.” NY Times
“The two teams could not have been further in reputation, Argentina being one of the favourites to challenge for the World Cup, and Iran being one of the ‘favourites’ to get knocked out in the group stages. It was most definitely a David vs Goliath situation. But still, the match had attracted quite a lot of build up considering both the teams’ contrasting strengths. Argentina’s mighty attack versus Iran’s extremely pragmatic approach was always going to be an entertaining contest.” Outside of the Boot
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Germany 2-2 Ghana
“Today, after a first 45 minutes of two sides feeling each other out, we saw a brilliant 2nd half which ultimately failed to separate the two sides. In fairness a 2-2 draw was probably a fair result as it highlighted Germany’s ability to penetrate Ghana’s defense but also rewarded Ghana’s sharp counter-attack and punished Germany’s lack of pace on the back line.” Outside of the Boot
“Did Luis Suarez surprise England? Apart from killing them? It’s hardly feasible that Glen Johnson, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge or Raheem Sterling could say they’d never seen anything like that before. They’d all played through a season at Liverpool with Suarez in which he scored 31 goals in 33 games and won just about every award anyone could invent. And never bit into more than a burger. No, Suarez wasn’t a shock. The England team knew Luis was going to be murder, insolent, and laughing in their faces. There’s no one they’d seen more likely to carry an injury into a big game and be the decider. At the end of the devastating 2-1 defeat by Uruguay, Luis went up to Steven Gerrard and gave him a hug, kind words and not so much as a nibble. They’re chums, you see.” New Republic
“For a player criticized for not doing enough for his country, Lionel Messi is sure doing what he can to change the narrative. Messi came through for Argentina yet again, delivering a highlight-reel, stoppage-time winner to give Argentina a 1-0 win over stubborn, valiant Iran on Saturday, giving Argentina six points and a commanding Group F lead. With Diego Maradona watching in the stands, Messi provided his own iconic moment for Argentina, cutting centrally to create space against a defender and curling home a beautiful 20-yard shot after the Albiceleste were frustrated and shut off time and again by a collective Iranian defensive effort. The moment mimicked his goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which proved to be the game-winning strike in Argentina’s opening game of the competition.” SI (Video)
World Cup 2014: Argentina Overcomes Iran With a Bit of Messi Magic
“Lionel Messi scored a goal in second-half stoppage time to give Argentina a 1-0 victory over Iran in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Saturday and a place in the second round of the World Cup. Iran had a solid defense in the game and took the match to Argentina in the second half, creating several chances to win the match in Group F. But Iran was punished for those missed chances when Messi picked up the ball about 20 yards out and curled a shot into the left corner. It was a moment of individual brilliance by Messi.” NY Times
“Iran defended solidly and created some great chances, but Lionel Messi’s stunning stoppage time goal won the game. Iran deep and narrow. We expected another defensive-minded performance from Iran, and that’s precisely what we got. They set out to frustrate Argentina, sitting extremely deep and making little attempt to attack in the first half. Iran’s major strategy was to defend extremely narrow. They were aware of the danger of letting Lionel Messi have the ball in central positions, and therefore their five central midfielders formed a solid block in the centre of the pitch, denying Argentina’s central midfielders the passing lanes to feed the ball to Messi, Angel Di Maria and the other two attackers. They encouraged balls out to the full-backs instead.” Zonal Marking
“In what turned out to be a hugely attractive encounter in one of the most open and end-to-end 2014 World Cup games, Germany & Ghana played out an enthralling 2-2 draw with fast paced counter-attacking football at it’s best. The two sides had met at the previous World Cup as well with the Europeans getting the win, but this time it seemed more likely that we’d witness an African triumph until the legendary Miroslav Klose turned up and scored his record equaling 15th World Cup goal.” Outside of the Boot
An Enduring Touch Proves as Essential as Ever
“The shaky front flip was not vintage Miroslav Klose, but the critical goal that led to it was definitely a classic Klose poach. Even if he is now an injury-prone, 36-year-old substitute, playing for Germany still brings out the essential man in Klose, and less than two minutes after he trotted onto the field in Fortaleza, Brazil, he smelled a chance and pounced. The far post has been one of his happiest hunting grounds through the years, and after his teammate Benedikt Höwedes flicked on a Toni Kroos corner kick, Klose was already moving toward empty space near the goal line, a half-step and a fully formed thought ahead of the closest Ghana defender.” NY Times
World Cup 2014: Germany Ties Ghana as Miroslav Klose Ties Goals Record
“Ghana held Germany to a 2-2 tie on Saturday in Fortaleza, Brazil, although the veteran striker Miroslav Klose came on as a substitute to match the World Cup scoring record with the tying goal in a highly entertaining Group G match. Klose has 15 career World Cup goals, equaling the mark set by the former Brazil star Ronaldo. Klose scored the equalizer in the 71st minute, less than two minutes after coming on, when a corner by Toni Kroos was flicked to the far post by Benedikt Höwedes, and Klose slid in to knock the ball in.” NY Times
“Tim Howard did not always like what Jurgen Klinsmann was doing to Howard’s closest friends. He actually hated it. One by one, all of the veteran players on the United States national team had their moments with Klinsmann, the coach from Germany, who had made clear since the moment he was hired in 2011 that history and past performance meant nothing to him. Klinsmann dropped Carlos Bocanegra, the former captain. He benched Michael Bradley. He denigrated Clint Dempsey. With Landon Donovan, he pretty much did all three. All the while, Howard, the longtime goalkeeper, played the role of supportive teammate and steady hand.” NY Times
“Last Thursday, the World Cup opened with the play nobody wants to see: an appallingly incorrect penalty call. After a pass came into the penalty area, Croatian defender Dejan Lovren lightly touched Brazilian forward Fred, who had the ball at his feet, on the shoulder. Instantly, Fred threw his arms in the air, opened his mouth to scream, and fell to the ground like a popped balloon. The referee whistled a foul, and Brazilian star Neymar scored on the ensuing penalty kick. The goal turned out to be the winning one in a match that seemed destined to end in a draw. There is no call more controversial in soccer than the penalty. Quickly after Fred’s flop, nearly every soccer forum in the world ridiculed the call as a refereeing failure.” Vanity Fair
The Officiating Apologist: Time to get over the World Cup ‘gaffes’
“The outrage a Fred’s flop in the box during the opening game of the World Cup has been pervasive. I know that the American sentiment is that diving or ‘simulation’ is an egregious affront to good sportsmanship, but most people that have soccer as their primary source of sports entertainment view it as a part of every day life. Sure, some players are more regularly overdramatic in their dives, but as it stands now, being able to sell a call is a skill in international soccer, and Fred executed, and it payed off for his team.” The Rhino and Compass
“In Sarajevo, a city ever running out of parking space, the downtown area was closed last night to traffic for the match between Nigeria and Bosnia. I suppose a massive victory celebration was anticipated. Everyone had been speculating about the outcome, the game largely already won. Everyone, that is, except the national team manager Safet Susic, who was repeatedly quoted as saying that Bosnia just needed a tie with Nigeria. The game to win was the next one, against Iran.” New Republic
“This is Ctrl + ←, our weekly data journalism roundup. You’ll find the most-read FiveThirtyEight articles of the past week, as well as gems we spotted elsewhere on the Internet (not surprisingly, several this week are World Cup-related).” fivethirtyeight
“Twenty-four hours before getting arrested on Friday night, Filipe Peçanha, one of the founders of the media collective known for its edgy citizen-journalism coverage of street demonstrations in Brazil, warned of the dangers of increasing police repression and the criminalization of protests. ‘With the increasing wave of repression, we’ve seen an emptying of the streets. There’s been a criminalization of the movements,’ the founder of the Midia Ninja collective Rio de Janeiro told Fusion in an exclusive interview Thursday evening.” Fusion
“It was a gorgeous, ruthless finish from Karim Benzema: a perfectly timed swing of the right leg on the move from the French striker that put the ball into the upper-left corner of the Switzerland goal. The problem was that it did not count, with the referee Bjorn Kuipers indicating that he had blown the final whistle just before Benzema pounced. On a normal night and in a normal World Cup, this could have been pivotal, at the very least a source of heated debate, but at this stage it only produced Gallic shrugs. Everyone — except for Swiss players and fans — had already seen or scored enough goals to feel satisfied. So it has gone all over Brazil, and France’s 5-2 victory on this steamy Friday night was merely the latest indication in this delightful World Cup that defenders no longer rule.” NY Times
“The PP Maués would not set sail for an hour, but its long and narrow decks were already crisscrossed with hammocks for an overnight trip down the Amazon. By the time it was to dock early last Monday at the regional port for which it was named, the Maués would have traveled 15 hours from the nearest World Cup stadium. A second boat would be needed to reach an even more remote indigenous village that planned to watch Brazil play Mexico last Tuesday. The village did not have electricity or cellphone signals and would rely on a diesel generator to indulge its secluded passion for soccer. While Rio de Janeiro and its famous beaches provide the touristic backdrop of the World Cup, the fevered grip of the world’s most popular sporting event can be felt even in some of the most isolated areas of the rain forest, where outsiders seldom visit.” NY Times
“… The highest-scoring game of the tournament so far – France were 5-0 up thanks to some brilliant counter-attacking, before switching off late on. France counter-attack into wide areas. This was a comfortable win, and much like Colombia’s victory over Ivory Coast yesterday, it followed a rather simple pattern. The defeated side determinedly pushed their full-backs high up the pitch to overlap and get crosses in, but this left the defence exposed to rapid counter-attacking into the gaps they left behind. This is becoming something of a theme at this World Cup.” Zonal Marking
“Even though Bosnia lost to Argentina in its opener, the World Cup debutants left an extremely positive impression, taking charge of the midfield for long spells and often playing significantly more imaginative soccer than its illustrious opponent. One of the reasons behind this was the precise play of Zvjezdan Misimovic. For close observers of the Bundesliga a few seasons back, this surely came as no surprise. Misimovic had been a slow, lazy playmaker who never liked to do the dirty work in defense—at least until Felix Magath came into the picture. Playing under the disciplinarian coach at Wolfsburg, Misimovic transformed into a rare genius, providing an all-time German record of 20 assists for the club during 2008–09, when its won the Bundesliga.” Fusion
“The world may have doubted Costa Rica, but Costa Rica never doubted themselves. As their players embraced, danced in front of their fans and grabbed banners thrown from the stands, it was hard not to reflect on something manager Jorge Luis Pinto had said about being drawn in a group with three previous World Cup winners. ‘We love the group. The braver the bull, the better the bullfight.’ True to his word, there has been a fearlessness about Costa Rica – a belief that anything is possible and reputations mean nothing.” BBC
A Central American Mouse Roars
“There was less than 20 minutes left to play here on Friday when a bundle of three balloons — red, white and green, the colors of Italy’s flag — floated down from the stands and onto the field. The balloons snaked slowly around the center circle, past several players who were jogging to join play on the far end of the field. But when the bundle glided into his path, Mario Balotelli, the enigmatic and hugely talented Italian striker, stopped. He fixed the balloons at his feet and stomped on them with his spikes, one by one, until there were only bits of latex left littered on the grass. As a metaphor, as a poetic image, it was almost too perfect.” NY Times
“In a World Cup where England lacked expectations heading to the tournament, they somehow still managed to disappoint. After a lot of positivity in defeat against Italy, England were expected to carry on and impress vs Uruguay but put in a lackluster performance Uruguay on the other hand also came into the game in disappointment after defeat and were expected to do the same, but encouraged by the returning Luis Suarez. The striker struck twice to keep Uruguay’s hopes alive, all but ending that of their opponents.” Outside of the Boot
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Cameroon 0 – 4 Croatia
“With both teams losing their first group game, this was a real test for both Cameroon and Croatia, where one side would be leaving the tournament if they succumbed to yet another defeat. Croatia had a slight advantage with Eto’o being out injured; as well as the return of their main striker, Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandžukić, who missed out against Brazil due to a one match suspension which he earned all the way back in the qualifiers. The game also featured a return of Danijel Pranjić on the left flank for Croatia, and Brazilian-born Sammir playing as a starter right behind Mandžukić instead of young Mateo Kovačić. As for Cameroon, the absence of Eto’o meant Aboubakar of FC Lorient was going in as his replacement, with a few more rotations in the team tactics.” Outside of the Boot
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Colombia 2-1 Ivory Coast
“With the second round of matches underway, groups are beginning to take shape as teams fight for qualification to the knockout stages. In Brasilia, the two teams from Group C that won their opening encounters, Colombia and Ivory Coast, met to see which team would take sole control of the group. Both teams enjoyed contrasting wins in their opening games: Colombia routed Greece 3-0 while Ivory Coast had to come from behind to beat Japan 2-1. With top spot potentially at stake, both teams were determined not to concede early ground, resulting in a deadlocked first half. However, a flurry of goals in a matter of minutes set up an exciting finish.” Outside of the Boot
“It seems to have been Brazil’s left-back Marcelo who came up with the idea. When the national anthem was played before a match, he told his teammates, they should keep singing after the music stopped. It would be a display of patriotism for the fans. It has become a ritual. At Brazil’s matches here, crowd and players belt out the words together a cappella. For a minute, the nation is made flesh.” FT – Simon Kuper
“Can I interest you in March Madness spiked with second chances? Because that’s what we’ve got on our hands. After a little more than a week of World Cup action, we’ve seen the defending champions go crashing out, the hosts wobble, new stars rise, and established stars cement their place in soccer boot ads for years to come. We’ve seen a German-born defender become an American hero, a Brazilian-born striker be partially blamed for Spain’s early exit, and Mexico’s manager turned into an anime character.” Grantland
“Ivory Coast World Cup. In February this year, Felix Anyasi Agwu, chairman of Nigerian club Enyimba, complained about the treatment of his team in a CAF Champions League second-leg qualifying encounter at Anges de Notse of Togo. Agwu claimed that players and club officials were attacked by their opponents’ fans, training sessions were disrupted and water was thrown at them as they left the pitch at half time in their 4-3 win.” backpagefootball
“Italy’s Mario Balotelli, he of the ‘why always me?’ undershirt, wants a kiss from the ‘the UK queen’—yes, that one—if he secures a victory against Costa Rica. The domino effect of that result would go like this: Italy will go on to beat Uruguay while England crushes Costa Rica by some outlandish score and, miracle of miracles, England qualifies for the next round on goal difference. From my brooding vantage—looking out at the low dark clouds gathered over the sceptred isle this morning—a little royal peck on the cheek doesn’t seem too much to ask for Mario’s compliance. He should go for more—but maybe not from the queen.” The Paris Review – Jonathan Wilson
“The trains run every half-hour up the green slope of Corcovado, the Hunchback, through a forest whose branches scrape against the windows of the cars. They climb a mountainside where howler monkeys live, and also ocelots, and birds the color of imaginary jewels. Twenty minutes after setting out from the leafy station on the Rua Cosme Velho, they deposit tourists at the base of a long escalator, which rises to the feet of Christ the Redeemer, Cristo Redentor, the white colossus whose open arms embrace the crescent sliver of Rio de Janeiro more than 2,000 feet below. From the peak you can stand and look down on the marvelous city, a cidade maravilhosa, Rio, a bright thread curling between the mountains and the sea.” Grantland – Brian Phillips
“A good game contested mainly in the wide areas, with the Ivory Coast full-backs overlapping and the Colombian wingers counter-attacking in behind them. Ivory Coast full-backs forward. This match was enjoyable throughout, but the tactical battle was very basic. Like in their opening match, the Ivory Coast tried to get their full-backs forward whenever possible, completely restructuring their system in order to get Arthur Boka and Serge Aurier high up the pitch. A couple of times, this meant that both Serey Die and Cheick Tiote dropped into the defence, to form a four-man backline along with the two centre-backs, while the full-backs pushed into the opposition half.” Zonal Marking
“The same day that, in Chile, more than twenty previously unknown works by Pablo Neruda were discovered in the most unlikely of places—a drawer—Spain thought it was a good idea to continue their monarchy by changing the constitution so the prince could replace the abdicating king. I rejoiced at one and shrugged at the other. Fittingly, Chile beat Spain 2-0 yesterday. Chile showed the extent to which Spain is past its sell-by date. Spain has become a product, a collection of starry names to sell to a depressed populace.” The Paris Review
“Colombia came out on top in a rollicking game in Brasilia on Thursday, defeating Ivory Coast, 2-1, and almost certainly clinching a spot in the next round. The first half was played at a lightning-fast pace but remained scoreless as both sides’ strikers struggled. Colombia was first to break through in the 64th minute, as James Rodriguez jumped highest after a Juan Cuadrado corner and headed the ball into the net. Six minutes later they were up 2-0 after a Serey Die giveaway led to an easy goal for Juan Quintero.” NY Times
“Luis Suárez’s first goal on Thursday was a delicate touch of class, a deft header nodded in with precision and purpose and placement. Suárez’s second goal, however — the one that was a death blow for England — was something closer to a savage blast. The combination was vintage Suárez, a pure attacker who perfectly embodies the Uruguayan notion of garra charrua — that is, a mixture of will, fight and an unyielding desire to win in whatever way is required. On a chilly night at Arena Corinthians, Suárez showed his deliberate jab and then, at just the right moment, his haymaker.” NY Times
England’s vanquished players are left sad, speechless and bewildered
“One by one they stepped blinking into the brightly lit corridor of uncertainty, clasping their wash bags like comfort blankets. Daniel Sturridge, so effervescent and full of life in his pre-match interviews and now displaying an expression somewhere between fury and heartbreak. A red-eyed Wayne Rooney, eyes fixed forward. Jordan Henderson, exposed and overrun in midfield alongside his club team-mate Steven Gerrard, muttering that he had been ‘told not to stop’.” Guardian
At This World Cup, England Fans Get Their Disillusionment in First
“My late friend Alan Watkins, who died four years ago after writing a political column for fifty years, was a Welshman and also wrote learnedly on rugby. In 1996 he was discussing Tony Blair, then the Labour leader of the opposition, a year before he became prime minister. Every rugby fan knows the words of Carwyn James, the great Welsh coach who led the British Lions to a unique victory over New Zealand in 1971. Ahead of what was expected to be an unusually violent series, James told his players to ‘get your retaliation in first.'” New Republic
“The metropolis of Rio de Janeiro, never lacking for spectacle and chaos, is presently welcoming the thousands of visitors squeezing into the city to be a part of the 2014 World Cup. Two years from now, its 6.3 million residents will have to share their city with even bigger throngs when the Olympics come to town. Already, they are feeling the strain of the put-upon host. As new facilities, retail, and accommodations pop up with each passing week, the cost of living rises along with the pace of construction. But rapid development isn’t Rio’s only stressor: To make the city presentable for international spectators, the military and police have been deployed in a program of slum clearance. In the favelas, heavily armed tactical units have engaged in pitched battles with squatters and local gangs as recently as last month.” New Republic
“During a break in the England-Italy match last weekend, there was a TV ad narrated by Gary Oldman. I was struck by how much he reminded me of the modern English footballer (not the first-time-on-a-world-stage ones — the ones they grow up to be). It also made me think of 1990. The 1966 World Cup was English football’s greatest moment, but the 1990 World Cup sparked one of the more stirring debates about national essentialism to take place in England that decade.” Grantland
“‘Soccer is popular,’ Jorge Luis Borges observed, ‘because stupidity is popular.’ At first glance, the Argentine writer’s animus toward ‘the beautiful game’ seems to reflect the attitude of today’s typical soccer hater, whose lazy gibes have almost become a refrain by now: Soccer is boring. There are too many tie scores. I can’t stand the fake injuries. And it’s true: Borges did call soccer ‘aesthetically ugly.’ He did say, ‘Soccer is one of England’s biggest crimes.’ And apparently, he even scheduled one of his lectures so that it would intentionally conflict with Argentina’s first game of the 1978 World Cup. But Borges’ distaste for the sport stemmed from something far more troubling than aesthetics.” New Republic
“In 2009, the German director Werner Herzog published Conquest of the Useless, his account of the shooting of his movie Fitzcarraldo in Manaus, Brazil, and the surrounding Amazonian jungle. As a result, he was recently asked by FIFA to return to Manaus and referee the England vs. Italy game to be played there in June. What follows are excerpts from his diary as the game approaches.” 8by8 – Jonathan Wilson
“Japan and 10-man Greece played out a stalemate that keeps alive both teams’ chances of progressing from Group C. Greece captain Konstantinos Katsouranis was sent off for two bookable offences before the break in Natal. The Greeks went close with a second-half header from Theofanis Gekas, which was saved by Eiji Kawashima. Yoshito Okubo missed from just a couple of yards and Atsuto Uchida also prodded wide from a good position as Japan were left frustrated. The draw leaves both teams on one point heading into the final round of group matches.” BBC
“It has been eight long years since Spain were last eliminated from a major international tournament. A 3-1 defeat to France in World Cup 2006 ensured Spain retained their status as Europe’s biggest bottlers, with no hint they were about to become the world’s most successful side — arguably in the game’s history. Amazingly, no fewer than seven players in the starting XI that day — Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa and Fernando Torres — were in Spain’s squad for this World Cup, too. That summarises how Spain were simply too old, too tired. Nevertheless, some of the other names from the 2006 side indicate how far Spain have progressed. Mariano Pernia? Pablo Ibanez? They’d also been eliminated from Euro 2004 in embarrassing circumstances, against close rivals and hosts Portugal, failing to progress from the group stage.” ESPN – Michael Cox
Spain’s reign ends with a whimper after six years of dominance
“To watch the collapse of Spain, eliminated from the World Cup after a 2-0 defeat to Chile, was to be reminded of Hemingway’s comment on bankruptcy. The end came gradually, and then suddenly. Over the past couple of years, slight signs of vulnerability have appeared, in the 3-0 loss to Brazil in the 2013 Confederations Cup final and in surprising defeats in friendlies, which perhaps shouldn’t have been blamed as readily as they were on weariness brought on by the Spanish federation’s determination to flog its champions around the world in search of lucre. Players aged, hunger waned, doubts crept in.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
Fearless Chile end Spain’s reign
“Chile supporters made the most of Rio — indeed, a ticket-less band of them literally invaded the Maracana stadium before the game, charging in through the press entrance in a bid to watch their team. On the morning of the game in the streets of Copacabana, when groups of Chileans ran into each other they would clap and shout out that they were going to send Spain back home — and they seemed to believe it. Such is the faith in the side led by electric little coach Jorge Sampaoli, who seems to run on batteries as he paces up and down the touchline.” ESPN – Tim Vickery
Mighty Spain Goes Out of the World Cup Meekly
“The chants at the game between Spain and Chile began slowly, first from one side of Estádio do Maracanã, then from the other. By the time the final minutes had ticked off the clock Wednesday, tens of thousands of fans had joined in. ‘El-im-in-a-do! El-im-in-a-do!’ — eliminated — said those fans, who were leaping so wildly in their red shirts that they made the stands look like a supersize swath of roiling scarlet cloth. But those fans were not wearing the red jerseys of Spain, the defending World Cup champion and two-time European champion. They were wearing the red shirts of Chile, which eliminated Spain from this tournament in the first round, after Spain had played two games. No past World Cup defending champion had been knocked out of the tournament so quickly.” NY Times
“… Spain’s incredible run of success is over – they were pressed into submission by a terrifyingly energetic Chile side. Pressing with caution. Spain suffered in the first game because of the Netherlands’ intense pressing, and therefore it was obvious approach Chile would take. They switched system to replicate the Dutch 3-4-1-2, taking out their number ten Jorge Valdivia, with Francisco Silva coming into the side at the back. Chile are better at pressing than any other international side, and from the outset showed their usual high-intensity approach, closing down Spain in midfield extremely quickly.” Zonal Marking
“Why Chile will continue to be the neutrals’ favorite in Brazil. Jorge Sampaoli was distraught. It was 2007, and his Sporting Cristal side had just been hammered 5–0 by Club America of Mexico in the Copa Libertadores. The Argentine coach was upset, not merely by the result, but by a fundamental failure to live up to his idol, Marcelo Bielsa. ‘I could not defend his style,’ Sampaoli would say after the match. ‘I did not live up to his ideal.’ The 54-year-old head coach of Chile’s World Cup team has spent his entire professional life attempting to do just that. ‘For me [Bielsa] is the best coach in the world, but I prefer him as a myth and to follow him closely, but not bother him [personally],’ he told El Grafico.” Fusion
“I’m thinking of starting a fan group especially for those condemned to ambivalence. There are, I think, actually quite a few of us out there—especially during the World Cup. You know who you are: rooting for both teams at the same time, feeling both happy and sad when someone scores a goal, watching a game surrounded by elated fans but feeling a nagging sorrow for the losing team. Part of it is that there are too many good stories: every team, and perhaps every player, has one. And during the World Cup, every game, or most of them, makes one of those stories a sad, even tragic, one—at least for a time.” New Republic
“Manuel Francisco dos Santos (28 October 1933 – 20 January 1983), known by the nickname ‘Garrincha’ (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɡaˈʁĩʃɐ], ‘little bird’), was a Brazilian footballer who played right winger and forward. He is regarded by many as the best dribbler in football history. The word garrincha itself means wren. Garrincha was also known as Mané (short for Manuel) by his friends. The combined ‘Mané Garrincha’ is common among fans in Brazil. Due to his immense popularity in Brazil, he was also called Alegria do Povo (Joy of the People) and Anjo de Pernas Tortas (Angel with Bent Legs).” Wikipedia
YouTube: Garrincha – The Genius of Dribble ( Documentary ) Part 1, Part 2
“The Indomitable Lions get eliminated, Croatia still alive. It was a bad, bad night for Cameroon: a ridiculous red card from one its star players; four goals allowed; and head butts from teammates. An ugly day, but some cool GIFs.” Fusion
“By the time you read this, it’s possible that every single person on the planet will know who Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is. The image above is of Neymar from five days ago. … You could come to any number of conclusions from Neymar’s remarkable transformation. For instance, you could conclude that race doesn’t exist in Brazil, which is the favourite line of a specific tribe of Brazilians – impeccable liberals all, who just happen to be upper-class, white and at the top of the heap. Or you could conclude that everyone in Brazil is indeed mixed – which is, incidentally, the second-favourite line of the selfsame tribe. Or you could wonder what happened to this boy.” Africasa Country
“According to the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Americans consume 80 percent of the world’s painkillers—more than 110 tons of addictive opiates every year. It must be a very painful place to live. How much of that pain has been caused by soccer? Not much, at least not to begin with: an unlikely and magnificent 1-0 victory over England in World Cup 1950 (held then as now in Brazil) featured a bunch of part-timers putting the boot to the ‘Kings of Football.’ It didn’t require so much as a baby aspirin.” The Paris Review – Jonathan Wilson
“It is a hard thing to have your voices heard over tens of thousands of people who are screaming at the same time, hoping to drown you out, but that did not stop the fans of Mexico here Tuesday from trying and trying and trying. Dressed in red and green shirts, they formed a few watermelon-color splotches around the capacity crowd of Brazilian fans in yellow and chanted tirelessly toward the field for two hours. When the final whistle blew, their voices were the loudest ones heard in Estádio Castelão, and their varied songs were whittled down to one: the name of their goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa — or as they endearingly call him, Memo. Facing one of the premier attacking lineups on the planet, Ochoa made several spectacular saves to lead Mexico to a 0-0 draw against Brazil.” NY Times
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Brazil 0-0 Mexico
“With three points and the prospect of leading the group in sight, both teams set up with nothing held back. In a group stage game where Brazil failed to score for the first time in 36 years, the Mexicans showed great resistance in keeping Brazil at bay.” Outside of the Boot
Stalemate shows Brazil must improve
“Irony, sweet irony; the Seleção actually played a better game than they did last Thursday against Croatia but ended the afternoon with a 0-0 draw and a lot of soul searching to do instead of a win. More than the failure to score and the fact they were dominated by Mexico for long periods of the game — thankfully, Miguel Herrera’s team had poor aim with their array of long shots — Brazil will now be asking themselves if they can really live without a plan B to put ahead of Monday’s encounter with Cameroon in Brasilia.” ESPN
Guillermo Ochoa’s Spectacular Saves, In GIFs
“They are already building a statue for Guillermo Ochoa in Mexico City—at least they should be. The Mexican keeper—and free agent!—put on a masterclass Tuesday, nullifying a deadly Brazilian offense on its home soil. Ochoa’s areobatics earned his side a crucial point against the tournament favorites, setting up an exciting conclusion to Group A. In the famous words of Andy Gray: Take a bow son. But enough about that, you came for the saves. Things got started early.” New Republic
“… The second goalless draw of the tournament – but much more enjoyable than the first. Brazil defensive shift. As predicted in the preview, Brazil brought in a midfielder for an attacker, a shift they make in almost every major tournament. Ramires replaced Hulk – fitness concerns played a part, but Hulk insisted he was fit, and either way, Felipe Scolari chose a hard-working shuttler in Ramires, rather than a proper attacker like Bernard or Willian. It was clear defensive shift. This was partly to contain the runs of left-wing-back Miguel Layun, who had impressed against Cameroon. Ramires marked Layun when the ball was on that flank, but moved inside and was closer to Andres Guardado when the ball was on the opposite side. In a purely defensive sense it worked reasonably well – Layun was much less involved, and only notable for a couple of wayward long-range shots.” Zonal Marking
“Belgium’s first game left their fans relieved rather than ecstatic. After a dire first half, the Red Devils came good when Marc Wilmots made some changes. Dries Mertens, Belgium’s super sub, provided the width that was so lacking in the first half and scored the winner in the end, but it was Marouane Fellaini who really cracked things open when he headed home a great equalizer. Sofiane Feghouli’s first-half penalty had given Algeria a 1-0 lead. The game certainly didn’t go according to plan. Algeria kept almost their entire team behind the ball at all times and stifled Belgium’s usual fluent passing. There was lots of possession, but it was impossible to make it count with a double wall of white shirts effectively killing the game.” ESPN (Video)
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Belgium 2-1 Algeria
“A dreary performance from Belgium was rescued with two goals in the concluding 20 minutes as Marc Wilmots’ side defeated Algeria 2-1 in the Group H opener in Estádio Mineirão. Algeria took the lead through a Sofiane Feghouli penalty after Jan Vertonghen hauled down the Valencia talisman. Marouane Fellaini was brought on and promptly equalized with a winding header, before Dries Mertens, who came on as a substitute for Chadli, scored the winner when he finished off a swift counter-attack with a clinical strike, putting the game to bed.” Outside of the Boot
Resolute Algeria must learn lessons
“Algeria will feel dejected having been so close to executing the perfect game plan against Belgium. Their inability to tactically adapt to game-changing substitutions, however, cost them dearly in their 2-1 defeat. To borrow an old cliche, it was a match of two halves in Belo Horizonte as second half goals from Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens turned the match around and wrecked Algeria’s hopes of an upset. Their coach Vahid Halilhodzic elected to revert to a 4-3-3 formation he recently implemented in a friendly match against Romania in early June and it seemed to work. For large spells of the match, Belgium looked perplexed as they struggled to break down rows of organised white shirts. They often put 11 men behind the ball and their staggered lines looked inpenetrable.” ESPN
“Yesterday, in a tunnel down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, a flatscreen floated in the light of an arch like the iris of a giant eye. Tables and benches of the sort you’d find at a picnic site were spread about; it was one of those rare times in New York that space was clearly not at a premium. The tunnel was shady and cool. Behind the flatscreen, at the end of the long arch where the noon light seemed irrelevant, a renovated factory glittered. On the screen, we watched as Germany took apart Portugal. The Portuguese team exhibited their typical flaws: an overreliance on hierarchy and on their best player; a rash of madness by their most hotheaded player, which led to his ejection; a lack of belief against a team with a higher pedigree. The German team, on the other hand, exhibited their typical strengths: you know, German stuff. They won 4-0.” The Paris Review
“South Korea and Russia played a tepid 1-1 tie in Group H in Cuiaba on Tuesday night. The result left the teams with a point apiece in the standings. It was a competitive but largely scrappy affair. After a dismal first half, the game came to life in the second half when the substitute Lee Keun Ho’s speculative 35-yard shot was mishandled by Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev in the 68th minute. The ball spilled out of Akinfeev’s hands, over his shoulder and into the net. Korea’s advantage and Akinfeev’s distress were short-lived; the Russian substitute Alan Dzagoev fired home from close range in the 74th minute after a goalmouth scramble.” NY Times
Russia vs. South Korea in GIFs
“The first howler of the tournament helps the Koreans get a result. The second draw of the day, this time between an Asian power, South Korea, and a mid-level European team, Russia. You won’t watch this one again in ten years, so just check out our GIFs from the match in Cuiaba.” Fusion
“The 19th FIFA World Cup is now underway in Brazil, and that gives us an excuse to revisit the first World Cup, played in July, 1930 in Uruguay. Only 13 teams participated in the tournament, and all matches were played in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. In the semi-finals, the United States lost to Argentina, 6-1. Uruguay crushed Yugoslavia by the same score. In the end, Uruguay, the favorites all along, triumphed over Argentina (4-2) before a home crowd of 93,000, to become the winner of the inaugural FIFA World Cup.” Open Culture (Video)
“The world throws plenty of parties. It just usually doesn’t invite Iran. So here are the fans of Team Iran on Rua Comendador Araújo in front of Hotel Pestana, their team’s accommodations in Curitiba, Brazil, making up for lost time. There are flags, there are mohawks dyed bright green, there are noisemakers and fuzzy wigs and horns for going do-do-do-doot-IRAN!. There are crudely woven rugs with BRAZIL 2014 embroidered on them that team officials had been handing out, and of course there is greasepaint everywhere, calfpaint and hairpaint and cheekpaint and armpaint, always with the green and white and red.” Road and Kingdoms
“George Robledo – The Chilean with the Yorkshire accent. Robeldo was born in Iquique a Port City in the North of Chile in 1926 to a Chilean father and English mother. Chile was in the midst of political insecurity following a military coup in 1924 and in Iquique the Santa Maria de Iquique Massacre would have been still remembered. Aged 5, George’s mother Elsie Oliver took George and his two brothers back to her roots in South Yorkshire. Leaving school, Robledo began work in the coal mines and joined Huddersfield Town on amateur terms. In 1946 he joined Barnsley in a move which was to change his life. Signing professional terms got him out the mines. More importantly Barnsley would showcase a talent that would lead to greater things.” backpagefootball
“As exhilarating as Monday’s 2-1 World Cup victory was for United States supporters, it must have been equally as heartbreaking for Ghana supporters. Having clawed back to tie the match 1-1, and appearing to secure a minimum of a point after allowing a first-minute opener to Clint Dempsey, the Ghanaian team now face an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages of this World Cup. FiveThirtyEight suggests that Ghana’s loss dropped their chances of making it through Group G down to just 11.0 percent. (The United States, meanwhile, now have a 67.2 percent chance of advancing [the number has been updated since Nate Silver’s post yesterday].) Even worse, if Ghana are eliminated, it will likely bring the run of their golden generation to an end. It will take a while for a Ghanaian team this good to make it into the World Cup again.” Grantland
John Brooks and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very American Win
“Imagine if I told you before this match that America’s best pure striker and main offensive target would leave with a leg injury 20 minutes in. And that one of our best centerbacks would also be forced out with an injury at halftime. And that our most dangerous player would have his nose broken and not be able to breathe well out of it for the rest of the hot, humid game. And that our all-around best player would turn in a horrible performance. And that our passing style would for the most part resemble that of a co-ed adult league team, lower intermediate division. Knowing all that, you’d probably be OK with a 2-1 win against the best team in Africa in one of the most important matches in United States World Cup history, right?” New Republic
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Ghana 1-2 USA
“Coming into the World Cup, all the talk for the US National Team was the exclusion of all-time leading World Cup scorer, Landon Donovan. Many felt that even if he weren’t going to be awarded a starting berth, his experience off the bench and in training would be effective on getting the best out of the players, in what would be his last ever World Cup. For Ghana, it was a case of avenging their quarter-final defeat from the previous edition. They would have to start off against the Americans who they’ve defeated twice in the last two World Cups, knocking them out of the competition. Expectations were high for both sides, and given Portugal’s defeat earlier to Germany, these two sides knew they could take a massive step at progress from the first-round with a win at Estadio das Dunas.” Outside of the Boot
USA vs. Ghana in GIFs
“Revenge, at last. The U.S. faced a must-win situation in its first match against old nemesis Ghana, who eliminated the Yankes from the last two world Cups. Jurgen Klinsmann and his men had to deliver. And they did, in the most dramatic of fashion. Here are some unforgettable GIFs.” Fusion
“On Monday, with his team already down 2-0 to Germany, Portugal’s Pepe let his anger get the better of him. After his hand struck Germany’s Thomas Muller in the face—sending the player to the ground, perhaps overdramatically—Pepe headbutted him for good measure. That earned Pepe a red card, ejecting him from the game and all but guaranteeing a loss. That’s an example of how anger can hurt your performance in an athletic competition. But does anger sometimes help, too?” New Republic
The Improbable Goal-Scoring Prowess of Germany’s Thomas Muller
“At the tender age of 24—an age when most players are just arriving on the international stage—Thomas Müller has won the Champions League, Best Young Player of World Cup 2010, the Bundesliga (three times), and the German Cup (three times). He has played in three Champions League finals, two European Championships, and has now scored eight goals (and counting) in two World Cups. After scoring a hat-trick in Germany’s resounding 4-0 victory against Portugal Monday night, the Bavarian is on track to become the first player ever to defend the Golden Boot, which he won in 2010. It’s been much publicized that Muller’s teammate, the 36-year-old Miroslav Klose, is on a quest to overhaul Ronaldo’s record World Cup tally of 15 goals. Maybe it isn’t Ronaldo that Klose should worry about, but Muller.” New Republic
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Germany 4-0 Portugal
“Controlling. Quick. Decisive. Dominant. Undisciplined. Slow. Sloppy. Subordinate. This game really was a tale of two sides: one prepared for the World Cup and one completely ill-prepared for the same occasion. It was utter euphoria for the Germans and utter embarrassment for the Portuguese. Thomas Müller registered a hat trick with Hummels grabbing the other of Germany’s four goals. Portugal never looked like they had even shown up to the game.” Outside of the Boot
“… A highly entertaining match – Ghana dominated. but the USA scored very early, and then very late. US lead, Ghana attack. Clint Dempsey scored a fine goal inside a minute, and therefore Ghana were immediately forced to dominate in an attempt to score an equaliser. Ghana’s problem over the past half-decade has been their inability to break down a packed defence. They’re excellent on the counter-attack, with fast, mobile players who make good decisions on the break, but this was another example of their one-dimensional play. They were always in control of possession but their players simply aren’t suited to coming from behind – they need the opposition to come onto them.” Zonal Marking
“Well, it had to happen some time. But at least it was a long time in coming. Thirteen games into the 2014 World Cup there was finally a match that was not very good. Not that it quietened this arena: there was noise in Curitiba, and lots of it, there was just not much else. For a moment this felt as if it was going to be enjoyable, the momentum with Nigeria, but that moment was brief; the opening seven minutes were exciting; the remaining 83 were not. And so Brazil has its first draw as well and a 0-0 draw at that.” Guardian
“Twelve months after hundreds of thousands of protesters took to Brazil’s streets to complain of lavish public spending on stadiums for the World Cup, the tournament organizers have been relieved to see just hundreds attend scattered demonstrations as the first round of games got underway. With Brazilians loudly rallying behind their national team, the seleção — and whole cities exploding in a din of cheers and fireworks following every goal — activists concerned about social issues like poverty, corruption and police brutality have struggled to make their voices heard.” NY Times (Video)
“It was a win but far from a convincing one. For much of the 62 minutes between Argentina’s first goal and its second, Bosnia was the better side but it was undone first by a moment of ill-fortune and then by a scintillating goal from Lionel Messi. In the estimation of Alejandro Sabella, the Argentina coach, this was a 6/10 performance with plenty of room for improvement. Messi had had an awkward night. He didn’t play badly as such, but too often he was crowded out, too often forced deep by Bosnia’s pressing.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“As midnight approaches on Rua do Salsa, crowds gather outside an open-air mall, the walls out front painted white and splattered with posters. The place is called Placa Jardin. It’s Friday night. Placa Jardin looks like any of the other numerous bars and clubs and restaurants in this reveler’s paradise on a cobblestone street near the beach. The lights outside alternate blue and green. Strobe lights inside flash red. Music played at maximum volume reverberates down the block. Dozens of women stand out front, clad in so many miniskirts and tube tops, lips dressed in the brightest red lipstick, feet stuffed in the tallest high heels. They spread down the street, in front of bars, clubs and cars. Some stand next to family members. Others cluster in packs of three or four. These women are prostitutes, and this is the side of the World Cup no one talks about.” SI
“On the eve of the Argentina-Bosnia game, a Brazilian newspaper came up with a cruel statistic. In one World Cup game, Neymar had scored more World Cup goals than Lionel Messi had managed in his entire career. The Brazilian was leading by two to one. The little wizard has now levelled the score, and did it in style in his first ever game in Rio’s iconic Maracana stadium. His strike, which turned out to be the winner in Argentina’s 2-1 victory over Bosnia, is the moment a packed crowd will guard in their memories of Sunday’s game. It was Messi at his best, cutting in with the ball tied to his left foot, exchanging quick passes with Gonzalo Higuain and curling a shot in off the post. Without a slight deflection off a Bosnian defender the ball would probably have gone just wide, but few would complain – apart from Bosnians, and some Brazilians.” BBC
Lionel Messi lights up World Cup with stunning strike in Group F victory as Argentina triumph against Bosnia
“Messi at Maracana: what an event. This was part-homage to one of the game’s greats and part-launch of Argentina’s World Cup campaign. The two themes were inevitably intertwined as Lionel Messi embarked on his mission, using his phenomenal footballing capabilities to try to guide his country to victory in these finals that are already being hailed as one of the finest ever. The tone of the tournament has been on attacking and here it was Messi’s turn. He was short of his highest standards, short of the brilliance that has defined his Barcelona career but he still created Argentina’s first and then scored their second, giving the feeling of a special cameo being performed in front of an audience of 74,738, the majority enrapt by his work. It was astonishing to think that this was only his second ever World Cup goal in nine games.” Telegraph – Henry Winter
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Argentina 2-1 Bosnia
“In a game that was expected to be Argentina’s announcement of intent in this World Cup, the favorites met stern opposition in the form of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And though Argentina certainly did the business by walking away with the 3 points, it may have been Bosnia and Herzegovina who perhaps made the bigger statement.” Outside of the Boot
Argentina vs. Bosnia in GIFs
“Messi strikes in Argentina’s opener at the Maracanã. What else could a fan ask for? Argentina and Lionel Messi in Brazil’s greatest stadium, the Marcanã in Rio. Will Argentina be there on July 13? Maybe, maybe not, but it would start today for Argentina against talented World Cup first-timers Bosnia. Let’s look at our favorite GIFs.” Fusion (Video)
“Substitute Haris Seferovic struck a stoppage time winner as Switzerland fought back from a goal down to claim a thrilling last-gasp 2-1 win over Ecuador in a scrappy but entertaining World Cup Group E opener on Sunday. Seferovic snatched a dramatic winner with 23 seconds left of added time in Brasilia. The Real Sociedad striker got on the end of a late counter-attack to convert Ricardo Rodriguez’s low cross at the near post and make it 2-1. Ironically the chance came from Ecuador’s final attack of the game when Michael Arroyo delayed his shot and was dispossessed by Valon Behrami who launched a swift break. Poor defending had resulted in the first two goals with Enner Valencia, who scored against England in their World Cup warm-up in Miami earlier this month, heading Ecuador in front in the first half.” Telegraph
Switzerland 2 Ecuador 1
“Substitute Haris Seferovic scored in the third minute of stoppage time to earn Switzerland a dramatic win over Ecuador in their opening Group E match. Seferovic turned in Ricardo Rodriguez’s low cross as Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side came back from behind to claim victory. Fellow substitute Admir Mehmedi headed Switzerland level after Enner Valencia had given Ecuador a half-time lead.” BBC
Switzerland vs. Ecuador in GIFs
“Last second drama in Group E opener. This is the game everyone circled on their calendars once the schedules were announced. The hype machine didn’t go into sleep mode to save up energy for this one. But don’t let that fool you—there was some exceptional talent on the field, and it had the most exciting ending of any game in the tournament thus far. Let’s go to Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, for our favorite GIFs.” Fusion (Video)
“… Argentina 2-1 Bosnia. Alejandro Sabella made the competition’s biggest tactical error so far with his use of a 3-5-2, but he had the intelligence to correct it at half-time. Argentina shape. This match was basically all about Argentina’s formation. Throughout qualification they had one of the most settled sides and formations around, and while they sometimes played a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 system, this was only away from home, often when playing at altitude. It was a highly defensive plan B. It was very strange, then, that Sabella decided to use that system in Argentina’s opening game.” Zonal Marking
Scissors Kick 