The Group Stage is over. My “Drinking from the World Cup” is over. But the games go on. Here’s my prediction for Saturday’s double-header.
Brazil vs. Chile
This may end up being a popular upset pick, after Chile looked really good in their first two games and Brazil was largely unimpressive (sorry, a rout of Cameroon doesn’t do much). I was already down on Brazil coming into the tournament, and they definitely have done much to change my mind on that. All that being said, I’ll go with the Brazilians here. I see it locked up at 1-1 when the 90 minutes expires before Neymar pops one in extra time to win it 2-1 for Brazil.
Colombia vs. Uruguay
Could the Uruguayans find a way here, without Suarez? Of course. But the popular pick here will definitely be Colombia because they rolled through the Group Stage with three wins and now get a Uruguay team in some turmoil after all the Suarez controversy over the last few days. I’ll stick with Colombia anyway. They look like a team on a mission with some guys that are emerging as stars in James (that’s pronounced Ha-mez) Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, and Victor Ibarbo. These guys have let the team forget about the loss of their star striker to injury. I’ll take Colombia 3-1.
Netherlands vs. Mexico
Well, my predictions for yesterday were pretty good (Brazil/Chile going 1-1 into extra time with a Brazil win and Colombia with a 2-goal win) so I’m feeling some added pressure as we head into Day 2 of the Knockout Stage. This is absolutely one of the best games of this round. The Netherlands have been the most impressive team in the tournament so far and are a better team than Mexico. That being said, I’m going with the Mexicans in an upset here. We know the Dutch, back at full strength with Van Persie and Robben up top, will be looking to go on the attack. The Mexican fullbacks, Layun and Aguilar, have been up attacking a lot in this tournament, but they’ll have to hang back to help deal with the Dutch attack. But I think Mexico has shown the defensive discipline to (mostly) withstand the attack and hit on some counter-attacks. I’ll say Chicharito comes on as a sub and scores the winner in a 2-1 Mexican victory.
Costa Rica vs. Greece
Probably the least interesting game of this round, as it pits two teams that weren’t expected to be here and, more concerning, two teams that play a defensive style. I’ll keep it simple for this prediction. Greece has done nothing to really impress so far, while the Costa Ricans won the “Group of Champions” (though with Uruguay being dominated yesterday, you can really question how tough that group was in the first place). I like Costa Rica 1-0, on a goal from Joel Campbell, who’s made himself money playing somewhere after this tournament.
France vs Nigeria
Similar to the Costa Rica/Greece match from yesterday in that it pits a team that’s been very impressive so far in the tournament (France) against one that has not been very impressive but managed to sneak through a mediocre group (Nigeria). The big difference, of course, is that France has the pedigree of world class talent that Costa Rica does not possess. Nigeria should not be counted out easily here. They have good talent and their ace in the hole may be goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who is not only very good but also plays in the French Ligue 1, so he is very familiar with the tendencies of his opponents in this match. Still, I’ve like this France team all along, and I think they keep the momentum going here, with a 2-1 win.
Germany vs. Algeria
It’s shaping up to be the end of the tournament for Africa today, as the two remaining sides go up against big European powers. This should be a good measuring stick game for the Germans. Algeria has shown themselves to be a solid but nothing-special team. Look for them to “park the bus” and pack in their defense here, much as they did in the early going against Belgium. It may frustrate the Germans for a while, but they should have the quality to penetrate the blockade and win this 2-0. Algerians Sofiane Feghouli and Islam Slimani have shown themselves to be dangerouns though.
Argentina vs. Switzerland
Sergio Aguero is out with an injury, but if there’s any team that can pretty easily withstand the loss of a world-class striker, it’s Argentina. Switzerland has looked good in attack, with Xherdan Shaqiri pulling the strings, and both fullbacks, Rodriguez and Lichtsteiner, making solid contributions to the offense. But that five-goal meltdown vs. the French may be telling. Do they have the defense and goalkeeping to keep this Argentina squad down? I’ll say no, and say that the Argies take this one, 2-1.
USA vs. Belgium
Ah, the two teams I’m rooting for most meet up here in the Round of 16. Unfortunate. Assuming Argentina wins in the earlier game today, the favorites will be 7-0 in this round. Yes, that means I’m going with the Americans as the lone upset. As I’ve said already, I think the Belgians have been overly criticized so far for the performance in this tournament. Yes, they’ve faced three less-than-great opponents, but all of those opponents were hanging back and making it very hard for Belgium to find any space. The US should mirror that tactic, because if they play an open, attacking style, attempting to control the ball equally, the class of the Belgians will shine. The US needs to hang back and hope to hit on some counter-attacks. But they’ve been able to take good advantage of their opportunities, and Jozy Altidore may be around to help out today. I’ll say the US wins this 1-0.
