SOCCER FOOTBALL 24H

Senegal v Colombia  Thursday,16:00 Live on BBC  'Not very good' Senegal need improvement Senegal were my idea of the value play to win Group H at around the 5/1 mark and their campaign couldn't have started any better with a 2-1 defeat of Poland. The Poles dominated possession but offered nothing of a threat and the Lions of Taranga were the worthy winners but I did wonder how good Senegal were and whether a bad Poland side had made the Africans look better than they were. The subsequent results confirmed that it had indeed been the case. Poland were thumped by Colombia and Senegal  failed to impress  against the Japanese. Following their 2-2 draw with Japan, Senegal's manager,  Aliou Cisse  had this to say about the match. "Of course we have regrets. We must acknowledge that we didn't see a great Senegalese performance in comparison to the match against Poland.  We were not very good frankly , and Japan were the better team, I have to admit th...

South Korea v Germany Wednesday 27 June, 15:00 Live on BBC 1 South Korea reaching for World Cup lifeline After narrow defeats to Mexico and Sweden, South Korea coach  Shin Tae-yong  summed up his team's situation neatly, describing them as "a drowning man clutching at a straw." The late heroics of Germany's Toni Kroos against Sweden spared Shin's side the ignominy of elimination with a game to spare, but only a win on Wednesday afternoon and a victory for Mexico against Sweden gives them any chance of progress. Although South Korea have been aggressive in the tackle and willing to cover plenty of ground, they have really struggled to develop any attacking momentum. A stunning late strike from a largely isolated Son Heung-min against Mexico has been the sum total of their offensive efforts so far, and they didn't even manage a shot on target in their Group F opener against Sweden. Opta  tell us that South Korea have now lost their last four matche...

Serbia v Brazil Wednesday, 19:00 Live on ITV Last-chance saloon for White Eagles Things change quickly in football and even more swiftly at World Cups. At half-time in their game against Switzerland, Serbia were in an enviable position, a place in the last 16 in their grasp thanks to Aleksandar Mitrović's fine early header. But  the White Eagles crumbled after the break , allowing their opponents to find an equaliser and then, in the dying moments, a dramatic winner. It leaves them with a mountain to climb: Serbia could technically qualify with a draw, but the mathematics of the group mean that a victory is most likely required.  Wholesale changes are unlikely , although it wouldn't be a huge surprise were Mladen Krstajić to reinforce his midfield, given how open his side was in the second half of the Switzerland game. Filip Kostić, who had a quiet game on the left, would be the man most likely to drop out. Brazil still searching for rhythm If every success...