International football badly needed a good World Cup. The jury is yet to deliver a verdict with the knockout rounds still to come, but all indications are that this will not be a good World Cup. Indeed, it is on track to be a great World Cup. Two weeks to the day that the opening match of the tournament between Brazil and Croatia came to a close, the curtain came down on the group stages and what a sensational show it was. We are now already through three quarters of the tournament, but rather than be sad that much of it is over, we should be grateful with what we witnessed. It was a group stage that gave us more special moments than the three previous World Cups combined. A group stage of surprises, where tactically versatile and organized sides shocked the so-called super powers of the game. A group stage that saw the renaissance of 3-5-2, used so well by surprise teams like Netherlands, Costa Rica and Mexico. A group stage of counterattackers, comebacks and headers, trends that the Netherlands used in their demolition of Spain back on Day 2. Their superb pressing and clinical finishing gave us a glimpse of what was to come in Brazil, but not before that look and pass by Daley Blind just before the half-time break. The ball landed on top of the supremely intelligent head of Robin van Persie and his magnificent header over Iker Casillas changed everything. It became the group stage of headers with 27 more following van Persies, but none of them beating it. It became the group stage of comebacks. Spain, massacred by the Dutch 5-1 in the third game of the tournament, was already the second team, after Croatia a day earlier, to lose a game they led. A small, exclusive group of only four from 2010 would grow quickly as Uruguay, Japan, Ecuador, Algeria and Australia joined them in the first week. During their second group games Germany, Ghana, Portugal and USA all managed to not win games against each other that they led in. Even Uruguay, Greece and Algeria had comebacks of their own, all qualifying despite losing their opening World Cup match. Only Spain did that in 2010. It became the group stage of counterattacks, once again ignited by the Dutch over Spain as they scored their last three goals with a combined 29 seconds in possession, and never more highlighted than when Switzerland broke away in the final seconds to score a dramatic, crucial winner over Ecuador. It became the group stage of creative, left-footed masters who glided across the field into space left open by a transition. The group stage of substitute goals, 24 in total, highlighted by Miroslav Klose joining the great Ronaldo on 15 World Cup goals and James Rodriguez dancing his way through the Japanese defence for one of the goals of the tournament. In the end, though, it was the group stage of goals as an incredible 136 went in (there was a total of 145 scored in South Africa). It was no surprise that a wind of caution blew around the stadiums as the third group games took place but before they started the goals per game ratio stood at a wonderful 2.96. It ends the group stage at a beautifully high 2.83. There are still 16 games to go, of course, but no World Cup since 1970 has come close to that average. It wasnt just about the amount of goals, however. Many of the worlds stars were the ones scoring and we already have three world class stars on four goals each through three games. My 23 man squad of the group stages GK – Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria) D – Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast), Cristian Gamboa (Costa Rica), Kostas Manolas (Greece), Rafa Marquez (Mexico), Mario Yepes (Colombia), Raphael Varene (France), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Costa Rica), Daley Blind (Netherlands). M – Jose Vazquez (Mexico), Hector Herrera (Mexico), Blaise Matuidi (France), Charles Aranguiz (Chile), Toni Kroos (Germany), James Rodriguez (Colombia) F – Neymar (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Karim Benzema (France), Thomas Muller (Germany), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) Group Winners – Brazil, Netherlands, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Argentina, Germany & Belgium. For the third time in the last four World Cups, three teams that were not seeded won groups. For the second successive World Cup, the only seed that didnt progress through to the next stage was the previous winners (Spain 2014, Italy 2010). Since the World Cup went to 32 teams in 1998, over the last four World Cups, nine group winners have lost in the next round (average of more than two per World Cup) and there hasnt been a World Cup in that time when all group winners advanced. Runners-up – Mexico, Chile, Greece, Uruguay, Switzerland, Nigeria, USA & Algeria. With that stat in mind it is likely that at least one of these teams will beat their opponent. Look for Greece, Uruguay, possibly Mexico, USA and even Chile to continue this streak. After that? In nine of the last 10 World Cups a group runner-up has made it to at least the semi-final stage. That will be the target of one of these teams going forward. Ranking teams eliminated at this World Cup based on performances in Brazil 32. Honduras31. Cameroon30. Japan29. South Korea28. England27. Iran26. Bosnia & Herzegovina25. Russia24. Portugal23. Australia22. Spain21. Croatia20. Ivory Coast19. Italy18. Ghana17. Ecuador Ranking teams left at this World Cup based on their chances of winning the World Cup 16. Switzerland15. Algeria14. USA13. Greece12. Costa Rica11. Nigeria10. Mexico9. Belgium8. Chile7. Uruguay6. Colombia5. France4. Netherlands3. Germany2. Brazil1. Argentina Jaylen Hands Jersey .28 mph. Logano will start on the front row next to Penske Ford teammate Brad Keselowski, who came in second Friday at 193.099. The Penske drivers swept the top two spots for the second straight race, reversing their qualifying finish in Phoenix a week ago. Julius Erving Nets Jersey .This one was bigger than most.Ben Roethlisberger and LeVeon Bell came up big in a game that Pittsburgh had to win Sunday, leading the Steelers to a 42-21 drubbing of the Cincinnati Bengals that left the AFC North race wide open. https://www.netsrookiesshop.com/Theo-Pin...Edition-Jersey/. “Momentum is only as good as the next days starter,” the long-time Baltimore Orioles manager famously quipped. Rodions Kurucs Jersey . But when it was all over they had wasted another lead, seen another pitcher flame out on the mound and lost their fourth straight at home. Theo Pinson Jersey . -- Aaron Rodgers looked fine on the practice field Thursday.Juventus will be looking to reignite its season at Napoli on Sunday night after seeing its lead at the top of Serie A cut to just one point.Massimiliano Allegris team has won just one of its past six games in all competitions, a 3-1 league victory at Cagliari and could be leapfrogged by Roma, which hosts Lazio in the capital derby.Its an important round of fixtures but its still early, Juventus captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. We are still first, theres no problem for now. We are happy enough with what weve done so far, but we are not satisfied.Juventus will also want to exact revenge on Napoli, which won a penalty shootout to lift the Italian Super Cup just before Christmas.Both Lazio and Napoli need the points to maintain their bid for third spot. They are both three points ahead of Genoa and Sampdoria, which play Inter Milan and Empoli respectively.Here are some of the things to know about this weekends games:___SHAKY AT THE BACKMuch of Juventus dip in form has been down to the loss of its invincibility in defence.Juventus, which didnt concede a goal in Serie A until October, still has the best record in the league at the back, having let in just eight goals — but four of them have come in the last five games.Tiredness could be setting in for defensive duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, with the former having played 14 league matches this season and the latter missing just one.Martin Caceres, who has managed just four appearances this season, has been out injured for three months but was fit enough for the bench in Tuesdays 1-1 draw against Inter Milan.___CRUNCH TIMEWith the season approaching the halfway stage, Roma can leapfrog above Juventus with victory in the city derby on Sunday afternoon ahead of the defennding champions match at Napoli.ddddddddddddAfter 17 matches, Roma has 39 points— one less than Juventus.Now the great part of the season is starting because the top teams are facing each other, said Roma defender Davide Astori, who scored in Tuesdays 1-0 win at Udinese. The points become weighty, not decisive but very weighty.Sunday we have the chance to move above Juventus. We know that we are a great team. We need results like what could happen Sunday to boost our confidence.Midfielder Kevin Strootman was back to his best at Udinese, where he played his first full match since a serious injury last March.___HAMSIK HANDY FOR NAPOLINapoli midfielder Marek Hamsik is coming into form at the perfect time for Rafa Benitezs side.Hamsik had a poor start to the season but was impressive in the Super Cup victory against the defending champion and set up two goals as well as scoring one in Tuesdays 4-1 victory at Cesena.We ended last year by winning the Super Cup and we started this year with a win at Cesena, Hamsik said. This is a nice start, which makes us happy. Were now thinking about Juventus. It will be an important match, the stadium is already sold out.Hamsik has scored six times against Juventus in seven years at Napoli.___MENEZ-DEPENDENTAC Milan will look to Jeremy Menez to propel it to victory at Torino on Saturday.Menez has had a brilliant start to his Milan career since moving from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and has scored eight goals in 17 matches.However, the team is in danger of becoming too reliant on the Frenchman and in games where he hasnt scored over the past two months, Milan has either lost or been held to a goalless draw.Milan is five points off third spot following Tuesdays home defeat to Sassuolo. ' ' '