WORLD CUP 2014: HIGH MARKS FOR GHANA, ALGERIA, COSTA RICA AND USA IN THE SECOND ROUND OF GROUP MATCHES

The second round of group matches has shown how exciting World Cup 2014 has become. It is time to talk now about the perennial lightweights consisting either of poor countries such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Iran, Algeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Nigeria or of the rich newcomers, relatively speaking, to the football table such as the United States, Australia, South Corea or Japan. I kind of predicted that CONCACAF countries might have much more to say in this World Cup due to their tropical climate (Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, even U.S.A.) and time zone location, not demanding any acclimatization from their players or any time adjustment, even if they play during majority of the year in Europe). But never I would have predicted that Costa Rica would be able to beat Uruguay and Italy in two consecutive matches! I could have smelled an accidental win, but two in a row? Over the giants of world football? I knew that Costa Rica best players play in solid European clubs, even if not in those from the top shelf, and that they are exposed to high standards of European football on a daily basis. FIFA, the regulatory body of world football (or soccer, if your language is American English) apparently smelled something fishy about Costa Rica wins for they selected seven players from Costa Rica, after the match against Italy, for anti-doping tests. Usually, two players from each team are selected for the routine anti-doping post match tests. FIFA claims that selection for the doping test of so many players from Costa Rica was caused by unavailability of many Costa Rica players for anti-doping tests prior to the tournament. Those who follow doping affairs know that it is common to those using doping during training prior to the competition to disappear so not to be caught by unannounced random anti-doping inspectors (i.e. Jamaican or U.S. track and field athletes). We will see what happens but we all hope that Costa Rica is for real. Regarding African teams, prior to the tournament I hoped that at least Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria would make it to the post-group round of 16. In fact, I hoped that Ghana (or Belgium) might be the surprise team of the tournament. Even though Ghana outplayed USA, and their better footballing skills were clearly visible; they were beaten in the first round of group matches as USA played a smarter brand of football.  But, in the second match against Germany, incidentally so far the best match of the tournament, Ghana showed that they are capable not only of football full of power, but also of flowing, positional play, marked by high technical individual skills of the players. Unless Germany and USA will come to a quiet understanding and draw their final game, I predict that Germany and Ghana would advance from the so called group of death. I have to give high praise to USA team for their second game against Portugal which they drew 2:2. Although they won the first game against Ghana (2:1), Ghana was the more enterprising team, notwithstanding USA great team spirit and killing instinct displayed by the goals of veteran of English Premier League Clint Dempsey and the newcomer John Brooks. However, in the game against Portugal, USA were visibly the better team, creating better occasions and playing consistently, notwithstanding the higher technical skills of Portuguese players. Portugal, on the other hand is a funny team, boasting the talents of Ronaldo, Nani, Moutinho, Veloso or Carvalho, yet unable to play as a cohesive team, overwhelmed by the egos of their players. And Ronaldo does not make them better but worse (except for the occasions such as the pass to Valera which gave Portugal the drawing goal in the injury time). In my comments to articles in English Guardian before the World Cup, I had predicted that Portugal will not make it out of their group. Returning to USA team, it seams that Jurgen Klinsman has gotten it right, by getting rid of Landon Donovan and putting his money on  Dempsey and Bradley (and the only world class US player: goalkeeper Tim Howard)  as the leaders of the American team. The team is cohesive, exhibits killing instinct and never die attitude, even though it lacks still in technical skills department. They should get better. What happened to the national team of Cameroon, only God knows. The indomitable lions of 1982 or 1990 World Cups are just a distant memory, although I would not bet against them in match against unconvincing Brasil (incidentally, I do not rate this Brazilian team highly and do not consider them as capable of getting to the final, notwithstanding the referees help and the best schedule of the matches). Nigeria, now without big names except for Odemwingie and Emmenike, in the game against Bosnia showed that they can be successful with their passing game as long as they are consistent in defense. Against Bosnia, their defense was focused and solid, and it could rely on the goalkeeper. I believe they should advance together with Argentina to the play-off rounds. The complete surprise were Algeria, usually a defensively minded team from North Africa, as they were in the game against Belgium. This time, they changed their tactics and played offensive football, surprising South Korea with the simple directness of their game. South Korea and Japan appear to have regressed since the last World Cup, although they might still pull out a surprise in third game. Australia, relying on good Cahill and Jedinak, clearly the weakest team in the tournament, continuing to play typical British football. I do not see much happening for them in the near future. Iran, on the other hand made visible progress under the tutelage of Carlos Queiroz, relying on good defensive game and dangerous counterattacks conducted by skillful and mobile players. They were particularly dangerous against offensively minded Argentina, and had they won, it wouldn't have been undeserved, notwithstanding that it is easy to park a bus and rely on counterattacks against offensively playing teams. Summarizing, great World Cup for the minnows, if minnows still exist in the world football.

Janusz Andrzejewski is a New York City based attorney writing on legal and various community important topics. You can reach him by telephone (212) 634-4250 or through e-mail: janusz@januszandrzejewski.com