Analysis: Electrifying last 16 gives way to sizzling quarters

Argentina need to perform at a much higher level than previously in this tournament if they want to reach semi-final.

LONDON:

The 2014 World Cup is the gift that just keeps on giving.

If we thought the group stages couldn’t be topped, how wrong we were! It’s the thrill-a-minute carnival that nobody wants to end.

After a 24-hour break from festivities last Friday, we were straight back into the action on Saturday afternoon as hosts Brazil opened the round of 16 against Chile.

Despite the feel-good factor around the country, this is far from a vintage Brazilian side. Luis Felipe Scolari knows it, the players know it and the public know it.

In Neymar, they have the only world class performer in their ranks, and Scolari will be thanking his lucky stars that the 22-year-old was on his game against Chile because frankly, the rest did little of note.



Chile’s star man Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal in particular were constantly in the faces of their opposite numbers, forcing elementary mistakes and perhaps giving Colombia a clue as to where their best chances of a quarter-final victory may lie.

Once again, Dani Alves and Marcelo were exposed on the flanks by pace, and the only real surprise was that Chile could not get the second goal their play so obviously deserved.

As it was, the coolest man on the field was also the most decisive, and Neymar will begin to believe this is Brazil’s World Cup to lose now.

James Rodriguez and his Colombian teammates could well have something to say about that. With pace to burn, the attacking sextet in Jose Pekerman’s side will provide Brazil with plenty of food for thought.

Rodriguez has taken all of the plaudits with his goalscoring exploits, and rightly so. But Brazil leave Juan Cuadrado alone at their peril. Four assists in this tournament evidence his own threat.

The hosts’ samba football might need to take a back seat for this one.

Considering Netherland’s immaculate group stage performance, it was something of a surprise to see Louis Van Gaal start off ultra-cautiously against Mexico.

A 5-3-2 formation left Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie impotent in attack. Indeed, it took until the 27th minute for the latter to have his first real sight of goal.



The support just wasn’t there, and clearly, Daley Blind and Dirk Kuyt didn’t enjoy working as a pair on the left side. It was from that side that Giovani Dos Santos made his way infield before unleashing an unstoppable long-ranger to open the scoring and from where Mexico profited the most.

Costa Rica will have noted the weakness with interest. It’s the area where their effervescent pairing of Joel Campbell and captain Bryan Ruiz have done the most damage during the tournament.

If Jorge Luis Pinto sets up his side in a similar 5-4-1 to that which he used against Greece, then don’t be surprised to see Dutch struggles continue, Robben’s exciting and incisive soiree’s upfield kept to absolute minimum.



In the event the Dutch break through the defensive lines, they still have to beat Keylor Navas, one of the goalkeepers of the tournament, who has conceded just once from open play.

The French were another of the form teams to struggle to make it into the last eight.

An attacking and mobile 4-3-3 from Didier Deschamps counted for nothing as Nigeria impressively took the game to their opponents from the first whistle.

Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses’ foraging down the left side helped keep Paul Pogba in check for long periods, forcing Yohan Cabaye to play long balls into Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema.

So ineffective was the former that Antoine Griezmann’s introduction after half time was one of the more obvious calls. Immediately, Les Blues were to the fore as a more attacking force, but still the Nigerian’s dictated the pace.

That was until they began to run out of steam. Cabaye had already smashed one against the bar before Pogba and a Joseph Yobo own goal saw the French safely through.

Germany will be able to pick enough holes in the French performance to feel confident of progression, even though they too were fortunate to get to the quarter finals at the expense of Algeria.

It took Mesut Ozil’s strike in the last minute of extra time to confirm their passage, which isn’t entirely in keeping with what we come to expect of the Germans.

Philipp Lahm in central midfield soon made sense as he was the only player providing much needed protection to his back four, but he may need to revert to right back against France to combat the threat posed by Blaise Matuidi.

A defence that was playing such a high line that it forced goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into an active sweeper role will need to review its policies well before Friday’s winner-takes-all match, because the French will punish such laxity.

Expect a midfield battle royale. Toni Kroos has out-passed everyone else in the tournament but Pogba and Matuidi have the physicality and power to ride roughshod all over Joachim Loew’s precise tactical masterplan.

Argentina seem to have the luck of champions with them at the moment. Against Iran in the group stages, they were poor and only a late, late Lionel Messi goal spared their blushes.

Against Switzerland, Messi was once again decisive, setting up Angel Di Maria for the winner in the last few minutes of extra time. But for the majority of the game, he was anonymous. That was due in no small part to the incredible work ethic of the Swiss midfield, particularly Valon Behrami.

Brittle at the back, long aimless balls forward. How on earth did they prevail against the well drilled Swiss?!

They will certainly have their work cut out against Marc Wilmots’ inventive side.

Although Belgium were pushed all the way by the US, they have Kevin Mirallas, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku to give the Argentine back four nightmares all game long.

Tim Howard’s 15 saves gives Sergio Romero an indication of what to expect, and for Argentina to get anywhere near a semi-final berth, they need to perform at a much higher level than previously in this tournament.

Trying to get the better of man-mountains Marouane Fellaini, Vincent Kompany and Daniel van Buyten is no easy task either.

It promises to be a fabulous set of quarter-finals. Game on!

The writer is a European football journalist.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2014.

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