WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS LAST 16
World Cup Predictions Last 16 & Correct Scores
by Doug Martin
Hello everyone. My prediction rate is going up after a slow start. I have now predicted 19 correct results of the group games bar the Spain & Switzerland games. The latest correct results were Argentina beating Greece & also by the correct score, the USA beating Algeria, Germany beating Ghana, Holland beating Cameron & Ivory Coast beating North Korea. My rate has gone up from around 20% to 40%. Hopefully this rate will reach 50% + by the time the World cup ends.
Just a quick note regarding England. Well done lads but you have messed it up because you now have Germany on Sunday & we always lose to Germany in World Cup’s.
This has been a very mixed World Cup with a lot of shock results. Both Italy & France have departed, something I would have not predicted…
Keep the faith & Good luck.
Match: 49 Last 16: Uruguay - South Korea: (Saturday June 26th 3pm):
Uruguay looked really good when they beat hosts South Africa 3-0 in their second game & then followed that up with a 1-0 victory over a very good Mexico side to top the group. The game against Mexico was very entertaining & displayed fears beforehand of a boring game because both sides only needed a point to qualify. South Korea qualified from group B which was good considering the group had a very good Argentina side in it. They Drew their last game 2-2 with Nigeria & qualified because Greece lost predictably to Argentina. It must be pointed out that South Korea lost 4-1 to Argentina in their second group game. They now face a Uruguay side who are not as good as Argentina but still good enough to win this game which is what I expect them to do. South American teams are having a good world cup as apposed to Africa & Europe. Every single one bar Honduras has qualified & I think they will be a real threat for the World cup title. Uruguay to win but it might be close as most games at this stage are.
Result Prediction: Uruguay to win
Result Prediction: Uruguay 2 South Korea 1
Match: 50 Last 16: USA - Ghana: (Saturday June 26th 7.30pm):
The USA qualified top of Group “C” ahead of England by beating Algeria 1-0 with a very late goal. They deserved it & now face Ghana in the knockout stage. Ghana are the only African side to have qualified which will be seen as very disappointing for Africa as a whole. African teams appear to have gone backwoods in this world cup after making such excellent progress since Cameron exploded on the international scene in the 1990 World cup. Ghana may have lost their last group game 1-0 to Germany but they were unlucky & deserved a point. The worry for them will be that in the group games they were only able to draw with Australia. It will be an interesting game & a shame for either side to go out. I think that the USA are getting better as this tournament goes on & will therefore beat Ghana but it will be a close game. The USA reached the quarter finals in 2002 when they were very unlucky to lose to Germany 1-0, nice to know that it isn’t just England that are unlucky against the Germans in World cup games. An USA win then.
Result Prediction: USA to win
Score Prediction: USA 2 Ghana 1
Match 51 Last 16: England - Germany: (Sunday June 27th 3pm):
Here we go again. Will England beat Germany? No. Because when ever they play a side deemed better or as good as them they go out. In Mexico 1986 they lost 2-1 to Argentina, in 1990 it was Germany on Penalties, 1998 it was Argentina again on penalties, 2002 Brazil 2-1 in the Quarters & then 2006 Portugal on Penalties after they had also knocked England out of Euro 2004 again on penalties. Throw in Euro 96 & a semi final defeat to Germany on penalties & you can see a pattern developing. England always go out after a close game but the bottom line is that they always go out. Germany have played better than England so far in the group games even though they did rather unluckily lose to Serbia 1-0 when they had a player sent off & missed a second half penalty. England did beat Germany in a friendly recently 2-1 in Germany but that will count for nothing as England take friendly games more seriously than most nations or at least the press & media do. An England defeat then but England only have themselves to blame as they should have topped their group & avoided playing Germany in the first place.
Result Prediction: Germany to win
Score Prediction: Germany 2 England 1
Match 52 Last 16: Argentina - Mexico: (Sunday June 27th 7.30pm):
Argentina are my tip along with Spain to win the World cup. Argentina won all their group games playing some lovely football along the way. I predicted them to win all their group games & they didn’t let me down. This should be a good game as Mexico have played some great football as well even though they only came second in their group behind Uruguay after losing 1-0 to them in their last group game. I think that Argentina will win this game as they are better than Mexico & Mexico tend to have a pattern of qualifying out of their group in world cup games & then going out quickly afterwards. They were 1-0 up against Germany in 1998 but lost 2-1 in their last 166 game & then lost 2-0 to the USA in 2002, again in a last 16 game. They have never gone beyond the quarter finals in a world cup & I think that pattern will continue despite the fact that they are a good team & will give Argentina a close game. A shame for Mexico but the way Argentina are playing at present I can’t really see anyone beating them. We will see.
Result Prediction: Argentina to win
Score Prediction: Argentina 3 Mexico 1
Match 53 Last 16: Holland - Slovakia: (Monday June 28th 3pm):
Holland won all their group games in group E to qualify, which was again good for me as I predicted them to do just that on a match by match basis. They beat Cameron 2-1 in their last group game after beating Denmark 2-0 & Japan 1-0. Surprisingly Denmark lost 3-1 to Japan in their group to enable them to qualify along with the Dutch which was a another shock. The Dutch now face Slovakia who surprised me & everyone else by beating Italy to qualify from group “F” as runners up. Their 3-2 victory over the Italians was well deserved as it knocked out the Italians who of course were the holders. So along with France the Italians went home & it will have been interesting to see how they were received when they landed at the airport. I think that Holland will win this game as they are better than Slovakia I feel. Slovakia will feel no matter what the result they have had a good world cup in knocking out the Italians & qualifying from their group in their first ever world cup. The question is how far the Dutch will go in this world cup as they have been largely forgotten about in terms of winners for this world cup. They could be one of the dark horses & I would like to say that you heard it here first. A Dutch win then.
Result Prediction: The Dutch to win
Score Prediction: Holland 3 Slovakia 1
Match 53 Last 16: Brazil - Chile (Monday June 28th 7.30pm):
Brazil are of course one of the favourites as always for the world cup. They proved this by qualifying top of their group even though they drew their last game against Portugal 0-0 which was such a bad game that you have to wonder if the two teams came to an arrangement to draw the game beforehand so that it would benefit both sides. They certainly wouldn’t have had any trouble communicating with each other as both countries speak the same language. Can’t imagine England & Scotland doing the same thing. More chance of hell freezing over methinks. Brazil now face a very good Chile side who lost their last game 2-1 against Spain. Even though they had a man sent off against Spain they still played well & could have easily drawn. Chile lost both their qualifying games against Brazil so the form book would suggest that they should lose. This should be a good game & I think that Brazil will win but only because they usually do. This would be a shame as the world cup could do with Brazil going out. Can’t see it in this game which will be a shame for Chile because they look a good side. Oh well. Supporting England I know how they will feel.
Result Prediction: Brazil to win
Score Prediction: Brazil 2 Chile 1
Match 54 Last 16: Paraguay - Japan: (Tuesday June 29th 3pm):
Both sides have done really well to qualify from their respective groups. Paraguay did well as they came top of their group ahead of Italy & remained unbeaten. They did however only draw their last game with New Zealand who it must be pointed out had a great world cup remaining unbeaten in all their group games when nobody including myself gave them a chance of even scoring a goal let along drawing all three games. Well done lads. Paraguay’s victory over Slovakia was the key result for them in qualifying but it ended up not harming Slovakia as they managed to beat Italy. Japan had a great result in their last group game by deservedly beating Denmark 3-1 thanks to great two free kicks in the first half that resulted in them going in at the break 2--0 up. By the time Denmark pulled a late second half goal back it was too late for the Danes & they went home earlier than they & me expected. I think this will be a very close game & Japan will just shade it as Paraguay seem to sit back too much for my liking & are due to get caught out. So the men from the rising sun to win.
Result Prediction: Japan to win
Score Prediction: Japan 1 Paraguay 0
Match 55 Last 16: Spain - Portugal: (Tuesday June 29th 7.30pm):
This should be a really good game as both sides can play some great football especially Spain. Portugal came second in their group behind Brazil as I expected them to but they did play in two very bad games against Brazil & Ivory Coast which both ended 0-0. In total contrast these 0-0 draws sandwiched a 7-0 thrashing of North Korea. Go figure. Spain looked really good in their group despite losing to Switzerland in their opening game 1-0 which was a fluke result by the Swiss. To prove that the Swiss failed to win any of their remaining games & so went out. I think Spain play some wonderful football & will win this game but like most last 16 games it could be close. Spain are one of my tips to win the world cup & so hopefully they will prove me correct by winning this game. Their passing is a joy to watch, my only complaint against them is that they are not taking their chances at present but as they create so many nobody is complaining. Let’s hope it doesn’t go against them like it did in the Swiss defeat when they should have won four or five one. A Spanish victory then & let’s hope that Portugal don’t go into the game hoping to draw the game & take it to extra time & penalties like they have done in the past.
Result Prediction: Spain to win
Score Prediction: Spain 2 Portugal 0
Douglas Martin
dapmartin@hotmail.co.uk
June 26th 2010
(Updated 28th June 2010)