FIFA World Cup group stages

[SaintPowelly]

Costa couldn't tear open a bag of crisps, let alone a defence.

[yuppie]

Costa couldn't tear open a bag of crisps, let alone a defence.

He will be against Jara. I mean he wont have to do much.

Right eople im away for the next 8 days, cycling around sweden. enjoy the world cup and the cricket

[dan08]

Costa still isn't fully fit so maybe left out. Might go back to their old formation with Fabregas at false 9.

[Durhamfootman]

I've now seen the large part of the Spain game that I hadn't seen yesterday

here's a question.....

If van Persie goes down when Casillas tries to recover his poor control, instead of staying on his feet and scoring.... does Casillas get sent off and miss the remaining 2 group games?

Costa headbutted a player off the ball and he could have been off too.

amazing game, really and Holland have shown England exactly what they have to do tonight. Like Spain, Italy like to keep the ball and pass it around slowly. They won't like it up 'em Capt Mainwaring either. Will the conditions allow it though?

Not surprised to see Torres miss an open goal from 2 yards, btw, and he missed another sitter earlier when the whistle blew for offside but he took the shot anyway with the goalie not interested. How that lad went from prolific striker to total donkey from one season to the next, without ever recovering his form, is beyond me.

[braveneutral]

Costa couldn't tear open a bag of crisps, let alone a defence.

He will be against Jara. I mean he wont have to do much.

Right eople im away for the next 8 days, cycling around sweden. enjoy the world cup and the cricket

Enjoy Yuppie!

[dan08]

Buffon will miss the match tonight due to injury, Sirigu will start instead. Buffon's not that great nowadays so not really a big blow. Maybe psychologically but not in terms of skill.

[Durhamfootman]

I'm surprised that Italy are going to play a keeper. They won't need one, so they might be better served playing 11 outfield players to compensate for the fact that the other 10 players are generally all around 40 years of age

[Aidan11]

Colombia take an early lead against Greece.

[mikesiva]

Colombia take an early lead against Greece.

Their goal celebration was the best of the tournament so far....

A convincing 3-0 victory....

Enjoy your trip, yuppie.

[SaintPowelly]

Gaston Ramirez on the bench for Uruguay, so thats my interest seriously dented.

[SaintPowelly]

Lallana not playing...Sterling and Welbeck apparently.

COME ON ITALY.

[st_brendy]

I've now seen the large part of the Spain game that I hadn't seen yesterday

here's a question.....

If van Persie goes down when Casillas tries to recover his poor control, instead of staying on his feet and scoring.... does Casillas get sent off and miss the remaining 2 group games?

Costa headbutted a player off the ball and he could have been off too.

amazing game, really and Holland have shown England exactly what they have to do tonight. Like Spain, Italy like to keep the ball and pass it around slowly. They won't like it up 'em Capt Mainwaring either. Will the conditions allow it though?

Not surprised to see Torres miss an open goal from 2 yards, btw, and he missed another sitter earlier when the whistle blew for offside but he took the shot anyway with the goalie not interested. How that lad went from prolific striker to total donkey from one season to the next, without ever recovering his form, is beyond me.

As far as I am aware, any red card only carries a one match ban.

And any way, being sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity is always just a one match ban.

[mikesiva]

Gaston Ramirez on the bench for Uruguay, so thats my interest seriously dented.

But Arsenal's Joel Campbell plays...one of the black Costa Ricans descended from Jamaica immigrant railway workers a century ago. That's my interest enhanced....

[st_brendy]

Lallana not playing...Sterling and Welbeck apparently.

COME ON ITALY.

I have said since day one that Roy would never start Lallana against Italy. In my book, Lallana was never going to start a match at this world cup until/unless we were at our most desperate going into a game, and what Roy had previously tried clearly hadn't worked (hence finding ourselves in that desperate situation).

Roy neither has the balls to leave out Welbeck or Rooney, nor the balls to start with someone as creative, and skilful and unique - but slow and not particularly well built - as Lallana. ie someone who is very un-English.

For different, but yet still very similar, reasons, Roy was never going to start Barkley either. And yet this teams is crying out for at least two of Sterling, Lallana and Barkley to start.

But Roy's not the first English manager to go down this route, and he wont be last. Take Hoddle at France 98 for example. Not until we went into our must win last group game against Columbia did he pluck up the courage to finally start Owen and Beckham.

[Gingerfinch]

Very surprised Lallana isn't playing. Still fancy our chances, and am thinking 2-0 England. Rooney and Sturridge to score