Underdogs to bite harder as World Cup reaches quarter-finals

It has been acclaimed the quarter-finals of all-time since it is the first time in World Cup history that all the teams that topped their respective groups in the preliminary round of 32 made it to the last eight. 

And in this elite category in Brazil can be found Costa Rica, Colombia and Belgium, whom it has taken 28 years to reach this stage again. The remaining five — Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France — -are all former champions, except The Netherlands. 

It is this kind of line-up that has thrown this year's tournament into a jig-saw puzzle with the likes of Costa Rica and Colombia breathing hard on the perrenial favourites. And for Brazil, their desire to win the tournament for the first time as host and for an unprecedented sixth time stand threatened by their continental neighbours, Colombia, in Fortaleza tonight.

Neymar has been great as a rallying force for the Selecao, and it was much of his influence that nailed Chile in the coffin in the penalty shoot-out after the two teams deadlocked in 90 minutes and extra time in the one-eighth final in Belo Horizonte barely a week ago.

And Neymar's influence won't lack tonight, but he may be meeting in Colombia's rising super star, James Rodriguez, a rivalry that will be crucial in determining where the pendulum swings. His predatory instincts were crucial in seeing off Cote d'lvoire and Japan at the group stage and later Uruguay, making him the tournament's leading goal scorer with five goals, one more than Neymar's. 

It is something similar that may be playing out in the all-European clash between France and Germany earlier in Rio de Janeiro. Here, the European rivalry will be pushed to the limit by the personal ambitions of Thomas Mueller and Karim Benzema on the German and French sides respectively, each desiring the golden boot award at the end of the tournament just as Rodriguez, Neymar and Lionel Messi. 

Mueller's four goals against Benzema's three will define their contest apart from each of the teams' ambition to break the jinx by winning the trophy in South America. It is the same European ambition that will kick The Netherlands and Belgium into their respective matches against Costa Rica and Argentina tomorrow with gusto.

Belgium may be laying ambush for the fancied Argentina, listening to what one of their players in the great win over the USA, midfieder Marouane Fellani, said last Tuesday after the match: "... a quarter final against Argentina, they are great team, they have great players and we will see what happens in Brasilia on Saturday".

And on the sidelines, former England captain, Rio Ferdinand made this observation: "You have to start taking Belgium seriously. The manager is making great substitutions and from the bench they have better players than any other team to change a game". 

Ferdinand obviously must be referring to Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku, whose entry as second half and extra time substitutes turned around the game for Belgium. Argentina better watch out, in the same manner that Netherlands should watch the boys from Costa Rica, who are the revelation at this tournament, lest they rip them apart in their clash in Salvador. 

Costa Rica topped a group that included Uruguay, Italy and England and disposed of Greece in the second round, a conquest of big names that should motivate them to greater efforts tomorrow.