Six teams have now advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Saturday’s matches saw both Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Lionel Messi’s Argentina eliminated from the race, whereas Sunday’s games went down to the wire and saw two penalty shootouts that led to Russia and Croatia progressing.
On Monday, Brazil beat Mexico 2-0 and Belgium produced a stunning three-goal comeback, including one goal scored in the last minute of stoppage time, to defeat Japan 3-2. The teams that have successfully progressed to the next round are Uruguay, France, Russia, Croatia, Brazil and Belgium.
The results from the first three days of the Round of 16 have resulted in some Fire players feeling down.
Fire teammates Jon Bakero and Rafael Ramos saw their national sides Spain and Portugal respectively exit the tournament. Before Russia eliminated Spain on penalties, Bakero discussed his father's memories of playing in the World Cup and shared his thoughts on the tournament thus far.
On the other hand, Fire midfielder Mo Adam appears optimistic that the results provide a smoother path for his England team to win the World Cup.
However, his tweet drew some teasing from teammate Jonathan Campbell, and a friendly banter ensued:
Adams' England will take on Colombia on Wednesday -- the final day for Round of 16 matches. Here are Wednesday's games:
- 9 AM CT: Sweden vs Switzerland
- 1 PM CT: Colombia vs England
After the remaining two teams are determined, the tournament will take a two-day break before resuming on Friday. With just 10 games left, follow the Chicago Fire World Cup Central for more news and features in the next two weeks. Also check out the Fire social media hub and Watch Party opportunities across Chicago to join in the excitement.
