FIFA World Cup knockout stages

[dan08]

If the World Cup ended today, Colombia would be ranked 1st.

[yuppie]

Not going to be sad to see the back of Uruguay

Horrible team arent they

They just need to leave this world cup, and thankfully Colombia are making sure they do.

[st_brendy]

This game isn't over yet. Uruguay have started to come into it since that double change. If they can get the next goal...

[SaintPowelly]

Well done, Gaston, he deserved that

[SaintPowelly]

Glad to see Uruguay go home, but also wanted to see Ramirez succeed.

[Durhamfootman]

with half an hour to go, I feared for the Columbians, a little. At that stage, Uruguay were looking like a team that had decided to take as many Columbians with them as they could. Fortunately, and a little surprisingly, they decided to try and score instead. Once they had decided that, the game was a half decent one.

good riddance to the Uruguayans though. couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of lads

[Durhamfootman]

without checking, I reckon that there are 5 teams sporting players who are full of goals

Columbia have Rodders... 5 goals in 4 games
Argentina have Messi..... 4 goals in 3 games
Germans have Mueller.... 4 goals in 3 games
Brazil have Neymar....... 4 goals in 4 games
Dutch have vP and Robben 3 each in 3 games

England have........... Sturridge (balloon fizzes around noisily)

Pay no attention to those who talk about England's defence...... this is the problem!

Want to win a world cup?

Find someone who can score 6 or 7 goals at the world cup finals......... give yourself a chance.

Until then you might as well shout and shake your fists at the sky................. while blaming the defenders, obviously!

[st_brendy]

without checking, I reckon that there are 5 teams sporting players who are full of goals

Columbia have Rodders... 5 goals in 4 games
Argentina have Messi..... 4 goals in 3 games
Germans have Mueller.... 4 goals in 3 games
Brazil have Neymar....... 4 goals in 4 games
Dutch have vP and Robben 3 each in 3 games

England have........... Sturridge (balloon fizzes around noisily)

Pay no attention to those who talk about England's defence...... this is the problem!

Want to win a world cup?

Find someone who can score 6 or 7 goals at the world cup finals......... give yourself a chance.

Until then you might as well shout and shake your fists at the sky................. while blaming the defenders, obviously!

Thank you!

Rooney's chances against Italy and Uruguay. Sturridge's chance against Costa Rica. The top players score them, no question.

Very few teams are rock solid at the back. Very few teams don't rely on one or two big time attackers to score them a goal or two when they need it.

Holland conceded two against Australia. Argentina conceded two against Nigeria. Brazil conceded to Croatia and Cameroon. Uruguay conceded a combined four goals against us and Costa Rica. USA didn't keep a single clean sheet. None of them got knocked out in the group stage.

[mikesiva]

I spent a lot of time at a birthday party for the son of a couple we knew well in Hendon, while the Brazil-Chile match was going on, and because all the parents there were Jamaican, they were naturally all cheering for Brazil! I didn't have the heart to say it then, but I have to say it now - I know I'm stating the obvious, but it's pretty clear that Brazil won't win this World Cup.

The less said about my predictions, the better....

But that Colombia team! That James Rodriguez!

I think most folks outside of Montevideo were happy to see Colombia beat Uruguay.

[Red Devil]

I spent a lot of time at a birthday party for the son of a couple we knew well in Hendon, while the Brazil-Chile match was going on, and because all the parents there were Jamaican, they were naturally all cheering for Brazil! I didn't have the heart to say it then, but I have to say it now - I know I'm stating the obvious, but it's pretty clear that Brazil won't win this World Cup.

The less said about my predictions, the better....

But that Colombia team! That James Rodriguez!

I think most folks outside of Montevideo were happy to see Colombia beat Uruguay.

I have to say that I've always been a Brazil fan, but I found myself rooting for Chile in the penalty shoot-out. I thought they really deserved to go through more than Brazil did.

[Aidan11]

This Brazil side are nothing special when you compare them to the Brazillian sides of the past. Having said that they'll probably still end up reaching the final.

[Dilbert]

without checking, I reckon that there are 5 teams sporting players who are full of goals

Columbia have Rodders... 5 goals in 4 games
Argentina have Messi..... 4 goals in 3 games
Germans have Mueller.... 4 goals in 3 games
Brazil have Neymar....... 4 goals in 4 games
Dutch have vP and Robben 3 each in 3 games

England have........... Sturridge (balloon fizzes around noisily)

Pay no attention to those who talk about England's defence...... this is the problem!

Want to win a world cup?

Find someone who can score 6 or 7 goals at the world cup finals......... give yourself a chance.

Until then you might as well shout and shake your fists at the sky................. while blaming the defenders, obviously!

Thank you!

Rooney's chances against Italy and Uruguay. Sturridge's chance against Costa Rica. The top players score them, no question.

Very few teams are rock solid at the back. Very few teams don't rely on one or two big time attackers to score them a goal or two when they need it.

Holland conceded two against Australia. Argentina conceded two against Nigeria. Brazil conceded to Croatia and Cameroon. Uruguay conceded a combined four goals against us and Costa Rica. USA didn't keep a single clean sheet. None of them got knocked out in the group stage.

Exactly the point i made the other day. Rooney missed too many against Uruguay, he had 4-5 clear chances, only took 1. that is where Eng lost. Maybe, that is the problem for ManU too… RVP was injured most of last season, and Rooney was…. well Rooney.

Also that kid Janujaz didn't impress much in the WC.

[SaintPowelly]

This Brazil side are nothing special when you compare them to the Brazillian sides of the past. Having said that they'll probably still end up reaching the final.

I know someone that has money ( a fair bit, I think ) on Holland vs Germany in the final at 17/1

[Aidan11]

This Brazil side are nothing special when you compare them to the Brazillian sides of the past. Having said that they'll probably still end up reaching the final.

I know someone that has money ( a fair bit, I think ) on Holland vs Germany in the final at 17/1

Two European teams in a final held in S America.

History says that's unlikely to happen.

[sussexpob]

Say what you want about Brazil, they were the slightly better team in that game, and knocked out a Chile side that made Holland work hard, and beat Spain. No team was going to blitz Chile apart, so I wouldnt look too much into that performance at all. They got through, so job done.

Having said that, and I predicted in my thread about Brazil they would be knocked out in the Quarters, Scolari is tactically looking like a dinosaur at this world cup, and his insistence on loyalty to a few players is weighing down his side.

They didnt pick a good number 9, but have potential all over the midfield on the bench. Its time they rethought their side, dropped Fred and Jo to the bench, put Neymar or Hulk in the central striker position, and use some of that depth they have in the central midfield/winger area.

I would personally put Neymar in the centre, put Willian on the right, drop Hulk and replace him with Bernard on the left, and then have Oscar operate as the central midfielder who links with Neymar, and play Ramires with Fernandinho in the centre. They are really struggling to get hold of the ball and keep it when Gustavo and Fernandinho play together, and both dont move the ball quick, which makes defending easier against them.