2014 World Cup - Round of 16
Teams Advancing By Association:
UEFA (Europe): 6 of 13
CONEMBOL (South America): 5 of 6
CONCACAF (North & Central America): 3 of 4
CAF (Africa): 2 of 5 (1st time more than 1 team has advanced)
AFC (Asia): 0 of 4
OFC (Oceania): 0 of 0
Predicted Round of 16:
Brazil, Croatia
Netherlands, Spain
Greece, Colombia
Italy, England
France, Switzerland
Argentina, Bosnia
Germany, Portugal
Russia, Belgium
Qualified for the round of 16:
Group A: Brazil, Mexico
Group B: Netherlands, Chile
Group C: Colombia, Greece
Group D: Costa Rica, Uruguay
Group E: France, Switzerland
Group F: Argentina, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria
Nine out of 16, we'll take it. Nobody saw Spain, Portugal, Italy and England playing so poorly, and NOBODY saw CONCACAF Costa Rica, Mexico and USA going through from those groups. Wait a minute, we did give an advisory, didn't we?
Playing vs FIFA officials (Croatia vs Brazil), not allowing a last minute goal (Russia vs Belgium), or not scoring an own goal (Bosnia vs Argentina), and playing vs FIFA fix & Bite Club (Italy vs Uruguay) might have had us looking a little better with 13 of 16.
Now match by match:
Brazil vs Chile - Good old South American home cookin should get FIFA's favorite son's into the next leg. Chile won't get in the pot easily but Brazil should advance to face Colombia.
Colombia vs Uruguay - Without Bite Club Champion Suarez, Uruguay are a shell of a team and will act as such. Expect them (like Argentina in 90) to stay defensive and play for the draw through overtime, taking their chances on penalty kicks. Colombia should advance to become the next team in Brazil's home cookin pot.
Netherlands vs Mexico - A shame they should have to face each other so early in what will be the best game of the Cup. A wide open game in which the flying Dutchmen continue their tour of retribution, and prove too much for Ochoa & company, perhaps overtime?
Costa Rica vs Greece - Costa Rica took out Uruguay & Italy, they will come to play. Since getting ripped by Colombia for 3 goals, the Greeks have allowed 1, they could surprise. Possible overtime to settle this one with the winner facing the flying Dutchmen.
France vs Nigeria - Nigeria Iran 0-0; Nigeria Bosnia 1-0 on a late goal. This African side were fortunate to advance on Bosnia's own goal vs Argentina. Nigeria will be lucky to score and probably will play for penalty kicks as France advance to play Germany.
Germany vs Algeria - The other CAF team to advance did so by beating up on S. Korea 4-2. The Algerians will feel like the Allies did at the Kasserine Pass as the Germans make like Rommel's Panzer's and advance to play the French.
Argentina vs Switzerland - The Argentine backline is suspect (3-2 vs Nigeria), but the only real team the Swiss played, France, trounced them 5-2. No team playing in the sweatbox of Manaus has won their next game, the Swiss just won there. We expect Messi to put up a hat trick as the Argentine's advance to face either Belgium or the US.
Belgium vs USA - Belgium arrive in unspectacular fashion 1-0 vs S. Korea; 1-0 vs Russia (last minute); 2-1 vs Algeria (two late goals to come from behind). Which US squad will show up? The lucky one that beat Ghana? Or the good one that had Portugal beaten before getting sloppy? If its the latter, the US could "upset", we see possible overtime and the US advancing to face their waterloo with Argentina.
We still see three of our final four arriving with Germany vs Brazil and Argentina vs Netherlands (replacing Italy). We aspire to the Dutch fortitude and believe that if the FIFA "fix" is not on, in the end, the Orange will avenge their 1-0 fleecing in the 2010 Final to Spain.
UEFA (Europe): 6 of 13
CONEMBOL (South America): 5 of 6
CONCACAF (North & Central America): 3 of 4
CAF (Africa): 2 of 5 (1st time more than 1 team has advanced)
AFC (Asia): 0 of 4
OFC (Oceania): 0 of 0
Predicted Round of 16:
Brazil, Croatia
Netherlands, Spain
Greece, Colombia
Italy, England
France, Switzerland
Argentina, Bosnia
Germany, Portugal
Russia, Belgium
Qualified for the round of 16:
Group A: Brazil, Mexico
Group B: Netherlands, Chile
Group C: Colombia, Greece
Group D: Costa Rica, Uruguay
Group E: France, Switzerland
Group F: Argentina, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria
Nine out of 16, we'll take it. Nobody saw Spain, Portugal, Italy and England playing so poorly, and NOBODY saw CONCACAF Costa Rica, Mexico and USA going through from those groups. Wait a minute, we did give an advisory, didn't we?
Playing vs FIFA officials (Croatia vs Brazil), not allowing a last minute goal (Russia vs Belgium), or not scoring an own goal (Bosnia vs Argentina), and playing vs FIFA fix & Bite Club (Italy vs Uruguay) might have had us looking a little better with 13 of 16.
Now match by match:
Brazil vs Chile - Good old South American home cookin should get FIFA's favorite son's into the next leg. Chile won't get in the pot easily but Brazil should advance to face Colombia.
Colombia vs Uruguay - Without Bite Club Champion Suarez, Uruguay are a shell of a team and will act as such. Expect them (like Argentina in 90) to stay defensive and play for the draw through overtime, taking their chances on penalty kicks. Colombia should advance to become the next team in Brazil's home cookin pot.
Netherlands vs Mexico - A shame they should have to face each other so early in what will be the best game of the Cup. A wide open game in which the flying Dutchmen continue their tour of retribution, and prove too much for Ochoa & company, perhaps overtime?
Costa Rica vs Greece - Costa Rica took out Uruguay & Italy, they will come to play. Since getting ripped by Colombia for 3 goals, the Greeks have allowed 1, they could surprise. Possible overtime to settle this one with the winner facing the flying Dutchmen.
France vs Nigeria - Nigeria Iran 0-0; Nigeria Bosnia 1-0 on a late goal. This African side were fortunate to advance on Bosnia's own goal vs Argentina. Nigeria will be lucky to score and probably will play for penalty kicks as France advance to play Germany.
Germany vs Algeria - The other CAF team to advance did so by beating up on S. Korea 4-2. The Algerians will feel like the Allies did at the Kasserine Pass as the Germans make like Rommel's Panzer's and advance to play the French.
Argentina vs Switzerland - The Argentine backline is suspect (3-2 vs Nigeria), but the only real team the Swiss played, France, trounced them 5-2. No team playing in the sweatbox of Manaus has won their next game, the Swiss just won there. We expect Messi to put up a hat trick as the Argentine's advance to face either Belgium or the US.
Belgium vs USA - Belgium arrive in unspectacular fashion 1-0 vs S. Korea; 1-0 vs Russia (last minute); 2-1 vs Algeria (two late goals to come from behind). Which US squad will show up? The lucky one that beat Ghana? Or the good one that had Portugal beaten before getting sloppy? If its the latter, the US could "upset", we see possible overtime and the US advancing to face their waterloo with Argentina.
We still see three of our final four arriving with Germany vs Brazil and Argentina vs Netherlands (replacing Italy). We aspire to the Dutch fortitude and believe that if the FIFA "fix" is not on, in the end, the Orange will avenge their 1-0 fleecing in the 2010 Final to Spain.
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