The 2018 FIFA World Cup is down to its last eight survivors, but not before producing some more memorable moments to add to a wild Russia 2018 tournament.
This week, England ended their infamous penalty kick shootout jinx, Sweden continued their unlikely run, Belgium survived a thriller and Brazil dilapidated Mexico’s dreams.
All this and much, much more, including a preview of every quarterfinal match, in this midweek edition of 90 Minutes’ Top Five.
1. Over the hump
The least heralded generation of English players has already accomplished more in their first World Cup than their famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) predecessors did in the last 12 years.
Gareth Southgate’s side, led by the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Jordan Pickford, finally got over their penalty kick shootout jinx to defeat Colombia and reach the quarterfinals in a World Cup for the first time since Germany 2006.
They did so when it looked like England would pull another England and blow their chance at advancing after Yerry Mina’s dramatic equalizer in the 93rd minute. They survived the huge emotional blow and another 30 minutes of physical hell to make it to the last eight in Russia.
Their road, however, won’t get any easier. Their opponents, Sweden, beat Switzerland to continue their unlikely run in this World Cup, which has seen them surpass the likes of Italy, the Netherlands, Mexico and Germany along the way.
The Swedes face the least pressure of all eight teams remaining in Russia. Life after Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proven more successful than life with ‘Ibra,’ thanks to a team-first mentality and a group of players who know their roles and play it to a tee.
Janne Andersson’s side has proven to be much more than a park-the-bus-and-counter team. They are tough out for anyone, even the most talented and heralded teams.
2. Fireworks show
If you enjoyed the Fourth of July fireworks at your local gathering place, get ready for an encore in Russia.
Brazil and Belgium, two of the most talented and powerful teams in the tournament, will do battle in a game that promises nothing but action and plenty of goals.
Brazil put on their best performance yet in the World Cup in their 2-0 over Mexico, looking to be closer to the dominant team favored to win it all this summer.
The three-headed monster of Neymar, Willian and Gabriel Jesus tied the Mexican defense into all kinds of knots, while dominating on the defensive side of the ball all 90 minutes.
Belgium, on the other hand, had the close call of all close calls, coming very close to another major disappointment at the hands of Japan.
The Samurai Blue had the Belgians on the ropes with a 2-0 lead. But Roberto Martinez’s squad showed plenty of that heart and courage their fans had been calling for to turn it around and win 3-2.
A game featuring names like Neymar, Hazard, Gabriel Jesus, Lukaku, Marcelo and De Bruyne is the kind of mouth-watering clash worthy of an early World Cup final.
3. Clash of styles
The quarterfinals will begin with a good ol’ clash of styles pitting the defensively solid Uruguay and the offensively potent France.
The ‘Celeste’ followed an impressive win over Russia with another solid performance to eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the Round of 16.
The best defense of the tournament got plenty of help from the formidable duo of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez on route to a 2-1 win, but an injury to Cavani may put a monkey wrench into Oscar Tabarez’s plans.
‘Les Bleus’ exploded for four goals against Argentina in a game that saw Kylian Mbappe outperform Lionel Messi for 90 minutes.
However, Didier Deschamps’ team did give up three goals to the Argentines, raising questions about the solidity of their defensive line.
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It is a classic matchup of stout defense against powerful offense on Friday and only one can prevail.
4. Russia-Croatia
How long can Russia’s fleet of buses parked in front of Igor Akinfeev’s goal take them in this World Cup?
So far, the hosts have survived into the last eight, an accomplishment in itself unexpected to most. Their strategy worked against a weak Spain team, allowing the ‘Sbornaya’ to upend the 2010 champions in penalty kicks.
But the hosts now face a team with plenty of the bite the Spaniards lacked in this World Cup: Croatia.
The Croats come off a difficult Round of 16 match against Denmark, needing penalty kick to advance to this stage.
But if the group stage taught us anything, is that Croatia has been one of the best-performing teams in the tournament thus far, capable of breaking down defenses of all kinds.
With Luka Modric playing at such a high level surrounded by a dynamic supporting cast, Croatia could prove too much for Russia’s fate-tempting strategy.
5. Goal of the Week
Belgium capped off their comeback victory against Japan with a goal that will live in World Cup lore.
As added time expired, the Red Devils took advantange of Japan’s corner kick to create one of the most devastating counterattacks seen in recent time, giving the Belgians a ticket to the quarterfinals in dramatic fashion.