This is an interesting group .. before play started Chile was on 6 pts +2 GD, Spain on 3 pts +1GD, Switzerland on 3 pts 0 GD, and Honduras on 0 points -3GD.  The permutations were fascinating.  Collusion for a draw between Chile and Spain was on many minds, as a draw would put them both through while a Spanish loss would put them third (and out) if the other game was lopsided, and a Chilean loss would put them out if the Swiss won by enough to cover the GD.

Switzerland 0 vs. Honduras 0

I favored Honduras going in, as they have more attacking flair and a draw does neither team any good. I was wrong, as both teams played open, attacking soccer.  I enjoyed the game, despite the lack of goals.  Both teams had a number of clear chances, but neither could convert.

Chile 1 vs. Spain 2

The games was very open and fun to watch.  Chile gifted Spain a goal on 24′, when the Chilean goalie Claudio Bravo came 20+ yards out to challenge a long ball to a well-defended Fernando Torres, and sent it to David Villa instead of into the seats.  Villa calmly volleyed the ball 40 yards into the goal. Spain’s second on 37′ was a beauty from Andres Iniesta, setup by Xavi Alonso and Villa. To add insult to injury, earlier on the same play Torres was accidentally tripped dove, play acted and conned the referee, and Marco Estrada was sent off after the goal. I hope FIFA has the stones to suspend Torres for the clear, blatant, cynical dive.  I am a Liverpool fan and a Torres fan, but it was shameful.

However, Chile kept their composure and pulled a goal back right after half-time, which had to calm them as a 2 goal defeat combined with a Swiss win would have sent them home! Half-time sub Rodrigo Villar shot from distance and a lucky deflection off Gerard Pique sent the ball looping over Spanish goalie Iker Casillas and into the net. Spain hunkered down on defense, determined to preserve their advancement, and Chile could make nothing else substantial.

In the end, both teams advanced.  Spain took first and will play Portugal on Tuesday (29-June), and Chile will play Brazil on Monday (28-June).

UPDATE: After viewing the video of the Estrada second yellow incident more carefully,  I have to admit it wasn’t a dive .. clearly Estrada’s knee hits Torres’ right foot, so he was indeed tripped. I would still call it “cheating” because of the cynical play acting. The trip is clearly accidental, so the card should be revoked to allow Estrada to play the next game.

As of game time, North Korea are done, and Brazil are through. Portugal is all but through, unless they lose and Ivory Coast wins by enough to cover the 9 goal spread, which is more than a little unlikely.

Portugal 0 vs. Brazil 0

This game was boring, which was not surprising given that the Portuguese imperative was to not give up goals and the Brazilians had no imperative at all.  There is at least one of these in every big tournament when advancement is determined early. It was unfortunate that it had to be one of the most anticipated group stage games of the tournament.

North Korea 0 vs. Ivory Coast 3

Ivory Coast outplayed North Korea just as much as the Portuguese, but the Portuguese converted most of their chances, while the Elephants didn’t. It was a shame really .. if Ivory Coast were up a not unrealistic 5-0 at half-time, the other game might have gotten more interesting.

So, Brazil advances in first from the group and will face Chile next,  and Portugal advances in second and will face Spain.

Netherlands is in, Cameroon is out, so that game was relatively meaningless.  If the Dutch somehow were to lose, they could have qualified second on goal difference.  The Denmark-Japan game determined the second qualifier, with the two teams level on 3 points. Japan had the goal difference edge, so Denmark needed a win.

Cameroon 1 – Netherlands 2

I haven’t yet watched it, but I will, because it looks like things are falling into place for the Dutch at the right time.  Robben is back, van Persie scored a nice goal, and the only Cameroon goal was a justly given but silly penalty scored by the Cameroon star (and diva) Samuel Eto’o after Rafael van der Vaart blocked a free kick with outstretched arms. So misery is over for Cameroon, and the Dutch are positioned for improvement.

Denmark 1 – Japan 3

This game surprised me, and was fun to watch. I expected more from the Danes. The Japanese could have played for the draw but chose not to, and the soccer gods approved. They scored two deserved goals in the first half, on two free kicks! It appears that they have mastered the screwy Jabulani ball. Both were nicely placed, more reliant on placement than power, and went around rather than over the wall.  Denmark had some chances in the first half, but couldn’t convert.  Japan retrenched in the second half, and Denmark became more aggressive.  The Danes had a couple of wonderful chances, and finally equalized on a (very soft) penalty in the 81st minute. The poorly taken penalty by Tomasson was blocked, but he managed to put in the rebound.  Japan had a few counter-attack opportunities and the third goal came on a gorgeous run by Keisuke Honda down the center.  When the goalie advanced he laid it off to Okazaki, who almost tripped over the ball but managed to slide it into the open goal.

So, the Dutch advance first, Japan advance second, and Cameroon and Denmark get to go home. The Dutch play Slovakia on Monday (28-June) and Japan play Paraguay on Tuesday (29-June). The Dutch are obviously big favorites, but I see the Japan/Paraguay match as a toss up.

This group was wide open when play started this morning, although Paraguay was in the driver seat.

Slovakia 3 – Italy 2

This was the most exciting game of the tournament so far.  It had everything .. great play, good refereeing, goals, disallowed goals, and lots of emotion. The champs Italy finally showed some drive and urgency, although it was too little too late. They clearly missed Gigi Buffon, their talisman and leader. That said, Slovakia outplayed the Azzurri and deserved this win and the advancement which it earned them.

Slovakia played better in the early stages, and were rewarded when Eric Jendrisek intercepted a lazy Daniele De Rossi pass, and slipped it forward to Robert Vittek at the top of the circle, and Vittek beat Italian second choice goalie Roberto Marchetti.

The last 20 minutes of the match were stellar! Vittek scored again on 73′, putting Slovakia up 2-0, then Italy brought one back through Di Natale on 81′.  There was some controversy after this goal when an Italian chased the ball into the next to move things along and got into it with the goalie. English referee Webb dealt with it properly by giving each player a caution. The Italians had a goal (correctly) disqualified for offside on 86′, and three minutes Kopunek scored, putting the Slovakians up 3 -1.  But Italy kept charging, and two minutes into stoppage time Quagliarella scored a magnificent chip from about 25 yards.  The final minutes were spent in the Slovakian half, but the Italians couldn’t convert. So, they go home.  As many have noted, the Italians simply brought too little too late.

If you haven’t seen this game .. watch it. I suspect it will be replayed tonight on ESPN (in the USA) or on ESPN Classic, or watch it on ESPN3.

As an aside, my favorite ref Howard Webb did a fine job dealing equitably with the Italian drama and fakery. He gave 8 yellows but no reds, and kept everyone’s head level.   I hope he sees more action in the later stages.

Paraguay 0 – New Zealand 0

There wasn’t a whole lot to watch here.  Paraguay was better, but neither team could seriously penetrate the other’s defense.  The draw sends Paraguay on and sends New Zealand, a sentimental favorite second only to the hosts, home.

Paraguay finishes first in the group and plays Japan.  I think this game is a toss up.  Slovakia qualifies in second and plays the Netherlands. They should be confident after beating Italy, but the Dutch have to be heavy favorites.

None of the four teams were eliminated when play began, although Australia and Serbia needed help to advance.

Germany 1 – Ghana 0

This was a wonderful game to watch. Both teams had chances, although Germany was clearly superior and had more. The only goal was a beauty from Mezut Ozil, who collected a pass at the top of the circle from the right wing, calmly switched it to his left, and nicely bent it in to the left side netting. Ghana gave him way too much time, and they paid for it.

Australia 2 – Serbia 0

Australia beat Serbia handily, but it wasn’t enough. I could only watch the highlights (so far), so I won’t comment on the game overall.  I’m glad to see that Aussie warrior Tim Cahill got a (very typical Cahill) goal after his exceptionally soft sending off in the first game.

Well .. the 4-0 drubbing by Germany came back to haunt Australia, as they finish level on points with Ghana but lose the goal difference tie-break.

Germany advance first, and play England on Sunday (27-June).  Ghana advance second and play the USA on Saturday (26-June).

USA 1 – Algeria 0

The USA was clearly the better team, but Algeria played strong and steadfast defense, and the USA could not finish the chances they got.  The Americans escaped from the gift-an-early-goal pattern when a gorgeous Algerian strike on 7′ beat goalie Tim Howard but clanged off the crossbar. A Clint Dempsey goal was ruled out wrongly for offside in the middle of the period.  The second half was more of the same.  The Americans did the bulk of the attacking, and had a few chances that should have been put away.  Howard was never really tested in the second half, although there were a few Algerian chances that looked dangerous but didn’t materialize.

The USA got the justly deserved goal on a counter-attack in stoppage time.  Landon Donovan got the ball in midfield and sent it down the right wing. The ball was crossed to Jozy Altidore, the Algerian goalie challenged, and the ball bounced out to Donovan on the penalty spot. Donovan calmly slotted it into the left corner, and the USA advances.

England 1 – Slovenia 0

In many ways this game was similar to the USA/Algeria game, except that the only goal came early. England played with more spirit and unity than we saw in earlier games, and was in control for most of the game. England manager Capello’s two changes for this match combined for the only goal in the 23rd minute. James Milner drove down the left wing and crossed to Jermaine Defoe on the edge of the 6 yard box who put it away.

The USA and England both had 5 points in the group, and both had +1 goal difference.  So, the USA advances from the group on the goal scored tie-break, and England advance second. Slovenia finishes third on 4 points, and has to be asking what could have been.  They outplayed both England and the USA for much of those games, yet got only a point from them and are going home.

USA plays the second qualifier (update: Ghana) in Group D on Saturday afternoon, and England plays the first qualifier (update: Germany) on Sunday morning.

Update: The USA now has a relatively clean path to the semi-finals.  They can beat Ghana, and if so the face the winner of South Korea/Uruguay in the quarters. Both games are eminently winnable!

Argentina had locked second place (and advancement), and would be first unless they were to lose.  But the second qualifier was up for grabs when play started.

Argentina 2 – Greece 0

Argentine wonder boy Lionel Messi didn’t score, but he controlled much of the match.  Greece played defense and counter tactics, and some of their counters had venom, but the match was played primarily in the Greek half. Argentina had chances throughout, but didn’t breakthrough until 77′ when Argentine defender Martin DiMichelis slotted home a friendly bounce off a corner.  The second Argentine goal on 89′ came when Martin Palermo side-footed home a rebound from a blocked Messi shot.

Nigeria 2 – South Korea 2

This was a tense, entertaining game. Japan gave up an early goal when Kalu Uche beat the Japan defense to a nice cross and put it home.  Japan leveled in the 39th minute when Lee Jung Soo made a far post run and got on the end of a very nicely delivered free kick.  They took the lead just after halftime when Park Chu Young scored what I think is the first free kick goal of the tournament from just outside the left corner of the box. 20 minutes later Nigerian Yakubu scored a penalty given up after an uncharacteristic Korean mental error.

So Argentina advance first having run the table, and will play Mexico on Sunday (27-June). South Korea advance in second with 4 points and play Uruguay on Saturday (26-June).

Very dramatic morning session .. all four teams were eligible to advance, and the likelihood of Mexico and Uruguay playing for the draw was small because 2nd in the group would be facing Argentina.

France 1 v South Africa 2

France did not play well in the first half, in all likelihood because Domenech apparently picked his team for reasons related to their soap opera rather than to get the best squad. South Africa pressed the attack, got two goals, missed a couple of good chances, and France was down to 10 as Johan Gourcouff threw a silly elbow and was sent off. That combined with Uruguay scoring against Mexico, got the Bafana Bafana and their fans optimistic that they might be able to climb out of the goal difference hole created by the Uruguay thumping.

Les Bleus woke up in the second half and made a match of it.  They got a goal back (and broke the Bafana hearts) in the 70th minute from Florent Malouda, a second half sub, assisted by Franck Ribery.  One of the many French mysteries of the tournament is why Malouda wasn’t on the pitch for every minute.

Mexico 0 – Uruguay 1

These two teams played an entertaining game.  Uruguay was deserving of the win, and had more chances. Uruguay scored the only goal just before halftime, and then hunkered down in the second half to hold the win.  Mexico controlled the ball and the pace in the second half, but couldn’t challenge the front of the goal.  So it ended 1-0, and both teams advance and Mexico playing Argentina.

The two best teams from the group advanced, but I would have liked to see the Bafana Bafana go instead of El Tri.

Portugal 7 – North Korea 0

Ouch. Christiano Ronaldo finally got a goal, although he was offside. Clearly, the Portuguese kept their foot on the gas because goal difference will matter if they lose to Brazil on Friday (25-June). Apparently the game was shown live in North Korea, so expect a rash of defections as the players will fear dire consequences for embarrassing the Supreme Leader.

Group G:  North Korea is done. Brazil has clinched 1st. Portugal is likely to advance 2nd .. they can only finish 3rd if they lose to Brazil and Ivory Coast beats NoKo by enough to overcome the 9 goal differential.

Chile 1 – Switzerland 0

I wouldn’t call this a great game, but it was interesting. As expected, Chile came out attacking and the Swiss maintained a very disciplined defense.  The game turned in the 31st minute when an undisciplined elbow swing from Valon Behrami struck Chilean Arturo Vidal and earned Behrami a straight red. The 10 man Swiss squad defended resolutely for the next hour, but Mark Gonzalez scored on 75′, and that was the game.  Switzerland did set the World Cup final record for scoreless minutes.

Honduras 0 – Spain 2

The Spanish team seemed to get their attacking mojo back, keeping the pressure on for most of the game. The Honduran defense was just out-classed. David Villa scored twice and the Spaniards created at least three times that many good chances. The first he scored on 18′ – he collected the ball on the left touchline 40 yards out, drove directly at the goal, split a pair of Hondurans just inside the box, cut to his right 12 yards out on the post, and smacked the ball inside the far post. The second was a fluky goal just after halftime .. a blast from 20 yards out hit a Honduran knee and floated over the goalie into the goal.

The final Group H games on Friday (25-June) will be watched closely by the entire world. The most likely finish is every team’s worst nightmare .. if Spain beat Chile and the Swiss beat Honduras, Spain, Chile and Switzerland are tied on 6 points, and someone goes home despite two victories.  Also possible is the reverse (Chile and Honduras win), which would put Spain, Chile and Switzerland tied for second on 3 points, so one advances on the tie breaker with two losses.