Touch of Dutch Klaas

Substitute Klaas Jan Huntelaar scored a last-gasp penalty to send Holland into the World Cup quarter-final with a 2-1 win over Mexico.

Holland were the clear favourites to win after having cruised through Group B with maximum points, including a 5-1 hammering of Spain. But the Dutch knew Mexico would be hard to break down as their opponents had only conceded one goal so far in the tournament.

Mexico looked on course for a shock victory when Giovani Dos Santos, who had unfairly had some goals disallowed earlier in the tournament, scored with a sublime long-range effort within three minutes of the restart.

Holland came close to equalising through Stefan de Vrij but Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who has been one of the stand-out players of the tournament, produced a stunning save to keep him out.

With two minutes left on the clock Mexico looked on course for the quarter finals, but instead they ended up dramatically crashing out of the tournament in the round of 16 stage for the sixth successive year. The ball was headed back out from a corner and Wesley Sneijder was on hand to rifle the ball home, sending the Dutch fans into raptures.

It looked like Mexico would be forced to be content with playing extra time but they didn't even get that. Arjen Robben has a reputation for theatrically going down in the box and he had already had more than one penalty claim turned down in this match.

Although there did appear to be some contact from Mexico's Rafael Marquez, it didn't appear to be enough to warrant a tumble from Robben nor a penalty to have been awarded by the referee. But when the referee pointed to the spot Mexico fans were left praying for a miracle.

It didn't happen for them and Huntelaar coolly dispatched his penalty to keep Holland's World Cup dream alive. Mexico's World Cup was now over but they can leave Brazil with their heads held high as they gave it everything and it just wasn't to be.

But who would Holland play in the quarter finals? Surprise package Costa Rica and the scorers of late goals Greece faced off in Recife to decided that one!

Costa Rica have become a favourite among the neutrals as they continue to surprise, while also proving their results thus far have been no fluke. When Jorge Luis Pinto's men beat Uruguay in their opening group game most people undoubtedly thought it was a one-off shock result. But after a win over Italy and a goalless draw with England, Costa Rica finished unbeaten at the top of Group D. A truly remarkable achievement and thoroughly deserved.

But the Greeks wouldn't go down lightly. With their World Cup dream within seconds of being ended against Ivory Coast they scored a last-gasp penalty to put them into the knockout stages.

There was little to separate the sides over 120 minutes but goalkeeper Keylor Navas proved to be his nation's hero once again as his save in the penalty shootout put Costa Rica into the quarter finals for the first time in their history. Pinto undoubtedly believe in the potential of his players but even he must be pinching himself that his side have made the last eight of a World Cup.

Costa Rica could've fallen behind in the first half had it not been for the heroics of Navas, who produced a top class instinctive save to keep out Dimitris Salpingidis. That missed proved costly as Bryan Ruiz side-footed the ball beyond Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis after 52 minutes.

The task became harder for Costa Rica when Oscar Duarte was sent off for a second bookable offence, although it was easy to forget at times that they were actually playing with 10 men.

Greece, who had scored a late goal to quality for the knock out phases, produced some more drama in Recife as Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored from a rebound in the final minute of normal time.

There have now been as many goals in this World Cup as there was during the entire tournament in 2010 and the drama didn't show any signs of letting up in this match.

Navas did superbly to tip over substitute Kostas Mitroglou's header in extra time before later denying Lazaros Christodoulopoulos. The tension became too much for Greece boss Fernando Santos who was sent to the stands late on.

Navas produced more heroics to keep out Theofanis Gekas' penalty before Michael Umana scored a historic goal from the spot to win it for Costa Rica.

Costa Rica will face the Dutch in the quarter finals and once again will go into the game as huge underdogs. But if this World Cup has taught me anything it is, underestimate the underdogs at your peril!

Let the drama continue!

Come on you underdogs!

Chile pay the penalty

Penalties are the cruellest way to lose a match but that is what happened to Chile in their round of 16 clash against hosts Brazil.

Many had expected Brazil to walk away with this one but Chile, who beat holders Spain to help them progress to the knockout phase, can be proud of their efforts as they refused to give up in this nail-biting and entertaining contest.

When captain Thiago Silva headed on for David Luiz to flick in his first goal for his country after 18 minutes it seemed the game would be going according to the script, but Chile had other ideas.

Alexis Sanchez, who is on the radar of a number of clubs this summer, levelled matters after 32 minutes when the hosts gifted possession to Eduardo Vargas who set up the Barcelona man to drill the ball home. Game on!

All the pressure was on Brazil and anything other than lifting the trophy is likely to be considered a failure for the hosts this summer.

Brazil thought they had taken the lead in the second half went Hulk put the ball in the net but England's sole representative left in the tournament, Howard Webb, disallowed the goal for handball. It was a tough one to call for Webb, especially in real time without the benefit of the replays we could see, and opinions seemed divided among those watching the game.

Julio Cesar, who fell down the pecking order to third choice at QPR before being loaned out, and his Chilean counterpart Claudio Bravo were in fine form and produced some stunning saves to keep the scores level and force extra time.

Hulk looked lively for the hosts and forced another save from Bravo in extra time, while Mauricio Pinilla smashed an effort against the crossbar in the dying seconds of the match. So onto the dreaded penalties!

Such a cruel way to decide a game, could there be a better way? This is often questioned but, although it is horrible to watch when your own team is involved, as a neutral it is a truly great way to see a game end. It is pot luck, anything can happen, and you literally have no idea what is about to unfold! Such great drama.

QPR's third choice goalkeeper Cesar proved to be the hero, saving two spot-kicks, before Gonzalo Jara hit a post to break Chilean hearts and keep hosts Brazil on course for the trophy.

Chile were never expected to get out of a group including Holland and Spain so to reach the knockout stages and then run hosts Brazil all the way is something the whole nation can be proud of.

But who would be playing Brazil in the quarter final? In another all South American tie, Colombia faced Uruguay with several neutrals routing for the team in yellow due to Luis Suarez's recent biting incident.

Colombia progressed with a 2-0 victory and once again James Rodriguez was the star of the show. The winger has been one of the best players at this tournament, scoring in every game so far, and as an Arsenal fan I'd love to see Arsene Wenger bring him to the Emirates this summer. In fact, he would be top of my shopping list for sure, but any move is unlikely. No harm dreaming though!

When it looked like Tim Cahill was an almost certainty to get goal of the tournament, Rodriguez produced something special from his bag of tricks.

Rodriguez, who is currently the tournament's top scorer with five goals, cushioned the ball expertly before turning to execute a thunderous volley that crashed in off the crossbar. An astonishing goal and a truly remarkable tournament so far for that man Rodriguez!

Uruguay tried to get back in the game and Alvaro Gonzalez forced a fine save from David Ospina before the break. That missed proved costly as Colombia doubled their advantage within five minutes of the restart. A fine attacking move ended with Pablo Armero crossing for Juan Cuadrado to head the ball onto Rodriguez to fire home from close range.

Uruguay could have got back into the game had it not been for the fine reflexes of Ospina who produced another stunning performance for Colombia.

Ospina has been one of the best goalkeepers in the tournament and Colombia, who have been the stand-out team so far, fully deserved their win.

The quarter final will be another all South American affair as Colombia attempt to cause an upset against hosts Brazil. Brazil will be the clear favourites but if Colombia can maintain their fine form they are capable of pushing them all the way and possibly claiming a result.

In a tournament where expecting the unexpected is becoming more and more normal, who knows what might happen. The passion of the tournament will continue to live on as long as Brazil remain in the tournament but, at the same time, it would be fantastic to see the underdogs progress.

Let the drama continue!

Come on you underdogs!

World Cup 2014: It's a knockout

With some people claiming this could be the best ever World Cup, and the knockouts just around the corner, it is time to look back at the group stages.

Luis Suarez may have slightly tainted the greatness of the tournament when he bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini, while England's disappointing early exit means it can't truly be the greatest ever World Cup for Three Lions' fans.

But if you hide behind England's winless tournament and look at it from a purely neutral point of view, the global spectacle in Brazil deserves all the plaudits coming its way.

Personally, France 1998 and the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan are the tournaments that stick the most in my mind. Although England's performances on those occasions were better, Brazil 2014 seems to have that extra special something.

But what is that special thing?
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil has so far been a tournament where expecting the unexpected has almost become the norm and writing off teams is a thing only done at your peril! Although some results have gone to the script, there has been enough drama and surprise to keep fans on their edge of their seats. When you seem certain of something, boom, something else is around the corner.

So what has been the highlight of the World Cup so far?
Without of shadow of a doubt the performances of the underdogs have been the best thing about the tournament for me. Costa Rica have been a breath of fresh air and, although their qualification from Group D was among the reasons for England's exit, it would be great to see them continuing to push on in Brazil. How often can any fan say that a team tipped to finish bottom and be the whipping boys would go on to top the group? Probably, very rarely! But Costa Rica defied the odds to beat both Uruguay and Italy before claiming a goalless draw with England to finish with seven points out of a possible nine. A truly remarkable story and, with a round of 16 tie with Greece next on the horizon, who knows how far they can go. It would be amazing, and rather fitting, if they went onto win the tournament. Although this seems very unlikely, with the likes of Brazil and Argentina still clear favourites, it also cannot be 100% ruled out. Nothing is certain in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil this summer.

Spain, Italy, England and Portugal all exited at the group stages. Who'd have thought it? Although England were expected to struggle in a tough Group D, which proved correct, barely anyone could have predicted all four sides going out so early. The manner of Spain's exit was the most surprising, with the holders being thumped 5-1 by Holland and winning just one of their three group games, and all four sides dropped points to at least one underdog.

The drama seems to be never ending in Brazil, as do the goals, with the first draw of the tournament not happening until the 13th match (a goalless draw between Iran and Nigeria).

So, what has been the best goal of the tournament so far?
There are so many great goals to choose from but, for me, there can only be one winner. Holland were 1-0 up against Australia and looked like they would go on to record a heavy victory. Tim Cahill had other ideas! A high ball flew into the box and the former Everton man met it with the sweetest of volleys and forever left his mark on the 2014 tournament. The Netherlands were also involved in another of the tournament's best goals as Robin Van Persie scored a delightful looping header against holders Spain.

James Rodriguez's scored a stunning chip in Colombia's 4-1 win over Japan, while Lionel Messi has proved himself as one of the World's greatest with four well-taken goals in Brazil including a stoppage-time curler against Iran. USA's Jermaine Jones and Japan's Keisuke Honda also scored goals to remember in Brazil

For all these great goals you need a quality assist. Although it is often only the goalscorer that is remembered, there are some assists that stick in my mind.

So what have been the greatest passes of the World Cup?
Serge Aurier produced two stunning crosses to set up both goals in Ivory Coast's 2-1 win over Japan. It may not have led to a goal but Andres Iniesta's pass to release David Silva in Spain's 5-1 defeat by Holland had a really touch of class about it. It is hard to choose between the assists I consider to have been the best so far. Kwadwo Asamoah produced a stunning inch perfect curling cross to set up a goal for Asamoah Gyan as Ghana exited the tournament with a 2-1 defeat by Portugal. But the one that just edges it out as pass of the tournament for me so far is James Rodriguez's perfectly timed pass to set up Jackson Martinez in the 4-1 thumping of Japan. Not only was it a delightful assist but Rodriquez has been one of the players of the tournament, scoring in every game so far.

With so much great attacking play and plenty of goals on show it would be easy to ignore the defenders.

Not too many moments spring to mind but does any touch of defensive class spring to mind?
The one that stands out to me is Portugal's Ricardo Costa, who produced a superb goal-line block to keep out USA as the side's drew 2-2.

So onto the goalkeepers, what has been the greatest save of the tournament?
There have been several decent saves in the tournament and too many to remember them all but, in that same game between USA and Portugal, American Tim Howard did superbly to react and push over Eder's follow up after Nani had struck a post. But I think the award has to go to Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, whose stunning display ensured his country picked up a valuable point in a goalless draw with hosts Brazil. Ochoa put himself firmly in the shop window with a series of stunning saves. When he dived to his right to save Neymar's header, Ochoa gave himself a great chance of coming out of the tournament having made the best save in Brazil. The save itself was even likened to the memorable moment when England's Gordon Banks kept out Pele. It's almost as if Brazilian strikers bring the best out of goalkeepers!

With so many great moments in the group stages, nobody will want it to end. So much drama, surprises and entertainment, long may it continue. With the knockout stages on the horizon, the football is likely to go up another level. It may be cagey at times with no side wanting their journey to end, but players will up their games in their bid to claim the ultimate prize.

So what is my prediction for the round of 16?
I don't have the best of luck with predictions. I am having a competition with a friend during this World Cup where we take it in turns to pick a winner from each game and the loser buys the winner a pint. I am 28-13 down and now have to be victorious in all the remaining games of the World Cup or I have lost the competition. My predictions may not be the best but I'll make them anyway! When predicting it is often best to stick to the logical outcome but in a World Cup where expecting the unexpected has happened on a fair few occasions already, nothing is certain!

Brazil vs Chile
It seems unthinkable that this can end in anything other than a Brazil win. All the pressure is on Brazil and anything other than lifting the trophy could be seen as a failure, while Chile have already proved they can match the best with a 2-0 win over Spain. I think it will be closer than many probably expect but I'll go for Brazil to edge this one 2-1.

Colombia vs Uruguay
It is hard to look at this fixture without any bias. After Luis Suarez's tournament ended following his decision to tuck into an Italian during the match, Uruguay's chances became more difficult. Although they still have great players and could yet win this one, many neutrals are now anti-Uruguay and I can't even bring myself to predict anything other than a Colombia win. Take nothing away from Colombia, they have been excellent so far and impressed with their attacking play, so I'm predicting them to win 2-1 for Jose Pekerman's men(probably after extra time).

France vs Nigeria
Nigeria ran Argentina close recently, but this should be a routine win for France. Before the tournament began I predicted France to have a rather special tournament in which they could go a long way. I was going to say 4-1 but I'll be kind to the African side and go for a 3-1 victory for Les Bleus.

Germany vs Algeria
Algeria did superbly to reach the round of 16 for the first time, but I think the three-time winners will prove too hot to handle for the Africans. Germany are experienced at knockout football but this may be closer than people expect. I'm going to go for a rather random prediction of a 4-2 win for Germany.

Holland vs Mexico
One of the toughest round of 16 clashes to call. Mexico have been defensively superb and if Ochoa produces another world class performance Mexico could prevail. But Holland are not going to want their top start to the tournament to get ruined by a dodgy display. It will be tight but I think Holland will just about edge through 2-1 (maybe after extra time).

Costa Rica vs Greece
Since Costa Rica beat Uruguay and Italy, I joked with people about how Costa Rica will go all the way. It is not likely but you just never know and, no disrespect to Greece, but out of the teams left this is the ideal tie for Jorge Luis Pinto's men. I'm going to go for a 3-0 win for Costa Rica.

Argentina vs Switzerland
Do I go with my head or my heart here? My head says don't be silly it is going to be a routine Argentina win with Messi the star of the show. My heart says if Switzerland can pull out all the stops and, if Xherdan Shaqiri has another blinder of a game, they could prevail. Oh, I really can't decide! Most of me thinks Argentina are going to win but I'm just going to bite the bullet and go with one hell of a bold prediction - Switzerland to win 3-2.

Belgium vs USA
Another tough one to call. Belgium were considered the darkhorse for the tournament expected to go far. They didn't produce their best football in the group stages but still finish top of Group H with a maximum of nine points. USA escaped from the group of death in second place, beating off competition from Portugal and Ghana. I think this one is going to be goalless and will need a late goal to settle it. I'll go for 1-0 to the Americans.

So with all the predictions done and dusted all that remains to say is let's hope the second half of the World Cup is as good as the first!

Let the drama continue!

Come on the underdogs!

USA-mazing

USA negotiated their way out of the group of death and into the knockout stages despite a 1-0 defeat by Germany.

When the draw was made last year Germany and Portugal were clear favourites to battle it out for the top two places, but the Americans had other ideas.

After opening their Group G account with a 2-1 win over Ghana, USA gained an impressive 2-2 draw against Portugal to put them level on points with leaders Germany going into the third round of matches.

What more to get the mouth-watering in a vital round of group matches than seeing USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann pitting his wits against his native Germany. It was set to be a cracking match!

In the end there was only one goal between the sides with Thomas Muller, who scored a hat-trick against Portugal, netting his 9th goal in a World Cup in as many games after 55 minutes.

Mesut Ozil's cross found the head of his Arsenal team-mate Per Mertesacker and USA goalkeeper Tim Howard did well to push the shot away. But the ball fell to Muller on the edge of the box and the Bayern Munich man rifled home a lovely first-time shot into the bottom corner of the net.

USA had a great chance to equalise but Clint Dempsey sent his header over the bar as Germany finished top of the group, leaving Klinsmann's men anxiously waiting on the result of the other group game.

Portugal and Ghana only had slim chances of progressing with both needing a win, coupled with a heavy victory for either USA or Germany. With Germany only beating USA 1-0, Portugal's 2-1 victory over the Africans was meaningless as the European side exited the tournament on goal difference.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 51 goals in 47 appearances from Real Madrid last season, had not been at his best so far in the tournament but was at the centre of most of Portugal's best work in Brasilia. He saw an exquisite chip smash against the crossbar before seeing a header kept out by a top class save from Fatau Dauda in the Ghana goal. Ronaldo had plenty time and space to power a header goalwards but Dauda produced one of the saves of the tournament, and his gesture of delight afterwards showed just how good a stop it was. But Portugal were not to be denied too much longer as Ghana defender John Boye acrobatically sliced the ball into his own net on the half hour mark.

The Africans kept alive their slim hopes of qualification when Kwadwo Asamoah delivered one of the crosses of the tournament for Asamoah Gyan to head home the equaliser after 57 minutes. Gyan then turned provider for Majeed Waris but his team-mate could only head wide of goal.

That miss proved costly as Portugal hit the winner, from that man Ronaldo, ten minutes from time. After producing one of the saves of the tournament earlier in the match, Dauda poorly beat away a high ball straight into the path of Ronaldo who had the simple task of shooting into an empty corner of the net.

Portugal were finally in front but a win alone would not be enough and, ultimately, the frustrating heavy 4-0 defeat by Germany in their opening game proved costly as goal difference put them out and the Americans through. USA will be underdogs for their round of 16 clash against Belgium but if they continue to produce gutsy performances they could yet pull of a shock.

In Group H, Belgium had already secured qualification so it was up to Algeria, Russia and South Korea to battle it out for the other spot.

It seemed likely that the outcome of the game between Algeria and Russia would decide who finished in second spot and there was little to separate the sides in their 1-1 draw in Curitiba.

Russia, who had failed to win any of their opening two games, propelled themselves up to second place when Aleksandr Kokorin headed home Dmitri Kombarov's cross after just six minutes.

Islam Slimani headed home Yacine Brahimi's free-kick to level matters on the hour mark, but the goal caused a lot of controversy. In the build up to the goal a laser was shone from the crowd into the face of Igor Akinfeev, totally distracting the Russia goalkeeper. It was out of order and unfair on the Russians, but they can't solely blame that for their exit as Fabio Capello's men have failed to really find their feet in this tournament.

Algeria, on the other hand, have reached the round of 16 for the first time in their history and this was a truly proud moment for the African side. They fully deserve their place in the knockout stages although they will need to be on top form, and produce one of the best ever performances in a World Cup, if they are to stand any chance of beating three-time winners Germany. But stranger things have happened in this World Cup, so you can't fully rule it out!

Belgium continued their 100% start to the tournament with a 1-0 win over South Korea, sending the Asian side out of the tournament.

The European side may not quite have hit top form in the tournament yet but they are now unbeaten in their last nine World Cup group stage matches.

Although it wasn't all plain sailing for the Belgians as Steven Defour was dismissed for a reckless two-footed challenge before half-time.

This could've been the chance for South Korea to take advantage and book an unlikely spot in the round of 16 but they were unable to find a way beyond Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The 10 men of Belgium clinched all three points as Kim Seung-gyu could only parry Divock Origi's effort and Jan Vertonghen was on hand to score from close range.

Marc Wilmot's men will now face USA in the first round of knockout games, in a game that is going to be incredibly hard to call. Before the tournament Belgium were fancied as a potential darkhorse and, although their points tally of nine out of nine is one to be admired, their performances haven't been quite the greatness we expected. Belgium will still be favourites but if USA can produce something special on the day they may well get something out of the tie.

All the fixtures for the knockout stages have now been decided in what has been, in most parts, a truly immense World Cup. Most of it has been about high drama and surprises so it is just a shame that it has been tainted somewhat by one terrible act. No, I don't mean England's elimination from the group stages! More the moment Uruguay striker Luis Suarez bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini...a truly disgusting act that has now been punished!

The Liverpool striker is now banned from all footballing activity for four months, as well as for nine international matches meaning his time in Brazil is over. Several people have said the player clearly needs professional help and he has unsurprisingly come in for huge criticism following the incident. But for some reason the Uruguay FA will not only appeal the decision but have reportedly also claimed that images of the incident were doctored. How can anyone back Suarez this much? It is not like this is the first time - he has bitten an opponent on three occasions, it wasn't a one-off act of madness! So, while Suarez is mooching around finding things to do, during what looks like being a four-month paid holiday, maybe he needs to spend some serious time reflecting on what he has done.

But enough about Suarez, the striker has dominated the headlines enough! Although what he has done is totally unacceptable I do not want to see it ruin what has been arguably the best ever World Cup (if you can forget England's early exit). So much entertainment, plenty of surprises and lots of top goals, saves and moments to savour have happened in Brazil so let's hope it continues!

Now that England are out, fans may adopt a different nation, not for patriotism but more so they have someone to follow the fortunes of. Maybe it could be time to lend our backing to the underdogs, who have performed so admirably thus far in the World Cup, but that's up to you!

Let the drama continue!

Come on you underdogs!

Messi tidies up for Argentina

Lionel Messi struck twice to continue his blistering start to the World Cup as Argentina edged out Nigeria 3-2 in Porto Alegre.

Argentina finished the group as expected on maximum points but the clash against the Africans was much tougher than most had anticipated.

Messi, who has now scored four goals in three games in Brazil, took just three minutes to get off the mark when he smashed home the rebound after Angel Di Maria's shot had cannoned back off a post.

Nigeria hit back almost instantly when Ahmed Musa skipped inside his marker before curling a wonderful effort beyond Sergio Romero in the Argentina goal.

Remarkably, this was the first time ever in a World Cup that both sides had scored inside the opening five minutes. Maybe it wasn't going to be the easy game many had expected it to be for Argentina.

But with Messi in their side anything can happen. The Barcelona forward is regarded as one of the world's greatest players at club level, although some have previously criticised how he had failed to transfer this onto the international stage. Not anymore! This is fast becoming Messi's tournament and he is really enjoying life at this summer's tournament. So it was no surprise to see him put Argentina back in front with a delightful free-kick just before the break.

Things were going in Nigeria's favour in the other match between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran but they still had to make sure they did their own job. The Africans refused to give up and were back on level terms within two minutes of the restart. Musa doubled his tally when he coolly slotted home from close range following a neat one-two with Emmanuel Emenike. But Argentina ensured they would end the group stages top of Group F and on maximum points after Marcos Rojo saw the ball go in off his knee just three minutes later.

Argentina held on for the win to set up a round of 16 clash with Switzerland, while Nigeria will now face 1998 champions France.

Nigeria's main rivals for the runners-up spot in Group F were Iran, but they were eliminated and ended bottom of the group following a 3-1 defeat by World Cup debutants Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Edin Dzeko set Bosnia-Herzegovina on their way to their first ever World Cup victory when he rifled in a long-range effort after 23 minutes. Miralem Pjanic beat the offside trap to score from close range and double his side's advantage shortly before the hour mark.

Reza Ghoochannejad tapped in to set up a nervy finish with just eight minutes remaining, but Iran's World Cup dream was over when Bosnia-Herzegovina full-back Avdija Vrsajevic scored his first international goal moments later as both sides exited the competition.

Xherdan Shaqiri was the star of the show in Group E as his stunning hat-trick saw Switzerland thump bottom-of-the-table Honduras 3-0 and progress into the knockout stages. The Bayern Munich man scored the pick of his three goals when he unleashed an unstoppable curling shot from outside the box after just six minutes.

Shaqiri doubled his advantage shortly after the half hour mark when poor defending from Honduras allowed Josip Drmic to square the ball for him to calmly slot beyond Noel Valladares.

Honduras almost reduced the deficit but a goal-line clearance from Ricardo Rodriguez and a turned down penalty appeal kept Switzerland in control.

Shaqiri completed his treble, and the World Cup's 50th hat-trick, after 71 minutes. Rodriguez's long ball found Drmic, who beat his man before setting up Shaqiri to fire home.

Switzerland were still sweating on the result of the other match in their group as if Ecuador were to beat France they would be going home. But, luckily for Ottmar Hitzfeld's men, Ecuador could only manage a goalless draw against Les Bleus.

Ecuador may feel slightly hard done by as France's Mamadou Sakho stayed on the field unpunished despite appearing to elbow Oswaldo Minda. Ecuador's luck went from bad to worse when their captain Antonio Valencia was dismissed for a clumsy challenge on Lucas Digne in the early stages of the second half.

Both goalkeepers had to be alert to keep the scores goalless as Ecuador were sent crashing out of the tournament.

France finished as Group E winners to set up a round of 16 tie against Nigeria, while Switzerland will be huge underdogs when they face one of the tournament favourites Argentina. It is now up to Switzerland boss Ottmar Hitzfeld to find a way of stopping Lionel Messi from destroying his side. Do that and they might, just might, stand a chance but it is a very tough ask. But in a World Cup where it is becoming very dangerous to write any team off, who knows what might happen.

Let the drama continue!

Come on the underdogs!

Rampant Rodriguez shines again

James Rodriguez scored his third goal in as many games as Colombia cruised into the knockout stages of the World Cup with a 4-1 rout of Japan.

Colombia, who are one of the dark horses of the tournament, finished top of Group C with a maximum 9 points with an impressive nine goals and Rodriguez contributing to the tally in every game.

If Colombia can maintain their impressive form they will certainly give their South American rivals Uruguay a run for their money in the round of 16. Uruguay will no doubt be considered the favourites but in reality it is a very tough one to call! Everyone always talks about the likes of Brazil and Argentina, so why not give Colombia a chance! After all this World Cup is already becoming known for being one where we can expect the unexpected.

As if the game was played to a script, Colombia unsurprisingly took the lead when Juan Cuadrado fired home a penalty after 17 minutes but Japan kept alive their slim hopes of qualifying with a header from Shinji Okazaki in the dying seconds of the first half.

Normal service was resumed within 10 minutes of the restart as Jackson Martinez scored from close range with the first of his two goals. Then came a pass I could watch again and again and again, as Rodriguez's sublime assist released Martinez to put Colombia in total control with eight minutes remaining.

Colombia coach Jose Pekerman then added his own touch of class to the occasion. With the result already beyond doubt he decided to give substitute goalkeeper Faryd Mondrago a run out for the final five minutes, allowing the 43-year-old to become the oldest player at a World Cup finals. Maybe not quite the record you want if you could take your pick of any, but a great landmark all the same and one the shot stopper can be proud of.

The goals weren't finished yet either as Rodriguez continued his fine run of goal scoring form with an exquisite chip a minute from time. The 22-year-old looks set to be a global star and will no doubt be wanted by many top clubs, although Monaco will not want to lose their star winger.

BBC football pundit Mark Lawrenson said: "If he'd had a blue and white Argentinian shirt on everyone would be raving about that," and he has a point. Whilst he may not have reached the heights of Messi just yet, he could get there one day if his performances at this tournament are anything to go by. I'm not saying he will become Messi but he certainly has the potential to be a World beater and many will no doubt follow his career with increased interest from now on.

With Colombia safely through as group winners, and Japan crashing out at the bottom, it was up to Ivory Coast and Greece to battle it out for the runners up spot.

Before kick-off Ivory Coast seemed to be the favourites to progress as they needed just a point to reach the knockout stages, but Greece had other ideas. Greece haven't hit the dizzy heights that saw them win Euro 2004, neither have they done much to particularly impress in Brazil. The Greeks were also bottom of Group C going into the game and, after being forced to make two substitutions inside the first 25 minutes luck certainly looked against them. Yet here we are talking about them reaching the round of 16 of a World Cup for the first time in their history.

It's not all about flashy football, it's about results and the Greeks have done just about enough. Greece had failed to score a goal at the 2014 World Cup before substitute Andreas Samaris made the most of a poor touch by Cheick Tiote to put them ahead three minutes before the break.

Gervinho set up Wilfried Bony to level the scores after 74 minutes and, with the game entering injury-time, Greece were actually set to exit the tournament. That was until Georgios Samaras fired home a controversial late penalty to break Ivorian hearts and send Greece into a dreamland.

Does a team that failed to score in two of their three group games really deserve to be in the knockout stages of a major tournament? The answer doesn't really matter because they are and nothing can change that fact, although they will have to dramatically up their game against Costa Rica.

Ivory Coast, on the other hand, will feel hard done by as there didn't appear to be too much wrong in the incident that led to the penalty which ultimately cost them a place in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Ivory Coast are undoubtedly bitterly disappointed and have now gone out in the group stages in each of the last three World Cup, while their coach Sabri Lamouchi has resigned from his post.

It was a truly dramatic end to Group C and again it was a tale of expecting the unexpected. How Greece came from bottom of the group to sneaking into the round of 16 with a last-gasp goal I'll never know but it is a truly remarkable story. It is unlikely the Greeks will progress too much further but it would also be dangerous to write them off...we have already spoken about what happened in 2004!

Let the drama continue!

Come on the underdogs!

Luis-ing it!

Luis Suarez dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons as Uruguay secured their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Italy.

Suarez is accused of having bitten Giorgio Chiellini, a truly disgusting act if true. All the video and photo evidence is very damning, although the Uruguayan FA are reportedly claiming that pictures have been doctored and are adamant their striker didn't do it!

The worst part about the whole thing isn't what he has actually done. It was a truly horrific act of stupidity from the Liverpool striker and deserves a lengthy punishment, but what stunned me even more than that is the fact it is the third time he has committed this same offence.

Once is already disgusting but could, at a push, be forgiven as a one-off act of stupidity, a moment of madness. But three times, what is he thinking? Suarez has some serious deep rooted issues to make him do such a thing, maybe he actually needs professional help! He really has bitten off more than he can chew this time and if, he gets a two-year ban as has been suggested by some media, I am not even sure that would be enough!

It is such a shame for a player of such world class ability to continue to ruin his own reputation. On the pitch very few could argue about Suarez being among the world's best, his talent is second to none. But three acts of biting, racism and a deliberate handball make it hard to forgive him! Each time neutral fans give him another chance, because he really is a joy to watch on the pitch, he goes and does something like this! Enough is enough this has to stop!

In fact, enough is enough talking about Suarez too. Whilst it was a disgusting unforgivable act from the striker, there were actually four matches of FOOTBALL played yesterday that deserve to be a decent chunk of this blog and I am not going to let Suarez ruin anything else.

Suarez totally took the shine of the fact that his country qualified for the round of 16. Uruguay deserve credit for having secured second place in Group B and, although Suarez has tarnished it, we shouldn't let him grab all the headlines.

Shortly after the incident Diego Godin did just as he did in the Champions League final by scoring the opener. Only this time it was the winning goal as Suarez's cross went in off the defender's back nine minutes from time to send Uruguay's fans into raptures.

For Italy, who saw Claudio Marchisio sent off, it was a second successive World Cup where they failed to get out of the group stages. After lifting the coveted trophy in 2006, their World Cup luck really has diminished and questions will no doubt get asked about why they have performed so poorly in the last two World Cups.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli only signed a new deal in May but has already offered his resignation following Italy's poor showing and the four-time World Cup champions will be keen to rebuild quickly. Uruguay march on into the knockout stages where they will face Colombia but this Group D match is unlikely to be remembered for its football.

Such was the controversy in Natal that it overshadowed England's disappointing World Cup campaign. It may have almost done Roy Hodgson a favour as the talk of the day was not about his under-performing side, although the England boss seemed to think we played well in the goalless draw against group winners Costa Rica. Daniel Sturridge looked lively but failed to make the most of the opportunities that came his way and England were unable to find a goal.

England had started the tournament positively and showed a lot of hunger and desire in their 1-0 defeat by Italy. But a sub-standard performance against Uruguay and a draw against the World Cup's surprise package Costa Rica left England with just a single point to show for their World Cup efforts.

When the groups were first drawn many people were saying how we would struggle to get out the group. We did just that so maybe it is a bit unfair how harsh some people are being on the players. But at the same time, this is a World Cup, nobody likes going home early and fans would've been expecting more than just one measly point. There were some positives on show during the group stages but there is certainly a lot of improvement needed as we get ready for the next task - qualifying for Euro 2016.

Praise must go to Costa Rica though! For all the criticism of England, Uruguay and Italy, Costa Rica haven't fluked their way through this group. They finished as group winners fair and square, take nothing away from them, and they fully deserve their place in the knockout stages.

Costa Rica have been a breath of fresh air in Brazil and definitely cannot be underestimated as they prepare for a round of 16 clash against Greece. Jorge Luis Pinto's men began the World Cup as the minnows, seemingly there just to make up the numbers, in Group D. This couldn't have been further from the truth as Costa Rica finished with a well deserved seven points out of a possible nine to finish top of the group.

Who knows how far they can go but if this World Cup has taught us anything it is, underestimate teams at your peril!

Let the drama continue!

Come on the underdogs!

Double Dutch at summit

Holland continued their 100% record in the tournament after a 2-0 win over Chile saw them secure top spot in Group B.

Louis van Gaal's men began their campaign with a shock 5-1 thumping of holders Spain and have not looked back since. A hard-fought 3-2 win over Australia followed before a top-of-the-table clash against the South Americans decided who would finish top of the pile.

Holland's clash with Chile had goals written all over it, especially after the sides had scored 13 goals between them already in this summer's tournament.

But the match failed to live up to expectations with very little action in the first half and neither goalkeeper having much to do. Arjen Robben, who has been one of the stand-out performers at the World Cup, came close to opening the scoring after a fantastic run from inside his own half ended with him dragging a shot just wide of a post.

Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had to be alert to deny Robben and Memphis Depay after the interval, but he could do nothing to prevent the Dutch from breaking the deadlock 13 minutes from time. Substitute Leroy Fer had only been on the field for two minutes when he powered a header beyond Bravo.

The ever-lively Robben then made sure of maximum points and top spot for Van Gaal's men as his cross was stabbed home by Depay in the dying seconds of the match.

Securing top spot ensured the Dutch would avoid Brazil and instead face Mexico in the round of 16, leaving Group B rivals Chile with the tough task of having to find a way past the hosts.

With nothing to play for other than restoring pride in the group's other fixture, it was hard to know what to expect as holders Spain took on Australia in what would be the final game of the tournament for both sides.

It is still a shock each time I hear the words that Spain are going home. Much was expected from the holders but after two defeats from two games the holders faced Australia in a virtually meaningless game. It didn't change the fact that Spain were heading home, although the soon-to-be replaced champions did restore some pride with a convincing 3-0 win.

David Villa, who was making his final appearance for Spain, opened the scoring with his ninth World Cup career goal after latching onto Juanfran's pass with the cleverest of flicks after 36 minutes. The Spanish legend was replaced shortly before the hour mark and the slow pace in which he left the field emphasised the disappointment of his side's performance at this World Cup.

Andres Iniesta, who had orchestrated the move that led to the opening goal, produced a perfectly weighted pass for Fernando Torres to score from close range after 69 minutes. Substitute Juan Mata completed the scoring when he shot through the legs of Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan.

The result ensured Australia ended the group stages without a point. Although few would have predicted any more than that from the minnows, especially when drawn in such a tough group, their performances merited a better points tally. Spain will join them out of the World Cup exit door and we are guaranteed a new name on the coveted trophy.

Holders Brazil remain one of the favourites to become that name and a thumping 4-1 win over Cameroon saw them finish top of the pile in Group A.

Neymar again proved to be the difference as he took his tournament tally to four goals. The Barcelona forward scored the 100th goal of this summer's tournament as he connected with the ball first time to superbly side-foot the ball home after 17 minutes.

The hosts were briefly stunned into silence when Joel Matip tapped in a simple goal nine minutes later but it didn't take Brazil too long to regain the lead, and again it was that man Neymar. The 22-year-old beat his man before wrong-footing Itandje with a fine effort for his 35th international goal! Yes, 35th goal at the age of just 22! His international record really is that impressive!

Brazil were looking more like themselves in attack and they extended their advantage within four minutes of the restart. Itandje had already been forced into two saves early in the second half before Fred scored from close range, although replays suggest the Brazilian may have been offside.

Substitute Fernandinho finished off a fine passing move to complete the rout six minutes from time and set up a round of 16 meeting with Chile. The South American duo met at the same stage in both France 1998 and South Africa 2010, with Brazil coming out on top on both occasions. The match is likely to be a lot closer this time around but Brazil should win, although Chile have nothing to lose and can go out there and enjoy the game.

Brazil came close to losing top spot a few times during the evening as Group A rivals Mexico finished behind the hosts only on goal difference following their 3-1 win over Croatia.

The match-up between Mexico and Croatia was expected to be a tight affair with both sides in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, but it was far from it! It took until the 72nd minute for the game's first goal but Mexico were more than deserving of their victory.

Captain Rafael Marquez set Mexico on their way when he headed in the opener before Andres Guardado scored from close range to double the advantage just three minutes later. Javier Hernandez's header put his side out of sight before Ivan Perisic netted a late consolation to become the first player to score past Mexico at this World Cup. Croatia's night went from bad to worse when substitute Ante Rebic was sent off for a clumsy challenge in the closing stage.

Mexico will be up against it when they face Holland, who have been one of the teams of the tournament so far, in the round of 16. But in a tournament where expecting the unexpected is almost becoming the norm, it would be very dangerous to write them off!

Costa Rica were written off before the tournament began and have gone on to beat Uruguay and Italy, so already out of the group England will have to be at the top of their game if they are to avoid being on the wrong end of another upset. There may not be a whole lot to play for but the team will need to produce a performance of the highest quality to at least ensure they exit the tournament with points on the board and some pride intact.

England entered the tournament with a hard task of getting out of the group stages and they go into their final game as almost underdogs instead of favourites against a very impressive Costa Rica side, so who knows what might happen next!

Let the drama continue!

Come on the underdogs!

Ron result for Portugal

Clint Dempsey proved once again why he was so popular in the Premier League as he netted a crucial goal in USA's 2-2 draw against Portugal.

The former Tottenham and Fulham striker scored the fifth fastest goal in World Cup history in USA's opening group match against Ghana and he was at it again as his side caused one of the many upsets at this summer's tournament. But it didn't start well for USA as a sliced clearance from Geoff Cameron fell kindly for Nani to score from close range after just five minutes.

It looked like Portugal were going to well and truly put the disappointment of the 4-0 drubbing by Germany out of their system. Nani almost added a second for the favourites but his effort cannoned back of a post before substitute Eder saw his follow-up superbly pushed over by Tim Howard. The save from the Everton goalkeeper seems to get better on each viewing and is arguably one of the best saves of the tournament to date. It was a crucial one as well as it prevented Portugal from doubling their lead and kept USA in the match.

From goalkeeping heroics to immense defending in the second half as Michael Bradley's effort was superbly blocked on the line by Ricardo Costa.

If you thought that was good, it was soon rivalled by some magic in attack at the other end. Jermaine Jones beat his man before unleashing a thunderbolt from outside the box, giving Portugal goalkeeper Beto no chance. With 26 minutes on the clock, it was game on and if Portugal weren't careful they were going to be in trouble.

Portugal paid the price as Dempsey got his body in the right place to guide the ball in from close range to put USA in dreamland and within nine minutes of a memorable win. But Jurgen Klinsmann's men couldn't quite hang on long enough.

Cristiano Ronaldo had failed to light up the World Cup as expected so far but it was still his sublime cross that set up Silvestre Varela to head home the equaliser.

It would've been tough for USA to take, dropping two points so late on, but they can still be mighty proud of their efforts. Germany and Portugal were clear favourites to get out of Group G but, with just one round of matches left to play, the Americans sit proudly in second place and on course for qualification.

USA end the group with arguably their toughest match as Klinsmann will take his side to face the country he made over 100 caps for. A point against Germany would be enough to see USA qualify, but Varela's goal could yet prove decisive for Portugal.

If Portugal beat Ghana and USA fail to beat Germany it will come down to goal difference. If this World Cup has taught us anything so far it is that nothing is certain! Expected the unexpected! So let's just wait and see how this one pans out.

From one of the better games of the tournament to one of the worst. The day may have ended with top quality drama but it certainly didn't start that way.

Belgium had been considered a dark horse for the tournament and ones to watch out for. After two unconvincing performances they have not quite lived up to their billing, although with six points out of six they are still getting the job done successfully! It may not be the great football we were expecting from the Belgians but they are doing what counts and getting the points.

Both sides lacked ideas in what looked set to be a tedious goalless draw, and tedious is putting it kindly! Russia had a penalty appeal turned down before missing the best chance of a dull first half. Alexander Kokorin had time and space in the box but headed horrible wide.

At one point the camera showed a fan appearing to have a brief snooze and given how the game was going it was hardly surprising. It didn't get much better, although Belgium did come close when substitute Kevin Mirallas hit a post with a free-kick.

But the game finally did get a goal to wake up the fans, although it arrived with just two minutes remaining on the clock following more tactical genius from Belgium boss Marc Wilmots.

Both of Belgium's goals in their opening match came from substitutes and it happened again in Rio. Wilmots sent on Divock Origi shortly before the hour mark and the 19-year-old made a decisive impact when he fired home from Eden Hazard's cut back.

Belgium were not at their best but Wilmots still guided them to the right result and into the knockout stages with a game to spare.

But Russia boss Fabio Capello has a lot more work to do as his side's chances of progressing hinge on their final group match against Algeria. Algeria remain in the driving seat and anything other than a win for Russia will see Capello's men exit the tournament.

Russia's chances of progressing hinge on their final round group match against Algeria, while bottom of the group South Korea could still progress. But if South Korea are to progress they would need to beat Belgium by a healthy margin and hope, either, Russia and Algeria draw or Russia only win by a small margin! I love this stage of the competition with so many permutations and working out what may or may not happen. It is just a shame none of them involve England!

While Russia and South Korea still have a chance, Algeria have the destiny of who finishes second in their own hands following their 4-2 win over their Asian opponents.

Two goals in as many minutes put Algeria in control of the six-goal thriller in Porto Alegre. Islam Slimani got between two defenders to latch onto a long ball and flick the ball beyond Jung Sung-ryong in the South Korea goal. Rafik Halliche powered home a header from Abdelmoumene Djabou's corner soon after before provider turned scorer as Djabou side-footed in.

South Korea gave themselves a glimmer of hope within five minutes of the restart when Son Heung-min regained the loose ball, after it had come off his back, and shot through the legs of Algeria goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi. The Asian side almost reduced the deficit further but Ki Sung-yueng's long-range effort was pushed over the bar by M'Bolhi.

That miss proved costly as Yacine Brahimi increased Algeria's advantage with a fourth goal following a neat one-two with Sofiane Feghouli after 62 minutes.

South Korea pulled one back when Koo Ja-cheol scored from close range 10 minutes later but it was too little too late for the Asian side.

That ended the second round of matches as the competition reaches its make or break stage for most of the sides, unlike our beloved England, and holders Spain, who have already been eliminated with a game to spare.

If the third round of matches is as good as the first two we are in for a treat. England may not be in the competition any more, apart from a dead rubber clash against Costa Rica, but there are still plenty more thrills and stills to come in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Let the drama continue!

Come on the underdogs!

Ghana run Germany Klose

Miroslav Klose became the joint-record goalscorer in World Cup history as he helped rescue a point for Germany in a 2-2 draw against Ghana.

It was expected to be a routine win for Germany and the scoreline seemed to be going as per the script when Mario Gotze headed onto his knee to score from Thomas Muller's cross after 51 minutes.

Ghana, who endeared themselves to the neutrals by battling their way to the quarter finals in 2010, hit back soon after with two goals in nine minutes. Harrison Afful crossed for Andre Ayew to head home his second goal in two games. Sulley Muntari then pounced on a loose ball before releasing Asamoah Gyan the coolly slot the ball beyond Manuel Neuer in the Germany goal. The underdogs were in front and seemed to be more than holding their own in Fortaleza!

Klose had only been on the field two minutes when he got onto the end of Benedikt Howedes' header to prod the ball in from close range and write his name into the tournament's record books with his 15th World Cup goal. The striker also became only the third player in World Cup history to score in four different World Cups.

The Lazio man had a chance to snatch victory for Germany and to overtake Brazil's Ronaldo in the all-time goalscoring charts, but he dragged his effort wide. The spoils were shared, with Germany now top of the group and Ghana keeping alive their chances of progressing in Group G.

It was a real shame for this to be one of the few games I missed as, from what I'd been told and after seeing the highlights, this seemed like another truly great match. This World Cup has been immense with plenty of shocks and drama, and could arguably be the greatest World Cup of my lifetime, but England's early exit taints that slightly.

Although there was no shock with who the points went to in the next match, it was hugely surprising for Argentina to only beat Iran 1-0 and even more so that it took them until stoppage time to seal the win.

Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player in the world, often impresses with his performances for Barcelona but some have previously questioned how he has done on the international stage. With two goals in two games in this summer's tournament maybe, just maybe, that is changing.

Iran came close to causing one of the shocks of the tournament and had penalty appeals turned down, with Ashkan Dejagah convinced he had been fouled in the box by Pablo Zabaleta. Dejagah had another chance to open the scoring but his header was superbly tipped over the bar by Sergio Romero. Romero had to be alert again to deny Reza Ghoochannejhad with a diving save as Iran pushed for a winner.

Iran kept more clean sheets in qualifying than any other team at the 2014 World Cup but to be keeping out one of the tournament favourites was even more to be proud of from Carlos Queiroz's men.

Just when the underdogs thought they had pulled off arguably the shock of the tournament, Messi curled in a sublime effort from outside the box to break Iranian hearts in second-half stoppage time. It was a cruel blow for Iran but they are not out of the tournament yet. If Queiroz's men can beat World Cup debutants Bosnia-Herzegovina in their final group game they could progress on goal difference, if Argentina get victory by enough goals against Nigeria.

Nigeria kept their World Cup hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnia-Herzegovina were keen to impress in their first ever World Cup and were unlucky not to have taken the lead when Miralem Pjanic set up Edin Dzeko to score, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Replays suggest the Manchester City striker was clearly onside so Bosnia-Herzegovina would've felt very hard done by. Dzeko had another chance to break the deadlock, only to be denied by Nigeria goalkeeper Victor Enyeama.

To make matters worse their African opponents then took the lead. Emmanuel Emenike powered past his defender before setting up Peter Odemwingie to tap the ball beyond Asmir Begovic in the Bosnia goal. At least the two of them will be back sharing jokes later this summer when they return to training with Stoke!

Begovic produced further saves to keep his side in the game, but Bosnia couldn't make their chances count in their bid to find an equaliser. Dzeko headed straight at Enyeama before seeing another effort come off the goalkeeper's legs and onto a post. It really wasn't Dzeko's night!

Although England still have one game left to play, other sides are already starting to take focus for Three Lions fans. Whilst, we'd love our beloved nation to give us at least something to cheer about in the final game, we must move on! It is hard to know who is the underdog in our next game. We should be the favourites but, judging by the tournament so far, maybe we are in fact the underdogs against Costa Rica.

Despite our disappointment, it is still refreshing to see the likes of Costa Rica and Ghana causing upsets and from a neutral perspective this is still a great tournament. It would be rather fitting if an underdog was to win the competition but Brazil and Argentina are surely still the favourites, with Germany, Holland and France not too far behind.

Let the drama continue!

Come on the underdogs!

Underdogs Costa Rica triumph again as England exit

Costa Rica have been a breath of fresh air this summer and continued to defy the odds after beating Italy 1-0 in Recife.

Even after the World Cup minnows claimed an impressive 3-1 win over Uruguay in their opening group game, few expected them to cause yet another upset.

England's World Cup hopes were already hanging by a thread after they failed to register a point in their opening two matches against Italy and Uruguay. But some fans remained optimistically hopeful, including myself, that we could still sneak into the knockout stages of the tournament.

If Italy gained an expected win over Costa Rica, it would set up a tense final round of matches in Group D. The chances of Italy winning seemed very high and many fans at least thought our fate wouldn't get decided for a further week.

But, not only did Costa Rica produce another shock result, it was also no fluke! Costa Rica fully deserved their win against a lacklustre Italy side whose performance left a lot to be desired.

From the first whistle until the last, Italy were truly woeful. Admittedly, we weren't great in our last match, but Italy's performance in Recife was arguably the worst performance by any side in Group D so far.

Mario Balotelli wasted a good chance for Italy when he missed with a lobbed effort before later forcing a save from Keylor Navas, but that's about as good as it got for Cesare Prandelli's men. Italy were nothing like the side who had beaten us in the opening group game. It was almost as if they had forgotten that they needed to get something out of this game, not just to help us, to ensure they would progress from Group D and not follow us on the plane home.

Costa Rica should have taken the lead when Joel Campbell, who is having a great tournament so far, was barged over in the box by Giorgio Chiellini. But Costa Rica got their just rewards soon after as Fulham striker Bryan Ruiz headed home a minute before half-time. It was a shock lead but a thoroughly deserved one for Ticos.

Italy forced another save from Navas and did have a few decent chances in the second half. But they really didn't live up to their favourites tag in this game as, apart from the odd glimpse, they didn't look like getting anything out of the game. Costa Rica really were good value for the win and, as an Arsenal fan, it was great to see Campbell looking so lively. Maybe, just maybe, he is ready for a regular place in the first-team squad next season, let's wait and see, but he has certainly impressed.

It is a truly remarkable story for Costa Rica and head coach Jorge Luis Pinto deserves huge credit for orchestrating wins over Uruguay and Italy and securing his side's place in the knockout stages of the tournament. Ticos had expected to be the whipping boys in Group D, with Italy, Uruguay and England set to battle it out for the top two spots. Instead Costa Rica have been by far the best team in the group and will be the ones in a happier mood when they play us next week.

For England, that result meant an early exit from the tournament and a now meaningless game, other than playing for pride, against Costa Rica. Before the tournament most people were saying we would struggle to get out of the group, so when we have done just that it seems slightly harsh to see some of the reactions coming out. Yes, it is truly gutting to be knocked out of the World Cup and it is simply not good enough! But, why be so harsh on the players, when in reality we didn't expect much more from them in the tough group we were drawn into.

Many will admit that the performance against Italy was actually better than expected and there were a lot of positive signs on show such as the performance of youngster Raheem Sterling. The performance against Uruguay was sub-standard compared to the previous game's. Any positives will be forgotten by many as the focus remains on the fact we failed to win either of our opening games and exited a World Cup in the group stages for the first time since 1958. Such a shame, but there is no point thinking about the what ifs. The reality is we are out! I'm usually all for being positive, and I can see some positives in individual performances, but collectively we weren't good enough.

You could argue that this World Cup has been full of surprises and, with holders Spain also exiting early, we shouldn't be too harsh on our beloved nation. But at the same time you can't hide behind the results and results say we didn't do well enough!

It would be easy to analyse England's World Cup performance further and to go in depth into every little detail, but I think we have to accept we just weren't good enough and ensure something is done about it to help us be better for the next major tournament.

Italy beating Costa Rica really did leave me feeling truly gutted, so much so that for the first time in this summer's tournament I didn't watch much of the remaining two games that day so had to instead reflect on the highlights.

I have been predicting games with a friend, taking it in turns to pick a team each per game, and I have been on the wrong end on most occasions. I had a good feeling about France getting far in the tournament and winning all their group games, yet for some reason I predicted Switzerland to get the points in their clash. Well, that backfired!

Two goals inside two minutes set France on their way to a 5-2 victory. Olivier Giroud powered in an unstoppable header after 17 minutes before Blaise Matuidi coolly slotted home from inside the box just 66 seconds later. Karim Benzema saw his penalty saved but there was still time for Les Bleus to find a third before the break. Giroud set up Mathieu Valbuena to score from close range.

After two goals in their opening group game against Honduras, Benzema continued his fine form with a clinical finish after 67 minutes before Moussa Sissoko completed the rout soon after. That was France's eighth goal of the tournament and if they keep up this clinical finishing maybe my prediction will be right and they will go a long way!

Despite being thumped by the French, Switzerland did manage to score a superb goal when Blerim Dzemaili drilled a long-range free-kick beyond Hugo Lloris with nine minutes remaining. Granit Xhaka latched onto a ball over the top before hitting it first time for a well taken goal to restore some pride for the Swiss.

It looked like France had added another with a top class goal from Benzema late on, only for it to be disallowed as the full-time whistle had already blown.

Many people have talked about Brazil and Argentina being among the favourites to win it, but France have quietly gone about their business and got the results needed and certainly can't be written off as possible winners this summer.

The defeat saw Switzerland drop into third place in Group E, ahead of the final round of matches, after their group rivals Ecuador claimed a 2-1 win over Honduras.

Honduras had done little to endear themselves to the neutrals with their somewhat aggressive approach in their defeat by France, but they took a shock lead shortly after the half hour mark in Curitiba. Carlo Costly latched on to a long clearance from his team-mate before controlling the ball and firing a shot beyond Alexander Dominguez in the Ecuador goal. But the lead didn't last long as a deflected cross allowed Enner Valencia to score with a simple finish from close range three minutes later.

Honduras almost regained the lead soon after but Costly's header was disallowed for an infringement. Costly's disallowed goal proved, well, costly for Honduras as Valencia's 65th-minute header gave Ecuador all three points and, more importantly second place in Group E.

Reflecting on the action the following day it is still hard to comprehend that we are out of the tournament and, even though it was what many realists expected, I am still truly gutted. Rather than dwell on it let's just hope the younger players gained some positives from the experience and can build on this in the next major tournament.

Roll on Euro 2016 in France! Who knows what will happen there!

QUE SERA SERA!

EN-GER-LAND!

Super Suarez dents England hopes

Luis Suarez again proved his world class ability as his brace left England's World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

There is no doubting the sheer skill of the man, although he has built up a bit of a reputation for some of his previous antics in the game, including a deliberate handball and biting an opponent.

I will be among those to admit that, when players with those kind of reputations, are involved in an incident your first reaction is usually to think they are in the wrong.

Suarez, who defied the odds to recover from a knee operation in time to play, had already given England a glimpse of what was to come when he headed Uruguay in front six minutes before half-time. At first when he scored, I was lambasting a clanger from Joe Hart in the England goal and couldn't believe he had not saved it. This was my patriotic passion coming to the fore, becoming frustrated at every little thing, so desperate was I to see England succeed. Hart maybe should have done slightly better but it wasn't the clanger I had first thought. This game really was getting the emotions flowing as we all wanted our World Cup campaign to continue for as long as possible.

England, who had shown a lot of positivity in their unlucky defeat by Italy, seemed to lack ideas at times in parts of the game. But they got back into the tie when good work from Daniel Sturridge released Glen Johnson, who slid the ball into Wayne Rooney to score from close range after 75 minutes. It was Rooney's first ever World Cup goal and it seemed to galvanise the side as Roy Hodgson's men upped their game and, at that point, looked the more likely to grab a winner.

But headline-maker Suarez was clinical once again when he latched on to goalkeeper Fernando Muslera's long punt up field to fire home in the closing minutes. On first viewing some England fans were convinced the goal was offside and, probably because of Suarez's reputation, were even more irritated by the decision to award the goal as they were convinced Suarez had "cheated" again. I was among that group and could not believe he had got away with it yet again.

When later reflecting on the game and seeing replays again, it turns out the long ball had been flicked on by the head of England skipper Steven Gerrard, and the frustratingly onside Suarez made no mistake as he coolly slotted the ball beyond Hart.

England were unable to find a response, leaving their World Cup hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads. It is strange to think we are playing better than we did in the last World Cup in 2010, but we are far worse off having yet to register a point in Brazil. But the crazy thing is that, unlike Spain, we are not out of the tournament just yet despite having lost both of our opening two group games.

If Costa Rica get anything out of their clash with Italy, England are out. But we can't think like that! Although this World Cup has been full of surprises, if Italy can get the result most people expect by beating Costa Rica, then England still have a glimmer of hope.

In that scenario, England would head into their final group game with Costa Rica knowing that if win, and Italy beat Uruguay, they could yet get out of Group D and into the knockout stages on goal different.

On the one hand, this seems unlikely and that to think of this possibility is clutching at straws. Then again, the reality of the situation is, Italy are more than capable of winning their remaining two games. If they do, we have to seriously up our game to beat Costa Rica and maybe, just maybe, we might be able to enjoy this World Cup for a little while longer.

No team has ever got out of the group stages after losing their opening two games, so come on boys, let's go write our own piece of history in the World Cup book.

For all the drama and disappointment of England's loss to Uruguay, fans could've been forgiven for forgetting there was another World Cup match televised later that evening. Fans deciding to stay up to watch the late game probably would've wished they'd not stayed awake an extra 90 minutes as neither Japan or Greece could be separated in a goalless draw.

The task got more difficult for Greece when their captain Konstantinos Katsouranis was sent off for a second bookable offence before half-time. But the Greeks didn't simply roll over and Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima had to be alert on few occasions to keep them out. Japan couldn't find away past Orestis Kanezis either as both sides kept alive their chances of getting into the knockout stages, although Ivory Coast look more likely to be the ones progressing from Group C.

But the African side dropped points in their match following a 2-1 defeat by Colombia, which secured the South American's place in the knockout stages.

Teofilo Gutierrez really should have put Colombia ahead in the first half but he side-footed his effort horribly wrong, a truly embarrassing miss! But his blushes were spared after the restart as two goals in six minutes from James Rodriguez and substitute Juan Quintero put Colombia in control.

Gervinho gave Ivory Coast a lifeline when he danced past three defenders to score three minutes later, but Colombia held on for the win, leaving the African side with plenty work to do if they are to join their opponents in the round of 16.

The World Cup really is in full flow and the games I have seen as a neutral have been a pleasure to watch. It is just a shame that once again England have left me excited, nervous, frustrated and a whole host of other emotions and we still don't know our fate!

Although the tournament as a whole has been full of excitement and drama, many fans would probably admit that once their home nation is knocked out of a World Cup their own personal interest in the competition fizzles out a bit.

But let's hope this doesn't happen for England. As faint as our hopes may be considered to be let's not give up hope! Let's continue to back the boys and see what happens...you just never know!

QUE SERA SERA

EN-GER-LAND

Pain for Spain

Holders Spain were humiliated after defeat to Chile saw them suffer an early exit from the 2014 World Cup.

Spain were among the favourites for the title and, even after a woeful 5-1 loss to Holland in their opening game, Vincent Del Bosque's men were expected to bounce back in their second match.

But it was not to be. Not only did they fail to qualify for the knockout stages with one game still left to play, but the manner of their performances was truly terrible.

After taking the lead against Holland things were looking good until a second-half collapse saw them on the wrong end of a hiding. But even that was seen as maybe just a bad day at the office and one they would recover from.

But there seemed to be no hunger or desire to come up with a top quality performance to erase the memory of the previous one. Spain really were struggling to create anything, it looked like the end of an era for what had been a dominant force in world football.

Spain really don't seem to have much luck in Brazil! The last time they conceded seven goals in two games at a World Cup was back in the 1950 tournament in, you guessed it, Brazil! On one level, it was horrible to see such a force capitulating before our very eyes but at the same time it was refreshing to see an underdog make them look so ordinary!

It seems the World Cup is difficult to retain. France won the tournament in 1998 before failing to get out the group stages in 2002. Italy failed in 2010 after their 2006 triumph and now Spain, who became the fifth defending champion to fail to progress from the group stage at the World Cup.

So, is the expectation of winning the title again and having to reach a certain stage becoming too much? I don't think so! But as every football fan knows, you can never underestimate an underdog and it is becoming more common than it was several years ago for a smaller side to be able to have a chance of getting a shock result.

But all the focus seems to be on Spain's downfall and the shock of them not even reaching the knockout stages, but let's give Chile credit. The South Americans fully deserved their 2-0 win and it was as equally about them playing well as it was about Spain underperforming.

When watching the highlights back, I had totally forgotten about Pedro's early effort for Spain, such was Chile's dominance in the game.

Slick passing from Chile set up Eduardo Vargas to open the scoring after 19 minutes but, even then, my head was telling me "Spain will pull a goal back, they'll be fine".

How wrong I was! Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who had a torrid time against Holland in the opening game, again took centre stage after his poor punch from Alexis Sanchez's free-kick allowed Charles Aranguiz to score a top goal with the outside of his foot.

Spain were 2-0 down and fighting to stay in the World Cup, or at least that's the reaction you would have expected. But they still didn't show any fight. At no point did they look like pulling a goal back, the holders looked totally helpless and exited the tournament with a whimper....and they still have a dead rubber against Australia left to play.

Disappointment for Spain but another game to add value to the argument that the 2014 tournament in Brazil could be the greatest World Cup.

The World Cup will now have new holders and there will be no victory song for Spain. There will also be no victory for Song in Cameroon either!

With the scores tight at 1-0 the Barcelona midfielder inexplicably elbowed the back of Mario Mandzukic, very idiotic and gave Cameroon a mountain to climb in a game they maybe could've got something out of. Song did later apologise for his actions but it was still a very stupid thing to have done in a big match on a global stage in front of a mass audience!

Ivan Perisic burst up field before firing home to double Croatia's lead within three minutes of the restart. Cameroon's fate was then all but sealed when Mandzukic's header put their opponents three goals to the good shortly after the hour mark.

Mandzukic tapped in a rebound to secure a 4-0 win for Croatia, leaving Cameroon to join Spain and Australia as teams failing to make it out of the group stages at this summer's World Cup.

As if the defeat wasn't bad enough, the problems mounted for Cameroon as two of their own players tussled with Benoit Assou-Ekotto headbutting team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo.

A World Cup is meant to be about nations coming together and uniting in their love of sport, not players from the same team turning on each other! It looked as if it would continue down the tunnel after the game but the experienced Samuel Eto'o tried to stand in the way.

Cameroon were never expected to do too much in their group, but this is certainly not the fashion in which they would want to be exiting the tournament (not that there is ever a good way). They will need to produce something special in their final group match against hosts Brazil if they are to redeem themselves following their nightmare night in Manaus.

But take nothing away from Croatia, they took their goals well and deserve to still be fighting for qualification into the knockout stages, with their match up against Mexico likely to decide who gets second place in Group A.

The group stages continue to get more exciting and it is almost time for the turn of England to kick start their tournament against a Uruguay side also hoping to bounce back from defeat.

It is going to be a hugely tough game and stopping Luis Suarez alone will be difficult but, if we can hit top form, we are capable of getting a result against the South Americans.

Our World Cup hangs in the balance and the next result will go a long way to deciding the fates of both sides in Group D but nothing is over yet! Let's get behind the boys and just wait and see what happens!

QUE SERA SERA

EN-GER-LAND

Dutch courage sees off Aussies

Tim Cahill scored the goal of the tournament to date as a gutsy Australia came unstuck in a narrow 3-2 defeat by Holland.

If there was ever a game to epitomise what is great about a World Cup this was it. Great drama, top quality goals, end to end action and a mammoth effort by the underdogs as Australia came so close to causing a major shock at this summer's tournament.

When Arjen Robben raced clear to open the scoring after 20 minutes it looked like business as usual was on the cards and, if the Aussies weren't careful, they could be on the end of a hiding from the Dutch as per their group rivals Spain.

But just a minute later Cahill produced a worldy of a World Cup goal to not only wow the fans, but also wake his side up and cause them to make a real go of it for the rest of the match. A high ball flew into the box and Cahill met it with the sweetest of volleys to hammer the ball home. As Dan Walker, of the BBC, would say, what a thronker!

It was a truly world class goal by Cahill but the former Everton man picked up his second yellow card of the tournament and will unfortunately miss his country's final group match against Spain. If results go as expected it will be their last game of the World Cup in Brazil but, if it is, at least the midfielder bowed out in style.

The underdogs continued to press and caused a surprise to the Dutch fans, along with the neutrals, when they took the lead. The ball smacked against the hand of Daryl Janmaat and a penalty was given. Some would say it was harsh as the ball was hit at his hand but we've all seen them given before and that's what happened in this clash! Mile Jedinak slotted home the penalty to give Australia an unlikely lead. But before Australia had a chance to build momentum, Holland hit back with a leveller from the in-form Robin Van Persie inside four minutes. The Manchester United striker beat the offside trap before firing the ball beyond Matthew Ryan from close range.

Substitute Memphis Depay hit the decisive blow after 68 minutes when his long-range strike beat Ryan, who probably should've done better to cope with the shot. Although the goalkeeper could've probably prevented the goal it was unfair of the ITV commentary team to talk about two goalkeeping blunders in two days. Ryan should've done better to get to the shot but it was nothing compared to the error by his Russian counterpart Igor Akinfeev the previous day, which was far more of a blunder.

Holland held on for a narrow 3-2 win, which was far less convincing than the result many were expecting from this match. Australia put up a much stronger fight than the Dutch's previous opponents holders Spain and will count themselves unlucky not to come away with a point.

It will be a difficult result to take for Australia who have no points to show for two spirited performances, although mathematically they are still in with a slim shout of qualifying for the knockout stages. Holland, on the other hand, were not at their best this time around but still got the job done with maximum points and eight goals from their opening two games.

If the games continue in the same fashion this will truly be a World Cup to remember. Our beloved nation England may find themselves playing the part in another World Cup cracker when they play Uruguay in Sao Paulo.

England will need to find their own Cahill-like hero in front of goal, while the defence will also have to stay strong to keep out the dynamic duo of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

Stopping Suarez is not an impossible task. For all his world class ability, he failed to score against any of the other sides in the top four of the Premier League last season. So can he score in the big games when it matters? We'll find out soon, but let's hope the likes of Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill have games to remember and frustrate Uruguay's star man.

England can also take heart from the fact group minnows Costa Rica came from behind to secure a deserved 3-1 win against the South Americans. So, why can't we? I say we can, we are more than capable of getting a result, so here's hoping for one hell of a huge performance from the Three Lions.

QUE SERA SERA

EN-GER-LAND

Akinfeev-er almost costs Russia

A goalkeeping blunder ensured South Korea took a share of the spoils against Russia as the final teams completed their opening match of this summer's World Cup.

The group H clash was expected to be a tight affair so it was no surprise to see the score end 1-1 in Cuiaba.

Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who was once linked with a move to Manchester United, is highly rated by many and once went over 350 minutes without conceding a goal in the Champions League - an impressive feat!

But he certainly did not cover himself in glory, spilling some of the shots that came his way before being at fault for the goal. Lee Keun-ho's long-range effort squirmed through the hands of Akinfeev to give South Korea the lead after 68 minutes.

Luckily for Akinfeev, substitute Aleksandr Kerzhakov spared his and Russia's blushes as a loose ball fell kindly to him to give him an easy finish.

Former England boss Fabio Capello probably wouldn't have been too disappointed to see his Russia side claim a point, but they will have to up their game against fellow European side Belgium as they continue their bid to qualify for the knockout stages.

So, with all the teams having played one game in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, what is the verdict so far?

I always look forward to any World Cup and this one has been no exception. Plenty of drama, entertainment, shocks, great football, silly errors and special moments already in the first week of the tournament.

After 12 games full of goals, there was finally a draw at the World Cup as neither Iran or Nigeria could find the net. There have only been two draws since as the tournament continues to deliver top quality entertainment.

The second round of games is where things really start to hot up as some side's know defeat could spell exit from the competition. If Cameroon lose their upcoming game against Croatia, they will be the first nation to crash out of the 2014 World Cup. There is no margin for error and nobody wants an early exit!

Our beloved England will be hoping to avoid just that when they take on Uruguay in a vital Group D clash. Both side's lost their opening group game and another defeat could mean an abrupt end in either's bid to qualify for the knockout stages.

Luis Suarez looks like he may be back to boost Uruguay's attacking options but we may still have a chance of beating them. If we can hit top form and, exploit the same weaknesses Costa Rica managed earlier in the competition, we are more than capable of getting the result.

We need 11 huge performances and we all need to get behind the boys and sing COME ON ENGLAND!

QUE SERA SERA

EN-GER-LAND

Brooks' side ensure victory

John Brooks lived his very own American dream with a goalscoring World Cup debut to remember in Natal.

USA got off to the perfect start when former Tottenham and Fulham striker Clint Dempsey netted the fifth-fastest ever goal in World Cup history after just 29 seconds.

Not only was the goal super quick but it was also an impressive milestone for Dempsey, who scored in his third successive World Cup.

But gutsy Ghana, who reached the quarter finals in South Africa four years ago, refused to give up and were rewarded eight minutes from time with a goal from Andre Ayew and what looked like a share of the points.

Ghana's joy soon turned to heartache as American youngster Brooks headed home the winner in what was only his fifth cap for his country.

This could prove to be a vital three points for Jurgen Klinsmann's USA, especially with games against his home nation Germany and Portugal yet to come in Group G.

USA may even fancy their chances against Portugal, who themselves will need a dramatic improvement after a 4-0 thumping defeat by Germany. Beating one of the favourites to take the title, Germany, would be a huge ask but with the Jurgen Klinsmann factor adding extra spice to this later fixture you never know what might happen.

The following day focus switched to Group H, the only sides left in the competition yet to play a game. Russia are set to entertain South Korea in the late kick-off but first Belgium, many people's dark horses as possible outsiders for the global title, took to the field.

Nothing other than a Belgium win was expected against Algeria, but when Sofiane Feghouli opened the scoring from the penalty spot it looked like the African side might actually get something out of the game.

But a stroke of genius from coach Marc Wilmots ensured favourites Belgium would overcome the scare of going a goal down to take all three points. Substitute Divock Origi looked lively after coming off the bench, while Marouane Fellaini had only been on the field for five minutes when he levelled the scores with a looping header.

Fellow substitute Dries Mertens also had a decisive impact after latching onto Eden Hazard's perfectly weighted pass to smash home the winning goal with just 10 minutes remaining.

It wasn't the convincing win many had expected from the Belgians but Wilmots' men still got the job done to get their World Cup campaign off a great start.

Brazil also got their World Cup off to a winning start with a 3-1 victory over Croatia and, in a World Cup full of goals, many would've expected Brazil to get a couple, or at least one against Mexico. Mexico held firm to claim a goalless draw and what is a valuable point for them, but it will probably feel more like a defeat for the hosts.

Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa produced heroics to keep out the hosts, including one likened to another by a certain Gordon Banks, earning him huge praise by many football fans on social media. The 28-year-old also appears to be available on a free transfer and his performance against Brazil will certainly have pushed him further into the centre of the shop window.

Both sides still look likely to qualify out of Group A but this result will still hurt Brazil. After a flurry of goals at the start of the tournament we've now had two goalless draws in two days, what's going on!? Sort it out! At least Spain and Holland are back in action tomorrow so expect the action to be full of goals again (or a continued pattern of draws, take your pick).

Even if they finish runners-up in the tournament it would feel like defeat for the hosts. Luiz Felipe Scolari's men have one agenda, and one agenda only, for this World Cup - to end it as Champions. They will need to find their goalscoring touch again soon and their final Group A opponents, Cameroon, will have to defend strong to avoid being on the wrong end of a thumping.

England will also have to make sure they are at their best to avoid a big defeat against Uruguay later in the week. There is no room for error against Luis Suarez and co, who also failed to register a point in their opening game. It has all the makings of a great match and I am already filled with so much excitement (and nerves). Still have absolutely no idea what will happen but I do know this - If we hit top form on the day we are more than capable of getting a result.

QUE SERA SERA

EN-GER-LAND

Crazy commentators, goal-line technology and World Cup debuts

Looking at the scoreline football fans could be forgiven for thinking France hammered Honduras with a routine 3-0 win. But there was so much more to the story that unfolded in Porto Alegre, or was there? I'm not sure Jonathan Pearce could quite make his mind up!

Honduras did little to endear themselves with the neutral with their rather aggressive approach to the game. Wilson Palacios fouled Paul Pogba, who stupidly reacted and lashed out and both players were lucky to end up with just yellow cards. But Palacios' game ended before half-time as he pushed Pogba over in the box to concede a penalty. The clinical Karim Benzema opened the scoring but it is the second half were the game really came alive.

Benzema appeared to net his second goal of the game within just three minutes of the restart. The goal stood but only after France became the first international team ever to benefit from goal-line technology. Benzema's effort came off the far post and initially the GoalControl system ruled 'No Goal' but, when that message displayed on the big screen in the stadium, it sent a wave of confusion among the fans.

But that 'No Goal' ruling was only for the initial effort that hit a post. A second decision was then needed for what followed when the ball hit the Honduras' goalkeeper and rolled into the net. It clearly crossed the line, there was no question about that, but because of all the confusion Honduras' players and coaching staff were complaining to the officials.

If you think the players, coaching staff and fans were confused, spare a thought for Jonathan Pearce who appeared to have a meltdown during this historic moment. My first memory of Pearce is his eccentric celebration of a goal from Roberttoooooooooooooo Di Matteoooooooooooooooo! But this one will also live long in the memory, he didn't seem to have a clue what was going on! One minute it was no goal, the next it was given. Everyone else seemed to understand and even Martin Keown had to try and explain to his co-commentator what was going on. If that wasn't enough, Pearce then wrongly announced a goal that clearly hit the side-netting, he was having a mare! Maybe the heat was affecting his ability to think, he really wasn't having much luck and fans took to twitter to mock his antics. Some of them crossed the line...or did they!? We'll let Pearce decide....if he can handle that!

The game that followed may not have been as dramatic but it still had its memorable moments. Lionel Messi announced his arrival at the 2014 World Cup with an immense goal, but you wouldn't expect anything else from the Messiah who is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever players of my lifetime. That put Argentina 2-0 to the good but Bosnia-Herzegovina, who were playing in their first ever World Cup, refused to give up! Vedad Ibisevic scored with six minutes remaining to set up a tense finish. Argentina held on for the three points but Bosnia-Herzegovina can be proud of their efforts.

The following day's action began with two of the 'big' teams facing off against one another. After seeing Holland tear Spain apart 5-1 after expecting a close game, few would've thought Germany were going to hammer Portugal and that a rout was on the cards again. But a Thomas Muller hat-trick gave Germany the perfect start to their World Cup campaign as they won 4-0, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo, who is among the world's best players, wondering how on earth he was on the wrong end of such a drubbing. No doubt there would've been several neutrals out there pleased to see such a sight, even if it did mean a win for our big rivals Germany. Besides, if you are going to give penalty experts Germany a spot-kick inside the opening 15 minutes, it spells trouble! Muller, picked up where he left off from getting the Golden Boot in the 2010 World Cup, with a clinical hat-trick.

Portugal seemed to be all over the place. Pepe, who has a bit of a bad reputation at times, actually seemed slightly hard done by in my opinion. It was a silly thing to do but maybe a yellow would have been justified, instead his red card and the abysmal result leaves Portugal playing catch up and in need of a big win when they meet USA in their next match!

Just when we thought the 2014 World Cup couldn't get any more exciting and dramatic....it didn't! Iran and Nigeria took to the field and this summer's tournament saw its first 0-0 at the 13th time of asking (not sure who's asking, anybody?). Who says 13 is an unlucky number!? It could prove to be a valuable point for both sides.

Here's hoping the drab draw was a one off and that the tournament's excitement soon picks up again. With England vs Uruguay not too far away, it shouldn't take too long! It's a huge game and one we are capable of winning as nobody wants to be going home early from a World Cup in Brazil, so let's keep it going!

QUE SERA SERA!

EN-GER-LAND