Mexico’s Rafael Marquez (L) tackles Arjen Robben of the Netherlands (C) during the FIFA World Cup 2014 round of 16 match at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil. (AFP)
DPA/Rio de Janerio
The first set of knock-out games has shown that there are no longer any easy games at the World Cup.
After the goal festival of the group stages, the round of 16 that ended on Tuesday showed that the Brazilian World Cup has become a more equally-matched affair.
Five of the eight games ran into extra time - two of them requiring a penalty shootout - and only two teams managed victories by a two-goal margin.
There were also few surprises: For the first time since the current format was introduced, in 1986, all of the teams that won their respective groups have made it to the quarter-finals.
Hosts Brazil, for example, suffered more than expect against Chile, owing in part to a below-par performance. They only defeated La Roja 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out after the match in Belo Horizonte had ended in a 1-1 draw.
Aside from Brazil’s David Luiz and Alexis Sanchez, authors of the two goals during regular time, the game’s main protagonist was Mauricio Pinilla. Chile’s forward almost broke the Brazilians’ hearts by striking the bar in the last minute of extra time and then had his penalty kick saved by Julio Cesar.
Pinilla was also in the news for allegedly receiving a punch in the face during the half time break, an incident that led to Brazil’s media director being suspended for one match.
“When you win like this, you come out stronger,” Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said of Saturday’s match.
At the mythical Maracana stadium, meanwhile, Colombia easily rid themselves of Uruguay 2-0, with La Celeste still furious over the Luiz Suarez controversy.
The undisputed hero of Saturday’s other game was James Rodriguez, author of both goals in Rio de Janeiro. His first, in which he controlled the ball with his chest before firing in a spectacular volley, has been elected one of the best of the tournament so far.
The Colombian playmaker has now scored in every game in Brazil for a tournament-leading tally of five, and has been elected man of the match in three out of the four games that he has played in.
“It’s great to have a player like James Rodriguez,” said Colombian coach Jose Pekerman, in one of arguably the biggest understatements of the World Cup.
Sunday’s round of 16 games pitted the Netherlands against Mexico and Costa Rica against Greece.
The match in Fortaleza will best be remembered for the controversy surrounding Arjen Robben’s admission to the media that he had “fallen too easily” inside Mexico’s penalty area.
The Dutch star was referring to a first-half incident, not the injury-time penalty that allowed Klaas Jan Huntelaar to settle the score at 2-1 for the Dutch, after an 88th-minute equalizer from Wesley Snijder.
“Robben dove three times, and we were playing against the referee all the time,” was Mexican coach Miguel Herrera’s sourly assessment of the match.
Costa Rica, meanwhile, continued to surprise the pundits, this time by defeating Greece on penalties to book their first ever quarter-final berth.
Monday’s games saw France and Germany eliminate the last African teams left in the tournament, Nigeria and Algeria.
But the two European powerhouses didn’t have it so easy.
In Brasilia, France needed a helping hand from Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, brilliant until then, who in the 79th minute misjudged a corner kick and ended up tipping the ball towards Paul Pogba for an easy header.
France’s second, in injury time, was another gift from the Africans: an own goal by the unfortunate Joseph Yobo.
It was Yobo’s 100th, and last, cap for Nigeria and his 10th appearance in the World Cup - a record for Nigeria, but one he will not want to celebrate.
Germany, meanwhile, struggled more than expected to overcome underdogs Algeria, authors of a heroic performance in Porto Alegre, needing extra time goals from Andre Schuerrle and Mesut Oezil. Abdelmoumene Djabou provided some consolation for the North Africans by scoring the country’s first ever goal in a World Cup knock-out game.
The German media, which are unlikely to settle for less than a place in the semi-finals, were far from impressed.
“Our team gave it’s weakest performance to date at the World Cup,” wrote the mass-circulation Bild newspaper. “It’s clear that if we continue like this we’ll lose to the strong French on Friday.”
In Tuesday’s games, Argentina needed an extra-time goal from Angel Di Maria to overcome Switzerland, authors of a gritty performance in Sao Paulo. And in the final game of the round of 16, Belgium besieged the United States for much of the game but also needed extra time strikes from Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku to win 2-1.
Now come the quarter-finals for more drama: Germany v France, Brazil v Colombia, Argentina v Belgium and Netherlands v Costa Rica.