The final day of Group Stage matches of the World Cup presented a fitting end to the first stage of the tournament.
The day began with Portugal beating Ghana 2 – 1. Cristiano Ronaldo finally made his presence felt at the World Cup, but it was not enough to keep them in the competition. The USA vs Germany match ended in a 1-0 victory for Germany and the combined results meant that Portugal was tied with the USA on 4 points in Group G but with an inferior goal difference. Ghana, who could have progressed if they had pulled of a victory, was also eliminated finishing at the bottom of the table with just 1 point.
The day’s second set of matches saw Belgium beat the Korean Republic 1-0 and Russia and Algeria draw 1-1. Russia needed to win in order to stay in the competition but failed to take their chances. The result meant that Russia has just two points and finished third in the group. Had the Koreans managed to hold Belgium to a draw they also may have progressed, however, despite an excellent performance, they didn’t have quite enough strength to hold Belgium off in the final stages of the match. It means that Belgium won all three of its Group Stage matches and finished top of the group, while the Koreans will head home with just one point on the board.
The results mean that the next set of Round of 16 matches has been decided. On Monday France will play Nigeria while Germany will play Algeria. Tuesday will see Argentina take on Switzerland and Belgium play the USA.
Results
- USA vs. Germany – 0:1
- Portugal vs. Ghana – 2:1
- Algeria vs. Russia – 1:1
- Korean Republic vs. Belgium – 0:1
Upcoming Round of 16 Matches
France vs. Nigeria, Monday, 30 June 2014 Match Preview
Germany vs. Algeria, Monday, 30 June 2014 Match Preview
