"Dream as if you will live forever, live as if it is your last day."

So the group stages have closed and 16 teams are on their way home now leaving the reamaining 16 to fight it out. As the tension builds and there are less games now I feel inclined to give a few words of wisdom along with my expected score line.

 

Germany (2) v Sweden (1) Neither team has particulary impressed me in there group games yet Germany will progess with home support and Sweden struggling to score many goals unless they came from th weak English defence.

 

Argentina (2) v Mexico (0) Argentina have been an impressive team from the off in this year's tournament and I just can't see where Mexico are going to be able to beat them from. I think we'll be needing to give Mexico the wave, the wave goodbye!

 

England (3) v Ecuador (0) Nuff said!

 

Portugal (0) v Holland (1) In what I think will be the closest match of this round Holland will just edge it.

 

Italy (0) v Australia (1) I've got a feeling that Australia could win this game, they impressed against Brazil, if they can take there chances the Itaitans could end up with Spagetti on their faces. The Aussies will have to work hard though to cancel out the gulfing class of the Italians, the question is how long can they mantain that sort of work rate? Fatigue could set in.

 

Switzerland (0) vUkraine (2) To me this isn't a very interesting match, expect Ukraine to move on.

 

Brazil (2) v Ghana (0) I could be wrong with this one, (I have been before) but with the Brazilians dancing to the samba beat after beating Japan I think Brazil have just woken at the wrong time for Ghana but you never know.

 

Spain (4) v France (0) France have been poor all tournament and are lucky to be here having looked shaky against Toga, I'm really beginning to fancy Spain for the entire tournament.