And Then There Were Eight

And Then There Were Eight

And Then There Were Eight

📅03 July 2014, 08:39

There are now just 8 teams left from the 32 that started in the World Cup and before long they will be halved. All the remaining teams have played admirably to reach this stage and the next round is likely to be even more competitive than the previous.

France and Germany start the next round and it is arguable that France has been the most consistent team to date. On the other hand, many still believe that Germany is favourite to win. Neither side’s defence were particularly impressive in the Round of 16 and both teams will be trying to take advantage of this.

Next up is Brazil against Columbia. Brazil just made it through the last round, defeating Chile on penalties. Colombia has been on excellent form throughout the tournament and James Rodriguez has really impressed. This match is sure to be a real test for the host nation.

On Saturday Argentina will face Belgium. Argentina has never really got going this tournament but has still managed to win all its games. Messi is a lethal weapon and the team makes good use of him. It has been a similar story for Belgium; they have won four matches without playing particularly well, only scoring at the last minute. This is sure to be one of the most edgy matches of the quarter-finals.

Finally the Netherlands will play Costa Rica.  Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has really impressed by making tactical adjustments as games progress which has made the team extremely versatile. Costa Rica has proved it can deliver under pressure in games against Italy and Uruguay. However, they will have to work extremely hard to hold off the Dutch.

In just three days’ time half of these teams will be on their way home. The other half will continue in the semi-finals and the only certainty is that it’s sure to be thrilling to watch.