FIFA 2014: Down to the last 8

And so the first knock-out round ends with Argentina knocking out Switzerland (who nearly equalized in the final minute) and Ottmar Hitzfeld, twice voted best world coach of the year, retires... but after guiding Switzerland to another level. In Salvador de Bahia, Belgium and the USA put on an excellent show, which Belgium won... just.

Photo: Di Maria is having a good Cup

What a fantastic game of soccer between the USA and Belgium. Let there be no doubt: the USA, as I wrote two weeks ago, is finally a force in world soccer. From a wannabe troupe of thugs eight years ago, the USA transformed itself into a more balanced team in South Africa 2010 and in Brazil, presented itself as a team with the capacity to organize and reorganize, trying different tactical formations, evolving throughout the game, showing some excellent technical touches and playing as equals with national teams which have been part of the scenery in FIFA finals for decades.

The USA is no longer a laughing stock in international soccer and will garner the respect of the very best, I predict, for many years to come. In Brazil, Juergen Klinnsmann took the USA to the last 16. I predict that in 2018 in Russia, he or his successor will reach the semi-finals... unless political events overtake the sports show..

Congratulations to Klinnsmann, Vogts and company, and the US soccer team for some class soccer without the violence which marred its performances of yesteryear.

On another note, let us not underestimate the brilliant Belgium side which won the match with some splendid attacking soccer and a great team effort. Yet another fantastic game of soccer which left the fans sitting on the edge of their seats.

Argentina 1 Switzerland 0

(Full time 0-0)

(Extra time)

Di Maria 118

Argentina

Romero, Zabaleta, Rojo (Basanta), Mascherano, Fernández, Garay, Lavezzi (Palacio), Gago (Biglia), Higuaín, Messi, Di María

Coach: Alejandro SABELLA

Yellow card: Rojo, Garay, Di Maria

Switzerland

Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Rodriguez, Behrami, Schär, Djourou, Xhaka (Fernandes), Inler, Drmic (Seferovic), Shaqiri, Mehmedi (Dzemaili)

Coach: Ottmar HITZFELD

Yellow card: Xhaka, Fernandes

Ball possession: Argentina 64% Switzerland 36%

Shots/on target: Argentina 29/8 Switzerland 15/4

Corners: Argentina 13 Switzerland 5

Fouls committed: Argentina 18 Switzerland 29

Belgium 2 USA 1

(Full time 0-0)

Extra time

De Bruyne 93   Green 107

Lukaku 105

Belgium

Courtois, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Witsel, van Buyten, Kompany, Mertens (Mirallas), Fellaini, Origi (Lukaku), De Bruyne, Hazard (Chadli)

Coach: Marc WILMOTS

Yellow card: Kompany

USA

Howard, Johnson (Yedlin), Beasley, Cameron, González, Besler, Zusi (Wondolowski), Jones, Dempsey, Bradley, Bedoya (Green)

Coach: Juergen KLINNSMANN

Yellow card: Cameron

Ball possession: Belgium 46% USA 54%

Shots/on target: Belgium 39/17 USA 17/5

Corners: Belgium 19 USA 4

Fouls committed: Belgium 27 USA 11

FIFA 2014: Brave African teams out

Nigeria fought hard against France but Benzema made the difference and the Eagles go home...together with Algeria which put on an excellent display of football against Germany. A truly amazing game of soccer for 120 minutes, a memorable day in the annals of the World Cup. Algeria, especially, will be remembered as a sensational team in FIFA 2014.

Germany 2 Algeria 1 (After 90 minutes 0-0)

Extra time: Djabou 120

Schürrle 92

Özil 119

Germany

Neuer, Mustafi (Khedira), Höwedes, Lahm, Mertesacker, Boateng, Schweinsteiger (Kramer), Kroos, Müller, Özil, Götze (Schürrle)

Coach: Joachim LOEW

Yellow card: Lahm

Algeria

M'Bolhi, Mandi, Ghoulam, Lacen, Belkalem, Halliche (Bougherra), Feghouli, Mostefa, Slimani, Taïder (Brahimi), Soudani (Djabou)

Coach: Vahid HALILHODZIC

Yellow card: Halliche

Ball possession: Germany 67% Algeria 33%

Shots/on target: Germany 28/14 Algeria 10/4

Corners: Germany 10 Algeria 4

Fouls committed: Germany 10 Algeria 20

France 2 Nigeria 0

Pogba 79

Yobo (o.g.) 90

France

Lloris, Debuchy, Evra, Cabaye, Varane, Koscielny, Pogba, Matuidi, Giroud (Griezmann), Valbuena (Sissoko), Benzema

Coach: Didier DESCHAMPS

Yellow card: Matuidi

Nigeria

Enyeama, Ambrose Emuobo, Oshaniwa, Mikel, Yobo, Omeruo, Odemwingie, Onazi Gabriel), Emenike, Moses (Nwofor), Musa

Coach: Stephen KESHI

Yellow card: -

Ball possession: France 53% Nigeria 47%

Shots/on target: France 13/5 Nigeria 9/2

Corners: France 12 Nigeria 9

Fouls committed: France 12 Nigeria 15

Knock-out phase: Costa Rica and Netherlands

Greece had never reached this stage of a World Cup and deserved to pass through, but it was not to be their day or that of their Portuguese coach, Fernando Santos. Costa Rica faces the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Netherlands 2 Mexico 1

                        Dos Santos 48

Sneijder 88

Huntelaar (pen) 90

The first half belonged to Mexico, and so did the second, until just after the goal, when Robben started spurring the Netherlands forward. Mexico dropped their arms, and allowed themselves to be overtaken in midfield. Despite the excellent intervention by Ochoa, the Netherlands proved too strong at the end of the game. The late rally knocks Mexico out. Netherlands face...

Netherlands

Cillessen, Verhaegh (Depay), Kuyt, Blind, Vlaar, de Vrij, de Jong (Martins Indi), Wijnaldum, Sneijder, van Persie (Huntelaar), Robben

Coach: Louis VAN GAAL

Yellow card:

Mexico

Ochoa, Aguilar, Layún, Moreno (Reyes), Márquez, Rodríguez, Herrera, Salcido, dos Santos (Aquino), Peralta (Hernández), Guardado

Coach: Miguel HERRERA

Yellow card: Aguilar, Márquez, Guardado

Ball possession: Netherlands 56% Mexico 44%

Shots/on target: Netherlands 13/4 Mexico 10/5

Corners: Netherlands 10 Mexico 2

Fouls committed: Netherlands 8 Mexico 12

Costa Rica 1 Greece 1

Ruiz 52         Papastathopoulos 90

90 minutes 1-1

Extra time: 1-1

Penalties: Costa Rica wins 5-3

Greece dominated the game, although Costa Rica put up a spirited performance. The goal from Sokratis Papastathopoulos right at the end of normal time was just desserts for a well-organised Greece, very well managed by the Portuguese coach Fernando Santos. Penalties... Costa Rica passes through to face the Netherlands.

Costa Rica

Navas, Gamboa (Acosta), Díaz Campbell, Umaña,  Gonzalez, Duarte, Ruiz, Tejeda Valverde (Cubero), Campbell, Borges, Bolaños (Brenes)

Coach: Jorge Luís PINTO

Yellow cards: Navas, Duarte (2), Ruiz, Tejeda Valverde

Red card: Duarte

Greece

Karnezis, Torosidis, Holebas, Samaris (Mitroglou), Manolas, Papastathopoulos, Salpingidis (Gekas), Maniatis (Katsouranis), Samaras,  Karagounis,  Christodoulopoulos

Coach: Fernando SANTOS

Yellow card: Samaris, Manolas

Ball possession: Costa Rica 40% Greece 60%

Shots/on target: Costa Rica 7/1 Greece 23/8

Corners: Costa Rica 3 Greece 11

Fouls committed: Costa Rica 22 Greece 16

Scolari factor: Brazil classified

Luiz Felipe Scolari is one of the rarest soccer coaches on the planet: he dresses in sportswear instead of stupid suits and ties which have as much to do with soccer coaches as... never mind. Colombia also passes through, to face...Brazil.

Brazil 1 Chile 1

Jára 19  Sánchez 32

Extra time: No goals

Penalties

Brasil wins 3-2

Hulk had a perfectly valid goal considered invalid by the English referee Howard Webb, who confused his arm with his chest, with which Hulk had controlled the ball, and the  referee disallowed the ensuing goal.

Brazil

Julio César, Dani Alves, Marcelo, Luiz Gustavo, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Hulk, Fernandinho (Ramires), Fred (Jô), Oscar (Willian), Neymar

Coach: Luiz Felipe SCOLARI

Yellow card: Luiz Gustavo, Hulk, Dani Alves, Jô

Chile

Bravo, Isla, Mena, Jara, Medel, Silva, Aránguiz, Díaz, Vidal (Pinilla), Sánchez, Vargas (Gutierrez)

Coach: Jorge SAMPAOLI

Yellow card: Mena, Silva, Pinilla

Ball possession: Brazil 48% Chile 52%

Shots/on target: Brazil 23/6 Chile 13/2

Corners: Brazil 9 Chile 5

Fouls committed: Brazil 28 Chile 23

Colombia 2 Uruguay 0

James 28 50

Colombia

Ospina, Zuñiga, Armero, Aguilar, Zapata, Yepes, Cuadrado (Guarín), Sánchez, Martínez, Gutiérrez (Mejía), Rodríguez (Ramos)

Coach: José PEKERMAN

Yellow card: Armero

Uruguay

Muslera, Maxi Pereira, Pereira (Ramírez), Cáceres, Godín, Giménez, González (Hernández), Arévalo Rios, Forlán (Stuani), Cavani, Rodríguez

Coach: Oscar Washington TABAREZ

Yellow card: Giménez

Ball possession: Colombia 51% Uruguay 49%

Shots/on target: Colombia 9/4 Uruguay 16/4

Corners: Colombia 3 Uruguay 5

Fouls committed: Colombia 19 Uruguay 17

Knock-out stage (Last 16)

Brazil 1 Chile 1 (3:2 pen)

Colombia 2 Uruguay 0

Goal scorers

Brazil: Jara

Chile: Sánchez

Colombia: James Rodríguez (2)
Uruguay: -

Netherlands: Sneijder, Huntelaar

Mexico: dos Santos

Costa Rica: Ruiz

Greece: Papastathopoulos

France: Pogba, Yobo (Nigeria: own goal)

Algeria: Djabou

Germany: Schürrle, Özil

Belgium: De Bruyne, Lukaku

USA: Green

Quarter-finals (Last 8)

Friday July 4

France v. Germany

Brazil v. Colombia

Saturday July 5

Netherlands v. Costa Rica

Argentina v. Belgium

France v. Nigeria

Switzerland v.Argentina

Belgium v. USA

Germany v. Algeria

Latin America: 7

North America: 1

Europe: 6

Africa: 2

Group Phase

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Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY

PRAVDA.Ru

([email protected])