The Industry Tribune (theindustrytribune.blogspot.com) is an Pakistani blog based in New York City as well as in Pakistan with worldwide influence and readership. The Industry Tribune has long been regarded within the industry as a national "Blogger of record".
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
3 questions for England after devastating loss to Uruguay
The Uruguayan striker gave his team a 1-0 lead when he struck against an utterly passive England team in the 39th minute, heading home a beautiful cross from Edinson Cavani. The Suarez strike seemed destined to secure a vital three points for Uruguay, until Wayne Rooney pulled the match level in the 75th minute. But the Suarez answered once more in the 84th minute, sneaking past the English defense and blasting a shot past a helpless Joe Hart.
“I dreamed about these goals, I did,” Suarez said. “The truth is I’m savoring this emotional moment so much because of all I went through and all the criticism I endured.”
The loss all but ends England’s hopes of advancing into the second round. No team has made it out of the group stages after losing its first two matches in World Cup history.
“I don’t know, I mean I don’t quite know what you want me to say,” England manager Roy Hodgson said. “In both the games we’ve shown some elements of playing some good football, we’ve shown a team that’s making progress but results decide everything, and both results were negative.”
England fans will be left asking many questions following the result, but there are three in particular that prove exceptionally baffling.
1. Who is the Number 10?
Reuters
The scoresheet will tell you its Wayne Rooney. Depending on the day, England boss Roy Hodgson might tell you it’s actually Raheem Sterling. The truth is neither particularly fit the role and the team suffered as a result.
That’s a symptom of Hodgson’s tactics and not either player. We’ve seen Sterling come into his own under Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, and no one can question Rooney’s ability.
Asking either to play maestro is a disservice to their talents. Sterling loves to receive the ball from the flank, attacking inside, while Rooney is always more dangerous the further up the pitch he is.
2. Why wasn’t Ross Barkley starting?
AP Photo
Barkley came on in the 65th minute for an ineffective Raheem Sterling, and along with fellow substitute Adam Lallana provided a much needed spark in midfield, and more importantly pushed Wayne Rooney further up the field. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and fans will be left to ponder what could have been
3. Who are you and what have you done with England’s backline?
Reuters
Erratic, disorganized, leaky, and ineffective. There was little else to take from the performances of Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, and Glen Johnson. Suarez and Cavani tore the England defense to pieces throughout the match, but none more apparent than on the opening goal. Johnson and Cahill backed off Cavani, allowing him the time to pick out the run of Suarez who drifted undetected behind Jagielka and Baines. Suarez snuck past the back four again for his second, securing a flick on without a single English defender near him.
Goalkeeper Joe Hart also struggled, nearly being beaten by Suarez directly from a corner kick not once, but twice in the match.
“We could have played better but I think we’ve left it on the pitch,” Hart said. “That’s football. We can’t complain about football.”
So many questions without answers for a group who promised to break the mold so long associated with the national team. A backline which has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success at the club level looked utterly incompetent. Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, and Rooney seemed poised to front a devastating attack, but never gelled. It didn’t come together for this group against Italy or Uruguay, and in the five days leading up to Costa Rica, it could very well unravel altogether.
Dazzling Chile advance, eliminate Spain
Jorge Sampaoli's team did nevertheless find a breakthrough on 20 minutes - and it was a goal the Europeans would have been proud of. Delightful interplay between Sanchez and Arturo Vidal sliced through the midfield, with the ball being worked to Charles Aranguiz in the area. His cute pass inside found Vargas, who had the presence of mind to take a touch – eliminating Iker Casillas from the game – before slotting in past the sliding Xabi Alonso. It is arguably the team goal of the tournament so far.
Alonso and Diego Costa fired over and wide respectively as La Furia Roja tried to restore parity. But the instant response the Spanish fans were hoping for did not arrive as Chilean intensity prevented Vincente Del Bosque's side replicating either their mesmeric passing or suffocating possession that has brought them so much success.
Vidal recently described their style of play as “suicidal” to FIFA, however in the first-half it was anything but, frustrating the UEFA EURO 2012 winners, with an unnecessary foul by Xabi Alonso bringing about their second goal. Sanchez's free-kick was poorly punched by Casillas to the feet of Aranguiz, who trapped the ball superbly and toe-poked it beyond the despairing reach of Spain's record cap-holder.
Costa could have made the perfect start after the break, after a surgical Iniesta pass put him one-on-one with Claudio Bravo, only for the ball to get caught under his feet, allowing Mauricio Isla to pull off a last-ditch tackle. The Atletico Madrid forward turned creator as Busquets spurned an even better chance. Chile failed to clear a Sergio Ramos free-kick, and when the Brazil-born player's spectacular bicycle-kick flash across goal, the Barcelona midfielder missed from four yards with the goal at his mercy.
Chile visibly tired in the latter stages of their first outing at Brazil 2014, but while they soaked up Spanish pressure they were still dangerous on the break in the Maracana. Vargas picked out the overlapping Eugenio Mena on the left-hand side, and though his shot was going wide, Isla slid it at the far post to fire narrowly over.
Substitute Santi Cazorla, twice, and Iniesta tested Bravo from distance, but the goalkeeper was equal to them and it sealed a disastrous exit for Del Bosque's boys.
Italy, Costa Rica Face Off in World Cup
World Cup soccer action continues Friday in Brazil, with Italy taking on Costa Rica in a key Group D matchup.
Costa Rica is coming off a stunning 3-1 win over Uruguay while Italy opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over England. Whoever wins Friday's match in Recife will secure a spot in the round of 16, also known as the knockout round.
In other action, Switzerland and France face off in Salvador in a Group E matchup. Both teams won their World Cup openers. Also in Group E, Honduras and Ecuador battle it out in Curitiba, where a loss by either team would end all hope of qualifying for the next round.
On Thursday, Colombia earned a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in Brasilia to secure a spot in the round of 16.
Greece and Japan each earned a point in Group C after battling to a scoreless draw.
In a Group D match in Sao Paulo, Uruguay kept its round of 16 hopes alive with a 2-1 win over England.
Striker Luis Suarez, who missed Uruguay's opening loss to Costa Rica while recovering from knee surgery, made an instant impact in his return. His header in the 39th minute gave Uruguay a 1-0 lead, and his shot into the roof of the goal in the 85th minute snapped a 1-1 tie for the game winner.
The defeat left England on the brink of elimination. The last time England failed to reach the second round of the World Cup was in 1958.
Uruguay's Suarez previously starred for Liverpool in the English Premier League. He scored his second goal after England's Wayne Rooney provided the equalizer in the 75th minute.
Costa Rica is coming off a stunning 3-1 win over Uruguay while Italy opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over England. Whoever wins Friday's match in Recife will secure a spot in the round of 16, also known as the knockout round.
In other action, Switzerland and France face off in Salvador in a Group E matchup. Both teams won their World Cup openers. Also in Group E, Honduras and Ecuador battle it out in Curitiba, where a loss by either team would end all hope of qualifying for the next round.
On Thursday, Colombia earned a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in Brasilia to secure a spot in the round of 16.
Greece and Japan each earned a point in Group C after battling to a scoreless draw.
In a Group D match in Sao Paulo, Uruguay kept its round of 16 hopes alive with a 2-1 win over England.
Striker Luis Suarez, who missed Uruguay's opening loss to Costa Rica while recovering from knee surgery, made an instant impact in his return. His header in the 39th minute gave Uruguay a 1-0 lead, and his shot into the roof of the goal in the 85th minute snapped a 1-1 tie for the game winner.
The defeat left England on the brink of elimination. The last time England failed to reach the second round of the World Cup was in 1958.
Uruguay's Suarez previously starred for Liverpool in the English Premier League. He scored his second goal after England's Wayne Rooney provided the equalizer in the 75th minute.
| Hosts | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 Brazil | ||
| 2010 South Africa | Spain | Spain 1-0 Netherlands |
| 2006 Germany | Italy | 1-1, then Italy beat France 5-3 in penalties |
| 2002 Japan / S. Korea | Brazil | Brazil 2-0 Germany |
| 1998 France | France | France 3-0 Brazil |
| 1994 USA | Brazil | 0-0, then Brazil defeated Italy 3-2 in penalties |
| 1990 Italy | Germany | Germany 1-0 Argentina |
| 1986 Mexico | Argentina | Argentina 3-2 Germany |
| 1982 Spain | Italy | Italy 3-1 Germany |
| 1978 Argentina | Argentina | Argentina 3-1 Holland |
| 1974 Germany | Germany | Germany 2-1 Holland |
| 1970 Mexico | Brazil | Brazil 4-1 Italy |
| 1966 England | England | England 4-2 Germany |
| 1962 Chile | Brazil | Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia |
| 1958 Sweden | Brazil | Brazil 5-2 Sweden |
| 1954 Switzerland | Germany | Germany 3-2 Hungary |
| 1950 Brazil | Uruguay | Uruguay 2-1 Brazil |
| 1946 | not held | |
| 1942 | not held | |
| 1938 France | Italy | Italy 4-2 Hungary |
| 1934 Italy | Italy | Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia |
| 1930 Uruguay | Uruguay | Uruguay 4-2 Argentina |
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