FIFA World Cup 2014 Day 15 Roundup: Algeria and USA go through, Portugal and Ghana sent packing

The group stages are over. Long live the group stages! I mean, this has been fun. Hasn’t it? This is probably the best set of group games that I can recollect in any tournament.

Goals, upsets, pretty ladies, Colombia’s team dances, crowd dances, some of the highest paid players hanging their head in shame and Brazil! What more can you want?

The final two names in the last 16 were filled today. USA made it through to leave Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo pondering for another four years. Meanwhile Algeria pulled off a trick of their own, securing a place in the knock-out stages for the first time.

Algeria squeezes in, Belgium maintains perfect record

Aissa Mandi (1st L) and players of Algeria celebrate qualifying for the knock out stage after the 1-1 draw in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Algeria and Russia at Arena da Baixada on June 26, 2014 in Curitiba, Brazil.

This is what fairy tales are made of. Algeria gave us another reason to love this already riveting World Cup. The African team, who was given no chance by the pundits, did the unthinkable.

The 1-1 draw against Russia, combined with Belgium’s 1-0 win over the South Koreans ensured that the little known footballing nation will now bang their heads against the big boys going into the last 16.

Algeria’s national football team, also known as Les Fennecs didn’t only show great footballing skills throughout this tournament, but great character as well. The performance against Russia typified Algeria’s strengths as they made comeback in this game to clinch their place.

The Africans needed just a point for them to make further progress in the tournament. However, if they had planned to stay back and defend what they have, they were in for an early shock. Aleksandr Kokorin headed Russia to an early lead in the 6th minute to set the cat amongst the pigeons.

The goal was enough for the Russians to leapfrog the Algeria provisionally on goal difference. The Russians could in fact have put this game to bed early on in the second half when Aleksandr Samedov was played in on goal. Raïs M'Bolhi was however equal to the task as he pulled off a brilliant save that would later prove to be most crucial.

Algeria’s intent and passion finally paid off on the hour mark. Islam Slimani rose the highest to pummel in his header into the back of Igor Akinfeev’s net from a Yacine Brahimi free-kick to bring them back into this game.

M'Bolhi would be called up again and for the second time in the game would come up big for the Algerians, thwarting Somedov yet again to keep Les Fennecs in the game.

In the final minutes of the game Algerian coach Vahid Halilhodži? replaced their playmaker with the more defence-minded Hassan Yebda. The change paid rich dividends as the Yebda tightened the middle of the park enough to see the Algerian through.

South Korea players look dejected after a 0-1 defeat to Belgium in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between South Korea and Belgium at Arena de Sao Paulo on June 26, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Meanwhile in Sao Paolo, a ten man Belgium proved to be too powerful for the South Koreans, who bowed out of the competition with only a point to show for their efforts.

Dries Mertens had one of misses of the World Cup in this one as the Napoli winger skied his attempt from about six yards out to leave the Red Devils red-faced.

The Belgians went a man down in the final minutes of the first half as Steven Defour was duly punished for his two-footed lunge on Kim Shin-Wook.

However, the Koreans proved inept at taking advantage of the numerical mismatch as it was Marc Wilmot’s men who found the late winner.

The Belgians left it late for the third game. This time it was Jan Verthongen who struck in the 78th minute from a rebound after the Korean keeper had parried a powerful effort from Divock Origi.

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Ghana and Portugal lose out as USA makes it on goal difference

Both Portugal and Ghana were knocked out

Sure, they gave it their all and sure, Cristiano Ronaldo finally showed up. But, it was all just a little bit too little and too late. The score line for this thrilling encounter between Portugal and Ghana might have read 2-1in favour of the Europeans at full time, but both the team eventually lost out.

The odds were stacked against either of them, both having garnered only a solitary point from their opening two games. And in the end, the steep climb to leapfrog USA proved a task too arduous.

Ronaldo came very close to opening the scoring from an audacious effort that nearly caught Fatau Dauda off-guard in the early minutes and then again a few minutes later he directed a powerful header goal wards from a João Pereira cross.

The Black Star’s defence however was finally breached at the half-hour mark, but via an unfortunate own goal by John Boye.

With a possibility of going through to the next round existing for Ghana as well, they were not the ones to sit back and threatened often. Their forward surges finally paid off when the dangerous Asamoah Gyan steered in Kwadwo Asamoah’s cross in to the Portuguese net in the 57th minute to bring the Africans back into the game.

However, the game was decided on a howler. Fatau Dauda was again involved as the Orlando Pirates’ goalkeeper came out to collect a skier which had gone off the foot of John Boye. But Dauda made a mess of things as he fumbled to gather the ball upon a challenge from Silvestre Varela. The ball fell kindly to Cristiano Ronaldo’s feet, who made no mistake in giving Portugal the lead.

But try as they may, they weren’t able to overcome a three goal deficit as USA went through to the next round on goal difference.

Head coaches Jurgen Klinsmann (L) of the United States and Joachim Loew of Germany shake hands after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group G match between USA and Germany at Arena Pernambuco on June 26, 2014 in Recife, Brazil.

There were no losers at Reclife today. Whilst Germany recorded a rather comfortable 1-0 win over USA, both team went off the field with smiles on their faces with qualification to the next round assured after the final round of games in Group G.

A soggy Reclife was witness to another German masterpiece as the Die Mannschaft did everything in the game they wished and that too at ease. The only thing that was probably missing from the performance was probably goals.

However, it was not for a lack of opportunities created. The Germans peppered the American goal often but some excellent goal-keeping from the ever-dependable Tim Howard and some excellent last ditch defending from the Americans kept them in the game.

The patchy affair got its real boost when Miroslav Klose was introduced by Joachim Low. The Lazio man gave the German attacks a certain edge that it lacked in the opening forty-five.

Ten minutes into the second-half and the move paid off. Thomas Muller, last World Cup’s Golden Boot winner netted his fourth of the campaign from the edge of the penalty area to give the Germans the lead and the US a few nerves.

However, with the Germans taking their foot off the pedal in the final minutes there was nothing much for the American to get tensed about as Jurgen Klinsmann’s men went through to the second round courtesy of their superior goal-difference.

The U.S. will now play Belgium in the Round of 16, while Germany will face the surprise package of Algeria.