18/06/2014 Match of the Day

Hello, good morning to you. If you're thinking about leaving the

house to go to work or school, don't, delay your journey to 30

minutes because we have highlights of the sixth day of the World Cup

with the hosts in star billing. Phil Neville is it with me too. Brazil

against Mexico will be first up, and we also see how Belgian's golden

generation got up against Algeria and we have the best of the action

from Russia and South Korea. First to name and Coke, and commentary

from Mark Lawrenson and Jonathan Beers -- Neymar and Coke -- Jonathan

Pierce. Is there a better place to be if

you're a football fan? There has been calls a repeat of the emotional

support in the confederations cup that really was special here last

summer. No change in the defence that has conceded just two goals in

12 games. They have talked openly about the one change, Holt has a

thigh injury. -- Hulk has a thigh injury. It might look more like a

4-3-3. The Rafael Marquez, a 14th match of the World Cup finals, and

an unchanged side boldly announced by the coach on twitter yesterday.

Still no place for Hernandez of Manchester United. Giovani dos

Santos of Tottenham is preferred again. He was wrongly decided

against Cameroon twice but poor offside decisions. -- wrongly

denied. No one has beaten Brazil as often as Mexico in the 21st century.

Not a bad effort, that. Mexico claim a corner. It was a corner. He looked

at the assistant straightaway. It was flicked over and the referee

took a long look at his assistant. No wonder, they should have had a

corner. Neymar is quick to pressurise Marquez. Lovely touch

from Oscar. Paulinho. Rafael Marquez. He spins it back. Just to

far. Paulinho was surging forward. Dani Alves is back in the box,

looking for name. Clawed away. That's the closest we have come --

looking for Neymar. That is a great leap. Had a lot of ground to make

up, the goalkeeper. Not the biggest at five foot 11, but he got there.

Maybe that helps him get there. Not as much to move about. Dani Alves.

Foul. Dos Santos caught him. A sum which,

isn't it? Thiago Silva. That hit show, the goalkeeper spreading

himself, but I think it just hit him -- that hit chiller. -- Ochoa. That

is a big save, actually. On comes Bernard, he came on against Croatia

for the last 20 minutes. Across the face of goal. Neymar just heading it

away for a corner by Francisco Rodriguez who got there in time.

Great ball from Dani Alves. And Neymar cannot get in there quickly

enough. Herrera. David Luiz then to meet him. Herrera. Vazquez. Not far

away. Starting to creep into the game now,

the Mexicans. Good football. Aguilar. A lovely touch from a good

player, Herrera. There he is again. Onto the left foot. Shoot on sight.

Get in close. Awful defending again from Brazil. Concern on the face of

the Brazilian goalkeeper. Marcel O. Bernard.

Left foot, pops up the cross. Neymar. Neymar once more. Trying to

fiddle his way through. Dani Alves. Pulling it back, deflected away.

Ochoa denies Brazil. Aina the top stop -- another top stop. Great

technique. Not necessarily by the goalkeeper. However he is keeping

them out, technique. Not necessarily by the

goalkeeper. However he is he is keeping them out. Doesn't matter how

you do it. Bernard. The flag has stayed down. Across goal.

Neymar into Bernard, quick movement of the ball. Marcelo turning it

away. Fabian, always a skilful player. No wonder he is screaming at

his defence, because he was left in a dangerous situation. It was not a

good tackle. Had he turned and got away, does that constitute a last

defender's challenge? No need to give away the free kick.

That is Daft. You can force away from goal. How crazy is that this

late on in a game of this magnitude? Especially as we've seen so many

headers from set pieces. Neymar with it. David Louise

headers from set pieces. Neymar with Thiago Silva is there. -- David

Lewis. -- David Louise. What saved by Ochoa. -- what a save. A pure

reaction save. Just stuck out his poor, didn't he? Luiz Gustavo.

Neymar, producing the one real class chance of the first half. Marcelo

momentarily behind. He is still there, he has gone down, and the

referee is having none of it. The referee is having none of it. Why

didn't he just carry on? That was about the same penalty they got

against Croatia. I think he was away from him, and if he had stayed on

his feet... Jiminez. Suddenly, Brazil from

thinking they might have a penalty, I edgy and facing a Mexican corner

-- are edgy. There is a minute ago. Guardado will take it. Marco is her

stay forward. Rodriguez in there as well -- Marquez has stayed forward.

Guardado went for it. How many shots have gone into that same kind of

position? Just beating the fingertips of the goalkeeper and it

tipped over. Startled fans. Guardado. Out towards the

substitute. A splendid save from Jiminez's Drive. Guardado has been

terrific for Mexico. That is on the left midfield role. Willian, lovely

ball to him. He checks back, three in the middle. Bernard is on the

edge of the box. Neymar, needs to do something special. And that is that.

A very, very good point for Mexico. And Scolari knows he has been

matched in their Miami gal Herrera, tactically. No goals here. 0-0 --

Miguel Herrera. Here is how group they looks so far. -- Group A will

they meet in Manaus tomorrow, the other two teams, and if they lose,

they are out of the World Cup. They had the best chances, because Ochoa

were -- was had the best chances, because Ochoa

were -- the Man of the Match but they weren't convincing.

Especially after the national anthem, they were edgy and some of

them were crying again. The meat, Mexico went toe to toe. The levels

that they run throughout, they match them -- for me, Mexico went toe to

toe. Do you think Thiago Silva was fortunate to stay on the pitch? In

the first game Neymar was lucky to stay on, and definitely Thiago Silva

was. It was a red card, and he came through the back of Hernandez. And I

think if it had been any other team it would have been a red card.

Hernandez probably did him it would have been a red card.

He got up and didn't it would have been a red card.

it. He got up and shook his hand and Thiago Silva went to the referee.

This is the type of tackle that fever are saying we should outlaw

from the game. Given how pumped up they are, might it be that Scolari

needs to calm things down, easier said than done in this country.

Before the tournament, that was going to be the case, can they keep

the lid on the expectation and emotion going into the games? David

Luiz has been the highlight when he's singing the anthem. Now let's

go to the other group, Russia against South Korea shortly, but

first to the star-studded Belgians. Would they live up to the hype

awkward Algeria pull off one of the shocks of the tournament -- or would

Algeria pull off? They have had to wait a while, but

finally Belgium and Algeria step out for their first game at this World

Cup. Madjid for their first game at this World

Kompany leading out their teens. for their first game at this World

Kompany leading out This promises to be a genuinely exciting prospect --

their teams. The Belgian side line up like this. The full-backs are

more naturally central defenders, so they could be caught out by pace.

Lukaku is leading the line. Algeria lining up like this. Bruguera by a

distance the most capped Algeria -- the carer -- Bougherra. Seven of

this squad were actually born in France. Algeria would just love a

goal to start with. 28 years and counting since they scored on the

World Cup stage. Very much back to the future for Belgium. Their

so-called golden generation and innate first tournament for 12

years. The whistles are being provided by the Algerian fans who

are getting frustrated by the Belgian possession. Axel Witsel has

a go a goal. A lot of ways men in football predicting that Belgium

could do well in this tournament. Diego Maradona has suggested that

Algeria could also cause a real surprise. Rafik Halliche. Ghoulam

making progress. The cross is in, the penalty is going to be given.

There is a card coming out as well. A yellow card is shown to the Tongan

for the poll on Feghouli. -- Jan Vertonghen. Maybe he was caught a

little flat-footed there. You can see he is maybe a little hesitant in

starting the chase, not realising that Feghouli was behind him. The

referee deciding he was pulled down. Sofiane Feghouli. From the penalty

spot. He scores. Algeria's burst goal of the World Cup in 2014 --

first goal. Their first World Cup goal in 28 years. But finally they

are up and running. Nothing Thibaut Courtois can do about that.

De Bruyne. Dembele. Just getting a foot to it. Axel Witsel will want to

have a go at the post. And he doesn't look entirely solid there,

but he did what he had to do, and he kept it out. Unbeaten this year so

far, the Belgians. Three wins and a draw from their games in 2040. It is

a record that is seemingly under threat -- 2014. Here is Eden Hazard.

Chadli. Cannot pull it back with any purpose. A simple save. But at least

a bit of cutting edge here in attack for the Belgians. Finding a way

through. Dembele. A little more purpose here.

Axel Witsel. Hazard. Bougherra. Scampering to

keep it in play, but I think is conceded a corner, and Dries Mertens

with a chance to provide something telling and testing.

steered it onto the head of Axel Witsel. Very good reaction time. If

only he had a bit of thinking time in which to do it.

Away by Toby Alderweireld, but not too far away. Back it goes, and

Kompany's header was needed. Hacking it back in there, and all they can

do is headed away for a corner. This is a test of the Belgian defence.

It was flicked towards the far post, and an outstretched leg from Hilal

Soudani. He was looming at that far post. But unable to turn it in.

Belgium need to offer something a little more threatening here if they

need to get back into this game. And that was a good save by raising the

He stands strong and makes the save, and they can't believe it. Eden

Hazard is looking to get the ball in for Kevin de Bruyne here. Fellaini!

And he has got it! Off from the bench and scored the goal, Marouane

Fellaini. Just what they wanted. He was clearly onside. Picked out well,

and has the strength to hold the challenge. He knew where it was

going. Nothing they could do to stop it. At last, the celebration.

Here is for Rosie Ghulam, the left-back looking to sense of

adventure downfield. The referee is not impressed with

that dive, and the ball goes the other way. Eden Hazard is looking to

send it right, and Merton -- Mertens! This is a cooler ball under

pressure. A good finish. How quick your fortunes can change in a World

Cup match. Eden Hazard has three ahead of him.

Here he is again. Looking for the wits here. Four in the middle to aim

for, including Fellaini. A good save from Mbolhi, denying him a second.

Eden Hazard drawing the challenges, finding a way round the back, but

the referee says that is the end of it. It was a long time in coming,

but Belgium have finally found a way to win this game.

Well, this is the last of the first round of group matches. We are in

Cuiaba. Yury Zhirkov, once of Chelsea,

starts here. Koo Ja-cheol is the South Korean captain.

Park Chu-young, Arsenal's almost forgotten man, Number ten. That is a

nice little touch there. He has support to his right and ignores it.

Lee Chung-yong will have a word there, because he could have passed

it. Good movement, but not a very good finish at all. South Korea

rather squeaked into the World Cup behind Iran, only on goal

difference. He ran himself into that challenge, he was in danger of

losing it. Once you leave the ground, you leave yourself wide open

for a booking, and he has got one. I can't believe that Sergei

Ignashevich decided to have a shop there. And at the other end, Koo

Ja-cheol with a shot. He has ability, this man. He could have got

away with that there. Fabio Capello is statistically the most successful

England manager ever, but that just shows what statistics are all about,

That was wasteful from Son doesn't it?

That was wasteful from Son Heung-min. The finish was woeful.

They played each other in a friendly in the United Arab Emirates back in

the autumn, it was a 2-1 win for Russia in the end. That is an early

intention of improvement, surely. The goalkeeper makes a right meal of

that. And that was headed into the side netting. That was a good header

from Vasily Berezovsky. Suddenly, they are alive. Igor Akinfeev

treated that with some respect, that was a good shot. The goalkeeper

seemed very slow to move, he wasn't comfortable with that. They have

four in the middle, but that wasn't the best cross. Ki Sung-yueng, a

good drive there. There is a lot more positivity out on the pitch.

Ki Sung-yueng could have gone left, decided to go to the side, got the

free kick. He wants this free kick in a threatening position, but it is

a long way out. He approaches it and drives it, it did it. Igor Akinfeev

with another save. Now, there might be something on

here for them. Lee Keun-ho. And Igor Akinfeev has practically thrown it

over his own shoulder into the back of the net! The goalkeeper husband

threatening this all evening. Unbelievable. Marks out of ten for

the shot, you might give it 6.5. The goalkeeper was awful, the technique

was all wrong. He should be taking that into his body. Shocking

goalkeeping. Sergei Ignashevich, not much of an

angle. The deflection might just favour them there, and it has! It is

Alexander Kerzhakov, only on the pitch a matter of two minutes. Great

ball across, the keeper parries it, a great finish in the end. Unlucky

when the rebound went into the path of Alexander Kerzhakov. He wasn't

going to miss. So the last of the first round group games ends in a

draw at Cuiaba in Group H, 1-1. So, Belgium top the group 13 points,

Russia and South Korea one each, and Algeria bottom after one match

played from each of the four sides. I suppose given with England that we

talked about impact substitutes, the fact that the substitutes were so

crucial in both of those games proves the point. It did. That group

is all about substitutions. Belgian one not playing well, brought

Fellaini in, started playing directed with speed, and Russia

showed no and Suzie as or ability to score -- no enthusiasm, but then

suddenly we had a game on our hands. Clever from the managers, but I

would like to see that from the start of the games. You said before

kick-off that this group was probably the most difficult to

predict on paper. I was really impressed with Algeria. They played

with speed and aggression, they had impressed with Algeria. They played

quality, and having watched the second game, I didn't see enough

attacking flair and speed that could really have an effect on the group.

I think Belgium will win, Algeria second. Did Marouane Fellaini

benefit in playing a position he is more comfortable with? I think that

is when he is at his best, when he is in that marauding role. He had

Mertens on one side, Eden Hazard on the other. He scored and he newly

had a second one free or form and its later. You don't expect someone

of that physicality to thrive in that role. A traditional Number ten,

you expect them to be small and skilful. He is a big size, but he is

technically good, he can control the ball with his chest, and marking him

is impossible because he is so big on the cross. When he gets that big

mop of hair up in the air, he is difficult to stop. That is how we

used to play at Everton, he would take the fight and the weight, and

other players around would create space from. We didn't see much of

the Hazzard on the first half, but in the second, he was electrifying.

A huge game tonight for the holders, Spain. They can't afford another

slip-up. That game is live on BBC One tonight. We will be back

tomorrow morning. See you then.