Quarter Final Predictions and Even More Stray Thoughts

What a few games those were.

Not to pat myself on the back too hard, but I did go 8/8 on my predictions last week.  Had I possessed even the faintest confidence in my own picks, I would have had a rather tidy payday in the world of sports betting.  But I didn’t so that of course hasn’t happened.

Onward with the quarter-final picks!

Brazil v. Colombia

Editor’s Pick: Colombia

Maybe I’m peaking on a new level of arrogance at my success in the last round, but more realistically, I’m just downright giddy over the way Colombia has been playing.  Strong in midfield, and very sharp in attack.  Brazil needed a double blessing from the woodwork to get through against Chile and overall weren’t particularly convincing.  Chile found a way to neutralize Neymar by kicking him repeatedly, and while Colombia may not do exactly the same thing, something tells me they’ll dabble in that strategy as well.  My gut tells me this is where it ends for the hosts this year.

France v. Germany

Editor’s Pick: Germany

After narrowly escaping the Algeria match, watch for the Germans to be hungrier and more precise.  France had an arguably simple game against Nigeria, even though the Nigerian goalkeeper did superhuman feats to keep it nil-nil for as long as possible.  This could be seen as France’s first real test of the World Cup, and while I don’t think Les Bleus will wilt under the pressure, I do think Germany has the edge in three out of the four areas of the field.  Germany has the stronger defense, the stronger midfield, and the stronger goalkeeper.  The French attack has been great so far, but I think it may find time and space as scarce commodities in this match.

Netherlands v. Costa Rica

Editor’s Pick: Netherlands

Having just narrowly seen off one CONCACAF team, the Dutch are poised to do it to another one, and after repeatedly coming up against tough Mexican defenders in their last match, they will likely come up against another team set to defend and counter-attack.  I fear the clock may have struck midnight on the proverbial Cinderella that is the Costa Ricans, but that cliché has always been kind of lame.  After all, even after the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella still wins in the end and gets the prince.  What was I saying before?  Right.  The Netherlands will win this game.

Argentina v. Belgium

Editor’s Pick: Argentina

They left it late again, which is an apt description of how both of these teams got to this stage.  Argentina finally broke down a surprisingly tough Swiss defense with another mazy run from Messi that ended in a perfect pass to Di Maria, who was clinical on the finish.  As for the Belgians, they triumphed in what was arguably the most exciting match of the previous round, where after finding themselves repeatedly stymied by an incredible Tim Howard, the addition of Romelo Lukaku proved the difference-maker.  For a long time I’ve had the Belgians in my final four, but I just don’t like how they stack up in midfield against Argentina.  While the Swiss swarmed Messi, the Belgian midfield will likely be more focused in attack, possibly leaving open opportunities for the Argentine talisman to break things open again.  I like Belgium, I really do, but I can’t bet against Leo Messi right now.

And now even more reflections on the tournament to date:

• ·     Tim Howard.  Wow, just wow.  As a goalkeeper it pleased me to see how well he played.  I was still happy the USA lost, because it made my bracket picks perfect for that round, but I think it is hard to argue that no goalkeeper has played even remotely close to that good in this World Cup…or a World Cup in recent memory.  Oliver Kahn in 2002 would be probably the closest comparison.
• ·     Arjen Robben isn’t popular in Mexico right now.  I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care, but still, not a particularly intelligent admission to make while the corpse of Mexico’s World Cup dream was still warm.  I loved the “Herrera for England” movement that started pretty much simultaneously with the Mexican exit from the tournament as well.
• ·     How cheated must Mauricio Pinilla feel?  He nearly broke the crossbar with the thumping strike that very nearly destroyed the championship dream of a million Brazilians.  Football is a cruel, cruel game sometimes.
• ·     Every four years I have to defend the sport of football against a bunch of casual neophytes who think the game is defined by diving.  That’s like saying that hockey is defined by mouth-breathing meatheads with no respect for human safety who also have an increased risk of CTE, depression, and drug-abuse.  Certainly a stereotype, but not 100% true.
• ·     Based on that previous point, now is probably a good time to note that while I’m writing this in affiliation with Grand River Soccer, my viewpoints do not reflect the stance of the league at large.  I’m just an out-of-shape, thirty-something goalkeeper that is jealous of my friend Louie’s excursion into Brazil.
• ·     Speaking of Louie, he was at the Colombia v. Uruguay match and actually witnessed that glorious James Rodriguez goal live in real-time.  Which doesn’t help my jealousy factor.  Also, I warned people to watch out for James Rodriguez…nothing prescient there, just an obvious statement that Uruguay chose to ignore.