The group stage is now over for the World Cup and its serious stage begins with the knock-out games. The pairs for the round of 16 have been determined and all of the major bookmakers have released the odds for the punters. Let’s have a first recap of what we have seen so far.

Major failures

The first and foremost comes with the elimination of Germany from the group stage for a second consecutive time. It would seem that there is a major crisis in the football of the country that has to be addressed and resolved immediately. Somehow it seems that the new generation of players does not measure up to the standards of the team that has made it to the finals of the tournament.

The second major failure is Belgium. It is not unfair to say that the number 2 ranked team in the world never showed up in the stadiums of Qatar. And it seems that the crisis is deep if the riots in Brussels after the defeat at the hands of Morocco are to be taken into account. The age factor of the players that were called in the roster has taken its toll, just like it did with Uruguay which makes for a third major disappointment.

The fourth and most curious one is Denmark. Only a few months ago they were parading victoriously on away matches in France. And easily. The team that showed up at the World Cup had absolutely nothing to offer to the fans.

Japan

When the Samurai defeated Germany, people said that it was just a lucky result. However, when they did it again against the Spaniards, it stopped being just a coincidence. The Sons of the Rising Sun have something quite solid to present. A game plan that they follow religiously and lots of stamina. Also, it could very well be, that their coach Hajime Moriyasu even held back on his aces, by using Minamoto and Tomiyasu sparingly. In fact, it is more than likely that they will defeat Croatia in the round of 16 and advance even further.

The pairings

• Netherlands vs USA

This is probably the end of the road for the Americans. The Dutch are serious and focused.

• England vs Senegal

The three lions are no longer the naive team of the past. In all likelihood, they will advance.

• Argentina vs Australia

The Albiceleste may have lost the first match with the Saudis but they shaped up and got serious. The Socceroos will not pose a serious obstacle.

• France vs Poland

The Eagles advanced by being lucky on the details. Les Bleus will probably not have any difficulty in subduing them.

• Japan vs Croatia

The Europeans did not deserve to be where they are. They may show as undefeated but it is not the image that they showed on the pitch.

• Spain vs Morocco

This one depends exclusively on the Spaniards. If they show up focused and determined and have learned the lesson that no match is over after one goal has been scored, then they should go through.

• Brazil vs South Korea

The defeat by Cameroon playing with the B team should not have caused too much of a psychological issue for the Selecao. They should advance easily.

• Portugal vs Switzerland

Fernando Santo’s team have a slight advantage here but, in all likelihood, it will be the most hard-fought encounter and the most probable to go to overtime and/or a penalty shootout.

There is no more space for errors and experiments. The stage has been set for the end of the competition and it is way past the time to register for an original betting account and make the most out of the 13 matches left.