Setting the Stage for the World Cup Quarter-Finals

While I’m not as excited to watch this matchup as I am the first, the passing nerd in me can’t resist the pull of Spanish soccer. At its best, it’s like a totally different sport: minimal long balls, no brute strength, just a delightful mix of technical excellence and intelligent reading of the game. It doesn’t always produce the most exciting matches, but when it does, it’s absolutely glorious.Â

Despite their well-defined style of play, the Spanish are remarkably hard to break down. They’ve still managed to go without conceding a single goal at this summer’s tournament, and I don’t see that changing against a Belgium side that hasn’t really looked all that impressive. I don’t know if it’ll make me feel better as a USMNT fan to see the side that knocked them out get eliminated, but I certainly won’t be complaining. Spain advances via a semi-boring 2-0 win.

Norway vs. England

Earling Haaland — he’s inevitable. Give the man three touches in a 90-minute span, he’ll score two goals. Zlatan’s been saying it all tournament long: A good game for this man isn’t about getting involved in the buildup or making tackles. It’s goals he wants, and it’s goals he gets. It feels like a foregone conclusion that he’ll score against this England side. The only question that remains is whether or not the English will manage to outscore him.Â

Thomas Tuchel’s boys have relied on Jude Bellingham’s box-to-box dominance and Harry Kane’s golden touch thus far, often opting for pragmatism over flair. This style suits the squad that their manager selected, and he’s used the players at his disposal near perfectly — aside from some winger decisions I would have reversed. Key defensive subs against Mexico put the game to bed after some real chaos, with Dan Burn defending the 18 with his life in the closing minutes. They feel capable of beating anyone at this tournament with a few key changes, but are far from invulnerable themselves.Â

The Norwegians present the most interesting variable remaining in this year’s tournament. I don’t think many people expected them to get this far, but now that they’re here, I don’t think many people would be surprised if they stuck around a bit longer. Their strength is very obviously in their attacking quality, enabling them to outperform their expected goals more often than any other team in the world. I fear this may be too big a hurdle, though, and I’m backing the Three Lions to win a barn-burner, 4-2.

Switzerland vs. Argentina

At last, we arrive at the defending champs. Lionel Messi and the boys have been … cutting it close this tournament after ending up on what most people assumed would be the easiest side of the bracket to get out of. An extra-time winner against a stubborn Cape Verde side saw La Albiceleste squeak by in the Round of 32, and a breathtaking comeback against Egypt gave me heart palpitations in the Round of 16. It’s been anything but pretty, but they’ve gotten the job done.

For Switzerland, the narrative is somewhat similar to Norway — minus the giant goal machine up top — in that few expected them to get this far. The Swiss got out of one of the tournament’s weaker groups, took down a less-than-impressive Algeria side, and outlasted Colombia to earn a shootout win in the Round of 16. This feels like an over-achievement for this squad, and it’s hard for me to imagine their ceiling being much higher, despite Argentina’s own struggles.Â

Some may look at Argentina’s close calls and say they’re cracking. I, however, feel like these close matches and tests of character will only bring this already very tight squad even closer together, and with the greatest player of all time leading the way, I’m confident they’ll make their way into the semis on pure willpower. It may not be pretty, but it’s going to be fun to watch. We’ll stick with the trend and go 3-2, Argentina.Â

So, we’re looking at England vs. Argentina and France vs. Spain. All of those upsets I predicted early on? Yeah, those will have to wait another four years. Tune in from Thursday, July 9, to Saturday, July 11, to see how the quarters shake out, and don’t be surprised when I go four for four.

Kyle Hayward