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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 Antonio Valencia 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 Carlo Costly’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, Luiz Felipe Scolari’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 Tim 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 Carlos Queiroz 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.