June 24 – Final matches in Groups C and D see all teams, bar England, as contenders for places in the Round of 16.
England v Costa Rica
England boss Roy Hodgson will completely overhaul his team to give the fringe players a chance for the Three Lions’ final game before their bow out.
But the story is really about Costa Rica who could actually top the group with a third straight win with their energetic counter attacking style that has already done for two former world champions.
Head to Head
This will be the first ever match between Costa Rica and England.
FIFA Ranking (June 5th 2014)
Costa Rica: Rank: 28 Points: 762
England: Rank: 10 Points: 1090
World Cup 2014 Qualifying
Costa Rica
Second in CONCACAF Group with 18 points (P10 W5 D3 L2 GF13 GA7)
England
First in UEFA Group H with 22 points (P10 W6 D4 L0 GF31 GA4)
Costa Rica v England stats
Costa Rica are already through to the next round. If Costa Rica draw they will definitely top group D. If they lose they could still top the group, depending on goal difference.
England have been eliminated at the first group stage of a World Cup for the first time since 1958.
Costa Rica have scored in all 7 previous World Cup matches v teams from Europe.
England have not lost all 3 group games at a major tournament since the 1988 European Championships.
Should England lose this would be the first time they have ever ended with zero points in a World Cup group.
Roy Hodgson has lost his last 4 games at the World Cup, (including 2 with Switzerland).
This is the first time England have lost their first two matches at a World Cup.
England have won just one of their last seven World Cup matches (W1 D3, L3), a 1-0 group stage win over Slovenia.
Uruguay vs Italy
Winner takes all although Italy only need a draw to progress and join Costa Rica in the last 16. However Uruguay appear to have the greater momentum after last Thursday’s win over England.
The Italians will be desperate to avoid a repeat of four years ago when they went out in the group stage but the pressure is probably greater on the South Americans.
Head to Head games
06/06/70 Uruguay v Italy 0-0 (World Cup)
15/03/80 Italy v Uruguay 1-0 (International)
03/01/81 Uruguay v Italy 2-0 (Gold Cup)
22/04/89 Italy v Uruguay 1-1 (International)
25/06/90 Italy v Uruguay 2-0 (World Cup)
17/04/02 Italy v Uruguay 1-1 (International)
15/11/11 Italy v Uruguay 0-1 (International)
30/06/13 Uruguay v Italy 2-2 (2-3) (Confederations Cup)
FIFA Ranking (June 5th 2014)
Italy: Rank: 9 Points: 1104
Uruguay: Rank: 7 Points: 1147
World Cup 2014 Qualifying
Italy
First in UEFA Group B with 22 points (P10 W6 D4 L0 GF19 GA9)
Uruguay
Fifth in CONMEBOL Group with 25 points (P16 W7 D4 L5 GF25 GA25)
Play-off v Jordan (AFC Group): Jordan 0 – 5 Uruguay, Uruguay 0 – 0 Jordan
Italy v Uruguay stats
A draw is enough for Italy to qualify as they have a superior goal difference to Uruguay. The Uruguayans need to win to reach the knock-out stages. Either winning team could top the group if England beat Costa Rica, depending on goal difference.
Italy have lost just 3 of 19 World Cup games against South American teams – including the 1970 final against Brazil.
This will be Uruguay’s 50th World Cup game (W19, D12, L18)
Uruguay have met Italy twice in the World Cup drawing 0-0 in 1970 and losing 0-2 in 1990.
Uruguay have missed out on the World Cup knockout stages only three times in 11 previous attempts. The last time was back in 2002.
Uruguay’s win over England ended a run of 15 World Cup games in which they had failed to beat a European team at the World Cup (the last time being against the Soviet Union in 1970.
Greece vs Ivory Coast
The Greeks know they have no room for error and must take three points to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Greece have so far failed to impress, having lost 3-0 to Colombia before hanging on with 10 men to secure a 0-0 draw with Japan. Captain Konstantinos Katsouranis must serve a one-match ban after being sent off in Natal.
An Ivory Coast win would guarantee progress but anything less could let in Greece or Japan to snatch second spot. The Toure brothers have vowed to play on in Brazil following the death of a third brother last week.
Head to Head games
Greece and Ivory Coast have never played one another before.
FIFA Ranking (June 5th 2014)
Greece: Rank: 12 Points: 1064
Ivory Coast: Rank: 23 Points: 809
World Cup 2014 Qualifying
Greece
Second in UEFA Group G with 25 points (P10 W8 D1 L1 GF12 GA4)
Play-off v Romania: Greece 3 – 1 Romania, Romania 1 – 1 Greece
Ivory Coast
First in CAF Group C with 14 points (P6 W4 D2 L0 GF15 GA5)
Play-off v Senegal (First in CAF Group J): Ivory Coast 3 – 1 Senegal, Senegal 1 – 1 Ivory Coast
Greece v Ivory Coast stats
Ivory Coast are guaranteed to go through to the next round with a win in this game. A draw will suffice unless Japan beat Colombia scoring 2 goals or more..
Greece have only won 1 out of 8 games at World Cup (W1, D1, L6)..
Greece have failed to score in 7 of their 8 World Cup games – The Ivory Coast have scored in 7 of their 8 World Cup games.
Greece’s game against Japan was their first ever World Cup clean-sheet.
Both of Greece’s previous World Cup goals came against African opposition (Nigeria),
If Gervinho were to score against Greece, he would become the first player to score in 3 successive World Cup games for an African nation.
Japan vs Colombia
The South Americans are already guaranteed a place in the knockout stages and just one point away from securing top spot after winning their opening two games.
Japan squandered an early lead against the Ivory Coast to lose 2-1 before they were unable to find a way past Greece but striker Keisuke Honda insists his side will not give up the fight despite the odds being against them.
“Even though Colombia have already qualified, for us the game will be like a final and we’ll be playing for our lives,” he said.
Head to Head games
22/06/03 Japan v Colombia 0-1 (Confederations Cup)
05/06/07 Japan v Colombia 0-0 (Kirin Cup)
FIFA Ranking (June 5th 2014)
Japan: Rank: 46 Points: 626
Colombia: Rank: 8 Points: 1137
World Cup 2014 Qualifying
Japan
First in AFC Group B with 17 points (P8 W5 D2 L1 GF16 GA5)
Colombia
Second in CONMEBOL Group with 30 points (P16 W9 D3 L4 GF27 GA13)
Japan v Colombia stats
Colombia are already through to the next round. They will top the group unless Ivory Coast beat Greece and overturn a four goal goal difference deficit.
Japan will be through if they win and Ivory Coast fail to win their game, depending on goal difference.
Japan have lost all 3 of their games v South American opposition at the World Cup (including once on a penalty shoot-out)
Colombia have played only one Asian team – the United Arab Emirates – at a World Cup, beating them 2-0 in 1990.
James Rodriguez has scored in each of his last 4 appearances for Colombia – he needs just one more goal to become Colombia’s top scorer in World Cup history.
This is the first World Cup in which Colombia have won more than one game.
Keisuke Honda is the first Japanese player to score at two separate World Cups.
With 5 goals so far, Colombia have already equalled their record for goals scored at a World Cup
Colombia are unbeaten in their last nine games (W5, D4).