The Round of 16 matches got off to a dramatic start yesterday with host country Brazil nearly being knocked out by Chile.
The match came down to a thrilling penalty shootout which Brazil just won 3-2. The match was level at 90 minutes and both sides failed to score in the 30 minutes of extra time. The penalty shootout saw Luiz, Marcelo and Neymar scoring for Brazil and goalkeeper Julio Cesar made two saves. Charles Aranguiz and Marcelo Diaz scored for Chile but Gonazlo Jara missed the decisive shot which gave Brazil the win.
The match wasn’t without controversy. The second half saw a potential match-winning goal from Hulk disallowed by referee Howard Webb. Brazil now needs just three more wins to win their sixth World Cup title.
The second match of the day saw Colombia dominate over Uruguay to win 2-0 and secure their place in the quarter-finals.
Uruguay was always going to struggle after last week’s controversy with Luis Suarez and the team never really looked comfortable. They tried to respond with good attempts from Maximiliano Pereira and Edinson Cavani, however, Colombia keeper David Ospina managed to make some fine saves.
Colombia on the other hand looked confident from the outset. James Rodriguez emerged as the star of the game scoring both goals, one in each half, to set up a meeting with Brazil this Friday.
Results
- Brazil vs. Chile – 3:2
- Colombia vs. Uruguay – 2:0
Upcoming Round of 16 Matches
Brazil vs. Colombia, Friday, 4 July 2014 Match Preview
