Tuesday June 24th

Group D

Young England off target

England 0 Costa Rica 0 (Belo Horizonte)
Costa Rica finished top of the group with a goalless draw against a talented young England side representing the future of English football. Foster tipped a 23rd minute Borges free-kick over the bar, but it was England who dominated the match with Sturridge having several attempts without testing Navas in the Costa Rica goal.

Group D

Uruguay edge Italy out

Uruguay 1 Italy 0 (Natal)

Ten-man Italy failed to hold onto the draw they needed and were knocked out at the group stage. Claudio Marchisio was shown a straight red for a high tackle a minute before the hour mark. Buffon did well to get down and save from Suarez in the 66th minute as he ran into the box and screwed the ball with the outside of his foot. In the 79th minute Suarez was accused of biting an opponent but the referee took no action and 2 minutes later the ball flew past Buffon off the back of Diego Godin to add salt to injury and knock Italy out of the World Cup.

Group C

Colombia put Japan to the sword

Colombia 4 Japan 1 (Cuiaba)

Jackson Martinez scored twice as Colombia thumped Japan 4-1 to complete their group matches with 3 wins. The Japanese, who needed a win to progress, set off with determination but in a rare Colombian attack in the 16th minute gave away a penalty and Juan Cuadrado slammed the ball down the middle with the keeper diving to his right. Just as the referee was about to blow his whistle for half time, Honda delivered the ball to Shinji Okazaki who scored with a stooping header while facing away from goal. Ten minutes after the break, Rodriguez received the ball and knocked it on to Martinez who swept it into the opposite corner. Martinez scored another in the 82nd minute when he ran onto a pass into the box, cut the ball back rendering his marker ineffective, before curling it into the far corner. Colombia made it 4 in the last minute of the match when Martinez sent the ball through to James Rodriguez who twisted and turned past a defender before dinking it past the keeper.

Group C

Greeks make history

Greece 2 Ivory Coast 1 (Fortaleza)

Greece scored a penalty with the last kick of the match to knock Ivory Coast out and reach the next round for the first time ever. In the 33rd minute Greece counter attacked after clearing an Ivory Coast corner and Cholevas rattled the bar from just outside the box, but 3 minutes before half time Ivory Coast gave the ball away and, after a one-two with Samaras, Andreas Samaris fired in over the already committed Barry. In the 68 minute Karagounis hit the crossbar from 35 yards but 6 minutes later the ball was slotted through to Gervinho who teed up Wilfred Bony for the equaliser that would have been enough to take the Elephants through. Torosidis hit the post with a low cross in the 80th minute, but deep into stoppage time Greece were awarded a penalty and Georgios Samaras converted confidently with the last kick of the match.