Bad behaviour takes shine off captivating tournament
Germany, the United States and Algeria sealed last 16 World Cup places yesterday but much of the spotlight was on the tournament’s bad boys as Uruguay’s Luis Suarez got a nine-match ban for biting and Ghana sent two players home in disgrace.
On the final day of group matches, Germany beat the US 1-0, a result that put both teams through from group G, while Algeria’s 1-1 draw with Russia saw them join already-qualified Belgium in the second round for the first time from Group H.
Germany will now play Algeria on Tuesday in Porto Alegre while Belgium will battle with the US in Salvador on Much of the talk in the last few days has, however, been about bad behaviour marring an otherwise excellent tournament and events took another explosive turn on Thursday.
Uruguay’s mercurial striker Suarez was handed a nine-match ban by Fifa – the biggest imposed at a World Cup – for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during Tuesday’s group match and was suspended from any footballrelated activity for four months.
Ghana’s preparations for their Brasilia match with Portugal were less than ideal. Before kickoff they confirmed key midfielders KevinPrince Boateng and Sulley Muntari had been suspended after they clashed with coach Kwesi Appiah and a Ghana Football Association official.
Germany negotiated torrential rain in Recife to ensure they topped group G with a Thomas Mueller goal, the prolific forward collecting a loose ball on the edge of the area and superbly side-footing into the bottom corner.
Portugal talisman Ronaldo scored his first goal of the tournament against Ghana but the 2-1 result was not enough to avoid an exit for his team on goal difference behind the US.
In group H already qualified Belgium beat South Korea 1-0 with a 78th minute goal from defender Jan Vertonghen, despite losing midfielder Steven Defour to a 45th minute red card after a needless, studs-up challenge on Kim Shinwook.
On a momentous night for Algeria, the North Africans took second spot after Islam Slimani’s powerful header on the hour cancelled out Alexander Kokorin’s superb sixth-minute opener, dumping Russia, who needed a win, out of the tournament.