2014 FIFA World Cup Group C

Group C of the 2014 FIFA World Cup consisted of Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, and Japan. Play began on 14 June and ended on 24 June 2014. The top two teams, Colombia and Greece, advanced to the round of 16.

Teams
Draw position Team Confederation Method of
qualification		 Date of
qualification		 Finals
appearance		 Last
appearance		 Previous best
performance		 FIFA Rankings
October 2013[nb 1] June 2014 August 2014 October 2019
C1 (seed) ColombiaCONMEBOLCONMEBOL 2nd runners-up11 October 20135th1998Round of 16 (1990)48410
C2 GreeceUEFAUEFA Play-off winners19 November 20133rd2010Group stage (1994, 2010)15121358
C3 Ivory CoastCAFCAF Third Round winners16 November 20133rd2010Group stage (2006, 2010)17232556
C4 JapanAFCAFC Fourth Round Group B 1st winners4 June 20135th2010Round of 16 (2002, 2010)44464428
Notes
  1. The rankings of October 2013 were used for seeding for the final draw.

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Colombia 3 3 0 0 9 2 +7 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Greece 3 1 1 1 2 4 −2 4
3  Ivory Coast 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
4  Japan 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria

Matches

Colombia vs Greece

The two teams had met in one previous match, in a friendly in 1994, where Colombia won 2–0.[1] Colombia midfielder Fredy Guarín was suspended for the match, after being sent off in the team's final qualifier against Paraguay.[2]

Colombia took the lead within five minutes, Juan Cuadrado's cutback was converted by Pablo Armero via a deflection off Greek defender Kostas Manolas. Colombia extended the lead in the second half, when Abel Aguilar flicked on a corner kick from James Rodríguez and Teófilo Gutiérrez scored from close range.[3] Greece's best chance fell to Theofanis Gekas, who headed against the bar. In stoppage time, Cuadrado set up James to complete the scoring with a low shot.[4]

The 3–0 scoreline was Colombia's biggest win to date in the World Cup.[5]

Colombia 3–0 Greece
 Report
Attendance: 57,174
Colombia
Greece
GK1David Ospina
RB18Juan Camilo Zúñiga
CB2Cristián Zapata
CB3Mario Yepes (c)
LB7Pablo Armero 74'
CM6Carlos Sánchez 26'
CM8Abel Aguilar 69'
RW11Juan Cuadrado
AM10James Rodríguez
LW14Víctor Ibarbo
CF9Teófilo Gutiérrez 76'
Substitutions:
MF15Alexander Mejía 69'
DF4Santiago Arias 74'
FW21Jackson Martínez 76'
Manager:
José Pékerman
GK1Orestis Karnezis
RB15Vasilis Torosidis
CB4Kostas Manolas
CB19Sokratis Papastathopoulos 52'
LB20José Holebas
RM14Dimitris Salpingidis 55' 57'
CM2Giannis Maniatis
CM21Kostas Katsouranis (c)
LM8Panagiotis Kone 78'
CF7Georgios Samaras
CF17Theofanis Gekas 64'
Substitutions:
MF18Ioannis Fetfatzidis 57'
FW9Konstantinos Mitroglou 64'
MF10Giorgos Karagounis 78'
Manager:
Fernando Santos

Man of the Match:
James Rodríguez (Colombia)

Assistant referees:
Mark Hurd (United States)
Joe Fletcher (Canada)
Fourth official:
Alireza Faghani (Iran)
Fifth official:
Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)

Ivory Coast vs Japan

The two teams had met in three previous matches, all in friendlies, most recently in 2010.[7]

Japan took the lead in the first half, when Keisuke Honda collected a pass from Yuto Nagatomo after a quick throw-in to strike home with his left foot high into the net.[8]

However, Ivory Coast came back with two goals in two minutes in the second half, first Wilfried Bony headed in from Serge Aurier's cross from the right from six yards, followed by a Gervinho header from six yards from another cross from Aurier on the right.[9]

With his goal, Honda became the first Japanese player to score in two World Cups, and also claimed sole possession of being the top Japanese scorer in World Cup history with three total goals.[10]

Ivory Coast 2–1 Japan
 Report
Attendance: 40,267
Ivory Coast
Japan
GK1Boubacar Barry
RB17Serge Aurier
CB5Didier Zokora 58'
CB22Sol Bamba 54'
LB3Arthur Boka 75'
CM9Cheick Tioté
CM20Serey Die 62'
AM19Yaya Touré (c)
RF8Salomon Kalou
CF12Wilfried Bony 78'
LF10Gervinho
Substitutions:
FW11Didier Drogba 62'
DF18Constant Djakpa 75'
FW13Didier Ya Konan 78'
Manager:
Sabri Lamouchi
GK1Eiji Kawashima
RB2Atsuto Uchida
CB22Maya Yoshida 23'
CB6Masato Morishige 64'
LB5Yuto Nagatomo
DM16Hotaru Yamaguchi
DM17Makoto Hasebe (c) 54'
RW9Shinji Okazaki
AM4Keisuke Honda
LW10Shinji Kagawa 86'
CF18Yuya Osako 67'
Substitutions:
MF7Yasuhito Endō 54'
FW13Yoshito Ōkubo 67'
MF11Yoichiro Kakitani 86'
Manager:
Alberto Zaccheroni

Man of the Match:
Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast)

Assistant referees:
Carlos Astroza (Chile)
Sergio Román (Chile)
Fourth official:
Néant Alioum (Cameroon)
Fifth official:
Djibril Camara (Senegal)

Colombia vs Ivory Coast

The two teams had never met before.[11]

After a goalless first half, Colombia scored first when James Rodríguez headed in Juan Cuadrado's corner.[12] The lead was extended six minutes later when Ivory Coast was caught in possession, and Teófilo Gutiérrez released substitute Juan Quintero to score. Ivory Coast reduced the deficit through Gervinho, who received a pass from Arthur Boka in the left wing, dribbled past three Colombian players and shot home.[13]

The second goal of the tournament by James allowed him to join Bernardo Redín and Adolfo Valencia as the only Colombian players to score more than one goal in the World Cup.[14]

Colombia 2–1 Ivory Coast
 Report
Attendance: 68,748
Referee: Howard Webb (England)
Colombia
Ivory Coast
GK1David Ospina
RB18Juan Camilo Zúñiga
CB2Cristián Zapata
CB3Mario Yepes (c)
LB7Pablo Armero 72'
CM8Abel Aguilar 79'
CM6Carlos Sánchez
RW11Juan Cuadrado
AM10James Rodríguez
LW14Víctor Ibarbo 53'
CF9Teófilo Gutiérrez
Substitutions:
MF20Juan Quintero 53'
DF4Santiago Arias 72'
MF15Alexander Mejía 79'
Manager:
José Pékerman
GK1Boubacar Barry
RB17Serge Aurier
CB5Didier Zokora 55'
CB22Sol Bamba
LB3Arthur Boka
CM20Serey Die 73'
CM9Cheick Tioté 90'
RW10Gervinho
AM19Yaya Touré (c)
LW15Max Gradel 67'
CF12Wilfried Bony 60'
Substitutions:
FW11Didier Drogba 60'
FW8Salomon Kalou 67'
MF6Mathis Bolly 73'
Manager:
Sabri Lamouchi

Man of the Match:
James Rodríguez (Colombia)

Assistant referees:
Michael Mullarkey (England)
Darren Cann (England)
Fourth official:
Víctor Hugo Carrillo (Peru)
Fifth official:
Rodney Aquino (Paraguay)

Japan vs Greece
Arena das Dunas before the Japan x Greece match.

The two teams had met in one previous match, in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup group stage, won by Japan 1–0.[11]

Greece was reduced to ten men in the first half when Kostas Katsouranis was booked twice in eleven minutes. In the second half, Greece had a Theofanis Gekas header saved, while Japan, which needed at least a point to stay alive in the competition, had chances to score through Yoshito Ōkubo and Atsuto Uchida, but the game finished goalless.[15] The result ensured Colombia's qualification to the knockout stage, their first since 1990.[16]

This was the first clean sheet kept by Greece in World Cup history.[17]

Japan 0–0 Greece
Report
Attendance: 39,485
Japan
Greece
GK1Eiji Kawashima
RB2Atsuto Uchida
CB22Maya Yoshida
CB15Yasuyuki Konno
LB5Yuto Nagatomo
CM16Hotaru Yamaguchi
CM17Makoto Hasebe (c) 12' 46'
RW9Shinji Okazaki
AM4Keisuke Honda
LW13Yoshito Ōkubo
CF18Yuya Osako 57'
Substitutions:
MF7Yasuhito Endō 46'
MF10Shinji Kagawa 57'
 
Manager:
Alberto Zaccheroni
GK1Orestis Karnezis
RB15Vasilis Torosidis 89'
CB4Kostas Manolas
CB19Sokratis Papastathopoulos
LB20José Holebas
DM21Kostas Katsouranis (c) 27'  38'
CM2Giannis Maniatis
CM8Panagiotis Kone 81'
RW18Giannis Fetfatzidis 41'
LW7Georgios Samaras 55'
CF9Kostas Mitroglou 35'
Substitutions:
FW17Theofanis Gekas 35'
MF10Giorgos Karagounis 41'
FW14Dimitris Salpingidis 81'
Manager:
Fernando Santos

Man of the Match:
Keisuke Honda (Japan)

Assistant referees:
William Torres (El Salvador)
Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
Fourth official:
Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)
Fifth official:
Aden Marwa (Kenya)

Japan vs Colombia

The two teams had met in two previous matches, most recently in a friendly in 2007, and also in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup group stage, won by Colombia 1–0.[18]

Colombia took the lead mid-way through the first half, with Juan Cuadrado taking a penalty kick, shooting low down the middle after Japan centre back Yasuyuki Konno fouled Colombia striker Adrián Ramos in the box.[19] Japan then equalised through Shinji Okazaki's headed goal from a cross from Keisuke Honda on the right in first half stoppage time. Colombia's James Rodríguez was introduced after the half time break, and was credited for providing two assists for two goals scored by Jackson Martínez, on 55 minutes when he shot low to the net with his left foot, and 82 minutes when he curled the ball in from the right of the penalty area with his left foot, before finishing off the scoring with a strike of his own, assisted by Ramos, where he beat the last man before clipping the ball over the goalkeeper.[20] Colombia, which had already qualified for the knockout stage but needed a point to be certain of winning the group, finished as group winners with a perfect record of three wins out of three, while Japan, which had to win the match to have any chance to qualify, were eliminated.

Faryd Mondragón became the oldest player to make an appearance in the history of the World Cup, at the age of 43 years, 3 days, when he came on for the last five minutes of the match, breaking the record of Roger Milla, who played at the 1994 World Cup at the age of 42.[21] He also set the record for the longest time between World Cup appearances as 15 years and 363 days had passed since his last versus England at the 1998 World Cup, breaking Alfred Bickel's record of 12 years and 13 days between appearances (1938–1950).[22]

Japan 1–4 Colombia
 Report
Attendance: 40,340
Japan
Colombia
GK1Eiji Kawashima
RB2Atsuto Uchida
CB22Maya Yoshida
CB15Yasuyuki Konno 16'
LB5Yuto Nagatomo
CM14Toshihiro Aoyama 62'
CM17Makoto Hasebe (c)
RW9Shinji Okazaki 69'
AM4Keisuke Honda
LW10Shinji Kagawa 85'
CF13Yoshito Ōkubo
Substitutions:
MF16Hotaru Yamaguchi 62'
FW11Yoichiro Kakitani 69'
MF8Hiroshi Kiyotake 85'
Manager:
Alberto Zaccheroni
GK1David Ospina (c) 85'
RB4Santiago Arias
CB23Carlos Valdés
CB16Éder Balanta
LB7Pablo Armero
DM15Alexander Mejía
DM13Fredy Guarín 63'
RM11Juan Cuadrado 46'
LM20Juan Quintero 46'
SS19Adrián Ramos
CF21Jackson Martínez
Substitutions:
MF5Carlos Carbonero 46'
MF10James Rodríguez 46'
GK22Faryd Mondragón 85'
Manager:
José Pékerman

Man of the Match:
Jackson Martínez (Colombia)

Assistant referees:
Bertino Cunha (Portugal)
Tiago Trigo (Portugal)
Fourth official:
Roberto Moreno (Panama)
Fifth official:
Eric Boria (United States)

Greece vs Ivory Coast
Further information: List of 2014 FIFA World Cup controversies § Greece vs Ivory Coast

The two teams had never met before.[18] Greece midfielder Kostas Katsouranis (red card in previous match) and Ivory Coast defender Didier Zokora (accumulation of yellow cards) were suspended for the match.[23][24]

Greece, which had to win to have any chance to qualify for the knockout stage, went in front in the 42nd minute after Cheick Tioté's defensive mistake allowed substitute Andreas Samaris to steal the ball, play a one-two with Georgios Samaras, and run in on goal before shooting past the goalkeeper with his right foot. In the second half, substitute Wilfried Bony equalised with a low right foot finish after Gervinho's pass from the left. As Japan were losing to Colombia in the other match played at the same time, Ivory Coast only required a point to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time.[25] The game looked to be heading for a draw, until Greece won a penalty in injury time when Giovanni Sio tripped Samaras as he was about to strike the ball, and Samaras scored the penalty hitting the ball to the goalkeeper's left. The win meant Greece finished as the group runners-up, and put them into the knockout stage for the first time in its World Cup history (after unsuccessful campaigns in 1994 and 2010), while Ivory Coast were eliminated in the group stage for the third tournament in a row.[26]

Greece 2–1 Ivory Coast
 Report
Attendance: 59,095
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)
Greece
Ivory Coast
GK1Orestis Karnezis 24'
RB15Vasilis Torosidis
CB4Kostas Manolas
CB19Sokratis Papastathopoulos
LB20José Holebas
DM10Giorgos Karagounis (c) 78'
CM2Giannis Maniatis
CM16Lazaros Christodoulopoulos
RW8Panagiotis Kone 12'
LW7Georgios Samaras
CF14Dimitris Salpingidis
Substitutions:
MF22Andreas Samaris 12'
GK12Panagiotis Glykos 24'
FW17Theofanis Gekas 78'
Manager:
Fernando Santos
GK1Boubacar Barry
RB17Serge Aurier
CB4Kolo Touré
CB22Sol Bamba
LB3Arthur Boka
CM9Cheick Tioté 61'
CM20Serey Die 70'
RW8Salomon Kalou 62'
AM19Yaya Touré
LW10Gervinho 83'
CF11Didier Drogba (c) 37' 78'
Substitutions:
FW12Wilfried Bony 61'
MF14Ismaël Diomandé 78'
FW21Giovanni Sio 83'
Manager:
Sabri Lamouchi

Man of the Match:
Georgios Samaras (Greece)

Assistant referees:
Christian Lescano (Ecuador)
Byron Romero (Ecuador)
Fourth official:
Sandro Ricci (Brazil)
Fifth official:
Emerson de Carvalho (Brazil)

References
  1. "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2014.
  2. "Match suspensions to be served at the final competition of the FIFA World Cup". FIFA.com. 24 February 2014.
  3. "Greece play blame game following World Cup defeat by Colombia". Guardian. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. "Colombia 3 Greece 0". BBC Sport. 14 June 2014.
  5. "World Cup - Colombia ease to win over Greece". Yahoo! Sport. 14 June 2014.
  6. "Referee designations for matches 5-8" (PDF). fifa.com. 12 June 2014.
  7. "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2014.
  8. "Ivory Coast stage World Cup fight back to see off Japan". Guardian. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  9. "Ivory Coast 2 Japan 1". BBC Sport. 14 June 2014.
  10. "Japan beaten by Drogba-inspired Ivory Coast in World Cup opener". The Mainichi. 15 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  11. "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2014.
  12. "Colombia win again as Juan Quintero's winner sinks skilful Ivory Coast". Guardian. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  13. "Colombia 2 Ivory Coast 1". BBC Sport. 19 June 2014.
  14. "James Rodríguez iguala a Bernardo Redín y Adolfo Valencia con dos goles" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 20 June 2014.
  15. "Japan 0 Greece 0". BBC Sport. 19 June 2014.
  16. "Greece keep Japan at bay after Kostas Katsouranis gets early red card". Guardian. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  17. "World Cup - Ten-man Greece hang on for draw against Japan". Yahoo! Sport. 20 June 2014.
  18. "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2014.
  19. "Colombia post their third group win to put Japan through the exit door". Guardian. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  20. "Japan 1 Colombia 4". BBC Sport. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  21. "Jackson Martínez scores twice as Carlos Valderrama's side top group to set up Uruguay tie". Daily Telegraph. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  22. "Late goals decisive on big day for keepers". FIFA.com. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  23. "Goalless Draw Keeps Japan And Greece Alive". The New Indian Express. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  24. "Colombia edge Ivorians". Kickoff.com. 19 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  25. "Greece advance with last-gasp penalty to deny Ivory Coast progress". Guardian. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  26. "Greece 2 Ivory Coast 1". BBC Sport. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
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