TALKS OF BEST WORLD CUP EVER DASHED AS BRAZIL 2014 TURNS INTO ITALIA '90

D. Ray Morton, 6th July 2014.

Dutch goalie Tim Krul cuts a wrestling villain style promo on each Costa Rican spot-kicker to demonstrate the increasingly dark side of this World Cup

Samba soccer, the football carnival and with all things South American attacking flair, many people have World Cup 2014 down as the best quadrennial FIFA showcase ever. They might well have a case. For the most part, the beginning of the competition was riveting. High scoring matches, very few draws and that beautiful unpredictability that comes with a tournament played in a mysterious non-European climate. With the semi-final fixtures set, it has gotten a bit pragmatic all of a sudden, however.

The knockout stages have featured chess matches rather than sexy football. After the freestyle fun of the opening games, the serious business has begun and it was no wonder that each group winner triumphed against the second placed teams in the last sixteen. With the exception of Costa Rica's heroic journey to the quarter-finals, it is all starting to look very systematic.

Cynicism has entered the fray as the World Cup reaches its climax. Brazil vs. Colombia typifies that. Brazil had set themselves up to fight and Colombia duly walked into that trap. The game turned into a kick-fest and ended Neymar's tournament. Look at the gamesmanship of Tim Krul in last night's penalty shoot-out. He taunted each Costa Rican before their penalties, a cocky tactic which worked a charm. Krul will not have won over many neutrals, however, despite making two fine match-winning saves.

There is now bitterness in accepting defeat too. Belgium, especially, are under the impression that they blew it against Argentina. Daniel van Buyten was quoted as saying in the aftermath: "Of course Argentina have superb players, but I think a team like Germany would easily beat them." A thinly-veiled jab at a side who comfortably dealt with a full half hour of Hail Mary passes lumped at a furry lamppost of a man named Marouane Fellaini. His team-mate Jan Vertonghen also jumped in on the Eric Cartman-like gripes: "I think Argentina will crash out of the tournament against Netherlands in the semi-finals. I really think so." The Tottenham stopper fuming and hoping that his European neighbours do a job on the only team that have won five games in a row in the tournament.

Jan Vertonghen decided to launch a hubris-filled prediction for Argentina going forward clearly frustrated at Belgium's own shortcomings

Another parallel to Italia '90 is that Costa Rica journey that I mentioned. Does it remind anyone of Jack Charlton's boys in green twenty-four years ago? Well don't let it! Costa Rica have played some excellent football at times and beat both Uruguay and Italy cleanly. They may be from a small nation and may have made it to their first ever quarter-finals like the Republic of Ireland did a quarter of a century ago but they can actually play a bit rather than the bland stalemate-based football bleary-eyed Irish fans cheered on back then.

Hope is not lost though. The semi-finals contain two potential classics between historic World Cup heavyweights in Brazil vs. Germany and Argentina vs. the Netherlands. Hopefully, we will see more inventiveness with the shackles of the minimum expectation of reaching that stage removed. With Colombia and James Rodríguez out, the Golden Boot is still up for grabs so that could be a decent side story as well. Let us hope the remaining four sides get their respective mojos back in the upcoming rest days.

TOP 5 SMALL NATIONS IN WORLD CUP HISTORY

D. Ray Morton, 22nd June 2014.

With Bosnia & Herzegovina having been, somewhat cruelly, eliminated from the World Cup last night and Costa Rica excelling in a way no-one expected with wins against Italy and Uruguay, it got me thinking. Who are the best small nations in World Cup history? When I mean small, I do not mean geographically. I mean population-wise. The Netherlands, for example, is a small area but has a population of over 16 million. Here, we will look at countries with less than five million people inhabiting them. This is the top five run-down of small nations in World Cup history.

5. Northern Ireland

 

Though "Norn Iron" have not qualified for a World Cup since 1986, their record in the tournament for a nation of only 1.2 million people is somewhat remarkable. The country did not enter the first three World Cups and failed to qualify in 1950 and 1954. They did get through in 1958 and performed admirably, getting past their group via an additional play-off against Czechoslovakia which they won 2-1 after extra-time. This paved the way to the quarter-finals where they fell to Just Fontaine and France in a 4-0 defeat.

Between 1962 and 1978, they could not get in but they managed to qualify for two World Cups in a row in 1982 and 1986, the "golden age" of Northern Irish football. In 1982, they famously beat Spain on Spanish soil with Gerry Armstrong as the hero as they got out of their group again. This led them to a second group phase of three teams, which was the format at the time. Unfortunately, another heavy defeat to France sent them packing.

Gerry Armstrong's winner against Spain in 1982

Making it to Mexico in '86, this time they failed in the group stage when they were pitted against Brazil, Spain and Algeria. Nevertheless, for such a small nation to qualify for three World Cups and to overcome the initial stage twice, is a superb achievement.

4. Costa Rica

 

 

Though Costa Rica did not first qualify for a World Cup until 1990, their record in the competition is stellar for a country of 4.5m people. Indeed, they raised many an eyebrow in that first World Cup by reaching the round of sixteen eventually falling to Czechoslovakia. They qualified in 2002 and 2006 but were twice eliminated from the group stage but they make this list because of their exploits in this current World Cup where they have shocked Uruguay and Italy and are on top of Group D, the supposed "group of death" with six points from two games. A stunning achievement for a team with winning odds of 2500/1 before the competition began. They deserve credit for being a surprise package. A victory against a hapless English side next Tuesday would be the icing on a very delicious cake.

3. Republic of Ireland

 

Like Costa Rica, the Republic of Ireland did not qualify for their first World Cup until 1990 where Jack Charlton lead the boys in green to an unexpected quarter-final appearance in a dour tournament where defensive football was king. This suited Big Jack's "put 'em pressure" tactics as they escaped the group stage thanks to three draws against England, Egypt and the Netherlands respectively. They drew 0-0 with Romania in the second round but went through on penalties thanks to Pat Bonner's famous save. Into the quarter-finals they went, without winning a single match, where they were knocked out by Italy and Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci's winner.

They would have their vengeance against the Italians four years later when they upset the pre-tournament favourites with a heroic 1-0 victory in Giants Stadium, New York after Paul McGrath had the game of his life following Ray Houghton's speculative long-range opener. They got through their group despite being humbled by Mexico and were then eliminated thanks to the Dutch in the second round.

Reflections on the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 win against Italy in 1994

Their third World Cup appearance did not come until South Korea and Japan in 2002. Managing to get out of their group containing Germany, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia, even without Roy Keane, they faced Spain in the last sixteen. They managed to drag the Spanish all the way to a penalty shoot-out but came up short. A shame considering a quarter-final place would have meant facing a beatable South Korea (provided Byron Moreno was not in charge). Still though, three World Cups and never a group stage exit is a fine record.

2. Croatia

 

Since Croatia could enter World Cups from 1998 onwards, they have failed to qualify just once in 2010. That means they have qualified for four out of five tournaments, an indicator of the country's excellence in the sport. They made a huge impact in their début World Cup, getting all the way to the semi-finals and then winning the third/fourth place play-off to secure the bronze medals. It took hosts and eventual winners France to knock them out in extra-time in the semi. Davor Šuker was the star of the show scoring six goals in seven matches winning the Golden Boot in the process.

Šuker was Croatia's goal machine in 1998

The next two campaigns were disappointing with two group stage eliminations but this year, they look good to get out of their group despite losing their opening game to Brazil thanks to some poor officiating. They look capable of advancing provided they can beat Mexico and could go far with the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic in their ranks. Croatia's seemingly constant supply line of highly technical players should be an inspiration to any small nation attempting to climb the international football ladder.

1. Uruguay

 

Uruguay's triumphant 1950 team

With a population of only 3.3 million, Uruguay are surely the ultimate small nation in World Cup history. Not only did they win the 1930 and 1950 editions of the tournament (they did not enter in '34 and '38), they have qualified for eight other World Cups and only failed to qualify five times. They are World Cup regulars when their population would indicate that they have no right to be that. Of all those tournaments they got in to, they were only knocked out in the group stage three times and finished fourth three times in 1954, 1970 and in 2010 to many peoples' surprise. Their overall record is having played 47, won 18, drawn 12 and lost 17 with 76 goals scored and 65 conceded. That is simply incredible considering the World Cup's greatest team, Brazil, has a population of 198 million which is over 66 times that of Uruguay. Remarkable.

ITALIAN POSSESSION SUFFOCATES ENGLAND

D. Ray Morton, 15th June 2014.

"Super Mario" Balotelli powers in Italy's winner from Antonio Candreva's wonderful cross

By the end, it was a tale of two knackered veterans on opposing sides. Andrea Pirlo and Italy triumphant, England's Steven Gerrard throwing himself on the ground for non-existent penalties. Both could barely walk by the conclusion of it but Pirlo could probably pass the ball if he was confined to a wheelchair. England physio, Gary Lewin, somehow ended up on a stretcher. The Azzurri defeated Roy Hodgson's boys in the heat of Manaus by two goals to one with England's only consolation being Uruguay's shock 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica earlier on in the evening. A bad start to their World Cup campaign though not an insurmountable one.

England had a few threatening outlets. Liverpool duo Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge offered pace and energy where others did not. Wayne Rooney included in the under-performers who was stuck out on the left flank. An assist, all things considered, for Sturridge's goal was a bonus considering he was isolated throughout and played completely out of position. England's passing had been that bit longer. Italy managed to take pressure off themselves by controlling the tempo with simple, somewhat "tiki-taka"-like five yarders. The English were a tad mechanical. Less link-up and more panic in an eagerness to impress. They were seemingly allergic to the concept of recycling possession, keeping the ball when a direct route to goal does not instantly materialise. Like a bad five-a-side team with no-one giving instructions.

The whole affair had a touch of winter players versus summer players about it. Controlling possession cleverly in extreme heat is not a feature of the English game where the cold winter weather dictates the tempo we have known to expect in the Premier League. Credit must be given to Gabriel Paletta, who I had personally flagged as a potential weak link for Italy. His dodgy come-over/mullet managed to prove me wrong, however, as the veteran centre half dealt with the occasion splendidly. Mario Balotelli did his job sufficiently. Movement is not a feature of his game and it actually worked very well in his favour last night. When he had to do something, which was not very often, he did it perfectly. His 50th minute goal, which turned out to be the winner, was well taken after a fine assist by Antonio Candreva.

Possession was the theme of the tactical analysis. Italy used the ball much, much better. It was perhaps symbolic of an overall clash of football cultures. It felt like philosophers against savages at times. England were naive to think that the use of pace and pressing would work in such conditions. Italy, whether by chance or not, seemed to be better prepared overall. Pirlo hitting the bar at the end was somewhat poetic. Joe Hart stood by, dumbfounded, as the ball swerved magnificently and thumped the woodwork. It would have been goal of the tournament so far. Lesson: How to play in hot weather. Solution: Unlike England.

But as mentioned, Uruguay lost and looked awful in their respective game. Even ignoring Luis Suárez's exclusion, their defence was in tatters. Diegos Lugano and Forlán looked especially past it. This is a team that conceded 25 goals in qualifying, getting in at the last available spot. Talk of Suárez and Edinson Cavani overshadowed what is fundamentally a poor side, nowhere near as good as say, Chile or Colombia. Speaking of Colombia, they looked quite good in their Group C match. They hammered the supposedly stubborn Greeks 3-0 as Côte d'Ivoire saw off Japan with a 2-1 win. An exciting matchday though the 2am (my local time/GMT) kick-off was a bit of a strain on sleepy eyes.