The United States booked a berth in the Round of 16 despite losing 1-0 against the Germany. The team earned the right to move on thanks to a late tally from Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal's 2-1 win over Ghana. Here are some observations from the US's loss.
When the main players on your team are Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain, you are bound to be among the tournament favorites. But one thing is to make claims based on paper and the other is to actually see the games and determine whether the results correspond to the hypothetical idea. When one looks at Argentina on paper and compares it to the performances on the pitch, the results could not be more divergent. Argentina in this group stage has not looked like a team capable of making a deep run. And yet they are headed to the round of 16 and are probably locks to make the quarterfinals based on the competition they will have to endure. But is this team really a contender?
The group stage of this year's World Cup has provided the world with some wondrous performances not only from teams, but individual players. Prior to the final on July 13, viewers will know which player FIFA has considered the most valuable throughout the tournament. Here are some early candidates based on group stage performance.
Colombia made history on Tuesday as it won its third group game against Japan 4-1. It was the first time that the nation had won all three group games at the World Cup. Latin Post.com breaks down and analyzes the team's emphatic win.
Italy was eliminated in the group stage for the second straight World Cup after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Uruguay. Here are some observations from the game.
The United States and Portugal battled to a thrilling 2-2 draw in Manaus that brought about a great deal of highs and lows for both countries. Here are some observations on how the game played out.
With the second round of group games complete, the world has witnessed the two biggest superstars on the planet perform for their respective nations. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi each carried major burdens heading into this week's matches and their performances offered differing results.
Major stars are expected to shine at the World Cup, and this tournament has lived up to the top billing in that respect. Here are the players who have stood out in the first week of the tournament.
A week into the tournament and there have already been a plethora of major surprises and disappointments. Here is a look at those major moments thus far in the FIFA World Cup.
Uruguay delivered what looks to be a knockout blow against England in the second round of Group D. The game started off rather slowly but built momentum as the two sides played for the vital three points. Here are some takeaways from the frenzied affair.
The first team to win three straight major tournaments. The first European side to win the World Cup outside of Europe. One of just three World Cup Champions to not concede more than two goals in a tournament. A run of 10 knockout games without conceding a goal. The lowest scoring World Cup champion ever. Six unprecedented years of success.
The title defense is over. For the first time in history, the World Cup champion has been eliminated after two games. Spain's 2-0 loss to Chile offered a number of insights on the former champs. Here are some of them.
Mexico and Brazil played to an exhilarating 0-0 draw that kept both sides at the top of Group A and moved them closer to the knockout rounds. Here are some observations of arguably the best game in the tournament to date.
Group H makes its debut on Tuesday, but the biggest game of the day actually is part of Group A as Brazil takes on Mexico. This game has a tremendous amount of implications for both sides. Brazil won its opener against Croatia but was far from convincing. Meanwhile Mexico took three point from its encounter with Cameron but could have scored more than the lone goal that gave it victory. Both teams will be out to prove themselves more than capable of winning Group A. Here is how each team can defeat its rival.
The United States pulled off a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ghana Monday to not only exorcise the demons of the past two World Cups, but to also get its campaign off to a great start. Here are some observations from the opening game between these two Group G squads.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have played their first games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with differing results. Heading into the tournament, both superstars were contending with a great deal of pressure. Ronaldo is now 29 and likely competing in his final World Cup. Meanwhile, Messi struggled four years ago, scoring a total of zero goals in five matches for Argentina. The shadows of Diego Maradona and Pele have loomed large for the Argentinian superstar; this was his big opportunity to overcome the ghosts of the past.
Portugal got off to a woeful start in its World Cup campaign as it was ripped apart 4-0 by Germany. The game was one of the most hotly anticipated of the tournament and wound up falling flat after 45 minutes. Here are some things we learned.
Spain looked deflated in its 5-1 loss to the Netherlands on Friday in their opening game for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Can they rebound to defend their World Cup title? Here's a look at what they need to do to win.
When it was announced back in December, many were hotly anticipating the game between Spain and Netherlands. Most expected this game to be a tremendous rematch of the final from four years ago. But few expected the scoreline that resulted - a 5-1 destruction by the Dutch of the defending champs. Here is what we learned from the match.
What did we learn about the opening game between Brazil and Croatia? Here are five important observations as well as a look at the best and worst players on the pitch during the first game of FIFA's 2014 World Cup.
This year's World Cup will be filled with batches and batches of high end players from across the globe, many of them from South America, and all of them will be looking to make their mark on the first tournament on their continent since Argentina played host in 1978. Here is a look at each South American sides' top players.
Four years ago Uruguay stunned the world with a dazzling display in the World Cup. The South American side won Group A and then went on a deep run past South Korea and Ghana before succumbing to the Netherlands in the semifinals. Despite falling to Germany in the third place match, the nation's top player Diego Forlan was given the Golden Ball as the team MVP. Now Uruguay will look to take a step further and win its first World Cup since 1950. And there are many reasons to believe that they can make it happen.
The FIFA World Cup will undoubtedly place great focus on a number of tournament favorites but another storyline that could emerge is the rivalry of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. This perennial debate over the best player in the world is usually a major conversation throughout the regular season due to the fact that the two titans of the sport play for rival clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona. The rivalry between Portugal and Argentina is non-existent but there is a chance that these two superstars could wind up meeting up in the tournament. Here is a look at how Ronaldo and Messi look heading into the tournament.
Brazil is the most historic nation in World Cup history. The country has already lifted five trophies and is among the favorites to lift its sixth this year. In fact, Brazil is looked upon as the favorite by many to win the World Cup. Here are a few reasons why.
