The Round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup got underway this weekend with four teams advancing to next weekend’s quarterfinals. Monday sees two more matches take place with four teams seeking to also book their places in the next round.
Monday’s action kicks off with a bang as Brazil faces Mexico in Samara. El Tri are looking to forget a 3-0 loss to Sweden in their last matchup as they face a tougher Brazilian side. Brazil defeated Serbia 2-0 in their last match which allowed them to win their group. Playmakers Neymar and Hirving Lozano will headline the wide range of talent in this clash.
The day concludes with Belgium taking on Japan in Rostov. The Red Devils won all three of their group stage matches, with Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku leading the way with four goals. Japan barely made it into the knockout stage after advancing on the fair play tiebreaker over Senegal. Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda are two playmakers to watch for Japan in this one.
The SBI Editorial Staff will be providing live commentary on Saturday’s matches and would like you to join the fun. Feel free to join us and comment along in the section below.
Enjoy the action.
by the way, fivethirtyeight.com gives brazil the highest percent chance of winning this world cup. so to put this match in respective, mexico May have just lost to the team that wins the tournament.
Why do you think Mexico is not top 16 in the world? I think Mexico competes well and probably beats most UEFA teams. Are there really 15 teams in Europe and South America better than Mexico? I don’t.
I would say Mexico is 10-15 range; and able to compete with all except the top 5 on any given day..
it’s a big world, there are a lot of countries! i really couldn’t say right now, i’d have to look at it closely.
if you don’t believe fifa is fudging the world rankings for financial reasons, then it’s easy, just look the fifa ratings and there’s your easy answer. but if you happen to be like me and suspect our ethically challenged friends in fifa of playing with the world ratings for financial reasons, then it takes longer to answer a question like that one because you need to look at the information more carefully and also you want to look at different sources of information to make comparisons. that’s why.
the first thing i would look more closely at in the fifa rating system is the continental fudge factor. each confederation is given a number which is a strength multiplier. how is this number determined? in some scientific way? or how? i think the easiest way to fudge the world rankings would just be to fudge these continental strength multipliers. i don’t know how fifa is doing it but i think they’re Playing with the world rankings. maybe time will tell?
i mean, had mexico been drawn into group g instead of f, and played japan, or if they had been in group b and played russia, or maybe several other teams, mexico might have won. they played the most difficult team in the round of 16. just a bit of bad luck there.
Mexico needed a better result against Sweden to retain first in their group…facing Brasil came from falling to 2nd place.
good point, dave80.
FIFA rankings are statistics gone bad. The favorable treatment given to UEFA and the teams that avoid friendlies clearly show the rankings are suspect. I highly doubt that Switzerland, Wales and Poland are top5 or top 10 nations.
i hope the mexico team stays in russia and watches the rest of the tournament. i hope they don’t just fly home right away. if they do, what a waste.
Mexico team or Mexico fans?
i meant the team. but now that you mention it, the fans too. everybody!
well that was fun. thanks, ryan. enjoyed it.
full time! brazil 2-0 mexico, final
my two cents: mexico isn’t playing badly or conservatively. this is mexico just doing their usual thing in the usual skillful way. the only difference here is that their opponent, brazil, is just too good. mexico is a top 16 team in the world, maybe, but not in the top 8. that’s why they don’t get past this round in wc’s.
not top 16 in the world, i mean top 16 in this tournament.
the 32 teams in the wc are not the top 32 teams in the world. (world cup seeding does not equal world ranking.)
Why do you think Mexico is not top 16 in the world? I think Mexico competes well and probably beats most UEFA teams. Are there really 15 teams in Europe and South America better than Mexico? I don’t.
I would say Mexico is 10-15 range; and able to compete with all except the top 5 on any given day..
GOAL BRAZIL! Firmino with the tap-in. Neymar with the ball across, Firmino with the tap on the back post. That’ll do it.
goal brazil!!
it looked exactly like the first goal, except this one was in the 90th minute.
brazil 2-0 mexico, 90th minute
88th minute, mexico needs a goal very soon
Time running out for Mexico. Brazil bringing on Firmino for Coutinho in the 86th minute.
corner kick, mexico
correction: goal kick, brazil
82nd minute, mexico is still trying to score.
mexico is fouling brazil players again and again. that’s concacaf for ya. it’s EMBARRASSING. it’s like someone in your family who passes gas a lot at the dinner table. sorry, brazil. we apologize for our gassy neighbors.
but mexico is fouling a LOT LESS than panama or costa rica did. overall still feeling very proud of mexico in this wc.
especially in the group stage, mexico was outstanding and fouled very little, eh?
Frustrated fouling is historically consistent for Mexico. They get frustrated when it is clear that they are the inferior team in a game and it gets chippy real fast – think of the end of the US v. Mexico game in 2002, or the end of the knockout game against Argentina in 2006 or 2010..
Respect to Mexico though. As a team they were quicker and faster than their opponents in the first two group games. Sweden defended well and won due to its direct route and size.
Brazil are athletic enough to cope with Mexico’s quickness and talent. When Mexico cannot use a speed advantage, it really takes away from their game, and Brazil was faster- at least in the last 20 minutes.
How do you start with your observation about historical classlessness of the Mexican team and then move on to to “respect” for them?
wow brazil #9 displaying some mad skillz out there on the left wing.
72nd minute, neymar is down and appears to have great pain in his ankle. not sure what happened there.
the replay seems to show nothing/no contact with a mexico player.
shot mexico!
brazil shot just wide!
following the breakaway and a low cross, neymar uses the inside of the foot to place a shot near post but it rolls just wide!
67th minute, still brazil 1-0 mexico
SAVE OCHOA! His sixth of the game. Willian rips one, but Ochoa pushes it over the bar.
possession is even 50-50 but brazil has 16 shots and mexico only has 9.
Interesting subs by Mexico. Old man Marquez out at halftime (then they concede). A Dos Santos on for the right back with card. Chicarito out at the hour mark.
They need a goal, but can they avoid conceding another
I’ll lose it big time if Orsorio get the US job.
i’m pretty sure this will be the end of rara marquez’s international career. maybe he can be osorio’s assistant usmnt coach. (!!)
rafa
haha neymar dived and the official was having none of it. i think neymar just got schooled by the official haha
The ref similarly ignored Willian in the first half when he went to ground without a touch. No cards, but a “no more”
CHANCE FOR VELA! Good curling shot but Alisson pushes it away. First save for the Brazilian keeper.
i think neymar just nutmegged mexico defender #2. and then blew past him. school’s in! mexico just got schooled there a little bit.
can mexico break the curse? get the monkey off it’s back? GET PAST THE ROUND OF 16?
nope
But that was clear from the time of the draw into groups. . . and confirmed when Sweden beat the crap out of El Tri in the last group game.
suddenly, the game has become more lively, eh guys?
and the stadium louder, the crowd is singing and chanting
there is a lot of yellow in the stands, but some green, too.
GOAL NEYMAR! Finally for Brazil. Great touch for Willian, who darts towards the end line. Cross goes right across the six-yard box to Neymar, who taps in on the back post.
goal brazil!
the driving run down the left side, the low cross with two brazil bodies crashing the six, ochoa comes off his line and doesn’t get the ball and the easy tap in finish. 1-0 brazil, 53 minute.
shot mexico! 50th minute breakaway and the shot from way downtown goes a little high
SAVE OCHOA! Coutinho cuts in and has a lane to shoot, but he fires it right at Ochoa.
48th minute brazil wins a corner
second half is underway! eh, ryan?
you said it
Second half is underway.
the players are back on the field again
“THE PRIDE OF CONCACAF”…..beat Germany and are standing toe to toe with Brazil. #RESPECT ??MEXICO!!!!!!
??
hell yeah brother… CLINK! (cheers/tap bottles together)
i don’t personally have any problem rooting for mexico. i just have trouble rooting for rafa marquez. but time has passed and i’m enjoying this wc so much i’m even forgetting about the cheap shots and tackles that rafa made on our guys over the years.
go mexico! =D =D
not buying a rafa marquez jersey any time soon.
Photo: The 2002 World Cup Round of 16 when the U.S. beat Mexico 2-0 and Rafa Marquez got a red card for a vicious challenge on Cobi Jones
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkHLM5-g6RG/?utm_source=ig_embed
Lol! They’re an embarrassment, they creep past a lackadaisical,
last place Germany by playing their very best. Play like a bunch of dirtballs and get stomped by Sweden, are gifted a spot in the 16 by that same Germany team. Next they focus more on dying their hair blonde than their world class Brazilian opponents. Play like dirtballs again and get shown how it’s done. They’re an absolute embarrassment, especially Layun.
An embarrassment??? At least they were knockout out by ??Brazil….and not ??Trinidad & tobago ???
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HALFTIME: Some early looks for Mexico, but Brazil battled back as the half wore on. Pretty even overall, but still scoreless.
no stoppage time added on? that’s weird, isn’t it, ryan? that never happens.
Nearing halftime now. Mexico in charge for the first 20 or so minutes, Brazil the second 20. Been a very different game, but been fun on both sides.
you know ryan, spain did lose to russia yesterday. maybe anything is possible today?
42nd minute, brazil corner cleared by mexico
39th minute, neymar’s free kick is wide left
39th minute, neymar’s free kick is wide left
hello again, ryan. i’m watching now.
38th minute, 0-0
SAVE OCHOA! Another chance for Brazil, who are starting to feel it. Ayala clears the ball away shortly after. Starting to even about a bit.
SAVE OCHOA! Good chance for Neymar in the 25th minute but Ochoa gets down to push it away.
hello ryan, i’m gonna get some food. be back in a bit.
Mexico certainly have had the better of the game so far. Dominating wide areas. Brazil bending, but not breaking.
Mexico doing fairly well through the first 12 or so minutes. Have had a few solid attacks and Brazil has had one real shot on goal. Solid start for El Tri, but it’s early.
Early look for Mexico. Vela and Guardado work on the left side and Guardado fires a very good cross. Punched away and Lozano’s rebound is blocked out.
Predictions? I’ll take Brazil in a 3-1 win. Too much talent, unfortunately for El Tri, who would go out in the Round of 16 yet again.
Good morning all. About to kick off between Brazil and Mexico. No Marcelo for Brazil. Rafa Marquez in for Mexico.