World Cup 2014 Scores: Day 15 Results, Latest Schedule, Predictions for Day 16

And then there were 16. 

Germany, the United States, Belgium and Algeria captured the final four spots in the knockout stage Thursday, setting up what appears to be a scintillating round of 16. 

Let's take a look at the opening fixtures. 

Matchday 15 Results

Group	Team	Score	Team
G	Germany	1-0	United States
G	Portugal	2-1	Ghana
H	Algeria	1-1	Russia
H	Belgium	1-0	South Korea

Round of 16 Bracket

B/R

Matchday 16 Schedule and Predictions

Matchup	Local Time	Time (ET)	Time (BST)	Prediction
Brazil vs. Chile	1 p.m.	Noon	5 p.m.	Brazil, 3-2
Colombia vs. Uruguay	5 p.m.	4 p.m.	9 p.m.	Colombia, 2-0

It doesn't get more captivating than this. Four South American countries, loads of unbelievable attacking talent and not a lot of convincing defense. 

Philly.com's Jonathan Tannenwald put it simply: 

The opener of the round of 16, Brazil vs. Chile, may just turn into the match of the tournament. 

The hosts are one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the world. Their full-backs and holding midfielders have the pace to break instantly on the counter, while the talismanic Neymar is in top form up front, capable of taking over by himself at any point. 

Example: 

On the other side of the pitch, the Chileans have plenty of attacking prowess themselves. Five different players scored their five goals in the group stage, while their pressure all over the pitch can frustrate opponents into mistakes in bad positions. 

"I managed Brazil against Chile twice, so I know how good they are,” said Luiz Felipe Scolari, via The Mirror's Jack Lang. “They have a lot of quality. If I could choose, I would choose another opponent. South American sides are always tough."

There are going to be a ton of scoring opportunities in this one. Ultimately, though, Chile's aggression and propensity to push all the way forward for 90 minutes will open up enough counter-attacking chances for the Brazilians to move through. 

The second matchup is a little more straightforward. Colombia's recent red-hot form plus Luis Suarez's suspension makes the Cafeteros strong favorites. 

Jose Pekerman's side grabbed nine points in highly impressive fashion over the last two weeks. According to WhoScored.com, it is just 18th in the tournament in shots per game and 10th in shots on target per game, but it scored more goals (nine) than everyone but the Netherlands. 

James Rodriguez is playing on another planet right now, Adrian Ramos and Cuadrado have looked terrific, Jackson Martinez put an end to his scoring slump with a brace last match, and overall, this team is electric on the counter attack (it has just 44.1 percent possession this tournament). 

Opta Sports provided a look at the former's unbelievable production: 

Uruguay, meanwhile, were inconsistent in the final third in their only match without Suarez, scoring only a penalty in a 3-1 loss to Costa Rica. This one will be similar. 

Either way, though, two South American countries will be eliminated Saturday, much to the relief of the rest of the knockout stage participants.