And there it is!

mathematically_safe

Ian Royal Germany look shell shocked and unsure how to respond.

so they'll scrape a draw and win the pen shootout as oxf*rd usual...

Yep, same old, same old.

Game over now then after that 2nd went in. So far the teams topping the groups have all gone through.

Enyeama is some keeper. Oooh spoke to soon, France score.

Nigeria having the best chances so far. Good goal ruled out incorrectly for off side.

Anyway should Robben be punished retrospectively, it would surely open the floodgates of teams protesting previous decisions. Wouldn't it?

Given it's in the cold south of Porto Alegre, I can 't see past a comfortable German win, Algeria's best chance would have been playing somewhere a lot hotter. Does it work like that though? If you are used to playing in hot temperatures does it mean you find it harder to play in cooler ones? Obvio...

The media attention for the probable dive is somewhat OTT I feel. It's like no one had ever done it in a WC before. And in particular Costa diving and creating contact for a Spanish penalty against Holland . Or more embarrassingly Fred conning a shit Japanese ref to gift Brazil a win over Croatia. ...

The media attention for the probable dive is somewhat OTT I feel. It's like no one had ever done it in a WC before.

What's the vibe like in Holland now, Tules? Are they starting to believe? Very much so Peps! The team is more together than they have ever been and they have total faith in Van Gaal. Van Gaal is trying to temper expectations though. At the start of the tournament nobody thought they would get out o...

Congrats to Costa Rica they deserved that win. Missed the sending off, was that justified?

Don't think they will get past the Dutch but anything's possible in this WC. Will be wearing my orange top next Saturday.

soggy biscuit

melonhead agreed- i really want a new team to win this time out.

+1

At the start it was the Dutch but I am very much behind columbia now

+2

But I would be very happy if the Dutch won, they have been finalists many times but never won. Second choice would be Colombia.

Don't think I have ever cared less who wins this. Just want it to end now.

Ouroboros Despite that they're patently a bit rubbish, I can see Holland reaching the final now.

And ruining it, again.

A rubbish team does not beat Spain 5 - 1 and Chile 2 - 0. They have belief. Sneijder's goal was a bit special. The explosion of relief in the neighbourhood was quite something.

Should have had a penalty in the first half so, fair enough!

Happy happy happy!!!! Hup Holland Hup!

YEsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!

YEssssssssssssssssss!

Sh*t

Stupid idea playing in such a hot climate. Doesn't make for exciting football.

A World Cup held in a tropical region of the western hemisphere is always going to difficult on European teams. As the results showed it was. Just like teams from the Americas usually always struggle when the WC is held in Europe. And playing in the tropical rainforest that is Manaus (which both th...