DAY 2 CHRONICLE AND RATINGS

Day 2 Chronicle: “The Fall of Champions”

Summary: Some who had been carefully watching team form and progress predicted that Holland would beat Spain, no one predicted the 5-1 demolition on the day.

Elsewhere torrential rain could not hide more inadequate refereeing, and tropical heat saw Chile a bit too close and sweaty for comfort with a physical and interesting Australia.

Best goal: Today one of the best goals of all World Cup History was scored.

Robbie van Persie lobbing Iker Casillas with a first-touch header from a 51 meter Daley Blind super-cross.

11 of the day: (433)

GK: Claudio Bravo (Chi)

Def: I.Franjic (Aus) Maza Rodriguzez (Mex) Rafa Marquez (Mex) Daley Blind (Hol)

Mid: J.Valdivia (Chi) C.Aranguriz (Chi)  H.Herrera (Mex)

Fwd: A.Robben (Hol) R.van Persie (Hol) T.Cahill (Aus)

Worst moment: Another dive another penalty, Diego Costa extended his leg to step on the young De Vrij’s oustretched foot and con referee Rizzoli into awarding a penalty.

Also the two legitimate goals by Giovani dos Santos taken away from Mexico.

GROUP A

Mexico 1 Cameroon 0

June 13, 2014 • 18:00

Arena das Dunas, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

Oribe Peralta ’61 assisted by Giovani dos Santos

Man of the Match: Giovani dos Santos

Honourable Mentions:

R.Marquez, Paul Aguilar and O.Peralta, N.N’Koulou, B.Assou-Ekoto

Flops of the Match:

S.Eto’o, Enoh, Djeugoue

Attractiveness: 7.6 – Mexico played some beautiful offensive football against an inactive and mesmerized Cameroon until the referee and the rain drowned things out for much of the second half.

Referee and rating: 3.5

Wilmar Roldan (Col)

Got some cards right but called two perfectly good goals by Giovani dos Santos offsides, and failed to card M’Bia’s fouls and some Cameroon late challenges. Luckily Mexico pulled it off otherwise it would have been another shame in Group A in favour of Brazil.

Attendance: 38958 a fantastic Mexican presence, it felt like the Azteca.

MEXICO:

G.Ochoa: 7.0

A.Guardado: 6.7

H.Moreno: 7.0

F.Rodriguez: 7.9

R.Marquez: 8.1

M.Layun: 7.1

Paul Aguilar: 8.0

J.Vazquez: 6.8

H.Herrera: 7.8

G.dos Santos: 8.3

O.Peralta: 8.0

Subs:

M.Fabian ’69 for Guardado: 6.5

J.Hernandez ’74 for Peralta: 7.2

C.Salcido ’91 for Herrera: -

Team cohesion: 8.2

Manager: M.Herrera: 8.1

CAMEROON

C.Itandje: 6.9

C.Djeugoue: 4.5

N.N’Koulou: 7.4

B.Assou-Ekoto: 7.3

A.Chedjou: 6.0

A.Song: 6.2

E.Enoh: 5.5

S.Mbia: 6.7

S.Eto’o: 6.2

M.Choupo-Moting: 6.8

B.Moukando: 6.5

D.Nounkeu ’46 for Djeugoue: 6.6

Webo ’79 for Song: 6.5

Team cohesion: 4.5 – something was very wrong with Cameroon’s energy and teamwork

Manager: Volker Finke: 6.0

GROUP B

Spain 1 Holland 5

June 13, 2014 • 21:00

Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Bahia

Xabi Alonso (p) 27’ after crafty dive by Diego Costa

R.van Persie 44’ assisted by superb D.Blind

A.Robben 53’ assisted by superb D.Blind

S. de Vrij ’64 after W.Sneijder corner

R. van Persie ’72 assisted by I.Casillas

A.Robben ’80 assisted by W.Sneijder

Man of the Match: A.Robben

Honourable Mentions:

Daley Blind, R.van Persie, Ron Vlaar, J.Cilessen, A.Iniesta

Flops of the Match:

Busquets

Attractiveness: 9.0 – This game will long be remembered, and all the more so because Diego Costa’s skilful penalty dive was neutralized. A bit too much fouling at times, but that was expected.

Referee and rating: 6.1

Nicola Rizzoli (Ita)

Called an erroneous, but hard-to-get-right penalty against Holland. His carding was ok but not perfectly consistent, sadly best referring so far.

Attendance: 48173 with a good mix of Dutch and Spanish fans.

SPAIN

I.Casillas: 6.2

Azpilucueta: 6.8

Jordi Alba: 6.9

Pique: 6.3

Ramos: 6.0

Xabi Alonso: 6.9

David Silva: 7.0

Iniesta: 7.2

Xavi: 6.9

Busquets: 5.2

Diego Costa: 6.0

Subs:

Fernando Torres ’63 for Diego Costa: 5.9

Pedro ’63 for Xabi Alonso: 7.0

Fabregas ’78 for David Silva: 6.0

Team cohesion: 7.4 later 4.0 cohesion was not the problem until it fell apart after the third goal.

Manager: Vicente del Bosque: 3.4 – he is to blame, bad preparations, bad read of the opponent, bad judgement on squad picking, and outfoxed by a much better prepared van Gaal.

HOLLAND

J.Cillessen: 7.9

R.Vlaar: 7.9

Daley Blind: 9.4 – two assists one key save

Martins Indi: 6.9

S. de Vrij: 7.1

D.Janmaat: 7.4

N.de Jong: 7.0

J.de Guzman: 7.2

A.Robben: 9.5

W.Sneijder: 8.0

R.van Persie: 9.3

Veltman on 77’ for de Vrij: 7.5

Winjaldum on 62’ for de Guzman: 7.5

Lens on 79’ for van Persie: 7.8

Team cohesion: 7.9 – still not a 100% especially in defence, but this victory will see this really rise as they grow in confidence in each other.

Manager: van Gaal: 10.0 – a memorable masterstroke, this was his match, with a well worked 3-4-3 to destroy the era of the ticky-tacka.

GROUP B

Chile 3 Australia 1

June 13, 2014 • 23:00

Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso

A.Sanchez 12’ assisted by Aranguiz

J.Valdivia 14’ assisted by Alexis Sanchez

Tim Cahill 35’ assisted by I.Franjic

Beausejour 92’ assisted by Pinilla

Man of the Match: Alexis Sanchez

Honourable Mentions:

Tim Cahill, Valdivia, Aranguiz, Bravo, Isla, Franjic, Leckie, Wilkinson (goal line clearance)

Flops of the Match:

Vidal, E.Vargas, M.Jedinak

Attractiveness: 7.0 – Good tension, Australia was nice to watch despite the class difference, the hot weather stifled it at times during the second half.

Referee and rating: 3.5

Noumandiez Doue (Ivory Coast)

Not an easy match to ref and his carding wasn’t perfect, he failed to control Cahill, Medel’s and Jara’s constant rumble with each other, which luckily didn’t escalate. Australia could have had more yellows.

Attendance: 40275 the vast majority of whom were Chilean survived the sweltering 30 degree evening in an unfinished stadium in Cuiaba.

CHILE:

C.Bravo: 8.0

E.Mena: 7.7

G.Jara: 7.2

G.Medel: 7.8

Valdivia: 8.0

Aranguiz: 8.0

Paul Aguilar: 8.0

Vidal: 6.2 – was not fit and not ready

M.Isla: 8.2

M.Dias: 7.4

A.Sanchez: 8.6

Subs:

Gutierrez 60’ for Vidal: 7.2

Pinilla 88’ for Vargas: 7.0

Beausejour 68’ for Valdivia: 7.9

Team cohesion: 8.6

Manager: Sampaoli 5.5 – made strange subs and lacked options, should have had more alternatives, especially height wise in defence, but he seems to have left all real defenders at home.

AUSTRALIA

M.Ryan: 7.1

Wilkinson: 7.9

Davidson: 6.4

Spiranovic: 6.3

Franjic: 8.1

Milligan: 7.0

Bresciano: 7.7

Jedinak: 5.8

Leckie: 7.9

Oar: 7.4

Cahill: 8.5

McGowan 49’ for and injured Franjic: 6.0

Halloran 69’ for Oar: 5.5

Troisi 78’ for Bresciano: 6.9

Team cohesion: 8.2 – team is integrated but fails to lift everyone to perform better than their skill level.

Manager: A.Postecoglou: 7.9 – has prepared an interesting team, but with obvious gaps in quality. Australia could have at least equalized thanks to his decent plan.