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World Cup Day 12: Your Running Commentary

Mexican Fans as Teams enter the Stadium -------------------- BPI 2014 FIFA World Cup Group A Brazil v Mexico Fortaleza de São João, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 17 June 2014 ©2014 BPI all rights reserved

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By CAITLIN MURRAY

Heading into its 12th day, the World Cup is entering a new phase of the tournament. Teams will begin playing their third and final group games, which also means the game schedule will shift to two games kicking off concurrently for the rest of the group stage.

The day will start with two Group B games that don’t matter too much results-wise, but should still be entertaining matches. Australia and Spain will face off at noon ET while the Netherlands and Chile play. The latter two teams will be fighting for placement in the knockout round, but the former two teams will fight only for pride. After 2010 World Cup champion Spain suffered two embarrassing defeats to the Dutch and Chile, it should be interesting to see what they do against Australia, a team that was never expected to go far in the World Cup, even as their 2014 World Cup is already over.

Then at 4 p.m. ET, things get a bit more interesting. Group A is not settled yet and, with one game left to play, Croatia and Mexico will find out who advances and who goes home. Mexico has been looking like a strong team, but Croatia has perhaps surprised a few by giving Brazil a harder time than expected before a rout of Cameroon. While Mexico and Croatia face off, Brazil will take on Cameroon only for placement since Brazil has already locked a spot in the knockout rounds.

If you will be watching today’s matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (TV listings after the jump):

TODAY’S WORLD CUP SOCCER ON TV

12 p.m. — Spain vs. Australia — ESPN2

12 p.m. — Netherlands vs. Chile — ESPN

4 p.m. — Brazil vs. Cameroon — ESPN2

4 p.m. — Mexico vs. Croatia — ESPN

 

Comments

  1. So, in total there must have been about 381,442 goals scored thus far in this Cup, right?

    I bet this Cup is going to help the game of soccer in the US in many, many ways.

    It’s hard to call it a “boring” game after all of this scoring and drama.

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    • True on the last point, but more true if the big players can keep from diving- and even worse than diving, rolling around like they have broken femurs, then hopping back up 10 seconds later. Americans, especially those that don’t follow the sport regularly, have zero tolerance for that kind of crap.

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  2. Wow, where have you been Croatia?

    WHAT A GOAL!!!!

    Okay, so Brazil will top the group now for sure.

    Still, not bad at all for CONCACAF teams.

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  3. CONCACAF has arrived.

    It looks like Costa Rica and Mexico will top their groups.

    If the US can win on Thursday….

    I think it’s time for the rest of the World to show SOME RESPECT for the region.

    Reply
      • Whatever.

        All three teams are playing great ball.

        I bet Costa Rica makes the best run of the three teams. The US could do well but we have to get their first.

      • The only reason Costa Rica can make a run is they got matched against an extremely weak group in the knockout stages. Ivory Coast has looked pretty terrible, and their other matchup if that group flips is Columbia

      • Really? England and Uruguay may not be in their best moment, but any group with Italy, Uruguay (in S. America), and England is no push-over.

  4. And there is the second one.

    Now, does this mean Mexico tops the group? I believe they haven’t conceded a goal while Brazil has twice.

    How exactly will that work?

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  5. Worst non call on a handball in the box since Germany v USA in 2002…

    Mexico should have been awarded a penalty there…

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      • I remember when he got called up for Mexico at firts he pissed me off with some lame comments about the USMNT. Saw his post game press conference after the Cameroon game, and I the level of maturity was impressive.

      • Yeah, I’m going to call BS on that.

        Dos Santos never stirs the pot and always spews cliche comments.

        I’ve never heard the kid taunt or speak badly of a rival. Not even when asked about Landon’s “chicken” celebration during the 2011 Gold Cup.

        Matter of fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any sort of controversial comments from this crop of young Mexican players. The likes of Hernandez, Moreno, dosSantos and even Vela.

        I don’t like him much as a player, especially after his performance during that same Gold Cup but I respect his talent.

  6. Surprised Mex v Cro is still 0-0. Not watching the game, just the ticker. Is Mexico bunkering and playing for the tie?

    Reply
    • Nope, they are both trying to move forward. Unfortunately for Mexico, they are winning a lot of Corners, but Croatia is too big and disciplined to easily give up a set piece goal.

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    • Mexico getting pretty dirty. Lots of fouling and nasty challenges. I believe they have collectively picked up three yellows.

      The game is very even though. Nearly team seems to make anything happen in the final third apart from Mexico’s blow chance in the first half.

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  7. Who is watching Brazil v Cameroon?

    I see that it’s tied up…could Brazil suffer a shocking defeat?? I doubt it but how is the game thus far?

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  8. I genuinely think Brazil might suffer a shock today… Cameroon has been horrible finishing but have created chances…

    A draw between Croatia and Mexico and a 2-0 Brazil loss will eliminate the hosts…

    you heard it here first…

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    • I was thinking more along the lines of Croatia beating Mexico by 2, and Cameroon beating Brazil by 1, with Mexico out on goal differential (nullified goals from game 1 being the difference).

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      • you’re right… a Cameroon win could possibly see Mexico through…. I’ll go Cameroon/Brazil tie, along with a Croatia win.

    • As much as I’d love to see Brazil out, I just hate Mexico too much to consider that scenario. I would happily take a Cameroon win, and a Croatia win, to put Brazil up against the Netherlands and Mexico out. Brazil vs Chile would be good but vs Netherlands will be an absolute firecracker.

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    • Heard it here first and last. No way Brazil is eliminated today. Even if there was a Draw between Mexico and Croatia (which isn’t likely because Croatia will be attacking all game and if they get ahead I don’t know if Mexico can score on a team completely in a shell), Cameroon has not shown the punch at all to score twice against Brazils ithout conceding anything (and they are missing one of their best players in song).

      Reply
  9. They made a formation change (4-1-5) to get the result they wanted. They got a draw.

    Now, if they want to win over Germany it is false 9 and Julian Green time!

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    • So this means that Brazil “should” be playing Chile in the next round.

      There have been many repeats from last World Cup: Ghana v Germany, Spain v Chile, US v Ghana and now, most likely, Chile v Brazil. I am sure I missed others as well.

      Is that normal?

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      • I did forget that one!!

        That is a lot of the same teams playing each other over and over. Three of those match up alone were in the group stage.

        Interesting…

  10. Obviously no RvP changes things, but the Netherlands have to be the least scary 3-0-0, 9 pt., 10 goals scored in group play team in recent memory. Mexico, provided they get through, should be loving that matchup.

    The 2014 World Cup for Spain shall forever be known as the “Curse of Diego Costa.” Did not understand having a proven and still high quality scorer like Villa on the bench the first two games and playing a guy with just two caps, who had no time to develop any chemistry with the rest of the squad in his place….and then there’s that whole chose Spain over Brazil thing that probably angered the soccer gods…lol.

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    • I think holland has looked really good, not sure I get why you think Mexico should be loving that matchup, holland has the speed and creativity to give Mexico’s back line fits all day. So are I think France Germany and holland have been the most impressive teams so far. Of course France hasn’t played anyone with legitamet quality. Germany did well against Ghana who I think is just a tough matchup for anyone because of their athleticism (they lack the defensive punch to turn their athleticism into results against better teams). Hard to pick a tournament favorite at this point as everyone looks beatable (unlike some cups in the past).

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      • Well, he qualified it by saying the least-scary-9-points-out-of-group-stage. And i suppose he could be right. But if Argentina gets 9 points, they’ll look less scary than Holland. Same thing for Belgium, Costa Rica and Colombia, who could all get 9 points and look less scary than Holland. If France gets their 9, they will be at least equally scary and possibly more scary, among the 9-point crowd.

  11. So does anybody else think finishing 2nd in our Group is better than having to deal with the top bracket. Argentina and the Nederlands look beatable.

    Reply
    • No, winning the group would be better because there’s a big step down from Belgium to the other teams in that group. And I realize Belgium hasn’t played that well so far but they are still a lot better. Of course, qualifying in either spot would be great at this point.

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      • On paper that is true slow, but Belgium don’t have any real fullback and that is perfect for what we did against Portugal. Attack that right side is an option if they aren’t confident in what they should be doing.

        I would much rather play Argentina in the Quakers than France the way things are now.

    • Yep, Belgium has not lived up to expectations. Frankly I would be more afraid to have a rematch with Algeria. Their first touch is just fantastic.

      Reply
      • No question, Germany is tougher than anyone we’ll face in the next game after them. And Ghana would have advanced out of the other group. (Still crossing fingers that they don’t advance out of ours.)

    • We did beat Spain when they were ranked 2nd in the world and this team is better than that one. Im not really worried.

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  12. C’mon Chile get on the board. This game has been that great and as I type nobody marks the runner goal…Oranje. 2-0 Nederland’s leading.

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  13. Can any Brazil/Brazilian league fans tell me anything about Borges? Humberlito Borges Teixeira? I just met him, apparently Cruzeiro is in Massachusetts doing some barnstorming. Read his Wikipedia page, just wonder how good he is.

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  14. Avoiding Brazil is a pretty good prize for the Chile-Netherlands winner but otherwise not too much excitement until Croatia hopefully beats Mexico.

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      • US can lose and still advance depending on the result in the other group game so in that case I will be excited.

      • I’m not a troll. I’d just like for both countries to succeed at the world cup. It gives us more credibility. Just like CR winning.

      • Yeah, well, USA would have a better chance of beating Croatia instead of Germany, too. Sigh … if we had only depended on luck like the Mexican team, instead of hard work and solid play…

      • I’d say our win against Ghana was more luck than anything given how much we defended and Ghana’s undeniable quality. We played really well against Portugal.

        Mexico was great against Cameroon and excellent against Brazil. No luck there.

      • Sigh, the same tiresome troll who posts under several names pretending to be a USMNT fan while praising Mexico in every post. Maybe a Croatia win today will send him packing too.

      • Slowleftarm, I am a USMNT fan and was gutted when the Portuguese tied. I also agreed with you way back about the US policy of getting players like Johannson to join the team. Just because I think Mexico has had a better world cup than us does not mean that I praise Mexico in every post. I wish both team advance and go as far as they can.

      • Could be. Luck on our side vs Ghana, against us vs Portugal. Ghana probably got a lot of satisfaction out of that last-minute goal against us. Worth noting, though, that our style of play against Ghana was by design.

        And I’ll Mexico some credit: they are playing like a team for the first time since …. well, probably about 15 years. They always have individual talent and poor team dynamics. And their coaching and team selection is always hyper-political.

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