World Cup - A review of the beautiful game.

The World Cup is over now and  for the winners Germany it is probably just sinking in what they have achieved. 

I thought the the some of the group games where fantastic and teams played without fear. 

One of the group games  I enjoyed watching was when France beat Switzerland by five goals to two and the French played amazing free flowing footballs. 

The game that I found most exciting was the Ghana versus Germany match and this match could have gone either way but ended up in the draw. 

However the match that almost put me sleep was Nigeria versus Iran was an incredibly boring match with both teams trying hard not to score....

So I thought the knock out games where going to be just as good and sadly it was not the case. The free flowing football had been replaced with edgy and defensive football. 

The stand out game of the knock out stages was Germany beating the host Brazil by seven goals to one. It was a little embarrassing to watch and this was compounded by the crying fans in the stadium. 

So the two most efficient and consistent teams of the tournament Germany and Argentina who made it to the final. 

However it was a little bit of a damp squib with little or no entertainment but the German team where the worthy winners. 

Argentina v Germany - Final review

The final took place yesterday and Germany beat Argentina by a goal to nil in extra time. 

It was a pretty dull match with both teams being very careful but somehow you got the feeling that this was more of an advantage for Germany.

Argentina's Lionel Messi failed to shine and Argentina did not have a single shot on target in the whole match. 

Germany had few chances but where unable to convert them into goals and it took the sub Mario Gotze to come on and break the deadlock late into the second half of extra time. 

For me it was more defending that lead to the goal but the BBC pundits where waxing lyrical about it being an amazing goal. 

Yes it was a well taken goal but I don't think it would even be in my top five goals. 

So Germany won the World Cup and it was well deserved but  I don't like their style of football. 

Which has very little to do with being entertaining and is more about being clinical and efficient. 

But at they end of the day they won the World Cup so they must be doing something right. 

World Cup - Brazil v Germany review

In the semi-finals match Germany beat Brazil by seven goals to one! It really was a shocker of a match. 

Brazil defended so poorly and the Germans capitalised on this and where scoring goals at will. 

I thought that Brazil would wake up and start scoring goals but once it became  five goals to nil, the likelyhood of them having any impact on the game looked remote. 

I think Brazilian fans realised this and television pictures captured a lot of crying Brazilians. It was Brazil worst World Cup and too much for many of their fans to take. 

Without Neymar and the suspended Thiago Silva it was always going to be a difficult and this was compounded by there inability to score and desparately poor defending. 

However the Germans will be very pleased with themselves and will hoping that they can carry this form into next weeks final and win the trophy. 

World Cup - day nineteen

Day nineteen at the World Cup and France beat Nigeria by two goals to nil. It was a very high tempo and competitive match but in the end the French had that little more cutting edge and where able to get the goals and win the game. 

The French are my personal favourites to win the World Cup as they have the best players and seem to have at least two players for ever position. 

Nigeria did well but at this stage of the competition they lacked that clinical finish that could have seen them into the quarter finals. 

Elsewhere Germany beat Algeria two goals to one but this was after extra time. The Algerians gave everything and defensively they where brilliant but they did not have that clinical finish that is needed at this stage of the competition. 

The Germans will be breathing a huge sigh of relief that they are still in this competition but they face France who can attack and defend so pose a different problem to the German team. 

World Cup - Day fifteen

Day fifteen at the World Cup and Germany beat the USA by a goal to nil, however curtesy to other group results going their way USA where able to qualify for the knock out stages. 

In the other group game Portugal beat Ghana by two goals to one. This was tough match for both countries because result could have gone either way. 

However I was disappointed with the way the World Cup ended for Ghana. Two players sent home in disgrace and the others demanding their bonus. 

It has embarrassed Ghana and the focus should have been on how to beat Portugual. Hopefully these discpline and financial issues will not be repeated at the next World Cup. 

Elsewhere Algeria drew one all with Russia and with this win, Algeria qualified for the knock out stages.

Algeria where two of the only African countries to make it through to the knock out stages. Which is an amazing accomplishment for them. 

Now they face Germany in the knock out stages and this will probably see them bow out but it does not take away from there amazing achievements and they certainly have made Africa proud.  

World Cup - Day ten

Day ten of the World Cup and  Germany and Ghana drew two all and this was a match that could have gone either way. 

However at two goals to one to Ghana Andre Ayew had the chance to square the ball and make it three one. But he selfishly decided to take a shot which was saved by the German goalkeeper. 

I think this selfish act was quite costly as soon as Germans went down the other end they scored the equaliser and by the end Ghana was literally holding on to the draw. 

But not many people expected Ghana to even get a point and so to get a draw exceeded many people expectation and was a good result. 

Nigeria beat Bosina- Hercegovina by two goals to one and this was a good win for Nigeria and they now only need a point to qualify for the knock out stages.

Argentina beat Iran by one goal to nil and they literally scored the winner in stoppage time. This was a cruel blow to Iran who had where looking to get at least a point out of the game. 

However Iran are not out and if they win there next game against Bosnia Hercegovina and this could still go through.  

World Cup preview

Ok I am a little late with my World Cup preview but it is better late than never..I haven't got World Cup fever yet but I am sure I will soon get it. 

The teams to watch this World Cup are Spain, Argentina, Italy, Germany and Brazil. Needless to say that they are all World Cup wiinners. 

These teams will be hard to beat with their experience of winning this plus some unbelievable players. 

Teams that I think have an outside chance of winning it our France and Portugual. France are former winners but I don't think they have the team to win it but I expect them to do reasonably well. 

I also think that realistically Ivory Coast might do reasonably well. I am hoping that both Ghana and England do well but it is going to be incredibly difficult for them. 

So it should a really interesting World Cup with lost of twists and turns, happiness and heartbreak and that is why it's called the beautiful game. 

World Cup - selected group review

The draw for Brazil 2014 took place yesterday and there where a few surprises. 

England are in a group with Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica. It is going to be a tough World Cup for England as the draw has not been kind to them. 

It will be a a real uphill task to qualify for the next round. I think they will really struggle to get a win against any of these teams.

Ghana are also in a very very tough group with Germany, Portugal, USA. It is really hard to imagine Ghana topping this group. 

They better pray that they have all their players are fully fit to have any realistic chance of topping or winning this group.

Spain also in a tough group with Holland, Chile and Australia. It won't be easy but I can imagine Spain will make it to the knock out stages. 

After struggling to qualify for the Workf Cup France have somehow managed to be drawn into a reasonable group with Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras. I can imagine that they will make it to the knockout stages. 

Nigeria have drawn into a farely reasonable group with Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iran. I can see Nigeria qualifying for the knock stages.

 

World Cup qualifiers round up

The World Cup qualifiers took place over the weekend England beat Montenegro by four goals to one. Now need to beat Poland at Wembly to ensure qualification to Brazil 2014.

The star of the match went to the Tottenham winger Andros Townsend who helped set up Wayne Rooney's goal and then scored his own goal. 

It's good to see Roy Hodgson is prepared to take risks and play players with little or no international experience. It was a good win for England but I expect Poland to be tougher opposition.

Elsewhere Germany secured its place in the final by beating Republic of Ireland three goals to nil. This also end Ireland's chance of qualifying.

In the African qualifiers Nigeria beat Ethiopia by two goals to one which has brought Nigeria little closer to qualification. 

Ivory Coast beat Senegal three goals to one to take them a step closer to qualification. 

Tunisia drew nil nil with Cameron so this match like the others in the African qualifiers have it all play for to secure qualification to Brazil 2014.