FIFA World Cup 2014 Day 13 Roundup: Uruguay eliminates Italy to set up date with Colombia, Suarez bites again, Greece stuns Ivory Coast

Thirteen days in and we have already bid adieu to Spain, England and now Italy. What a World Cup!

Italy sent packing with a “bite”; England score meaningless first point

Andrea Pirlo of Italy walks off the pitch after the 0-1 defeat in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match between Italy and Uruguay at Estadio das Dunas on June 24, 2014 in Natal, Brazil.

Number 13 didn’t turn out to be a lucky one for the Azzurri. Action on the thirteenth day of this ravishing World Cup saw the Italians join the long queue of humiliated big dogs who now have had to pack their bags and head home. This marked Italy’s second straight elimination from the group stages of the competition after winning it in 2006.

Diego Godin’s 81st minute winner was enough to see the Uruguay through to the next round at the expense of Italy.

The Italians, requiring only a draw from their last duel in the group stage failed to salvage anything from the game that they seemed to have had control of for larger portions.

However, everything changed when Claudio Marchisio was shown red in the 59th minute for slyly digging his studs in to the shin of his opposite number Egidio Árevalo Ríos.

Uruguay, who was already banging loud at the doors of Italy’s goal, broke in when Diego Godin rose highest to meet a corner and head it beyond Italian skipper Buffon and into the back of the net.

The goal and the result however might become an afterthought for the moment of controversy that followed. Uruguay’s moment in the sun came just a few minutes after the South Americans themselves were fortunate not to go down to ten men. In another moment of madness, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez decided to put his canine skills to the test again as he dug his teeth into the shoulders of Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini.

The final moments of the game was filled with touchline scuffles and desperate attempts from Italy, although to no avail.

The Uruguayans held on to reserve their place in the round of 16 as they made one of the best comebacks in this tournament after losing their first game against Costa Rica.

Meanwhile in Belo Horizonte, England played out a dull goalless draw against surprise group champions Costa Rica.

In spite of a string of changes rung in by Roy Hodgson, England hardly looked threatening and should count themselves lucky for eking out a point from this one.The English hardly mustered any goal-scoring opportunity, and despite the introduction of Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling late on looked tepid for the whole ninety minutes.

It was in fact the Ticos who looked more likely to score and produced the game’s two best chances courtesy Joel Campbell and Celso Borges.

There was no salvation of pride for England as the team itself looked crestfallen and out of ideas. The Three Lions rather looked like wet cats. Goodbye England, you failed to excite us.

Greece keep the surprises rolling, Colombia shows its might

Everyone loves this World Cup. What’s there not to love? In two weeks of entertainment it has served us thrilling games, upsets, plethora of goals, comebacks and late winners.

The tournament was back to its characteristic best in the late games.

Georgios Samaras’ penalty in stoppage time helped Greece pull of a huge upset as they defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 to advance to the second round of action.

The Greeks uncharacteristically looked threatening and could count themselves unlucky not to have won by a bigger margin as they were twice denied by the frame of the goal.

The European side took the lead in the 42nd minute of the game when Andreas Samaris intercepted an errant pass from Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote. The midfielder played a sublime one-two with Georgios Samaras to get himself on goal. And when the moment came, Samaris kept his nerve as he chipped the ball beyond Boubacar Barry to give Greece the lead.

Wilfried Bony’s 74th minute equaliser seemed to have done the trick for Les Éléphants but all of their work was undone when lady luck finally smiled on Greece as Samaras was awarded a rather soft penalty in the dying moments of the game.

Giovanni Sio’s slightest touch brought the Celtic forward tumbling, and to the dismay of the Ivory Coast players and fans, the referee adjudicated the incident as serious enough to be awarded a penalty.

Samaras himself stepped up to the spot and coolly slotted the chance home to book Greece’s passage to the next round.

Colombia meanwhile went about their business of securing their third win in as many games with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over the unimposing Japanese.

The Colombians were given an early lead when Juan Cuadrado scored from the spot in the 17th minute after Yasuyuki Konno hacked down Adrian Ramos in the area.

The Samurai Blue was given a glimmer of hope when Shinji Okazaki equalized at the stroke of halftime. However, a dazzling display from the South Americans in the second half of the contest extinguished any of Japan’s hopes that may have aroused from Okazaki’s strike.

James Rodriguez tore apart the Japanese upon his introduction during the interval and Jackson Martinez was on hand to apply the finishing touches.

The FC Porto forward found the back of the net in the 55th and 82nd minute to finish off the game before James Rodriguez put the icing on the cake with his strike in the 90th minute.

The set of results means that it will be an all South American clash between Colombia and Uruguay, while Greece will square off against Costa Rica in the Round of 16 stage.

Edited by Staff Editor