That brings to an end a gripping night of football. Darren Plant will be in the Sports Mole chair at the slightly later time of 12pm to bring you all the latest news and views from around Brazil 2014. Until then, it's good night!
Of course, the final piece of news to recap surrounds
Luis Suarez, who was given a four-month ban for his bite on
Giorgio Chiellini. He will miss nine international matches, while his return to action for Liverpool will come at the start of November.
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The night's football concluded with
Belgium beating
South Korea 1-0 in Sao Paulo to top Group H. In the other group game,
Algeria drew with
Russia to progress to round two.
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So before we call it a night, a quick reminder of events at the
World Cup today. Firstly, we start in Group G where
Germany edged out
USA thanks to a Thomas Muller strike.
However, the US went through to the second round after Portugal finished with an inferior goal difference, despite winning against Ghana.
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Meanwhile, Belgium coach
Marc Wilmots has paid tribute to substitutes Nacer Chadli and Divorack Origi after his team edged out South Korea.
South Korean boss Hong Myung-Bo has taken the blame for his country's early exit from the World Cup.
However, the 45-year-old was quick to talk up the long-term prospects for his young squad.
One fan who may have been disgruntled by the USA's 1-0 defeat to Germany was President Barack Obama, who was watching over the Stars and Stripes.
Obama watched their narrow loss in Recife from the comfort of Air Force One. At least he can turn to the plane again when they meet Belgium!
Algeria have reached the knockout phase of a World Cup for the first time in their history after avoiding defeat against Russia on Thursday. The Desert Foxes will now face Germany in the last-16.
Darren Plant has assessed the African side as they saw off the challenge of Fabio Capello's men.
Despite losing to Germany on Thursday, USA captain Clint Dempsey has
paid tribute to his side's character after they qualified for the last-16 of the competition.
They will face Belgium in Salvador on Tuesday.
Belgium narrowly beat South Korea 1-0 to reach the last-16 of the competition with a perfect record, but who were the star players for
Marc Wilmots men and who carried the fight for the Koreans? Joe McPhee runs the rule over both teams
here.
Arturo Vidal is set to play for Chile in their last-16 clash with hosts Brazil on Satruday, but
reports claim that Manchester United will bid around £30m to lure him to England.
Vidal featured in the same group as soon-to-be United manager Louis van Gaal's Netherlands side, although Vidal was rested for the final first round game against the Dutch.
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Stepping away from the World Cup slightly (only slightly, though) with reports suggesting that Arsenal will lure France right-back Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle United to
replace international teammate Bacary Sagna, who has joined Manchester City on a free transfer.
Debuchy was rested for Les Bleus' final group game against Ecuador on Wednesday.
Depsite beating the USA 1-0 in Recife, Germany forward Lukas Podolski reckons that he has
seen enough of the Stars and Stripes to suggest that they have a good chance of making the quarter finals.
Russia are also going home after being knocked out at the group phase, but manager Fabio Capello was
quick to lament refereeing decisions that have gone against his side.
"Look, I'm disappointed. I don't like to speak about referees but every time they're against Russia," Capello was quoted by BBC Sport as saying.
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One team that won't be taking part in the next round of the World Cup is Ghana and, after both
Sulley Muntari and Kevin Prince Boateng were sent home from the tournament, their country's FA have
released a statement saying that Muntari's ban from the national side will be indefinite.
Muntari was involved in an altercation with Moses Armah of the Ghana executive committee this week.
You can read Darren Plant's analysis of Algeria's 1-1 draw with Russia
here. Remember, the North Africans will be in the knockout phase for the first time.
If that isn't enough for you, Joe McPhee has dissected events in Sao Paulo, where Belgium won by a single goal against South Korea to finish Group H with maximum points.
Another second round tie sees Group B winners Netherlands face Mexico in Fortaleza this Sunday. Despite the Dutch scoring ten goals in three games and progressing with a 100% record, winger Arjen Robben has
admitted that he is surprised by the form of the teamat this summer's tournament.
Looking ahead to the weekend and the first taste of World Cup knockout games (Dare I say first taste of penalty shootouts too?), Fabian Schar suggests that Switzerland are
looking forward to their last-16 clash with Argentina and even claims that the European side are happy to labelled underdogs.
Firstly, we start with Germany, who narrowly beat USA 1-0 in Recife. Despite the slender margin of victory, coach Joachim Low insists that his team
dominated their opponents.
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Thanks Giuseppe! So the group phase is at an end and we can finally get our breath back. One thing is for sure. We've not been short of drama at this tournament to date and tonight was no different.
We'll bring all the post-match reaction over the next few hours as Germany progress from Group G with USA and Algeria reach the last-16 for the first time, joining Group H winners Belgium in the knockout stages.
Well folks, it's been an absolute pleasure guiding you through this evening's World Cup news and matches, but it's now time to hand the reins over to Chris O'Keefe as he will keep you up to date with all of the latest updates from Brazil!
The games in Group H have now finished, and Belgium
have beaten South Korea 1-0 to advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup with a 100% record, while Algeria have achieved redemption over their elimination in 1982 by
making it to the second round for the first time in their history after a 1-1 draw against Russia!
Brazil striker Fred has become the latest name to show his support for troubled Uruguay striker
Luis Suarez. He has attacked FIFA for handing out what he calls a
'life-destroying' punishment to the 27-year-old.
Algeria have equalised against Russia, and it's Islam Slimani, who heads into an empty net! However, there appeared to be a laser pen shining on Igor Akinfeev prior to the goal... this could be a controversial moment, because as it stands, the Desert Foxes are going through at the expense of the Russians!
It's currently half time in both World Cup Group H games, with Algeria losing 1-0 to Russia, while South Korea are currently goalless against ten-man Belgium, after Steven Defour was sent off in the closing stages of the first half! Don't forget to check out
Sports Mole's half-time match reports:
Algeria vs Russia
South Korea vs Belgium
Germany striker Thomas Muller
has accused the USA of effectively 'parking the bus' in their match earlier on today in Recife.
Away from tonight's match action, Chile
have been forced to halt a training session in Belo Horizonte after a Brazilian news station helicopter was found loitering above their base!
The 2014 World Cup's final group games have kicked off! Remember, you can follow all the action with
Sports Mole's live match commentaries of
South Korea against Belgium and
Algeria against Russia.
Here are your team news for tonight's World Cup Group H games:
Algeria vs Russia
South Korea vs Belgium
Less than 45 minutes to go until the final group games of the 2014 World Cup, as Group H draws to a close. It's all to play for as each of the four teams can still qualify for the second round. You can follow the games with
Sports Mole's live match commentaries of
South Korea against Belgium and
Algeria against Russia.
Here are some reactions from the USA's qualification to the knockout stages of the World Cup. American goalkeeping legend Brad Friedel
has called the occasion "unbelievable", while Stars and Stripes manager
Jurgen Klinsmann believes that his side
have proved everyone wrong by qualifying from one of the toughest groups in the tournament.
Major news as Uruguay's players, aggrieved at their talisman Luis Suarez being handed a four-month, nine-match ban from football by FIFA after his bite on Italy's
Giorgio Chiellini, are reportedly considering
not taking the field for their second round game against Colombia this weekend!
Thanks Christopher! Giuseppe here and I'll be taking you through the next few hours. The World Cup group stages are about to come to a close, with just Group H to be decided later on this evening. Don't forget to check out
Sports Mole's match reports on the Group G games that have just finished,
Germany's win against the USA and
Portugal's defeat of Ghana.
That's all from me this afternoon, I'll now be leaving you in the capable hands of Giuseppe Labellarte...
Well, there we have it, both Germany and the USA progress into the next round. The Americans will be thoroughly delighted with that given that they've lost the game. They've got Portugal to thank really, as they managed to defeat Ghana without scoring enough goals to put themselves into real qualification contention.
Ghana have clawed their way back into it through Asamoah Gyan. If they're able to grab another goal they could move above the USA into second spot and secure qualification. A real exciting finish to Group G, then!
Ghana and Portugal have both been given a glimmer of hope as Thomas Muller has just put Germany ahead against the USA. Portugal will need a few more goals if they want to dispose the Americans from second spot, however.
Elsewhere, Colombia are preparing to face Uruguay in the last 16 this weekend. Colombian centre-back Mario Yepes has been highlighting the need for his teammates to
treat their opponents with respect ahead of the clash, which begins at 9pm on Saturday at the Estadio Maracana in Rio.
The second halves are now underway in both of our 5pm kickoffs. Germany and the USA look likely to head through, though Portugal do currently hold a 1-0 lead over Ghana.
Portugal have managed to get themselves one goal ahead of Ghana, but they'll need a few more than that if they're to stand a chance of grabbing qualification. It's a bit of a shame for Ghana really as John Boye has put it into his own net.
As it stands both Germany and the USA will progress into the next round from Group G. Germany have been performing the better of the two sides, with Tim Howard making some good saves to deny both Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller.
More news coming out of the Uruguay camp now suggests that the country's FA has decided to appeal the ban handed out to Luis Suarez. More information on the claims is available
here.
So as we await this afternoon's fixtures, we can confirm that Lukas Podolski starts for Germany, while Bastian Schweinsteiger also comes back into the starting XI. Cristiano Ronaldo has been given the nod for Portugal and he'll start in a front three that also includes Nani and Eder.
We'll be bringing you some team news ahead of those two important fixtures this afternoon, while you can also follow all of the live action with our minute-by-minute commentaries. The clash between the USA and Germany can be found
here, with Portugal against Ghana also available
here.
We've got an enthralling afternoon of World Cup football ahead of us this afternoon in Group G. It looks as though both Germany and the USA are set favourites to qualify for the last 16. However, there's still a slim chance that either Portugal or Ghana could pip the Americans to a second-placed finish should Germany manage to beat
Jurgen Klinsmann and his men.
We have more reaction coming out of this afternoon's major World Cup development. FIFA have revealed that any sale plans Liverpool may have for Luis Suarez will
not be impacted by his ban. Meanwhile, his club have also stated that they will be
"reviewing" the report on their Uruguayan striker.
Here's some extra detail added in a statement from FIFA regarding the punishment handed out to Uruguay's Luis Suarez:
"A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suarez in accordance with art. 21 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code as follows: the player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban (point 3). The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension (point 2).
"The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs (£65,600)."
It's been rumoured throughout the tournament that Italy's veteran midfielder
Andrea Pirlo would look to hang up his international boots after the World Cup. However, a recent quote featured in the press has suggested that the 35-year-old
may still be available to represent his country.
Thank you very much, Sian. Good afternoon everyone... It looks like they'll be plenty of reaction towards the news that Luis Suarez is now set to face a nine-game ban, as well as being prohibited from taking part in any footballing activities for the next four months. It should be interesting to see how exactly the wording of the ruling will impact Liverpool and their plans for the striker.
Well I'll leave you with the
preview for Uruguay's last 16 match against Colombia. However, that's not it from us this afternoon as Christopher Dodd will be keeping you up to date with all the news from Brazil for the next four hours.
BREAKING NEWS! Uruguay's Luis Suarez has been banned from nine official matches and all football activities for four months. Naturally, that means he will have no further involvement in the World Cup.
FIFA have confirmed that USA vs. Germany will be going ahead as scheduled despite heavy rain in Recife. It's expected that over 42,000 fans will be attending the match.
Belgium can ensure that they finish top of Group H is they avoid defeat to South Korea later. Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini is urging fans to get behind the team:
FIFA are due to hold a briefing at the Maracana in the next 30 minutes, with speculation that the world governing body could be making an announcement regarding the Luis Suarez biting incident. The announcement could have huge implications for Uruguay, Liverpool and Suarez's career. We'll bring you any updates as soon as we have them.
It looks like Ghana's decision to send home and suspend midfielder's
Kevin-Prince Boateng and
Sulley Muntari could be something we're hearing about for days to come, as the former has accused coach Kwesi Appiah of
insulted him. In a conversation with German magazine Sport-Bild, Boateng said: "Sulley Muntari and I were just joking around and the coach stopped the session and sent us back to the changing room.
"Afterwards I went to the him and asked what he had against me and he started yelling. He insulted me.
"No one should think I insulted the coach. I'm travelling now and I wish my colleagues all the best for the match against Portugal."
As tonight sees the end of the group stage of the tournament, here at
Sports Mole, we've already got one eye on the round of 16. The first knockout game involves host nation Brazil taking on Group B runners-up Chile. Why not check out our
match preview.
In case you missed it, last night Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri scored the 50th hat-trick in World Cup history as the Swiss
beat Honduras 3-0. Today, he's been on Twitter to celebrate his achievement:
WEATHER UPDATE! There could be a bit of an issue for USA's match against Germany later, as it's been absolutely pouring down in Recife this morning. Latest weather reports suggest around six to eight inches have fallen so far today and it's still coming down! As yet, there's no news as to what the extent the weather has affected the pitch though.
Andrew Wiebe of MLSsoccer.com shared this image of the area surrounding the stadium.
Following on from the news earlier that
Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari had been sent home from the Word Cup, the Ghana Football Association have now released two statements on the matter, announcing that the pair have been
suspended indefinitely as a result of their actions.
Muntari statement:
"The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has suspended Sulley Ali Muntari indefinitely from the Black Stars with immediate effect.
"The decision was taken in the wake of his unprovoked physical attack on an Executive Committee member of the GFA and a management member of the Black Stars, Mr. Moses Armah on Tuesday 24th June, 2014 during a meeting.
"Muntari's accreditation for the 2014 World Cup has been withdrawn with immediate effect."
Boateng statement:
"The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has approved coach Kwesi Appiah's decision to suspend Kevin-Prince Boateng indefinitely from the Black Stars. The decision takes immediate effect.
"The decision was taken following Boateng's vulgar verbal insults targeted at coach Kwesi Appiah during the team's training session in Maceio this week.
"Boateng has since showed no remorse for his actions which has resulted in the decision.
Boateng's accreditation for the 2014 World Cup has been withdrawn with immediate effect."
Algeria can book their place in the last 16 if they beat Russia in their final match in Group H this evening. While a draw could be enough depending on the result in the other match,
Yacine Brahimi insists that the team will "
do everything to win" this evening.
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Brazil star
Neymar could find himself in trouble with FIFA over, of all things, his choice of underwear! The Barcelona man reportedly wore non-sponsored underpants during the host nation's 4-1 win over Cameroon on Monday, resulting in the governing body
launching an investigation.
USA and Germany both know that a draw will be enough for them to progress to the last 16 at the express of Group G rivals Portugal and Ghana. Despite the draw suiting them both, German-born American defender
Fabian Johnson insists that the USA squad will be
looking for a win this evening.
Sticking with the African sides at the tournament, Nigeria have been dealt a blow after midfielder Michael Babutunde suffered a
broken arm. The 22-year-old accidentally blocked one of his teammate's shots during their 3-2 defeat to Argentina yesterday, leaving him with a fracture. He'll miss their last 16 match against France next week.
There's some worrying news coming out of the Ghana team hotel this morning as it appears Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari have both been
sacked from the squad following an altercation in training earlier this week. African Football reporter Gary Al-Smith confirmed their departure on Twitter this morning, and also described the Ghana training camp as "a mess". They need to beat Portugal later today to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stages.
Belgium are already through to the last 16 thanks to wins in both of their matches so far. They'll be looking to make it three out of three when that face South Korea later. Chelsea striker
Romelu Lukaku has had a quiet time in Brazil so far, and coach Marc Wilmots believes that it down to Lukaku putting himself under
too much pressure. He told
FIFA.com:
"He puts too much pressure on himself. I messed up in my first two World Cups because I was obsessed with winning.
"I was expecting the younger players to handle the occasion less well, simply because they would be thinking about nothing else but the need to win."
Good news for USA fans, coach Jurgen Klinsmann has given all supporters the day off work! The former Germany international and coach will lead his American side into the knockout stage if they can secure at least a draw against his former team later today.
Last night, France ensured that they finished top in Group E to set up a meeting with Nigeria in the next round.
Paul Pogba, who was part of the victorious French squad at last summer's Under-20 World Cup, hopes that the team can
claim another tournament win this summer.
As we mentioned in out introduction, there are four fixtures taking place later today. We'll be building up to them all throughout the day, but why not start by checking out
Sports Mole's
previews for the final group games of the tournament.
Of course, the other story continuing to dominate the headlines this morning is the Luis Suarez biting incident. FIFA began disciplinary hearings into his clash with Italy's Giorgio Chiellini yesterday, and are
set to continue today.
Good morning! It's the final day of the group stages in Brazil with Groups G and H coming to a conclusion later. It's all still to play for in Group G, while Algeria, Russia and South Korea will be looking to join Belgium in the last 16 when the final fixtures in Group H takes place. But first, let's look at the main stories from overnight.
