& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Still anyone's game

Aarony Zade
At this point, it is safe to say the unanimous verdict should be that this is the best World Cup ever. This tournament has already robbed us most of our regular lives, yet all fans can look forward to at the moment is Friday, when the quarterfinals kick off. There are plenty of counter arguments here that referee decisions and Brazil's political conflicts have had a negative mark. But they all take a backseat once the only thing that matters comes into consideration - the quality of football itself.
The 154 goals scored so far should indicate why this has been an entertaining World Cup to say the least. On the other hand, this has been a keeper's World Cup as well. USA's Tim Howard set a new world record by making 15 saves against Belgium on Tuesday night, whereas Keylor Navas has been an absolute rock for Costa Rica - so far everyone's favourite Cinderella story.
Every country that topped their group is through to the quarterfinals, which may indicate that coming on top is a vital factor, but in reality it is anything but. The round of 16 matches showed how wide open this tournament still is with five out of eight matches going into extra time and two of them being decided on penalties.
While the hopes of a Brazil-Argentina final lingers, their displays on the pitch come into question. Argentina were hailed to be stronger than ever before it all began. Now as the holes at the vulnerable back and inconsistent front are wide exposed, Argentina will need to put up a convincing display against Belgium if they are to make a statement. Belgium on the other hand have not been given enough credit. They have scored all six of their goals after the 70-minute mark, and have allowed less-talented teams to hang around longer than expected. A desperate United States goal in the second period of extra time is the only goal Thibaut Courtois and Belgium have allowed from open play.
The Netherlands will have a tough
time without Nigel de Jong after the midfielder was ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a tear in his groin muscle. It will come down to the front three of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin Van Persie if they are to power through to the semifinals. While Costa Rica are back to being underdogs after beating possibly the most undeserving team to appear in the round of 16, their performance against Greece even after being a man down is testament to the never-say-die spirit of this World Cup and football in general.
Brazil have a tricky obstacle ahead, facing Colombia on Friday. Relying on an incredibly in-form Neymar cannot be enough if they are to fulfil their destiny of lifting the cup at home. But like Belgium, at some point we have to take into account everything we have seen and make a judgment call. Brazil did not look all that impressive in their group matches, apart from stretches against Cameroon. But they had to figure it out at some point, right? Well, after nearly losing to Chile last weekend, maybe Brazil just are not the clearcut favourites anymore. Neymar has been the lone consistent threat up front, the midfield has not been great, and the backline can still be caught too high.
The only team in the competition that has yet to show a glaring weakness, Colombia will have an excellent chance of upsetting Brazil on their home soil. They are yet to be truly threatened through four games, out-
scoring teams 11-2 in the group stage and round of 16 matches. If they had a bit more late-round experience, they could be the new favourites. While James Rodriguez, Jackson Martinez and Juan Cuadrado are clearly the standouts, what makes Colombia special is how well the team chemistry is. Even with moments of individual magic, Colombia come together brilliantly as a team.
The blockbuster fixture of the quarterfinals between France and Germany will be a massive test for the Les Bleus as they are the most untested among the contenders. Their group was mediocre at best, and playing at the same level as Nigeria for 65 minutes in the round of 16 does not prove much. The key will be whether France can finish consistently up front and then control the midfield. Germany, on the other hand, have failed in orchestrating their usual dominance. There have been questions at the back, especially at the fullback positions. There have been questions in midfield, especially when it comes to getting caught on the counter. And there have been questions up front, especially when it comes to finishing. With all that said, this team has world-class talent, world-class experience, and has excellent chemistry. It is a tough recipe to beat. From that vantage point, this is still wide open and if the last round is any indication, we are in for another few thrilling nights. Are you not excited?