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World Cup Day 8: England On The Ropes
By
Dan Dickinson
Published Jun 20, 2014
Modified Jun 20, 2014
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By
Dan Dickinson
Published Jun 20, 2014
Modified Jun 20, 2014
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Thursday's World Cup action brought us Colombia dancing to the next round, England wallowing in their futility, and Japan wasting a golden opportunity.
Last Night's Action
Colombia 2, Ivory Coast 1 (HIGHLIGHTS) Another strong team performance from Los Cafeteros saw them dispatch the Ivory Coast and (thanks to a Japan-Greece draw) send them through to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1990.
James Rodriguez scored the opener with an easy header off a corner kick in the 64th minute, and then made a perfect tackle six minutes later to start the counterattack that lead to Juan Quintero's game winner. Gervinho would pull one back for Les Elephants just moments later, but Colombia withstood late pressure to get their second win of the tournament.
Uruguay 2, England 1 (HIGHLIGHTS) England in crisis! It was everything the British Empire feared as Luis Suarez finally returned from his knee surgery and put in a two-goal performance, including one thanks to a gifted ball from his Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard. The only thing that seemed to go right for England? Wayne Rooney finally scored his first World Cup goal, ending a 759 minute drought. The result doesn't quite eliminate England, but their ability to advance any further requires serious help from the Italians.
Japan 0, Greece 0 (HIGHLIGHTS) A 38th minute red card to Greece captain Konstantinos Katsouranis opened the door for Japan to secure a victory, but Japan could not take advantage. Despite out-possessing (74% to 26%), out-passing (553 passes to 177), and out-shooting (18 to 9) the Greeks, Japan could not find the back of the net. The draw favors Greece, as Japan have Colombia in their final group match.
The Play To Watch
The game winner from Colombia shows just how quickly a match can swing. Ivory Coast seems fine, and then WOOSH:
And here's Luis Suarez, Destroyer of English Dreams, scoring his second:
Today's Matches
Italy vs. Costa Rica (12PM ET, ESPN) Lots of eyes on this one, as any result that gives Costa Rica a point would end England's tournament. Italy aren't underestimating Costa Rica, especially after their 3-1 upset win over Uruguay in the opening match. Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon might return to the lineup after returning to training on Tuesday.
Switzerland vs. France (3PM ET, ESPN) The two neighboring countries are both favorites to get out of Group E. In their opening matches, France easily trounced Honduras while the Swiss needed a stoppage time winner to overtake Ecuador. Don't write the Swiss off just because of France's footballing history-they're still a strong side.
Honduras vs. Ecuador (6PM ET, ESPN) Honduras was one of the few sides that looked totally outclassed in their opener, and their physical play has not over many neutral fans, so expect Ecuador to have the crowd in their favor. In a strange happenstance, Ecuador coach Reinaldo Rueda coached Honduras at the 2010 World Cup, while Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez coached Ecuador at the 2006 World Cup.
What Else Is Going On?
USMNT striker Jozy Altidore has (unsurprisingly) been ruled out for the Portugal match on Sunday.
Mario Balotelli has made one demand should Italy defeat Costa Rica and throw England a lifeline: a kiss from the Queen of England.
Iranian national team coach Carlos Queiroz has already stepped down. His departure is not because his team is doing poorly, but because of a lack of funding for the team.
Colombia aren't just playing well, their choreographed dance celebrations are putting other teams to shame.
US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to SI's Grant Wahl about the intersection of soccer and international diplomacy.
FIFA is investigating the "puto" chant being used by Mexican and Brazilian fans in Brazil.
Lastly: guys, shouting "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL" is tough work, and the Times is ON IT.
Tagged
soccer
world cup 2014
Dan Dickinson
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