FIFA World Cup 2014 Day 3 Roundup: Italy sink England, Costa Rica lead Group D, Colombia and Ivory Coast win as well
Italy top the new looking England
The FIFA World Cup entered its first serious day of action today on Day 3 of the tournament. The third day also lived up to the thrilling football entertainment and atackingstyle that this World Cup has offered the spectators so far as it was another day full of goal-scoring action.
In the biggest game of the day, Italy was able to get the better of the indomitable lions from England in the hot and humid condition in Manaus courtesy of goals from Claudio Marchisio and Mario Balotelli.
The Italians opened the scoring in the first half via a low thundering effort from Marchisio, 25 yards out. Italy’s joys were however short-lived as the free scoring Daniel Sturridge was on hand to bring the game English right back into the game two minutes later.
However, it was the Azzuris who had the final laugh as Italy’s eccentric forward Mario Balotelli wrote the bottom line in this one. His goal, a few minutes into the second half proved to be the decisive moment in the contest.
For all the action,reaction and goals from the Italy vs England game click here.
Another shocker
It was not quite like last night but this would do pretty good as well. The status of “superstars of the day” however belongs to Costa Rica. Thought by many as the whipping boys in this year’s group of death, the Costa Ricans ended the first round of games as leaders of Group D.
In their game against Luis Suarez-less Uruguay, the Uruguayans took the lead in the 22nd minute as Edinson Cavani stroked the ball in from the penalty spot after Júnior Díaz had issued a Rugby tackle to Diego Forlan.
The Ticos made their way back into the game in the second half as two goals in the space of three minutes turned the game on its head. Joel Campbell’s equalizer in the 54th was quickly followed by a superb header from Oscar Duarte to put the Costa Ricans ahead.
Marco Ureña put the finishing touches to the game as he put a third on the 84th minute mark to put the result beyond doubt. The forgettable day for Uruguay was rounded off when Maxi Pereira was sent off in stoppage time for kicking out at Arsenal’s Joel Campbell.
For all the action,reaction and goals from the Uruguay vs Costa Rica game click here.
Colombia to the fore
In the early kick-off of the day, the Colombians flexed their muscles via a 3-0 win over Greece in Belo Horizonte. Pablo Armero started the show as early as the sixth minute as he met Juan Cuadrado's low cross at the edge of the box to put the South Americans in-front.
In another display of Greece’s much known impotence in attack, the Cafeteros took full advantage as goals from Teófilo Gutiérrez just into the second half and by James Rodriguez right at the end were enough to round off a convincing display from the Colombians.
For all the action,reaction and goals from the Colombia vs Greece game click here.
Drogba’s introduction sparks Cote d’Ivoire to come from behind victory
In a game which might well decide who the runner-up will be in Group C, Ivory Coast came from behind to defeat Japan.
The Ivorians were on the front foot from the get go, creating a flurry of chances. However they left their fans frustrated with their dismal finishing time and again.
Meanwhile Japan was at their precisive best as they scored from nearly their first real attack on goal. Two sublime touches from Japan’s Keisuke Honda were enough to put the Japanese in front in the 16th minutes.
The Elephants again came out in the second half like gangbusters but failed to show the composure in-front of goal as Bony and then Gervinho missed guilt-edged opportunities. This seemed like the making of a long and frustrating night for the Africans; but all this changed at the hour mark when the introduction of talismanic figure of Didier Drogba in the game.
The former Chelsea star’s presence brought a kind of an aura of invencibility for the Ivorians, whose faith seemed restored. Within minutes of Drogba’s coming on, two pin-point crosses from Serge Aurrier from the right were met by Wilfried Bony and then Gervinho to put Cote d’Ivoire 2-1. In spite late scrambles from the Japanese, they failed to trouble Cote d’Ivoire’s goal as the match finished with same scoreline.