The Final 8 of the FIFA World Cup has started, with Lionel Messi and Argentina taking on Cody Gakpo and the Netherlands. However, the game was controversial as Messi seems to have had another handball incident for Argentina.
The World Cup has now kicked off, and after Ecuador won a big opener against hosts Qatar, other matches also took place around the small Gulf nation. One of the biggest matches included the United States opening against Wales.
The European Qualifiers get back underway on Thursday and include some major matchups that will have huge implications for their respective groups. The top two sides in each group make it through to the tournament, while the third place sides duke it out in a playoff.
Here are the matches with biggest implications on Thursday.
Spain's post-World Cup life has continued as shaky as it started with the team losing 2-0 against the Netherlands Tuesday in Amsterdam. It was a game that could have helped Spain conquer the demons of the past, but started as if it would be a repeat of 5-1 rout in Brazil last summer.
Spain conceded two goals in the opening 20 minutes of the game and looked vastly outplayed before recovering in the late stages and doing its utmost to mount a comeback. Here are the takeaways from match.
Poor Arjen Robben. The ageless Dutchman simply cannot catch a break.Robben was tipped by many to be among the top three to lift the Ballon d'Or in January, but when the final three were revealed on Monday he was not among them.
Having lost two of their first three qualifier matches, the Netherlands finally came through with a huge 6-0 win over Latvia but ended up losing Daley Blind to a knee injury. Meanwhile, Italy and Croatia ended up unbeaten after playing to 1-1 tie while Israel stays undefeated at the top of Group B with a win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mexico and the Netherlands will face each other in an international friendly game. This game is a rematch of the Round of 16 game that we saw at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Latin Post.com breaks down the teams, previews the game and predicts who will win.
Also, after losing to Poland on Saturday, current World Cup winners Germany struggled yet again ending their game against the Republic of Ireland in 1-1 draw while the Serbia-Albania game is delayed due to a drone interrupting match.
World Cup winners Germany were upset 2-0 on Saturday by Poland in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, giving Poland their first win over their neighbors in 18 previous games. Also, LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane scored a hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland against Gibraltar in their 7-0 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Argentina and Brazil square off in an international friendly between one another. This South American soccer rivalry dates very far back. Latin Post.com previews the game and predicts a winner.
With concerns over how concussions were handled in the 2014 World Cup, the English Premier League (EPL), UEFA, and FIFA are implementing new protocols over how to handle head injuries.
Every four years, a number of stars break out at the World Cup and become hot items on the transfer market. Four years ago, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil were two of the major stars in the tournament. This year, a number of other players made names for themselves and are likely to become popular on the market. Here are the teams that helped their stock during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The first FIFA World Cup rankings have been released since the tournament ended. Latin Post.com provides the rankings and sorts out the biggest disappointments and surprises of World Cup rankings.
The misery continued for Brazil in the third-place match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup as the hosts were destroyed 3-0 by the Netherlands Saturday. The team conceded 10 goals in two matches and finished the tournament with 14 goals against, the most ever for the nation in the tournament. Latin Post.com takes a look at the results and analyzes both teams
The final two games of the 2014 FIFA FIFA World Cup are among us. Two squads, Brazil and the Netherlands, battle for third place Saturday, but only two teams, Argentina and Germany, will be playing for soccer's greatest title. Latin Post.com previews and predicts every game with scheduled dates, times, predictions and everything fans need to know for this weekend.
