ALGERIA 4-2 SOUTH KOREA

A scintillating first-half display gave Algeria's chances of FIFA World Cup progression a huge boost as they beat South Korea 4-2 on Sunday.

Vahid Halilhodzic's men ran riot in the opening 45 minutes in Porto Alegre as the South Korea defence was found wanting time and again.

Islam Slimani opened the scoring midway through the opening period by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong from a long-range pass before Rafik Halliche doubled the advantage and Abdelmoumene Djabou made it three.

Son Heung-min stopped the rot by slotting the ball between the legs of Rais M'Bolhi to reduce the deficit just after the interval, but it proved to be brief respite for the 2002 World Cup co-hosts.

Yacine Brahimi appeared to put the result beyond doubt in the 62nd minute, but a Koo Ja-cheol strike 10 minutes later kept the match alive as a contest.

However, South Korea were unable to set up a nervy end to the game as Algeria went two points clear of Russia in second place in Group H with one game left to play.

Algeria - a team who failed to score a single goal in South Africa in 2010 - become the first African nation to score four goals in a World Cup fixture.

While South Korea were unchanged from their 1-1 opening draw with Russia, Halilhodzic made five changes to the Algeria side that started the 2-1 defeat to Belgium.

Sofiane Feghouli, who scored from the spot in Algeria's curtain-raiser, blasted over on the turn in the opening two minutes before Brahimi joined him in clearing the crossbar following a goalmouth scramble moments later.

Algeria had appeals for a penalty turned down in the build-up to Brahimi's effort, after Feghouli appeared to be felled by Kim Young-gwon, but the men from north Africa continued to look the more threatening.

Slimani – one of those brought into the starting XI - headed narrowly wide of the left-hand post from a corner 10 minutes in, and the Sporting forward should have done better when he failed to direct the ball goalwards from a delightful Aissa Mandi cross.

But the 26-year-old justified his selection in the 26th minute when he latched onto a Carl Medjani punt from the back to clip the ball over Jung, who was in no man's land as Algeria doubled their advantage less than two minutes later.

Halliche was given too much space by the Korean defence and rose highest to power home a thunderous header from a Djabou corner and punish the flapping Jung.

South Korea's vulnerable backline was exposed once more seven minutes before the break as Djabou had the time to slot into the bottom right-hand corner as puzzled defenders stared at each other blankly.

Half-time will have been welcomed by South Korea, for whom the match was turning into a horror show, but Hong Myung-bo's men emerged for the second 45 minutes with renewed energy.

And they pulled one back in the 50th minute. Son controlled the ball somewhat fortuitously in the penalty area after it bounced off his back before firing between the legs of Algeria keeper M'Bolhi, who then had to be alert to tip over a long-range effort from Ki Sung-yueng.

Brahimi exchanged passes brilliantly with Slimani and buried Algeria's historic fourth just after the hour mark before captain Koo bundled home from a Lee Keun-ho cross to keep South Korea's hopes alive.

The two-goal advantage was untroubled for the remainder of the encounter, as Algeria clung on for their first World Cup win since 1982.

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USA 2-2 PORTUGAL

Portugal secured a last-gasp 2-2 draw on Sunday with Silvestre Varela heading home in the final minute to deny the United States victory.

The USA had come from behind to lead 2-1 on Sunday and looked to have ended Portugal's FIFA World Cup campaign in Manaus, before Cristiano Ronalo got free on the right in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time and picked out Varela, who powered a header past Tim Howard.

An early goal to Nani saw Portugal respond well to their devastating 4-0 loss to Germany last week, but second-half strikes to Jermaine Jones and captain Clint Dempsey had put the USA in front and on the verge of securing a berth in the round of 16 for the second tournament in a row.

But Varela's late header ensured the top two positions in Group G remain up for grabs with Germany (four points) on top, level with the USA, while Ghana and Portugal both have slim chances of advancing with one point each.

Despite speculation that a knee injury would keep him out of Portugal's line-up, Ronaldo started, while Helder Postiga, Ricardo Costa, Andre Almeida and Beto replaced the unavailable quartet of Hugo Almeida (thigh), Pepe (suspension), Fabio Coentrao (groin) and Rui Patricio (thigh).

Klinsmann picked Graham Zusi to replace the injured Jozy Altidore (hamstring) with the Sporting Kansas City midfielder lining up on the left and Dempsey moving into a lone striker's role.

The match started horribly for the USA with Nani opening the scoring in just the fifth minute.

Miguel Veloso's poor cross bounced in front of Geoff Cameron and the central defender sliced his clearance to the back post, where Nani took a touch and then smashed his shot high into the net with Howard stranded.

Portugal pinned the Americans back in the opening stages with Klinsmann's side creating their first decent opportunity when Fabian Johnson, who was a regular outlet pushing up from right-back, got free in the 10th minute but his shot was deflected for a corner.

Six minutes later, Portugal's injury curse seemingly struck again with Postiga getting subbed off for Eder with an apparent hamstring strain.

The substitution seemed to halt Portugal's momentum, with Michael Bradley and Dempsey each failing to convert a pair of half chances for the USA before the half-hour mark.

Portugal reminded the USA of their counter-attacking threat three minutes before half-time with Nani unleashing a scorching drive that was parried by Howard, while in the 45th minute, the American gloveman made a double save to ensure his team were just 1-0 behind at the break.

Although Howard was unimpressed by his initial save onto the post from a strike from Nani, the 35-year-old did brilliantly to keep his balance and tip Eder's follow-up over the bar.

Almeida came off at half-time with another possible injury, with Veloso moving to left-back and William Carvalho promoted to defensive midfield.

The second half almost started exactly as the first had with Eder acrobatically volleying over the bar after another poor clearance from Cameron, before Johnson got forward to force Beto into a save.

In the 55th minute, Bradley should have equalised when Johnson again got free on the right, cutting it back but the Toronto FC midfielder's shot was blocked on the line by Costa.

The USA notched a deserved equaliser in the 63rd minute when a corner was cleared to Jones and the Schalke midfielder smashed his shot inside the far post, while Howard made another sharp save soon after to deny Raul Meireles.

Although Portugal had a few chances to lead again, the USA hit the front with nine minutes remaining when Zusi collected a loose ball in box and crossed for Dempsey to score off his midriff, although Klinsmann's men were denied victory thanks to Varela's late heroics.

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ARGENTINA 1-0 IRAN

A sublime strike from Lionel Messi denied Iran a famous FIFA World Cup point as his late goal gave Argentina a 1-0 win in Belo Horizonte.

Few would have expected Argentina, viewed as one of the favourites to win the tournament, to be given too much of a test by a team that has never gone beyond the first round of a World Cup in three previous appearances.

However, Carlos Queiroz's side, who had been criticised for their defensive style of play following their opening Group F goalless stalemate against Nigeria, produced another resolute display at Estadio Mineirao on Saturday to come within a few minutes of a highly creditable draw.

But, in injury time, it was Messi who stepped up when it mattered most, curling home brilliantly into the corner to give the South Americans a place in the last 16.

Meanwhile, Iran will head into their final group game with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday reflecting on an opportunity missed, and knowing that only victory will be enough to extend their tournament.

Argentina unsurprisingly dictated the opening stages without creating any clear-cut opportunities against an Iran defence that displayed the same determination as against Nigeria.

Gonzalo Higuain was the first to test the Iran backline after 13 minutes, but goalkeeper Alireza Haghigi showed quick reactions to race out and block the Napoli striker's effort after he had been played through by Fernando Gago.

Higuain was involved again as he linked up with Sergio Aguero inside the area, only to see the Manchester City man's curling effort brilliantly kept out by a fine diving save from Haghigi.

Aguero then headed wide from a corner as Argentina's dominance of play continued, yet Iran, with impressive commitment and organisation, did not have too much difficulty in keeping the South Americans at bay.

Iran's ability to maintain parity also owed much to Argentina's profligacy, which was demonstrated in the 35th minute when defender Ezequiel Garay headed a Messi free-kick over the crossbar.

Queiroz's men were able to fashion some first-half opportunities of their own, the best of which came after 41 minutes as centre-back Jalal Hosseini turned Ashkan Dejagah's corner narrowly wide of the post.

Pablo Zabaleta went close from the edge of the area in the opening stages of the second half, however, it was Iran who continued to look more threatening.

Indeed, they would have taken the lead in the 53rd minute had forward Reza Ghoochannejhad not directed his header straight at Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero following a fine break.

Iran felt they should have been awarded a penalty a minute later after Zabaleta appeared to bring down Dejagah, with replays suggesting that the South Americans had been given a let-off.

At the other end, Messi failed to find a finish after surging forward with an archetypal run from midfield and curling wide of the post.

With time running out, Romero was called into action to tip Dejagah's header over and Iran had an even better chance when Ghoochannejhad was sent clear one-on-one but produced a weak finish.

But just as they looked set to celebrate their famous point, Messi struck.

The Barcelona man worked space on the edge of the area before opening his body to bend a shot into the corner, as Argentina's class – and more accurately that of their captain – finally told.

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COSTA RICAN BROADCASTER TAKING BRAZIL BY STORM!!!

Costa Rica broadcaster Jale Berahimi is quickly becoming a hit at the World Cup by showing off pictures of her in Brazil, and her latest has been to pose with ex-England defender Rio Ferdinand.

Berahimi took the photo with Ferdinand, who is acting as a BBC pundit in Brazil, ahead of Tuesday's clash between Costa Rica and England.

The two may support different sides in Group D but Ferdinand looked happy enough to strike a pose with the 28-year-old reporter, who posted it on her @JaleBerahimi Twitter page.


Berahimi says she is in Brazil to 'take care of the colour notes of what attracts attention'.

But it is the broadcaster herself who seems to be attracting more by taking to Twitter to post of her snaps while covering the international tournament.

Berahimi, as reported by La Nacion, says: 'I love football. I enjoy it. You never stop learning.

'I see sports and try to learn every day. The channel is preparing, because I have two colleagues who will cover sports, and the World Cup is not only sports, it's also about colour notes and curiosities that catch the eye.'

She is really eye catching...

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ARGENTINA V IRAN

TEAM NEWS

Argentina are expected to revert to a 4-3-3 formation, with striker Gonzalo Higuain in line to be recalled to the starting line-up.

Fernando Gago is also likely to start, with Maxi Rodriguez and Hugo Campagnaro set to drop to the substitutes' bench.

Javier Mascherano will win his 100th cap, becoming the fourth Argentine to reach the landmark.

Iran could name the same team which drew with Nigeria, with Charlton's Reza Ghoochannejhad their lone striker.

MATCH PREVIEW

Argentina began the World Cup as second favourites and will clinch qualification for the last 16 with victory against Iran.

However, they struggled to break down Bosnia-Hercegovina in their opening game, and will once again face opponents prepared to sit deep and stifle them.

The best bits of the 2014 World Cup so far

Alejandro Sabella's side were indebted to a brilliant solo goal from Lionel Messi against the Bosnians, ending his run of 623 minutes of World Cup football since last scoring.

Another piece of Messi magic could be needed to break down the well-drilled Iranians.

The defensive tactics employed by coach Carlos Queiroz helped Iran grind out a 0-0 draw with Nigeria, giving them their first clean sheet at a World Cup match.

That result means the Iranians cannot be eliminated even if they lose on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome in Belo Horizonte, a win in their final match, against Bosnia-Hercegovina, would give them a realistic chance of qualification.

While Queiroz is unlikely to deviate from his tactical plan, Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella admits his gamble to play 3-5-2 against the Bosnians backfired.

In the second half, Sabella reverted to the 4-3-3 system he used for the majority of qualifying matches, and they looked far more threatening.

It remains to be seen whether Sabella will be bold enough to play three strikers against elite opposition in Brazil.

But doing so against a defensive Iranian side should not pose too many risks - even if Saturday's game falls on the 16th anniversary of Iran's only previous World Cup win.

They famously beat the USA on 21 June 1998, but victory against two-time champions Argentina would surpass that and rank as one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

The only previous meeting was a 1-1 draw in 1977. That match was held at the Bernabeu as part of a friendly tournament to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Real Madrid.

Argentina

Argentina have won won 10 of their last 13 World Cup group games (D2, L1), scoring 26 goals and conceding just five times. Their only defeat in that sequence was against England in 2002.Lionel Messi has scored 21 goals in his last 21 appearances for Argentina.They have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last three World Cup matches, conceding six goals in total.

Iran

Saturday will be 16 years to the day since Iran earned their only World Cup victory by beating the USA 2-1 in Lyon. That is their only win in 10 matches at the tournament (D3, L6).They recorded their first World Cup clean sheet against Nigeria.Their only previous World Cup game against a South American side was a 4-1 defeat against Peru in 1978.Five of the last nine goals Iran have conceded at World Cups have been headers.The last two goals Iran have scored at World Cups have come from corners (both in 2006).

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NIGERIA V BOSNIA PREVIEW

 

1. Working the Channels

If Bosnia and Herzegovina have a weakness, it's defence, and they won't settle as quickly into a flat back four when defending against Nigeria as they did against Argentina.

Sead Kolasinac will likely bomb forward, and Mensur Mujdza will be encouraged to reciprocate from the other flank. In fact, if Bosnia go winger-less to squeeze in two strikers, they'll be required to come up and hold the width in attack.

That's a dream scenario for Nigeria, who have Victor Moses, Emmanuel Emenike and Ahmed Musa to work the channels. There was no room against Iran, but here there's space to roam.

 

2. Matched Up

Dzeko and Ibisevic is a central defensive duo's nightmare, with the two combining nous, intelligence, power and immense heading ability in the box to score a bucketload of goals.

Kenneth Omeruo is an up-and-coming defender, while Joseph Yobo is firmly at the other end of the scale. There's a reasonable chance one is too young and the other too young to deal with this dynamic duo.

The Super Eagles weren't tested defensively by Iran, but MiralemPjanic's through balls are sure to give them a headache.

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FRANCE 5-2 SWITZERLAND

France produced a scintillating display to rout a sorry Switzerland side 5-2 and all but secure a second-round spot at the FIFA World Cup.

Having survived a physical Honduras side in their Group E opener, Didier Deschamps' men faced a seemingly more difficult task in Salvador, but they ran roughshod in an exhilarating display that left Ottmar Hitzfeld's men shell-shocked.

Olivier Giroud, Blaise Matuidi and Mathieu Valbuena were all on target in a breathless opening 45 minutes in which Karim Benzema missed a penalty.

He made amends with his third goal of the tournament in the second half, before applying the assist for Moussa Sissoko to make it five.

Switzerland - who beat Ecuador 2-1 in their first pool match - were stunned by two goals in as many first-half minutes, first Giroud crashing a header past Diego Benaglio, before the goalkeeper was beaten easily by Matuidi's shot.

Granit Xhaka had a goal ruled out for Switzerland, before Benzema - who notched a brace against Honduras - saw Benaglio save his spot-kick.

It made little difference as Valbuena capped of a wonderful counter-attack in the 40th minute to effectively end the contest by half-time.

Benzema's close-range strike and a Sissoko effort added further gloss in the second period, before Blerim Dzemaili and Xhaka bagged late consolations.

France are now on the brink of the last 16 having taken a maximum six points, while Switzerland still have work to do in their final pool encounter with Honduras.

Switerland's woes started early when Steve von Bergen caught a boot in the face from Giroud and had to be replaced.

And Giroud was in the thick of the action again when he put France ahead in the 17th minute.

The Arsenal striker leapt highest to thump Valbuena's corner past Benaglio who, despite getting a full hand to the ball, could not keep the effort out.

Just a minute later France took complete control.

Benzema pounced on Valon Behrami's poor pass before playing in Matuidi on the left of the box and he side-footed past Benaglio at the near-post, the goalkeeper perhaps beaten too easily.

France were handed a reprieve when Xhaka turned home Gokhan Inler's mishit shot, only to be denied by the offside flag.

Having escaped, France missed the chance to extend the lead in the 33rd minute when referee Bjorn Kuipers pointed to the spot after Johan Djourou recklessly felled Benzema.

However, Benaglio dived to his right to keep out Benzema's spot-kick before Yohan Cabaye inexplicably volleyed the rebound against the crossbar.

But France did get a third just five minutes before the break.

Raphael Varane brought the ball away following a Swiss corner before producing an exquisite pass that sent Giroud free down the left and he in turn laid the ball across goal for Valbuena, who could not miss from inside the six-yard box.

Switzerland showed more intent after the break, but were restricted to long shots.

Despite the improvement, France had a fourth when substitute Paul Pogba's fine ball with the outside of his boot was swept home by Benzema, Philippe Senderos not helping his side with a poor attempted clearance.

France made it five just six minutes later, Benzema once again involved as he laid on for Sissoko to drill home from the right side of the box.

Dzemaili pulled a goal back with a low 30-yard strike in the 81st minute, before Xhaka added further respectability to the scores when he met Gokhan Inler's chipped pass with a superb guided volley, but it was too little too late.

Benzema was denied a stunning late sixth as the whistle had gone before his first-time strike from the edge of the box had hit the back of the net, much to the Real Madrid forward's annoyance.

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