The first half of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 is in the books, and we’ve already seen plenty of jaw-dropping moments and (supposed) juggernauts pack their bags early and leave town. Let’s get right into the best of what we’ve seen in the first weekend of the knockout stage.
Don’t expect to see many one-sided results
If we’ve learned anything from this tournament, it’s that any team can go down on any given day. Through four knockout stage matches, we’ve had two games decided by one goal in regulation and two go to a penalty-kick shootout to decide a winner. Since the 2010 World Cup, there have been 20 Round of 16 matches and only five have been decided by at least a two-goal margin. Nine of the 20 have needed extra time or penalties to decide a winner. Repeat after me: It’s not going to get any easier moving forward for the favourites.
Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez have formed arguably the best one-two punch in international soccer. The two were born within a month apart in a little town of Salto, a population of just over 131,000 in northwestern Uruguay, bordering Argentina. The two have taken different paths to conquer the sport and reach this stage, but when they’re on the field together, they know how to find each other regardless of the distance. On Uruguay’s first goal, Cavani hooked up with Suarez with a cross that travelled just over 50 yards across the field on the left wing, and Suarez reconnected with Cavani 31 yards back across the field and in front of the frame, facing Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio. Cavani used his head, specifically his face, to open the score sheet and give Uruguay the early edge. It’s the typical scrappy Uruguayan goal we’ve all been accustomed to witnessing over the years of this generation.
Suarez finds Cavani at the back post to put Uruguay up 1-0 early in the game! pic.twitter.com/BUlHpqWSI0
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 30, 2018
PURE. CLASS. 🔥
Cavani one-times a curler into the back of the net to re-take the lead for Uruguay. pic.twitter.com/JZhmTqE1s4
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 30, 2018