World Cup power rankings - every country rated 1-16

By Steven Oldham

The group stages are over. There is no football on tomorrow. It's the perfect opportunity to look back on the opening 48 games of the tournament and where they leave each country in the rankings.

1 NETHERLANDS
(P3, W3, D0, L0, F10, A3, GD +6)
9 POINTS

Louis Van Gaal's team have arguably been the most impressive team so far in Brazil, recording three straight victories in what looked a very tough group. Their demolition of Spain set them up for qualification and they kept their heads in the group decider against Chile to top the group and avoid hosts Brazil in the second round. Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie look to be in the form of their lives.



Robin van Persie (@foreverutd)

2 COLOMBIA
(P3, W3, D0, L0, F9, A2)
9 POINTS

Colombia could be the ultimate surprise package of this World Cup. They have made light work of an open group and reinforced their status as dark horses. Often overlooked in favour of their more illustrious continental neighbours, Colombia have so far outperformed Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Dangerous for any opponent and they will not be daunted by facing Uruguay in the round of sixteen, especially with Luis Suarez now banned.

3 ARGENTINA
(P3, W3, D0, L0, F6, A3, GD +3)
9 POINTS

Argentina have gained a 100% record in their group without ever really hitting top gear and without Lionel Messi in the team they might have struggled to put their opponents to the sword. Nevertheless they topped the group with little trouble, but looked potentially vulnerable defensively against Nigeria, and they struggled to break down Iran in a game many thought they would win by a cricket score.

4 BELGIUM
(P3, W3, D0, L0, F4, A1, GD +3)

The Belgians are similar to Argentina in progressing comfortably without fully turning up as of yet. Widely tipped to do well before the tournament began, they have shown flashes of brilliance, but look solid rather than spectacular so far. Defensively they shared the best record with Costa Rica, but given the riches they possess in attack, four goals is a disappointing return and they will be looking to Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku to improve if they are live up to their challengers billing.

5 FRANCE
(P3, W2, D1, L0, F8, A2, GD +6)
7 POINTS

Didier Deschamps' team have more than exorcised the demons of South Africa four years ago with their performances so far. Most impressive was their 5-2 mauling of Switzerland which in effect won them the group. France are either brilliant or terrible at tournaments, never in between, and they have produced some silky football in Brazil so far this summer. They will be confident of making the last eight.

6= BRAZIL
(P3, W2, D1, L0, F7, A2, GD+5)
7 POINTS

The hosts have not yet reached their brilliant best, and yet Brazil never looked as if they would fail to top the group. This is not a vintage Brazilian team though and they are too over reliant on Neymar to produce the goods. Frustrated by Mexico, given more than a helping hand against Croatia, they only really found their swagger against Cameroon who were already out. They have also been handed a tough second round tie against Chile. Could they go out in the second round?

6= GERMANY
(P3, W2, D1, L0, F7, A2, GD+5)
7 POINTS

Joachim Low's men put their best performance in against Portugal in their opening game, with Thomas Muller hitting a hat trick that looked ominous for the other countries at this year's World Cup. They haven't been as impressive since and Ghana nearly gave them a shock result before a point was recovered. They have been handed a kind looking draw against Algeria but need to be wary of the North Africans' pace on the break.

8= COSTA RICA
(P3,W2, D1, L0, F4, A1, GD +3)
7 POINTS

Nobody gave Costa Rica a chance when they were drawn alongside Uruguay, Italy and England in Group D last year. Excellent performances from the likes of Joel Campbell and Oscar Duarte have given everybody large helpings of humble pie as the Central Americans topped the group with relative ease. Solid defensively and dangerous on the break, they could go even further - their second round clash with Greece could've been much worse.

Oscar Duarte (@FUTBOL_RVTE)

8= MEXICO
(P3,W2, D1, L0, F4, A1, GD +3)
7 POINTS

Mexico were the only team to take points off Brazil in Group A and kept them at bay to record a clean sheet and looked impressive. Had the refereeing been up to scratch in their opener against Cameroon they may well have topped the group, with two perfectly good goals scratched off before they eventually won 1-0. They showed in their decisive game against Croatia they can perform under pressure and while they may struggle against the Netherlands, it's a far cry from the traumas of qualification where they very nearly missed out on a playoff place to minnows Panama.

10 CHILE
(P3, W2, D0, L1, F5, A3, GD +2)
6 POINTS

Before the tournament began, Chile were a team many people thought could push the European teams close, but it was always imagined the Netherlands may be the fall guys. Chile have helped end an era of Spanish domination of world football and at the same time announced themselves as potential major players in this World Cup. Their all-out attacking style sometimes leaves them vunerable at the back, but they will not be overwhelmed by facing Brazil in round two, whose defence looks suspect too often.

11 SWITZERLAND
(P3, W2, D0, L1, F7, A6, GD +1)
6 POINTS

Switzerland did well to recover from their 5-2 defeat to France to convincingly beat Honduras to secure their passage to the last 16. They showed great spirit to keep fighting to the end against Ecuador to score what proved to be a vital winner in the 93rd minute, and along with France they helped Europe fight a mini comeback against the native South Americans - Ecuador were the only team from the continent to be knocked out at this stage. Bayern Munich midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri's hat trick against Honduaras will have caught the eye of Argentina's backline.


12 URUGUAY
(P3, W2, D0, L1, F4, A4, GD 0)
6 POINTS

Oscar Tabarez's team will now have to contest what's left of their World Cup without Luis Suarez after his latest inexcusable bite saw him banned for four months by FIFA. They will definitely miss the Liverpool player and continental rivals Colombia will head into the match as favourites. The Uruguayans did well to recover from a truly dismal start against Costa Rica, but deserved to have men sent off against both England and Italy, which could have made the final standings in Group D much different.

13 ALGERIA
(P3, W1, D1, L1, F6, A5, GD +1)
4 POINTS

Another surprise qualifier for the second round, there is no denying Algeria deserve to make it. They gave the first indication that Belgium may not be the world beaters everyone believed they were in their opening match, and played some brilliant flowing football to dismantle a shell shocked South Korea side to secure their best ever World Cup result. They've now made more history by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time and will have gained many neutral fans' support for their impressive style of play.

14 USA
(P3, W1, D1, L1, F4, A4, GD 0)
4 POINTS

Jurgen Klinsmann's side progressing is a literal middle finger to those berating his decision not to include Landon Donovan in his squad. Given slim to no hope of escaping this group, they set their stall out early on by beating Ghana, and narrowly missed out on securing a famous win over Portugal by letting in a 95th minute equaliser. Germany helped them progress by tonking the Portuguese in the first game, but the US put themselves in contention and now look forward to the knockout stages for the third time in four tournaments.

15 NIGERIA
(P3, W1, D1, L1, F3, A3, GD 0)
4 POINTS

The reigning African champions duly became the first team from their continent to book their place in the round of sixteen. They improved as the group stage progressed, and will be disappointed by their failure to beat Iran in their opener. They overcame dangerous debutants Bosnia Herzegovina however, and put their best performance in against Argentina despite losing. They looked dangerous going forward and while they are unlikely to get the better of France, qualification for the knockouts is progress for a country that has failed to do since 1998.

16 GREECE
(P3, W1, D1, L1, F2, A4, GD -2)
4 POINTS

Greece's surprise love affair with major tournaments continues. Well beaten by Colombia in their opener it looked bad for the Greeks, with many predicting three defeats in as many games. They shared a draw with a desperately disappointing Japanese side who failed to live up to their obvious potential this year. Their win over Cote D'Ivoire in the final round of group games was both brilliant and cruel, for Greece had looked anything but a last sixteen side before they went through.

Check back later for the rankings of the sides already going home.  

3,000 serving Armed Forces workers to benefit from Glasgow 2014's Tickets for Troops scheme

By Steven Oldham

Men and women serving in the UK's Armed Forces are to be offered free tickets for various events at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The scheme - billed as 'Tickets for Troops' - will see 3,000 tickets on offer to serving Forces personnel to watch the boxing, badminton, powerlifting, squash and rugby sevens events.

Tickets for Troops forms part of a wider goodwill initiative between Glasgow 2014 and event partners to make the Games accessible to as many people as possible.

20,000 tickets are now to be given away, with a quarter of those going to disadvantaged young people who will experience a day out at the Games. Those creating a lasting legacy from the Games will also be rewarded.

Distribution of the tickets will be handled by charity Tickets for Troops, which looks to reward servicemen and women's hard work and time spent away from their loved ones.

Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman, Michael Cavanagh, said:

“The ticketing goodwill initiative is a great programme and fantastic way to ensure that tickets are going to the most deserving people in our communities including our servicemen and women and to allow them to enjoy the Games.”

It's a timely announcement, with Armed Forces Day just two days away.  

Glasgow 2014: One month to go! Elite athletes from across the Commonwealth heading to Scotland

By Steven Oldham

Today marks one month to go to the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the 20th edition of the Games and biggest sporting event held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympics.

A week ago, myself and the other members of Team 14 were set a challenge to mark the one month to go countdown with one word each, which we were to interpret into our blogs in the way we thought best.

My word is ELITE. As a writer, I thought the best way to use this word was to focus on the elite sporting talent that will be competing in Glasgow this summer.

Across many sports there are household names; Olympic, world and European champions; major tournament competitors with medals from countries all over the Commonwealth.

Here, I preview some of the big names set to compete in Glasgow one month from now. This list is not definitive, and further articles will cover all sports on show at this year's Games.

ATHLETICS

Olympic champion Mo Farah is heading to Glasgow (@BBCSport)

Double Olympic champion Mo Farah leads the English charge in track and field and will be a big draw for fans attending the Games.  The distance runner is the current Olympic and world champion at both 5,000 and 10,000 metres and he will be among the favourites to land yet another medal to his trophy cabinet.

Sprinter Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce is hoping to complete her medal collection in Glasgow - she's never competed at the Commonwealths before and the Jamaican team will be stronger for her presence. A superstar athlete, she holds two Olympic golds and five world titles across three different distances. As yet it's unknown whether Usain Bolt will compete in Glasgow but Jamaica have a strong pedigree even without the megastar. Like Fraser-Pryce, Yohan Blake has Olympic and world gold to his name and if Bolt does not compete, he could lead the island's charge up the medal table.

Grenada's Kirani James heads into the Commonwealths as Olympic 400m champion and will be looking to add to his medal tally here. He has a Commonwealth Youth Games gold in his collection and a senior title is a real possibility. His country have yet to win a gold medal at the Commonwealths but the 21-year-old represents their best chance to change that.

Over the same distance in the hurdles, Wales's reigning Commonwealth champion Dai Greene will hope to retain his title. The 28-year-old, who also counts world and European gold among his medal haul, will be looking to avenge his narrow medal missing performance at London 2012, where he was 0.14 seconds away from a bronze medal.

Australia's Sally Pearson is the proud owner of both an Olympic record and Commonwealth gold in the 100m hurdles and she will be looking to extend her reign over the rest of the Commonwealth. If she is still competing, the next Games are scheduled to take place Gold Coast City in 2018 - where the 27-year-old lives.

Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha will lead Kenya's quest for medals in Glasgow this summer. He is also an African and world champion over the same distance, and hold both world and Olympic records at the mid-distance. He will be key to his country's task of equalling or even bettering their impressive fifth place in the Delhi 2010 medals table.

SWIMMING

The home nation's poster boy is 25-year-old Michael Jamieson who is a silver medallist at both the Olympics and world championships in the 200m breaststroke. He was the star performer in a disappointing Games in the pool for Great Britain two years ago and has said he is better prepared for the Commonwealths both mentally and physically. The Glasgow-born swimmer is bound to get massive support from the home crowd and this may be enough to inspire him to a first senior title.

Michael Jamieson is one of Scotland's best hopes (@sportscotland)

Lauren Boyle will head the New Zealand team's hopes of glory in the pool - last year she won an impressive three bronze medals at the world championships in Barcelona and will be looking to add to her one Commonwealth Games medal so far - earned in the 4x200m relay in Melbourne eight years ago. She missed out on Olympic bronze in 2012 to Rebecca Adlington in the 400m.

CYCLING

The Isle of Man's Mark Cavendish is set to be one of the star turns in the cycling events at this year's Games.  A world champion in both track and road cycling, he also boasts Commonwealth gold from the Melbourne 2006 games and will be looking to again master Glasgow's streets - he won the British title in the city last year.

Many of Great Britain's all conquering cycling team will compete in Glasgow - Laura Trott, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Jason Kenny, Dani King and Ed Clancy will be among England's best medal hopes, while Geraint Thomas will fly the flag for Wales.

Anna Meares, London 2012 Olympic sprint champion, will also look to add to both her own and Australia's impressive Commonwealth medal tally - she has six medals from these events, four of them gold, and Australia are the most successful nation ever in the history of the Games.

Australia's Anna Meares (@EbbeIversen)

DIVING

London 2012 bronze medallist Tom Daley will head a strong English team in Glasgow which also includes world junior champion Jack Laugher and British champion Chris Mears. Hannah Starling and Rebecca Gallantree will look to match the expected achievement of the men's team.

Diving looks to be an area Canada could again do very well in this year, with a trio of bronze medallists from London 2012 leading their team. Partners Roseline Filion and Meaghan Benfeito took third in the 10m sycnrho, an achievement matched by 3m synchro diver Jennifer Abel. The Canadian women have also excelled in the FINA World Series and head to Glasgow hotly tipped as the team to beat, having also topped the medal table in Delhi four years ago.

Canada's Meaghan Benefito could light up Glasgow (@Fina1908)

Malaysia won three medals in diving last time out, and will want to be on the podium again in Glasgow following their most successful games in India four years ago. Canada, Malaysia and Australia again look to be the teams battling for the medals in the women's events.

Other notable entrants include Australia's Olympic champion Matthew Mitcham, who has yet to win gold at the Commonwealths, despite winning four silvers last time out, and Leeds-based Yona Knight-Wisdom, who will make history by becoming Jamaica's first representative in the diving competition.

TRIATHLON

Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee will be among the favourites for triathlon glory this summer. The Englishmen - Olympic champion and bronze medallist respectively - were two of the more unlikely stars of London 2012 thanks to being related and their three-way rivalry with Spaniard Javier Gomez, who stopped a Brownlee 1-2 two years ago.

As well as the Olympics, they have both won the World Triathlon Series, again trading victories with Gomez who sadly will not be able to continue his battle with the Brownlees this summer.

In the ladies event, current WTS chamion Non Stanford will miss out for Wales due to a stress fracture in her ankle, and the Welsh team's loss could be England's gain - WTS runner up Jodie Stimpson could be the woman to beat in Glasgow. Emma Moffatt of Australia - a two time WTS winner - and New Zealand's Commonwealth Games 2006 bronze medal winner Andrea Hewitt will be looking to stop her winning.

BOXING

Northern Ireland topped the medal table in boxing in Delhi four years ago and Commonwealth champion Paddy Barnes is back for another shot at gold in Glasgow.

Boxing was by far Northern Ireland's most successful sport in Delhi, with three gold medals from the boxers hauling the country up to 13th in the medal table.

Barnes, a double Olympic bronze medallist at light flyweight in both 2008 and 2012, is his team's star attraction alongside cyclist Wendy Houvenaghel, herself a world champion and Olympic and Commonwealth medal winner.

India had their best Commonwealth Games to date when hosting in 2010, coming second in the medal table. Like Northern Ireland, boxing contributed three gold medals to their tally and light welterweight champion Manoj Kumar has returned to defend his title. Bronze medallist Vijender Singh will also want to add to his medal collection having been eliminated by the now professional Anthony Ogogo.



Indian boxer Manoj Kumar (@JasvirLota)

Breakout star Nicola Adams will also compete for England. The first women's Olympic boxing champion could be one of the stars of Glasgow 2014 and could again make history as this is the first year women's boxing has been part of the Commonwealth programme.  

This is just a small selection of athletes who can excel in Glasgow this summer. There are always surprise successes - in terms of both athletes and countries outperforming expectations - who will it be this year? How far up the medal table will Scotland go with the 'home nation' effect factored in? There's only one way to find out - and it's now just one month away...

Tennis: Three seeds with tough opening matches at Wimbledon

By Steven Oldham

The first round of Wimbledon always throws up surprises with seeded players being knocked out by relative unknowns and those lower in the rankings.

Whether rising stars or seasoned pros dropping down the rankings, the courts of SW19 are often a great leveller for the unseeded players.

This year's draw has revealed some interesting first round ties and some seeds have been handed far more difficult ties than they would like. I've picked three who would probably have liked an easier start to the tournament than they are likely to get.

Gentlemen's Singles:

Marcel Granollers (30) vs Nicolas Mahut

Doubles specialist Marcel Granollers could be in danger of an early exit after being drawn against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. The two men have never played head to head before so there is no past form to go on, but the Spaniard's past form at Wimbledon is poor. In seven attempts, he has only been past the opening round twice - and on both of those occasions he was eliminated in the second round. His best results consistently come on clay, whereas Mahut's favoured surface is grass.  He is already part of Wimbledon folklore for his role in the longest match in history with John Isner in 2010.  He comes into the tournament in relatively poor form, having been knocked out in several tournaments by lower ranked players, but he has the grass court technique and smarts to unsettle Granollers and make the next round.

Marathon man Nicolas Mahut (@WilsonTennis)

Andreas Seppi (25) vs Leonardo Mayer

Argentina's Leonardo Mayer is in danger of being one of the forgotten players of his generation having shown much promise early in his career. He has yet to better his achievements from 2010 in any of the Grand Slams, with his best performance coming in the US Open where he reached the third round. This year however he has been unlucky, with matches against members of the 'big four' in the two Grand Slams - Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal knocked him out of the Australian and French Opens respectively. All three of his matches againt Seppi have been losing efforts on clay, but the Italian hasn't been in great form, with surprise losses against the likes of Michael Llodra, Donald Young and Denis Istomin since the turn of the year. He should have too much for Mayer, but it wouldn't be the first time he has fallen to supposed lesser opposition.

Can Andreas Seppi tough it out over Leo Mayer? (@WeAreTennis)

Ladies' singles:

Sloane Stephens (19) vs Maria Kirilenko

Russia's Maria Kirilenko continues her long comeback from a knee injury against Sloane Stephens in the first round at Wimbledon. She will be hoping for an improvement on last year, where she was eliminated in the first round by Laura Robson, a match which saw her lose her top ten ranking. It was the beginning of a rapid slide down the listings for Kirilenko, whose injury problems destroyed the latter half of last year and caused her to miss the Australian Open. She had shown much promise in the first half of 2013, recording victories over top tier players including Sabine Lisicki and Petra Kvitova on her way to the top ten for the first time. She has the talent to beat Stephens, but if her troublesome knee will allow her to do so is another matter. The American - six years Kirilenko's junior - has won the only previous meeting between the two. She made the quarter finals last year before losing to eventual winner Marion Bartoli but arguably did not come up against an opponent of Kirilenko's quality in the four rounds before that game.



Can Maria Kirilenko upset Sloane Stephens? (@WTA)



Manchester Phoenix looking for next generation of ice hockey talent at open trials

By Steven Oldham

Reigning English Premier League and playoff champions Manchester Phoenix are holding open trials to find the untapped talent the British ice hockey scene has to offer.

Double title winning coach Tony Hand and the rest of his senior coaching staff will be present at the trials on Sunday 22 June at the team's Altrincham Ice Dome base.

Opportunities to join the Phoenix squad are there for the taking, as are spots in the club's developmental National Ice Hockey League squad, the Manchester Minotaurs.

Members of the current squad will be on hand to help with the trial and the trials are open to anyone who thinks they have the skills and tenacity to succeed in club hockey.

Phoenix start the new season later in the year and await news of what will happen to the tenth spot in the EPL after Slough Jets withdrew immediately after the season ended.

There are rumours of a new club taking their place, but to date nothing has been confirmed.

If you are interested, you need to register with trials@manchesterphoenix.co.uk with your contact details. Trialists must be ready to ice at 6.30 prompt, or they will not be able to take part.

Fans are welcome to attend the trials and the main stand will be open.

Phoenix netminder Steve Fone (Hollie Godber)

World Cup 2014: Can Japan surprise in Group C?

By Steven Oldham

After Colombia's impressive win over Greece today their status as group favourites seems well earned, and a victory for either team in the upcoming game between Japan and Cote D'Ivoire could be key in deciding who makes the last 16.

Greece did themselves no favours today and look too limited going forwards to make the knockout rounds. Japan could take advantage of this and make the round of sixteen.

Ivory Coast's much-mentioned golden generation are now aging and their time to shine looks to have passed. They still have immense individual talent, but on too many occasions now at continental and global level they have failed to deliver. If they can finally get it together, they can qualify from what is a very open group.

Japan were the first Asian nation to qualify for Brazil, immediately gaining an advantage over continental rivals South Korea and Australia.

Last year in the Confederations Cup, Japan finished bottom of their group with no points.  However, that only tells half the story. Well beaten by Brazil, they came very close to upsetting Italy and gained much praise for their attacking style of play before going down 4-3. Not many teams put 3 past the Italians and they were unlucky to lose.

In Shinji Okazaki they have an in form striker who topped the scoring charts in the Asian qualifying section. He also hit 15 goals for Mainz this season in the Bundesliga. He has the potential to be the breakout star of this World Cup.

Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kawaga meanwhile will benefit from playing both regularly and in the right position.  A player gifted with great vision, pace and accuracy, frustrated by his lack of progress at club level he will be determined to shine at this World Cup.  

Can Shinji Kagawa take Japan to the last 16? (@ManUtdGram)

Defensively, they do still have room for improvement, but with the likes of Okazaki, Kagawa and AC Milan striker Keisuke Honda in their ranks there is always the potential for goals, notice the plural.

They come into the tournament in form, having won four friendlies in a row, including a 3-1 win over Costa Rica who impressively defeated Uruguay earlier tonight. They have also defeated 2012 African Cup of Nations champions Zambia, New Zealand and Cyprus this year.

If Japan can defeat or hold a physical Ivory Coast side, they give themselves every chance of making the knockout stages for a third time. 

More World Cup content:

World Cup match report: Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica

World Cup 2014: Chile looking to put the heat on Spain and The Netherlands

World Cup 2014: Could Croatia be a dark horse?

World Cup: Spain 1-5 Netherlands: Robben and RVP run riot as Spanish capitulate

World Cup match report: Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica

Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica

                                      Cavani, 24 (p)             Campbell (54)
                                                                        Duarte (57)
                                                                        Urena (84) 



 

By Steven Oldham

Marcos Urena scored with his first touch as Costa Rica sealed a famous surprise victory over Uruguay in Fortaleza.

The Central Americans dominated the second half and grew in confidence despite going in at the break a goal behind.

Edinson Cavani converted a first half penalty for Uruguay, but that was as good as it got for Oscar Tabarez's team.

Arsenal striker Joel Campbell scored the equaliser from a sublime Cristian Gamboa cross, and within three minutes they were ahead.

Oscar Duarte's brave header put them in the lead despite the real chance of getting kicked in the head by Christian Stuani's desperate attempt to clear the ball.


Oscar Duarte risked injury to score for Costa Rica (@Futbol_RVTE)


Urena had only been on the pitch for a minute before scoring the goal that cemented Costa Rica's grip on the game after replacing Bryan Ruiz.

Maxi Pereira saw red - the first of this World Cup - for a vicious kick at Campbell in extra time and is now suspended for their next match against England on Thursday.  The referee had no hesitation in showing the Benfica man a straight red card.

Maxi Pereira kicks out at Joel Campbell (@Tholal)

 

It all looked much different before the break. Uruguay were in control without ever stepping out of third gear. They were awarded a penalty after Diego Lugano was hauled down in the box by Junior Diaz.  Paris Saint Germain forward Cavani converted the spot kick strongly to the bottom right corner. Keylor Navas went the right way but the shot had too much pace for him to reach it in time.

 

The Uruguayans also had the ball in the net on 16 minutes, but Diego Godin's conversion of a Lugano cross was disallowed due to the Atletico Madrid centre back being marginally offside.

 

Costa Rica wanted a penalty of their own earlier in the half after Lugano handled the ball in his area, but the referee had already blown for a foul on the defender by Oscar Duarte.

Navas kept his side in the game a minute before half time, saving a dipping Diego Forlan shot one handed.

 
Costa Rica had never beaten Uruguay before tonight, but have now stirred up Group D and handed a first defeat to a South American nation on the continent at this World Cup.

  

Diego Lugano is fouled (@goleadainfo)



World Cup: Spain 1-5 Netherlands: Robben and RVP run riot as Spanish capitulate

Spain 1-5 Netherlands

                                    Alonso (27)

                                                                  Van Persie (44,72)

                                                                  Robben (53,80)

                                                                  de Vrij (64)

By Steven Oldham

A five star performance from the Netherlands destroyed reigning champions Spain in the opening match of Group B in Salvador.
Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben both scored twice, with defender Stefan de Vrij scoring his first international goal amongst the rout.
Spain had taken the lead from the penalty spot through Xabi Alonso after de Vrij brought down Diego Costa in the box.
Dutch keeper Jasper Cillessen went the right way, but Alonso's coolly taken spot kick gave the champions the lead.
Van Persie started the comeback with a brilliant headed goal from a perfect left-sided Daley Blind cross just before half time, giving Iker Casillas no chance in the Spanish goal.
Robben doubled the lead on 53 minutes, controlling the ball and outmanouevring both Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique before slotting the ball home.
From that point on the Netherlands were clinical as their opponents fell apart from front to back.
De Vrij gave the Dutch their third from a free kick, despite protests from Casillas who looked to be fouled in the build up.
Van Persie netted his second after a howler from Casillas who was far to casual in dealing with a routine backpass. The striker won the ball off the Real Madrid man to hit shellshocked Spain with a fourth.
Robben completed the rout with a wonderful solo goal, running straight at Pique and Ramos, bamboozling the pair, rounding Casillas and firing home to seal a highly impressive win for the Dutch.

Robin Van Persie scores the equaliser (@ForevrUntd)

It could have been much worse for the Spanish - Van Persie's volley hit the woodwork and Wesley Sneijder had a decent attempt saved early on.
Spain did get the ball in the net at 3-1, but the David Silva's goal was disallowed due to the Manchester City man being offside.
Brazilian born Spain striker Diego Costa - who switched loyalties last year - was roundly booed throughout and made little impact in the game. He was lucky to stay on the pitch following a headbutting incident with defender Bruno Martins Indi, though the Dutchman did make the most of what was minimal contact.
Spain looked mentally and physically broken by the end of the match, and both Robben and Sneijder came close to adding to their misery. Fernando Torres summed up their night by missing an easy tap in at the end of the game.
Netherlands now move on to face Australia in buoyant mood, while Spain have a trickier looking tie against Chile to regroup for.
Questions will be asked about the long term future of this Spanish team, and it will be interesting to see how Vincente del Bosque reacts - particularly in goal.
Louis Van Gaal meanwhile couldn't have hoped for a better start - and has ripped the widely accepted belief they would struggle to get out of this group to pieces in 90 minutes.

World Cup 2014: Chile looking to put the heat on Spain and The Netherlands

By Steven Oldham

Friday's rerun of the 2010 Final between Spain and The Netherlands is the headline game in Group B but there is a real chance Chile could spoil the European nations' chances of making the knockout rounds.

Jorge Sampaoli's team head into a South American World Cup with high hopes of making the last 16, and it is not beyond them that they can do it.

Their biggest threat is Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez who racked up an impressive career best 19 goals in just 34 games this season in La Liga.  England fans will need no introduction to the in-form striker; he scored both goals in his country's 2-0 victory at Wembley last year.

He also hit four goals for Chile on the way to Brazil, including in the 2-1 victory over Ecuador in the final round of qualifying games that sealed their place at the World Cup.  Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal managed five goals and will be a threat to opposition defences.



Alexis Sanchez (Kevin Quigley)


An all or nothing approach to qualification took Chile to an impressive nine wins, the same as CONMEBOL group winners Argentina and runners up Colombia. Six defeats though meant they qualified as the third best team.

A win against Australia in their opening game is critical to Chile's chances. It is the best way for them to build momentum for the tougher games ahead.

This World Cup could bear similarities to last time in South Africa for Chile. Again drawn alongside Spain in the group stages, if they do proceed to the last 16 as runners up, they will again be likely to meet Brazil.  They lost 3-0 four years ago and avoiding a similar scoreline on Brazilian soil may prove difficult.

Their attacking style will gain them many neutral fans and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top when they meet a similarly-minded Netherlands team, who hit 34 goals in qualifying. The Dutch have laboured to friendly victories over Wales and Ghana, following a draw with Ecuador and defeat to France in their pre-tournament preparations. They blitzed their qualifying group, winning all but one of their games, but there was no teams in their group who could seriously contend with them.

Spain will rightly begin as favourites but Chile could prove a real thorn in any opponent's side on their day.

World Cup 2014: Could Croatia be a dark horse?

World Cup 2014: Could Croatia be a dark horse?

By Steven Oldham

The 2014 Fifa World Cup finally gets underway tomorrow with hosts Brazil taking on Croatia in Sao Paulo.

Brazil are one of the favourites to win the World Cup, and home advantage gives them an extra boost before a ball is kicked in search of a unrivalled sixth victory at the tournament.

However,in every group there is at least one team waiting to show the favourites there are 32 countries at the tournament, all who have earned their place at the top table.

This is the first of a mini series profiling the dark horses in each group.

Group A - Croatia

The manner in which Croatia deal with their game against Brazil tomorrow could be key to their whole tournament.  They are expected to lose, but if they put in a spirited performance it should boost them ahead of winnable games against Cameroon and Mexico. 

Mexico toiled to qualification, needing a favour from the USA to eliminate lowly Panama in the last game of their section, before saving face and comfortably beating New Zealand in the intercontinental playoff. Cameroon, meanwhile, had a less troubled path to Brazil, but remain weighed down with their unenviable record at the finals, only making it out of the group stages once in six attempts to date.

While unlikely to match their brilliant third place at France 98, the Croats will be quietly confident of making the knockout stages.  Key striker Mario Mandzukic will be available for their last two group games; he is banned for the opener after being sent off in their play-off match against Iceland.  He scored four goals in the qualifiers and hit an impressive 18 goals in 30 matches for Bayern Munich this season, but coach Niko Kovac will hope his desire to leave Bayern over the summer will not distract him from the matter in hand in Brazil.

Mario Mandzukic (fifazine.com)

In theory, other household names such as Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Eduardo should be at the peak of their careers.  Modric has had one of his best ever seasons with Real Madrid and will be looking to replicate his Champions League form on the biggest stage of all.

Brazil 2014 is likely to captain Darijo Srna's international swansong and they will want to leave their mark on a tournament. Fittingly, the Shakhtar Donetsk defender scored the goal that sealed his country's qualification to Brazil against Iceland in Zagreb last November.

They will be disappointed to have finished a distant second in their qualifying group to Belgium, but heartened by pre-tournament victories over Australia and Mali.  There were worries in qualification: double defeat to Scotland, and two of their three defeats came at home, with their lengthy unbeaten home run now in danger of being forgotten.

Should they make it through to the round of sixteen, it is likely they could come up against Spain.  The World and European champions will expect to top their group, and in reality, Croatia are in a three way fight for second behind Brazil.  If their big players perform however there's no reason they can't produce a shock. Brazil and Spain are not invincible. Their attitude and application in their games against Mexico and Cameroon could prove to be the difference maker in their progress this summer.

Who will be the next driver to win his first F1 race after Daniel Ricciardo's Montreal success?

By Steven Oldham

Yesterday's breathtaking Canadian Grand Prix ended with a very popular first win for Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo, the first driver to secure a maiden victory since Pastor Maldonado in 2012.

It seems much more likely for the Red Bull driver to add to his success than the Venezuelan who continues to endure a dismal season at Lotus.  His star continues to rise in no small part due to outperforming his four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel all season.

There are now nine race winners on this year's grid - Rosberg, Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Raikonnen, Button,  Massa, Ricciardo and Maldonado - so who will be the next to break their duck at the highest level?

It may not happen this season, but surely it's only a matter of time for the following men to take the top step on the podium.

(nicohulkenberg.com)

Nico Hulkenberg Force India
Best all time result: 4th (Belgium 2012,Korea 2013)
Best 2014 result: 5th (Malaysia, Bahrain, Monaco, Canada)

The nearly-man of Formula 1 so far this decade. The German has the talent to take him to a top team but in hindsight must be glad Lotus plumped for Maldonado's sponsorship money with their troubles this year, and the genuine competitiveness of Force India's latest machine.  They continue to outperform bigger, more established teams and Hulkenberg is enjoying his most profitable season to date.  He only needs six points to match his season-best total from two years ago just seven races into the season.  He showed both speed and smarts to take pole position in his rookie year at Williams in Interlagos and continues to impress with both his defensive and attacking driving. It's surely only a matter of time before he moves on to one of the big four and that may mean his wait for victory goes on a little while longer.




(sergioperez.mx)

Sergio Perez Force India
Best all time result: 2nd (Malaysia 2012, Italy 2012)
Best 2014 result: 3rd (Bahrain)

Force India's impressive season is the result of smart driver choice for 2014. Eager to prove he was not just a flash in the pan success at Sauber, Perez has rediscovered the sort of form that was so evidently absent at McLaren last year. The Mexican has proved his doubters wrong this year and has already claimed a podium finish in Sakhir.  His aggressive driving style does sometimes come in for criticism - former teammate Jenson Button and Pastor Maldonado are just two of the drivers he's had numerous scrapes with.  However this steel is evident in all the top drivers, although it's often more controlled. Perez is no longer a newcomer to the sport and will want to overcome the disappointment of yesterday's last lap crash with Felipe Massa, which he has been punished for.  Force India may not find themselves so near the front again this season but he has shown he has the skills to drag a midtable car to the front of the field.



(pitpass.com)

Romain Grosjean Lotus
Best all time result: 2nd (Canada 2012, USA 2013)
Best 2014 result: 8th (Spain, Monaco)

The Frenchman appears to still be a positive and friendly racing driver this year despite testing times for both Lotus and engine supplier Renault.  He must be frustrated deep down at the step back Lotus have taken this year though.  Last year he redeemed himself from the many nightmares of 2012 in some style, taking an impressive six podiums, pushing more illustrious teammate Kimi Raikonnen close and gaining the upper hand on many occasions.  He's always had pace but now is a more complete driver.  It's fast approaching 20 years since we last had a French racewinner (Olivier Panis' memorable Monaco win in 1996) and if Lotus sort themselves out next year, Grosjean could open his account.  Sadly he will have no chance this season, and may need to move out of his comfort zone and switch teams to further his ambitions.

 There are many more talented young drivers on the grid this year who I think will go on to be racewinners - drivers such as McLaren's Kevin Magnussen, Williams' Valtteri Bottas and it will be interesting to see if Jules Bianchi can capitalise on his undoubted talent when he eventually leaves Marussia.

Who do you think will win a race first? Hulk? Checo? Or am I selling the young blood short - will Magnussen beat the lot of them to a maiden win? Let me know here on on Twitter.