2014 FIFA World Cup Group A
Group A of the 2014 FIFA World Cup consists of Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, and Cameroon. Play began on 12 June and will end on 23 June 2014.
Teams
| Draw position | Team | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearance |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
FIFA Rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2013[nb 1] | June 2014 | |||||||
| A1 (seed) |  Brazil |
Hosts | 30 October 2007 | 20th | 2010 | Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) | 11 | 3 |
| A2 |  Croatia |
UEFA play-off winners | 19 November 2013 | 4th | 2006 | Third place (1998) | 18 | 18 |
| A3 |  Mexico |
CONCACAF vs OFC play-off winners | 20 November 2013 | 15th | 2010 | Quarter-finals (1970, 1986) | 24 | 20 |
| A4 |  Cameroon |
CAF Third Round winners | 17 November 2013 | 7th | 2010 | Quarter-finals (1990) | 59 | 56 |
- Notes
- ^ The rankings of October 2013 were used for seeding for the final draw.
Standings
| Legend |
|---|
| Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16 |
Template:2014 FIFA World Cup Group A table
- Group winner advance to play runner-up of Group B in the round of 16
- Group runner-up advance to play winner of Group B in the round of 16
Matches
Brazil vs Croatia
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The teams had met in two previous matches, including in the 2006 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by Brazil 1–0.[1] Croatia forward Mario Mandžukić was suspended for the match, after being sent off in the team's final qualifier against Iceland.[2]
After Croatia opened the scoring through a Marcelo own goal,[3] Neymar equalised for the hosts with a 25-yard (23 m) shot,[4] just minutes after being booked for an elbow in Luka Modrić's face that some felt should have been a red.[5] In the second half, Brazil took the lead with Neymar's controversial penalty after Dejan Lovren was judged to have fouled Fred in the penalty area.[4] Croatia had a potential equaliser disallowed, after a foul was called on the Brazilian goalkeeper, Júlio César.[6] In added time, Oscar sealed the win, toe-poking the third goal for Brazil from 22 yards (20 m).[4]
Post-match, FIFA referees chief, Massimo Busacca, defended the officials, and insisted there had been some contact between Lovren and Fred even if it was minimal.[7] On the other hand, renowned former top-level FIFA referee Markus Merk criticised FIFA for having Nishimura as the referee in the opening match, labelling the refereeing in the match as "embarrassing".[8]
The game was notable for a number of pioneering events. This was the first occasion in FIFA World Cup history on which an own goal (which was also the first ever own goal scored by Brazil in World Cup finals) opened scoring in the tournament. As the first game played at this World Cup, the match also saw the first use of vanishing spray to mark free kick spots, and the advent of goal-line technology, two innovations introduced during the tournament.[9]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Mexico vs Cameroon
The two teams had met in one previous match, in a friendly in 1993, won by Mexico 1–0.[11]
Mexico's Giovani dos Santos had two goals disallowed for offside in the first half. However, replays showed that he was in line with the last defender for the first case, whilst the ball came from a Cameroon player for the second.[12] In the second half, dos Santos had a shot saved by the Cameroon goalkeeper, Charles Itandje, but the ball rebounded into the path of Oribe Peralta, who slotted the ball into the net.[13]
Mexico captain Rafael Márquez made history by becoming the first player to captain his nation in four different World Cups.[14]
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    Cameroon
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Brazil vs Mexico
The two teams had met in 38 previous matches, including three times in the FIFA World Cup group stage, all won by Brazil (1950: 4–0; 1954: 5–0; 1962: 2–0).[15] Their most recent meeting was in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup group stage, won by Brazil 2–0 on goals by Neymar and Jô.
Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made four outstanding saves to deny Brazil. In the first half he saved a header from Neymar diving to his right to push around the post and blocked a close-range effort from Paulinho. In the second half he saved a low shot from Neymar and a late point blank header from Thiago Silva.[16]
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Man of the Match:
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Cameroon vs Croatia
The two teams had never met before.[17]
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Croatia
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Cameroon vs Brazil
The two teams have met in four previous matches, including in the 1994 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by Brazil 3–0.[18] Their most recent meeting was in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup group stage, won by Cameroon 1–0 on a goal by Samuel Eto'o. Cameroon midfielder Alex Song is suspended for the match, after being sent off in the previous match against Croatia.
Croatia vs Mexico
The two teams have met in three previous matches, including in the 2002 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by Mexico 1–0.[19]
References
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 7.
- ^ "Match suspensions to be served at the final competition of the FIFA World Cup". FIFA.com. 24 February 2014.
- ^ "Neymar fires Brazil to comeback victory". FIFA. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ a b c "Brazil 3 Croatia 1". BBC Sport. 12 June 2014.
- ^ "Neymar should have seen red - Shearer". BBC Sport. 13 June. Retrieved 13 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ "World Cup: Brazil v Croatia as it happened". BBC Sport. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ "Brazil 3 Croatia 1: Fifa defend under-fire referee Yuichi Nishimura as Japanese official caught up in diving row during opening World Cup match". The Independent. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- ^ Haji Talib, Hassan; Chotpibulsap, Pitisak (13 June 2014). "Former FIFA referee: Refereeing for World Cup opener was "embarrassing"". Goal.com. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ "Marcelo's own goal, vanishing spray and goaline technology - the World Cup firsts at Brazil 2014". Der Standard. 12 June 2014.
- ^ "Brazil 3-1 Croatia – Man of the Match". FIFA.com (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). 12 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 8.
- ^ "World Cup 2014: Mexico's Giovani Dos Santos has TWO goals WRONGLY ruled out for offside in first-half against Cameroon". Metro. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- ^ "World Cup: Mexico 1-0 Cameroon". BBC Sport. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 18 (help) - ^ "Rafael Marquez makes history by captaining Mexico in FOURTH World Cup as they take on Cameroon in Natal". Daily Mail. 13 June 2014.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 24.
- ^ "Brazil 0 Mexico 0". BBC Sport. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 26.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 39.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 40.
External links
- 2014 FIFA World Cup Group A, FIFA.com
2014 FIFA World Cup finalists | |
|---|---|
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Third place | |
| Fourth place | |
| Quarter-finals | |
| Round of 16 | |
| Group stage | |
