Last 16 matches

As the title suggests, we've had more action at the World Cup. So far we've already seen 4 last 16 matches, with 4 more to come over the next 2 days. After these have been played, we'll know more about who could possibly be going on to win the tournament and who has the easiest route to the final stages of the tournament.

The first match we saw of the World Cup's second round was the clash between Group A's winners, Uruguay, and Group B's runner-ups, South Korea. On the face of it, this looked like it could be a close match as both teams play a similar sort of football and have player's who can change the game in their team's favour. In reality, Uruguay were deserved winners, eventually walking into the quarter-final's with a much-deserved 2-1 win. The Uruguayan's took an early lead through supposed Manchester United target Luis Suarez after just 8 minutes, with a strike at the far post after yet another goalkeeping error. As the ball came across, the South Korean keeper seemed to fall over as it went past him where Suarez was on hand to tap the ball in and give the two time winner's hope of making their first quarter-final appearance since 1970. After this very bright start, it was perhaps strange to watch the Urguayan's sit back and seemingly try to defend the one goal advantage they had, but despite this, the Korean's somehow went in at half-time still trailing 1-0. Something had to change then at half-time otherwise the Uruguayan's would progress and the South Korean's would be out. Again, the Uruguayan's came out and started to defend seemingly prefering to stick with what they had than to go and kill the game off, and they were made to rue this tactic when, after 68 minutes, Bolton Wanderer's striker Lee Chung-Yong stole in ahead of Uruguayan keeper Muslera to nod into the net and restore hope of a South Korean comeback. In my mind, Muslera didn't need to come for the ball, and he got absolutely nowhere near it, and yet again, a goalkeeping blunder has proven the downfall of a team at this World Cup. The goal that won Uruguay the game came from Luis Suarez, the brilliant 23 year old coming in from the left and curling a delicious shot into the top right corner past the Korean keeper to finally seal their quarter-final place after 80 minutes. The Uruguayans do look like a handy squad, and if the rumours are true about Luis Suarez and Manchester United, it looks like we could have another young, exciting player coming to the best league in the world.

To see who would face Uruguay in the quarter final, the USA and Ghana met at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in what was a highly anticipated game as Ghana remained Africa's only hope at the first African World Cup. Both team's have performed brilliantly so far in this tournament, but Ghana had not yet scored a goal from open play, a stat which they undoubtedly wanted to change against the US. Just 5 minutes in, Kevin-Prince Boateng went on a slaloming run through midfield before firing a shot past Tim Howard and giving the Ghanains a goal from open play, and raising hopes of an African team progressing to the quarter-finals, and possibly further, of the tournament. Naturally, when the US managed to grab an equaliser through a 62nd minute Landon Donovan penalty, the locals were not happy, but the American's looked like they could finally justify their talent by gaining a quarter-final place at this World Cup. Unsurprisingly, with only 28 minutes left, neither team wanted to leave themselves open to a killer goal and so the game closed up slightly and the game went to extra-time, the first time we have seen extra-time at this World Cup. It actually didn't take too long for a goal to come after extra-time had gotten away, and it was Ghana's World Cup hero who sent the local crowds and the Ghanain's in the stadium absolutely delirious as he slotted in a delightful shot, and gave Ghana their 2nd goal from open play. Asamoah Gyan, the man who previously, scored both goal's for Ghana in the group stage, was the man who sent them into a quarter-final against Uruguay after his stunning strike just 3 minutes into the first half of extra-time. You may think that game will be one of no contest, a match that surely Uruguay can't conspire to lose, but I actually think it may just be closer than everyone is giving Ghana credit for, and it wouldn't surprise me if we had our first ever African semi-finalist's at this World Cup.

Sunday brought a very different type of game. A rivalry like no other, a team that had looked poor given their reputation, and a talented young side looking for blood. Yes, it was the big one as Germany took on England in Bloemfontein. Prediction's at the start of the day suggested that if England were to beat the old enemy, one in six people would phone-in sick for work the next morning, but luckily that didn't happen. In a game full of controversy and rivalry, the German's eventually waltzed into the quarter-final's with a margin of 4-1. Not only was this result embarassing for England, but it made many people doubt whether England had in fact been ready to go to this tournament as they certainly didn't look it at any time whilst they were in South Africa. Germany were ahead after a defensive mix-up between Matthew Upson and John Terry allowed a Manuel Neuer goal-kick to bounce all the way through to Miroslav Klose, and as you will know if you look at his international record, you do not let him get a chance as he will probably bury it. That's exactly what he did after 20 minutes, and it was a goal that had England reeling as the German's started to attack at will while the English player's wilted in front of them. Lukas Podolski's goal for Germany meant that after just 32 minutes, the German's had a 2-0 lead and looked like they would smash England, however, this German optimism didn't last long. In the 37th minute, Matthew Upson headed in a Steven Gerrard cross just to give the English player's a lift and keep the hope alive. What followed next was even more surprising than an England goal, and will have left the German's with a sense that justice has now been done after the 44 years of hurt that they have had to suffer. 44 years ago, Geoff Hurst struck a bar and the linesman incorrectly asserted that the ball had in fact crossed the line, giving England a goal, this time around, the linesman didn't see what everyone else in the stadium and on the pitch saw as Frank Lampard's stunning lob beat Manuel Neuer, crashed against the underside of the bar, and landed a couple of feet over the line. However, as Frank Lampard and Fabio Capello celebrated, they were both stunned to see the referee and his linesman wave play on having not given a goal. It was such a stunning mistake that I can't comprehend it, and I'm not even English. It was a definite goal and you could tell that from the live action replay. The slow motion just made it look even worse and the linesman will be appalled with himself when he see's that. England then went in 2-1 behind. Despite coming out and attacking, England still didn't create much apart from a Frank Lampard free-kick that struck the bar, and of course, as you so find when you're chasing a game, this meant that England were left with huge gaps at the back which the German's exploited with some brilliant counter-attacking in the 67th and 70th minutes, both chances finished by Thomas Muller. England then, not only crashed out, but also suffered their worst ever World Cup defeat at the hands of their old enemies. You always hear about decisions evening themselves out and so possibly England deserved not to be given that goal after Mr Hurst's was given in 1966, but it will spark up a fresh debate over whether we need goalline technology, to which the sensible answer must surely now be yes.

The second last 16 game of Sunday was also tinted with controversy, as Argentina took on Mexico. In what was a brilliant opening period, Mexico seemed to dominate their fellow South American's, but after Tevez's shot came back off the Mexican goalkeeper to Lionel Messi, Tevez was offside. What followed was an absolute debacle as Lionel Messi chipped the ball over the goalkeeper and Tevez headed it in from his offside position. The referee and his linesman gave the goal but both saw it on the big screen's inside the stadium, and so both will know that the decision they have made is absolutely awful. Again, this enhances the argument for video technology, but FIFA have still refused to do this, and it remain's to be seen whether all this controversy will change their minds. The second Argentinian goal came just 8 minutes later after a defensive mistake was pounced on by one of the early frontrunner's for the Golden Boot, Gonzalo Higuain. It was a brilliant goal and all but put the Mexican's out. After half-time, the Argentinian's came out looking to kill the game, and when Carlos Tevez smashed in a typically brilliant goal after 55 minutes from outside the box, it seemed like it was definitely over and that Argentina and their flamboyant manager Diego Maradona would be going on to play a quarter final against Germany. Mexico did get a consolation goal through new Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, and United fan's will have been delighted to have seen it as it was an absolutely brilliant turn followed by an even better strike into the roof of the Argentinian net. This is the team I am predicting to win the World Cup just to reiterate that to everyone out there.

Drinking rule time?? I think it is. This one is German specific. Everytime Germany play, you must drink throught their national anthem, and, if at any point there is a close up of Joachim Loew, you must say "Where's Fabio??". As usual, last person to say it must do the pre-arranged punishment. I'm off to watch Andy Murray try and reach the Wimbledon quarter's now, but I'll be back with a post after the Brazil-Chile game this evening, so I guess I'll see you then. Cheer's for reading guys.