W Cup sends top teams rankings in disarray

As of this writing, with the 2014 FIFA World Cup well underway for the last seven days, the entire final pre-tournament FIFA World Rankings have been thrown in great disarray. At the high level of World Cup football, and given the global nature of the sport, players of supposedly lower ranked countries, benefit from their suiting up for the top level squads from South and Central and North America and Europe. There they get the experience and the confidence which they in turn put to good use for their national teams in the World Cup. Unlike the FIBA world basketball championships that is more predictable, the FIFA World Cup is something else.

Top seed Spain, was the biggest casualty having been eliminated after losing to the Netherlands, 1-5, and to Chile, 0-2 in Group B matches. This particular group has the unique distinction of having the number one seed, Spain, and the lowest-ranked, Australia at 62. The Aussies have also been eliminated after losing to Chile, 1-3 and to the Netherlands, 2-3. Netherlands and Chile will play on Tuesday afternoon (early this morning) and both are expected to move into the round of 16 regardless of the results of today’s game.

Spain’s elimination certainly created both heartaches and anger all over the country. Perhaps, as some had pointed out, the opposition had studied the Spaniards tactics so thoroughly that  every move the defending champions would make was well anticipated.

A quick review of the different groups shows very interesting results.

In Group A, third-ranked Brazil is considered a shoo-in to the round of 16. Cameroon (56), which gave Mexico (20), a tough time, easily succumbed to Croatia, 0-4. Croatia and Mexico will battle it out for the second round-of-16 slot.

Colombia, in Group C, is expected to move into the round of 16. The performance of Ivory Coast, ranked 26, is somewhat of a surprise as is the possible elimination of 12-ranked Greece. The fortunes of Japan, ranked 46th,  is not totally in its hands as the results of the Greece and Ivory Coast match up and Japan’s own battle against Colombia will determine the fortunes of all teams in Group C, except Colombia.

Group D, one of the toughest groupings in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, has an interesting cast of characters. It’s most prominent members are Uruguay (1950 champions); Italy (ninth-ranked and former champion); England (another former winner), although 10th ranked, made a surprisingly early move to the exits after losing to Uruguay and Italy. One of the surprise packages of the tournament is Costa Rica which has defeated both Uruguay and Italy. Costa Rica’s small population must be deliriously happy with its overachieving squad.

France seems to be assured of a spot in the round of 16 after bludgeoning Ecuador, 3-0, and Switzerland, 5-2. The matches between Switzerland (6) and Honduras (33), on one hand, and France (17) and Ecuador (26), on the other hand, are crucial. A Switzerland victory over Honduras and a France win over Ecuador will bring the Swiss and the French into the round of 16. But then again, at the rate much lower-ranked teams are pulling off upsets, one will never be able to confidently predict the round of 16 cast.

In Group F, the most fascinating match was between the Lionel Messi-led Argentinian team and the 43rd ranked Iranians. With only injury time left, Messi scored the game’s only goal that allowed the fifth-ranked Argentinians to escape with what must have been for them a very frustrating victory. Although the Argentinians struggled to win over Iran, the Argentinians have already secured a spot into the next round. Bosnia-Herzegovina, although ranked 21 is making its first appearance in World Cup football.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina rookie squad seems to be paying a stiff price for its lack of exposure to World Cup play, losing to lower-ranked Nigeria (44), 0-1, and to Argentina, 1-2. As we went to press, both Nigeria and Iran are still in the running. Nigeria is to meet Argentina tomorrow, while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran square off also tomorrow.

Group G promises to produce unexpected results. The United States (13) beat Ghana (37) while Germany, simply brushed aside Cristiano Ronaldo, and had the Portuguese biting their dust, 4-0. In its next game however, the Germans (who have won the World Cup three times) had their hands full against Ghana and were lucky to eke out a draw. At one point, the amazing Ghanaians were ahead, 2-1.

The Portuguese, ranked fourth, are in danger of missing the bus with the outcome of their game against the Americans as the possible determinant of their future in 2014.  The Portuguese will be missing four mainstays from suspension and injuries while Ronaldo has been spotted applying an ice pack on his knee while training.

While the US and Portugal are slugging it out in Manaus, Group H action has Russia and Belgium, the group’s top two seeds, playing in Rio de Janeiro at the same hour. Belgium (11) defeated Algeria (22), 2-1 while South Korea (57) held Russia (19), to a 1 all draw. While Group H does not have the crème de la crème of international football compared to the other groups, competition is expected to be intense nevertheless.