Wiggi's alternative take on sports: Then there were eight, the Quarterfinals begin

Firstly, I must apologize for not having been able to keep up with getting out the blog. Having broken my right shoulder last week, it is a struggle to concentrate let alone type with only my weaker left hand available.

The round of sixteen was full of the sort of theatre that only a world cup can provide, and of the teams who were in that stage only one who were expected to make it to the last eight, Espana, failed to do so. Some of the football was exhilarating and there was drama a plenty as two games went to penalty shootouts.

The two teams that entertained the most will be on display against the teams that were able to hold their nerve in the penalty shootouts. To be honest, both the Blue Samurai of Japan and the toreadors of Viva Espana were so shockingly bad that the men from Kings landing in Croatia, and the Atlas Lions of Morrocco had it easy.

First up, we will see the dancing boys from the Copa Cabana against the very resilient Croatians. I say resilient, because over the past two world cups, all the knockout games that Croatia have been involved in have gone to extra time, and they have won three penalty shoot outs and beaten EnGerLand two goals to one. Croatia should be renamed after the band Chumbawamba, who sang "I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never going to keep me down."

Brazil was my pick before the tournament started to lift the trophy and I have not seen anything to make me doubt that choice.

Brazil is famous for carnival and the Samba, and it was on full display as they destroyed South Korea with the type of ruthless efficiency one would expect from the Spanish inquisition. They celebrated every goal with a little jig, with even their taciturn coach joining in after the third goal, which was to be fair, a piece of choreography worthy of the Bolshoi ballet and deserving of a little dance.

There were plenty of killjoys amongst the television pundits who thought it was disrespectful to the plucky South Koreans to thus celebrate, but they did not seem to mind.

Brazil and Croatia have met in two previous world cups, in 2006 and 2014, with the Brazilians winning on both occasions, although if you want an omen, in both cases, Brazil failed to go on and win the trophy.

I cannot see any other conclusion than Brazil advancing to the semi finals

Two to look out for

Livakovic will be tested

Vinicius Jr coolness personified

The second quarter final features a rematch of the highly contentious final of 1978 between Don't cry for me Argentina and the Oranjeboom from the Netherlands. Here's how the game played out, enjoy it before I continue

In its own way, the world cup in Argentina was as controversial as the one in Qatar is today, the difference being that the cold war was at its height and the ruling military junta which had seized power in 1976 had the full backing of the United States. In a world devoid of internet and social media and therefore far less woke, people did not really care about human rights abuses in a far off country. (I often wonder how much they really care today unless it is a Cause Celebre.) It is thought that around thirty thousand people just disappeared while the Junta was in power, and it was against this backdrop that the tournament took place.

The Argentinian path to final was not without hiccups and the accusations of cheating were rife and as you saw from the video, the final was not a smooth affair and was played in a fervent atmosphere.

As an English football fan, I always want the Argies to lose, as with most things connected to football, it is completely irrational. the few Argentinians I know are lovely people but show me those blue and white striped shirts and I see a red mist.

It started back to the world cup of 1966 where the then Argentinian number 10, Rattin was sent off against EnGerLand by the German referee because he did not like the way Rattin looked at him, as we know EnGerLand went on to win the trophy, but that was just the beginning of the enmity. Enough has been said about the hand of god, but to put that in a historical context, that was only four years after the Falklands war when Argentina as a country was demonized in the English press.

In the 1998 world cup there was the Simeone v Beckham incident. Beckham had to go but the way the Argies surrounded the referee typifies the way the masters of the dark arts play the game. I could put a video of Rattin being sent off and it would look very similar.

As I wrote in the first group preview, The Orangemen are the nearly men of world cup football, having lost all three finals they have played in. The last time the two sides met in a world cup was in the 2014 semifinal, the game ended in a scoreless draw, and the gauchos won on penalties.

As you may have gathered, I am all Orange for this game, but I fear a similar outcome. Perhaps the precedent of when they last met in the quarterfinals back in 1998 will be followed with the clog wearers coming out on top. That game will be remembered for a sublime piece of finishing which you can enjoy below.