Quarterfinals, Day 1

The final eight teams are set and the quarterfinals begin today, with a mix of classic soccer powers and some upstarts from South America and Africa.

Brazil vs. The Netherlands
10:00am - ESPN, Univision
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Winner: Brazil

Both teams are undefeated, with Brazil picking up three wins and a tie and the Netherlands winning all four of their games. But for two teams well known for their attacking styles, they have been somewhat...underwhelming. Perhaps we have such lofty expectations that we expect brilliant, swashbuckling performances while they are content to get results, show flashes of excellence and keep advancing. So they've both been pretty similar so far in this World Cup, but give the edge to Brazil because their ability to attack and defend is slightly better than the Netherlands' ability to do those same things. Dutch defender Joris Mathijsen was also injured during the pre-game warmup and has been replaced by Andre Ooijer. Mathijsen was a key component of the Dutch defense and had played every minute of both the World Cup qualifiers and World Cup finals.

Uruguay vs. Ghana
2:30pm - ESPN, Univision
Soccer City Stadium - Johannesburg, South Africa
Winner: Uruguay

Much has been said about Ghana being the last remaining team from Africa in this World Cup and how the entire continent will be pulling for them to advance, and with good reason since this is the first time the tournament has been held in Africa. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that Uruguay is representing all the countries in the world that begin with the letter U, and that is certainly a very proud and select group. As a citizen of the United States, a fellow U-nation, both my head and my heart are with Uruguay in this one, and that, along with the support of fans from Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan, should be enough to push Uruguay to victory.