Well ladies and gentlemen, the end is nigh. After a month of trials, triumphs and tribulations we are down to the final four teams at the 2014 Fifa World Cup.
Germany, Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands are all that remain after a pulsating first knock out stage, and a heart-stopping quarter-final round of matches over the course of the past week.
So, I guess a lot can happen in seven day, eh? Last week I was bringing you guys up to date on who I thought might make it through the last 16 into the quarter-finals and, as I predicted (yes guys, a prediction I made did actually come through! Imagine that!) Germany, France, Argentina and Belgium joined Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and the Netherlands into the last eight, and boy did that bring us some incredible matches.
On Friday, the hosts Brazil came face to face with fellow South American juggernauts Colombia. It was a strange one for Brazil as this was perhaps the first time this tournament they didn't enter a game as massive favourites. Colombia, lining up with the tournament's top goal scorer in James Rodriguez, certainly gave it their all in Fortaleza but ultimately came up just short in a heart-breaking 2-1 defeat.
A blockbuster goal from Brazilian superstar defender David Luiz set the samba stars on their way, but the victory did come at a price. Midway through the first half, captain Thiago Silva received a yellow card, ruling him out of today's semi-final match up with Germany. The country's poster boy and talisman Neymar will also be unavailable for that game when, low and behold, he was actually injured by a challenge.
All tournament long, Neymar has spent more time flopping, diving, tucking and rolling on the pitch, feigning injury in the hopes of getting his opponents into trouble. Well, last week I guess karma reared its ugly head as the young Brazilian forward, after flopping and screaming once again under what was admittedly a pretty hefty Colombian challenge, failed to get back to his feet. It turns out Neymar actually had something to scream about this time, as he fractured a vertebra in his lower back. Maybe I don't have a heart, but I've got absolutely no sympathy for the lad, this may be the perfect modern day example of what happens to the boy that continues to cry wolf.
I guess in the midst of all that I ruined Friday's other quarter-final when Germany defeated France by a score of 1-0. I'll admit, being English, this wasn't a game I really had any interest in, the Germans progressed through an early Mats Hummels strike, and lets just leave it at that.
Saturday's games brought just the one goal from almost four hours of play, but, strangely enough, I couldn't take my eyes away from the TV, with both games coming with its fair share of surprises.
First up, my pick to win the entire thing Argentina picked up yet another ugly one-goal victory. The team wearing the famous blue and white seem to have limped throughout the tournament so far, winning every game by the solitary goal. A Gonzalo Higuain strike eight minutes into the game was all the South Americans needed to edge past a plucky Belgian outfit.
Later that day, the tournament's fairytale story came crashing to an end after the Netherlands finally overcame a resourceful Costa Rica on penalty shots in Salvador. How the Dutch didn't secure victory before the lottery of the shootout is anyone's guess, as the team struck the woodwork no fewer than four times, with star striker Robin Van Persie also responsible for some dreadfully embarrassing misses, both in regulation and extra-time.
In what turned out to be a masterstroke by Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal, goalkeeper Tim Krul, a specialist in penalty saving, was entered into the match in the last minute of the game as the Netherlands sought to find an advantage heading into the shootout. After saving two of the five penalties he faced, Krul led his team to the shootout win, setting up a mouth watering semi-final with Argentina in Sao Paulo tomorrow.
Before the tournament started I had my final four as being Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Spain, so I don't think I've done too bad with my predictions thus far. My hopes for an all South American final though may be over as the Brazilians head into today's match-up with Germany severely depleted, without arguably its two best players.
You can never write out the home nation though, so maybe we'll see another surprise and Brazil can secure a place in what is sure to be an epic final this Sunday. Meeting them there? My money is still on the Argentines. As impressive as Netherlands have been throughout the tournament thus far, I just think this is Lionel Messi's time to prove once and for all he is the greatest footballer the world has ever seen. What better way to do that than to lead your country to World Cup glory.
