Brasil '14 - Day 13
posted by The Blue Devil @ 10:38 AM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Contributors
Previous Posts
- Brasil '14 - Day 12
- Brasil '14 Predictions Game - Group Stage Update
- Brasil '14 - Day 11: I. Believe. That. We. Will. Win!
- Brasil '14 - Day 10
- Brasil '14 - Day 9
- Brasil '14 - Day 8
- Match 19 - Spain v. Chile
- Match 18 - The Netherlands v. Australia
- Brasil 2014 Predictions Game - Group Stage Update
- Match 16 - Brazil v. Mexico
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Oh - that is embarrassing. The Guardian's webpage is featuring the Italy v. Uruguay, while it's relegated the England match to tiny font and position. Well, I suppose the other one is the one that counts today?
Well, well, well. I underestimated Woy. He's made nine changes from the side that failed against Italy and Uruguay. Here are the line-ups.
England: Foster, Jones, Smalling, Cahill, Shaw, Lampard, Wilshere, Milner, Barkley, Lallana, Sturridge. Subs: Hart, Johnson, Gerrard, Jagielka, Rooney, Welbeck, Henderson, Lambert, Sterling, Baines, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Forster.
Costa Rica: Navas, Gamboa, Duarte, Gonzalez, Miller, Diaz, Ruiz, Borges, Tejeda, Brenes, Campbell. Subs: Pemberton, Acosta, Umana, Bolanos, Myrie, Barrantes, Francis, Granados, Calvo, Urena, Cubero, Cambronero.
Referee: Djamel Haimoudi (Algeria).
So Foster replaces Hart in goal, Phil Jones comes in for Glen Johnson, Smalling replaces Jags, and Shaw in for Baines at the back. In midfield, Lamps replaces his fellow old boy Gerrard, Wilshere comes in for Welly, Milner for Sterling, Barkley in for Rooney, Lallana in for Henderson and Sturridge and Cahill remain.
In the one that counts:
Italy: Buffon, Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, De Sciglio, Marchisio, Pirlo, Verratti, Darmian, Immobile, Balotelli. Subs: Sirigu, Thiago Motta, Candreva, Abate, Cassano, Cerci, Aquilani, Parolo, Paletta, Insigne, De Rossi, Perin.
Uruguay: Muslera, Caceres, Gimenez, Godin, Pereira, Gonzalez, Arevalo Rios, Rodriguez, Lodeiro, Cavani, Suarez. Subs: Munoz, Fucile, Gargano, Hernandez, Forlan, Stuani, Perez, Maxi Pereira, Ramirez, Coates, Lugano, Silva.
Referee: Marco Rodriguez (Mexico)
Robbie Savage has savaged the England line-up for today, wondering why the likes of Milner and Lampard - both veterans of past failed campaigns - are part of Woy's starting XI.
The FA have confirmed that Woy will stay on for the Euro '16 campaign. Not sure why.
Ominously, Belo Horizonte was the city where an improbably Joe Gaetjens goal for the USA beat England in 1950.
Here come the teams marching out to the sound of the rubbish World Cup anthem.
Loud and determined support for the England boys - well done, lads!
And we're away in Belo Horizonte.
Oh - Joel Campbell has a deflected effort off Cahill that nearly flies in. Close call!
It will be hard for Arsene Wenger to ignore Campbell after his performances at this World Cup.
A wayward ball out of play from Lampard sums up England's World Cup campaign. We haven't been good enough.
Michael Owen writing in the tabs this morning has backed The Neviller as the next England manager. Extraordinary! Macca thinks it's a nonsense.
The Ticos have dominated the opening proceedings.
In the other one, of course, one of either Italy or Uruguay will be going home. Italy will be favorites, as they have the tournament pedigree and one goal better off. A draw would see them through.
Bloody hell - Gary Cahill with a total miscue!
Lallana was fouled off the ball - the Nigerian ref is letting a lot go. Whistles from the crowd.
That was a bit better. Sturridge with a long range effort that grazed the post. Would have been a nice one.
England fans singing the Python classic "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." Nice gallows humor.
Fifteen minutes in and, the Sturridge effort aside, Costa Rica have looked the better side.
Wilshere's got his head in his hands, which seems a slight overreaction to seeing his attempted through-ball to Sturridge get cut out, but I suppose that's the kind of passion we're looking for.
Still 0-0 in the other one, which will suit the Italians.
England are doing a bit better now. Milner turns nicely on the right and attempts a pass to Sturridge which a defender slides to divert back to the keeper.
Lallana has not looked the player that he was in the friendlies leading up to this World Cup.
The Ticos now have a free kick from about forty yards. Borges lining it up....
Oh - clipped off the bar!
Ben Foster just got a touch on that, so it's a corner. Cleared out.
Barkley tried a nutmeg on the edge of the box!
Still no goals in the other match half way into the first half.
Oh - nearly dropped to Jack Wilshere in the box there!
No real incentive for Italy to push it in this match, really, as they would fancy meeting either Colombia or Ivory Coast, the likely opponents from Group C.
Oh - should have been a penalty for England!
Nice cross over and knock down to Sturridge who was bundled over by Duarte. Close thing.
Obviously this isn't a classic tournament for England, but Uruguay should have been down to 10 men for most of match two, and that did look like a penalty. So we can always blame the referees.
Half an hour gone and Bryan Ruiz does Barkley with a Cruyff turn.
England have a corner now....
Duarte and Cahill are wrestling like crazy at this corner.
Oh - Phil Jones knocked that one back and Sturridge had a free header. Over the bar - poor miss.
Oh - Barkley nearly played Wilshere in there. Better from England.
We seem to be limping toward two draws that would see Costa Rica top Group D and Italy go through second.
Now Costa Rica attack, and Cristian Gamboa's cross from the right is well collected by Foster.
Decent stuff between Barkley and Sturridge. Wild slash of a shot in the end, though.
One more good oppo here from a Lampard free kick...
Straight to the keeper - oy vey!
Complete miss by Phil Jones and he's lucky to get away with it.
And the ref thankfully blows for half-time. Total rubbish. 0-0.
Teams coming out of the tunnel for the second. Come on, England!
England get us going in the second half.
This match is waiting for the other two lazy sides to get started in the other one. And away we go....
Adam Lallana romps up the pitch and wins a free kick.
Bloody hell! The ball dropped to Sturridge in the box after a deflected effort from Shaw and miscontrolled it. Bugger!
Navas is down now after having been caught by Sturridge.
So that's two big chances that Sturridge has spurned now.
FFS! Sturridges touch has been horrible today!
Barkley miscontrols the ball and picks up a yellow for tugging the shirt. Perfect!
And now it's Phil Jones' turn to completely miss the flight of the ball. England's players look as if they've just learned the game.
And now it's a nasty one from Lallana on Bryan Ruiz and he picks up a yellow.
Still 0-0 in both matches heading for the hour mark.
Oh - Lallana broke free but then crossed straight into Navas' arms when Sturridge was lurking.
Costa Rica bringing on Bolanas and taking off Brenes.
Barkley surges forward and Rodriguez fouls him, picks up a yellow.
Lamps over this one - would make a fitting end to his England career.
Sadly, he fires into the bottom of the wall. Shocking.
Still 0-0 in the other one, but Marquisio has been sent off for a bad stamp on a player. Italy down to ten men.
A first change for England, with Raheem Sterling replacing Lallana.
Shot! Save! Bolanos strikes the ball hard and true towards goal from 20 yards, and Foster saves and holds.
Oh - Sturridge misses another big chance! He should have had a hat-trick today.
Sturridge rushes forward and goes down in the box. No penalty. Bloody hell!
That's four big chances missed by Sturridge now.
Now Costa Rica have a chance from a corner.
Foster is fouled as he rises to catch.
Wilshere is coming off and Steven Gerrard is coming on - why?!
Surely it's Gerrard's last match for England. He must retire now.
Gerrard has a chance to float a corner in now. Lamps can't direct it on goal. This is sad.
Milner off after a nothing match. And here's Wayne Rooney - the big failure of this tournament.
Still 0-0 in the other one and Uruguay must roll the dice now.
Borges off and Barrantes on for Costa Rica.
78 mins: England haven't had a shot on target yet.
That sums it all up.
I've just switched over in time to see Godin nod home a header for Uruguay!
Italy may be going home with England!
Italy have nine minutes to save this one!
Oh - that was jammy. A bit off the shoulder, a bit off the back. But they all count, right?
I missed it but apparently Suarez has gone in for a nibble on Chiellini! The two benches are livid but Suarez is still on the pitch.
Pirlo over the ball now and I've abandoned the England shower.
Pirlo with a tame effort that goes wide. Deflected apparently but it's a corner.
I've just seen the Suarez incident again. He does seem to lean in for a nibble but it's not as conclusive as the Ivanovic one. And it doesn't help that Chiellini was holding his face like a numpty.
Oh - Motta nearly in there.
Only a few minutes now. We could easily have Spain, Italy and England out at the group stage. Advantage South America and Central America, then.
Suarez one-on-one with Chiellini but the Italian defender stands tall.
Five minutes of stoppage time to play.
England v. Costa Rica into stoppage time as well. Shouldn't be much.
Oh - this isn't good. The England fans seem to be in a bad mood and police are moving in as scuffles are breaking out. Brazilian fans chanting "Eliminado" at England fans. Poor form.
Uruguay are corner flagging it now to chants of "Ole." Italy seem to be going out.
England have ended 0-0 with Costa Rica and will fly home tomorrow with merely a point from three matches.
The pundits may gripe about the defending, but I don't see that as the main weakness. We simply have to score more than two goals in three games. Playing against the likes of Balotelli and Suarez, we're always going to concede a few but we need to score more.
One last roll of the dice for Italy. Cassano lobs it into the box but Godin the hero nods out. Must be time now.
Buffon is up for one last free kick. Wow!
Pirlo chips in but it's too long.
Uruguay have a throw in now - ref looks at his watch....
That's it - Italy are out!!!!
Well, the Suarez controversy will go on and on. If there is a camera angle that shows a clear bite, then he should be banned for life.
But Uruguay are through to meet probably Colombia in an all-SA Round of 16 match.
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