USA vs Portugual delayed reaction.

World Cup Recap-Argentina leave it late and a Group of Death showdown

The World Cup continues to roll on and the knock out stage picture is becoming more and more clear. Saturday saw three matches as Argentina battled Iran, Germany and Ghana faced off and the day concluded as Bosnia-Herzegovina took on Nigeria. At the end of the day, one team would be through to the next round, one team would be out and there would still be everything to play for in Group G.

World Cup Review-Costa Rica vs Italy and France vs Switzerland

The World Cup rolls on as another team clinched their spot in the knockout stage, another team moved one step closer and a team was sent home. The first game of the day saw Italy and Costa Rica battle in Group D, which was followed by France vs Switzerland in Group E.

Match Day 8 Review- England in trouble, Colombia go through.

The knockout stage is beginning to take shape as the second round of games rolls on. Colombia clinched their spot in the last 16 while England is now hanging on by a thread. Colombia started the day against Ivory Coast, England and Uruguay faced off, and Japan and Greece closed out the evening.

Croatia thrash Cameroon

Another team was knocked out of the 2014 World Cup tonight as Croatia steamrolled Cameroon. The match was still in the balance and then Alex Song got sent off six minutes before halftime and the rout was on. Croatia were able to keep their hopes alive and Cameroon can start making tee times.

World Cup Review-Match Day 7 Holland, Chile Through; Spain out.

Another exciting day of the 2014 World Cup saw the first two teams clinch their place in the knockout stage while the holders Spain have crashed out with a game still to play in the group stage.

World Cup review- Match day 6

Today's matches saw the last four teams finally open their campaigns and the second round of contests kicked off as well. Today's first match saw dark horse Belgium take on Algeria. The second game featured hosts Brazil facing off against Mexico. The days final clash saw Russia take on South Korea.

World Cup Recap: USA vs Ghana

What an exciting match for the Red, White, and Blue. It was definitely a game that had a lot of emotion to it, but thankfully the USA was able to claim the crucial three points thanks to a great start and finish to the match.

Clint Dempsey set a USA World Cup record by scoring after just 34 seconds thanks to some great individual skill and some suspect defending.

After that it was a fairly even match as both teams had chances but neither could score. However, everything changed after just 21 minutes as USA striker Jozy Altidore went down with what looked like a hamstring injury and he was replaced by Aron Jóhannsson.

A few minutes of strange refereeing from Sweden's Jonas Eriksson culminated in Clint Dempsey taking a knee to the face from John Boye and what looks like a broken nose.

Ghana continued to ramp up the pressure as the half came to an end and US centerback Matt Besler appeared to injure his hamstring as well. As the second half started, Besler was replaced by 21 year-old John Brooks. Ghana dominated the second half as the US tried to defend its lead. Asamoah Gyan led the way, creating a number of chances, but not being able to finish any of them. The US looked like they were going to be able to hold on for the 1-0 win but Andre Ayew leveled the game after a fantastic backheel pass from Gyan.

My heart, along with those of millions of American's was broken. These injuries had finally come back to punish the Yanks. However, Ghana's goal sparked some fight in the US and they were able to win a goal. Then this happened.

The youngster, who many "experts" said was too young to contribute snatched an unbelievably important three points for the Stars and Stripes. Ghana staged an attempt at an equalizer but came up just short.

Takeaways:

Man of the Match: Clint Dempsey

Dempsey started the US off on the right foot with the sixth fastest goal in World Cup history. He also soldiered on after receiving a pretty nasty blow to the face. Dempsey linked play well with the midfield all night and held up the ball when necessary. If the USA is going to be able to cope with the loss of Altidore, Dempsey will be key.

The US was able to defend well after being under attack for much of the match. When they finally conceded, they didn't deflate. They bounced back when it mattered most to pick up a win.

Fabian Johnson and DeMarcus Johnson looked dangerous going forward but nervous at times in defense. They'll have to improve going forward.

The USA will have to be better in possession in their next too matches. They gave the ball away too much and they'll have to make changes. 

Asamoah Gyan looked like Ghana's most dangerous player, creating chances all night. Kevin-Prince Boateng came on after an hour and looked threatening. Had Boateng started, the story could have gone different for Ghana tonight.

Up next:

Ghana will take on Germany June 21 at 3 pm EST

The USA face off against Portugal June 22 at 6 pm EST.

If Germany and the USA both win, they'll be through to the knockout stage. 

World Cup Review Germany v. Portugal and Iran v. Nigeria

The fifth match day of the 2014 World Cup promised some exciting matches as the Group of Death finally got underway The day started as two of the best teams in the world, Portugal and Germany, faced off. The second game of the day featured a group F encounter between Iran and Nigeria.

Weekend Recap Super Blog

So I was away this weekend so I didn't have as much of a chance to watch and write about this weekend's games but I'll do my best to recap them for you. Saturday saw four games, including a huge upset while Sunday gave us three more games and both days provided plenty of excitement.

Chile vs Australia Review

Chile burst onto the scene dominating the first 15 minutes of the match and scoring twice. Australia were able to right the ship but were they able to comeback and snatch the upset?

Spain v Netherlands Review

The two finalists from the 2010 World Cup took each other on in the opener of Group B. Spain got off to a big of a slow start but were thrust back into the game with a controversial refereeing decision. However, the Netherlands were able to step up the pressue

Mexico vs Cameroon Review

Two matches down and two refereeing controversies. Yesterday saw Fred dive to win the deciding penalty for Brazil. This match saw Mexico have two goals disallowed for offside, but the poor officiating didn't have as dramatic an effect in this game.

World Cup Preview- Group H

We wrap up our previews today with a look at Group H. The group features dark horses Belgium as well as Algeria, Russia, and South Korea. The group is one of the few that features two UEFA group winners but most eyes will be on Belgium.

World Cup Preview-Group G

The 2014 World Cup may be underway but it will still be a few days until all the teams are in action so we continue our preview series with Group G. This year G is for Group of Death with two of the top four teams in the FIFA rankings, Germany and Portugal, the reigning champions of North American, the USA, and one of the best teams from Africa, Ghana

Brazil vs Croatia Review

The 2014 World Cup got under way today with the hosts Brazil taking on Croatia in São Paulo.
The match got off to a nervy start for the hosts as Marcelo knocked the the ball into his own net after just 10 minutes, but it was smooth sailing after that.

Marcelo's own goal

World Cup Preview: Group F

The real story in Group F is Lionel Messi. Already discussed as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has struggled in the World Cup, scoring only one goal in eight games. Argentina are definitely the top dogs in Group F, but Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, and Nigeria will have an exciting race for the second position.

World Cup Preview: Group E

We roll on with our World Cup previews as we take a long at Group E. Already a weaker group, Group E took a big hit when it lost it's best player, French winger Franck Ribéry. As a result, Ecuador, France, Honduras, and Switzerland will be in a pretty open battle to make it to the knockout stage.

World Cup Preview: Group D

As we reach the halfway point in our World Cup preview, we come to Group D. This is another strong group that features three of the top 10 teams in the FIFA rankings. It also features teams that have won seven world cups with Italy (four), Uruguay (two), England (one), and lowly Costa Rica.

World Cup Preview: Group C

Our latest installment of World Cup previews takes a look at Group C. Arguably one of the weakest groups in the tournament Colombia, Greece, the Ivory Coast, and Japan. This is due, in part, to the loss of Radamel Falcao, the player that carried Colombia through most of qualifying before falling victim to a knee injury. Falcao rushed to make it back in an attempt to make it to Brazil but was unable to regain his fitness and will be left out.

World Cup Preview: Group B

Our latest installment of the World Cup preview looks at Group B. The group features Spain, winner of the 2010 World Cup and 2008 and 2012 European Championships. The 2010 Runners-up Netherlands will also be a tough team this year while Chile and Australia close out what could be a group ripe for upsets.

World Cup Preview: Group A

With just over a week to go until the start of the 2014 World Cup, it's time to start breaking down each of the eight groups. We'll start with Group A and work our way all the way up to Group G just before the start of the tournament.

With hosts Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, and Cameroon, Group A appears to be one of the most difficult groups in the tournament. Brazil is heavily favored to move on to the knock out round, but the second spot in the group is largely up for grabs.

Stephen Hawking: England's World Cup Chances by the Numbers

Stephen Hawking takes a really interesting look at England's World Cup chances this summer. Using a lot of research and statistical information, Hawking breaks down everything the Three Lions need to do to take home their first championship since 1966. The entire blog can be found here.

Leaving Landon Donovan at home is no big deal.

Copyright Ryan Healy

Much has been made about Jurgen Klinsmann's choice to leave Landon Donovan off of the US National Team's roster for the 2014 World Cup.  Yes, Donovan is the all-time leader in goals and assists for the Yanks. Yes, he's second all-time in caps, behind Cobi Jones. But isn't sport supposed to be about "what have you done for me lately?"

Hello world!

The 2014 World Cup is just around the corner and I couldn't be more excited. Make sure to check back here in the coming days for a preview of the tournament.