FIFA World Cup 2014: Argentina and Switzerland

France – Nigeria 2-0: France showed Nigeria where the exit door is as soon as the African team was done demonstrating its skills. 

Defence: 1,5 – 1

Midfield: 1 – 1

Attack: 1,5 – 1

Interplay: 1 – 1

TOTAL: 5 – 4

19. Pogba (FRA) – 1

1. Enyeama (NGA) - 1

8. Valbuena (FRA) – 1

2. Debuchy (FRA) – 0,5

21. Koscielny (FRA) – 0,5
8. Odemwingie (NGA) – 0,5

Germany – Algeria 0-0 (2-1 et): 90 minutes of heroic performance by Algeria was enough to win sympathy, but not entrance to the quarterfinals.

Defence: 1,5 – 1,5

Midfield: 1,5 – 1,5

Attack: 1,5 - 1

Interplay: 1,5 – 1

TOTAL: 6 – 5

23. Rais (ALG) – 2
5. Halliche (ALG) – 1,5
22. Mostefa (ALG) - 1
1. Neuer (GER) – 1
13. Mueller (GER) – 1
6. Khedira (GER) – 1
9. Schurrle (GER) – 1
20. Boateng (GER) – 1
13. Slimani (ALG) – 1
10. Feghouli (ALG) - 1
15. Soudani (ALG) – 0,5

17. Mertesacker (GER)- 0,5
18. Kroos (GER) – 0,5

Argentina

The first three matches were won thanks to Lionel Messi’s talent. The Argentina captain scored 4 of the

 team’s 6 goals. Alejandro Sabella’s side never demonstrated anything extraordinary; however, the quality of the play has been getting better. There was much more
confidence and better interplay in the last match against Nigeria, compared to the first two. Hopefully for the Argentine fans, this improvement was not related to the fact that the team had already earned a place in the next round and was playing for fun.

Making the necessary formation changes during the group stage, Sabella concluded that 4-3-3 is a much productive formation rather than 5-3-2. Leo Messi will be assisted by Higuain and Lavezzi in front. The PSG-man was impressive against Nigeria and is surely going to be in the starting line-up instead of the injured Aguero. This attacking trio has got all the chances to torture the Swiss defence, as France did in the group stage. The threat of Shaqiri might not be underestimated though. Defender Zabaleta and colleagues haven’t been perfect so far.    

Matches played: 3

Goals scored - conceded: 6 - 3

Topscorer (s): Messi (4)  

Team marks: 5,5 + 4,5 + 6,5 = 16,5
Average mark: 5,5
Best players: Messi (3,0)

Final place among 32: 3

Chances to win the World Cup: 17,31%

Switzerland

In 2006 Switzerland registered a unique achievement – left the tournament without conceding a single goal. In 2010 the team defeated the eventual champions Spain. 2014 expectations were not less, but Ottmar Hitzfeld’s last mission hasn’t been a success so far in this World Cup. The team was lucky with a last-minute scoring against Ecuador in the first match, which basically decided the destiny of the second Play-off ticket from group E. The team then got humiliated by France, demonstrating incredibly weak play at the back. The good news about Switzerland is that the team managed to score whole five goals in their last 100 minutes of the group stage.

The injury of Steve von Bergen, the rock in the Swiss defence, has been a massive blow for Hitzfeld’s team. Neither Senderos nor Schaer have been able to fully replace him. So Leo Messi’s job has become easier here. But we the Europeans will deal with an opponent under a huge pressure, which might underestimate the abilities of young Swiss attackers, commanded by a hat-trick hero Xherdan Shaqiri.

Matches played: 3

Goals scored - conceded: 7 - 6

Topscorer (s): Shaqiri (3)  

Team marks: 3,5 + 1,5 + 4,5 = 9,5
Average mark: 3,13
Best players: Shaqiri (2,5)

Final place among 32: 11

Chances to win the World Cup: 1,46%