[Croatia vs. Brazil]
Game Time: December 9 (Fri) 23:00 Taiwan Time
Match Record: Croatia 0-1-3 Brazil (Goals: 2-7)
Key players: Luka Modric vs.
Neymar
Match Preview: Both CROATIA and BRAZIL played their Round of 16 matches in their own style. Croacia played a solid game and fought Japan all the way to a 12-yard penalty shootout before winning, while Brazil was on a roll, beating South Korea 4-1. The two teams are very different and have their own strengths, making this head-to-head matchup very interesting to watch. Brazil's main players in the lineup
Neymar
After recovering from injuries, the team's morale is high and their offense is more varied. With Vinicius Junior in excellent form, the team will give Croesusia a lot of troubles, especially
Neymar
With his ability to tear apart defenses on the wings and organize attacks up front, Brazil is sure to attack with him at the center of the field and with his superior offensive power. Brazil's current lineup is not only luxurious up front, but the midfield combination of Casemiro and Lucas Paqueta is also top-notch, and is one of the few teams that have a chance to compete evenly with the three kings of the midfield that Croesusia prides itself on: Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Marcelo Brozovic. An evenly matched team. The most stable team, Croesia, will definitely slow down Brazil's attacking rhythm. Whether the core of the team, Modric, can smoothly control the rhythm and assist the defense in blocking Brazil's front court as appropriate will be the biggest key for Croesia in this game. Of course, the biggest problem for Croacia is still the lack of ability of the front line, and how much of a test Ivan Perisic, who has been performing brilliantly against Japan, can give to the Brazilian defense is also a problem, so it may be possible to prolong the line of battle and rely on patience to find breakthroughs as a strategy for the game. On the whole, as long as Brazil can show their concentration and several players in front of them don't go overboard with their individual play, the chances of defeating Croacia are still relatively high.
[Netherlands vs. Argentina]
Game Time: December 10 (Sat) 03:00 Taiwan Time
Head-to-head record: Netherlands 4-2-3 Argentina (goals scored: 13-6)
Key Player: Virgil van Dijk vs.
Lionel Messi (1987-), Argentine footballer
MATCH PREVIEW: The second match in the last eight will pit Europe against South America as the Orange-clad Netherlands take on the Pampas Eagles Argentina. Both teams topped their groups in the group stage, but the
beyond the pale
It was a very different story, with Holland opening the tournament with a smooth victory, then winning 1 and drawing 1 to go undefeated.
advancement
Sixteen, while Argentina was in the opening game of the
an upset (esp. in sports)
Lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia, almost in danger of elimination, but fortunately won two consecutive victories over Mexico and Poland.
beyond the pale
.. In the round of sixteen, neither team's opponent was a favorite to win the tournament, so both teams were able to get through with ease, with the Netherlands defeating the United States 3-1, and Argentina defeating Australia 2-1. The last eight match is expected to be a big contradiction. The Netherlands, with its foot-heavy lineup, has tended to be conservative in its strategy in this year's tournament, and even in the round of sixteen against the relatively weaker United States, it was willing to give up possession to play counterattacks, which is evident of the pragmatic strategy of the head coach Louis van Gaal. Argentina, on the other hand, has
Lionel Messi (1987-), Argentine footballer
The attacking group led by Angel Di Maria and Julian Alvarez is expected to take the majority of the initiative, but with Di Maria's injury status unknown and his ability to play single-handedly on the side, Argentina will probably still play in a 4-3-1-2 formation, and despite the successful win against Australia, the high possession rate, the ability to move long passes from side to side, and the difficulty in organizing a good attack in the middle of the field may be more of a hindrance against the Netherlands, who play a 5-3-2 formation. Although they won the match against Australia, the problem of high possession rate, only wide range long pass movement, and difficult to have a good attacking organization in the middle of the field may be more hindering in the face of the Netherlands, which mainly plays a 5-3-2 formation, because the Netherlands not only has a tighter formation, but also has a backline such as the captain of Van Dyke, Nathan Ake, and Jurrien Timber, whose individual ability is much better than that of Australia's players. In addition, one of the keys to dealing with the Netherlands will be to cut off central midfielder Frenkie de Jong from receiving and playing the ball, but Argentina's counterparts in this position are
Lionel Messi (1987-), Argentine footballer
Lionel Messi (1987-), Argentine footballer
Whether or not they have enough energy to focus on their defense will be the test. Overall, Argentina is still better than Holland, but to
advancement
I'm afraid it's going to take some hard fighting.
