"A healthy dressing room is worth more than 100 hours of tactics," declared Vicente Del Bosque as he and his team prepared to jet off to Brazil to defend their title.

Aidan O’Brien’s El Salvador found plenty in the closing stages to justify favouritism in the SeanieMac.com Race at Killarney last night.

Netherlands 0 Costa Rica 0 - Netherlands win on penalties

Still no word of Ray Houghton. Not even a stir out of his new Twitter account (@ray81988) since Brazil-Colombia on Friday evening.

It seems an age ago that Xavi walked into a press conference in Salvador before Spain began their defence of this trophy, full of hope and with earned dreams of further history.

Holland goalkeeper Tim Krul is ecstatic to be in the semi-finals of the World Cup after his dramatic introduction to the tournament.

Holland’s substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul dramatically made two saves in a penalty shoot-out against Costa Rica to carry his side into the semi-finals of the World Cup.

World Cup good, bad and ugly

Top o’ the world, ma! And top of the World Cup too. Yes, I finally did it.

It is almost too cliched to seem possible; the manager of the American national side spending his free time driving a VW camper van driving from beach to beach, looking for the perfect surf spot.

Costa Rica are confident of writing another chapter in their World Cup fairytale when they come up against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 3 Iran 1

Coach Stephen Keshi feels his Nigeria side delivered a victory for all of Africa after Peter Odemwingie’s goal put the Super Eagles on the brink of reaching the World Cup knockout stages.

Switzerland 2 France 5

Switzerland 2 France 5

In a press centre in Salvador last week, a couple of British writers announced their arrival to the tournament — heard long before they were seen, such is the way many journalists conform to stereotype.

GROUP A

EVERY World Cups needs its Matches that Made History, though sometimes you struggle to find them. Less than a week in, and we already have two candidates: the Slaughter of Salvador and the Stumble in the Jungle.

WORLD CUP GROUP G:

World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has declared himself fully fit to take on Germany in the much-anticipated Group G opener in Salvador.

Spain defender Sergio Ramos has implored his team-mates to show all their champion qualities after a harrowing start to their World Cup defence.

Holland’s Manchester United-bound boss Louis van Gaal has warned against getting carried away with his side’s stunning 5-1 victory over holders Spain in their World Cup opener, insisting they have achieved nothing yet.

Eleven protesters have been detained in the north-eastern Brazilian city of Salvador during a protest against the World Cup.

Spain 1 Netherlands 5

The Netherlands are more streetwise now than when they tackled Spain in the 2010 World Cup final, according to national captain, Robin van Persie.

Martin O’Neill insisted yesterday he would not feel left down if Roy Keane were to return to club football.

Portugal boss Paulo Bento was a happy man after seeing Cristiano Ronaldo safely negotiate his way through his return from injury ahead of the World Cup finals.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is struggling to be fit for Portugal’s opening World Cup match due to tendinitis around his left kneecap, the national federation revealed today.

Brasil Bam Bam

Spain captain Iker Casillas has said he finds it strange that the format of the draw for the World Cup finals allowed the holders to be placed in the same group as Netherlands, the team they beat in the 2010 final.

Roy Hodgson is still putting his £10 on England to win the World Cup, but Football Association chairman Greg Dyke clearly thinks the team have no chance of getting out of their “group of death”.

Away from the glitz and glamour of Costa do Sauipe, protests rage at the inequality encapsulated by the World Cup in Brazil — but few will listen to these grievances

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has admitted that the stadium in Sao Paulo which is due to hold the opening match of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will not be ready until mid-April.

FIFA has dismissed the idea that it overlooked two Afro-Brazilian people as hosts for the World Cup draw because of the colour of their skin.

About 150,000 anti-government demonstrators have again taken to the streets in several Brazilian cities and engaged police in some isolated but intense conflicts.

Thousands of anti-government demonstrators again took to streets in several Brazilian cities today after the president broke a long silence to promise reforms, but the early protests were smaller than those of recent days and with only scattered reports of violence.

Brazil awoke today to city centres still smouldering after a night that shocked the nation: one million protesters took to the streets in scores of cities, with clusters clashing violently with police during anti-government demonstrations.

FIFA today insisted there were no plans to abandon the Confederations Cup in Brazil despite the protests that have affected the tournament.

Police and protesters fought in the streets into the early hours today as an estimated one million Brazilians swarmed through more than 80 towns and cities in the biggest demonstrations yet against a government viewed as corrupt at all levels and unresponsive to its people.

Protesters have massed in at least seven Brazilian cities for another round of demonstrations voicing disgruntlement about life in the country, raising questions about security during big events like the current Confederations Cup and a papal visit next month.

THE Round Robin season is upon us.

Mario Balotelli profile

ALMOST €16 million worth of property was sold at yesterday’s distressed properties auction at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

The biggest party of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival took to the streets at dawn today.