The Quarterfinals: France vs Germany

France and Germany.  Two soccer powerhouses set to square off in the quarterfinals.  It’s almost unfortunate only one of these teams will go on to the semi-finals, but this is the World Cup, it’s time for the big boys to step up.

After France dazzled in the group stage and Germany reigned triumphant in the Group of Death, this game was destined to be a tight game with no clear favorite.  Germany looked like they wanted to come out with an offensive front, seeing as how they started Miroslav Klose, who is tied with Brazilian Ronaldo with 15 goals in the World Cup.

France had Karim Benzema, who had scored 4 3 goals in 4 games, but decided not to start Olivier Giroud against Germany.  The game started off even with a back and forth flow, no team looking to have the edge over the other.

France had one of the first opportunities at the 7th minute when Valbuena sent an aerial pass to Benzema who one-touched it towards the goal, but it was too left of the goal.  Germany didn’t stay quite and were the first to strike shortly after France’s attempt.

At the 12th minute, Germany scored off of a set-piece taken by Toni Kroos.  Mats Hummels was able to get a header off with a defender close on him, and sent it straight into the goal.  This was the first time that France had trailed at this World Cup.

Germany controlled the pace of the game, mostly due to their control in the midfield.  France was struggling against the Germans and weren’t able to create any goal scoring opportunities again until the 33rd minute.

They broke off of a long pass from Yohan Cabaye that Antoine Griezman gets to.  He made a quick cross to Mathieu Valbuena who took the shot but Neuer got a hand on it.  The ball deflected in the direction of Benzema but Hummels was there to deflect his attempt and France was given a corner.

Valbuena took the corner, but Paul Pogba’s header didn’t amount to much as it went over the goal.  France were looking more like themselves when they had another opportunity right before the end of the half.

Pogba sent in a nice long pass upfield towards Benzema, who was able to divert two nearby defenders, but his shot wasn’t strong enough to get past Neuer.  Germany would retain their lead going into the half and France was left with work to do in the second part of the game.

France started the second half with the same momentum they had towards the end of the first half, knowing they had to get on the board soon.  Germany decided tp keep the defense tight, knowing they just needed to stop Benzema France from scoring.

Thomas Muller’s long pass at the 55th minute lead to nothing after Philipp Lahm passed it to Bastian Schweinsteiger.  He couldn’t get his shot off properly and it just rolled out of bounds, despite the open look and time to wind up.

As the time went on, the light France had at the beginning of the half is slowly draining.  Benzema was not making it happen for his Frenchman and Germany started having their way, which was keeping the score the same.

Germany got another chance at the 69th minute when Mamadou Sakho made a bad pass that Mesut Özil intercepted.  Ozil one timed it to Kroos who quickly passed it to Müller who took the shot.  It seemed there was a slight deflection, but it went unnoticed and France was awarded the goal-kick.

France were getting on their side and had a great opportunity at the 72nd minute, but Griezman took a selfish shot at a bad angle (that he missed), when he could have made an easy pass to at least two of his countrymen.

Germany almost sealed the deal at the 81st minute off of a well placed roll by Neuer to Müller who made a long pass for Özil to run after.  This set up Özil to make a a low cross towards the box where Müller got to.  Muller slid and missed the shot, but Schürrle was unable to capitalize on the deflection.  His strike was too weak and low and French goalie Lloris was able to easily save it.

Germany continued in their defensive position, seeing as how they only needed about 10+ minutes to hold on to send themselves to the semi-finals.  Didier Deschamps finally made the call at the 85th minute to bring in Giroud for an offensive flare.

It seemed too little to late for the French and the hunger was not there for them.  Only at the 93rd minute in extra time did they seem to realize that they were a minute from being disqualified from the World Cup.

Laurent Koscielny sent the ball flying towards where France needed.  Benzema was was able to get the ball and get by the German defenders and shoot it off, but Neuer once again was there to save the on-target shot.  Matuidi got a pass off of the deflection from Pogba, but his shot was completely off target and that ended the game and the World Cup for France.

Where they came from in qualifications has been a long journey for the French, especially when their own country didn’t believe in them.  Germany was just too much for Benzema and company and it seems the fire that drove the team early in the tournament had died off.

Germany’s next game will be their fourth semi-final game in a row, the first team to ever do that in the history of the World Cup.  They’ll face the winner of Brazil vs Colombia in their next semi-final game on July 8th.

 

Round of 16: USA vs Belgium

This is the match that would figure out who would face Messi and his Argentinian squad.  Either USA and Belgium would be the one to face the dangerous squad.  The two teams have already met, not too long ago.  Their last meeting, there was a clear winner with Belgium getting a 4-2 victory over the US in Cleveland in 2013.

This may have been an advantage for the US team though, seeing as how they knew exactly what Belgium was working with.  Since 2013, the US squad has changed so much, with players like Julian Green joining the squad, Landon Donovan being left off the squad, and more German Americans featured in this game than their game in Cleveland.

USA would have to bring their A-game, regardless that they had already faced some of the best in the world in their Group of Death.  It wouldn’t be an easy feat, after facing Ghana, Portugal and Germany with the most travel time than any other team in the group stage, they had to be tired.

The US would be able to take the late scoring Belgium team to overtime in this matchup, but not without the Red Devils having their chances throughout the game.  They started out fierce with a shot on goal within the first minute.

Kevin De Bruyne was the man to set up the 19 year-old Divock Origi with a shot, but his attempt would not get past Tim Howard, who was able to deflect it with his right foot.  That would be the first save of 16 in total for the Everton keeper.

USA created opportunities for themselves, not as many as the Red Devils, but one attempt that was on target came at the 20th minute.  Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley exchanged the ball while heading towards the goal, and Bradley made the final pass to Dempsey.

Dempsey one touched it straight for the goal, but Thibaut Courtois made an easy save for Belgium.  The US kept with a defensive front for most of the game, but at the 38th minute, they had another one of their few attempts.

This one started with breakout star, Deandre Yedlin, who made a cross from the far right towards Dempsey, who was in place.  However, Dempsey couldn’t get his head on it the right way and was unable to capitalize.

Both teams went into the second half with two goose eggs, however nothing new for Belgium.  Howard would need to start the second half like he did the first, with another save. This attempt started with De Bruyne once again, with a high cross that found the head of Mertens.

Mertens attempt was perfect in how it looked like it was going to fly over the net, but took a last second dip that Howard was able to just flick over the crossbar.   The rest of the second half was all Belgium, but more importantly all Howard.

He made save after save after save, the US team was lucky their big man showed up when it counted.  He even made a save on one of his teammates at Everton at the 75th minute.  Kevin Mirallas was the man to challenge him, but Howard predicted him well and was able to deflect it away with his left foot just as Mirallas took his shot.

He made another brilliant save at the 84th minute when Origi made an attempt once again.  His strike from outside the box was strong and on target, but Howard just pushed over the top of the crossbar.

Howard was incredible for those 90+ minutes and the US had a golden chance late in the game that would have avoided overtime.  Geoff Cameron made a high volley in the attacking third area that found the head of Jermaine Jones.

Jones headed it toward Chris Wondolowski who could have flicked it in, but his shot was too awkward, too hard, just not good enough to go in the net, regardless of how beautifully set up it was.  And both teams were forced into overtime.

Howard’s stellar brick wall was finally brought down at the 92nd minute when Lukaku received a long pass that he was able to get past Matt Besler.  He pushed it up, and made a quick pass to De Bruyne, who was able to take it past three defenders and eventually Tim Howard.

12 minutes later, they would score once more, and once again it was a Lukaku-De Bruyne combination.  De Bruyne was the one to make the pass to Lukaku this time and Lukaku was only marked by one man.  He slid it in easily past his Everton teammate, and it seemed the game was over.

When it looked like USA’s World Cup adventure was over, Jurgen Klinsmann decided to bring in one of his most sought after players, Julian Green.  Green is one of Klinsmann’s half German-half American players that he scouted after so diligently.  At 19, many thought it was a mistake to bring in the young talent, regardless of the fact he played for Bayern Munich’s B team.

He came in for Alejandro Bedoya and we would finally see it was the right decision for Jurgen to bring him in.  Within two minutes of being on the field, Julian Green made his first goal at the World Cup and his first goal for the United States team.

On a long aerial pass from Bradley, Green made the run to connect with the ball and volleyed it right past Courtois to give the US team one last feeling of hope.  It was his first touch of the game, and he made it count.

Their last hope to send this to penalties came late in the second half of overtime.  It was off of a set piece, taken by Bradley.  Wondolowski was there to take the ball and make a pass to Dempsey, but Dempsey couldn’t get to the rolling ball fast enough and Courtois made a huge save for Belgium.

Belgium was able to hold off the Americans, who never gave up, but just didn’t have enough to send them to their first quarterfinals since 2002.  This was the first time the US squad was able to go to back to back knockout rounds at the World Cup, after going to the knockout rounds in 2010.

They went through a riot to get to this point in the tournament, through a Group of Death no one thought they would get through and with hours of traveling and injuries to multiple players.  It was heartbreaking for them to make it out of the group only to go home after their first game in the knockout rounds.

They’ll have to take another crack at it in four years and it will be interesting to see what a future Julian Green will be able to do in a few years time.  Belgium will go on to face Messi on July 5th in what will be their greatest challenge in this World Cup.

Round of 16: Argentina vs Switzerland

Argentina and Switzerland date with destiny finally is here.  Both teams had their struggles through the group stage, with Argentina coming up with big wins late in their games and with Switzerland just getting past Ecuador and having to pick up the pieces after losing 5-2 to France.

However, both roads led them here, with Argentina winning their group and the Swiss coming second to France after beating Honduras 3-0.  It didn’t matter, now both teams would be facing their toughest competition so far in the tournament, with Messi leading Argentina with four goals in the group stage and Xherdan Shaqiri coming off of a hat trick for Switzerland.

The game was a slow start on both sides, which has been the feeling for some of these Round of 16 games.  Teams have looked  cautious and not attacking early on like we saw in the group stage.

Switzerland had their first deadly attempt at the 27^th minute when Xherdan Shaqiri cut through defenders coming in from the right side of the box, made a quick pass to Granit Xhaka who was unguarded at the top of the box.  He blasted it in but Romero was able to get his foot on it and deflect it out.  It landed at Xherdan Shaqiri who took a shot at it but Romero was able to save it once again.

Argentina were able to come back quickly at the 28^th minute with an attempt that started with Di Maria making a pass towards the penalty box that Ezequiel Lavezzi headed, found Gonzalo Higuaín, who returned the header back towards Lavezzi who took a shot at it, but was saved by the Swiss goalie, Benaglio.

Switzerland started looking more dangerous as half wore on, defending smart and hustling to the ball.  They had their biggest chance of the half at the 38^th minute with a quick counter filled with a nice long pass that landed at Josip Drmić who made a quick 1-2 with pass, but when he got it back he only lightly chipped it to Romero.  He had plenty of time and couldn’t execute the proper shot to put Switzerland up.

The Argentinians once again tried to make a quick response at the 40^th minute, but Messi’s pass to Di Maria was quickly saved by the goalie.  Both teams went into the second half nil-nil with no points to show.

The second half started and it was all Argentina.  Right around the 60th minute is when they started knocking on that goal’s door.  Gonzalo Higuaín almost got the first goal of the match at the 61st minute with a header attempt on a cross from Rojo, but Benaglio just got his fingertips on it and flicked it over the crossbar.

Messi tried to recreate a James Rodriguez moment at the 67th minute when he received a header pass from Lavezzi, who got a cross from Rojo.  Messi replicated the trap with the chest  and the volley, but just went over the crossbar, and James would not be outdone by Messi.

The Swiss struggled to replicate their offense from the first half and Argentina continued the attack, just itching for a goal.  Argentina would have another big chance 10 minutes later and Rojo was the one to make the cross once again.

This time it got the head of the Swiss defense, but it was cleared to the most dangerous man on the field.  Messi took a few touches before he took the shot and it landed in the direction Benaglio, who made the easy save.

The closest the Swiss got the rest of the game was on a set piece that was headed too high by Schar and flew over the crossbar in extra time.  That would be it for regulation and no team would score in the second half.  That meant overtime.

Argentina made the first move at the 94th minute on a free-kick, but Palacio’s header was lackluster and easily caught.  Not much offense was happening for either side, who barely got a shot attempt off.

At the 104th minute, the Swiss strung together multiple passes that encouraged the crowd to yell “OLE” every time they made a pass.  Given how Brazilians feel about Argentina, it was a bit of a taste of what could come if both countries were to meet further in the tournament.  Unfortunately for the Swiss they couldn’t get much out of their nice, long possession, and the first period of extra time saw no goals.

The second overtime started with Di Mara going for a long range shot that was on target at the 108th minute, but his shot was deflected by Benaglio and his clean streak continued.  As overtime wore on, it seemed as if this match was destined for a penalty shoot-out.

At the 118 minute, Argentina made sure that there would be no penalty shoot out.  Palacio made a quick pass while moving forward to Messi who looked as if he was going to take the shot, but passed it to a wide open Di Mara who slide it right in to the left pocket, and Argentina finally got its goal.

Switzerland put the pedal to the metal.  They were awarded a corner kick that Benaglio came out of his box for, and he even attempted a bicycle kick for goal, but it went to the other side of the goal.  Shaqiri was there to save it and get the cross off that was headed right onto the cross bar by Džemaili.  So close for the Swiss, but even Benaglio could not help his team.

Switzerland’s Brazil trip was over and Argentina prevailed late once again.  The Swiss looked a lot better than they did against their dreaded match against the French, but have room to improve, as all teams do at this tournemant.  Argentina will face the winner of USA and Belgium on July 5th.

 

Round of 16: Germany vs Algeria

Germany vs Algeria is not your average game.  This is a matchup with some history behind it that dates back all the way to 1982.  It was Algeria’s first World Cup and their first game was against the Germans.  The Germans made jokes about how badly they would beat Algeria, but were unprepared for what Algeria had to offer.

Algeria went on to prove everyone wrong by beating the West Germans 2-1, and were poised to get out of their group.  They lost their second match to Austria, and had to win their last game to get through the group stage.  They did, beating Chile 3-2.

They still had to wait on Germany and Austria to play (back in a time when the last games of the group were not played at the same time).  Germany scored and the 1-0 score suited both teams so they basically did not play the remainder of the game.

It was so embarrassing, German fans protested and an Austrian announcer refused to commentate with a half hour left.  The only thing FIFA did after that was change the last games of the group to be played at the same time so no one could really match fix.

Fast-forward to 2014 and we have Germany and Algeria playing in a World Cup once again.  This time, Algeria got out of its group, and no one could stop them.  Germany got out on the top of their group as well and would need to beat Algeria fair and square.

Algeria came out to win this game with attempts early on in the ninth minute, but Neuer came out to stop Slimani from getting a shot off.  Shweinsteiger reacted soon after at the 13th minute by taking a shot from distance, but it was deflected out of bounds by Algerian keeper Mbolhi.

Algeria had a terrific shot at the 16th minute, but unfortunately for them, the offside flag was raised and their goal did not count.  Soundani made a lovely cross towards Slimani who headed it in to the goal, but was just offside and the score was left unchanged.

Algeria kept pressing on, giving Germany another scare just two minute after their offside goal, but Ghoulam took the awkward angle shot and it was called for a goal-kick.  Germany hung around the goal at the 23rd minute making two different attempts, but the first, Muller’s header off of an Ozil cross, was hit too high and the second, Mbolhi patted Ozil’s chip, went over the top of the goal.

The ball continued to go back and forth between both teams, no one seeming too in control of the game at this point.  Algeria came back making their offensive magic happen at the 38th minute.  The ball was deflected by the German defense off of a throw-in but Mehdi Mostefa Sbaa was there for the deflection.  He took the shot immediately but it was deflected by Boateng.

Germany reacted fast and within the minute, Tony Kroos took a shot from well outside the box, but it was deflected by Mbolhi a little too much.  Götze was there to get to the ball but shot it right at Mbolhi for the save.

Both teams would not have much more to offer in the first half and we had another game that went scoreless in the first 45 minutes.  Germany came out strong in the second half and were so close off of a corner play.  Kroos got the ball and dribbled through  two different defenders, sending over a high pass to the head of Shkodran Mustafi, whose header was on target, but went right into the arms of Mbolhi.

They kept their attack game tight and Lahm was the one to attempt a shot this time.  It was on target and a great set up, but once again, Mbolhi was there to bail out the Algerians, and they could breath again.

Algeria didn’t have much to offer until about the 70th minute mark, Feghouli making an attempt that curled right towards the goal, but bounced before it had a shot.  Slimani had a chance right after that but his shot, that was next to two defenders, went safely into Neuer’s arms.

The defensive game continued with no goals to show on either side and the clock kept on ticking.  Germany had some looks, but they were all wasted attempts on their part and some good goalkeeping from Mbolhi.

Germany got their last real chance at the 89th minute off of a a chip from Lahm, but Shweinsteiger’s header was no match for Mbolhi.  There would be no stoppage time magic by either side, and to overtime they went.

It seemed Germany was itching for a goal going into overtime because two minutes in, they got the goal they were looking for the past 90 minutes.  Muller sent in a low cross right towards Schuerrle, who was flanked by two Algerian defenders, and he sent it in with the back of his heel.  It was Germany’s first goal in overtime since 1982.

Germany still had to play those extra 28 minutes and Algeria wasn’t able to make a quick comeback from going down.  Algeria had its next big opportunity at the 101st minute with Mehdi Mostefa taking a shot diagonally, but his shot just went past the upper left side of the goal.

Algeria couldn’t string any other plays in the half and Germany held the lead as they went into the second half of overtime.  It seems as if both teams are too tired and the game will end with defeat for the Algerians.  That notion was cemented when Ozil hammered the nail in the coffin at the 119th minute.

Schürrle got a pass while heading towards the goal where he and Ozil had a quick 1-2 pass that Schürrle shoots, but it was deflected by an Algerian defender.  Ozil ran up to the deflected ball and shot it in, securing Germany’s place in the quarterfinals.

The Algerian squad were deflated, but they didn’t die.  They quickly came back and got a goal in extra time of overtime.  Feghouli got a pass and quickly crossed it towards the goal where Djabou ran to the ball and flicked it in.

The Algerians still had a chance to even the score, but it was very little. With Germany getting the ball after the goal, it left little chance for the Algerians to make a move, and the game officially ended in heartbreak for the Algerians.

They played their hearts out, giving everything they could against the extremely resilient Germans.  Their effort was admirable and will be remembered.  The Algerians could have a serious future ahead of them if they continue to play the way they did.  They have a team filled with talent and are finally recruiting talent for themselves.

The Germans stuck through the game and despite being stopped by the incredible defense, lead by Mbolhi, they got what they needed in overtime.  They’ll now be facing the French on the Fourth of July.  The winner of that match will face the winner of Colombia and Brazil.

Round of 16: France vs Nigeria

The first game of the third day of the Round of 16 belongs to France and Nigeria.  Both teams made it to the knockout round in different fashions.  France blasted their way through the competition in Group E and won their group with relative ease.  Nigeria had to work more to get here and some help from bad refereeing in their game against Bosnia.  Regardless, they made it through Group F in second place.

France vs Nigeria was a game thought to be a one sided affair, but the Nigerians came with some tricks up their sleeves.  This match started out evenly for both teams, with neither seeming to have more control than the other.  With France playing, it seemed only a matter of time before they would explode with goals as they did against Switzerland.

However, as time went on, France never broke out, and the match seemed more even than at the start.  Then, Nigeria seemed to be the ones who were attacking.  They made great passes and were not scared to float towards the goal.

You would think playing a highly offensive team such as France, Nigeria would take a more reserved approach.  They started playing this game as if they wanted to win it, not tie, making opportunities for themselves and playing great defense.

They gave France a true scare at the 18th minute when Ambrose sent in a cross that was headed by a Frenchman Debuchy towards Musa, who got a hold of it.  He sent a beautiful aerial pass towards Emenike who was just offside by an arm.  Although Emenike was able to get it in, it was already flagged for offside and France avoided going down to Nigeria.

Shortly after, at the 21^st minute, France had a stellar chance themselves when Pogba made a quick pass to Valbuena, who crossed it right back to Pogba, who volleyed it towards the goal, but the attempt was swatted by the goalie, Vincent Enyeama.

At the 39th minute, France got by the Nigreian defense and Pogba passed to Valbuena, when he could have taken the shot himself, who passed to Debuchy, but Debuchy wasn’t even on target and missed a great opportunity for the French.  Perhaps if Pogba took the shot himself, the French would be up by one point at this moment.

The last solid attempt of the half came from the Nigerians when Emenike darted a shot towards the goal, but France’s Lloris was able to make the save and both teams went into the half scoreless.  Both had serious opportunities in the first half and the game could have been 2-2 easily at this point.

Nigeria seemed to shut out France’s breakout star, Karim Bemzema, who was awfully quite in the first half.  Benzema getting open and making plays happen would have to happen in the second half if the French wanted a chance to win this thing.  Nigeria seemed poised to make some waves in the second half if they kept up their first half tempo.

Nigeria started the second half going for goal.  As the second half wore on, it appeared as if Nigeria were getting more opportunities and seemed more in control of the game. Once again Emenike had another opportunity this time at the 60th minute, but it was too high to be dangerous.

They didn’t stop and had another opportunity at the 63rd minute.  This time it was Peter Odemwingie with the shot on goal, but goalie Lloris was able to get hands on it again.

France got its first real shot of the second half, and maybe of the game at that point, at the 69th minute when it looked like Benzema was getting involved in the game. Benzema had a quick one-two touch with Griezmann right in front of the box and when Benzema got the ball back he made a quick shot on goal but Enyeama was there at the floor to deflect the ball.  It spun up and so close to the goal but Victor Moses was there to clear the ball and ensure it did not go in.  If Moses didn’t react, it would have went in.

France was starting to feel it and at the 76th minute, they had another opportunity.  France was awarded a corner and Benzema got to it and shot it but Mikel was waiting and deflected it out.  It landed at the feet of Cabaye who blasts it towards the goal but it just hit the crossbar.  It bounced out and was cleared by the Nigerians.

France’s opportunities kept coming and a mere two minutes later Enyeama came up again big for Nigeria with another brilliant save.  This was off of a free kick that Benzema got his head on, right in front of the goal, but Enyeama was Benzema’s worst enemy that day and flicked it up away from the goal.

They took their corner, but Enyeama got his hands on it and flicked it towards the head of Pogba, who headed it to the unprotected goal and France finally got on the board.  Pogba gave France the lead at the 79th minute and it seemed as if France was on its way to the quarterfinals.

The Nigerians were deflated and had no answers after taking a devastating setback.  France made it 2-0 in extra time off of a corner that ended in an own-goal by Joseph Yobo that went off of his shin towards the goal.

Nigeria played valiantly for a majority of the game and if not for a bad flick from Enyeama at the 79th minute, this game might have ended differently.   This Nigerian team has come a long way from the lackluster performance they had at their first match against Iran.

In a game they scored no goals, and had no offensive spark, this game they came out firing on all cylinders.  They made improvements as the tournament wore on and They should go home proud of what they did in their World Cup spell, making it out of their group with Argentina and giving a strong French side an extremely tough match.

France was able to get the win they needed, even with Benzema not scoring.  They’ll have their next match against the winner of Germany and Algeria on Fourth of July.

Round of 16: Costa Rica vs Greece

Costa Rica and Greece, two unlikely teams to find themselves in the Round of 16. Cote d’Ivoire seemed like a favorite to come out of Group C with Colombia, but Greece surprised many and got the second place slot.

Costa Rica was an even bigger shocker, especially after they were placed in a group with Italy, England and Uruguay.  They placed first in their group and stunned the world with their display in group play.  It was time to find out whose game was a fluke and who deserved to advance to the next round.

The first half started slow for these two teams who both usually play a defensive role in their games.  Both teams rely on counter attacks for the most part, so to see these two teams would likely be a drawn-out chess match.

Costa Rica seemed to start out with more opportunities, like early on in the seventh minute.  Campbell was able to get the ball away from the defender before he tumbled down where number Bryan Ruiz took it over with a quick pass to Christian Bolaños, who took a quick shot but blasted it a little too hard.

Both teams went back and forth and Greece got its first real shot at the 28^th minute when Giorgos Karagounis took a long range shot, which didn’t have enough firepower on it and took a bounce before reaching the Costa Rican goalie.  They kept up their offensive plays and got another chance less than 10 minutes later.

Jos Holebas sent a nice cross towards the goal where Dimitris Salpingidis was able to get to, but wasn’t able to get the proper shot off and ended up being a wasted chance.  Both teams went in to halftime 0-0 but Greece seemed to have the edge with the opportunities they created towards the end of the half.

Costa Rica realized they needed to step up their game if they wanted to go further in this World Cup and just over five minutes into the second half, they got the goal.

Bolaños received a pass on the left from Campbell and placed it right at the top of the box away from Greek defenders and where Bryan Ruiz placed himself.  He flicked it in past a stagnant Greek defense and it went in easy without protest.

Greece knew they needed a goal to even the score and sent in striker Mitroglou at the 58th minute, despite his struggle at club level.  Greece tried getting more opportunities for themselves but none amounted to anything.

Greece would get a break at the 65^th minute when Oscar Duarte received his second yellow of the match and was sent off with a red card.  This left Costa Rica in a very vulnerable position and Greece with something of a miracle.

With 10 players, Costa Rica had to get back and protect their goal from Greek infiltration.   Greece had plenty more opportunities, but failed to make it happen for themselves.  Costa Rica looked like they might secure their lead at the 85^th minute off of a counter, but Brenes’ cross didn’t amount to much.

It felt like Costa Rica might not need that second goal, but at the 91^st minute, they sure wished they had it.  After almost a half hour of missing a player, Costa Rica finally gave up a goal and Greece got the equalizer.

Georgios Samaras sent in a long ball towards the goal that found its way to Theofanis Gekas, who quickly turned around to shoot it, but goalie Keylor Navas was able to deflect it.  Unfortunately, he deflected it right towards Papastathopoulos, who wasted no time blasting it right past the Costa Rican goalie.

Greece tried to go for the win at the three minutes into extra minute but Mitroglou’s header landed where Navas was able to just deflect it before it curled down.   Costa Rica didn’t give up another goal in stoppage time and we officially had our second game that went into overtime.

Greece got the first real opportunity at the 93^rd minute but Konstantinos Katsouranis’s cross, although placed perfectly, was for nothing as Gekas’ header went wide right.  Both teams went into the second 15 minutes of overtime with the same score, 1-1.

Costa Rican goalie Navas looked like he was struggling, taking an injury break around the 108 minute.  He had a hard fall towards the end of regulation.  Costa Rica started making more opportunities for themselves in that second half, but Greece was able to stop any chances they had.

Greece had an opportune moment again with a 5-2 counter, but by the time Lazaros Christodoulopoulos took the shot, Navas deflected it into safer legs and Costa Rica was able to avoid a devastating break.  Both teams were extremely worn out and although both sides had chances, Greece more than Costa Rica, both could not make it happen.

And we saw the second game of the Round of 16 go to a penalty shoot out.  Costa Rica would go first and Celso Borges would be the first to take the shot.  He made it in with ease and then it was Greece’s turn.  It was Kostas Mitroglou who would be taking the shot for them and he also got it to go and kept things even.

The next three players for Costa Rica, Bryan Ruiz, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Joel Campbell and the next two players for the Greeks, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Jose Holebas, made their penalty shots.  Greece’s fourth penalty taker, Theofanis Gekas, was blocked by Navas.

It was up to Costa Rica’s Michael Umana to come up big for his country and make his penalty shot.  If he did, Costa Rica would win and if he didn’t, Greece would have one more chance.  He sent Greece home with his goal and sent Costa Rica to its first quarterfinals ever.

It was a long fought-out battle, but Costa Rica was able to stick it out, even with just 10 men on the field for a significant amount of time.  Greece made a comeback, but were unable to capitalize when it mattered most and were left in the dust.

They came farther than they had before after almost missing the Round of 16.  The Greeks always grind, but couldn’t grind it out this time.

Round of 16: Netherlands vs Mexico

The second day of Round of 16 games is upon us and it started out with Netherlands vs Mexico.  Netherlands has undoubtly proved why they deserve to be in this World Cup and at this stage.  They got through Spain, Australia and Chile with ease and now they are on to the knockout rounds.

Mexico are the ones who want to end their Brazil trip early and they have the momentum coming into this match.  After beating Cameroon after some unforgivable referring, shutting out Brazil and breezing past Croatia, Mexico have earned their spot as well.

They’ve come from barely qualifying to making big waves at this World Cup.  Their biggest test yet is against the scary Netherlands.

The game started with both teams looking surprisingly even.  Netherlands has made most teams look like amateurs and Mexico has surprised many, but both sides seemed to even each other out.

As the game wore on, Mexico was the one who was getting more opportunities and almost had a goal at the 23rd minute from Carlos Salcido from long range, but Dutch goalie Jasper Cillessen was able to deflect it.

Netherlands had very little in chances, but in extra time came close.  Robben found himself in the box but went down after a defender got in front of him.  It wasn’t called a foul, although it was discussed that maybe it should have been.

The second half started with fireworks and by the 48th minute, someone had finally scored.  Netherlands looked like they had cleared the ball from Mexico with a header, but that header landed right in Giovanni dos Santos path.

He took a few touches outside of the box and blasted it in.  And just like that Mexico had done the unthinkable and were in the lead, 1-0.

Netherlands wasn’t able to have a quick response like some teams have made at this World Cup, and Mexico had another opportunity at the 55th minute. Oribe Peralta broke free of the Netherlands defenders and took a shot but Cillessen was able to easily save it.  Still, Mexico did not stop the pressure.

Netherlands almost broke the barrier at the 56th minute on a corner from Arjen Robben, which flew right in front of the goal.  Stefan de Vrij kicked it with the side of his foot but Ochoa was once again there to save the day for the Mexicans.  The attempt gave you the errie feeling like the Flying Dutchmen had to score eventually, especially given how they have been playing.

After this close play, Netherlands started getting more and more opportunities, from counter attacks to corners, but good defending saved Mexico.  Their wondrous goalie, Ochoa, once again saved them at the 74th minute.

The Dutch were rushing back from another counter, the ball found Robben, who jumped over Rafael Márquez to take the shot.  Had it been another goalie, Robben may have made it in, but Ochoa predicted perfectly once again and deflected it out for a corner, which didn’t amount to anything for the Dutch.

Netherlands got another opportunity at the 84th minute, off of a cross from Robben, but after it hit another Dutchmen’s head before reaching Klass-Jan Huntelaar’s head, it was called offside.  Netherlands were running out of time as the 90 minute mark was slowly edging closer to them.

Netherlands was on one of what would be one of their last chances.  They got yet another corner taken by Robben who Huntelaar headed to the back and found Snejider who blasted it right past Ochoa.  The rock solid Mexican defense finally cracked and Netherlands took the crack and busted through it.

Being so close to the end, this game seemed destined for overtime.  Netherlands wanted to finish them off and Robben had an opportunity when he found himself in the box.

He was almost out of bounds, and looked to take it or pass it, but Rafael Marquez got a yellow for apparently tripping Robben and Robben got himself a penalty.  Huntelaar was the one to take it against what has been one of the best goalies in the tournament and he made it in with ease.

Mexico tried their hardest to make a quick comeback but could not overcome the hump that is the Round of 16.  After qualifying for the Round of 16 in their last six World Cup campaigns, they have not once been able to pass to the quarterfinals.

Mexico should be proud of how they were able to get to the World Cup and make it to where they got.  Ochoa should be the proudest, if not for his wonderful technique, Mexico may not have even survived the group stage.

Netherlands weathered the storm.  On paper they won, but Mexico could have easily booked a ticket for the quarterfinals.  It looked as if they may not get past this game, but with their late goal and Robben drawing the foul in stoppage time, they were able to defeat the gritty, hustling Mexican squad.  They’ll now face the winner of Costa Rica and Greece in the quarterfinals.

Round of 16: Colombia vs Uruguay

The winner of Colombia and Uruguay would have the daunting task of facing its neighbor, Brazil, if they win this game.  Both teams have talent, but are missing their number one stars.  James Rodriguez has silenced any critique of how this Colombian team would play without Falcao, although Colombia would love if Falcao was here.

Uruguay is missing Luis Suarez, who was penalized for biting Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s last match.  If Uruguay were to win this game, he would miss eight international games after that and has been banned for four months from all soccer games and events.

Colombia has played well without Falcao, but when Suarez missed out on Uruguay’s first match against Costa Rica, they lost.  Uruguay would have a lot of work to do without their star, including defending Colombia’s new star, James “HAM-EZ” Rodriguez .

This match between the South American countries had a slow start with no team pressing early on.  Colombia had a real shot when Juan Zuniga took aim at the goal at the 12th minute but Fernando Muslera was there to save the attempt.  Uruguay didn’t look the same without Suarez and Colombia had a few more unsuccessful  attempts before they finally unleashed the beast in James Rodriguez.

At the 28th minute, Uruguay made a header clearance that gets to the head of Abel Aguilar who heads it towards James, who is at least 30 yards from goal, chests it and as its heading down, volleys it with such ferocity that Muslera has no chance of saving it.  It is in competition with Van Percie and Tim Cahill for best goal of the World Cup and will be on Rodriguez’s highlight reel for quite some time.

Uruguay kept their team together after the stunning goal, which seemed to awaken the Uruguayans.  Things got heated around the 35th minute when Aguilar and Cavani get into a little shuffle after Cavani fouled Zuniga.  Tensions heated up even more less than two minutes later, but this time its Forlan and Yepes who were in an altercation that was later settled by the referee.

Uruguay started looking threatening at the 39th minute off of a corner that met Cristian Rodriguez, but Ospina was waiting for his volley and deflected it before anything could be done with it.  Uruguay kept up their attacking game for the remainder of the half, but couldn’t break through the Colombian defense.

Uruguay went into the half in a losing position but had some promise towards the end of the half.  They would need to bring that energy to the second half if they wanted to get into this game.  They started out with an early corner, which landed straight to Ospina and then things fell apart for Uruguay.

At the 50th minute, James Rodriguez earned his 5th goal of the tournament, but it was a group effort this time.  The ball found Pablo Armero on the left, who made a quick cross towards the right.  Cuadrado got his head on it and finds who other than James in the middle and he sent it right into the net.

Colombia came out in the second half and made a bold statement early on.  Although Uruguay had plenty of time to turn this thing around, they became extremely frustrated after conceding another goal.

They didn’t completely give up, and one of their better chances came at the 64th minute with Cristian Rodriguez leading the way.  He took the ball down the left and launched the shot only for it to once again be deflected by the brilliant Ospina.  He didn’t get much work this game, but when he did, he was there to answer the call.

Cavani gets a shot off at the 82nd minute, but even his volley was no match for Ospina, who once again came up big for Colombia.  Cavani could have used this chance to shine, especially with Suarez out, but it seems he has subdued himself with Uruguay always looking towards Suarez.  This would be the end of the road for the Uruguayans and could not put together a better attempt for a late comeback.

They’ll now join Suarez back in Uruguay and exit the World Cup earlier than they would have liked.  This game would have been much different if Suarez was there, but it may have been only a matter of time before he took a juicy bite out of James.  Colombia will now have its biggest challenge of their tournament, Brazil.  The two teams will face off on Fourth of July and you should expect fireworks for one team.

Round of 16: Brazil vs Chile

The epic South American showdown between Chile and Brazil is over and it was probably more epic than people could have ever imagined.  Both nations fought their hearts out in this game and left everything they had on the field.  It was an extremely physical, emotional game and one that maybe should have ended with more yellow and potentially red cards.

The British referee let them play on and although things seemed almost evenly matched, only one team could go through to the next round.  The beginning of the match seemed to favor the Brazilians who were attacking more and seemed to have more chances.  Their attacking style finally paid off at the 18th minute.

Brazil was awarded a corner and Neymar was there to take it.  He placed it at the head of Thiago Silva who bounced it behind him towards Gonzalo Jara of Chile and David Luiz of Brazil.  There is some discrepancy about who it went off of, as the ball was awfully close to both players,  but either way, it went in and Brazil went up 1-0.  ESPN says it was an own-goal and FIFA says it was David Luiz.

Once the tournament is done, it won’t matter, the show must go on, and it did.  The Chileans were not disheartened, they kept up the pressure.  They started getting more possession and were able to stop the quickness that is Neymar.  Brazil looked to be more comfortable with the lead , but were in for something unsettling.

At the 32nd minute, Brazil had a throw-in that went to Hulk, but Hulk was not paying attention it seemed and Vargas was there to take the ball from Hulk.  He took this golden opportunity, made a quick pass to Alexis Sanchez and blasted it past Julio Cesar.   The Chileans evened the playing field and the score.

Brazil didn’t meltdown yet, and had a few more chances before the half.  Their easiest attempt would have been when Fred messed up the rebound off of a shot from Neymar, but he missed the opportunity.  Fred flubbed again when him and Hulk were open, but both missed out on their opportunities.

Brazil would have to go into halftime even with Chile, although they looked to be the more dangerous team at this point.  They began the second half with the same enthusiasm as they did at the end of the first half and it almost got them a goal at the 55th minute.

After a long ball from Marcelo, Hulk trapped the ball and shot it in the net with ease.  Unfortunately for the Brazilian, it was called a handball, but it wasn’t obvious if it was the right call or not.  It could have grazed his shoulder or his arm, but there were definitely a handful of Brazilians who disagreed.

Brazil had a difficult time picking up the pieces after that devestating blow and Chile seemed to be in control after that.  At the 64th minute, Chile got a great opportunity but Julio Cesar saved Charles Aranguiz’s attempt.

Brazil got a little bit in their groove again and had a few opportunities towards the end.  At the 83rd minute, Hulk had another chance, but Chilean goalie Bravo was there to save it.  The second half ended with no changes and we had our first overtime game.

Both teams would get a chance to score in the two 15 minute halves and if still there was no winner, it would go to penalties.  The first 15 minute half had little action and the time was wearing on the players.  Hulk had yet another chance at the end of the of the first half and made a great run but it all amounted to nothing with Bravo saving it again.

The second half of overtime started and both teams struggled to make any true chances.  Chile’s substitute Mauricio Pinilla was the closest to scoring right at the end, but his shot hit the bar and this game was headed towards penalties.

Brazil was to go first and David Luiz was their first player chosen to take his penalty.  He made it in with ease.  Chile was up next, but  Mauricio Pinilla’s shot was blocked by Cesar.  It was 1-0 for Brazil.

Next up was Willian for Brazil and he shot it wide giving Chile a chance to break even.  Alexis Sanchez was next and was blocked by Cesar, and a nation rejoices.  Brazil had another chance to widen the lead and it was Marcelo who gave them the edge for 2-0.

Next up was Charles Aranguiz for Chile and he was able to slam it in to keep Chile alive.  Hulk was up next for Brazil, and Hulk was denied by Bravo, this time with his feet.  Marcelo Diaz got it in for Chile next to even things out at 2-2.

Brazil saved their best for last and Neymar blasted it in to give his country the 3-2 edge.  It was up to Gonzalo Jara to give Chile their third point so they could take it to another round of penalties.  Unfortunately for the Chileans, he hit the post and Chile’s World Cup dreams were over.

Chile got out of a tough group and should have a bright future ahead of them with the young Alexis Sanchez.  Brazil will now face the winner of the Colombia and Uruguay game in the quarterfinals on 4th of July.

Group H Revisited

Group H was the last group to conclude their games to find out who would be playing Germany and USA in the Round of 16.  This was another group where each team still had a chance to make it through.  Belgium was the one team to clinch a spot in the Round of 16.  The other three were all alive and with a chance.

Algeria had the greatest chance, only needing a tie to make it through.  Russia would need to beat Algeria to make it.  Korea Republic would need a bit more help than that, they would need to beat Belgium and help from the other game going on to have a chance.  Korea would have the most difficult time getting through, but first they would need to get through Belgium.

Korea didn’t show much of a drive to get the win from the start and the first half was a lackluster performance on both parts.  Belgium got its first chance at the 23rd minute mostly due to Mirallas who took a shot after breaking free from two defenders, but it was blocked by Kim Seung-gyu.  He got the rebound, but his cross was met with no Red Devils waiting for it.

Korea got their first shot at the 30th minute with a long shot from  Ki Sung-Yueng , which was dangerous, but goalkeeper Courtois was able to get his hands on to flick it away from danger.  Both teams would go into the half with nothing to show for it, but Korea got a gift before the half was over.

Steven Defour was awarded a straight red card at the 44th minute.  After going over the ball, he stepped with his studs on the shin of Shin-Wook Kim, and the referee wasted no time in deciding that he needed to be off the pitch.  Belgium would have to play the second round without a man, and Korea’s chances of making some moves went up significantly.

They came out attacking in the second half and  Ki Sung-Yueng was the one behind most of Korea’s chances.  He took a long shot once again early on in at the 51st minute, but Courtois was able to take care of it easily.

Belgium got their first real try at the 59th minute, this time from Mertens.  He took a long shot but it was taken care of, and the Koreans could breath again.  They needed to get on the board as soon as possible if they wanted a chance.

They’d never get that chance and would eventually give up a goal to Belgium.  At the 78th minute, Belgium finally got what would secure their top spot in the group and it came in from the feet of Jan Vertonghen.  Origi took a shot at the goal, but it was deflected by goalie, Kim, but Vertonghen stormed up to the deflected ball and shot it in right past Kim.

The Koreans could not make a comeback from that devastating blow, and they would not be able to get a goal on the 10-man squad.  This would officially end their Brazil trip and any chance of any Asian team making it through to the Round of 16.  Belgium will now have a date with the Americans on July 1st and will try to live up to the title of “Dark Horse” in this tournament.

The game that would tell who would join Belgium in the second round would be this one, seeing as how Korea couldn’t create the appropriate situation to stand a chance.  Algeria needed to tie and Russia had to come out big in this game.  Russia did exactly that and scored within the first 10 minutes of the game.

Shatov made a cross towards the penalty box at the 6th minute and it connected with the head of Kokorin who sent it in without question.  It gave Russia an early lead and the edge in points over Algeria if the game were to end right there.

Algeria would need a goal to even things out if they wanted to continue their World Cup campaign.  For a time after the Russian goal, Algeria looked deflated and going down early clearly shook the team.  Russia was in control for most of the first half and Algeria started getting their groove back about halfway through.

None of their attempts were much of anything, but they didn’t look as helpless as they did after Russia’s goal.  They went into the half down and needing that equalizer.

The Dessert Foxes came out in the second half with fewer players in the back, pushing forward looking for the goal.  Although it could have turned out deadly for them, Russia wasn’t able to take advantage and Algeria’s roll of the dice paid off.

It took them 15 minutes into the second half to get what they desperately needed.  Algeria was awarded a free kick and Djabou sent it towards the goal and Slimani came up with the header this time giving Algeria the equalizer and the edge going into the final 30 minutes of the game.

The final 30 minutes were lackluster, and Russia did nothing to show they wanted to go through to the Round of 16.  They played passively for the most part and weren’t able to take the lead again.  This ended their World Cup campaign and sent them back home where they will host the World Cup in four years time.

With the highest paid coach at the World Cup, it is certainly a disappointing trial.  He’s signed on to be their manager until 2018, just in time for the World Cup.

Algeria is the second African team to advance to the Round of 16 in this tournament and they deserve the honor.  They did what they needed to do to get themselves to the next round and will face Germany on June 30th.