TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014

How the 32 World Cup finalists fared

BRASILIA: Following is a brief analysis of how GROUP D each of the 32 finalists at the World Cup per- Italy formed in Brazil: Italy’s campaign ended in sadly familiar style with bickering and recriminations against WINNERS the referee, yet it was a general lack of quality, Germany especially in attack, which caused their down- Germany won the World Cup for a fourth fall. Coach Cesare Prandelli offered frank criti- time and became the first European team to cism on the state of Italian football as he lift the trophy in the Americas thanks to a bril- announced his resignation immediately after liant goal by substitute Mario Goetze seven the 1-0 defeat by Uruguay, which condemned minutes from the end of extra time that the four-times champions to a second succes- secured a 1-0 victory over a dogged Argentina sive group stage elimination. Their tally of two side in Sunday’s final. goals was their lowest since 1966 when they Joachim Loew’s side thoroughly deserved were eliminated by North Korea in a national their triumph and perhaps the abiding memo- humiliation. ry of their campaign, along with their win at the Maracana in front of Chancellor Angela England Merkel, was their stunning semi-final perform- A 0-0 draw with Costa Rica in their final ance when they shocked the soccer world by group game following defeats by fellow for- thrashing Brazil 7-1. mer champions Italy and Uruguay meant a swift departure after England’s worst World RUNNERS-UP Cup campaign since 1958. Argentina There was not enough quality or self-belief, Seeking a third World Cup and first since or faith from coach Roy Hodgson in his young- 1986, Argentina had their chances in the final sters when it was most needed, and the but came up just short after a series of per- coach’s questionable tactics raised doubts formances marked by the brilliance of captain about his future. Lionel Messi and some superb defending and team work. GROUP E Messi struck four times in the group stage Ecuador and set up Angel Di Maria to score the winner Ecuador became the only South American against Switzerland in the last 16 but the four- team not to advance beyond the group stage times world player of the year was unable to when they had captain sent carry his nation to the title and turned in a off against France in their final game and subdued performance in the final against a could only manage a 0-0 draw. well-organised German side. They never recovered from the defeat in their first match of the tournament, a come- THIRD from-behind 2-1 win for Switzerland with a Netherlands last-gasp winner, and a 2-1 victory against A relatively inexperienced team bolstered by Honduras was as good as it got for coach stalwarts like captain Robin van Persie and Reinaldo Rueda’s side. winger Arjen Robben were given little chance of emulating the achievement of four years ago RIO DE JANEIRO: Fireworks are launched over the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after Germany won the FIFA World Cup 2014. — AFP Honduras when they reached the final. But they came Honduras dreamed of a first appearance in mighty close to doing just that under canny Suarez was sent home in disgrace after biting World Cup matches, in 1994 and 2010, and tain Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon had the hosts on the last 16 at their third World Cup but were coach Louis van Gaal, opening their campaign an opponent. were eliminated on penalties by surprise pack- the back foot for periods before they were sent packing with a consolation that only by thrashing holders Spain 5-1 before being The second-round exit was in stark contrast ages Costa Rica. handsomely beaten. underscored their limitations: a lone goal in edged out on penalties by Argentina in the last to Uruguay’s march to the semi-finals in 2010 three outings. four and comfortably beating hosts Brazil 3-0 in but without Suarez leading the line and appar- Switzerland GROUP B ’s strike against Ecuador broke the third-place playoff. ently worn out by the controversy they Ottmar Hitzfeld’s vibrant side of second- Spain the team’s 32-year World Cup goal drought slipped to a limp 2-0 defeat by Colombia. generation immigrants, epitomised by the With many of the players who helped Spain but coach Luis Fernando Suarez, who said he FOURTH cheeky skills of Kosovo-born Xherdan Shaqiri, win back-to-back European titles with a debut was stepping down after the 3-0 reverse to Brazil Algeria were a far cry from the teams which bored World Cup triumph in between still in the side, Switzerland that ended his team’s participa- Anything less than victory on home soil Algeria’s battling display in a 2-1 loss to fans rigid at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. the holders were expected to go deep in the tion, dismissed the historic moment as an irrel- was always going to be seen as a failure but Germany on their first appearance in the Their four games in Brazil produced more tournament. But they never recovered from a evance. nobody could have predicted Brazil would suf- knockout round not only won them many goals and excitement than their previous two 5-1 drubbing by 2010 runners-up the fer a 7-1 humbling at the hands of Germany in admirers but also marked them out as one of campaigns combined, with seven for and sev- Netherlands in their opening game and GROUP F the semi-finals, one of the greatest shocks in the favourites for next year’s African Nations en against, including a memorable Shaqiri hat- crashed out after losing 2-0 to Chile in their Bosnia soccer history. Cup. Under Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic, trick against Honduras, before they fell 1-0 to second outing with the reputations of key fig- The debutants gave Argentina a run for Deprived of injured talisman Neymar and who confirmed he was stepping down after Argentina. ures like captain Iker Casillas and centre back their money in losing their opening game 2-1 inspirational captain Thiago Silva, who was the tournament, the North Africans were full Sergio Ramos in tatters. but coach Safet Susic came under fire for using suspended, ’s side were torn of fight, disciplined and showed outstanding United States a cagey 4-5-1 formation which ensured his to shreds and the players followed up with fitness in unexpectedly taking the Germans to Coach Juergen Klinsmann squeezed every- Australia team had only pride to play for against Iran. another woeful performance to lose 3-0 to the extra time. thing he could out of his squad of gritty and The 3-0 defeat by Spain in their final game, Bosnia played with more adventure in their Netherlands in the third-place playoff. determined players but the team were ulti- their third loss in three group outings, ensured final match and were rewarded with a 3-1 suc- Nigeria mately hamstrung by a lack of creativity in that 2014 would be the least successful of cess, their first World Cup win, to finish third in QUARTER-FINALS The African champions will draw satisfac- midfield and a dearth of genuine goal scorers. Australia’s four World Cup campaigns. the group. Colombia tion from advancing to the knockout phase Howard produced one of the all-time However, coach Ange Postecoglou was not The flamboyant South Americans provided but showed no signs of palpable progress. great goalkeeping performances against alone in thinking that, taking their campaign Iran Their four matches, including the 2-0 defeat Belgium, pulling off a record 16 saves, but as a whole, his young and inexperienced some of the standout moments of the tourna- With reputations enhanced by a series of ment, from James Rodriguez’s stunning volley resolute displays, Iran justifiably left Brazil with in the 2-0 defeat of Uruguay in the last 16 to their heads held high but the departure of the team’s catchy dance-routine goal celebra- coach after the team’s exit tion. Rodriguez, the tournament’s top scorer leaves the future uncertain. with six goals, was inconsolable after The tactical nous of the popular Queiroz Colombia were eliminated 2-1 in a bruising was on display as the Iranians held African quarter-final battle with Brazil but Jose champions Nigeria and came with seconds of Pekerman’s side went far further than expect- repeating the trick against twice former cham- ed despite the absence of leading striker pions Argentina before they bowed out with Radamel Falcao. defeat by Bosnia.

France GROUP G Another team who outperformed following Portugal low expectations, France impressed by cruis- Portugal’s players were reduced to trotting ing through their group matches and beating out tired cliches about doing their best but Nigeria 2-0 in the first knock-out round. their comments were as lacklustre as their Their limitations in attack were exposed in football as they tried to explain their elimina- the 1-0 defeat by Germany but Les Bleus went tion thanks to a 4-0 loss to Germany, a 2-2 some way towards restoring their image after draw with the United States and 2-1 win over their debacle in South Africa four years ago, Ghana. when their campaign was wrecked by in-fight- Captain Cristiano Ronaldo never lived up to ing and ill-discipline. his world player of the year status and the World Cup seemed a tournament too far for Costa Rica the Real Madrid forward after his record haul Inspired by outstanding goalkeeper Keylor of 17 goals helped the La Liga club win a 10th Navas, Costa Rica stunned Uruguay in their European title last season. opening game before going on to beat Italy and draw with England to top a group featur- Ghana ing three former champions. The Ticos Ghana exited after finishing bottom of their remained unbeaten in normal or extra time group at the end of a tumultuous three days but for all their defensive prowess it was ulti- marked by the expulsion from the squad of mately a lack of firepower that ended their midfielders Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince hopes and they were knocked out on penal- Boateng and a training ground strike. ties by the Dutch. Although they gave favourites Germany a scare in a 2-2 draw, the wheels came off as the Belgium players refused to train in a bid to try and force Touted as potential dark horses, Belgium the payment of promised bonuses, which departed after a 1-0 loss to Argentina with a arrived 24 hours later on a charter plane. sense of unfinished business but also having BERLIN: An overview shows German fans watch the FIFA World Cup 2014 final football match Germany vs Argentina played in Brazil uringd an outdoor screening near the Brandenburg Gate. More than 200,000 Germany fans thronged in central Berlin for the World Cup final.— AFP laid down a marker for future tournaments. GROUP H With a relatively youthful squad, including to France that knocked them out, served only Klinsmann’s side came up short following fine squad showed enough positives to provide Russia talented keeper Thibaut Courtois, the Red An uninspired Russia huffed and puffed Devils were outwitted by a tactically-superior to emphasise the extremes in their play, from performances against Portugal and Ghana in considerable optimism for the future. the sublime in attack and sporadically brilliant the group stage. their way through a 1-1 draw with South Argentina in the last eight but showed they Korea, a 1-0 loss to Belgium and a 1-1 draw have the potential to develop into a force to goalkeeping to slapstick in defence. GROUP C with Algeria that sent them out and their cam- be reckoned with. GROUP A Ivory Coast Mexico Croatia The contentious refereeing decision that paign will probably only be remembered for an absurd goalkeeping howler against the LAST 16 The soccer gods who had smiled on Mexico A battling but unimaginative Croatia dis- eliminated the Africans extended a calamitous Koreans. Chile during their troubled qualifying campaign covered that a wealth of experience can only record for a golden generation of players who Their failure under experienced Italian After brushing aside Australia, Chile elimi- finally abandoned El Tri, who held hosts Brazil get teams so far if it is coupled with a lack of must now feel permanently jinxed. coach Fabio Capello raised concerns about the nated defending champions Spain with a 2-0 to a 0-0 draw in the group phase thanks to the youth. Expected by fans to reach the World Ivory Coast were just minutes from going side’s prospects in 2018 when Russia hosts the win at the Maracana and gave the Dutch a run heroics of keeper Guillermo Ochoa, when they Cup knockout round for the first time since through to the second round when a contro- tournament as the squad was clearly not good for their money in their next group match were just minutes away from reaching the last 1998, when they finished third, the Croatians versial call gave opponents Greece a stop- enough to succeed at the top level. before an agonising reverse to hosts Brazil on eight. Two late goals, including a disputed slumped to 3-1 defeats by Brazil and Mexico page-time penalty and a 2-1 win, confirming penalties. penalty in stoppage time, consigned the which meant another early exit. their reputation as “chokers” for their habit of It was the fourth time the Brazilians had Mexicans to a 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands failing within sight of victory. South Korea knocked them out of the World Cup but once and a sixth successive exit in the round of 16. Cameroon South Korea have grown used to the taste the disappointment of defeat passed, Chileans Cameroon showed glimpses of fighting Japan of the World Cup knockout rounds since were able to draw comfort from another Greece spirit in their final group game against Brazil Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni instilled savouring it for the first time on their run to admirable World Cup performance. Greece’s departure came as no real surprise but for a second successive tournament the flair, creativity and goals in his four years in the 2002 semi-finals and falling at the first hur- after they again struggled for goals at a major overriding image was one of ill-discipline, con- charge but he could not find a cure for the dle in Brazil was hard to swallow. Uruguay tournament, netting only three in four games flict and greed, with the players striking over mental flaws that prevented his side showcas- After a creditable 1-1 draw with Russia in Tough-tackling Uruguay beat England and and suffering a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of bonus payments even before the tournament ing those talents on the biggest stage. The their opener, Korea’s defensive frailty was Italy in the group stages, contributing to the vastly superior Colombia. The southern began. Asian champions slumped meekly out after a exposed by Algeria, who romped to a 4-2 win early elimination of the European pair, but Europeans had qualified twice before but Already out of contention after defeats by winless showing from a pool they had more in Porto Alegre and a 1-0 loss to 10-man their campaign foundered after forward Luis managed just two goals in their previous six Mexico and Croatia and without injured cap- than enough skill and talent to escape from. Belgium confirmed their exit. — Reuters