AS THE SEMI-FINALS LOOM: Was THIS Krul moment the most shocking of a memorable World Cup?

Finders keepers; Cillessen makes way for Krul

IT will go down as the most memorable moment in an extraordinary World Cup. Seconds left in extra-time, Holland unable to break down Costa Rica – and suddenly goalkeeper Tim Krul comes on as a late, late substitute.

Look, we’d seen him warming up on the sideline as the penalty shoot-out loomed. I immediately flashed off messages to my Newcastle United supporting mates asking them if a man who went on loan to lowly Carlisle and Falkirk a few years ago was some sort of penalty stopping expert.

The word came back: He had saved 2 penalties in 20 at St James’ Park. And no evidence of any great resistance to spot kicks. WHAT WAS LOUIS VAN GAAL DOING?

But in dramatic moments that will go down in World Cup history, the unremarkable Krul became the global man of the moment, saving penalties to his left from Brian Ruiz and sub Michael Umana while Costa Rica’s Man of the Match Keylor Navas, one of the goalkeepers of the tournament, couldn’t get near a perfect four out of four from Holland.

While Robin Van Persie (who missed a glaring chance during extra-time), Arjen Robben (brilliant throughout), Wesley Sneijder (who hit the woodwork twice during the game) and veteran Dirk Kuyt confounded Navas, Krul was talking to the Costa Ricans constantly and never looked like he was going to be anything less than a hero.

Afterwards Krul told the BBC: "I psyched them out. You try to do everything you can without being too aggressive. I tried to get in their minds.

"It is something I have dreamed about since I was a little boy - to have that moment when you make the crucial save and then all the boys are running towards you."

And Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who will decamp to Manchester United after the tournament, insisted: "We all thought Tim was the best keeper to stop penalties. He is taller and has a longer reach.

"It worked out. That was beautiful. I'm a bit proud of that."

Is it REALLY just about height? Krul is 6ft 4in (1.93m), Jasper Cillessen is 6ft 2in (1.87m). And poor old Cillessen had produced his only save of the night in the 118^th minute of a looooong goalless draw – Costa Rica’s only shot on target.

Shock tactic: Krul saves second penalty

So having made TWO touches all night, Krul heads to the semi against Argentina (dull 1-0 winners over Belgium in their quarter-final earlier on Saturday night) knowing he WILL NOT START in Sao Paulo tomorrow night.

Van Gaal confirmed: "There is no question about who will start the next game, it will be Cillessen, but we felt Krul was the better choice purely for penalties."

And this morning we had Cillessen admitting: "I had no idea I was being substituted. It was a complete surprise."

As we struggled to overcome the emotions of another dramatic night – Friday evening saw Germany crush the life out of France while Brazil crept past Colombia – we head to the last four breathless.

Tuesday’s semi between Germany and Brazil is dominated by two key absences for the hosts: top-scorer Neymar is out with a fractured vertebra (there will be no last-minute miracle cure, even if they reach the final) and captain Thiago Motta is banned for one game (pending a ridiculous appeal against his yellow card). Huge problems for Luis Scolari.

On Neymar, I had an interesting Facebook message from an old medical doctor friend in Cape Town who, having seen the widely-circulated x-ray of the damaged vertebra, insisted: "The CT scan looks like chronic spondylitis of the fifth lumbar vertebra. It looks like an old injury to me."

Wednesday night pits the only non-winner Holland – three-time losing finalists - against an Argentina who have yet to see their much-vaunted strike catch fire.

Form suggests the two European superpowers will surge on to the final. History says it will be an all-South American affair for the first time in history. No nation appears to have hit top form at this point.

I’m saying Brazil will win the final 2-1 against Argentina. But at THIS World Cup, anything is possible. Even the occasional Krul twist.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

Injured Neymar hugs his Brazilian team-mates: scenes from Fortaleza airport last night

These are the scenes from Fortaleza airport last night where Neymar junior, suffering with a fractured vertebra, was able to hug his Brazilian team-mates.


Neymar was injured by Colombia's Juan Camilo Zuniga late in the 2-1 quarter-final win and was rushed to hospital, with coach Filipe Scolari claiming his star striker - with four goals and an assist - had been "hunted for the last three games."

Global impact: Argentine fans offer their condolences
before tonight's QF against Belgium 

With FIFA announcing they will "investigate the circumstances of Neymar's injury", the 22-year-old was well enough to sit up and chat to his team-mates, who will also be without suspended captain Thiago Silva against Germany in what promises to be an epic semi-final on Tuesday.


Neymar's x-rays have been screed on Brazilian television and the media have paid more attention to their fallen hero than a win inspired by Silva's early scrambled goal and a superb David Luiz free-kick.

Accidental? Zuniga fouls Neymar, who cracked a vertebra

Neymar apparently flew back to Rio with the team and was taken by ambulance Brazil's base camp. Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo has been criticized (and Zuniga has allegedly received death threats) for failing to control a match which featured 54 fouls — 31 from Brazil, 8 on Colombian Golden Boot leader James Rodriguez. He issued four yellow cards but none for the almost routine fouls on Rodriguez.


Barcelona star Neymar will be out for "four to six weeks" and will not require surgery.

The big guns go through: My predictions made after Group Stages: 11 out of 12 results correct so far!

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

In the court of King James: abandoned by his dad, spotted by a villain… and a hero to all in Colombia

Now we've heard of him: James Rodriguez

BARELY halfway through the World Cup and a star has been born. Forget Neymar, Messi and Muller, it’s James they’re all talking about. On Friday night in the quarter-final showdown between Colombia and Brazil he might be the only name in town.

The first man to five goals in the chase for the Golden Boot, James David Rodríguez Rubio is far too complicated a name for modern football fans. They call him James. Actually, it’s Hamez for Spanish-speaking Colombia fans.

And emerging from the shadow of their better-known striker Radamel Falcao, the Americans are now dubbing him J-Rod after their famous baseballer.

When injury forced Falcao out of the 2014 World Cup, most expected the Colombians, feisty Latin American outsiders, to struggle on the goal front. But from BEFORE the tournament even started, Rodriguez stepped up and started banging them in on behalf of his crocked Monaco team-mate.

In pre-tournament friendlies against Senegal and Jordan, the 22-year-old started his incredible streak. Then, as Group C burst upon us, Rodriguez produced goal after goal, scoring in his first four World Cup games to equal the record held by Brazilian greats Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

Goal of the tournament? James' first against Uruguay

One in the 3-0 win over Greece, one to break Ivorian hearts, a cracker against Japan and then TWO in the last 16 clash against Uruguay on Saturday night. SEVEN goals in SIX games. Incredible in the world of modern international football. And the first against Uruguay was an absolute classic, possibly the best of an incredible World Cup so far. Brought it down with a superb first touch, half-volleyed the ball home from outside the box.

Breath-taking stuff. So good, in fact, it prompted Colombia’s greatest footballing hero (he of the massive hair) Carlos Valderrama to ooze modestly: ''For a long time in Colombia they have been looking for the next Carlos Valderrama and they've now finally found who that player is. And he will be a hero not just now but for the next 10 years.''

But some have known about this baby-faced assassin for years. At the tender age of 15, he banged in nine goals for local Colombian outfit Envigado. He was shifted quickly to Argentine side Banfield, where he earned the nickname “James Bond” and then he was swept off to Europe, where he scored 25 goals in 63 games for Porto.

Though part-owned (like Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from Argentina) by a third-party, Rodriguez finally gained freedom with a high profile move to moneybags principality Monte Carlo and AC Monaco.

Nine goals in 34 games hardly justify the ludicrous £38.5m (R750m) price Monaco paid for him but with Falcao linked with a return to Madrid – he left Atletico but may return to Real – Rodriguez clearly thrives in the absence of his countryman.

It’s not always been an easy ride for “Hamez”. He was abandoned by his father – a former professional footballer - at the age of three and raised by his mum, Pilar.

And it was the late Gustavo Upegui Lopez, a businessman with suspected ties to Medellín’s drug cartels and vigilante death squads, who engineered his first professional move to Envigado rather than to Tolima, where his father played.

He was married at 19 – to Daniela, sister of Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina – and has a daughter, Salome. From 12, when he scored a goal direct from a corner on national television, he dreamed of being “the new El Pibe (Valderrama) and winner of the Ballon d’Or.

There were times, those early years in Porto and the opening weeks in Monte Carlo, when the dream seemed distant and improbable. He was seen as too slight, not physical enough. Two weeks in Brazil have changed that. Forever.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

Four months, 9 internationals, 12 Liverpool games: the Suarez ban will bite hard

Fangs for the memories: Suarez is banned for 4 months

FOUR MONTHS. Luis Suarez is not even allowed to WATCH football until the end of October after FIFA acted on his THIRD biting incident with welcome speed and weight.

Officially, Suarez’s teeth-marks in Italian Gogio Chiellini’s shoulder will also result in him missing Uruguay’ last 16 clash against Colombia in the World Cup on Saturday – he is also banned for NINE internationals and fined $65,000 (about R1m).

The expected appeal from Uruguay (who are apparently threatening to boycott their last 16 tie as a result of the ban) WON’T open a backdoor for Suarez to play at the Maracana.

Beyond reasonable doubt: Suarez bits Chiellini

Both his club Liverpool and sponsors adidas will hold talks to discuss their future with Suarez, who will miss 9 games at the start of the next Barclays Premier League season PLUS their first THREE Champions League matches. Liverpool may be able to sue their star striker – top scorer in England with 31 goals last season and joint winner of the UEFA Golden Boot with Cristiano Ronaldo – for breach of contract.

Claudio Sulser, chairman of the independent disciplinary committee, announced: “We took all factors of the case into account. Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particularly not at a World Cup with the eyes of millions on the stars.”

He added: "A stadium ban is pronounced against the player in accordance with article 21 of the FDC as follows: the player Luis Suárez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban.”

THE LIVERPOOL GAMES SUAREZ WILL MISS

Aug 16: Liverpool v Southampton

Aug 23: Manchester City v Liverpool

Aug 30: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Sep 13: Liverpool v Aston Villa

Sep 16: Champions League 1

Sep 20: West Ham United v Liverpool

Sep 27: Liverpool v Everton

Sep 30: Champions League 2

Oct 4: Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion

Oct 18: Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool

Oct 21: Champions League 3

Oct 25: Liverpool v Hull City

FIFA’s reaction comes in stark contrast to arguments in mitigation from Suarez’s lawyer Alejandro Balbi, who is also a member of the Uruguayan Football Assocation. Before the ban was announced said: “We don’t have any doubts that this has happened because it’s Suarez and secondly because Italy was eliminated.

How the referee missed it: the incident against Italy

“There’s a lot of pressure from England and Italy. We’re polishing off a defence argument. There is a possibility that they ban him, because there are precedents, but we’re convinced that it was an absolutely casual play, because if Chiellini can show a scratch on one shoulder, Suarez can show a bruised and almost shut eye.

“If every player starts showing the injuries he suffers and they open inquiries for them, everything will be way too complicated in the future. We’re going to use all the arguments possible so that Luis gets out in the best possible way.”

“You shouldn’t forget that we’re rivals of many and we can be for the organiser in the future. This does not go against what might have happened, but there’s no doubt that Suarez is a rock in the shoe for many.”

That rock has now been reduced to rubble. Until the end of October…

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

Three bites and you're OUT: Why Luis Suarez CANNOT be allowed to continue in this World Cup

All bite on the night: Chiellini and Suarez

THE WORLD CUP faces perhaps the greatest test in its history this week when they address the problem of Luis Suarez and his prominent teeth.

Uruguay's enormously talented striker - scorer of both goals in their epic 2-1 win over England - stands accused of a THIRD incident of biting an opponent during his nation's 1-0 win over Italy last night.

When I say "accused" the pictures are damning – and hugely damaging to the game. As I said last night after the incident, Italy weren't just beaten, they were well bitten. Afterwards the "victim" Giorgio Chiellini was rightly aggrieved, exhibiting clear tooth-marks in his left shoulder.

The whole tooth: Suarez reacts after biting incident

The 29-year-old Juventus defender said: “Suarez is a sneak and he gets away with it because FIFA want their stars to play in the World Cup. I’d love to see if

they have the courage to use video evidence against him.

“The referee saw the bite mark, too, but he did nothing about it.”

Though Uruguay are through to the knock-out stages after a result which saw Italian boss Cesare Prandelli resign, FIFA surely CANNOT allow Suarez to play any further part in the tournament.

The 27-year-old, top scorer with 31 goals in the Premier League last season and joint winner of the European golden boot with Cristiano Ronado, bravely fought back from knee surgery to play in Brazil after his deliberate hand-ball put Ghana out of the tournament in the 2010 quarter-finals.

Muzzled: a possible solution for Suarez

This was supposed to be an opportunity to wipe the slate clean, the emerge as a rival to global superstars like Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazilian four-goal hero Neymar.

Instead, Suarez poses the toughest disciplinary conundrum in the history of the game – any game. While controversial boxer Mike Tyson chewed Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997 and South African rugby Springbok Johan Le Roux bit New Zealand's Sean Fitzpatrick in 1994, Suarez is the first sportsman to stand accused of multiple episodes of, well, let’s call it “attempted cannibalism”.

The first came on 20 November 2010,  when Suárez – playing for Ajax Amsterdam - bit PSV's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a 0–0 draw.

Ajax suspended him for two games and fined him an undisclosed amount which the club said they would donate to a "good cause". The Dutch FA later increased the ban to seven games and Suarez was sold to Liverpool without playing another game.

The second bite occurred on 21 April 2013, in a 2–2 draw with Chelsea in a Premier League game at Anfield. Again, he clearly bit Branislav Ivanović on the shoulder. Despite Chelsea protests, Suarez stayed on the pitch and scored the injury-time equaliser.

He was banned for 10 matches with the FA – having already slapped an 8-match ban for racism on the Uruguayan in 2011 – insisting they wanted to send: "a strong message that such deplorable behaviours do not have a place in football".  

Evidence: teeth marks

Then, unbelievably, the THIRD incident last night saw Chiellini bitten in very similar circumstances. The bite marks were quite clear as the Italian ran to the ref to protest, but again, no action was taken and Uruguay went on to win 1-0 and qualify for the last 16.

The football-speaking world remains in shock this morning. The Suarez bite quite simply over-shadowed England’s worst-ever World Cup showing – their 0-0 draw with Costa Rica left them with one point to take home on their flight of shame – and a controversial injury-time penalty which saw Greece win 2-1 and oust the Ivory Coast.

Chiellini added: “The disparity in judgment has been evident. Claudio Marchisio’s sending-off (Italy were already down to 10 men) was ridiculous but more so the fact that Suarez wasn’t sent off.

“There’s the will to protect champions but the referee should have shown him a red card.”

FIFA have announced they will be looking in to the incident and have given Uruguay today to provide mitigation against Suarez’s impending punishment.

In theory, the World Cup disciplinary panel have the power to suspend Suarez for up to two years.

Worryingly, Uruguay are in denial. Their captain Diego Lugano said: "You couldn't have seen it because nothing happened. The worst of everything is the attitude of Chiellini. As a man, he disappointed me totally."

And team-mate Diego Forlan insisted: “I didn’t see anything,” while many fans in the stadium actually missed the incident, it happened so quickly.

But the pictures can leave no question. Uruguay will complain and claim persecution of their best player, one of the finest strikers in Europe over the past 12 months.

Judgement: How twitter views Suarez

To listen to them would be WRONG. Kids will be watching the images today and wondering: “Is it okay to bite an opposing player?” while admiring a man found guilty of racism and cheating.

Media pundit and former Wales international Robbie Savage said: "It is a disgrace. Suarez should never play international football again."

Former USA goalkeeper Brad Friedel agreed: "Still can't believe what I've seen again from Suarez...needs an ENORMOUS ban from football. THIRD time now!"

Suarez must be taught a lasting lesson this time. No football in the spotlight for a year at least. Anything less than ending the World Cup for one of its most talented strikers would be seen as cowardly. Let’s see what FIFA do.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

World Cup watching just got a whole lot easier: But now it's time to find out who will make the cut

World Cup fever: this from the US, where viewing figures are huge

THE World Cup in Brazil is about to get a lot easier. For the hard-pressed non-football-loving spouses, abandoned kids, dogs… and sleep-deprived fans. But not for the players, of course.

With all 32 sides now two games in to their Group phase, we begin that four-eyed segment of the greatest footballing event on earth, with the third and final games played SIMULTANEOUSLY over four days.

And we even get a day off on Friday, a 24-hour breathing space before the remaining 16 nations begin the knock-out phase on Saturday, June 28.

For South Africans, deprived of Bafana Bafana thanks to a memorable own goal in Adis Ababa (and a whole lot of other stuff, but reports in Nigeria today suggest Steve Keshi is on his way, walking across the ocean), this tournament is about AFRICA.

After a first round which saw just one win (for Ivory Coast over Japan) and a draw (for Nigeria against lowly Iran) with three gut-wrenching defeats, things are looking up for the BIG FIVE who qualified through CAF’s tough-as-teak system.

As the only federation where group winners are forced to play-off, our five survivors have in some ways the toughest path to each World Cup, with 55 nations cut down to a mere handful.

And that toughness showed in the second round, with Ghana leading the way. Their 2-2 draw with FIFA’s No2 ranked team Germany is now regarded as the best game of Brazil 2014 so far. Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan did the scoring, but former Free State Stars defender Jonathan Mensah played a vital role too, as did Ghana’s goalkeeper Fatau Dauda, thrown in to the fray despite playing just twice for Orlando Pirates last season.

Never a truer world: earliest ever exit for England

With South Africans finally finding somebody to cheer for (even our referee Daniel Bennett dropped out after getting injured in Brazil) the African nations bounced back strongly. Nigeria saw off Bosnia 1-0 before Algeria crushed South Korea 4-2, sparking huge celebrations across the continent (and, no doubt, in North Korea).

The second round saw African nations win 2, draw 1 and lose 2. We shall not talk about the Cameroon too much. Shipping four goals, having Alex Song sent off and two players fighting on the pitch can be in NO WAY considered a critique of long-serving CAF president Issa Hayatou. Of course not.

Anyway, the upshot of it all is this: Nigeria have FOUR points; the Ivory Coast and Algeria have THREE points,  Ghana have ONE point. They are all still alive. The first three go in to their final games in SECOND position in their groups, Ghana look unlikely to qualify after the epic USA 2-2 Portugal. Cameroon are out of it, but then so too are great nations like defending champions Spain, England, debutants Bosnia and erm… Australia.

But from a situation where it looked possible Africa would suffer their worst-ever World Cup, we now have a chance of seeing FOUR through to the last 16, where France are emerging as the form side, Netherlands and Germany look strong and ALL the South Americans are looking safe.

Oh, and there’s Costa Rica, with wins over former winners Italy and England. They could yet prove to be THE surprise package in a World Cup already full of shocks, comebacks (eight at the last count) goals and supersubs (15 replacements had scored at the last count).

We should, of course, consider the death of Ibrahim Toure in Manchester after losing his battle against cancer. The loss of the 28-year-old younger brother of Yaya, 31, and Kolo, 33, has put the Ivory Coast under a unique set of pressures. We can only wish the family well.

Africa now has a record of Played 10, won three, drawn two and lost five. Asia can offer only Played 8, won 0, drawn 3 and lost 5, their worst display since 1998. One more win and the CAF nations will have enjoyed their most successful World Cup in history. That in itself should give us SOMETHING to smile about.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

The collapse of an empire: sorry Spain the first major casualties of the 2014 World Cup

Spainful: Casillas concedes against Chile

THE reign of Spain falls mainly on the plane home. That incredible wave of Spanish conquest dating back to 2008 is OVER. Vicente del Bosque’s World Cup winners broke all records in their bid to return home rapidly from Brazil.

Walloped 5-1 by Hup Hup Holland in their opening Group B game and convincingly ousted 2-0 by a super hot Chile in their second, the football-speaking world had a field day with the kings of tika-taka, ignoring those 2008 and 2012 European Championships wins either side of their dour 2010 World Cup triumph.

It’s unfair. We all love to see the giants fall. But this was a Jack and the Beanstalk return to earth for a Spanish side which conceded just two goals in South Africa four years ago (and scored a record low of seven to conquer the world). In just thee halves of football – 135 minutes – they conceded SEVEN, Iker Casillas was exposed and without Carles Puyol, they seemed incapable of stopping the rot.

Seven-goal champs: Spain in 2010

Diego Costa, the Brazilian striker who opted for Spain after two friendlies for his homeland last year, turned out to be about as popular as Kingston Nkatha at Kaizer Chiefs, as effective as Ndumiso Mabena at Orlando Pirates. In short, a huge boo-boo.

Ironically, it was soon-to-depart South African head coach Gordon Igesund who said in Australia last month: “Spain have become too predictable” as he explained Bafana’s surprise 1-0 friendly win over Espana at Soccer City, venue of their greatest triumph.

Even more ironically, it would not surprise this writer if Del Bosque now becomes a target to succeed Igesund, given his CV. But there is a rarely-mentioned detail in the 63-year-old Spaniard’s career: he took over Spain in 2008 only after Luis Aragones had led them to their first European Championship success.

Ultimately Del Bosque was undone by his reluctance to change a winning set-up: he stuck with the old guard and it worked for the years – until their record-breaking demise in Brazil. No champions have ever lost their first two games in defending the World Cup.

It’s one thing to see World Cup winners fall at the first hurdle (as France and Italy did before them) it’s quite another to see such a great side, filled with Barcelona and Real Madrid all-conquering giants, slip out of the tournament without a fight.

Though they managed a couple of shots late on, it was Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, on the periphery of the great Spanish successes, who produced most of the late urgency after coming on as a substitute.

I said before this tournament that South American sides would dominate, pointing out that Europeans have never won on the continent. I said too that Chile (and Colombia) could spring a surprise or two.

A crest-fallen Del Bosque, 63, said: "We were inferior to both Netherlands and Chile. It is a sad day for all of us. We are sorry we didn't succeed, now is too early to analyse where we go from here.

"The first goal really buoyed them and they really got into our faces. They got the goals and gave us a mountain to climb. We were too timid in the first half and did not react sufficiently in the second."

But as we glory in the fall of the giants, joined at the early exit door by brave Australia (beaten 3-2 in a cracker by the Netherlands) it’s worth remembering other big guns could soon join them – notably England, who cannot accept anything less than a win over Uruguay.

Ouch: last look at that Spanish defence

As the smoke clears, it would be hard to say that the South American big guns – Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay – are in scintillating form on their home continent. Holland and Germany look the form sides with Aarjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Thomas Muller leading the race for the Golden Boot with three goals each so far.

But I suspect Argentina will get stronger and stronger. Brazil, with Neymar isolated up front thanks to the incompetence of Fred, Hulk and Jo, have a lot of work to do after their 0-0 draw with Mexico.

But this World Cup remains a fascinating journey. Scoring at a rate of nearly four goals a game, this is a tournament marked by attacking exuberance and super substitutions. Long may it continue.

And I leave you with this thought: were Spain single-handedly responsible for lowering the tone of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa? Tika-taka may be great for the purists, but the lack of direct, exciting, thrusting football can be blamed on those pesky Spaniards four years ago. Germany were a far more attractive proposition and I said so at the time as they scored 21 goals and crashed out in the semi-finals.

Giants are not always attractive. They can even be mistaken for ogres. I for one am not sorry to see this particular Espana thrown in the works.

Disgrace: Assou-Ekotto and Moukanjo square up

Later last night, we had the unedifying spectacle of Cameroon crashing out and joining Spain and Australia in the queue at the Brazil exit door. Going down to Croatia 4-0 is one thing. But the unedifying spectacle of Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukanjo squaring up to each other before the Spurs man (currently on loan at QPR) threw in a head-butt was too much.




Earlier former Arsenal man Alex Song, now at Barcelona, had been sent off for a ridiculous off-the-ball swing which left Cameroon coach Volker Finke summing up his night thus: "It's clear we have to find the reasons what's going on because such behaviour is really disgusting, it won't do, it's impossible. There will be repercussions."


All this of course, happening on television screens around the world to Cameroon, the nation which gave us the infamous son-of-a-sultan Issa Hayatou, who has run CAF, the African Football Federation, since 1987. Little wonder Africa is going backwards internationally if the dictator can't even keep his own nation in order. The current CAF situation in Brazil: Played 6, Won 1, Drawn 1, Lost 4. That's relegation form.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.