Round of last 16:

[Dragonite]

Let's do a serious, but 'just for fun' ALL-TIME comparison between Round of 16 match-ups:

- France vs Argetina 2 W, 3 D, 6 L
- Uruguay vs Portugal 0 W, 1 D, 1 L (interesting they hardly met each other so far)
- Spain vs Russia 4 W, 2 D, 0 L (no USSR data included here, first meeting 1998)
- Croatia vs Denmark 2 W, 1 D, 2 L (since 1996)
- Brazil vs Mexico 23 W, 7 D, 10 L
- Belgium vs Japan 1 W, 2 D, 2 L (since 1999, be honest... who expected this? )
- Sweden vs Switzerland 10 W, 7 D, 10 L (that must be a neutral's running-gag)
- Colombia vs England 0 W, 2 D, 3 L

So far, Uruguay never won against Portugal, post-USSR Russia never won against Spain, and Colombia did never beat England.
But that doesn't mean much - it's just an overview over history... Uruguay vs Portugal almost never met anyway, similar to England and Colombia... and Russia started to take a beating by Spain just when the spanish were riding on their best surf-wave they ever had .

Why not?
Belgium wasn’t always the strong team that they are now, they couldn’t qualify for any Euro or World Cup for five consecutive cycles (2004-2006-2008-2010-2012) before this generation appeared.

I also don’t like to mix friendly with serious matches. Friendly games are nothing more than glorified training sessions.
Do you have the numbers with competitive matches only?

[Dragonite]

Last time a Schmeichel faced Croatian strikers at a major tournament, this happened:



I remember trying to (unsuccessfully) replicate this Suker's move in front of my garage as a 10-year old boy for days after I witnessed it. I was so taken by it.

Now Peter has an opportunity to have his revenge through his son and knock out millions of euros out of Suker's hands.

Here in Portugal the most famous chip from Euro 96 is Poborsky’s against Portugal in the quarter finals.

[Vickzq]

I remember trying to (unsuccessfully) replicate this Suker's move in front of my garage as a 10-year old boy for days after I witnessed it. I was so taken by it.
...

Reading this, probably everybody just imagined you hitting yourself like the belgian player did vs England .

[Vickzq]

Let's do a serious, but 'just for fun' ALL-TIME comparison between Round of 16 match-ups:

- France vs Argetina 2 W, 3 D, 6 L
- Uruguay vs Portugal 0 W, 1 D, 1 L (interesting they hardly met each other so far)
- Spain vs Russia 4 W, 2 D, 0 L (no USSR data included here, first meeting 1998)
- Croatia vs Denmark 2 W, 1 D, 2 L (since 1996)
- Brazil vs Mexico 23 W, 7 D, 10 L
- Belgium vs Japan 1 W, 2 D, 2 L (since 1999, be honest... who expected this? )
- Sweden vs Switzerland 10 W, 7 D, 10 L (that must be a neutral's running-gag)
- Colombia vs England 0 W, 2 D, 3 L

So far, Uruguay never won against Portugal, post-USSR Russia never won against Spain, and Colombia did never beat England.
But that doesn't mean much - it's just an overview over history... Uruguay vs Portugal almost never met anyway, similar to England and Colombia... and Russia started to take a beating by Spain just when the spanish were riding on their best surf-wave they ever had .

Why not?
Belgium wasn’t always the strong team that they are now, they couldn’t qualify for any Euro or World Cup for five consecutive cycles (2004-2006-2008-2010-2012) before this generation appeared.

I also don’t like to mix friendly with serious matches. Friendly games are nothing more than glorified training sessions.
Do you have the numbers with competitive matches only?

Yes, but Belgium was still a rather solid team of UEFA federation... while countries like Japan, South Korea and China pretty much started with a professional football league each not earlier than just mid-1990s.

Interesting. Yes... I wondered that myself. To make it more 'serious' I will take few minutes to look up the duels and check what was competition and what was friendly.

[Dragonite]

It’s not correct to say “Japan, South Korea AND China”.
Japan and South Korea have healthy football structures, among the World’s finest. They export players who are valuable elements in their foreign teams.
China’s “success” in club football is totally based on the foreigners it imports. In national team football without the “Hulks and Oscars” they’re nothing. There isn’t a single Chinese player playing abroad who is successful, not that I know.

So China actually has a lot more in common with Qatar or Saudi Arabia than with Japan and South Korea.

You should be saying Japan, South Korea AND IRAN.

[Vickzq]

So now 'the same', only including competition games (official FIFA linked matches like qualifiers, WC, or same within federations, no exhibition cups... except duels in confederation cup):

- France vs Argetina 0 W, 0 D, 2 L
- Uruguay vs Portugal 0 W, 0 D, 0 L (only met twice before, never on competition-level)
- Spain vs Russia 3 W, 0 D, 0 L (no USSR data included here, duels UEFA championship)
- Croatia vs Denmark 1 W, 1 D, 1 L (since 1996)
- Brazil vs Mexico 9 W, 1 D, 7 L (noteworthy: Brazil never lost against Mexico at WC, but in confederations cup, CONCACAF gold cup, copa america)
- Belgium vs Japan 0 W, 1 D, 0 L
- Sweden vs Switzerland 4 W, 2 D, 3 L
- Colombia vs England 0 W, 0 D, 1 L

[Vickzq]

It’s not correct to say “Japan, South Korea AND China”.
...
You should be saying Japan, South Korea AND IRAN.

That statement is absolutely correct, as I said all three just started with an own professional football league not earlier than mid-1990s. The last top-scorer in chinese super league was chinese... although they heavily rely on imports, making their top teams some of absolute strongest in AFC.
I could let China go, as this is Round of 16 talk... but then I certainly wouldn't add Iran either.

[EarlofBug]

So now 'the same', only including competition games (official FIFA linked matches like qualifiers, WC, or same within federations, no exhibition cups... except duels in confederation cup):

- Spain vs Russia 3 W, 0 D, 0 L (no USSR data included here, duels UEFA championship)

What are the numbers with the USSR matches included?

[Vickzq]

What are the numbers with the USSR matches included?

Looks like USSR had 1 W, 1 D, 1 L against Spain in EURO competition games, and lost a friendly.

[Arges Pitesti]

I remember this one! I was a kid! I rooted for CZE that year...

Today it would be impossible this kind of goal...

[Dragonite]

I remember this one! I was a kid! I rooted for CZE that year...

Today it would be impossible this kind of goal...

Why would it be impossible?

[Arges Pitesti]

I remember this one! I was a kid! I rooted for CZE that year...

Today it would be impossible this kind of goal...

Why would it be impossible?

mmm...nowadays it's so rare to see keepers being so blatantly out of position so that the striker can bet them with a lob...isn't?

[Dragonite]

Peter Schmeichel and Vítor Baía are two of the best goalkeepers in football history, "nowadays" it's hard to find goalkeepers as good as these two were.

[ignjat63]

Peter Schmeichel and Vítor Baía are two of the best goalkeepers in football history, "nowadays" it's hard to find goalkeepers as good as these two were.

No Yashin?

[Michael S Collins]

We saw a chipped lob at this Cup already. I forget who. Not Cheryshev.