Group G Decided! Selecao I and Seleccao II Advance

Brazil and Portugal advanced from the group of death at the expense of Ivory Coast and newcomers, North Korea. Portugal was aided by a unexpected 7-0 rout of the Chollimas and therefore built up an unassailable goal advantage. It was never likely that Ivory Coast could emulate Portugal's feat but they tried gallantly.

Brazil and Portugal met in their final group match. It was a highly anticipated match but sadly, the match was marred by fouls and the referee took centre stage in the first half. Cristiano Ronaldo kept on blasting freekicks high and wide all through the match. Those were wasted setpiece opportunities. The best chance did fall for Portugal when Raul Meireles ran onto a loose ball (from a Ronaldo run) which Julio Cesar palmed away. At least Brazil kept a clean sheet and this should boost Juan's confidence. Juan is prone to errors and in the 93rd minute, his sloppy play almost let Danny in on goal.

Carlos Quieroz had a different opinion of the match or maybe he was watching a different match?

"I think it was a great show, a football feast. Brazil played very strong in the first few minutes but after their initial period of domination, Portugal slowly started to control the game. In the end, it was a game where we attacked and they defended. Today is a day to celebrate because Portugal has qualified with a great degree of merit. It was a great game of football, the players played extremely well and they must be congratulated. I think the draw was a fair result.''

Sounds just like the usual drivel coming from a manager with blinkers on. Make no mistake about it, Brazil-Portugal was one big yawn.

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Kaka's Dismissal Overshadows Impressive Selecao Win

Brazil outclassed Ivory Coast and put three points on the board last night. They did so amidst the cynical tackles and rough plays by Les Elephants. The likes of the Toure brothers, Kalou, Dindane and Drogba could not cope with the passing and movement of the Selecao.

The physical challenges made the game less free-flowing and unfortunately it hampered Brazil's attacking rhythm. Luis Fabiano, like Maicon, chose to step up his game and against Ivory Coast, his finishing was devastating. Elano, making a habitual late run from midfield, scored in his second goal in as many matches.

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Drogba Misses Goal Chance While C Ronaldo Hits Woodwork In Draw

It was meant to be a mouthwatering tie in a potentially explosive Group G. Drogba's Ivory Coast against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. What took place was a match which did not live up to the hype it created. Both team employed a cat-and-mouse approach and while Portugal had much of the possession, they lacked a sharp edge in attack. Ivory Coast was intent to soak up the pressure and then hit with pace on the break with Gervinho, Eboue, Kalou and Dindane all extremely quick and dangerous.

The match was filled with niggly fouls and players falling over at the slightest touch. In truth, the stop-start manner did kill some of the fluency of the game. Ronaldo ended up on the floor every time he tried to go on a potentially explosive run. Sven Goran Eriksson clearly recollecting the dangers of Ronaldo from England's 2006 quarterfinal World Cup match and decided that Cristiano must be stopped at all cost. This tactic worked as Ronaldo is still searching for his first goal in more than two years.

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2010 World Cup Group G Head To Head

The "Group of Death" is the term used to describe Group G. Footballing-wise, this group have the potential to produce the most memorable matches of World Cup 2010.

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Castrol Football Rates The 2010 World Cup Contenders

Just like the Barclays Premier League and others like La Liga, Calcio de Lega and Bundesliga, the World Cup tournaments are pretty dominated by four nations. These are the nations with the most World Cup wins in the history of the tournament. Brazil, Italy, Germany and Argentina are the most successful teams in the World Cup. Will these four be the likely victors of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa? Most likely not, as I personally favour a Spain v. England final to be held at the newly constructed Johannesburg Soccer City stadium.

Castrol Football has done an extensive round of predictions and what-if scenarios, and the result are as seen below, quantifying the chances of the aspiring footballing nations.

Brazil

SpainEngland

This is the probable opponents for England when they make it out of the World Cup group stages. Qualifying first in their group should give England a simple path to the semifinals where they will have to beat Brazil and then Spain to end 43 years of hurt. Don Fabio has got the England team playing with determination and organisation. For the first time in years, England may have what it takes to win this tournament.

Holland

ArgentinaGermany

Italy

France

Portugal

Ivory Coast

The rest of the competing nations at a glance:

It looks to be a different World Cup altogether, as apart from Brazil, traditional powerhouses are not considered favourites this time around. In fact, England have possibly the best chance of all to capture their second Jules Rimet trophy.

If you are a football fan who travels a lot on business, it may be best to start thinking of alternative ways of watching the World Cup. Live streaming football on PC could be a great option.