Breaking Down the Round of 16

France took on Argentina in the first match of the knockout stage in Russia. France played very well during pool play, beating Peru and Australia, and drawing with Denmark. Argentina were perhaps the polar opposite, losing to Croatia, narrowly avoiding defeat to Iceland, with that match ending in a tie, and beating Nigeria to squeeze through the group. Argentina have looked very poor for arguably the past three years, and France seeked to take advantage of this early on, with Antoine Griezmann hitting the bar on a free kick. Youngster Kylian Mbappe went on a mazy run, ending in a foul in the box committed by Marcos Rojo. Griezmann dispatched the penalty kick, giving Les Bleus the lead. Argentina pressured for the rest of the first half, and actually found an equalizer against the run of play. The French center backs failed to step up fast enough, and Angel Di Maria scored a screamer from 25 yards out. The South American’s took the lead just after halftime, when Lionel Messi’s strike went in off Gabriel Mercado. France replied almost immediately through a fantastic goal from Benjamin Pavard; a volley from outside the box that spiraled away from the goalkeeper, and a goal of the tournament contender. France retook the lead through Mbappe with a good individual goal, beating two defenders in the box and powering a shot past rookie ‘keeper Franco Armani, who really has had a baptism by fire in this Argentinian team. Mbappe scored again on a breakaway, and France never really looked troubled again. Sergio Aguero scored in stoppage time, but the match ended 4-3 to France, and Messi and his counterparts bow out of Russia. Argentina were frankly terrible all tournament long, and were extremely lucky to reach the knockout stage in the first place. The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story, with Argentina more than capable of conceding dozens more. A real disappointment from La Albiceleste, and a possible end to Messi’s international career.  France reach the quarter finals for the second straight tournament, and with a young, talented, hungry team, could be real contenders to leave Russia with silverware. With Mbappe now the youngest multi goal scorer in the World Cup since Pele, and surrounded by other sensational talent, France remain a huge favorite.

Uruguay faced European champions Portugal in the next match, with the victor playing France. The South American side won all three games in the group stage, failing to concede a goal in the process. They bested Egypt and Saudi Arabia 1-0 each, and Russia 3-0. Portugal were the unlucky seeded team to face Spain in the first part of the tournament, but they still managed to advance in second place, dispatching a plucky Morocco side and hardworking Iran team. Uruguay took the lead early through Edinson Cavani, who looks to have shaken his goalless drought and poor form. The PSG man fired in a header from a Luis Suarez cross to put the Uruguayans on the front foot. Portugal dominated proceedings, but wouldn’t find an equalizer until Pepe scored from a corner kick just after halftime. This galvanized Portugal, and key players Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva looked dangerous, with Pepe and William Carvalho holding things down at the back. Uruguay took advantage of a counter attack with Cavani curling a shot past new Wolverhampton Wanderers man Rui Patricio. Cavani would later go off injured, but this would be enough to get La Celeste through, holding on and surviving a Portuguese onslaught for the final moments. 2-1 Uruguay win. Ronaldo joins Messi on the flight home, and Suarez and Cavani will face off against Griezmann and Mbappe in the quarter final; just the second time Uruguay have made it to this stage in the last 50 years. Ronaldo again misses out on a deep World Cup run, and this may well be his last opportunity. Portugal looked shaky defensively in the group stage too, and this was exposed by the quality Uruguayan players. La Celeste looked solid on the day, just as they have all tournament long. Their youthful midfield allows the veterans at the back to command the game, and lets the star striker pairing do the work and score the goals. Coach Oscar Tabarez has done a fantastic job working with this group, and if anyone can stop the high flying French, it’s Uruguay. 

Spain took on host nation Russia in the first match on the other side of the bracket. Russia were humbled by Uruguay in the last match in the group after thumping Saudi and Egypt. Spain, whilst topping their group, looked less than impressive in all three games, and needed to play well to offset the home field advantage for the Russians. Spain dominated proceedings and scored early into the game after Sergei Ignashevich diverted a cross into his own net. The 38 year old has looked solid ever since coming out of retirement when his nation needed him most, and this would’ve been an awful way to be eliminated from their tournament. Gerard Pique battled with Artyom Dzyuba in the box later in the match, and left his arm trailing, blocking the forward’s header; a penalty to Russia just before halftime, which Dzyuba converted. Spain pressured all of the second half, but could not find a winner. Russia continued to look dangerous on the break, but enjoyed less than 30% of the ball and had to settle with extra time. The Spanish dominated this thirty minute session too, but still couldn’t score, just showing how little passing or possession statistics really matter anymore. A penalty shootout would be the decider; the first of the tournament. After each scoring their first two spot kicks, Koke had his saved by Igor Akinfeev. Denis Cheryshev, who has enjoyed an incredible tournament, gave the Russians the lead. With all the pressure on Iago Aspas, Akinfeev came up big again with a great save with his feet to propel the hosts into the next round, eliminating the 2010 champions in the process. Luzhniki Stadium erupted. An incredible result by Russia, and another favorite for the trophy crashes out of the tournament. Commiserations for Spain and Andres Iniesta, who will now retire from the international game. Spain played well, and could have won, but it’s difficult to say that Russia didn’t deserve something from the game. Spain made more than 1000 passes in the match, enjoyed more than 70% of possession, and had more than three times the shots as the hosts. Frankly, by not making more of all that they had, they didn’t deserve to progress. Additionally, most of Russia’s spot kicks were savable, but David De Gea, who has had a poor tournament, couldn’t get near any of them. Russia, meanwhile, played as hard as they have all tournament long, and defended as if their lives depended on it, whilst still looking dangerous offensively. Now, the sky is the limit for them, and they have shown that they are to be taken seriously.

Croatia faced Denmark in an intriguing fixture, given the team’s performances in the group stage. Zlatko Dalic’s side won all three games, beating Nigeria 2-0, Iceland 2-1, and Argentina 3-0. Denmark enjoyed a fruitful period too, beating Peru 1-0, and drawing with France and Australia. Croatia came into the game as favorites. This is largely because of their star studded midfield, consisting of players such as Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, and Ivan Perisic. Denmark got off to a lightning fast start though, with Mathias “Zanka” Jorgensen scoring after just 57 seconds from a Jonas Knudsen long throw. The Huddersfield Town man reacted the fastest as the ball bounced around in the area, prodding in to give Denmark the lead. It would last only moments though, as Mario Mandzukic hit a volley past Kasper Schmeichel. Denmark defended valiantly, and looked dangerous on set pieces, especially Knudsen’s throw ins. Croatia, as ever, passed the ball around with ease, but couldn’t find the killer pass that they are used to making, to create clear chances and score goals. The second half featured end to end action, but was marred by a lot of bogged down midfield play. Despite making changes and working hard, this game too went to extra time. The match looked set to go to penalties just like the last match, when Jorgensen brought down Ante Rebic in the box right as the clock struck 120 minutes. Modric stepped up to try and propel the Croats into the next round, but Schmeichel came up big, sending the tie to penalties. Despite more valiant goalkeeping by the Leicester City man, saving two more spot kicks, it would be Croatia’s Daniel Subasic who would get the fame with three saves in the shootout. Modric made his spot kick this time around, and Rakitic, whilst having a quiet game, scored the winner. Heartbreak for Denmark, who played extremely well. They did a fantastic job at shutting down Croatia’s key men, but couldn’t find the necessary winner to stay in the competition. Croatia progress to face Russia in the quarter final. They will likely still be favorites to advance in this match too, but they will certainly need to make more of their chances and become more ruthless with the ball to reach the semis, especially with the crowd heavily against them. Denmark will head home, but should leave with their heads held high, Schmeichel in particular. He has certainly made his country, and his father very proud, as have all of his teammates, with Yussuf Poulsen and Pione Sisto deserving honorable mentions. Scandinavian soccer has a lot to celebrate.

Brazil faced Mexico in another Round of 16 match. Brazil looked lively during the group stage but never really looked at their peak. They tied with Switzerland, and beat Costa Rica and Serbia. Neymar, the most fouled player during the tournament so far, has been the recipient of a lot of negative press for his reactions after being fouled, with many saying that he is play acting far too often. Mexico bested Germany in their group, and also beat Korea in the second match. Sweden thumped El Tri in game three, and they needed to be at their best to have any hope against the South Americans. Mexico started bright, but couldn’t find their key men Javier Hernandez and Hirving Lozano. Brazil took the lead just after halftime, perhaps against the run of play, when Neymar tapped in a cross. Mexico threw on some substitutes, and continued to press, but looked very vulnerable on the counter. Roberto Firmino scored a second late on to put the game to bed. Commiserations to El Tri, who have played fairly well all tournament long. Lozano in particular, is in line to be in the team of the tournament, as is goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who has made the most saves so far by anyone. It is likely because of this, that Mexico’s demise began. Ochoa faced so many shots, and El Tri were so poor defensively when put under intense pressure from all sides, there was no way that the Standard Liege man could keep them all out. Mexico need to change the mindset they come into games with in order to be more successful, and break the “Game Four Curse”. El Tri usually thrive when given the underdog status, and are successful when they pass the ball around when necessary, and dribble when necessary; a healthy balance. In both the match against Brazil, as well as against Sweden, Mexico looked a shambles all over the park. The defensive line had huge gaps, and the normally stunning Hector Herrera and Andres Guardado looked absent. This was another cause for their downfall, and Coach Juan Carlos Osorio, if he stays in charge, needs to live up to his “Tinkerer” nickname and fix the faults in the side. Brazil stay on track for a deep run in the competition, with their defense looking particularly strong. Thiago Silva and Miranda have buckets of experience, and Allison looks solid between the sticks. Brazil’s downfall, should it occur, will likely stem from their forward players Neymar and Gabriel Jesus and their simulation antics. Not all referees will be kind to them and call foul after foul, and may even book them for this needless play acting. Neymar in particular is dividing fans, and making this Brazil team seem less deserving of victory because of his atrocious behavior. A player of his caliber need not cheat to win. He is good enough to score goal after goal because of his great work ethic and passion for his nation. Time to grow up, and play the game he is blessed to be one of the world’s best at. Do this, and his nation will likely reach the latter stages in Russia.

Belgium were huge favorites to advance over Japan in their match. They won all three of their games in the group stage, putting three past Panama, five past Tunisia, and beating England 1-0. With talent in abundance, many have tipped Belgium to leave Russia with silverware. Japan were lucky to make it out of their group, advancing on the FIFA FairPlay rules after being tied on points, goal difference, and goals scored with Senegal. Japan are arguably the hardest working team at the tournament however, so Belgium knew they wouldn’t just roll over. Japan actually took the lead just after halftime through Genki Haraguchi, and doubled their lead with a tremendous Takashi Inui strike. The impossible looked set to occur, and Coach Roberto Martinez threw on Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli to try and come back. It would be Chadli’s former Tottenham teammate Jan Vertonghen who would pull a goal back through a cross-come-shot, and Fellaini would make it 2-2 with a towering header. Belgium looked immense going forward in these late stages, and it really makes you wonder why it took them so long to find this extra gear. Japan still looked threatening til the last, and Keisuke Honda worked the goalkeeper from a long free kick that would’ve sent the Samurai Blue through. From the resulting corner, Thibaut Courtois caught the ball, and played it quickly. Belgium countered, resulting in the last kick of the game, and a tap in for the other substitute Chadli. Heartbreak for Japan, and Belgium will go through to play Brazil in the quarter final. Japan head home, but should leave with their heads held high. They have perhaps been the shock team of the tournament, playing extraordinarily hard for every minute of every game. Their quality players Honda and Shinji Kagawa looked immense, and their wide men and center backs played well too. There is no doubt in my mind that Japan will become a team to watch over the next few major tournaments, and Asia will have a World Cup to celebrate very soon. Belgium will need to play like they did for the last twenty minutes, for the full match against Brazil in order to reach the semis. Martinez will need to seriously consider switching up his midfield, including potentially demoting Kevin De Bruyne to the bench. I have never seen the Manchester City man look as ineffective as he has in Russia. He has been a passenger in all of the Red Devil’s games so far, looking like a totally different player than he does at club level. Particularly due to Brazil’s talented midfielders Coutinho and Paulinho, it might be worth bringing in Moussa Dembele or Fellaini to start the game to give the defense some serious support against the speedy Neymar and Willian. Perhaps the most intriguing of the upcoming quarter final matches, Brazil-Belgium will be one for the record books rest assured.

Sweden took on Switzerland in the penultimate Round of 16 match. The winner would reach the quarter final, and for either side, this would be for the first time since the 1950s. Sweden had a strong qualification period, beating Netherlands and Italy, and this continued into the group stage beating South Korea, thumping Mexico, and narrowly losing to Germany. The Swiss tied with Brazil in their first group stage game, and went on to beat Serbia and tie with Costa Rica. Both teams set up to frustrate their opponents defensively, so this match looked set to be rather lackluster going forward. This was definitely not the case, with both teams forced into changes due to yellow card accumulation. Switzerland looked particularly dangerous with star man Xherdan Shaqiri putting in cross after cross, looking for a deft touch from a forward. Sweden too have a star man in Emil Forsberg, and it would be he who opened the scoring with a deflected strike from distance. Switzerland continued to press, and Sweden’s “bend, don’t break” defensive mentality was tested, with the Swiss forcing eleven corner kicks, and quality save after quality save from Robin Olsen; a contender for the golden glove. They threw everything at the game, and ended up getting caught out on the break by the Swedes, with Michael Lang needing to produce a professional foul to prevent a second goal. Switzerland finished the game with ten men, and ended the match in defeat. They have frustrated teams all tournament long, and it is easy to see how they have gone more than twenty matches unbeaten. They have some great players, many of whom have youth on their side. Switzerland should be a solid team for years to come, and with their fantastic coach Vladimir Petkovic, could be dangerous in the next European Championship. Sweden progress to the quarter final stage, and continue to show how their hard working, defensive mindset is good enough to win games, as long as they can find the net too. Andreas Granqvist has been a particular star at the back, as has goalkeeper Olsen, saving 24 out of 26 shots faced. Sweden look powerful, and will be unlike any team faced by the big guns so far. Don’t rule them out to reach the semi finals, or even the final. 

England and Colombia met in the final Round of 16 match. The Three Lions enjoyed a good group stage, beating Tunisia and Panama, and narrowly losing to Belgium. Colombia finished with the same number of points in their group, however they lost their first game, and needed to win their final two in order to advance, which they did. Colombia would be without their playmaker James Rodriguez for this matchup, and they didn’t really look as dangerous as in their matches against Poland and Senegal. Radamel Falcao appeared isolated, and Juan Cuadrado and Juan Quintero looked quiet too. England therefore dominated the first half, but couldn’t find a goal, with David Ospina mostly untroubled in the Colombian goal. Wilmar Barrios appeared to strike Jordan Henderson’s chest with his head during a scuffle, one of many during this heated game, and was lucky to avoid a red card. The game continued to be choppy, full of cards and fouls, and Colombia eventually gave up a penalty kick, which Harry Kane dispatched. England looked poor all over the field for the remaining thirty minutes, and Yerry Mina scored his third goal of the tournament right at the end of regulation with another towering header. Extra time was much of the same, with neither side looking too threatening, not wanting to give up a goal. Both sides were looking shaky defensively as legs became weary, but the match remained 1-1. Penalty kicks ensued. Ospina saved Henderson’s spot kick, but Mateus Uribe hit the bar, and Kieran Trippier made it even again. Jordan Pickford stopped Carlos Bacca’s strike, meaning Eric Dier had the chance to win it for England. The Tottenham man stepped up and snuck his shot past Ospina; heartbreak for Colombia. Neither team were very convincing on the day, but Colombia can leave Russia proud. They played some electric soccer, with the match against Poland particularly memorable, but fell victim to the shootout. For England, this win would break the curse that the nation has had during penalty shootouts, but they must step up in the next match against Sweden. Their defense looked appalling all game long, with Harry Maguire working three times as hard to make up for slip ups elsewhere from his fellow defenders. Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, and Deli Alli were all liable defensively, and were less than effective going forward. The three of them all play similarly, and there is no room for all of them in the same starting XI. With Jamie Vardy and Marcus Rashford hungry, Coach Southgate should give them a chance to make their country proud. On paper, England will be favorites to advance against the Swedes, but any soccer fan will know that Sweden will have watched the England match, and will be licking their lips at the chance to harass this shaky defense and sneak into the semi final themselves. Another intriguing matchup for the quarter final stage, which looks set to continue the themes that have made the 2018 World Cup in Russia so memorable.