2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil - Predictions/Discussions/Updates

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Final Scoreline for Match 47:

ALGERIA - 1
(Slimani 60')


RUSSIA - 1
(Kokorin 6')

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:

KOREA REPUBLIC - 0


BELGIUM - 1
(Vertonghen 78')

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.

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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.

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

BRAZIL - 1 (3)
(David Luiz 18')


CHILE - 1 (2)
(Alexis Sanchez 32')

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.

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

COLOMBIA - 2
(James Rodriguez 28', 50')


URUGUAY - 0

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.

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

THE NETHERLANDS - 2
(Sneijder 88', Huntelaar 94' PK)


MEXICO - 1
(Dos Santos 48')

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!

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

COSTA RICA - 1 (5)
(Ruiz 52')


GREECE - 1 (3)
(Papastathopoulos 91')

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.

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

FRANCE - 2
(Pogba 79', Yobo 92' OG)


NIGERIA - 0

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.

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

GERMANY - 2
(Schurrle 92', Ozil 120')


ALGERIA - 1
(Djabou 121')

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.

[roshiq]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

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

FRANCE - 2
(Pogba 79', Yobo 92' OG)

NIGERIA - 0

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.

Originally Posted by _____V_____

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

GERMANY - 2
(Schurrle 92', Ozil 120')


ALGERIA - 1
(Djabou 121')

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.

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.

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

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

ARGENTINA - 1
(Di Maria 118')


SWITZERLAND - 0

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.