2014 World Cup – Group D (FINAL)

This post will be updated as Group D progresses.

Group D Preview (Costa Rica, England, Italy, Uruguay)
One of the most underrated groups when it comes to toughness, Group D is no joke, and the two survivors of this group will have earned their places in the knockout stage.  Uruguay – a semifinalist in South Africa in 2010 – is probably the odds-on favorites to win this group, but no one will be surprised if they don’t even qualify given the pedigree of their fellow Group D’ers.  Particularly, the two European squads that are loaded with international stars.  The Italians are aging, but incredibly talented and always seem to perform their best on the biggest of stages (in all international sporting events).  They are also trying to erase the memories of a painful 2010 World Cup, where they finished last in their group behind the likes of Paraguay, Slovakia, and even the lowly All-Whites from New Zealand.  England at least got out of the Group Stage in 2010 before getting plastered by Germany in the Round of 16.  The Brits are back with a host of EPL all-stars to see if they can erase their country’s long-standing disappointment in the World Cup.  And, then there is the darkhorse of the group, Costa Rica.  The “sharp” soccer handicappers have been taking long odds on Costa Rica to come out of this group.  Just sayin’.

6/14, 3:00 – Costa Rica vs. Uruguay
Uruguay avoids an opening game against either of the big Euro sides, but instead better come to play against a Costa Rica team that has been playing rather well of late.  Not much is expected of the Costa Ricans, so anything here would be enormous, but if they can pull out at least a draw, they might have a lot of confidence going forward against those Euro sides.

Costa Rica 3 – Uruguay 1
While the 5-1 final in the Netherlands-Spain match may have been the most surprising overall result so far in the Cup, this was the most surprising winner.  Uruguay came in knowing that they had to bring their best efforts since they were in a group with both Italy and England, but Costa Rica was supposed to be the beatable side in this group.  But, you have to hand it to the Vegas “sharps,” who were all over Costa Rica in pretournament betting.  And, they sure looked like the better side on this day.  This group just got even more interesting than it already was, as we now can look ahead to Italy and England taking on a suddenly reeling Uruguay squad and a suddenly dangerous and confident Costa Rican side.

6/14, 5:00 – England vs. Italy
What a great way for both of these sides to get their 2014 campaign going.  They are not exactly the best of friends on the pitch, and they have certainly had their fair share of tussles in the past.  This should be intense and ugly – and must-see TV.  The only problem is that, as the opening game between two teams that will not be satisfied with anything other than a deep run, this wreaks of a conservatively-played draw.  If either side does pick up 3 points here, it would (obviously) be gigantic for their chances to get out of this group.

Italy 2 – England 1
My favorite result so far because there isn’t a side that I enjoy rooting against more than England, and, seeing as my last name ends in “I,” I am always rooting for my descendants.  This match was really good for a half and then pretty uninteresting after the Italians took the 2-1 lead.  Maybe it was the heat and humidity; maybe it was the Italian defense.  Either way, the Azzurri picked up a really important opening win and are solid shape to potentially win a group that looked dangerous to even get out of.

Day One Recap
Costa Rica pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament thus far, while Italy picked up one of the more important victories.  It is still far too early to close the book on either England or Uruguay, but both did not help themselves and neither looked all that good, to be honest.  Costa Rica is certainly going to make this group interesting, and Italy has now gone from maybe the third choice to most likely winner in one eventful day.  More INCREDIBLY interesting matches upcoming – stay tuned to Group D – it’s just getting started!

6/19, 3:00 – England vs. Uruguay
This is a fantastic match with two Top Ten teams up against the wall and staring at potential elimination.  Uruguay, who was shockingly upset by Costa Rica in their opening match, now somehow need to probably get at least 4 points out of England and Italy – no small feat at all.  And, the way the Italians looked 5 days ago, that probably means that beating England today is an absolute must.  On the flip side, things are a little rosier for the Brits, but not much.  Knowing they have Costa Rica as their third match might be a little most promising, but the Costa Ricans proved to be no pushovers and they still need points from this match here against a Uruguay team that is as solid as any in the world.  This is one of the better matches of the first round, and it is made even more interesting by the razor’s edge on which both of these teams sit after disappointing openers.

Uruguay 2 – England 1
Luis Suarez – the EPL’s leading goal scorer by a ridiculously wide margin – broke the hearts of the country in which he earns his living.  Two impressive goals (which also exemplified impressively poor defense from the English) by Suarez effectively ended the 2014 World Cup for the Three Lions.  This was an interesting match that showed some elite offensive performances around some shoddy defense.  The English outplayed Uruguay for most of the match, but missed chance after chance after chance.  They finally got the equalizer (and looked like they were heading for AT LEAST a 1-1 draw) from the one and only Wayne Rooney, but Suarez crushed their hopes just a couple minutes later, getting free against some terrible defense and putting in the game-winner.  Uruguay is alive and well now and will get ready for a VERY important and interesting match with Italy.  The English are all but done, though they do have a very beatable Costa Rica to close out the group.  However, if Italy does not beat Costa Rica on Friday, the English will have nothing to play for.  Wow!

6/20, noon – Costa Rica vs. Italy
The shocker of the first round of games was the Costa Rica upset of Uruguay.  But, no rest for the weary, as they now face an Italian team that looked very good in a win over England.  With both of these teams sitting on 3 points, a winner here would be in total control of this group, obviously.  While Costa Rica would certainly be okay with a draw, Italy is clearly looking for 3 more points to put this group away in advance of their finale with Uruguay.  Do the scary underdogs have another trick in their bag today against another one of the world’s soccer superpowers?  If so – and all CR needs is a draw – the English will be eliminated.

Costa Rica 1 – Italy 0
DVR issues cost me this one, but according to Doogan, this was really a show of great team defense by the Costa Ricans, who scored late in the first half and held on.  Looking at the numbers, I was taken by one figure in particular – 11 offsides calls on the Italians.  That cannot be a good way to generate offense.  I have to thank the Vegas sharps for making me money on this on, as I took Costa Rica at 10:1 just to get out of the group.  I should have listened more and taken them at 30:1 to win the group, which looks likely at this point.

Day Two Recap
Costa Rica is the story here, as they have already beaten Uruguay and Italy and now take on a rattled English side needing only a point to win the group outright…WOW!  Uruguay’s win over England sets up a FASCINATING matchup between Uruguay and Italy with elimination on the line.  Italy only needs a draw, but Uruguay’s attacking style could make this great.  The second-place side here would get a solid, but beatable Colombia in the Round of 16, so there is a TON at stake here.

6/24, noon – Costa Rica vs. England
6/24, noon – Italy vs. Uruguay
Again, for the third straight time in these simultaneous starts, we really only need to focus on one match – which is nice because it is a FANTASTIC match.  While I said that the Mexico-Croatia match would be my favorite of the third round, I was wrong, because this Italy-Uruguay match is better.  It has all the same scenarios at stake with higher-profile and flat-out better teams involved.  Two top ten international sides will battle in a flat-out elimination match (with Italy going through with a draw).  This should be fantastic.  Alternatively, how great is it that the “Group of Champions” (dubbed so because they had three nations that have a WC title in their history) will most likely be won by the third qualifier from CONCACAF – and, obviously, the only one without a championship?  The shocking Costa Ricans (who shocked everyone except the Vegas sharps) only need a draw with England to win the group and avoid Colombia in the Round of 16.  They may even still win it with a loss, but that will come down to goal differential.

Costa Rica 0 – England 0
Uruguay 1 – Italy 0
So, apparently Luis Suarez bites people?  Like, regularly?!?  He’s a grown man, right?  I really don’t get it.  Trust me, I totally understand competitiveness and “in the heat of the game,” but biting?  Seriously?  Well, at least we’ve likely seen the last of him.  We have not, however, seen the last of his Uruguay teammates, as they picked up a late goal against a 10-manned Italian side to move on through.  The winning goal came on – literally – the very next play after the bite and happened, in part, due to a seemingly out of place Chiellini.  Was he rattled by just being bitten by another human being?  Possibly.  So, in consecutive World Cups, Luis Suarez saves a game-winning goal with his hand in the quarterfinals against Ghana (with which I had ABSOLUTELY no problem) and then potentially sets up a game-winning goal in a group stage elimination game against Italy by biting a defender (with which I couldn’t possibly have more of a problem).  In the end, this match – which was very good – will be remembered for the weird, primal, hilarious act by Suarez and not for a passionate Italian side that fought off the game-winner for 40 about minutes with just 10 men, and then nearly placed another equalizer with those 10 men (including goalkeeper Buffon, who they played their final ball to in the box).  For the record, how great would it have been if Buffon headed in the equalizer at the final whistle?  Anyway, the Uruguayans go through and will take on a red-hot Colombia side in the Round of 16.  I will be honest, I did not watch one second of the other match, and I could not be more satisfied with that decision.  Farewell, England, we will miss you.  Costa Rica – congrats!

Group D Final Recap
1. Costa Rica – The Cup of the Americas continues, as every Western hemisphere side is still alive with all but Honduras looking good to move on through to the knockout stage (and Ecuador is a bit of a toss-up to get through).  Costa Rica, the surprise of them all, ends up winning the “Group of Champions” and relatively easily, as they end the group stage with wins over Uruguay and Italy and a draw with England in a match where they only needed 1 point.  Now, they match up with possibly the worst knockout qualifier, Greece, in the Round of 16 before a potential quarterfinal date with the Netherlands (unless fellow CONCACAF’er, Mexico, can shock the Dutch). 

2. Uruguay – Not exactly how they drew it up, but the 2010 semifinalists are through their group by winning tough matches against England and Italy in the wake of a shocking opening loss to Costa Rica.  The 6 points they needed weren’t likely to all come from the Euro sides in the group, but that’s what happened and now the South Americans will join 3 continent-mates in the top quadrant of the bracket.  They will take on Colombia in the Round of 16 in advance of a possible quarterfinal against the Brazil-Chile winner.  Without Suarez, though, they have to go in as decided underdogs against a smoking hot Colombia side.

3. Italy – After an inspired win over rival England, the Italians dropped back-to-back matches against Costa Rica and Uruguay and are eliminated in group play for the second straight World Cup.  As Doogan points out, it will be a much different looking Italian side the next time we see them internationally, as the core is aging, most notably midfielder, Pirlo, and goalkeeper, Buffon.

4. England – Ah, leave it to England to bow out un-unceremoniously.  This time around, they were bitten by sloppy midfield play and downright poor defense.  I am sure the English media will be all over the failures of this iteration, so I will save any more of my amateur assessment, but I was impressed by several of their attacking midfielders and strikers.  I have no idea where they go from here, but I am sure they will be back to disappoint in future tournaments.