Game # 51 - Netherlands vs Mexico

This game was a prime example for the changeability of a game over time. The Dutch keeper Cillessen had a horror start to this game and every time the ball went near him, I cringed to see just what he wound do but he eventually settled down without conceding a goal. Mexico kept up a steady stream of attacks and always looked the team more likely to score but even the Netherlands were not without chance. Despite all the action, the first half finished 0-0.

After the break, the same pattern reasserted itself and soon paid off for Mexico with Dos Santos scoring a goal damn near as good as James Rodriguez's yesterday. The Dutch really didn't have much response to this but gradually stepped up the pace and a steady stream of corners followed, slowly building the pressure on Mexico. Mexico definitely looked to have won when a thundering drive from Sneijder finally rammed home off one of those innumerable corners. The Mexicans were shell-shocked but looked to be thinking that it was close enough to the end of the game to hold on. Stunningly, in the 94th minute, Robben took a dive was taken down in the penalty area. Huntelaar scored the penalty for a stunning victory to Netherlands - but by the skin of their teeth.

Don't get me wrong, I like Robben as a player and there two things I like and one I don't about his play. I like those wide, high-speed raiding runs down the wings and I like the cut across the top of the penalty area. I don't like the dive that he takes - this was blatantly a dive and I think they should name the dive "the Robben", just like they name distinctive moves in gymnastics after the person that originated and perfected that move.

Still Netherlands goes through 2-1.

Game # 52 - Costa Rica vs Greece

The first half was dull as Greece sought to blunt the Costa Rica attack by slowing the game down to a crawl. Greece was successful in doing this as the half finished 0-0. Of course, it also meant that Greece barely had a shot on target too.

After the break, the game eased up a little as both sides started to get attacks going. The weight of Costa Rica attacks eventually told and Ruiz scored in the 52nd minute. Greece barely even responded until the red card for Duarte in the 66th minute. This eventually roused them out of their slumber and the game became increasingly desperate for Costa Rica as Greece launched raid after raid though generally without an effective shot on target to finish off. Almost within sight of qualifying, Costa Rica finally conceded, after withstanding a veritable barrage of shots from Greece(24/13 to 6/2). The 91st minute equalizer was so late that there was nothing that Costa Rica could do to respond so the game finished 1-1.

In extra time, the Greeks were far and way the dominant team and thundered shot after shot on the Costa Rica goal (it felt like the majority of Greece shots were from this period of time). No-one really had a great chance so it finished still 1-1.

The penalty shootout was the usual lottery but very accurate Costa Rica shooting (they didn't miss a single penalty) meant that they won, 5-3 on penalties.

Costa Rica now meets Netherlands in the quarter-finals.