The FIFA World Cup Thread #1/Sports Thread Special #2 For 6/25/10: Brazil And Scared, Conservative Portugal Advance To The Round of 16

Photo from Getty Images and FIFA.com

Quick Final analysis of Group G:
The luck of the draw (who faces North Korea and Brazil first) and Didier Drogba's injury was the difference in who advanced and who has gone home between Portugal and the Ivory Coast.

It is just as simple as that. Imagine the pressure on Carlos Quieroz if he had to play Brazil instead of North Korea in the 2nd match after they played that tame matchup with Ivory Coast in the Group G opener.

Now of course, Queiroz was under pressure against North Korea as well, as you can make the argument that Sven Goran Eriksson decision to not start Gervinho against Brazil was a costly decision that shaped the group as well.

But Quieroz was able to get off the hook thanks to the luck of the draw, while Eriksson and the Coast were put to the sword by Brazil, thanks in part to a referee laughing it up with Luis Fabiano on his clear hand ball second goal in that big 3-1 Brazil win.

So shame for the Ivory Coast, snake bitten in a 2nd straight World Cup by the luck of the draw. It wasn't so much as the Group for CIV being brutal this time around, because Argentina-Netherlands in their 1st two matches were harder than Portugal-Brazil was (plus 4 more years of maturity from the last time out made them arguably a better team, Kolo Toure' withstanding). It was who they played to start off the group that was the harsh decider for them going home early.

And I guess everyone calling this the "Group of Death" definitely looks even more sillier now. Group D was clearly that group and thensome.

Oh, and by the way, even if Portugal lose to Spain 4-0 in the Round of 16. he will always be the Man of the Match:

Meanwhile, the Man of the Match is the arm warrior that was Drogba, who grows even more in my eyes for even playing and leading his country as hard as he could despite his nagging injury:

The Final Group G Standings:

Brazil 7 points
Portugal 5 points
Ivory Coast 4 points
North Korea 0 points

And The Matches Archives:

Photo from Getty Images and Fifa.com

The scenarios:
Simply put, the ivory Coast must make up the goal differences on Portugal........after getting a Brazil run against them. Tough luck for that happening.

The lineups for Brazil-Portugal:

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Juan, Felipe Melo, Michel Bastos, Gilberto Silva, Luis Fabiano, Dani Alves, Julio Baptista, Nilmar

Portugal: Eduardo, B Alves, Duda, Carvalho, Ronaldo, Danny, Pepe, Meireles, Tiago, Costa, Coentrao

And for Ivory Coast and North Korea:

North Korea: Myong Guk, Jong Hyok, Chol Jin, Jun Il, Yun Nam, Kwang Chon, In Guk, Nam Chol, Yong Hak, Yong Jo, Tae Se

Ivory Coast: Barry, Boka, Zokora, Toure Kolo, Eboue, Toure Yaya, Romaric, Tiote, Keita, Gervinho,

1st half analysis:

Photo from Gtety Images and FIFA.com

The race is on for Ivory Coast, but they must hope that Brazil make Portugal play for their flopping and scared cat tactics of Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz.