Four games to reach the final games and five wins to lift the trophy. That will test consistency. So here we dive into the rounds. The colours represent which group they came from.
Argentina struggling to get past Cape Verde wasn't totally unexpected, but conceding two goals was to me. They had two 0-0 results in the round robin games so I thought their best chance was 1-0 or 0-0 with penalties. 3-2 was not what I expected.
The round of 16. The big news was that the three host nations were eliminated. If it gives soccer in the region a boost, then a success. If it didn't, then it should have been played elsewhere. All games ended in regular time, except one, which was about as dull as football can get.
Norway defeating Brazil would normally have been a huge upset. Brazilian football is but a shadow of its former glory while this Norwegian team is probably its best ever. Bring those factors together, not such a surprise. Argentina came back from 0-2 with 12 minutes left and avoided a surprise. One player does seem to be carrying Argentina.
Quarter Finals: There were no surprises here. France looked the favourite to take the trophy.
Semi Finals: France were favoured to win the title but were lacklustre in their defeat to Spain. It was out of character but that happens in sport. The other game was expected to be close and it was. England went ahead then tried to protect it. That backfired and Argentina advanced.
Play off third/fourth: As this is, in my opinion, a pointless game, I don't cover it. As it turned out to be an amazing 6-4 win for England over France.
Grand Final: Went into extra time. Shots taken: Spain 20, Argentina 2. Football 1, antifootball 0. In two WC finals in the USA, 240 minutes played, one goal in total scored.
Some of the Argentine players, such as Parades, are a disgrace. Their coach at the World Cup is delusional and responsible for his side's unsportsmanlike behavior, especially after the final was completed. Will FIFA act to send out a message?
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