By Tommy Kane

Published: June 29th, 2018

Volume II: Issue XXXV

The field of sixteen is set as Russia 2018 looks to move on to the fatal Knock-out Round. The round which proceeds the Group Stage is always the round that separates the weak from the strong; the fake from the real. The action starts on Saturday, June 30th, as France (1st C) takes on Argentina (2nd D). The round will continue on to July 3rd, as the winners will then get a break to prepare for the Quarter-finals Round. So far, it has been a crazy World Cup. Defending Champions, Germany, finished at the bottom of their group and did not advance to the Knock-out Round for the first time in their history. Below are individual previews, as well as predictions, for each of the Round of 16 matches.

France (1st C) Vs. Argentina (2nd D):

What a way to start the Knock-out Phase of the 2018 World Cup! No one would have thought that Leo Messi and the Argentinians would have finished second in their group, let alone play France in the Round of 16! Yes, it is not a dream; one of these top-tier teams will be eliminated early. France has the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, and Paul Pogba that will face Messi and the struggling Argentina squad. France did beat Australia and Peru, but they let off the gas against Denmark and cruised to a 0-0 draw. The one-goal wins and this draw is causing a lot of speculation as to if this French squad can play as a unit. On the other hand, Argentina is no stranger to criticism as of late. The team that drew Iceland, lost to Croatia by three goals, as well as beat Nigeria in the late minutes has a ton to prove. Something about Messi is just keeping them on their toes and pushing forward. With the poor performances by the French side, as well as Messi’s special touch, Argentina should win the match, 3-2.

Uruguay (1st A) Vs. Portugal (2nd B):

Uruguay’s Luis Suarez will take on Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in a head-to-head winner-take-all battle. Surely, this match will include some other superstars that have made an impact on this year’s World Cup. For starters, Ronaldo is in third for goals scored in the Tourney, with four goals in the three matches thus far. He is successfully proving the world that he is the best player currently, if not all-time. Suarez and Edinson Cavani are attempting to show the world that they are the better squad. Uruguay was the only team in Group A to win all three matches, beating Russia, Iran, and Morocco. While this is a great resume for success, Portugal has shown to be a dominant team in the Tourney, despite only garnering five points. Look for Ronaldo and company to escape a close one against Uruguay! Portugal wins 2-1.

Spain (1st B) Vs. Russia (2nd A):

Group B winners, Spain, is set to take on the hosts in the Round of 16. Russia has had a successful start to their World Cup campaign, beating Saudi Arabia and Egypt in fantastic fashion. Unfortunately, the 3-0 loss to Uruguay caused them to finish second in Group B. Russia, despite being home, are the heavy underdogs for this match. A positive for the Russians going into this match is that their offense is electric, with the ability to score quickly and with ease (despite the match against Uruguay). Spain’s Goalie, David de Gea, has had a rough Tournament and has allowed soft goals, especially against Portugal and Morocco. Despite this, Spain has a great attacker in Diego Costa, as well as being known for controlling the possession effectively. When it all comes down to it, Spain should be able to beat the Russians, with a score of 2-1.

Croatia (1st D) Vs. Denmark (2nd C):

Croatia looks to continue their memorable run in the 2018 World Cup, but they must stop a tactically-sound Danish squad first. Croatia won their group, beating Argentina, Iceland, and Nigeria in confidence. Luka Modric, the Croatian Captain, had a few great goals that showed that he is a threat no one wanted to handle. Denmark ran into a few draws against Australia and France, but they still have the team to advance far. What makes these two great is that they are both up-and-coming squads with plenty of potential for the future and even now. When the teams are viewed head-to-head, Croatia pulls out as the stronger of the two, shutting-out a tough Argentinian team in spectacular fashion and poise. Denmark can play the part as well, but the tougher opponents and the three wins for Croatia will help them move on. Croatia wins 2-0.

Brazil (1st E) Vs. Mexico (2nd F):

Neymar and Brazil are set to have a date against Chicharito and Mexico. Once again, a great squad will be knocked out early, causing even more attention towards the match. Mexico had a difficult finish to the Group Stage, losing to Sweden 3-0, forcing them to face a tough Brazilian squad. On the other side, Brazil was dominant in the Group Stage, tying Switzerland, while beating Costa Rica and Serbia. That being said, Brazil have a lot of talent at their disposal. Mexico has a plethora of talent, but the huge blow-out loss to Sweden does not help their confidence at all. Despite this, Goalie, Guillermo Ochoa, is leading the Tournament in saves, stopping a total of 17 shots in the three matches. Avenging the crazy loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup, Brazil will be using their best foot in this match. In a stunner, Brazil wins 2-1.

Belgium (1st G) Vs. Japan (2nd H):

Belgium is arguably in the best form right now. They won all three of their matches in flying colors, as well as having a great goal differential (+7). Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku have been on their best game. Lukaku has scored four goals thus far, putting him in second for most goals scored. Thibaut Courtois has also been a factor for the Belgian side, only having to stop five shots, but helping Belgium pick up a perfect nine points. Japan has looked a bit shaky, tying Senegal, losing to Poland, but beating Colombia. The way Japan picked up the second spot was by having one less yellow-carded man than Senegal; that isn’t saying much in their favor. Overall, Belgium is playing at their peak at the moment, and Japan will fall to them. Belgium defeats Japan, 3-0.

Sweden (1st F) Vs. Switzerland (2nd E):

Sweden shocked the world when they defeated Mexico, 3-0, and took control of Group F. Germany’s late goal proved to not phase this Swedish side at all. Switzerland managed to get out of the Group Stage with a semi-difficult campaign, which included tying Brazil on match-day one. Both of these teams are in a position where they can take advantage and go further than anyone even suspected. Switzerland’s Goalie, Yann Sommer, is playing well at the moment, recording a total of ten saves. Switzerland has more experience than Sweden, as well as talent that is better known. Players like Xherdan Shaqiri can be deciding factors in the end, something that could help the Swiss come out on top. In a close match, the Swiss win 1-0.

Colombia (1st H) Vs. England (2nd G):

This is a great match to watch for sure! Colombia will take on England in a winner-take-all match-up. England has been riding on Harry Kane’s success, scoring a Tourney-best five goals so far. He has captained the English to wins against Tunisia and Panama, but lost to Belgium by a score of 1-0. The English have a lot to prove, due to being unable to get out of the Group Stage in 2014. There is a lot of confidence on their side, as well as strength that will lead the team far. Colombia had an iffy Group Stage, but nonetheless won their group. They lost to Japan, but beat Senegal and Poland indecisively. Colombia now must look to figure out how to beat England, which will be difficult due to the level of confidence and skill the English have. England wins 2-1.

As stated before, the Round of 16 starts on June 30th, at 10 AM EST. Who do you think will come on top and advance to the Quarter-finals? This will be some exciting action to watch, for sure! Stay tuned for more!

Stats:

https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/players/saves