I always think of this video whenever I watch Italy play
Danielle De Rossi's acting job against New Zealand today to sell a penalty kick was one of the most blatant dives I've ever seen, and the resulting PK goal prevented the Kiwis from the upset of the century. The 1-1 draw is still a huge result for the Kiwis and a huge embarrassment for the Azzurri. If it wasn't for France and England, they'd be the biggest disappointment in the tournament.
On the other side of the draw, South American teams have been awesome, with no losses and all five CONMEBOL teams set up to advance to the knockout stage. Paraguay and Brazil both won today, which added to earlier wins by Chile and Argentina to make South America the strongest continent in the World Cup. African teams haven't been quite as successful, with only one win (by Ghana) and a possible shutout from the final 16.
But New Zealand has to be the surprise success of the tournament, with two ties in two games including one against Italy today. No matter what happens in the final game, the All Whites have shown that they belong on the international stage.
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