Final Scoreline for Match 47:




The last two matches of the Group stage of WC 2014 proved to be decisive, and dependent on each other's results as well.

Russia started off in spectacular fashion. Attacking right from the outset, they were quickly ahead 1-0 in the 6th minute itself. The scoreline stayed the same till the half-time whistle, although Algeria had turned aggressor by then. The only all-muslim team in the WC, they were rewarded for their persistence when Slimani headed in the equaliser in the 60th minute.

Russia squandered a lot of chances to take the lead and seal the game, and in the end, the drawn tie ensured Algeria of a spot in the Round of 16, for the first time in their soccer history.

Not like it will be easy for them in that eliminator, because they go on to face Germany.


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Final Scoreline for Match 48:




The Belgians seem to have come into WC 2014 with one basic rule - do just about enough to ensure a win in all matches. It reflects in all their 3 matches they have played so far. Defending with their teeth, and scoring late second-half goals have proved to be fruitful for them, and although they have full 9 points from 3 wins, they have been the least impressive among all the Round of 16 qualifiers.

Korea needed a big win in their final match, but odds were against them specially when facing formidable unbeaten opponents. And Belgium's golden rule came to the fore again - a late second-half goal by Vertonghen sealed the win, and sent Korea out of the WC.

Belgium move into the Round of 16 stage, where they meet USA.

The Group Stage is over, and there have been some remarkable results. Some of the heavyweight contenders have been knocked out, while some pretenders and outside-chancers have advanced on.

Specially for 2 teams, their heavy losses in their respective openers proved to be their downfall from the tournament - Spain losing 1-5 to the Netherlands, a result from which they could never recover, and Portugal losing 0-4 to Germany, which stacked up all the odds against them.

One team which made a remarkable comeback even after losing it's first match was Uruguay, whose final match has become notorious for a really bad, unsavory incident.

Anyway, here's a look at how the favorites fared:-

KNOCKED OUT IN THE GROUP STAGE

Spain - You would think that the defending champions would start off as real favorites, but as if there was some seething revenge planted in the collective Netherlands' minds (who had lost the 2010 WC Final to the Spaniards), they got a real drubbing in their opening fixture itself. And when they went down 0-2 to Chile, it was all over. A consolation win against Australia did nothing to their cause in the end. 1 win, 2 losses.

Portugal - With arguably the second-best soccer player in the world in their ranks in Cristiano Ronaldo, you would think that Portugal were real contenders for the title. Instead, the rest of the team played mediocre soccer and even the fighting-for-fitness Ronaldo could do little for their cause. A heavy defeat against Germany in the opening fixture, followed by a surprising tied draw against the USA, all but sealed their chances. They needed to win really big in their last match to have any hope, but even that didn't happen. A close 2-1 win against Ghana wasn't solace enough. 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.

Italy - The Azurri had lifted the WC in 2006, and came in with mixed reactions - their overtly defensive play received criticism from some quarters, while their late finishes were the stuff legends were made of. They started well by beating England 2-1, but the surprise moment came when they went 0-1 down to Costa Rica. Needing to win in their last fixture against Uruguay, they were literally bitten out of the reckoning - a solitary Uruguayan goal and a chunk of Luis Suarez teeth ensured that the Italians caught an angry flight home. 1 win, 2 losses.

England - The side with one of the best domestic cup competitions in Europe in the English Premier League, couldn't do their chances a lot of good. Much was dependent on their defense and Wayne Rooney, and neither delivered while it mattered the most. Incurring a loss in their opener against Italy, they lost to Uruguay 2-1 in Luis Suarez's comeback game, and when they needed a win to have any hope, Costa Rica held on to a fighting 0-0 draw for them. Promised too much, delivered too little. 1 draw, 2 losses.

Other KOed teams who fared adequately -

Ecuador (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss),
Ivory Coast (1 win, 2 losses),
Croatia (1 win, 2 losses),
Bosnia & Herzegovina (1 win, 2 losses).

Rest of the KOed teams and their performances -

Russia: 2 draws, 1 loss,
Ghana: 1 draw, 2 losses,
Korea Republic: 1 draw, 2 losses,
Iran: 1 draw, 2 losses,
Japan: 1 draw, 2 losses,
Australia: 3 losses,
Cameroon: 3 losses,
Honduras: 3 losses.


this is how the Round of 16 Eliminators stacks up:


Round Of 16


Match 49: [28/06/2014] BRAZIL (A1) - CHILE (B2)

Match 50: [28/06/2014] COLOMBIA (C1) - URUGUAY (D2)

Match 51: [29/06/2014] THE NETHERLANDS (B1) - MEXICO (A2)

Match 52: [29/06/2014] COSTA RICA (D1) - GREECE (C2)

Match 53: [30/06/2014] FRANCE (E1) - NIGERIA (F2)

Match 54: [30/06/2014] GERMANY (G1) - ALGERIA (H2)

Match 55: [01/07/2014] ARGENTINA (F1) - SWITZERLAND (E2)

Match 56: [01/07/2014] BELGIUM (H1) - USA (G2)


PREDICTIONS:

#49 - Brazil seem to be the favorites, but don't count the Chileans just yet. They are quite capable of springing a surprise upset (remember they beat Spain, the defending champions). Still, one would favor Brazil here.

#50 - In Greece, Ivory Coast & Japan, Colombia haven't been really tested yet. But can the buoyed Uruguayan team, minus Luis Suarez who has been banned due to the biting incident in the last match, overcome them? Will Cavani & Forlan shrug off indifferent form and be inspiring? Should be a evenly contested, keen-for-win match. No predictions just yet.

#51 - The Netherlands are in red-hot form, and trust them to make short work of Mexico. Odds stacked with the Dutchmen in this one.

#52 - Greece just about squeezed through by beating Ivory Coast in their last encounter. But that will be tough to keep the high-flying Costa Ricans away. Despite the draw against England, Costa Rica have delivered when it matters the most (Uruguay & Italy would know). Costa Rica edging ahead in this.

#53 - France too are in heavy-duty form. Heavy wins against the Swiss and Honduras have been keeping their flags flying high. Despite the dull draw against Ecuador in their final encounter, France would be looking forward to making short work of the Nigerians, who haven't been too impressive in their way in. France all the way here.

#54 - The other team who started in spectacular fashion but have gone off the boil for a bit - Germany - would be looking forward to this encounter with relish. First-timers Algeria don't seem like they can match the Germans punch-for-punch, specially when it comes to KO games. Germany ahead in this.

#55 - THE match of the Round of 16, IMO. The Swiss have shown some remarkable promise in their matches, specially in their last one where their striker Shaqiri got a hat-trick of goals. Argentina haven't been TOO convincing in their wins, with Messi magic leading from the front and propelling them forward, and Di Maria, Higuain & Mascherano looking very promising in their last game against Nigeria. Their defense still needs tightening up, and unless they do so, the Swiss just might spring a real surprising upset here. 60-40 in Argentina's favor here.

#56 - Belgium's been doing "just enough" to win till now, with a single goal difference in all their three matches. The USA have promised much in all their 3 games, drawing with Portugal and stretching Germany to the distance. Should be a great encounter with the US attacking and Belgium tightening their defense. Again, 60-40 in Belgium's favor.


If results go as predicted, we are looking at a humdinger of a match in the Quarter-Finals stage itself -
GERMANY taking on FRANCE.


Let's see how the Round of 16 unfolds (from tomorrow night), and which teams go through.

Final Scoreline for Match 49 (Round of 16 #1):




What...a...match!

And what a beginning to the Round of 16 knockouts! Hats off to Chile for stretching the pre-tournament favorites all the way to the distance into a penalty shootout. This from a team who have never gone the distance in a WC match, specially extra time and penalty shootouts, and have lost 9 out of their last 10 encounters against Brazil.

When David Luiz fired in the first goal for Brazil in the 18th minute itself, it looked like Brazil would be dominating the entire match. Instead, Chile got a stranglehold on the match and started to squeeze the free-flowing play of Brazil, and got the equaliser through a nonchalant tap by Sanchez. First half ended 1-1, with promise of plenty of goals to come.

But the second half in almost all it's entirety belonged to Chile. They dominated possession and starved Brazil of the ball and chances at goal. Brazil came close to scoring twice, but Jo missed an easy chance to tap the goal in and Hulk's nicely finished "goal" was deemed a handball by the referee, which replays suggested was a legitimate goal.

Kudos to Cesar for keeping a thundering header out as well, else Chile might have gone 2-1 up.

Full time ended at 1-1, and both teams looked tired by then. The extra time halves yielded no goals, and after 120 minutes of play, the score stayed 1-1. And it was time for the first penalty shootout of World Cup 2014.

David Luiz netted the first shot easily in, Brazil went ahead 1-0.
Cesar blocked Chile's first shot from Pinilla, and it stayed 1-0 Brazil.
Brazil's 2nd shot went wide. 1-0 Brazil.
Cesar saved Chile's 2nd shot! 1-0 Brazil.
Marcelo, Brazil's 3rd shot, shoots in. 2-0 Brazil.
Chile's 3rd went in as well. 2-1 Brazil.
4th shot was taken by Hulk, and saved. 2-1 Brazil.
Chile's Diaz coolly slotted their 4th in. 2-2 draw and sudden death time...
Neymar thundered the 5th shot in. 3-2 Brazil.
Chile's Gonzalo Jara shoots and beats Cesar all ends up, but his shot hits the right bar!!

BRAZIL END UP WINNING 3-2 ON PENALTIES!!

Chile, despite their valiant efforts and superlative show, are out. Brownie points to them for putting up such a fight.

Brazil still don't look convincing enough. Their defense and their possession of ball play still needs a lot of improvement. An attacking team like Netherlands, France or Germany can still beat them, if they don't tighten up certain aspects of their game.

Either way, Brazil are the first team to enter the Round of 8 - the Quarter-Finals. They will now await the winner of the Colombia vs Uruguay match.

Final Scoreline for Match 50 (Round of 16 #2):




The soccer world has found a new superstar - Colombia's James (pronounced Ham-esh) Rodriguez. What a fantastic young talent he is! You just have to watch his shot to score the first goal in the 28th minute to see the spark of talent the kid carries - the cross to him was deftly bounced off his chest, and as the ball fell towards his left foot, he unleashed an audacious thundering curler which had the Uruguayan keeper, Muslera, completely beaten. It hit the underside of the post and thundered into the nets, and at that moment, a brand-new soccer superstar was born. He has already scored 3 goals coming into this match (out of Colombia's 10 in the group stages), and now he went past Neymar, Messi & Muller to be the tournament's leading scorer with 5. A strong contender for player of the tournament, this kid.

As for Uruguay, the question of how they will fare without Luis Suarez was answered last night. They were completely at sea, and even the multi-million dollar man, Edison Cavani, did little for their chances. It's only befitting that the better team went through, and through that piece of young brilliance, it was Colombia in the end.

Round of 8 match promises to be a cracker - Rodriguez's young, raw talent will be tested against Brazil.

Final Scoreline for Match 51 (Round of 16 #3):




What a cracker of a match!!

Until the 87th minute, which is just 3 minutes away from full time, Mexico were looking at a real upset win and securing a spot in the Last 8 Quarter-Final stage, their last one being in the 1986 WC. But what a turn the events took in the following 9 minutes!!

Netherlands never looked a threat, nor in their stride, all through those first 75-odd minutes. Maybe the hot, humid afternoon was getting badly to them (there were two 3-minute Cooling Breaks in either half at the 30-minute mark, it was THAT hot). It was Mexico who was clearly the better team, in terms of possession, passing and attacks, and they came close to scoring more than once all through the first half, which had ended 0-0. Van Persie, Robben & Sneijder, the golden Dutch trio, were not allowed to even sniff the ball by the strong Mexican defense and midfielders. And when Giovani Dos Santos planted one in the Dutch net in the first few minutes of the second half, it suddenly looked tough for the Dutchmen. After all, this was the team which had held the free-flowing Brazilians to a 0-0 full-time draw.

Up until the 75th minute, things didn't look even remotely in the Netherlands' favor. Then they started pressing forward a lot more, and desperation started to creep in once the 80th minute ticked over. And the continuous persistence paid off big-time when a perfectly timed cross found Wesley Sneijder's left foot and a narrow tunnel through the Mexican defense. The resulting thunderbolt left everyone flat-footed, including Ochoa, the heroic Mexican goalkeeper, who had kept quite a few shots out till then. Surely, one of the best and most critical goals of WC 2014 so far.

It was 1-1 when added time started after the 90th minute (6 minutes were to be added), and a lapse in defensive formation saw Robben run through into the box, where he tripped on the long leg of the Mexican skipper. The referee immediately awarded the penalty kick to the Dutch, much to the chagrin and protests of the Mexican players, one of whom was slapped with a yellow card. Klaus Van Huntelaar came through to take the penalty kick hit, and he scored through one of the perfect penalty kicks you can ever hope to see.

2-1 to the Netherlands in the dying minutes, and that's what it stayed when the long whistle blew. Absolute heart-break for the Mexicans, who did everything for almost the whole duration of the match. But as they say, sheer class needs only a moment to stamp it's authority, and that's what the Dutch and Sneijder did.

87 minutes of Mexico, and 9 minutes of Netherlands. Just about enough. Viva Oranje!

Final Scoreline for Match 52 (Round of 16 #4):




Well, the first half had ended 0-0 and that was when I went to bed, so all the action happened in the 2nd half.

As is evident, Costa Rica went ahead in the 52nd minute, and hung on to that lead till full time was almost over to guarantee them the win, until Greece got the equaliser 1 minute into added time. The extra time didn't yield further goals which meant it was to be decided by penalty shootout. Costa Rica fired all their 5 shots into goal, and when Greece missed one, Costa Rica were through.

They now go ahead to face the Netherlands.

Final Scoreline for Match 53 (Round of 16 #5):




Despite the scoreline, France clearly underwhelmed throughout the entire match. There were several defensive lapses by Nigeria, but none were taken advantage of by the once free-flowing French who have clearly gone off the boil in their last couple of matches.

It took almost 80 minutes for them to find the nets, specially after being dominated for the most part of the first half by the African champions, and it was a special effort by Pogba. Karim Benzema came close to scoring at least twice, but was thwarted both times by Nigeria's fantastic keeper, Enyema, who pulled off 2 of the best saves in WC 2014 so far. The pursuit of the equaliser in the final 10 minutes + added time got a real jolt when Joseph Yobo's leg diverted the ball into his own goal, and the scoreline went beyond Nigeria's comeback efforts.

But overall, not as dominating a performance as France would have hoped to show. They need to improve a LOT in their Round of 8 encounter, specially if it's against Germany.

Final Scoreline for Match 54 (Round of 16 #6):




Another example of a heavyweight team gone off the boil and stretched to the distance by a comparatively weaker team. Algeria were first-timers, as far as Round of 16 was concerned, but they gave their reputation a real boost by stretching one of the favorites all the way through the Extra Time.

The half-time and full-time score was 0-0, despite some real challenging attacks by both teams. Algeria looked the aggressor all through the first half, with Slimani building up plenty of chances, while Germany put their foot down in the second. Neither team could convert any of their chances until the 90 minutes ran out though. The 2nd minute of Extra Time saw Germany slot one in and it looked to be enough, but in the final minute of the 2nd half of Extra Time Mesut Ozil thundered a second goal which all but sealed the win. Algeria got one back in added time but with seconds left till the whistle, it clearly wasn't enough.

Again, a pretender team has stretched a favorite to the distance. Either the less-fancy teams have upped their game, or the favorites have seriously lost the punch.

Either way, we have our dream Quarter-Final now - it will be Germany taking on France.

I've a strong feeling that this European heavyweights just played the 2nd round at the interest of the gamblers! ::mad::

Final Scoreline for Match 55 (Round of 16 #7):




Either the heavyweights are really playing ultra-safe soccer or have seriously gone off the boil, or the lesser teams have really, really upped the game. Hats off to the Swiss for holding out till almost Penalty Shootout time, and it was again absolute heartbreak for yet another team after playing their heart out for the entire duration of the match.

The Swiss attacked and were clearly the aggressor team all through the first half, and although Argentina turned real deadly in the second half, they were denied goals by some expert goal-keeping by the Swiss keeper. Messi, Di Maria and company were relentless, but the Swiss defense + keeper held on strongly. Full time ended 0-0, and Extra Time was almost over, when a sudden burst of Lionel Messi magic had the Swiss defense beaten, and his perfect cross to Di Maria saw the latter neatly evade the keeper and slot the ball home.

1-0, with 2 minutes + injury time remaining. A moment which Di Maria would savor his entire life, and which caused such a shattering sound of Swiss hearts collectively breaking that you could almost hear it.

Argentina win, and move into the Round of 8. Deservedly? Maybe. Impressive? Nope.

Final Scoreline for Match 56 (Round of 16 #8):




And even the final Round of 16 match gets stretched to the distance. The more fancy team couldn't score all through normal time, and again it was the lesser team which impressed more. Extra Time is where all the real action happened. I was asleep so can't speak about the details, but it was substitute Lukaku who had a hand in both goals, according to reports. Coming in the 91st minute in place of Origi, he first set up De Bruyne's scoring opportunity, and then thundered one in himself. USA's Green volleyed one in merely 2 minutes later, but the US couldn't find an equaliser in the remaining time.

Hold your head high, USA. You played brilliantly till your exit. As for Belgium, they advance on and bump into Argentina in the Round of 8.

Quarter - Finals

57: [04/07/2014] BRAZIL (W#49) - COLOMBIA (W#50)
58: [04/07/2014] FRANCE (W#53) - GERMANY (W#54)
59: [05/07/2014] NETHERLANDS (W#51) - COSTA RICA (W#52)
60: [05/07/2014] ARGENTINA (W#55) - BELGIUM (W#56)


The Quarter-Finals, or the Round of 8 as they are more popularly known, kick off from tonight. None of the heavyweight teams have shown a glimpse in the Round of 16 that they will be walking off with the biggest prize in the history of soccer. TBH, the patchy form that some of the favorites have shown, after their tremendous opening wins, has been a cause for worry, both for fans and for team managements alike.

BRAZIL - Have seriously gone off the boil. Barely scraped through via the Penalty Shootout against Chile. Face formidable opponents in in-form James Rodriguez and Colombia. History favors the host team but don't be surprised if Colombia pull off an upset win against them. Should be a cracker!

COLOMBIA - In James Rodriguez, they have found the next real superstar of world soccer. Leading the field in the number of goals scored + possibly the goal of the tournament (so far), he has been a real driving force and inspiration behind the team's tremendous success. Besides, Colombia is the only team who has won convincingly in their Round of 16 match (2-0 over Uruguay). Kickass match in the making!

THE NETHERLANDS - Started off in blazing form, decimating Spain in their opening encounter. A close encounter with Australia, followed by a convincing win over Chile meant they were the THE team to follow in the knockout stages. Unfortunately for them, Mexico dominated almost 95% of the match, and only a late surge in the final 8-9 minutes saw them scrape past the Central American team. Still a pretty formidable force, but will be tested when they take on a buoyed-up Costa Rica.

COSTA RICA - A convincing win over Uruguay, an upset win over the Azurri, but were held to a goalless draw against England. Yet they were good enough in the Penalty Shootout to hold off Greece and book a Round of 8 berth. Could be the least favored team in this bunch right now, since they take on the Oranje giants.

FRANCE - Another team which started in thumping fashion (3-0 & 5-2 wins), but went off the radars when they were held to a goalless draw against lowly Ecuador. The Round of 16 encounter against Nigeria wasn't convincing either, despite the 2-0 result. Fans would be really hoping that Karim Benzema, Pogba & co. perform when it really matters the most - against the Germans. THE match to watch out for.

GERMANY - Coming into the tournament as THE favorites to lift the WC 2014 title, they also started in tremendous fashion by pulverising Portugal 4-0. But a 2-2 draw against Ghana and a tough 1-0 win over the USA meant they were off the boil also. Round of 16 opponents Algeria stretched them to the maximum, but eventually they scraped through. How will they perform against the dynamic French? Tonight we shall find out. DYNAMITE of a match, this!

ARGENTINA - Always the sentimental favorite among fans for all WCs till now, they have promised plenty but have delivered averagely. Even Lionel Messi, arguably the best soccer player in the world right now, couldn't inspire them enough through the group stages. All 4 matches have produced tough wins, and this should be indication enough that they need to tighten up a LOT. The Round of 8 encounter against Belgium will be a real tester. Number 3 in the must-watch list of matches.

BELGIUM - Arguably the least impressive team of the lot (behind Costa Rica, even), they have done just about enough to keep going. Like Argentina, they will need to really produce the goods when it matters the most, because the South American team has the uncanny knack of producing quality football when it matters the most. Still, Marc Wilmots' team will take heart from the fact that their opponents still haven't peaked yet. Should be a good match.


In order of watchability,

#1 - FRANCE vs GERMANY - Cracker. Not taking any sides here.
#2 - BRAZIL vs COLOMBIA - Cracker again. Slightly favoring Colombia.
#3 - ARGENTINA vs BELGIUM - Close one. Going with Argentina.
#4 - NETHERLANDS vs COSTA RICA - Could be a goal-ridden match. Money's on Netherlands.

Final Scoreline for Match 57 (ROUND OF 8 #1):




Entertaining game. Germany went ahead in the 13th minute through a serious defensive lapse by France and Hummels headed one in, and even though France tried their best to equalise all through the next half an hour, the score stayed 1-0 at half-time. The resumption of play saw a clear foul by Schweinsteiger in the box, which should have been awarded a penalty kick for France, but quite obviously the referee didn't spot it, despite the appeals by all French players. Schweinsteiger was involved in quite a few unnecessary body tackles, and got away with just a yellow card.

Attacking substitutions in the second half didn't help their cause much either, and even with Remy and Giroud on the field, they couldn't find the equaliser till the end of added time between them and Benzema, whose last ditch effort in the final minute was handed out by Neuer, the German keeper, who made 2 great saves to keep France out.

Germany go through to the Semi-Finals yet again, their 4th advance in the last 4 World Cups. France bow out, but with their heads held high. They gave it their best shot, but came up short in the end.

Final Scoreline for Match 58 (ROUND OF 8 #2):




Fast, furious and frenetic - just the way me (and most soccer fans) love their football! Two relentless, aggressive and uber-attacking teams at each other, made for some spectacular viewing.

Brazil really upped their game for this match, after the disappointing show in the previous game against Chile. They attacked all through both halves, and captain Thiago Silva took them ahead in the 7th minute itself, converting a Neymar corner kick "accidentally" into a surprise goal. Brazil's skipper was booked in the second half as well, and with the yellow card booking he was already carrying, will now miss the semi-final clash against Germany.

David Luiz's superb long range free kick curled away from the Colombian keeper to thunder into the nets in the 69th minute, and Brazil were up 2-0. Colombia had to do something and fast, but most of James Rodriguez's superb passes ultimately died down, with almost no support from other players. A foul by Brazil's keeper Cesar ensured a penalty kick in the 80th minute which was duly converted, but Colombia just couldn't find another goal to equalise in the next 15 minutes (including 5 minutes of added time).

Brazil were dealt another severe blow in the 88th minute as well. A high knee to the back of Neymar saw the master player go down in agonising pain, and was immediately stretched off the field. Subsequent off-field news is that he has broken a vertebrae, and will miss the rest of WC 2014. A huge, huge blow to Brazil's chances.

Colombia were excellent so far, but simply not good enough when it mattered the most. Brazil now go on to meet Germany in the semi-finals, but now minus Thiago Silva & Neymar, and will require plenty of inspiration and effort to give the Germans a run for their money.

Final Scoreline for Match 59 (ROUND OF 8 #3):




It had to happen. The predominantly defensive play by Belgium would turn and bite them in the butt, and it did just that.

Trailing 0-1 by the 8th minute itself when Gonzalo Higuain produced one of the best volleys seen in WC 2014 to take Argentina into the lead, the Belgians tried their best but were never in the race. Argentina were free-flowing and aggressive, and most parts of the match went with Belgium continuously hanging on to their defenses. Romelo Lukaku was introduced around the 60th minute, but he should have been a part of the starting eleven if Belgium had to have any chance against attacking play. As things stood, even their best 2 playmakers - Hazard and Lukaku - found the going tough. Couple of near-misses followed, but no cigar for Belgium.

Improvement was needed, specially against formidable opponents such as Argentina. But sadly, improvement was none. The Belgians need to rethink their strategies and build a better attacking formation soon, otherwise they will continue to be cannon fodder for the top teams.

Argentina impressed with their fantastic aggressive play tonight. The score could have been at least a couple of goals more in their favor, but they will take the 1-0 win. Now they await the result of the final Round of 8 encounter to find their semi-final opponents - when Netherlands take on Costa Rica later tonight.

Final Scoreline for Match 60 (ROUND OF 8 #4):




Never expected the free-flowing and freely scoring Dutch to have played out 120 minutes of soccer without scoring even once, but it happened in this last Round of 8 match.

Repeatedly thwarted by the Costa Rican keeper and messing up quite a few chances themselves by hitting the bars and missing easy goal-scoring opportunities, they found themselves at the mercy of the Penalty Shootout elimination, a part of soccer in which the Dutch were never strong. Luckily for them, 2 shots in the penalties - from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana - were saved superbly by the Dutch keeper, Tim Krul, who had come as a substitute at the end of extra time.

The move proved to be a masterstroke in the end.

Full marks to both keepers, Navas for Costa Rica for keeping Netherlands at bay all through the match, and Krul for saving the crucial penalties.

Netherlands move through to the semi-finals, where they set up an encounter with Argentina.

But still...it was the best & most entertaining match of WC'2014 so far, IMO.

I think it's the first time the Dutch won a penalty shoot out in a WC match...so may be this time the Luck will be on their side after all these sad years and I won't mind to see them win it this time...though Germany comes close next to them but Netherlands have maintained the most solid, fast & clinical performances in this tournament so far. They deserve the title most, IMO.

And although both the team make it to the semi finals but I'm still pretty much frustrated with Brazil & Argentina...mainly the way they have played in this WC so far. If BRA or ARG somehow wins the trophy on Jul. 14 then it'll be a disgrace for the good, fast & entertaining football, IMO.

And so, it's showtime.

We have now entered the Semi-Finals of WC 2014, and what an entertaining show it has been so far! No less than 159 goals have been scored till now (not counting penalty shootouts), which translates to an average of almost 3 goals per match! Colombia and Netherlands lead the team tally for most goals scored at 12 each, while Colombia's James Rodriguez, the newly shining star of soccer, leads the players tally with 6 goals.

Now, we have BRAZIL taking on GERMANY in the first semi-final, while NETHERLANDS go against ARGENTINA in the other. Despite the strong initial showing by all 4 teams, they have all gone off the boil quite a bit as the tournament progressed for them.

Still, Brazil upped their game quite a bit in their Round of 8 encounter, but have been dealt two crucial blows - Neymar has been ruled out of WC 2014 due to a vertebrae fracture, and their skipper Thiago Silva misses out on the semi-final due to twin yellow-card bookings. Quite simply put, Brazil look a pale shadow of their self without Neymar, and in the rest of the pack, none have been impressive so far - Fred, Hulk, Luiz and the rest simply haven't been up to par. Even the reserve bench doesn't look too impressive, with Willain the likely replacement for Neymar in the starting eleven against Germany. Chances of Brazil look slim.

Germany look the strongest of the 4 teams, IMO. The only team which could challenge them is the Netherlands, so let's hope we have that dynamite match for the Final. Lahm's men look eager and hungry, despite their lackluster wins in recent matches. In Muller, Ozil, Hummels and Schurrle, they have a formidable attacking bunch. Even the substitute bench comprising of Miroslav Klose & Mario Gotze looks strong. Germany also have one of the best keepers of the WC 2014 so far in Neuer, who has been very impressive in pressure-cooker situations.

Netherlands are like the cowboys of the Wild West - free-flowing, aggressive and dominating. In Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, they boast of a trio which can take any soccer team to pieces. Huntelaar and De Vrij have been doing their bit as well, while the surprise subsitution of Memphis Dupay in most matches has been a real masterstroke. They look very strong, and the best team to challenge Germany for the title.

Argentina has been disappointing in WC so far. Despite the towering presence of Leo Messi in their ranks, the other 10 players have found the going tough. True, they have sparkled in moments, on and off throughout the tournament, but as a team, they have yet to impress. Gonzalo Higuain found the net in the last match, so let's hope his spirits are high. Rojo has been another notable player for them, but Argentina will miss the services of Angelo Di Maria the most. The attacking midfielder pulled a muscle in the last match and is doubtful for this one. The reserve bench of Argentina is not too strong either. All in all, Argentina relies heavily on Messi-power. If Messi has an off day, I doubt Argentina would leave as the winner from that match.

Chances are that we might see a GERMANY - NETHERLANDS final, and what a match that would be! Every bit worthy of a WC 2014 final, considering the current form of all teams. Fans would want a Brazil - Argentina final, since it's the sentimental favorite, but as things stand now, it might turn out to be the most disappointing final in WC history.

Let's hope that the best two teams go through, and we have a couple of cracking Semi-Final matches from tonight. All the best to all 4 teams.

Look at all them people cry. And we're only 25 minuttes in. Beautiful..::cool::

Breathe, Angra. Breathe! ::big grin::



30 minutes of play, and the score reads...wait, read this very slowly...5 - 0 Germany!!

Yes, you read that right.

Yep, again.

Yep, again. Indeed.

Final Scoreline for Match 61 (SEMI - FINAL #1):




This, ladies and gentlemen, is called complete and utter demolishing. In a display of brutal soccer which preyed on the host team's non-existent defense, the boys from Deutsche Land struck 4 goals in a span of 6 minutes!! Yes, you read that right.

No, this was no ordinary practice match or a friendly, but the Semi-Final of World Cup 2014.

Indeed, if someone told you before the match started that the scoreline would read 5-0 Germany after the first 30 minutes of play itself, you might tell him to go and get his brains checked. But that's how things happened.

Muller started the rout in the 11th minute by heading the ball in through a neat pass, and the floodgates opened from the 23rd minute onwards. Miroslav Klose got his record-making goal then and went past Ronaldo (Brazil) as the highest goal-scorer in World Cup history. And, as if Germany had suddenly found Brazil's defense with it's pants down, became really brutal. Tear after tear rolled down many a Brazil fans' cheeks, while Germany just blasted them in one after the other - Tony Kroos sent 2 goals in 2 minutes, and Sammy Khedira came in and helped himself to a goal 3 minutes later. It's as if the German boys were lining up, yelling "me! me!", and thumping them in relentlessly one after the other.

The half-time score read 5-0 Germany, and that's when I went to sleep. Scolari's men wouldn't have wanted to step back into the field for the second half, and could you blame them for that? Completely humiliated, dejected and morose, Brazil's players had lost all of their fighting spirit. As if more punishment was in store, Andre Schurrle came in as a substitute for Miroslav Klose in the 58th minute, and exactly 11 minutes later, converted a superb pass from skipper Lahm to score a goal for himself. And when he penetrated Brazil's defense yet again to score his 2nd goal, Germany's 7th, in the 79th minute, the stadium might as well have gone empty. By the time Oscar got one back for Brazil in the dying seconds of play, not many hands were raised to clap for him or applaud his effort.

Germany 7, Brazil 1. Brazil's heaviest defeat in any World Cup match since 1934, and it put an end to their undefeated streak at home since 1975. One of the most humiliating and sad losses a top soccer team had to endure in their entire soccer history.

Come to think of it, even Neymar and Thiago Silva's presence might not have helped much, either.

Germany look every bit like a set of hungry wolves, ready to pounce. It certainly seems like the 2014 World Cup is theirs for the taking, and now they should be really, really strong favorites to lift it on July 12th.

Zzzzzzz

What an anticlimax..

Final Scoreline for Match 62 (SEMI - FINAL #2):




Fascinating match, with neither team giving the other an inch! Argentina really upped their game for the second-most crucial game of their campaign, and how it payed dividends in the end.

More than the aggression, it was a tale of superb defense by both teams. Time and again, Arjen Robben and Lionel Messi were thwarted and prevented from entering the marked areas. The chances which came were few and far between, specially in the regular halves. At the 90-minute mark, scores were still 0-0.

The Dutch had tried a different 3-2-3-2 formation to be a bit more penetrative and attacking, but that didn't help their cause much. Van Persie had little to do and towards the end, he was doing defensive duties by keeping Messi on check. A dubious offside call for Higuain deprived Argentina of what could have been their first goal, which replays showed was a legit goal. A double change at around the 78th minute to bring in Palacio AND Aguero also failed to materialise much, as neither player possessed the ball enough to make a difference. In the final few minutes, Robben missed a great chance to score as well. The scoreline might have read 1-1 at the end of regular time.

Extra Time didn't have much action in the first 15 minutes, as players started to get weary. Van Persie was substituted for Huntelaar, but even that move didn't help much. Palacio missed a fantastic chance when he headed the ball straight into the keeper's hands, else the match would have ended right then and there in Argentina's favor.

And so we entered the Penalty Shootout. The Dutch went first.

Dutch 1st kick - Saved by Romero, Argentina's keeper.
Argentinian 1st kick - Scored by Messi. 1-0.
Dutch 2nd kick - Scored by Robben. 1-1.
Argentinian 2nd kick - Scored by Garay. 2-1.
Dutch 3rd kick - SAVED AGAIN! 2-1 still.
Argentinian 3rd kick - Aguero takes it and scores. 3-1.
Dutch 4th kick - Kuyt scores. 3-2.
Argentinian 4th kick - Maxi Rodriguez scores. 4-2, and ARGENTINA WIN!!


An entertaining match till the end. Shame it had to be decided by Penalty Shootouts. The Dutch never had good luck with this part of soccer, so they should have shown a bit more urgency in the normal time itself by gunning for the goal. As things stood, Argentina won and are now through to the FINAL where they meet Germany.

As for the Oranje, they are only left to ponder - what if?! The 2010 Finalists bow out in the Semi-Final stage in 2014. They meet Brazil in the playoff for the 3rd place now.

I predict the Argentinians will come out sluggish after an extra time match yesterday and one less day to rest. Germany takes it 3-1.

Another brazilian nightmare has begun. Poor bastards.

Can't say how many more times the 5-time winner is going to win the World Cup in future but one thing's for sure...the world of football will always love to talk about & never forget about this 2014 World Cup team of Brazil!:danger:

Final Scoreline for Match 63 (3RD PLACE PLAYOFF):




Easy to come back from broken bones, but how do you make a comeback with a broken spirit?

The Brazil team of yore, having suffered a battering from Germany in the semi-finals, came in to showcase their talent one final time in WC 2014 in this match, which many (including myself), say that it should be scrapped from the WC itinerary, as it is an absolutely useless and demoralising fixture. But, more worse things were in store for the South American soccer wizards, and more tears were in store for their hardcore fans.

Brazil were defending like absolute schoolboys! Skipper Thiago Silva returned for this match and in the 3rd minute itself, pulled Robben's shirt hard inside the penalty box, and the Dutchman absolutely flew into the ground. The referee pointed to the spot, and Robin Van Persie converted an easy chance. 1-0 Netherlands in the 3rd minute itself.

Credit to Brazil as well for counter-attacking. At least 3 shots went in front of goal without any contact whatsoever, else it would have been 3-1 Brazil easily. But, as their non-existent and horrendous defense would have it, David Luiz tried to clear a Robben shot but headed it straight into Danny Blind's path who calmly thumped it back past Luiz, into the Brazilian goal. 2-0 Netherlands in the 17th minute.

Brazil missed 2 more chances before the break. The number of misses by their strikers and their sloppy defense made their fans miserable. Even small kids were seen shedding tears and watching the proceedings with open, gaping mouths. No sort of motivation could help them - even the crowd's nonchalant Mexican Wave was of no use.

Second half saw possession and defending from the Dutch, until the first minute of extra time when Wijnaldum converted a wonderful Janmaat-Robben combo to thunder the 3rd goal in. Brazil were playing without any real purpose till then, and the Brazilian players looked sucker-punched out of the game.

Netherlands won comfortably, and became worthy 3rd place winners. As for Brazil, they need to revamp a lot of things without Scolari at the helm now (he's sure to step down). They will have to build a much better team around Neymar, but more importantly, they will need to fix their collective shattered spirits to get back into competitive action again.

V, Brazil's week has been scarier than any horror movie made in the past year. Fact.

105 minutes and no goals. Exciting match so far.

Someone send Angra and Zwoti to play for Argentina, and let's have that winning goal already!

Your opinion of what is entertainment is horrendous, V. ::sad::

V not the best way to describe a scoreless tie to an American forum. ::big grin:: Congrats to the Germans. Well fought game today and odds-on favorites to repeat in 2018. I'll check back in on soccer then! ::cool::

Final Scoreline for Match 64 (THE FINAL):




Don't be fooled by that scoreline. It could have ended 5-3 Argentina in normal time, if things had gone the way they should have. Fantastic, fast, aggressive and furious soccer - just the way a World Cup Final should be.

Argentina really upped their game to match the Germans shot for shot, which itself says a huge thing about their game. In fact, in the first half of normal time, it was the Latin Americans who were dominating the crucial parts of the game. 3 attempts in the first 10 minutes which were narrowly close to the German Goal meant that Germany were already on the backfoot. Gonzalo Higuain missed a great chance to make it 1-0 when he was spoonfed the ball by a shocking bit of German defense but he failed to convert it, his over-excited shot going wide. He did find the net in the 32nd minute through a superb sequence of attacking soccer, but the flag was raised. 8 minutes later, Lionel Messi caught the entire German defense napping and almost went all the way, before he overran the ball and Neuer, Germany's keeper, grabbed it. Only a few minutes later, a nicely curved corner shot saw Schuurle rattle the Argentinian goal post. First half ended 0-0, while it might have been 3-1 in Argentina's favor.

The second half started with promise as Argentina attacked almost immediately. The Germans were clearly rattled as they started their bad-mouthing and foul-making tactics after that. Sergio Aguero came in and was instrumental in 2 wonderful attacks on goal, but still no cigar for the Latinas. A few minutes later, Messi missed another fantastic chance to score when his shot went inches past the goal. Could have been 4-1, but it was still 0-0. Gonzalo Higuain again found a superbly passed ball, but was punched/kicked out of possession by Neuer just inside the box. No foul, said the referee, and Higuain punched the air in absolute frustration. By this time, the energies of almost all players had been sapped, and desperation had started to creep in. Higuain was swapped by Palacio in the 75th minute, and the move almost paid off in extra time. Really, it was an example of missed chances by Argentina for the most part of the game. Two close chances by Germany towards the end of regular time meant that the full-time scoreline still read 0-0, when it could have been 4-3.

Palacio's effort might have made it 5-3, or 1-0, whichever way you look at it, yet it remained 0-0. The first half of extra time again yielded no goals, and it seemed like the team who would keep their wits about them, between tiring limbs and weary thought-processes, would win. Aguero was lucky to escape a 2nd yellow (and subsequent red) card when he elbowed Schweinsteiger so badly his cheek burst open and the german oozed blood everywhere. But, as if the pitch was waiting for a blood offering, the deadlock between both teams was broken just a few minutes later. The 113th minute of this fantastic match saw Mario Gotze convert a wonderfully gifted Thomas Muller pass into a goal which he would be telling his kids, grandkids and the entire world for generations to come. In that one telling moment, the chalks were drawn. It was a great pass, and an equally fantastically angled shot which had Romero completely beaten.

Germany 1 - Argentina 0.

The whole of Argentina (and it's fans) prayed feverishly when Lionel Messi got one final chance through a free kick in the final minute of added time, but clearly the pressure of expectations of millions weighed badly on the Tendulkar of soccer's shoulders, and the master of free kicks hit the ball too high, much above the German goal.

And then the final whistle blew.

Argentinians were inconsolable, and must be sobbing all through the night. How close they came to scoring again and again, and would be ruing their missed chances all through the night. They had upped their game considerably and had put up one hell of a fight, but in the end, the one solitary number went against them.

But the moment belonged to the Germans. They had dominated the entire tournament and were deserved and worthy winners of the FIFA World Cup 2014. Mario Gotze must be the most trending individual on all social platforms, as Germany celebrated by lifting the Cup for the 4th time.

Lionel Messi was awarded the Golden Ball (as a consolation, most probably), while German super-goalkeeper Manuel Neuer won the Golden Glove. Colombia's fantastically talented young superstar, James Rodriguez, won the Golden Boot and deservedly so.

And so, the FIFA World Cup 2014 comes to a close.

Until Russia 2018, folks!