Round of 16 Discussion

The teams have certainly stepped it up a level. Awesome first goal for Columbia.

So many empty seats at this game.The arrogance of Spain?

random eh.

Interested to hear what explanation will be given.

can't get into this game, I'm off to work.

Expect 7 goals in lat 40 minutes:)

well well well

Goodbye Mexico, On we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! luckily haha

No, it was severely hot and most fans sought out shade.

The better side won. Sadly. :(

Colombia with the strongest performance so far, I wouldn't bet against them to bet against Brazil on current form.

I sincerely think Colombia will do Brazil.

You wouldn't know that they are missing their supposed 'star' play. James Rodriguez has been amazing.

I would like Columbia to progress but feel that the home town advantage will benefit Brazil, whether this is a soft penalty call or bookings/sending off It will be enough to get the Brazilians through.

If it was at the start of the half then that is true. 

In the England v Costa Rica game we were in the sun, so only came out as each half was starting.

Then at the Portugal v Ghana game we could see a lot of empty seats at the start of the 2nd half, and they were all in the sun. So people only going back to those seats at the last possible moment because it's too hot to stay there the whole game. 

Almost every game is epic. I could do without the 8am ones going to extra time and penalties, although this morning I managed to sneak into the office at 11 and noone seemed to notice. Apart from the Greek lady who ran over to ask what happened!

Currently working nights and good ol tvnz are showing infomercials for the early games.

USA will be the only upset this round

What a world cup this has been.

Every game has something awesome.

Don't understand the hate on Robben when the likes of Brazil do this constantly and normally have a higher success rate?

...and Wellbeck, and Sturridge.

Robben's problem is that he has so much previous history of it that even a genuine foul is often considred to be a dive.

I'm not sure 'but so and so is just as bad' is a way of defending a player...

That are (mostly) all preening twats.

Nobody does it better than the Brazilians. The World Cup Flopping Rankings:

Picking France, Germany, Argentina, Belgium (although USA will push them) to also progress.

That gives us some cracking QF ties. Brazil-Colombia. France-Germany. Netherlands-Costa Rica. Argentina-Belgium. Probably the best quarter final line up i have seen since i started watching the World Cup. The right mix of big nations, dark horses and a surpise underdog.

Need to look at "writhing time per injury" as another indicator.  

Brazil and Bosnia & Herz come out very close for that (11.6-12 seconds of writhing per injury).

It was not until I looked at the draw properly that I realised that I don't think it can be a Germany vs France final. I think its Germany vs Netherlands. I started out with Germany Brazil until I saw Brazil in the first game and France in theirs so changed Brazil to France in my own head but realised that they are on the same side of the draw so not possible. I guess I have Germany to win it all and looking what it left over, Netherlands from the other side.

Am I alone in being grumpy about One News coverage tonight of the latest pair of R16 games?  

Andrew Saville and Martin Tasker (two massive football experts right there) proceeded to headline the whole story about "the one consistent theme through the whole world cup has been one of diving". Eh?  Really?

OK, Robben was up to his old tricks this morning (even though it actually was a penalty ... just .. and he could have had one more).  However, my observation has been that diving has not really been an issue in this World Cup.  

Why do these rugby / yachting centric goobers persist in promoting this aspect of football when we had two quite thrilling games this morning (one, admittedly, a bit of a slow burner)?  It really bugs me.  

Disappointing approach.  Must be difficult for them watching a real world cup and realising the huge gulf between that and their respective sports' "show-pieces".

Or, maybe I'm just getting a little tired and hyper-sensitive.

I was listening to Mark Watson this evening (against my will) and he actually had a point which made me think.

There is that photo meme going around about the 'Soccer players spend 90 min trying to pretend they are hurt and rugby player spend 80 mins trying to pretend they are not hurt' - when was the last time Dan Carter or Richie McCaw ever played consecutive weekends? When was the last time they played more than a dozen games in a calendar year? Go talk to someone like RVP who will probably clock up clock to 60 game in the last 12 months then these rugby head would shut the fuck up.

it was a penalty. And the kind of foul where if you don't go to ground the ref doesn't give it. Therefore What else is a player supposed to do?

Thats probably the best summation of this I have found. I think what has pissed the masses off is that they don't lke the way he has gone to ground. Admittedly it is rather theatrical but I've yet to find anyone that says that this is not a foul.

Batman would be happy if Robben went down that quickly.

I loved the commentator at the game when Robben skipped past a player and the guy said something like, he could've gone down then but for once he stayed up.

This tournament is getting better and better as if that was even possible. Another couple of incredible games this morning. Could do without the 8am ones going to extra time, but looks like I've managed to sneak into the office a couple of hours late unnoticed again! At least it wasn't penalties this time.

all this extra time has led me to miss out on a lot of sleep, and need those 5am (8am for you guys) to stop going to extra time, i need to go to work

I agree with that. There were some cracking quarterfinals way back when I still had a head full of hair. 

This time it is exciting as there are no Italians to infuriate me with their tactics, and even the Dutch are not playing it rough (as they did in the last WC in 2010, what an ugly semifinal and final it was).  

And for once, it does not look like any of the usual suspects (the current holders, the hosts, or the Germans) will win it!

I doubt that.  They have to appeal to their lowest common denominator boofhead and undermine anything that isn't Rugby as much as possible.

Chilean goalie Bravo just signed by Barcelona.

Who will snag Mexico goalie Ochoa?

The Costa Rican, Navas, as well.

I'm a Netherlands supporter but Mexico were really good in this World Cup.

Sound in all areas.

Ochoa candidate for best goalie in the tournie.

Peralta one of the most under-rated strikers in the tournament and in world football I think. 

Interesting to see which players Herrera retained from the qualifiers vs. NZ

He started five outfield players who played against NZ in all Mexico's games.

Basically kept the same defence as against the All Whites: Marquez, Rodriguez (in a back three with Moreno added), wing-backs Layun and Aguilar.

Whole new midfield of Salcido, Guardado, Herrera

Kept Peralta up front (with Dos Santos added and Hernandez as an impact sub).

Others players retained in the squad on the bench were the two reserve keepers Corona and Talavera, plus striker Jiminez and midfielder Pena (who  both started against NZ)

It worked out well for Herrera in the end, his policy of selecting local players vs. NZ who would be more cohesive and cope with the altitude at the Azteca better  - and then adding overseas stars for the Finals.

Enyeama had a good tournament between the sticks too

Just as well Nigeria didn't win.  The Nigeria v Germany match hashtag would be a tad interesting.