Quarter-Finals (3rd Round)
— + remarks on the top 4 teams' performances & possibilities
The table below represents an informal follow-up to the final standings in each of the eight 1st Round Groups, to which standings, the results of the fourth World Cup matches played by each of the squads (Round of Sixteen) have been added.
To these, the outcome of the Quarter-Finals has likewise been added, so as to allow an overall impression, at a glance, on how the teams playing the final matches stand relatively to each other. Winning teams appear in bold type.
See the page Rating Criteria for the criteria followed for the addition of points, beyond those with which each squad emerged from the 1st Round.
Finally, this joint table conveniently allows comparing also among the various Groups from which the listed teams have emerged.
For example, one can see, below, that the widely called "Group of Death" has not proven so deadly, after all...as, in fact, the tables on the pages under WC Groups & FIFA Rankings (from November, 2005–updated in May, 2006: WC Groups & FIFA Rankings-2) have long suggested. As it has emerged, no squad from the so-called "Group of Death," Group C, moved on to the Semi-Finals.
Pls. see the brief notes following the table (click on each of the 
text images, on the table header) to understand what each column indicates.
Click on a squad's name or flag, to reach its page in this eBook, the same applying to a Group's letter (green image, on the left). The rows in bold type signal the squads moving on to the next stage of the World Cup (i.e., the winning teams, as above mentioned).
| Rank |
2Rnk |
1Rnk |
Gr |
Pos |
Played the ¼Finals |
Matches |
Won |
Drew |
Lost |
Goals+ |
Goals– |
Points |
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| 1 |
2 |
2 |
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1 |
 Germany |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
13 |
| 2 |
3= |
6 |
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1 |
 Italy  |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
13 |
| 3 |
3= |
4 |
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1 |
 Portugal |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
13 |
| 4 |
1 |
3 |
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1 |
 Brazil |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
2 |
12 |
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| 5 |
8 |
13 |
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2 |
 France |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
11 |
| 6 |
5 |
8 |
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1 |
 England |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
11 |
| 7 |
6 |
5 |
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1 |
 Argentina |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
10 |
| 8 |
10 |
11 |
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2 |
 Ukraine |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
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2Rnk = Unofficial, overall Round of Sixteen Ranking for the top 16 teams contesting the 2006 World Cup–see Round of Sixteen for all 16 teams Pos = First Round Group Placement–click on each Group letter, above, to see entire Group standings
Points = Points helping portray Squads' performances, relatively to each other, as in a championship based on points. Above are the teams that have played four and five matches. The next page (Semi-Finals) displays teams that have moved on to their sixth match, both the Rank & the Points columns (dark green, on either side) reflecting the results of their six matches, thus far.
Interestingly, one can derive, from the above table, that even though France did beat Brazil, and with full merits, Les Bleus still linger behind the Canarinhos, as far as their overall performances.
Germany's remains the best campaign so far, though followed increasingly closer by Italy's. The match between the two had every ingredient to be a hair-raising affair–and it was, in fact, chosen the most exciting match, in the entire World Cup (see the Awards page).
Portugal, in turn, constitutes the odd-man in the group, despite their campaign's being a pretty close match to that of both the Azzurri and Die Mannschaft. But the Selecção das Quinas emerges as the single semi-finalist squad never to have won a World Cup–and, in fact, they have never even experienced a World Cup Final Match either! Their single previous experience in the Semi-Finals dates back to 1966, when the English team, which they have now just defeated, took the Title, in what is now considered the most violent World Cup of all. How will the Quinas boys rise to the occasion remains as a major unknown...
See, below, review of the Quarter-Final Matches:
x — [1] It is worth observing that, traditionally, teams that have been through one or more extra-time play-offs, on their way to the final match(es), do not go on to take the Cup. Somehow, extra-time playing seems to take a toll on the teams involved. (Perhaps this was the case with Argentina, as they had just emerged from extra-time playing against 
Mexico, in the Round of Sixteen.) Anyway, patterns can of course be broken. But the fact that Germany has now played those extra 30 minutes, before the penalty shoot-out that saw them through to the Semi-Finals should be kept in mind, as a likely disadvantage (amid their many advantages), as the remarks on the previous page are considered.
x — [2] France and Zinédine Zidane seem at last to have found their game–first, against 
Spain, then confirming it against Brazil. Whereas the Brazilian side lost altogether the little they had brought to this World Cup, after ten deceptive minutes of class and exhibition against France, at the very start of what would become Brazil's farewell match. A sad disappointment, the 2006 Brazilian side...when so much expectation had been built!... Rather than a competition-ready team, as in 2005's Confederations Cup, they at times evoked a dimmed constellation, where flickering stars and white dwarfs strove to echo their earlier brightness. ( Roberto Carlos and Cafu, in particular; however amazingly efficient they have been in the past, both have sorrily meant a handicap for the team in 2006, rather than the valuable assets that they have indeed been. Meanwhile, players such as Cicinho and Robinho were kept on the bench...not to mention Ronaldinho concealed in the middle field... See below. Why?!...)
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In fact, it hardly seems that the Brazil side brought Ronaldinho Gaúcho along, to Germany, when his attractive, jolly football could be found on the TV ads...but hardly on the pitch, unfortunately. Reports from his home press have it that Ronaldinho was put to play too far back, thus the seeming absence of that irresistible Barcelona player. Whatever the explanation, if you have the best player of the year on your team, hiding his game in the middle field does not seem to do the team any benefit... Now the home press has additionally reported that Ronaldinho offered a dinner-party to family & friends, in Spain, and was some hours later at a Barcelona discotheque (with Brazil's Adriano) till 5 a.m.–all of it just the day after his side had lost to France and exited the World Cup. Ronaldinho wouldn't have had the heart to party just the day following such a huge disappointment–as expressed by coach Parreira. Would he?... Perhaps party & disco were ways of trying to wear out accumulated frustration... |
x — [3] England, despite pursuing victory with all their force and bravery, allowed the Portuguese to trap them out of the World Cup. Additionally, the English failed once more (3rd time in the last 4!) to put their act together, when it comes to penalties. And so Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo earned a tree-save record to his name, and sponsored his side's ticket into the Semi-Finals, for only their second time ever. The Portuguese thus move into their sixth game full of morale, they have Deco and Costinha back, both fully rested, and they count, in addition, on a coach that is a true twelfth player, let alone his World Cup experience, having led Brazil to the Title in 2002. Can the French just re-found form break the Portuguese momentum, when old Real Madrid acquaintances Zidane and Figo meet on opposite sides of the pitch?...
x — [4] Italy luckily had found an odd penalty in the last minute of their match against 
Australia, a match that seemed doomed to go into extra-time, and beyond. And so this allowed Italy to be fresh against Ukraine, a match which the Azzurri had no difficulty in winning. Italy was thus fresher than their next opponents ( Germany), in the Semi-Finals. For the German side had not only had to endure a tough extra-time session against Argentina, leading at last to the penalty shoot-out which finally got the home side their ticket forward, but had also to brave out a surprising auf Wiedersehen from Argentina...a brief session of a dramatic punch-and-kick tango that, sour-losers, the Hispanic-American side bid the home boys good-bye with. So, all considered (see previous page) the coming match x could have started leaning slightly toward the Azzurri. (A number of related links follow, right below.)
Teams' performances & possibilities:
In the knock-out phase of the World Cup, sixteen teams–i.e., the top two from each
Group (1st Round)–played the 2nd Round (Round of Sixteen), which narrowed the group further:
eight teams emerged to play the Quarter-Finals, the winners of which
(not necessarily the top four, in the above table) were to play the Semi-Finals.These four winning
squads are highlighted in bold, above, the best campaigns always placed at the top
(as done in regard to the table for the Round of Sixteen).
The 32 Teams, Rd. by Rd.:
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GER: Germany |
ENG: England |
ARG: Argentina |
MEX: Mexico |
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 CRC: Costa Rica |
 PAR: Paraguay |
 CIV: Côte d'Ivoire |
 IRN: Iran |
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 POL: Poland |
 TRI: Trinidad and Tobago |
 SCG: Serbia and Montenegro |
 ANG: Angola |
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 ECU: Ecuador |
 SWE: Sweden |
 NED: Netherlands |
POR: Portugal |
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ITA: Italy  |
BRA: Brazil |
FRA: France |
ESP: Spain |
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 GHA: Ghana |
 CRO: Croatia |
 SUI: Switzerland |
UKR: Ukraine |
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 USA: United States |
AUS: Australia |
 KOR: Korea Republic |
 TUN: Tunisia |
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 CZE: Czech Republic |
 JPN: Japan |
 TOG: Togo |
 KSA: Saudi Arabia |
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Top 16, above, unshaded – in the Top 8, in italics – the Top 3+4, underlined in italics, the Top 2, in bold type
The 16 not making past the 1st Round, in gray shade Abbreviations, above: used by FIFA, as well as in this eBook.
2006 
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