Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's rolling news coverage from day five of the World Cup.
We will be bringing you all the latest news and gossip from Brazil as well as reaction to last night's matches as Argentina and France got their campaigns off to winning starts.
The tournament continues today with Germany, Portugal and the USA among the teams in action.
Hello there and welcome to Sports Mole's rolling news coverage from day five of the World Cup in Brazil. We will be keeping you up to date with all of the latest news, gossip and reaction from the tournament throughout the course of the day. To get us started, here is a selection of headlines from overnight...
Phil Jagielka: 'Uruguay are not a one-man team'
Cristiano Ronaldo: "I have nothing to prove"
Mario Balotelli: "We do not fear anyone"
Lionel Messi pleased with Argentina's winning start
Sergio Aguero: 'We were fortunate to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina'
Mathieu Valbuena has hailed France's collective performance during Sunday's victory over Honduras. Karim Benzema was among the goalscorers as Les Blues opened their campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win in Porto Alegre.
Australia defender Ivan Franjic has revealed that he is returning home from the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury. The 26-year-old picked up the problem on Friday during his country's 3-1 defeat to Chile.
Sticking with Australia, forward Mathew Leckie has claimed that the Socceroos can beat the Netherlands in their next match. The Aussies lost their opening game of the tournament against Chile, while the Dutch thrashed holders Spain 5-1.
Uruguay captain Diego Lugano has insisted that his team still has every chance of reaching the second round of the World Cup. The South Americans, who face England and Italy in their next two matches, saw their hopes qualifying from Group D suffer a blow on Saturday with a surprise 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon remains an injury doubt for Friday's encounter with Costa Rica. The veteran shotstopper was forced to sit out the Azzurri's opening win against England over the weekend because of an ankle problem.
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has confirmed that he is unlikely to play any part in Wednesday's Group A match against Croatia due to a knee injury. The Chelsea forward missed two days of training due to a knee complaint, which has been troubling him since the end of the Premier League season.
Holders Spain face a crucial match on Wednesday when they meet Chile in Rio de Janeiro. Vicente del Bosque's side ideally need a win to keep their hopes of progressing alive, but they are up against a Chilean team that is full of confidence following their victory over Australia. You can read our preview of the game here.
Bosnia-Herzegovina coach Safet Susic has praised the performance of his side following their defeat to Argentina. The Europeans were narrowly beaten 2-1 at the Maracana Stadium on Sunday evening to see their Group F campaign start with a loss.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has insisted that a spate of injuries have not affected the team's preparations for the World Cup. Lars Bender and Marco Reus have both been ruled out of the tournament, while Neuer, Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger have all been battling minor problems since the end of the season.
France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has revealed that Paul Pogba was urged to calm down at half time during the team's win over Honduras. The 21-year-old midfielder was fortunate to escape with just a booking at the start of the match after kicking out at Wilson Palacios.
Xabi Alonso is confident of Spain returning to form for their clash against Chile on Wednesday. The defending champions were thrashed by the Netherlands 5-1 in their opening game, leaving them with a difficult task of getting out of Group B.
Croatian midfielder Luka Modric has been given a 'big chance' of being fit for his country's encounter with Cameroon on Wednesday. The 28-year-old suffered a foot injury during the Croatians' 3-1 defeat to Brazil last week.
Former United States captain Claudio Reyna believes that the nation can qualify for the knockout rounds of the World Cup. The USA, who are coached by ex-German international Jurgen Klinsmann, will have to take on Ghana, Germany and Portugal before possibly reaching the final 16 for a second successive time.
Brazil striker Hulk has claimed that he will be fit enough to face Mexico on Tuesday. The 27-year-old hobbled out of training on Wednesday after suffering a leg strain.
That's all from me for now, but I'm pleased to say that Darren Plant will be with you for the next couple of hours to take you through all of the latest news coming out of Brazil. Enjoy!
Nigeria make their first appearance at the 2014 finals against Iran this evening, and ahead of the fixture in Curitiba, coach Stephen Keshi is confident that the Super Eagles can get three points on the board to help their chances of avoiding finishing bottom of their group for the third time in a row.
Staying with Nigeria, striker Ejike Uzoenyi has spoken of his delight after being called up as a late replacement for the injured Elderson Echiejile. The 22-year-old had initially being dropped from the preliminary squad, but coach Stephen Keshi opted to draft him at the last minute.
Switzerland got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start on Sunday when they came from behind to defeat Ecuador. Their victory has resulted in expectations rising ahead of their fixture with France on Friday evening, but winger Xherdan Shaqiri is confident that his team, who are ranked in sixth place in he FIFA world rankings, can cope with the pressure.
Netherlands stunned the football world on Friday evening when they thrashed Spain by a 5-1 scoreline, and Louis van Gaal's outfit will be keen to book their place in the last 16 when they go up against Australia on Wednesday. From an Australian perspective, they need to avoid defeat to retain any hope of making the latter stages. We have taken a look at the encounter here.
England are just about to head out for a training session ahead of their match with Uruguay on Thursday. We will bring you any breaking developments from that, while a press conference will take place at the end of the session.
English official Howard Webb hasn't featured in the first 11 games of the tournament, and he won't be making his Brazil bow in the next 48 hours. The Premier League representative has missed out in FIFA's latest batch of appointments.
BREAKING NEWS! Winger Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain gives England a boost ahead of their fixture with Uruguay by making an appearance in training. The 20-year-old is still suffering the effects of a knee injury, but he featured alongside the rest of the squad before leaving to do some individual work. I'm sure that we will hear more about his ongoing recovery in the press conference that is coming up at 5pm.
We are just under 75 minutes away from the first match of the day between Germany and Portugal. The fixture could be a history-breaking one for striker Miroslav Klose, who is just one goal behind Ronaldo in the all-time list of goalscorers. The 36-year-old is only expected to be a substitute for Germany tonight, but he could have an impact during the final stages. We will provide full team news for that game as soon as we get it.
Going back to Nigeria again, coach Stephen Keshi has admitted that he fears the impact that his counterpart Carlos Queiroz could have on Iran as they prepare to try to cause a shock at the finals.
On that note, I will hand you back over to Jack Prescott, who will take you through the next couple of hours, where we will see Germany and Portugal make their first appearances in Brazil. That match has goals written all over it!
Hello again! Today's early kickoff promises to be a real cracker as Germany take on Portugal in Salvador. You can follow our live text coverage of that match here.
Germany: Neuer; Howedes, Hummels, Khedira, Ozil, Muller, Lahm, Mertesacker, Kroos, Gotze, Boateng
Portugal: Patricio; Alves, Pepe, Veloso, Coentrao, Ronaldo, Moutinho, Almeida, Meireles, Nani, Pereira
With kickoff just 45 minutes away, you can check out the full team news for Germany and Portugal here. Needless to say there is a dizzying amount of stars featuring for both sides this evening.
Robin van Persie has warned his Netherlands teammates not to get carried away by their 5-1 thrashing of Spain. The Dutch, who face Australia on Wednesday, got their campaign off to a flying start on Friday as they hammered the defending champions in Salvador.
Switzerland striker Haris Seferovic has dedicated his winning goal against Ecuador to his father. Seferovic found the net deep in stoppage time on Sunday as the Swiss came from behind to snatch the points in their opening game of the tournament.
France midfielder Yohan Cabaye has described the team's win over Honduras as "satisfying". Les Blues earned a comfortable 3-0 victory in their opening fixture on Sunday night as a Karim Benzema brace helped them come away with the points.
ONE MINUTE UNTIL KICKOFF! With the start of Germany's clash with Portugal approaching, here's a reminder that you can follow our live text coverage of the match here.
Uruguay have been given a boost ahead of their match against England with Luis Suarez taking part in full training. The striker, who has been struggling with a knee injury, was an unused substitute during the team's defeat to Costa Rica on the weekend.
Danny Welbeck has defended England teammate Wayne Rooney following criticism of the striker. Rooney's place in the side has been the subject of speculation after a subdued performance during Saturday's defeat to Italy.
More from the England camp now. Daniel Sturridge has insisted that the Three Lions will not just be focusing on Luis Suarez when they face Uruguay on Thursday. The striker is expected to feature for the South Americans in Sao Paulo after taking part in full training on Monday.
Well, it's been a crazy old half between Portugal and Germany. The Germans currently lead 3-0 at the break, while Portugal are down to 10 men after seeing Pepe sent off.
Thomas Muller has scored two goals for Germany either side of a powerful Mats Hummels header. If you're wondering how Pepe got sent off, it was his usual lack of discipline. You can read all about what happened during that half here. What a wild 45 minutes.
You have to say that Portugal will be looking to concede as few goals as possible now, but that is not going to be easy against a rampant Germany. Remember, we have live text updates from the match in Salvador, and you can follow them here.
Right, that's all from me for today but I am pleased to say that I'll now be handing you over to Pascal Lemesre, who will be guiding you through all of the latest news for the next couple of hours. Goodbye!
Thanks very much Jack. Second half in Salvador about to get underway and Portugal have been forced into a half-time change. Veloso off, Costa on to shore up the Pepe-less defence.
No goals as yet in the second half, with Mr Ronaldo becoming increasingly frustrated that he can't affect the game. Ozil has just gone off to be replaced by fellow Premier League player Schurrle. Follow the rest.
It gets WORSE for Portugal as Real Madrid left-back Fabio Coentrao pulls up and appears to have done his hamstring. He's now being stretchered off. What a nightmare afternoon for them! The other two teams, Ghana and USA, will now really fancy their chances of going through. They play later tonight in Natal at 11pm UK time.
After Spain's 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Netherlands on the second day of the tournament, Atletico Madrid's Koke has said that he hopes to feature in the next game against Chile.
Another injury in Salvador as Germany defender and goalscorer Mats Hummels is helped off the pitch.
GOAL! It's four in Salvador and a HAT-TRICK for Thomas Muller as he taps home from a couple of yards.
Full time in the Group G opener and what a win for the Germans! Click here to read our match report as Ronaldo's Portugal are thrashed 4-0.
BREAKING! Barcelona announce that they have reached an agreement with Sevilla for the transfer of Croatia's Ivan Rakitic:
Here's the full story on Rakitic's move to Barca.
The second game of the day takes place in Curitiba and although Iran versus Nigeria might not sound like a cracker, this World Cup has failed to disappoint so far! Follow our live text coverage here.
Some great pictures from the Germany-Portugal game over on our Twitter account. Make sure you're following us - @SportsMole!
Here's the team news for the upcoming game in Curitiba. We still haven't had a draw at the World Cup, remember!
Matt Domm breaks down the Germans' rout of Portugal with his match analysis.
Sports Mole launched a new video series today and you can watch me and three other members of the team discuss how the pre-tournament favourites - Brazil, Argentina and Spain - have fared so far by clicking here. Note: This was filmed before Germany tore apart Portugal!
Anyway, that's my time on the blog up. I'll be passing you over to Callum Mulvihill for the next couple of hours. Over to you, Cal...
It's kicked off in Curitiba. I'll be bringing you regular updates from that game, while we'll also be looking ahead to the meeting between the USA and Ghana later tonight. The action just keeps on coming!
Belgium, considered by many to be the dark horses of the tournament, get their campaign started against Algeria tomorrow, and Vincent Kompany insists their preparation has been perfect.
It's still 0-0 between Iran and Nigeria, with just over 15 minutes remaining in the first half. The African champions are certainly on top, but there's been a lack of quality so far in the final third of the pitch.
HALF TIME: The first half has ended goalless in Curitiba. Nigeria controlled possession for long periods, but there were signs of improvement from Iran. Both of these sides will feel that they must start their campaign with a victory. Will we see a winner in the second half?
No changes from either manager at the break. Nigeria certainly look the superior side on paper, but this World Cup has already warned us to expect the unexpected. A famous win for Iran could be on the cards. Let's hope for some better action in the second half.
Were you one of the few confused by goal-line technology as France beat Honduras last night? Unless you were in the stadium, probably not. However, FIFA are keen to avoid a similar incident after confirming they will change the way replays are shown of the technology in use.
Perhaps we've been too lucky with all of these thrilling matches we've seen so far, because Nigeria and Iran are struggling to put on a classic in Curitiba. Iran are growing in confidence, but can someone produce a moment of quality to earn the victory?
Less than 10 minutes remaining in the Group F meeting. Still no goals, and clear chances are a rarity for both sides. Neither Argentina or Bosnia and Herzegovina will be too concerned about what they're seeing from their rivals.
FULL TIME: It's all over. Iran will be pretty happy with a draw, but remain big underdogs to go through from Group F. The Nigerian supporters inside the ground are far from happy. Not a great start fro Stephen Keshi's men.
If you missed it earlier, Portugal started their campaign with a 4-0 defeat to Germany. Paulo Bento has had his say about the match, and it's fair to say Portugal's coach is not happy with referee Milorad Mazic, claiming the Serbian was biased towards the Germans.
The teams are in ahead of tonight's final match. No Michael Essien or Kevin-Prince Boateng for Ghana.
USA STARTING XI: Howard; Johnson, Cameron, Besler, Beasley, Beckerman; Jones, Bradley, Bedoya, Dempsey; Altidore
GHANA STARTING XI: Kwarasey; Opare, Mensah, Boye, Asamoah; A.Ayew, Rabiu, Muntari, Atsu, J.Ayew; Gyan
Ghana excited us all with their thrilling displays in South Africa four years ago before being knocked out by Uruguay. Can we expect the same from them? There's certainly plenty of quality in the team, but it could be a tough night against the Americans. In a fiercely competitive Group G, a victory for either team is crucial.
Paul Gorst has taken a closer look at the first draw of the tournament, and compiled some analysis from the stalemate between Iran and Nigeria. Make sure you have a read before Ghana vs. USA begins.
The action in Natal is just a few moments away. Alex Meyers will be here to take you through the next few hours as another day comes to an end in Brazil.
Good evening everyone! Well, if you're just joining us then we're off to a flyer in today's latest match as Clint Dempsey has given the USA an early lead. He showed great skill to come into the box and fired a low strike past the keeper.
How about this confidence. Arturo Vidal believes that Chile can win the World Cup this summer. His country play Spain later this week, who will surely be reeling from their hammering by the Netherlands last week.
Confirmation that Dempsey scored America's goal in just 29 seconds! It really was a blistering start which is in stark contrast to the earlier goalless draw between Iran and Nigeria.
Bad news for Jozy Altidore, it looks like the striker's World Cup is over after he pulled up with a hamstring injury. That is a cruel blow for a man who only recently rediscovered his goalscoring touch in his country's warm-up matches.
Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella has hailed Messi as the best player in the world following his performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 26-year-old scored one of the goals of the World Cup so far as the South Americans got their tournament off to the perfect start.
Here's a look at the goal that has separated the sides in Natal this evening. Dempsey has now scored in three World Cups, with two of those goals coming against the Ghanaians!
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A rather strange story now and Niko Kovac has threatened a media silence from his Croatia players for the duration of the World Cup, in protest of nude photos leaked by the press.
Images of some of the Croatia squad bathing in their hotel were taken by photographers hiding in nearby bushes and were subsequently picked up by reporters and published online.
HALF-TIME The first 45 minutes has ended in Natal and Dempsey's goal has given America a precious lead over Ghana. You can read our half-time report on the all the action that has happened so far.
That strike from Dempsey was his 36th goal for the USA national side. He really has been a key player for them over the years and always seems to deliver on the big occasion. Manager Jurgen Klinsmann said that his team had no chance of winning the World Cup last week, but if they hold on and win this match, then surely some Americans will be dreaming tonight!
We are back underway as Ghana try to get back on level terms against the USA. American president Barack Obama has also been cheering on his country and posted this message to his Twitter account earlier this evening.
Nigeria manager Stephen Keshi has admitted that his players suffered from nerves in their opening World Cup match against Iran. You can find out what my colleague Paul Gorst thought of the match, with his player ratings.
Back to the game that is currently underway and I can tell you that Ghana are looking dangerous. Muntari has fired a long-range effort just wide, while Gyan has seen a powerful header go just wide of the post. Do remember that you can stay up to date with all of the action through our live commentary.
Iran manager Carlos Queiroz has said that he is very happy following his side's goalless draw against Nigeria. It was the first game that finished level in the tournament, but it gives the Asian nation hope ahead of their clash with Argentina on Saturday.
Daniel Sturridge has insisted that he would never bend the rules in order to guarantee a victory for England. At the last World Cup, his Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez handled on the goalline to prevent Ghana from equalising in their quarter-final match, with Asamoah Gyan missing the resulting penalty to see Uruguay progress.
GOAL! GOAL! Ghana have drawn level with eight minutes left to play thanks to a strike from Andre Ayew! He was set up by a brilliant back-hell from Asamoah Gyan, before firing a powerful effort past Tim Howard. We could be in for some finish!
GOAL TO USA! Wow, what an end we have here! Just moment after letting their lead slip, John Brooks might have scored the winning for for the Americans, with a thumping header from a corner. We are into the final three minutes now, but surely there's no time for any more drama?
FULL-TIME: It's all over at the Estadio das Dunas in Natal, where the USA have beaten Ghana thanks to a late header from John Brooks. It was a wonderful game of football that was very much welcomed following the earlier goalless draw between Nigeria and Iran.
Here's our match report on all the action. What a win for the USA. It has lifted them level on three points with Germany in Group G. It should be some occasion when they face Portugal on Sunday!
Just a few words on the USA match-winner John Brooks. The 21-year-old was actually born in Germany and made one appearance for their Under-20 team. He plays his club football for Hertha Berlin and will be very familiar with his opponents in the Americans' final group match.
We've got reaction, analysis and player ratings from that match to come, but it has been another entertaining day in the life of Mario Balotelli. As well as breaking English hearts in the tournament over the weekend, it looks like the AC Milan forward has been busy completing his Panini sticker album. He is certainly not short on confidence by naming a squad full of Mario's, but surely he could have found a place for the brilliant Andrea Pirlo?
USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann has described his side's 2-1 victory over Ghana as wonderful.
"I said to the bench a few minutes before our winner we are going to get some chances, we need to push and grind it out," he told reporters. "We trained over and over on set pieces and it was well deserved. We have a great spirit and fight until the last minute.
It's been another eventful day in the World Cup, but let's take a look at what fixtures we will be watching next, with the hosts Brazil taking on Mexico in what looks like a mouth-watering encounter.
5pm Belgium vs. Algeria
8pm Brazil vs. Mexico
11pm Russia vs. South Korea
Well, that's all we've got time for today. Thank you for joining us for some truly memorable games. Germany showed just why they are considered among the favourites to lift the cup on July 13, while the United States snatched a precious three points against Ghana. Remember you can catch live commentary of all the games tomorrow right here at Sports Mole. Until then, goodnight!
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