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The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be overseeing its final group stage matches next week with the top two teams from each of the eight groups progressing through the next round of the tournament.
The bizarre elimination of defending champions Spain remains one of the tournament’s biggest shocks along with England being the first team to have been knocked out of Group D.
In this article, we take a look at each of the groups, and the criteria by which teams can progress through to the Round of 16:
Rules
As explained in one of the official documents released by FIFA, the ranking of each of the four teams seeded in a total of eight groups are determined as follows:
- Greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.
However, if two or more teams are to be equal on the basis of all of these three criteria, the rankings will be based as follows:
- Greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned;
- Drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.
Group A
Qualified: Brazil , Mexico.
Eliminated: Croatia, Cameroon.
Being the host nation has many perks, and all of them seem to be favouring Brazil in this tournament. Having won two of their matches and drawing the other one, Brazil has finished on top of their group owning to their better goal differential (+5) than Mexico’s. (+3).
Croatia and Cameroon have both been eliminated.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 2 | Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Croatia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Cameroon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -8 | 0 |
Group B
Qualified: Netherlands, Chile.
Eliminated: Spain, Australia.
Two weeks ago, if you would have asked any football supporter or pundit on who would win the World Cup, they would either say Spain or Brazil; well I think most of us would.
Now, however, the story is completely different, with defending champions Spain already out of the tournament after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Netherlands and Chile, who have both ensured their advancement to the next stage of the tournament.
Netherlands dominated their match against Chile, and their 2-0 win made sure they finished on top of the group table.
Australia is in the same boat as Spain, and has faced elimination after failing to score even a single point.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 |
| 2 | Chile | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Spain | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 3 |
| 4 | Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -6 | 0 |
Group C
Qualified: Colombia, Greece.
Eliminated: Côte d'Ivoire, Japan.
Having already guaranteed their progression to the Round of 16 ahead of their massive 1-4 victory over Japan, Colombia had the odds in their favour to finish on top of their group, with Ivory Coast following them in second position. Colombia made it happen, however, Ivory Coast failed to do the same after Greece’s striker Georgios Samaras scored on an added-time goal from the spot kick leading them into the Round of 16 during their 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
Japan, who already had poor odds in their favour, were sent home after Jackson Martinez bagged a brace knocking the Asian champions out of the tournament.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colombia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 |
| 2 | Greece | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 4 |
| 3 | Côte d'Ivoire | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Japan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -4 | 1 |
Ahmed Musa scored the fastest-ever goal scored by any Nigerian at the World Cup after scoring four minutes into the game:
Group D
Qualified: Costa Rica, Uruguay.
Eliminated: Italy, England.
In spite of being the team with the least chances to qualify, Costa Rica has pulled off a shocker, and has already cemented their place in the Round of 16 after winning two of their three matches in the tournament.
Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin who has had a wonderful La Liga winning campaign scored the winner nine minutes from full-time helping Uruguay make it to the next round as the South Americans celebrated their 1-0 win against Italy. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez shocked the won after he tried to take a chunk out of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, and now faces the chance of being banned for a long period, this being his third assault-incident, having previously bitten opponents while playing for Ajax in 2010 and Liverpool in 2013.
England failed finished last in their group as they bowed out of the tournament following their goalless draw against Costa Rica.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Costa Rica | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | England | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
The best goal from Xhedran Shaqiri’s hat-trick against Honduras which led Switzerland to the last 16 of the tournament:
Group E
Qualified: France, Switzerland.
Eliminated: Ecuador, Honduras.
In spite of their goalless draw against 10-man Ecuador, France topped their group and will now be facing Nigeria in the next round. On the other hand, Switzerland ensured their advancement after an exquisite hat-trick from Bayern Munich winger Xhedran Shaqiri led Switzerland to a massive 0-3 victory over Honduras.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Honduras | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -7 | 0 |
Group F
Qualified: Argentina, Nigeria.
Eliminated: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran.
By winning all of their matches in the group stage, Argentina will now be seeded to play against Group E runner-up Switzerland. In spite of losing their tie 2-3 against Argentina, Nigeria will be still progressing through to the next round after they finished second with a point-lead over Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were already out of the tournament.
Iran’s hope to move to the Round of 16 were shattered by the Bosnia-Herzegovina's players who recorded their first ever victory in the tournament.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 2 | Nigeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Iran | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 0 |
Group G
None of the four teams in this group has clinched qualification with Germany and the United States tied on top of the table with 4 points.
The chances of USA being eliminated are slim, and if Ghana are to win 1-0, and USA loses theirs by 1-0, the latter would still progress through, given they have the same goal difference since USA had beaten Ghana earlier. Germany plays USA on Thursday, and a draw between the two would mean that elimination for both Ghana and Portugal. However, a win for either of the two would mean that the second place would be up for grabs.
If USA beats Germany by a goal, Portugal will need to beat Ghana by scoring a minimum of seven goals, so as to cut close to the eight goals deficit they have. Ghana, meanwhile, will need to win by at least four goals for qualification.
On the other hand, if Germany wins by a goal, Portugal will have to win by a margin of four goals, while Ghana will have to score just one.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | United States | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Ghana | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Portugal | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -4 | 1 |
Group H
The ‘dark horses’ for the World Cup, Belgium has guaranteed its qualification to the Round of 16 by winning their first two matches. For the second place, Algeria has the best odds with three points to their name after they had secured a victory against South Korea, and a win against Russia on Thursday would be sufficient for the Algerians to advance. If they draw, Russia will be eliminated, and South Korea will have a chance at qualification given they beat Belgium with a big margin.
Wins for both Russia and South Korea will mean that the second place will be decided on goal difference between the two. Apart from beating Belgium in their last game, to go through, South Korea will need Algeria to not win against Russia, and a massive change in the current goal differential scenario.
| Standing | Country | Games Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Algeria | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Russia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Korea Republic | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 1 |
Last Updated: June 26.
