Best performance so far?

[double d]

Coming up to the end of the world cup round of 16 now. What are the best performances so far (team/individual) in everybodies opinions?

Mine are:
Team:
Costa Rica and Colombia as a whole, Costa Rica for the fact they have gotten this far through the groups and beat Greece, and Colombia have by far been the best team that I have seen so far in every game. I really think (and hope) they could beat Brazil on Friday.

Player:
James (not Ha-mez) Rodriguez. Excellent player. To think Alex Ferguson decided to sign Bebe instead of him.
Young, raw players. DeAndre Yeldrin/Joel Campbell/Divoc Origi
Goalkeepers.Tim Howard (just conceded as I wrote this), Ochoa and Costa Rica goalkeeper.

Even referees to an extent have impressed me. Not too many dodgy decisions, bar the Fred penalty incident, I can think of off the top of my head.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Can't argue with any of that.

Definite good call on the refs, I think the reffing has been generally top notch all tourney

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Can't argue with any of that.

Definite good call on the refs, I think the reffing has been generally top notch all tourney

Thought the ref in the Brazil Croatia game was appalling. But generally I agree - think England's refs were pretty decent in the main as well.

[frimmers3]

The U.S.A's stirring performance.Puts Englands under performing clods into perspective.

[double d]

The U.S.A's stirring performance.Puts Englands under performing clods into perspective.

+1. So does Costa Rica, Algeria, Colombia

[Ouroboros]

I just hope that the quality of this tournament can continue into the final 7 (meaningful) games, because most of the seriously entertaining teams have gone home.

[Libertine]

So as not to be too partial to the US, kudos to Algeria. The US and Algeria played a classic in the last group match of the 2010 WC, which the US won late. I was impressed beyond words with them then and again in 2014, especially against Germany. Much respect for them...

[soggy biscuit]

Iran put on a cracking backs to the wall performance against Argentina

[Hoop Blah]

The U.S.A's stirring performance.Puts Englands under performing clods into perspective.

+1. So does Costa Rica, Algeria, Colombia

It does yes, as do the performances of Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and probably Brazil and Argentina too.

Intersting to note that those over achievers are all sides from the hotter climates and those who probably go into games thinking they have to work that much harder than the opposition because of a perceived difference in ability.

It's been a funny, but very good, World Cup because of the wide range of good and bad performances and the unpredictability of results.

[melonhead]

The U.S.A's stirring performance.Puts Englands under performing clods into perspective.

lol at all the radio journo's today going on about how england should have just gone like the yanks with organisation and defence, and two strict banks of four.

after spending all the build up insisting we play the open expansive passing game with a load of kids.

[Sanguine]

Agreed on Deandre Yedlin, what a player he looked! Pacy, powerful, terrific cross on him too.

[Maguire]

The U.S.A's stirring performance.Puts Englands under performing clods into perspective.

Nonsense, they were totally outplayed and only terrible finishing stopped it being a landslide.

Belgium had 39 (thirty-nine) attempts at goal. That's astonishing. If England had played in that game and got such a chasing you'd be on here saying we were the worst team in the World Cup.

[Ouroboros]

The U.S.A's stirring performance.Puts Englands under performing clods into perspective.

Nonsense, they were totally outplayed and only terrible finishing stopped it being a landslide.

Belgium had 39 (thirty-nine) attempts at goal. That's astonishing. If England had played in that game and got such a chasing you'd be on here saying we were the worst team in the World Cup.

Why would we judge players who play for Stoke and Sunderland by the same standards as players who play for Liverpool and Manchester United?

[From Despair To Where?]

The U.S.A's stirring performance.Puts Englands under performing clods into perspective.

Nonsense, they were totally outplayed and only terrible finishing stopped it being a landslide.

Belgium had 39 (thirty-nine) attempts at goal. That's astonishing. If England had played in that game and got such a chasing you'd be on here saying we were the worst team in the World Cup.

Can't help but think that if England had got that much of a chasing, their heads would have dropped and they'd have got a battering. Which to me is always the problem with England. They don't play with any heart and rarely show any fight.

[Maguire]

Not disputing the shift that the US players put in - extra-time was thrilling - but they are a very limited team who were completely outplayed by an average Belgian side.

It's funny how a spirited goalkeeping display and some woeful finishing has led everyone to proclaim the USA would thrash England

[Ouroboros]

Of course all that is correct Mags, which is exactly why I think their performance this world cup is seriously worthy of praise.

[BR2]

What is making this World Cup so good is IMHO the frailties and faults in all of the teams which means that most of the games are competitive.
Brazil-ordinary midfield and not the best of defences
Argentina the same
Germany-don't tackle in midfield and very slow defenders
France-possibly the least obvious faults but have yet to play anybody much
Holland-not great defensively and rely so much on Robben
Colombia-good all-round side that is possibly overachieving and have had an inferiority complex when it comes to playing the top South American sides and are always worried that they might get shot when returning home
Costa Rica-like Colombia but not quite as good
Belgium-apart from Kompany not a strong defence and lack a physical presence in midfield

Difficult to call any of the games coming up and I suspect it will be a case of which star man performs on the day.
As for outstanding performances so far it has been great to see the little teams give so much in terms of effort and not bother about the heat, something that teams such as ours were so worried about.
If Robben can sprint as many times in a game as he does then any Northern European should be able to do the same and not whinge about how difficult it is playing in the heat.
Best overall performance so far?
Costa Rica perhaps for stuffing the hopes of 3 previous winners in the group stage and having defenders playing out of their skin and still being brilliant at penalties.

[Hoop Blah]

Of course all that is correct Mags, which is exactly why I think their performance this world cup is seriously worthy of praise.

Their results perhaps yes, but performances? No, not for me.

They did well to get out of their group but in reality they should've been beaten by Ghana who pretty much out played them for 90 minutes from what I can remember. They did play better in their 2-2 draw with a weak Portugal side though and they possibly deserved to win that one.

[Royalclapper]

I think what we're seeing at this world cup is a more even distribution of talent throughout the different teams. There could also be a plateau in performance from the leading countries which has meant the so called lesser nations have closed the gap by making slight improvements to their strengths and tactics.

Spain had the players and system that set them apart from everyone else for a good while so it's been difficult to assess the other traditionally powerful footy nations. Now that Spain's time has passed, there's little between these sides left in the QF phase.

Columbia have been the most impressive in what they've had to do so far and they have got a chance against Brazil. Columbia were also due to host the '86 WC before it was given to Mexico again the last time Latin America hosted, infrastructure problems and worries were the main issues IIRC.

[YateleyRoyal]

I just hope that the quality of this tournament can continue into the final 7 (meaningful) games, because most of the seriously entertaining teams have gone home.

Not sure how you can say that with Columbia, Holland, France and Germany still in. Argentina, Belgium and Brazil have been mediocre. Costa Rica haven't been massively entertaining, just effective.