Groups E and F would wrap it up today. With Argentina already qualified and France nearly there, it was a matter of who would join them and what the matchups would be.
Group F: Nigeria vs. Argentina
Result: Argentina won 3-2
Goalscorers: 3', 45+1' Lionel Messi (Barcelona), 4', 47' Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow), 50' Marcos Rojo (Sporting CP)
Bookings: 49' Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough), 51' Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod)
Lineups
Nigeria (4-4-2)
Vincent Enyeama (Lille); Efe Ambrose (Celtic), Joseph Yobo (Norwich City, captain), Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod), Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough); Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow), Michel Babatunde (Volyn Lutsk); Peter Odemwingie (Stoke City), Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce)
Changes from last match
Same starting 11 from the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina, but change from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 formation
Subs:
Michael Uchebo (Cercle Brugge) 66' for Michel Babatunde
Uche Nwofor (Heerenveen) 80' for Peter Odemwingie
Argentina (4-3-3)
Sergio Romero (Monaco); Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Sporting CP); Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Angel di Maria (Real Madrid); Lionel Messi (Barcelona, captain), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Changes from last match
Same starters and formation used against Iran
Subs:
Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG) 38' for Sergio Aguero
Ricardo Alvarez (Inter) 63' for Lionel Messi
Lucas Biglia (Lazio) 90' for Gonzalo Higuain
These teams have quite a repetitive history in the World Cup, with Argentina beating Nigeria every time they met in the Group Stage. It was especially a rematch for Lionel Messi against a goal keeper who prevented him from scoring against Nigeria in 2010 South Africa: Vincent Enyeama. It only took 3 minutes for Messi to score this time around but a minute later, Musa drew Nigeria level. Then Messi scored again, then Musa. And then Rojo scored off a set piece to give Argentina a slim lead but by then Nigeria were out of responses. It was another nerve wracking win for Argentina and once again Messi saves the day and earns them another 3 points to finish the group stage perfectly. Lionel Messi is now tied with Neymar for leading scorer with 4 goals. However due to the result of the Iran-Bosnia match, Nigeria would follow Argentina out of this group in 2nd place.
Group F: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Iran
Result: 3-1 win for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Goalscorers: 23' Eden Dzeko (Manchester City), 59' Miralem Pjanic (Roma), 82' Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton Athletic), 83' Avdija Vrsajevic (Hajduk Split)
Bookings: 78' Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros), 88' Karim Ansarifard (Tractor Sazi)
Lineups
Bosnia and Herzegovina (4-4-2)
Asmir Begovic (Stoke City); Avdija Vrsajevic (Hajduk Split), Toni Sunjic (Zorya Luhansk), Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen, captain), Sead Kolasinac (Schalke); Miralem Pjanic (Roma), Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros), Anel Hadzic (Sturm Graz), Tino-Sven Susic (Hajduk Split); Edin Dzeko (Manchester City), Vedad Ibisevic (Stuttgart)
Changes from last match
Mensur Mujdza, Haris Medunjanin, Izet Hajrovic, Zvjezdan Misimovic, and Senad Lulic left off the starting lineup, allowing Vrsajevic, Kolasinac, Hadzic, Susic, and Ibisevic to start (Susic and Ibisevic appeared as subs against Nigeria)
Subs:
Ognjen Vranjes (Elazigspor) 61' for Anel Hadzic
Sejad Salihovic (Hoffenheim) 79' for Tino-Sven Susic
Edin Visca (Istanbul Basaksehir) 85' for Edin Dzeko
Iran (4-2-3-1)
Alireza Haghighi (Sporting Covilha); Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis), Amir Sadeghi (Esteghlal), Pejman Montazeri (Umm Salal), Mehrdad Pooladi (Persepolis); Javad Nekounam (Al-Kuwait, captain), Andranik Teymourian (Esteghlal); Ashkan Dejagah (Fulham), Masoud Shojaei (Las Palmas), Ehsan Hajsafi (Sephana); Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton Athletic)
Changes from last match
Same formation and players that faced Argentina
Subs:
Khosro Heydari (Esteghlal) 46' for Masoud Shojaei
Alireza Jahanbakhsh (NEC) 63' for Ehsan Hajsafi
Karim Ansarifard (Tractor Sazi) 82' for Ashkan Dejagah
Bosnia and Herzegovina were heading out of the World Cup no matter what happened in this match but they made sure they didn't go out without a fight. Iran needed to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina to have a shot at advancing to the next round but even though the Dragons have been slayed already, they are still a decent team especially compared to the Iranians. Led by the Roma star Miralem Pjanic who had 1 goal and 1 assist, Bosnia and Herzegovina earned their first world cup win ever. As for Iran, at least Reza Ghoochannejad made sure Iran didn't go home without scoring a single goal. And this meant that every team at this World Cup scored at least 1 goal.
Elimination Analysis: Bosnia and Herzegovina
A nation that gained independence in a war-torn area of Europe in the 1990s, and fast forward 20 years and a poor nation dealing with floods would get to cheer on their team going to their first ever World Cup. In a difficult period, the 23 Dragons representing this young and growing nation were hoping to put a smile of the faces of the people rooting for them back home. Now they'll be wondering what went wrong and how they could be going out this early, and upon reflection they won't be happy. Edin Dzeko's goal against Nigeria was unjustly disallowed and if it stood, Bosnia and Herzegovina would be going through to the next round. Even though this journey ended sooner than they would've liked, their journey to Brazil was quite impressive and now there's another decent European team in the mix to qualify for future competitions.
Elimination Analysis: Iran
Well they ended with 1 point and dead last in this group but they far from embarrassed themselves at this World Cup. Finishing the tournament with the same amount of points as England is nothing for Carlos Quieroz and Iran to be ashamed of. They put in decent performances against their opposition in this group. The fact that some people believed they outplayed Argentina in Argentina's narrow 1-0 victory over Iran is a huge compliment. If Iran qualify for the next World Cup, the world will be a lot less shocked to see them truly go toe to toe with some of the best teams out there. Hopefully they can get a few more players playing in Europe (preferably top divisions in Europe) in the next few years and then perhaps Iran will become even more threatening.
Group E: Honduras vs. Switzerland
Result: 3-0 victory for the Swiss
Goalscorers: 6', 31', 71' Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich)
Bookings: 66' Jerry Palacios (Alajuelense)
Lineups
Honduras (4-4-2)
Noel Valladares (Olimpia, captain); Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Maynor Figueroa (Hull City), Juan Carlos Garcia (Wigan Athletic); Jorge Claros (Motagua), Wilson Palacios (Stoke City), Oscar Boniek Garcia (Houston Dynamo), Roger Espinoza (Wigan Athletic); Carlo Costly (Real Espana), Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution)
Changes from last match
Emilio Izaguirre and Luis Garrido replaced by J.Garcia and W.Palacios (the latter who returned from suspension after receiving a red card against France) respectively.
Subs:
Jerry Palacios (Alajuelense) 40' for Carlo Costly
Martin Chavez (Chivas USA) 46' for Roger Espinoza
Andy Najar (Anderlecht) 77' for Oscar Boniek Garcia
Switzerland (4-2-3-1)
Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg); Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Johan Djourou (Hamburger), Fabian Schar (Basel), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg); Valon Behrami (Napoli), Gokhan Inler (Napoli, captain); Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Granit Xhaka (Monchengladbach), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg); Josip Drmic (Nurnberg)
Changes from last match
Steve von Bergen (injury) and Haris Seferovic left off the starting lineup for Schar and Drmic to start.
Subs:
Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad) 74' for Josip Drmic
Michael Lang (Grasshopper) 77' for Granit Xhaka
Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli) 87' for Xherdan Shaqiri
Honduras mathematically weren't eliminated going into this match but they were just about. Considering the wealth of talent the Swiss have, things looked like they would be different than the 0-0 draw that happened in South Africa. Perhaps Ottmar Hitzfeld will remember that match and would be especially careful to avoid history repeating itself, and thankfully Xherdan Shaqiri and Josip Drmic stepped up and led Switzerland to another 3-0 defeat for Honduras to deal with. Drmic did a good job setting up opportunities, most of which Shaqiri made good use of to score the 50th hat trick at the FIFA World Cup. This win allowed Switzerland to finish in 2nd in this group and will face Argentina in the Round of 16. Switzerland don't look like the most threatening team in the tournament but Argentina haven't been coasting through this World Cup so far so anything is possible. For Honduras though, it's another group stage exit.
Elimination Analysis: Honduras
Mexico advanced from Group A, Costa Rica won Group C, USA are in a good position to advance from Group G, but Honduras couldn't do as well as their CONCACAF rivals and leave the World Cup without a single point just like Cameroon and Australia. Honduras gave teams like USA and Mexico a tough time in the final round of qualifying for CONCACAF (the Hexagonal), but once again they failed to compete in the group stage. At the very least, at least Carlo Costly ended their goal scoring drought at the World Cup. It'll be another four years before Honduras can have another chance to prove they belong at the World Cup after another less than impressive performance.
Group E: Ecuador vs. France
Result: 0-0 draw
Bookings: 50' red card Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), 83' Frickson Erazo (Flamengo)
Significance of Bookings: Antonio Valencia would've missed the next match, but since Ecuador lost in the group stage, it was everyone's last match for Ecuador at this tournament.
Lineups
Ecuador (4-4-2)
Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito); Juan Paredes (Barcelona, ECU), Jorge Guagua (Emelec), Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca); Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Christian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow), Oswaldo Minda (Chivas USA), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United, captain); Michael Arroyo (Atlante), Enner Valencia (Pachuca)
Changes from last match
Same formation and starters that faced Honduras except Felipe Caicedo moving to the bench for Arroyo
Subs:
Renato Ibarra (Vitesse) 63' for Jefferson Montero
Gabriel Achilier (Emelec) 82' for Michael Arroyo
Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira) 89' for Christian Noboa
France (4-5-1)
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, captain); Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Lucas Digne (PSG); Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United); Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Changes from last match
Mathieu Debuchy, Raphael Varane, Patrice Evra, Yohan Cabaye (yellow card accumulation), Mathieu Valbuena, and Olivier Giroud are replaced by Sagna, Koscielny, Digne, Schneiderlin, Griezmann, and Pogba. Pogba, Griezmann, and Koscielny came on as subs against Switzerland.
Subs:
Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) 61' for Mamadou Sakho
Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) 67' for Blaise Matuidi
Loic Remy (Newcastle United) 79' for Antoine Griezmann
Ecuador's dropped point against Switzerland looked ready to come back to haunt them as they needed a result, preferably a win by a few goals, against France to advance. Even though to some it may have looked like France were taking their foot off the gas by resting a few of their starters, you're forgetting that France have a versatile and deep squad. Even the latest addition to their World Cup squad, Morgan Schneiderlin (only made it due to injuries) is an underrated talent Didier Deschamps has at his disposal, and with goals likely to come from as many of at least half the French starters, Ecuador truly faced an uphill battle. But it's one they took head on, absorbing pressure and getting a few good chances along the way. Hugo Lloris wasn't given the day off; he was put to work on a few occasions (certainly more than the game against Honduras). Alexander Dominguez's heroics kept France from scoring despite the amount of shots that came his way. And this match was certainly a physical one, with Christian Noboa suffering a head injury but was able to continue playing, and Antonio Valencia with a horrible and dangerous tackle he delivered to Lucas Digne to earn Ecuador's captain a Red Card. That should've been game over for Ecuador, with 40 minutes to go with only 10 men and it seemed like the next French goal invasion was due to take place, but Ecuador continued to fight but unfortunately despite working hard for a 0-0 draw, Switzerland taking all 3 points against Honduras meant that Ecuador would be out of the tournament. To me at times it almost seemed like France were content with a draw, and hopefully this performance against Ecuador doesn't sap too much of their momentum going into the knockout round against Nigeria. No doubt France will be favorites against Stephen Keshi's side but "Favorites" may no longer be the ideal role in the World Cup considering the upsets that have occurred thus far. Nonetheless, even though this current French team shouldn't be compared to the one Didier Deschamps, as a player, lead to glory in the 1998 World Cup, they look like one of the most formidable teams in the tournament.
Elimination Analysis: Ecuador
The only South American nation to go out in the Group Stage of this world cup. That is the disappointing reality that haunts La Tri right now. But nothing will disturb them more than Haris Seferovic's goal in the 3rd and final minute of stoppage time that gave Switzerland a last minute win in Brasilia. Had they kept their composure Ecuador could've gotten a point from that match which would've meant 5 points total compared to Switzerland's 4, and they would be the ones advancing instead of the Swiss. Talk about a missed opportunity. But what an impressive way to go out of this tournament. Antonio Valencia's red card is nothing to brag about, but Ecuador still managing to end the match in a draw against the group favorites France is not bad at all. The skill isn't there yet for Ecuador to be one of the big guns of South America just yet, but they certainly play with passion and despite a few crucial mistakes that ended their World Cup after 3 games and prevented them from at least replicating their best ever finish at the World Cup (Round of 16 in 2006), hopefully they keep their heads held high for fighting hard.
Current Round of 16 Matchups
Brazil vs. Chile
Colombia vs. Uruguay
France vs. Nigeria
1G vs. 2H
Netherlands vs. Mexico
Costa Rica vs. Greece
Argentina vs. Switzerland
1H vs. 2G
Up next
Group G Finale: United States vs. Germany, Ghana vs. Portugal
Group H Finale: South Korea vs. Belgium, Algeria vs. Russia
8 teams.....4 spots in the Round of 16.....4 more group stage losers.....all to play for
Belgium: The team that can breath the easiest. Their victory over Russia and Algeria's win over South Korea confirmed Belgium will be moving on to the Round of 16, and a point against an unimpressive South Korean team will put the Red Devils (yes, I mean Belgium, not Manchester United, although for Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj it doesn't make much of a difference) through Group H in the 1st spot. However Belgium have looked less like a seeded team than any other seeded team except Switzerland and maybe Uruguay. Fans expected more than a come from behind 2-1 victory over Algeria and a late goal winner over Russia, even if this is Belgium's first World Cup in 12 years. After all, this is their golden generation. Teams like Spain, Italy, and England will finish saying goodbye to theirs but for Belgium it's just beginning, and Belgium will be hoping for a comfortable win against South Korea to send them through to the knockout stages in good form.
Algeria: From being able to take several punches to being able to punch back as we saw from South Korea, Algeria must repeat their performance against Russia to make it out of the Group Stage for the first time ever. A draw against Russia and a Belgium win or draw would be enough for Algeria to advance. What does the fox say? Algerian fans will hope that their desert foxes can say they're going to the last 16.
Russia: Once again all eyes are on Fabio Capello, who has one last chance to deliver after disappointing performances against South Korea and Belgium that have only given Russia 1 point. No if, ands, or buts: Russia need to win this game. Will some of the Russian Premier League's finest be able to have their finest moments of the World Cup against an Algerian side you shouldn't dare to underestimate? Or will Russia crumble?
South Korea: Mathematically they're not out but like Honduras and Ecuador, they couldn't get more points where they needed to and have a difficult task ahead of them. In the match against Belgium, former Belgian player Marc Wilmots will battle former South Korean player Hong Myung-Bo. Unless some of the magic from the 2002 World Cup finds its way to inspire South Korea in this match, there's very little hope for them and they should be among the teams heading out.
Portugal: They might be in a hole not even Cristiano Ronaldo can dig Portugal out of. Their horrendous loss to Germany 4-0 is making life difficult for them as they hope to advance to the next round. Their best bet is to beat Ghana heavily and for the Germans to inflict a similar magnitude of damage towards the Americans. Their fate is not entirely in their hands, and they could be following their neighbors Spain out of the World Cup in the group stage unless a miracle happens, and it's happened before thanks to the presence of technically the best player in the world.
Ghana: They impressed in their 2-2 draw against Germany and looked threatening in their 2-1 loss to the USA. What can they do to Portugal? That is the big question. Ghana's goal difference is less ugly than Portugal's so a win of any sort could give Ghana a chance to progress. From the young talents such as Christian Atsu to the leader of the pack Asamoah Gyan, this Ghanian team is all about belief and they have done wonders as a group over the last 8 years. Will this be the first time Ghana go out of a World Cup in the Group Stage or will the Black Stars shine through to the knockout round?
Germany: Germany are still one of the teams to watch in this World Cup, you don't need me going on about how great this team is, but the Ghana matched showed they are vulnerable, and now they face the United States in what's sure to be an interesting encounter. Despite USA playing well, Germany still look like the more likely side to win, but there are no guarantees. They'll have to play at their highest level to ensure they don't just qualify to the KO Stage but finish 1st.
United States: Usually playing a team like Germany has American players and fans quaking in fear. Oh wait, this isn't the 1990s. USA have looked the part in their first two games in a group that was supposed to murder them and now just a draw against Germany guarantees they qualify to the knockout stage and like Costa Rica, teach the critics a lesson. Jurgen Klinsmann has done well to make this team as strong as it currently is. Can they finishing things off and at the very least manage a point against Klinsmann's country?
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