WC 2014: 29th June

Netherlands v/s Mexico. The market clearly indicates that Holland has most of the favors to go though, although I don't see it being the case. They are a strong team but I feel that they showed chinks in their armor in the previous games; I thought their 5-1 score against Spain flattered their performance a bit, their 3-2 close win against Australia could have gone the other way, and they struggled to break down Chile in their last match, albeit without Robin Van Persie. Mexico opened everyone's eyes after keeping Brazil to a goal-less draw due to a fantastic performance by their keeper Ochoa. They then confirmed their good form by disposing of Croatia in the crucial match for qualification. I think this match is going to be a close match and I will side with the Mexicans; they are riding a huge wave of momentum and playing with extreme confidence.

Costa Rica v/s Greece. Costa Rica are one of the feel-good stories of this World Cup. They topped their by going undefeated against teams like Uruguay, England and Italy. If they play to the level they've been showing, it's hard seeing a team like Greece stopping them. The Greeks can consider themselves lucky to be through the finals, having emerged from a rather poor group and winning qualification on a suspect penalty. They certainly don't have the fluidity of the Costa Ricans and will again rely on a strong defensive display to keep the match tight. Will side with the South Americans here due to their excellent showing in the group stages.

Qualify: Mexico, Costa Rica