Here is a recap of Day 17 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
BRAZIL 1 CHILE 1 (Brazil advance 3-2 on penalties)
Chile gave the host nation quite a scare, but in the end it wasn’t enough as Brazil advanced to the quarterfinals by winning a penalty kick shootout 3-2 after a 1-1 draw in Belo Horizonte. Brazil went up in the 18th minute when David Luiz nodded in the opener, but the lead would not last as Alexis Sanchez beat the Brazilian defender to level the score in the 32nd minute. After Chile’s goal, the match grew nervy as both sides searched for a winner with Chile coming closest in the waning moments of extra time as Mauricio Pinilla’s shot rattled the cross bar. During the shootout, Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar played the hero by making a pair of saves before Chilean defender Gonzalo Jara fired his penalty into the right post to put Brazil through.
COLOMBIA 2 URUGUAY 0
James Rodriguez starred as his brace lifted Colombia to their first ever appearance in the World Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory over a Luis Suarez-less Uruguay at the Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. Rodriguez needed just 28 minutes to give Los Cafeteros the lead when he scored a remarkable volley that involved the Colombia forward making a full turn before the goal. With Uruguay’s attack lacking bite without the presence of the mercurial Suarez, Colombia was able to dictate the tempo and put the match out of reach with Rodriguez’s second goal in the 50th minute.
The knockout round continues on Sunday with Mexico taking on the Netherlands at 9:00 a.m. PT before Costa Rica faces off against Greece at 1:00 p.m. PT.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
