The group stage is done and dusted and it’s now all systems go for the knockout stages.
16 teams have made it through to the next stage, and we’re already drawing up brackets and working out routes to the finals for the heavy hitters.
Here’s how all 16 teams look to measure up.
The Socceroos face an obvious talent deficit compared to every other team on this list but that hasn’t stopped them so far. Graham Arnold has fostered an impressive team spirit among his squad demonstrated by their battling, backs-to-the-wall 1-0 wins over both Tunisia and Denmark.
Harry Souttar, in particular, has been remarkable in the centre of defence. They have Argentina next, however, and will need the performance of a lifetime to advance.
That being said, Saudi Arabia have already shown them how it’s done.
South Korea stunned the world by making it this far. Their first 135 minutes of action didn’t feature any shots on target, and it looked like they might be crashing out.
Hwang Hee-chan’s late winner against Portugal was a massive surprise and now the Samurai Blue find themselves staring at a last-16 clash with Brazil. Yikes.
It’s been a momentous winter for South Korea, but the fun probably stops here.
Despite the continued goalkeeping excellence of Wojciech Szczesny and the presence of the prolific Robert Lewandowski, Poland are among the worst teams remaining at the World Cup.
They just about squeaked through after losing 2-0 to Argentina in their final game and simply don’t look capable of creating enough chances to progress any further.
And that’s without taking into account the fact their next opponents are France. Welp.
After a fairly uninspiring draw against Wales and an improved performance against England, the USA got the job done against Iran to finish runners-up in Group B.
Next up is the Netherlands, who have failed to play to their full ability thus far in the tournament.
The USA’s relentless pressing and energy – particularly in midfield – could cause Louis van Gaal’s side some serious problems, but there’s no denying they’re the underdogs.
It’s hard to…
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