The road to the second round was supposed to be a smooth ride for the Spanish, but everything was turned upside down when the co-pretournament favourites lost to Switzerland in their opener. Switzerland is team known for their solid defensive play, but no one expected them to either shut down the vaunted Spanish attack. Despite being under heavy pressure throughout the match, the Swiss were able to hold on for the big three points, and group H is now officially anyone’s to win.
With every group having now kicked off in the World Cup there have already been a few surprises that have thrown a wrench into the plans of many nations. The surprises started on day one when South Africa came very close to pulling off an unbelievable upset of Mexico. Despite carrying much of the play, Mexico required a late gaol from Marquez to stave off a complete disaster.
Facing the host nation in the World Cup is never a envious task, but SouthAfrica, outside of North Korea, is the lowest ranked squad in the tournament, and Mexico were hoping to earn a full three points. Points are at a premium in what was thought to be a very tough group A. However, given the lackluster performance put in by an uninspired French team, many are wondering if Les Blues are capable of beating anyone. No host nation has ever failed to advance past the group stage, and South Africa clearly has a chance at keeping that streak alive. That would definitely rank as one of the greatest stories to emerge from this competition, but France could easily steal some of those headlines if they continue this horrid play.
New Zealand continued the trend of unexpected results on Tuesday. It surprised no one when New Zealand went down a goal to Slovakia in the 50th minute. However, everyone was sent into shock, especially the Slovak supporters, when Winston Reid scored during the final seconds of injury time to earn New Zealand their first point ever at the World Cup. The All White are still the favourites to finish fourth in their group, but Reid’s goal gives the entire nation hope, and will go down as one of the greatest moments in New Zealand’s football history.
The most shocking result to take place prior to Switzerland’s win was the stunning victory pulled off by Japan. Japan had never won a game off the continent of Asia, and that was a not a good sign considering their first opponent was Cameroon. Cameroon should have felt very comfortable playing on their own continent, but they looked uninspired for much of the match, failing to put in the required effort needed to win at this level. Meanwhile, Japan played strong defensive football, and converted on a catastrophic defensive lapse from Cameroon at the back.
This result definitely does not push Japan over the top, but it does leave them in prime position to advance. Meanwhile, Cameroon now has a mountain to climb in order to advance. Their match against Denmark is now a must win, and then they will have to hope Japan loses the rest of the way. Cameroon put in a solid 15 minutes of work at the end, but will need to play a full 90 for the rest of the way.
Japan was not the only Asain country to earn positive results in their first match. South Korea was not considered to be as large an underdog as Japan, but the Koreans have also struggled away from Asia in the past. However, Moo’s side looked absolutely dominant in a 2-0 victory over Greece. It was a good test for the Koreans who like to play an up tempo style that has left them exposed at times at the back, especially against opponents who like to hang back and then break on the counter attack. The fact that Korea was able to beat the Greeks so handley is a great sign for Huh Jong-Moo’s men moving forward.
It was not all surprises during the first five days of action. Italy got off to their usual slow start in a 1-1 draw with Paraguay, and English fans were once agains forced to witness one of their keepers make a glaring gaffe that ultimately cost the English a victory over the United States. But it is the surprising results that occur in each and every World Cup that create drama. One match has the ability to throw a country’s dreams into chaos, while it can lift another to new heights. Just ask Switzerland and Spain!