FIFA World Cup coverage.

[DrLeftover]

World Cup 2014: Police investigate fans with wheelchairs pictured standing up during matches

20 June
A group of supporters who appeared to jump out of their wheelchairs at Fifa World Cup 2014 games in Brazil are being investigated by police for ticket fraud

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10914352/World-Cup-2014-Police-investigate-fans-with-wheelchairs-pictured-standing-up-during-matches.html

 

[DrLeftover]

Today's games decide the top spot in Group G with Argentina (coming off a so-so game last week) taking on Iran who played to a draw in their opener. Later we have Nigeria, the ones on the other end of that draw, and Bosnia-Herc who gave Argentina it's first point on an own goal.

The other game is Germany and Ghana. Germany is tied with the US for first in that group and Ghana is coming off a galling loss to the Americans in their first game.

Tomorrow is the game that Disney does not want you to watch, unless you pay them, between Team USA and Portugal.

 

[DrLeftover]

For some reason, I don't think a last minute goal (literally), is going to be enough in the next stage of the tourney. But for now, it's enough to push Argentina through to the round of 16 in their group's top slot, unless something really odd happens. And seeing that it ALMOST did happen, it is not to be discounted.

 

[DrLeftover]

G 2 - G 2

There is just something that smells wrong about world class teams intentionally playing for a tie like Ghana and Germany just did.

 

[DrLeftover]

Is there any question that FIFA has told the refs to favor the African countries?

Bosnia-Hercegovina was denied a goal against Nigeria at the twentieth minute by a late offsides call by a ref who did NOT have a good view of the play and which the replay showed was NOT offsides.

 

[DrLeftover]

And then Nigeria grabs a Bosnian player who is defending and throws him to the ground, resulting in a goal...

Yeah, OK. FIFA has spoken, they want African teams to advance.

 

[DrLeftover]

The result should have been exactly reversed.

Nigeria could NOT score without the referee ignoring a flagrant foul.

Bosnia would have scored except a ref who was out of the play called a foul that did not happen.

It is this sort of behavior by FIFA ordained officials that cloud the entire sport.

Disappointing.

 

[DrLeftover]

Today opens with two matches in group H. Belgium and Russia then later Korea and Algeria.

Right now Belgium is on top of that group with a win, Russia and Korea have their tie, and Algeria sits with a loss. So if the Belgians win, they're pretty much through no matter what else happens. However, if they tie, and that has been an epidemic in this Cup, then this group becomes a mess like several of the others and needs the final games to sort it out.

If Algeria, who is an African team remember, manages to lose in spite of being favored by FIFA's referees, they'll be shopping for plane tickets next week.

The last game today is the game only paying viewers in the US can watch as Disney will show Russia and Korea's games on broadcast TV to the locals, but not their own national team when the US plays Portugal with the US able to take over the lead spot in Group G with a win.

 

[DrLeftover]

There is still a lot of discussion about the gift to the People of Nigeria from FIFA.

However, I haven't seen anything about a review of the game and possible 'discussion' with the refs that made those two obscene calls.

So, evidently, FIFA not only approved, they encouraged it.

 

[DrLeftover]

Belgium won, as expected. And Russia is all but sent packing.

Algeria looked like the team we expected to see last week. Korea tried to make a game of it, but, for a change, an African nation did NOT need the Refs help to win.

And now. The US and Portugal in the middle of the Amazon Jungle.

 

[DrLeftover]

The US played a good game. And they had it won. Then they choked.

Portugal played a good game as well, and they managed the second LAST MINUTE score we've seen.

But neither was great, and neither could hold on to win.

And the result was another World Cup Tie. 2 all.

 

[DrLeftover]

And so the final round of Group Play begins with FOUR games being played today. Kicking off two at a time.

The two early games go at Noon US Eastern Time with everybody in Group B playing at once.
Chile and Netherlands
Spain and Australia

Later it is Group A's turn.
Mexico and Croatia
Brazil and Cameroon

 

[DrLeftover]

For Chile, it is looking to be "deja vu all over again" as the Dutch hammer them in their final group game and end up looking to play the top seed out of another group in the next ground.

In the "also ran" contest, Spain played their best game of the tourney, too little too late, for the defending champs.

 

[DrLeftover]

Time for a prediction here.

Brazil is the host nation, and, as we have seen, has had some 'gentle influence' with the refs to favor their style of play.

Cameroon is an African nation and FIFA has spoken that it is in the best interest of the sport, and their market share of that sport, for African nations to do well in Cup games. Even though, for all intents and purposes, Cameroon is out of contention except for their possible roll as spoiler, they are still an African nation playing for pride.

I am predicting, here and now, that this will be one of the most poorly officiated games we've seen yet because the poor refs will have no idea what their "bosses" want them to do.

Calling the game fairly and honestly is not part of the equation.

 

[DrLeftover]

And so it seems I was right, at least in the first half.

Brazil and Mexico through to meet Chile and the Netherlands in the first knockout round games.

 

[DrLeftover]

Today groups C and D play their last group games.

The early games are Costa Rica / England, and Uruguay / Italy in group D.

Group C with Ivory Coast and Greece, Japan and Columbia comes later.

These are the first two of the almost wide open groups going into the final round of round robin play.

England is done, they've packed their bags and will just stop at the stadium on their way to the airport.

The only ones assured a berth in the next round are Columbia and Ivory Coast with two wins each.

Everybody else has at least some sort of mathematical chance of making their second, or even the top spot in the groups to advance.

Should make for some interesting games beginning at NOON eastern. (This time I double checked the schedule.)

 

[DrLeftover]

Head butting, kicks, biting, pushing and shoving, the occasional knee or elbow to the back of the head.

A replay of a Mike Tyson boxing title fight? Some reality show about beauty pageants? Maybe a bad day in parliament in some banana republic?

No.

Italy versus Uruguay in the final game of Group D in the 2014 World Cup.

In any case, Italy fizzled and is going home, probably on the same trans-Atlantic flight as England, who was already done. It is worth noting here that Italy WON the whole thing in the 2006 edition. So now you have the last two champions OUT as Spain ended up third in Group B.

Costa Rica wins the group, Uruguay is the second place team.

They await the winners of Group C where NOTHING has been decided, including who is number one in the group.

Greece sits last night now, but IF they beat Ivory Coast and Japan loses to Columbia, they could be through as the second seed. If Ivory Coast wins and Columbia loses, then THEY are number one.

So we need another ninety minutes of football to sort this one out.

 

[DrLeftover]

The Powerful and Terrible Ancient gods of Association Football have smiled on Greece.

They beat the Ivory Coast in a LAST MINUTE penalty kick and are through to the round of sixteen.

Columbia hangs on against Japan and wins the group.

 

[Sinon]

The Japan Columbia match was painful to watch. That last minute goal was a killer.

 

[DrLeftover]

I don't remember any tournament ever having so many Last Minute goals as this one.

When it's over, I want to see if somebody has kept track of how many points have been scored just during "stoppage time".