Two teams widely considered to have a shot at winning it all moved on to the quarter finals today with Brazil trouncing Chile and the Netherlands ending the Cup dreams of Slovakia. For the Dutch the day began in a positive fashion with Arjen Robben getting his first start since injuring his hamstring in a pre-tournament friendly. With the Dutch team known for its crisp passing and team play the addition of Robben gives them an X Factor they have been missing. Robben is the one player from Holland that is known to take on opposing players on a consistant basis instead of relying on his passing to get him out of trouble. It took just 18 minutes for him to prove his worth as he received an outlet passabout 35 yards from goal he took it outside and then cut back in, beating two defenders and fired a powerful strike off his left foot into the near corner of the net.  A piece of great teamwork later in the match would produce the other Dutch goal of the foot of Wesley Sneijder and Slovakia’s lone goal came on the final kick of the match thanks to a PK. The PK goal would put Robert Vittek in the record books as the top goal scorer in Slovakian history. It should also serve as a wake up to the Dutch about how fast a comfortable lead can change to a nail biter. They got lucky this time, I doubt their next opponent will be so kind.

And speaking of their next opponent, Brazil looked dominate today against a clearly out matched Chile. The Men in Yellow scored twice in a five minute stretch to take control of the game and it was never in doubt after that. A third goal would help seal the deal in the 59th minuet as Ramirez intercepted a pass at the midfield line and took it all the way to the top of the box, beating three defenders, before slotting it to Robinho who buried his second goal of the night. All in all a typical win for a team that has to be considered the favorites at this point of the Cup.

One team that would disagree with that would be Spain who will match up against Portugal tomorrow for a chance to claim their own spot in the Quarter Finals.

Wayne Scholes came through with some more pictures from South Africa today. Being in the country for work during the World Cup was great planning on his part and he has been generous enough to supply us with a close look at the Brazil vs. Portugal match from this last weekend.  The match may have ended 0:0 but for those of us in the RSL blog-o-sphere this one had a lot of meaning. This past year we lost a strong voice that was constantly questioning the direction of our beloved team and urging them to get better. RSLFM was always there to remind us to keep our eyes open to all things RSL, the good and the bad.  A Brazilian by birth this World Cup would have been particularly sweet for her as her “other” beloved team has been beyond impressive in qualifying for and playing in this years Cup.

In memory of RSLFM, Scholes attended Brazil’s last match in group play and brought along a RSLFM Flag. To read more about it head on over to RSLBOZ.com and be sure to thank Scholes either here or there for the wonderful Pic’s he provided. Also be sure to click the image below to see more of the great pictures he sent us.

England and Mexico were today’s casualties of the tournament. Both teams fell behind by a couple first half goals and were unable to fight back. For fans back in England this is a major disappointment as their team was unable to make the impact that was expected of them back home. After barely squeaking through the group stage with only two goals they could only manage one more before bowing out. For a team led by one of the best strikers in the world this is a bitter pill to swallow.

Mexico had a better tourney but due to the luck of the draw had to face off against Argentina today in a match that was never going to go their way. The Mexicans managed to stay with Argentina for 25 minutes before allowing the first goal and the second followed less than ten minutes later. Argentina was lucky to get the first goal as Carlos Tevez was offsides by several feet when the ball was chipped goal ward by Messi but somehow the linesman missed it and Tevez was able to head it in for his first goal. He would score a second off a wonder strike in the 52 minute of play to erase any chance of a comeback from Mexico. Tomorrow we have two more crucial games with the Dutch facing off against Slovakia and then Brazil gets to face Chile in a game that is sure to send the first team from South America home.

South Korean fans and then those of us routing for the USA were disappointed today as both teams bowed out of the World Cup. The Koreans and the Americans both lost in a similar fashion giving up early goals, fighting back and leveling the score only to have their opponents score remarkable goals. The game winner for Uruguay in particular was an impressive goal curling around the keeper and striking the inside of the far post before finding the back of the net. The goal came after South Korea managed to score the first goal of the tournament against Uruguay and looked to be in control of the game.

The US lose came about in similar fashion as the controlled the run of play the entire second half after a horrible first 45 that saw them down 1-0. A penalty for Landon Donovan tied the match with 30 minutes to play but it was not to be. Just 2 minutes into overtime Asamoah Gyan latched onto a long clearance at the top of the 18 and worked his way between two American central backs to knock a shot over Tim Howard and into the back of the net. Many people here in the states will be questioning this one and wondering what could have been as coach Bob Bradley played a questionable lineup to start the game and led directly to the teams early deficit.

Tomorrow we have two more matches to follow including an early game that is a must see;

Two weeks ago this tournament started with 32 teams, we now have only 16. Switzerland, North Korea, Honduras, and Ivory Coast all finished their tournament today. For Switzerland this is especially bitter as they started the cup with a win over Spain and then fizzled out in their last two matches. The teams to move on to the next round are Spain, Chile, Brazil and  an impressive looking Portugal who join Urugauy as the only two teams yet to concede a goal. For their troubles they will face Spain in the round of 16.

Tomorrow things start to get really fun as Uruguay takes on South Korea and then the USA get to match up against Ghana. Both games should be close affairs as Uruguay will look to mantain the South American dominance we have seen this World Cup and Ghana will be looking to save face for Africa which saw all its other teams fall to the way side during group play.

Italy, New Zealand, and Denmark all joined Cameroon today as spectators for the remainder of the Cup. New Zealand became just the fourth team ever to be disqualified without losing a singke game. Not a record one wants to be a part of. Meanwhile Italy’s loss means both finalists from four years ago have been eliminated in the opening round.

Japan looked very impressive in their win over the Danes, though to be fair the Danes keeper didnt look all that stellar. Two great free kicks gave the Japanese an early lead and they held onto it very well. Denmark may have controlled more of the game but it was the Japanese that capitalized on their chances, something team USA still has to learn to do.

Tomorrow we have the last four matches of group play with two teams looking likes locks in group G and three teams still looking good in group H. After tomorrow we will have our 16 finalists and the fun can really begin.

North Korea vs. Ivory Coast – 7:30 am MDT – ESPN2

Portugal vs. Brazil – 7:30 am MDT - ESPN

Chile vs. Spain – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN

Switzerland vs. Honduras – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN2

A timely goal by Landon Donovan saved the US from an early exit from South Africa. An earlier goal by Clint Dempsey was disallowed thanks to a poor line judge and for the next 60 minutes it seemed like a wall was in front of the Algerian goal. After a slow start team USA managed 22 shots, 10 on goal, and held the majority of possession but they didnt take advantage of their statistical edge until the 92nd minute when Donovan followed a Clint Dempsey shot and buried it in the back of the net. The win puts them through to the round of 16 along with England, Germany, and Ghana. Their next match will be on Saturday against Ghana and we could see Robbie Findley back in the starting lineup. While Robbie hasn’t distinguished himself yet neither have any of the other strikers outside Jozy Altidore. Robbie’s speed could once again be the deciding factor in who Bob Bradley puts up front.

Tomorrow’s games look good most specifically the final match between Japan and Denmark. Both will be battling to join the Dutch in moving on and both currently have three points. Japan holds the tie breaker so Denmark will need a win to move on. New Zealand vs Paraguay is my other choice of games. New Zealand has been an entertaining side and a win would put them through as well.



Slovakia vs. Italy – 7:30 am MDT – ESPN

Paraguay vs. New Zealand – 7:30 am MDT - ESPN2

Cameroon vs. Netherlands – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN2

Denmark vs. Japan – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN

Argentina, Mexico, South Korea, and Uruguay are the big winners on the day even if only two of those teams walked away with three points today. France, Greece, and Nigeria are all heading home and South Africa became the first host nation to drop out during the group stage of the Cup.  Tomorrow we get four more games and four more teams will qualify for the round of 16. Lets hope Team USA and Robbie Findley are among them.

USA vs. Algeria – 7:30 am MDT – ESPN

England vs. Slovenia – 7:30 am MDT - ESPN2

Australia vs. Serbia – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN2

Ghana vs. Germany – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN

Portugal started the day off well with a seven goal drubbing of North Korea and Spain finished it of with a  two goal victory over Honduras to set the stage for a wonderful final round of group play. Thus far only two teams have clinched a spot in the next round and only two teams have been eliminated out of the 32 teams that came to South Africa. North Korea and Cameroon will both be heading home this weekend while Brazil and the Netherlands move on. Tomorrow evening we will be able to add four more teams to both those lists as groups A and B play their final matches.

Among the big stories of the day could be the early exit of the French team as they need a victory not only for themselves but also for either Mexico or Uruguay if they want to move on. They will also need to outscore the loser as they trail both teams in goals for and against. (4 goals behind Mexico and 5 behind Uruguay) South Korea moving on is another likely scenario tomorrow as they play pointless Nigeria and a tie or better should see them through to the next round. Greece could surprise people and beat Argentina to keep the Koreans out but don’t count on it. The schedule tomorrow will be a bit different then we have been used to with four games being played. Make sure your VCR’s and TiVos are ready if you want to see all four.

France vs. South Africa – 7:30 am MDT – ESPN2

Mexico vs. Uruguay – 7:30 am MDT - ESPN

Greece vs. Argentina – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN

Nigeria vs. South Korea – 12:00 pm MDT – ESPN2