World Cup 2014: Teams, Odds and Complete Schedule for Round of 16
Half of the 32 teams that qualified for the 2014 World Cup have already been sent packing, as football's biggest showcase gets ready for its final act—the knockout stages.
It's win or go home for all of the teams remaining, and the round of 16 is already shaping up to be one of drama and high-quality football, featuring several mouth-watering ties.
Oddsshark), as well as the complete schedule for the round of 16:
Saturday
Fate has been cruel to fans of South American football, with four teams scheduled to play for just a single semi-final ticket. Hosts Brazil will take on rivals Chile, while the Luis Suarez-less Uruguayans will have to find a way to slow down an in-form Colombian team.
Both ties look very appealing, but the fixture between Brazil and Chile will be the one fans are looking forward to the most. The hosts have yet to play their best football, and the Chileans have looked very impressive so far in the tournament.
They've been eliminated from the World Cup by their Brazilian foes on three separate occasions, and Arturo Vidal and company will be out for revenge. Via Selecao Brasileira, Neymar made it clear he and his teammates are aware of the danger:
The formula is very similar for both teams—it doesn't matter if we concede once or twice, as long as we out-score our opponents. Expect plenty of attacking football and an all-out war in the centre of the pitch when these teams meet.
Colombia will be strong favourites going into their match with Uruguay, but La Celeste are the more experienced side on this level. Losing Suarez hurts, but the "us against the world" mentality could be a powerful weapon for a team yet to discover its best form.
Stopping the duo of James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado will be key for Uruguay. The two have been instrumental in both the buildup play and the creation of scoring opportunities for Colombia, and no team has found a way to limit their impact so far.
Colombia will want to keep the Uruguayans on their heels and not allow them to grow into the match. Shutting down the lanes between midfield and Edinson Cavani will go a long way in neutralising an attacking force adept at scoring exactly when they need to.
Sunday
Few people will have expected both Greece and Costa Rica to qualify from their respective groups, yet one of these teams will continue their Cinderella story and qualify for the quarter-finals.
The Greeks have been here before—shocking the world by winning Euro 2004. They didn't impress at all during the group stages, but found a way to do just enough to advance.
They'll have to do better against an opportunistic Costa Rican side, who have already proven their quality by defeating both Uruguay and Italy. Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell are in the form of their lives, and with the team already exceeding expectations, they will feel no pressure going into this match.
Mexico will need to take a long, hard look at the film from their 0-0 draw with Brazil in the group stages.
Not to figure out how they were able to stop the hosts from scoring, but to realise just how lucky they got. Guillermo Ochoa did a phenomenal job keeping his nets clean in that match, but he was greatly aided by poor finishing from the Brazilians.
The Netherlands won't be so kind. They've been deadly efficient in front of goal, and they will only get better with the return of ace striker Robin van Persie. They won't be able to lean on their biggest weapon, the counter attack, against the Mexicans, but just one inch of space is enough for the Dutch to open the score.
Monday
Europe goes up against Africa in Monday's double-header, with France taking on Nigeria and Algeria seeking revenge for their controversial exit from the tournament in 1982 against Germany.
If you need a history lesson, the BBC did an excellent job of summarising how West Germany and Austria conspired to get the Algerians eliminated from the tournament.
Journalist Linus Kaikai is confident the Desert Warriors have a decent chance of shocking Die Mannschaft:
As far as raw talent goes, this match isn't much of a contest, but Algeria showed the world they are a better team than people give them credit for by making a mockery of South Korea during the group stages.
They'll lock things down defensively and challenge the Germans to beat them with a high line, but given the form Thomas Mueller is in, it might not be enough to stop Joachim Low and his men from advancing.
France have been one of the most impressive teams in Brazil so far, but Nigeria are no pushovers. Struggling with form coming into the tournament, they managed to do just enough to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina before putting together their best performance yet against Argentina.
The Super Eagles are a good team looking for synergy and an identity, and they may have figured it out just in time. France are already on the right track, however, and their run through the group stages was as smooth as they come.
Mathieu Valbuena has been their best performer so far, and if he finds his groove early, it'll be very difficult for any opponent to keep Karim Benzema from scoring.
Tuesday
The final two fixtures of the round of 16 are two of the most intriguing ones we've seen. Argentina will take on Switzerland, who appear to have rediscovered their defensive prowess just in time.
The Albiceleste may have won every single one of their matches so far, but they've hardly looked impressive doing so. The back four is shaky, to say the least, and outside of Lionel Messi, the forwards simply haven't lived up to their lofty expectations.
Switzerland are growing into the tournament, but at their very best, they can match Argentina's group of attackers struggling with form and strike on the counter. If Valon Behrami and Gokhan Inler can control the battle in midfield, an upset could be on the cards.
The USA qualified from the group of death and will now take on Belgium, whose tournament has been quite similar to Argentina's—all wins, but none of them truly impressive.
The good news for the Red Devils is that they wasted little energy qualifying for the round of 16. Their opponents are far more battle tested, but they're also banged-up and tired from playing three very strong teams.
Belgium easily defeated the USA last year in a friendly, but this is not the same American team. They believe in their chances, and looking at their performances so far, there's no reason they shouldn't.
The battle out wide will be the key in this match, with Belgium's platoon of star wingers unable to disguise the fact the team lacks natural full-backs. The USA just went up against Germany, a team with a similar problem, and they exploited those players' lack of mobility quite well.
