Public Service Announcement for Gamblers

The knockouts start Saturday. Games tied after two halves of regulation time will proceed to 30 minutes extra time, followed by a shootout if teams remain tied. (The 30 minutes is not sudden death.) The vast majority of shops offering match odds base betting on regulation time only, unless the bet says something specific to the contrary ("Brazil to advance to the next round."). Periods of extra time and the penalty shootout do not generally count for wagering purposes in soccer.

Group G

Brazil and Portugal played out a stale 0-0 draw to leave Brazil atop the group and Portugal second. In the other game, the Ivory Coast signed off with a 3-0 win over North Korea.

So much was expected from Brazil—Portugal, and so little was delivered. The teams played a 6-2 friendly last season and many people were expecting fireworks in this one. The explosions came instead in heavy tackles and a total of seven yellow cards in the first half. Brazil boss Dunga subbed hard man Felipe Melo out before halftime, as the holding midfielder had lost his head completely.

Both teams were clearly told to dial it back in the halftime team talk. The result was a tepid second half that bordered on cruel and unusual punishment to the viewing public.

The Coast needed a Brazil win and a bucket of goals in its own game to have any chance of progressing—and the Africans were up 2-0 inside 20 minutes. North Korea tightened up at the back thereafter and although the Elephants fired a total of 27 shots, there was only one late goal to come. North Korea's men now go home to a very uncertain fate, having been outscored 12-1 over three matches.

Group H

Spain beat 10-man Chile 2-1 in a game that saw both sides progress to the knockouts. Round of 16 games will have regional flavourings as the Iberian game sees group H winners Spain play Portugal, while Chile gets Brazil in a South American derby.

Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez did all he could to make sure of the points for Spain before halftime, littering yellow cards over the Chileans. Spain got on the board first when Chilean keeper made one of the goaltending gaffes of the tournament, screaming out of the box to make a sliding clearance—but only as far as David Villa who looped the ball into an empty goal from 40-odd yards. Spain next worked a give-and-go in which Chilean Marco Estrada's feet momentarily tangled with Spain striker Fernando Torres'. Referee Rodriguez waved the advantage on, Andres Iniesta made in 2-0, and Rodriguez gave Estrada his marching orders once the ball crossed the line.

Chile pulled one back shortly after halftime through substitute Rodrigo Millar, but the game slowly ran out of fizz as word filtered into the ground and the benches that Honduras was holding Switzerland. The last ten minutes of Spain—Chile was played at a crawl as both sides realized Switzerland needed two goals to be a factor. The final minutes were an absolute travesty.

Switzerland—Honduras finished goalless. I didn't see much of this match at all, but the highlight reel shows each side squandered a bucket of chances in front of goal. The teams managed a single goal between them all tournament. Goodbye and good riddance.      

Chile will also be without Waldo Ponce and Gary Medel for the Brazil game as each man picked up his second yellow of the tournament.