On Day 7…
ROY HODGSON’S ENGLAND were left on the brink of exiting the tournament after two superb Luis Suarez goals condemned them to a 2-1 defeat against Uruguay. If Italy beat Costa Rica, England beat Costa Rica and Italy beat Uruguay then, depending on goal difference, England can still advance from Group D.
Last night in São Paulo, it was the finishing power of Liverpool striker Suarez that was the major difference. The 27-year-old struck first in the 39th minute, when he cleverly headed Edinson Cavani’s well-weighted assist back across goal and beyond Joe Hart.
Wayne Rooney gave the English hope in the 75th minute, notching his first World Cup goal after Glen Johnson poked the ball across from the right-hand side of the box. However, it was Suarez who had the final say, blasting home an 85th-minute winner.
Earlier in the day, there was another South American success as Colombia made it two wins from two in Group C with a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast. An entertaining game in Brasília saw another high-quality performance from playmaker James Rodríguez.
It was the Monaco man who scored Colombia’s opening goal, heading home Juan Cuadrado’s corner in the 64th minute and sparking a brilliant team celebration.
Roma forward Gervinho came up with a swift and excellent reply for the Ivorians, benefiting from some questionable defending to dribble into the box and fire past ‘keeper David Ospina.
Colombia were not to be denied, however, with substitute Juan Quintero scoring his first international goal in the 70th minute to leave José Pékerman’s side in control of Group C, with the later result between Japan and Greece confirming Colombian qualification for the last 16.
Greece were dealt a first-half blow when captain Konstantinos Katsouranis was sent off after a second yellow card. However, the European battlers held on for a 0-0 draw, keeping their tournament alive.
Similarly, Japan are off the mark with their one match point, and will now target a win against Colombia as they dream of a spot in the knock-out stages.
Winner
They’re great to watch, they have the best celebrations and they’re through to the next round; Colombia were the big winners on day eight.
While Pékerman’s team are certainly in one of the weaker groups at this World Cup, there is a growing sense of optimism around their attacking energy and talented young players.
They should wrap up top spot in Group C with a win over Japan on Tuesday.
Loser
Roy Hodgson will review England‘s defeat to Uruguay with some frustration. Despite having the best player on the pitch in Luis Suarez, Óscar Tabárez’s side by no means looked unbeatable.
That said, it was difficult to pick out areas of the game in which the English excelled, or stand-out performers in their ranks. If they are to secure a first win against Costa Rica, vast improvement will be needed.
Joga Bonito
How much time do they spend practising these moves? Who cares? Long may Colombia keep it up.
What we’ve got to look forward to today
- Italy can take control of Group D with a win over Costa Rica at 5pm, but the Central Americans proved they’re no pushovers with a 3-1 success against Uruguay on Saturday.
- At 8pm, France face Switzerland in Group E, eager to back up their 3-0 victory over Honduras with another positive performance and result.
- Finally, Honduras and Ecuador clash at 11pm in Curitiba, with both sides fighting for survival after defeat in their opening games.
