They were sent parking after putting up low-par performances.

The first phase of the 2014 World Cup has ended with 96 matches played and 136 goals scored.  While more goals have been scored in the first phase of the competition than any other edition since 1970, some favourites of the tournament have been butted out to the surprise of soccer pundits and dismay of their fans.

First amongst them is Spain. The star studded team and out going World Cup champion failed to meet up to expectations. After receiving a thorough 1-5 football lesson from the Netherlands on their first outing, The Spaniard did not recover in time during their second day of play as they were humbled again by Chile 0-2.

The second defeat was the error they were not supposed to commit because, it did not only send them parking, but exposed the frailty of the team. On the last day of play, they fought back vividly to grab three honorable points by defeating Australia 3-0. Most sports pundits have attributed their poor performance to tiredness because most of the players are regular in their teams. Their departure brought to three the number of World Cup Champions from Europe eliminated at the first phase of the competition.

England was the second favourite on the heels of Spain to journey home. The English despite having one of the best leagues in the World, failed woefully to produce a befitting team. Under the auspices of Roy Hodgson, the squad made mostly of English based players conceded more than they scored.

Youthfulness has been blamed for the early exit of the team having attained the quarter, finals in 2006 and knock-out stage in 2010. Thus, after three matches, The Three Lions balance sheet stood at 2 goals scored and 3 conceded.

Despite Cesare Prandelli’s blend of old and young talents, Italy failed to move to the knock-out stage. After scoring a 2-1 victory over England, the Italians went to slumber. They were surprised by Costa Rica and Uruguay with a 0-1 score on their second and last day of play respectively. The elimination of the Italians is not a surprise to many.

Since the team lifted the World Cup trophy in 2006, it has been marred by internal squabbles. In 2010, they left the competition at the round of sixteen. This year immediately after the team’s elimination, the head coach announced his resignation before the team even returned home.

The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal from the competition was another major surprise of the tournament. After receiving 0-4 bashing from Germany on the first day, the Portuguese tried fruitlessly to score a victory against the United States, but were held to a zero all score. Though they did score a 2-1 victory against Ghana on their last outing, they were eliminated on the goal difference rule.

Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo who has been outstanding, the team played without any coordination. Of recent, Portugal’s performance at the World scene has considerably degraded. From fourth place during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, to two-straight eliminations at group stage.