The World Cup continued yesterday with a thrilling showcase between England and Italy, with the Azzurri coming out on top 2-1 after a goal from Mario Balotelli shortly after halftime. England's offense was sharp, but their defense proved to be their downfall as they allowed Italy to control the tone throughout. Elsewhere, Costa Rica cruised to a 3-1 win over Uruguay despite holding only 46% of possessions. Colombia put a 3-0 pounding on Greece which was extended with a last-minute goal from James Rodríguez, while Ivory Coast handled Japan 2-0. If you've been having trouble keeping up with who's wearing what on the pitch, hit the gallery above for a rundown of yesterday's best boots and keep it locked here for continued cleat coverage from the World Cup.
Riley Jones is a freelance writer from Charlottesville, VA and a contributor to Sneaker Report. With an unshakable affinity for basketball and all things pop culture, he can be found on Twitter @rchrstphr.
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Gervinho Goes to Work in the Mercurial Superfly
Shoe: Nike Mercurial Superfly
Player: Gervinho
Game: Ivory Coast vs. Japan
Key Stat: Goal at 66'
$275
Claudio Marchisio Gets Italy on the Board in the Mercurial Superfly
Shoe: Nike Mercurial Superfly
Player: Claudio Marchisio
Game: England vs. Italy
Key Stat: Goal at 35'
$275
Wilfried Bony Keeps Ivory Coast Alive in the Mercurial Vapor X
Shoe: Nike Mercurial Vapor X
Player: Wilfried Bony
Game: Ivory Coast vs. Japan
Key Stat: Goal at 64'
$200
Pablo Armero Comes out of the Gate Swinging in the Predator Instinct
Shoe: adidas Predator Instinct
Player: Pablo Armero
Game: Columbia vs. Greece
Key Stat: Goal at 5'
$220
Oscar Duarte Does Damage in the F50 Adizero
Shoe: adidas F50 Adizero
Player: Oscar Duarte
Game: Costa Rica vs. Uruguay
Key Stat: Goal at 57'
$220
Balotelli Seals Win for Italy in the Puma evoPOWER 1
Shoe: Puma evoPOWER 1 FG Tricks
Player: Mario Balotelli
Game: Italy vs. England
Key Stat: Goal at 50'
Marco Urena Dazzles in the Mercurial Superfly
Shoe: Nike Mercurial Superfly
Player: Marco Urena
Game: Costa Rica vs. Uruguay
Key Stat: Goal at 84'
$275
Joel Campbell Sparks Costa Rica in the Mercurial Superfly
Shoe: Nike Mercurial Superfly
Player: Joel Campbell
Game: Costa Rica vs. Uruguay
Key Stat: Goal at 54'
$275