World Cup 2014: Fixtures, Match Odds, Predictions, Updated Bracket for Day 18
If Day 16 was anything to go by, then the World Cup 2014 round of 16 is going to be absolutely spectacular.
Brazil and Colombia booked their respective places in the quarter-finals on Saturday, with controversy, drama and individual brilliance once again on show, but who will be following them into the last eight on Day 18?
Sunday sees the Netherlands take on Mexico before Costa Rica face off with Greece in two ties that could once again go all the way to the wire. Hereโs a glance at the match odds, predictions and an analysis of the dayโs possible key players.
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| Matchup | Venue | Time | Odds | Prediction |
| Netherlands vs. Mexico | Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza | 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Netherlands: 27-25, Draw: 5-2, Mexico: 3-1 | 1-1 |
| Costa Rica vs. Greece | Arena Pernambuco, Recife | 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET | Costa Rica: 3-2, Draw: 2-2, Greece: 23-10 | 2-0 |
Arjen Robben, Netherlands vs. Mexico
The way that former Chelsea man Arjen Robben has matured as a player since joining Bayern Munich is staggering.
Once a selfish player who constantly made poor decisions when bearing down on goal, Robben has become one of the best wingers on the planet, and heโs certainly proving as much in Brazil.
His three goals in the tournament have all been superb, showing both composure and panache to put himself well in contention for the Golden Boot.
The 30-year-oldโs international form stretches beyond the World Cup, though, as OptaJohan revealed:
Arguably the player of the group stage, Robben now has his sights firmly set on a place in the quarter-finals, and Mexicoโs defence need to be very wary of his threat in Fortaleza.
Even the Dutch themselves didnโt expect Robben to be this good in Brazil, including journalist Elko Born, who said that heโs reached an unprecedented level of brilliance in the tournamentโper Jim White of The Telegraph:
โHe has reached a whole new level. We Dutch knew he was good, knew he was important. But we didnโt see this coming. What we are seeing is amazing.โ
White goes on to report that Robben reached 19.3 miles per hour during a storming run against the Spanish, and such levels of quality have warranted endless praiseโincluding from Gary Lineker and Joey Barton:
If the winger continues his breathtaking form then Mexico could be in for a long afternoon on Sunday, as keeping Robben quiet takes a very mean defence.
However, the Mexicans have only conceded one goal so far, and a tight affair is expected. Itโs one of those games that could be decided by a moment of brilliance, and Robben is more than capable of providing it.
Bryan Ruiz, Costa Rica vs. Greece
Costa Rica have surpassed all expectations at the World Cup so far, but their journey is far from finished.
With Greece their opponents on Day 18 in the round of 16, the Central American nation will more than fancy their chances of making the last eight and will turn to captain Bryan Ruiz for inspiration.
Ruiz had been branded a flop with club side Fulham before he touched down in Brazil, but he seems to have found another gear with Costa Rica and was key behind his nationโs group-stage form.
Most notable of all, the 28-year-old scored the winning goal in Costa Ricaโs famous 1-0 victory over Italyโearning him the Man of the Match award, per Budweiser UK:
His quick feet, vision and awareness have made him a nightmare for defenders in the World Cup so far, and though Greeceโs back line are famously stubborn, theyโll have a tough time coping with what Ruiz has to offer.
Costa Ricaโs playing style of all-out attack means that Ruiz is heavily involved going forward, and heโs promised that his side wonโt be changing their approach against the Greeksโper Matt Barlow of MailOnline:
"In many countries they thought we were only here to participate and not compete. It is a dream come true to be in this round. It is going crazy back home in Costa Rica. Weโve been working really hard. We have a philosophy about how we play and weโre going to die with it, because itโs working.
"
It certainly is working, as two wins out of three has put Costa Rica within one game of their best-ever finish at a World Cup, and youโd be unwise to bet against them making history on Day 18.
With Ruiz on form and players around him showing the kind of heart that so many big nations have been missing, Costa Ricaโs World Cup 2014 candle will continue to burn as the tournamentโs climax approaches.
