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International football badly needed a good World Cup. The jury is yet to deliver a verdict with the knockout rounds still to come, but all indications are that this will not be a good World Cup. Indeed, it is on track to be a great World Cup. Two weeks to the day that the opening match of the tournament between Brazil and Croatia came to a close, the curtain came down on the group stages and what a sensational show it was. We are now already through three quarters of the tournament, but rather than be sad that much of it is over, we should be grateful with what we witnessed. It was a group stage that gave us more special moments than the three previous World Cups combined. A group stage of surprises, where tactically versatile and organized sides shocked the so-called super powers of the game. A group stage that saw the renaissance of 3-5-2, used so well by surprise teams like Netherlands, Costa Rica and Mexico. A group stage of counterattackers, comebacks and headers, trends that the Netherlands used in their demolition of Spain back on Day 2. Their superb pressing and clinical finishing gave us a glimpse of what was to come in Brazil, but not before that look and pass by Daley Blind just before the half-time break. The ball landed on top of the supremely intelligent head of Robin van Persie and his magnificent header over Iker Casillas changed everything. It became the group stage of headers with 27 more following van Persies, but none of them beating it. It became the group stage of comebacks. Spain, massacred by the Dutch 5-1 in the third game of the tournament, was already the second team, after Croatia a day earlier, to lose a game they led. A small, exclusive group of only four from 2010 would grow quickly as Uruguay, Japan, Ecuador, Algeria and Australia joined them in the first week. During their second group games Germany, Ghana, Portugal and USA all managed to not win games against each other that they led in. Even Uruguay, Greece and Algeria had comebacks of their own, all qualifying despite losing their opening World Cup match. Only Spain did that in 2010. It became the group stage of counterattacks, once again ignited by the Dutch over Spain as they scored their last three goals with a combined 29 seconds in possession, and never more highlighted than when Switzerland broke away in the final seconds to score a dramatic, crucial winner over Ecuador. It became the group stage of creative, left-footed masters who glided across the field into space left open by a transition. The group stage of substitute goals, 24 in total, highlighted by Miroslav Klose joining the great Ronaldo on 15 World Cup goals and James Rodriguez dancing his way through the Japanese defence for one of the goals of the tournament. In the end, though, it was the group stage of goals as an incredible 136 went in (there was a total of 145 scored in South Africa). It was no surprise that a wind of caution blew around the stadiums as the third group games took place but before they started the goals per game ratio stood at a wonderful 2.96. It ends the group stage at a beautifully high 2.83. There are still 16 games to go, of course, but no World Cup since 1970 has come close to that average. It wasnt just about the amount of goals, however. Many of the worlds stars were the ones scoring and we already have three world class stars on four goals each through three games. My 23 man squad of the group stages GK – Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria) D – Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast), Cristian Gamboa (Costa Rica), Kostas Manolas (Greece), Rafa Marquez (Mexico), Mario Yepes (Colombia), Raphael Varene (France), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Costa Rica), Daley Blind (Netherlands). M – Jose Vazquez (Mexico), Hector Herrera (Mexico), Blaise Matuidi (France), Charles Aranguiz (Chile), Toni Kroos (Germany), James Rodriguez (Colombia) F – Neymar (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Karim Benzema (France), Thomas Muller (Germany), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) Group Winners – Brazil, Netherlands, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Argentina, Germany & Belgium. For the third time in the last four World Cups, three teams that were not seeded won groups. For the second successive World Cup, the only seed that didnt progress through to the next stage was the previous winners (Spain 2014, Italy 2010). Since the World Cup went to 32 teams in 1998, over the last four World Cups, nine group winners have lost in the next round (average of more than two per World Cup) and there hasnt been a World Cup in that time when all group winners advanced. Runners-up – Mexico, Chile, Greece, Uruguay, Switzerland, Nigeria, USA & Algeria. With that stat in mind it is likely that at least one of these teams will beat their opponent. Look for Greece, Uruguay, possibly Mexico, USA and even Chile to continue this streak. After that? In nine of the last 10 World Cups a group runner-up has made it to at least the semi-final stage. That will be the target of one of these teams going forward. Ranking teams eliminated at this World Cup based on performances in Brazil 32. Honduras31. Cameroon30. Japan29. South Korea28. England27. Iran26. Bosnia & Herzegovina25. Russia24. Portugal23. Australia22. Spain21. Croatia20. Ivory Coast19. Italy18. Ghana17. Ecuador Ranking teams left at this World Cup based on their chances of winning the World Cup 16. Switzerland15. Algeria14. USA13. Greece12. Costa Rica11. Nigeria10. Mexico9. Belgium8. Chile7. Uruguay6. Colombia5. France4. Netherlands3. Germany2. Brazil1. Argentina Cheap Real Ray Bans . It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Ray Ban Sunglasses Sale . The 33-year-old Spaniard, who held the lead since the second round, turned in a solid final round that featured six birdies and two bogeys to finish on 22-under 266. The victory is Garcias first this year with his last win coming at the Johor Open, an Asian Tour event in Malaysia last December. http://www.cheapraybanfromchina.com/. Nikolai Khabibulin was yanked in the second period, and the Ottawa Senators looked ready to put away a big road win. Authentic Ray Ban Sunglasses Wholesale . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday. Ray Ban Wholesale China . Johns, N.L., to Thunder Bay, Ont., after a deal was announced to build a new $106-million "event centre" in the Lake Superior community.ANAHEIM, Calif. - David Freese demonstrated just how much the Los Angeles Angels needed his bat in the lineup the past two weeks. Freese had a season-high four RBIs after getting reinstated from the disabled list, Tyler Skaggs pitched seven solid innings and the Los Angeles Angels scored five unearned runs against Scott Feldman to beat the Houston Astros 9-3 on Tuesday night. In three rehab games with Salt Lake, Freese was 2-for-10 with two home runs, four RBI and four walks. "Its a lot better. Its pretty close to being where it should be," Freese said. "I did what I needed to do down in Salt Lake to prove that I could come back here and be in the lineup." Freese was in the Angels lineup for the first time since May 2, when he sustained a non-displaced fracture in the middle finger of his right hand after getting hit by a pitch from Texas Colby Lewis. The 2011 World Series MVP had as many as four RBIs twice last season with the St. Louis Cardinals, including a grand slam against Milwaukee. "He was put through the paces for the last week, both up here and when he went down there to rehab in Triple-A in his workouts and in the games," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Hes able to do the things were going to need him to do at third base." Mike Trout had three RBIs in his second game of the season as a designated hitter, helping the Angels win for the ninth time in 12 games. It was only the third multi-RBI game this month for Trout. Skaggs (4-1) allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one, helping end Houstons three-game winning streak. The only run against the left-hander came on a sacrifice fly by Matt Dominguez in the fourth. "He attacked the zone with his fastball, and his breaking ball was pretty good," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "Jose Altuve came into the dugout and said he was having trouble picking up the spin. So when Altuves having trouble picking up the spin, you know hes throwing a good one." Feldman (2-2) was charged with eight runs and nine hits in four-plus innings in his third start off the DL, after missing three turns because of biceps tendinitis. The right-hander was undermined by his defence, as first baseman Chris Carter and shortstop Jonathan Viillar committed costly fielding errors in the first and fifth innings, respectively.dddddddddddd "We had been able to stay away from what I call High-leverage impact errors. And the two errors today led to runs, so that hurt us," manager Bo Porter said. Houstons starting pitchers had allowed just six unearned runs combined in 265 innings entering Tuesday. In Feldmans 13 previous career starts against the Angels, he had yielded only one unearned run — the result of a throwing error by then-Texas batterymate Taylor Teagarden. "Weve been doing a great job of catching the ball, and tonight I feel like I really let the guys down," Feldman said. "I felt pretty good — it was just a matter of not making too many good pitches when I needed to. And when I was missing my spots and hanging curveballs, those guys made me pay because theyre pretty good at what they do. From the get-go I was leaving stuff over the middle, leaving stuff up and missing my spots by four feet. And they kept on the attack." The Angels, who lead the majors with 35 first-inning runs, grabbed a 3-0 advantage after Carter misplayed a short-hop grounder by Albert Pujols. Feldman walked the next two batters, and Freese whacked a 1-1 pitch to left-centre for a two-run single. Hank Conger then singled home Howie Kendrick. Trout drove in the Halos next two runs with a sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI single off Feldmans left foot in the fourth. Houstons Darin Downs walked Erick Aybar with the bases loaded during the Angels three-run fifth, and Trout greeted Jerome Williams with a run-scoring infield hit. Williams struck out Pujols to end the fifth, making him 0 for 8 with the bases loaded. But Freese doubled home a run against Williams in the sixth to make it 9-1. NOTES: Angels LF Josh Hamilton is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday. Hes been out of the lineup since April 6, when he tore a ligament in his left thumb on a headfirst slide into first base at Seattle. ... The Astros havent won more than three in a row since a four-game stretch last Sept. 9-13, which was immediately followed by a season-ending 15-game losing streak. ... The Angels were 10-6 during Freeses absence. ' ' '