Sadly, play in the group stage of the World Cup has come to an end. We’ve seen teams make exits that were inevitable (Australia, Iran), as well as some surprises (Spain, Italy). Now, with sixteen left going into the knockout stage, there are teams that are smitten (United States) and bitten (Suarez and Uruguay).
Let’s take a closer look at which teams could be well on their way to booking return flights to their home countries, and thank them in advance for their services.
Greece
It took a major miscue in the final game of group play by the Ivory Coast squad to afford Greece a trip to the knockout stage. The Ethniki have gone farther than most thought they would, and they will be matched against Costa Rica, who have surprised the experts thus far. Los Ticos have one major weapon that Greece will have no response for—speed. Look for Greece to attempt to control the tempo, fouling as often as possible to try to slow the game down. While the final score is uncertain, expect the Greeks to be home on Monday. Currently ranked 12th in the FIFA rankings, if this World Cup has taught us anything, it’s not to be too reliant on the FIFA rankings (see: Spain, Italy, Portugal).
Algeria
For the first time, the Fennec Foxes have gotten beyond the group stage of play—quite an accomplishment for a team bereft of success in the international arena. In fact, they are best known for losing to the United States in the last World Cup on a late Landon Donovan goal. A tie in their final group game against Russia allowed them to advance. But had Russia held onto their lead, it would be the Algerians who would’ve been returning home.
And their reward for advancing to the knockout stage? They will be playing Germany, who are ready to show themselves as the dominant European and world force. For their manager, their team and their country, anything less than a berth in the finals will be considered to be a failure. Algeria will play a defensive game and rely on whatever free kicks they are awarded and the occasional counter-attack, but Die Mannschaft and Joachim Low have seen that before. We congratulate the Algerians for advancing beyond the group stage, and wish them a safe trip back home on Monday.
Nigeria
The Super Eagles have qualified for five of the past six World Cups, proudly representing the African Confederation (CAF). Manager Stephen Keshi has done an admirable job with this team, given the absence of funds and the ongoing violence going on in their country.
All three of their group stage games were close, tying Iran 0-0, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 and losing to Argentina 3-2. The Super Eagles will play in the knockout round against France, who have rebounded from their disastrous World Cup debacle of 2010. Expect Nigeria to play with heart, but Les Bleus will play with more talent and just as importantly, a strong bench to count on if changes in the game are needed. Nigerians can hold their heads high for their level of play, but like their African Confederation brethren, they’ll likely be waiting for their return flight home on Monday.
As a rule, as the World Cup advances toward the final match, the better teams rise to the top, eliminating the weaker teams along the way—kind of like The Lion King’s circle of life. These teams have done a great service to their countries and their players turned in some great individual efforts. But now we bid farewell to the weaker teams and look forward to the continuation of World Cup play.
Uruguay
Having to qualify for World Cup play in the tough FIFA CONMEBOL Confederation (South America), Los Charruas finished in 4th place in the 2010 World Cup. While their group seemed to be turned upside with Costa Rica taking the top spot while England and Italy had early exits, Uruguay has advanced to the knockout stage and will face Colombia in their first game since the group stage. With a veteran manager at the helm and a mix of younger players and wily veterans, there’s no reason to think that this team couldn’t rise at least to the levels they reached just four years ago, right?
However, expect this team to be at a Brazilian airport late Saturday awaiting their trip back to Montevideo. Their star striker, Luis Suarez, seems to have a penchant for tasting human flesh while on the pitch, and has been removed from the field of play for the next four months for sinking his teeth into Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. His fellow forward Edinson Cavani has been held in check in Cup plays thus far and probable replacement Diego Forlan, while having a storied career, at age 35 has been playing his club football in Japan and seems to be a shadow of his former self. Beyond that, their midfield has had less than stellar and their defenders are anchored by Greg Lugano, who at 33 years old seems to have lost more than a step or two and is currently out of a club contract.
Expect Colombia’s more youthful midfield to own Uruguay at that spot and provide support to a speedy group of forwards up front, putting added pressure on a Uruguayan defense that has had its problems in Cup play. Los Charruas will be headed home after their match with Los Cafeteros, the ultimate result of overreliance on the player who seems to be as talented with his teeth as he is with his feet.
