Brazil, Cape Verde among five games not to miss in the World Cup last 32 | OneFootball

The five games not to miss in the first World Cup knockout round features three former winners, including one in the tie of the round…

After an engorged group stage, we’re into the first knockout round, with 16 games between tonight and the early hours of Saturday morning.

Obviously, we’re all watching England on Wednesday evening, and we’ve picked out the top five other matches not to miss…

5) Mexico v Ecuador – Wednesday 2am

We could make a case for including another of the host nations here, with United States one of the most impressive sides in the group stage before they face Bosnia.

But only France had a better record to reach this point than Mexico. And whoever wins their meeting with Ecuador might face England next in the last 16.

This will be closer than you may expect from looking at the manner of the progress here, with neither side ideal opponents for the other.

Ecuador are wary of going into a hosts’ backyard after benefiting from a partisan crowd in New Jersey when they beat Germany. While Mexico will see Ecuador as a desperately hard-to-break-down side easing into their stride.

4) France v Sweden – Tuesday 10pm

The first of two all-European ties in the last 16 – Spain v Austria being the other on Thursday – is a ‘dream’ assignment for Graham Potter, apparently.

Potter would put a positive spin on stepping in dog muck, and France could make it a nightmare for the Sweden boss.

The Swedes have conceded 12 goals in their last five matches, which featured only one win against Group F whipping boys Tunisia.

So Potter somehow has to prompt some defensive solidity against the most fearsome attack at the World Cup. Good luck with that.

3) Netherlands v Morocco – Tuesday, 2am

Exactly 32 years since these nations met at the last World Cup in North Americas – Denis Bergkamp scored in a 2-1 win for the Dutch – Morocco and Netherlands clash in Monterrey in what, on paper, is the tightest tie of the round.

It pits the sixth and seventh-ranked sides against one another, Morocco just ahead of Netherlands on that score, even though the Oranje topped their group while the Atlas Lions came in behind Brazil in Group C.

Netherlands made their biggest statement with the 5-1 thrashing of Sweden and go into the knockout phase having not lost a World Cup finals game in normal or extra time since the 2010 final, a run going back 15 matches.

Morocco, though, are the most intriguing side here. They have been hugely impressive in spells – neither Brazil nor Scotland could get near them in the opening half hour of their first two group games. Can they put together 90 minutes at that tempo?

With South Africa or Canada waiting in the round of 16, either side here has a great opportunity to go at least as far as the quarter-finals.

2) Argentina v Cape Verde – Friday, 11pm

There’s a lot of the FA Cup third-round tie about this most-unexpected last 32 clash: the smallest nation ever to reach a knockout phase facing the World Cup GOAT.

The Cape Verde story most likely ends on Friday night when they meet Lionel Messi and Argentina in Miami. But the Blue Sharks have defied expectation in every game so far, never more so than when they shut out Spain on their World Cup debut.

They won their African qualification group and reach this point unbeaten, not as beneficiaries of a third-placed finish, as runners up in a group containing two former World Cup winners.

Facing a third nation with a star, becoming the first World Cup debutant to do so, is almost certainly a step too far but, if it is or it isn’t, it will be great to watch. Only one tie is more anticipated…

1) Brazil v Japan – Monday, 6pm

This, we reckon, is the tie of the round. And, mercifully, it isn’t scheduled at an unholy hour.

Japan have justified their dark horses tag – just about – coming second in Group F while showing patches of form that suggest Brazil might have a problem in Houston.

Rayan couldn’t name a single Japan player when asked in a press conference but that’s really the point. The team is the star in Japan and Brazil will face their biggest test so far against Samurai Blue’s collective energy, organisation and technical quality.

Brazil, powered more by individual flair, made light work of Scotland and Haiti, but were dominated by Morocco when they played at the tempo we have seen before from Japan.

The contrast in styles alone makes this worth watching, let alone the threat of a surprise early exit for Brazil.