Well, well, well….it’s been a crazy few days.
Who would’ve thought that fancied teams like France and Italy crash out of the World Cup, while England, who many pundits predicted was certain to be the first team going home, beat Slovenia 1-0, and finishing second in Group C to the United States, who beat Algeria 1-0 to finish top. On Sunday, England have set up a clash with rivals Germany, while the US will face Ghana in the last 16.
Italy lost 3-2 to Slovakia in their last group game to finish bottom of Group E. Their opponents will go through finishing top of the group, while Paraguay, despite a goalless draw with New Zealand, finish second.
After an indifferent start, this World Cup is bubbling along nicely in my opinion. It has its fair share of shocks (Serbia’s victory over Germany stands out), and apart from Argentina, Brazil, and Holland, many of the surviving teams have yet to play to their fullest potential (particularly England).
There will be a new name on the trophy on July 11th. Can you predict who yet?