World Cup: Round of 16

[UNHWildCats]

Here's the layout for the remainder of the World Cup. As of this moment two matchups are in doubt with *Group G having yet to finalize final standings ahead of this afternoons matches.

Bold represents Group winner.

Germany
Sweden

Argentina
Mexico

Italy
Australia

Switzerland/Korea*
Ukraine



England
Ecuador

Portugal
Netherlands

Brazil
Ghana

Spain
Korea/Switzerland/France*

[TypicalTribe]

Here's the layout for the remainder of the World Cup. As of this moment two matchups are in doubt with *Group G having yet to finalize final standings ahead of this afternoons matches.

Bold represents Group winner.

Germany
Sweeden

Argentina
Mexico

Italy
Australia

Switzerland/Korea*
Ukraine



England
Ecuador

Portugal
Netherlands

Brazil
Ghana

Spain
Korea/Switzerland/France*

In the end, we're left with most of the usual suspects.

Two of the four brackets are clearly tougher, with likely quarterfinal matchups of Germany/Argentina and Brazil/Spain, who have arguably been the four best teams in the tournament.

Italy should have a cakewalk to the semis, unless the upstart Aussies can give them problems. England will be likely as well, although the Holland/Portugal winner could be dangerous.

[th0m]

My predictions:

Germany
Sweden

Argentina
Mexico

Italy
Australia

Switzerland/Korea* (if its Switzerland. Korea will lose to Ukraine)
Ukraine



England
Ecuador

Portugal
Netherlands (homer pick, but I'd say this game is the biggest toss-up on paper, together with England-Ecuador and Germany-Sweden)

Brazil
Ghana

Spain
Korea/Switzerland/France*

[bodoyle]

Just a cool picture

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/offbeat/gallery/2006/0622/01.bongarts.gi.jpg

[TheValleyRaider]

Germany over Sweden
Sweden has had trouble scoring this World Cup, and while the German defense hasn't played it's best, they look better to me than Trinidad or Paraguay. Minus the England game (against an opponent they haven't lost to since 1968), Sweden looks a bit snakebitten. Home crowd pushes a very offensive-minded Germany into the Quarterfinals.

Argentina over Mexico
Yes, Mexico has had some success against Argentina in the past. But this Argentina is firing on all cylinders, while Mexico could only back into the next round after what really should be considered a disappointing group stage. Unless they can find their game, along with a real scoring touch, Argentina will pull away in the 2nd Half.

Italy over Australia
I wanted to pick Australia, especially given that they play the physical kind of game the US did which threw Italy off theirs. However, the refs have been card-happy this year, and Australia will have trouble dictating style with all the whistles going on.

Switzerland over Ukraine
I find Ukraine to be soft and uninteresting. You'll forgive me if I'm not impressed with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and being rewarded with a bad penalty to beat Tunisia. Yes, both were better than the Spain match, but the Swiss are young and hungry. Switzerland still has not conceded a goal in this tournament, the only remaining team to do so.

England over Ecuador
I like Ecuador, but England will attack them in ways Poland and Costa Rica could not. I can't draw many conclusions from the Germany match because they sat some players, but England is also due for a good game. I think this is the one.

Netherlands over Portugal
Portugal looked like they were sleep-walking through their group, while the Netherlands looks like one of the stronger sides this year. Here's a group winner going down, although I hesitate to actually call it an upset.

Brazil over Ghana
Ghana is a good team, but is going to lose for 2 reasons. First, Essien will miss this game after a second yellow. It's a shame (and was a bad call), but without him in the midfield, they're in trouble. Second, Japan taking the lead was the worst possible thing that could have happened to the rest of the field, because Brazil just woke up. The chips are all on the table now, which is where Brazil is at its best.

Spain over France
I'd toy with taking France if both Zidane and Henry weren't on the field at the same time. However, both assuredly will be. However Spain looks like one of the top sides this year, and is a much better team than Swiss/Korea, both of whom France struggled with. Besides, Spain's history of flaming out in the Quarterfinals requires that they at least make the Quarterfinals.

[Tribefan]

Good analysis:nod:

[dbackjon]

Germany advances over Sweden

[TexasTerror]

So long, Mexico!

They can't be too happy. Would've been nice if the USA made it just as far, if not farther once more...

Can't wait to dominate them in CONCACAF once more with some new blood!

[slycat]

So long, Mexico!

They can't be too happy. Would've been nice if the USA made it just as far, if not farther once more...

Can't wait to dominate them in CONCACAF once more with some new blood!

....and hopefully a new coach.

I wish CONCACAF was tougher. The only teams that are tough are USA, Mexico, and maybe Costa Rica might put up a fight.

The US record in qualification was something like 7-2-1. This gives a false sense of how good the team is. It is nice though because it means will have a great chance at qualifying.

[Tribefan]

Mexico plays garbage kindergarten soccer/football. Whoever they play has no choice but to play down to their level.

Argentina has a really good side. As far as I am concerned that goal is the goal of the tournament. If not the decade. Argentina and Germany will be a match for the ages. My guess that the officials will do everything possible to help Germany.

[th0m]

Mexico plays garbage kindergarten soccer/football. Whoever they play has no choice but to play down to their level.

Argentina has a really good side. As far as I am concerned that goal is the goal of the tournament. If not the decade. Argentina and Germany will be a match for the ages. My guess that the officials will do everything possible to help Germany.

That goal was awesome indeed.

Reminded me a lot of Bergkamp's goal against Argentina in the 1/4 final in '98:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2hT62UNdbGc&search=Bergkamp%20WC

I may be biased, but that is the best goal I have ever seen in my life :D
(again, major bias, but it is a great goal!)

Too bad for Mexico. I was rooting for them for the upset. They definitely played better than I thought they would have.

[Tribefan]

That goal is more like a TD pass. Awesome.

[dbackjon]

England advances 1-0 over Ecuador.

[th0m]

Portugal over Holland, 1-0. 16 yellow cards were issued, 8 of them resulting in the expulsion of 2 players for both sides. It was really heartbreaking for me not to see my team capitalize on their opportunities (20 shots, 9 on goal!, plus 62% possession). It will be hard for the Portugues without Deco and Costinha, but I think they will be able to beat England, especially after their display today (IMO).

[thirdgendin]

Australia was robbed!

[GeauxColonels]

Portugal over Holland, 1-0. 16 yellow cards were issued, 8 of them resulting in the expulsion of 2 players for both sides. It was really heartbreaking for me not to see my team capitalize on their opportunities (20 shots, 9 on goal!, plus 62% possession). It will be hard for the Portugues without Deco and Costinha, but I think they will be able to beat England, especially after their display today (IMO).
The referee was HORRIBLE!!! FIFA should be ashamed of his performance. It got WAY out of hand and the only way he could get it back together was with the cards.

[GannonFan]

Refeering in soccer has to be one of the single most banes to that sport imagineable. No other official in any sport I know of has such ability to change and determine a match like a soccer ref does. Too many times in even just this World Cup the refs have made questionable (to say the least) calls that have turned games and de facto decided games. In light of the refeering tampering that has ensnared Italy's top teams, quality and integrity of refeering is a huge question in soccer now. Of course, how much of a shocker is this when strangely home teams almost always do very well in World Cups, European teams always do much better when the World Cup is in Europe than not (no European team has won outside of Europe), and so on. I wouldn't be shocked if it goes on all the time.

[dbackjon]

Quarterfinals set - matches Friday and Saturday

Germany-Argentina
Italy-Ukraine

England-Portugal
Brazil-France

[TheValleyRaider]

Argentina over Germany
It's a shame that this has to be a Quarterfinal match, as these two have been playing the best soccer of the tournament so far. Germany will have the raucous home crowd behind them, but Argentina is far more skilled than any team Germany has faced to this point. If the Germans can score first, we could be in for a wild one. If Argentina can exploit an untested German backline and score first, it may be over quicker than you think.

Italy over Ukraine
This could be the snoozefest of the round. I haven't been impressed with Italy, but they've been winning, and over some quality competition. Yes, it took a questionable at best penalty to beat Australia, but the Italians had also generated as many decent scoring chances in the game as the Aussies, even while down a man. Ukraine is at best a one-man outfit, which is tough at this stage, even if that one man is Shevchenko. They've been just plain unimpressive this tournament, and benefit from a weak group and relatively easy Swiss team to find themselves this far.

England over Portugal
England, to me, just seems due for a breakout game. They weren't overly impressive against Ecuador, but the South Americans really only had one good opportunity while England had several. There have been flashes of brilliance all tournament that lead me to believe the real England, with all that talent, is in there somewhere. I still haven't been impressed with Portugal's run, especially as it's hard to gain much from their wild affair with the Netherlands. However, missing a playmaker like Deco in midfield will be a killer, and I wonder if all those Yellows will make them more cautious. Or, as we've seen, they could quickly lose their temper against another physical team.

Brazil over France
This one has the possibility of being a classic, or could just as easily be a dud. Both teams really have only one very good win to their name this tournament, and both seem to have internal issues simmering below the surface. France with Zidane is going to want it, but this time around they're facing a tough experienced Brazil who will know how to exploit them and find the holes in their defense that the young Spaniards could not. This late in the game, both teams know how to win better than any of the other squads in this tournament, I'm hoping they turn it on for a great one.

[dbackjon]

Argentina over Germany
It's a shame that this has to be a Quarterfinal match, as these two have been playing the best soccer of the tournament so far. Germany will have the raucous home crowd behind them, but Argentina is far more skilled than any team Germany has faced to this point. If the Germans can score first, we could be in for a wild one. If Argentina can exploit an untested German backline and score first, it may be over quicker than you think.

Italy over Ukraine
This could be the snoozefest of the round. I haven't been impressed with Italy, but they've been winning, and over some quality competition. Yes, it took a questionable at best penalty to beat Australia, but the Italians had also generated as many decent scoring chances in the game as the Aussies, even while down a man. Ukraine is at best a one-man outfit, which is tough at this stage, even if that one man is Shevchenko. They've been just plain unimpressive this tournament, and benefit from a weak group and relatively easy Swiss team to find themselves this far.



So far, you have hit the nail on the head.
Germany beats Argentina in a Shootout.
Italy cruised past the Ukraine 3-0

[TheValleyRaider]

So far, you have hit the nail on the head.
Germany beats Argentina in a Shootout.
Italy cruised past the Ukraine 3-0

Almost hit it on the head. I was very impressed with the way Germany played, especially in responding to Argentina's goal. No doubt losing their Keeper screwed with Argentina's plans, but leaving a dynamic player like Messi on the bench hurt as well. Once it went to shootout though, I wasn't surprised with how well Lehmann played. Guessed correctly on all 4 Argentine shots, stopping 2 of them. Germany just might be that good.

[Obzerver]

Germany vs Brazil will be a great match-up(for the final) due to contrasting styles. All a Soccer game comes down to is how teams match up against each other on the pitch. It is true that the better team does not always win...due to match-ups. I hope the officiating continues to be good.

[dbackjon]

Portugal advances on Penalty kicks after scoreless match.

[TheValleyRaider]

Right up until Rooney's Red, England was playing their best of the tournament. Rooney leaving didn't allow them to attack quite as well, and another England run ends on penalties. No offense to them, but I remain unimpressed with Portugal. :twocents:

[bkrownd]

Boy if France wins we're looking at a VERY geographically concentrated final 4.

[nick9c]

France really took it to Brazil. As hyped as Brazil was, they didn't have enough team speed to hang with Zidane and Henry. France completely shut them out on defense...Ronaldo, Ronaldhino were no factors. Zidane probably could have beat Brazil by himself - best player in the world by far. Look for a France - Germany final.

[bkrownd]

France looked very good, and handled the ball like gods. Some really nice footwork. Even without many shots it was a good game by WC standards - lots of passing and not so much flopping around on the ground. I'm hoping for Germany-France in the final, which could be epic.

[TheValleyRaider]

A few more predictions (6-6 so far after going 1-3 in the last round :bang: )

Germany over Italy
Both teams are relatively on-form right about now, although Germany is coming off their weakest performance so far. It should be noted though, that it came against Argentina, probably the best side of the tournament up to that point. But the Germans held the day and pulled it out. So now it's offense vs. defense. Germany has scored 11 goals this tournament, the most of any team left (including 5 by Miroslav Klose, the leading scorer of the Cup so far), while Italy has only allowed 1 goal in its matches (Zaccardo's OG vs. the USA). Both teams have gotten by mostly by scoring early, then either hanging on like Italy, or by continuing to press forward, as the Germans do. Therefore, the key to this game will be scoring the first goal. However, Germany's offensive style benefits them either way, as even if they should fall behind, like they did against Argentina, they'll have the momentum going forward. If the Germans can punch it through first, I think the Italians will have a hard time switching philosophy to get the tying goal, and get beaten on a counter. Plus, they've gotten by with some questionable refereeing in their favor, which they won't get in front of the home German crowd.

France over Portugal
It comes down to this, basically, that France is hot right now, while Portugal is lukewarm at best. They've survived while their opposition (the Dutch, Wayne Rooney) have lost their temper at the wrong moments. Not this French team. The intriguing battle for me to watch will be in the midfield between Deco and Zidane. The real difference for me is that the weapon Zidane has up front in Ribery/Viera/Henry is more dangerous than the combination of Figo/Ronaldo/Pauleta. Another big difference for me is France's recent propensity for scoring the big goal. Viera's late goal against Spain and Henry's second half strike against Brazil came at critical moments, whilst Portugal has not been able to get goals at those moments. Instead they have been fighting off challenges. They can score early, potentially, exploiting the French backline and the adventurous Barthez. However, that sets them up to wilt again under the constant pressure they'll see soon afterwards from the French attack. Another one of Portugal's strengths has been getting under the skin of their opponents, something they will have minimal success with against the mature Zidane and Henry (unless Henry decides to fake the face injury again). France in the end has too many weapons, and this semifinal ride for Portugal could be over about as soon as it begins.

[Ivytalk]

What a game! Those two quick OT goals by the Italians were a thing of beauty. So much for the Dortmund jinx! Now if only Portugal can come through...

[blukeys]

What a game! Those two quick OT goals by the Italians were a thing of beauty. So much for the Dortmund jinx! Now if only Portugal can come through...


I'm not much of a soccer fan but the first Italian goal was truly an impressive exercise of skill. ( A left footed hooking Kick!!!!!)

I for one would like to see Portugal win just to see them have their moment in the sun.

Can someone who knows the game tell me why all 4 of the semi-finalists are from Europe?

Doesn't South America have great teams as well?????

[Mr. C]

Yes South America has great teams. It just didn't work for them draw-wise this year. Brazil and Argentina were probably the pre-tourney favorites. Brazil got away from playing Brazillian soccer and then met up with a team that always gives them trouble from a technical standpoint in France. France has had Brazil's number. Argentina played great in group play and overcame a tough battle in the round of 16 with Mexico. Argentina out-played Germany and should have won 1-0, but for a let-down in the final 10 minutes of regulation. If Argentina had played anyone but the host team they probably go through to the semifinals. Just one of those things. It will be interesting to see how the teams from the various continents do when they play in South Africa in four years. Should be a wide-open tournament. A lot of times, it is a team from close to the host site that wins the tournament.

[TheValleyRaider]

Can someone who knows the game tell me why all 4 of the semi-finalists are from Europe?

Doesn't South America have great teams as well?????

Only one World Cup (Korea/Japan 2002) has been held outside of Europe or the Americas. Of those World Cups, Brazil/Argentina/Uruguay have won all the tournaments in the Americas while Germany/Italy/England/France have won all but one of the tournaments in Europe (Brazil's victory at Sweden 1958 being the lone exception). In short, Europeans win in Europe and South Americans win in the Americas. It'll be interesting to see what kind of boost the African nations get from being at home in 2010.

[GannonFan]

Only one World Cup (Korea/Japan 2002) has been held outside of Europe or the Americas. Of those World Cups, Brazil/Argentina/Uruguay have won all the tournaments in the Americas while Germany/Italy/England/France have won all but one of the tournaments in Europe (Brazil's victory at Sweden 1958 being the lone exception). In short, Europeans win in Europe and South Americans win in the Americas. It'll be interesting to see what kind of boost the African nations get from being at home in 2010.

Yes, for all the talk about how bad non-European teams do in Europe, it's interesting that no European team has ever won the Cup outside of Europe. I'm sure that's why the most vocal dissenters over this policy of rotating the World Cup around the various continents were the Europeans - when you had at least every other World Cup in Europe and now it goes to 1 in every 5 or 6 World Cups, considering their history off the European continent, I'd be worried too.

[dbackjon]

Italy wins on PK's. Horrible move on Zidane's part - WTF was he thinking?

[ISUMatt]

He wasnt obviously

[AppGuy04]

Wonder what was said that made him snap