Every 4 years, 32 teams put their bodies on the line and battle tirelessly in an effort to make it as far as they can in soccer’s biggest tournament – the acclaimed and ever-popular World Cup. After 3 rounds of games, many magical goals, and just as many incredible saves, 16 teams remain to keep climbing their way to the top in the hopes of raising the glamorous World Cup trophy.
Needless to say, the 2022 Soccer World Cup has been a thrilling event in which entertainment has sparked from players’ boots and gloves to light the fire that burns deep in the hearts of fans worldwide. If you’ve missed any of the action that’s been on display, the SweepSouth team has been following every step of the way to keep you up to date. Find out which teams kept their Soccer World Cup dreams alive and which teams were left holding their heads in their hands as we take a look at the results from the round of 16.
Netherlands Vs. USA
The American soccer team had their work cut out for them coming up against a Dutch team searching for their first World Cup tournament victory. The talented Netherlands side has finished as runners-up 3 previous times, most recently in our own backyard during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. They also managed 3rd place in 2014, so their desire to go all the way surely filled their changing room to the brim.
USA, on the other hand, has slowly but surely been rising through the ranks, and was hoping to make it past the round of 16 for only a 3rd time in their World Cup history. 2 First half goals from the Dutch means America were put on the back foot, but if they were to go down, it wouldn’t be without a fight. They pulled one goal back in the 76th minute, but only 5 minutes later, a 3rd goal was netted by the Netherlands to burst the American bubble of hope. The Dutch advanced to the quarter-finals while the American’s race had been run.
The Result: Netherlands 3 – 1 USA
Argentina Vs. Australia
After an unexpectedly shaky start to their World Cup campaign, the South Americans had a point to prove. They were even more motivated to secure a World Cup title for their main talisman who has given so much to Argentinian soccer, Lionel Messi, but yet to lift the trophy. The Australians were feeling ecstatic, having made it this far into the tournament, but they had no plans of putting a halt to their victories.
As he does best, Messi opened the scoring, and 22 minutes later, a young and starry-eyed Álvarez netted a second. Australia kept its heads up and remained hopeful, especially as an own goal was scored by Argentina. No matter how hard they tried, unfortunately, Australia couldn’t score a second to send the match into extra time. Argentina marched on to the quarters while Australia left the tournament with their heads held high for a job well done.
The Result: Argentina 2 – 1 Australia
France Vs. Poland
The reigning world champions weren’t only one of the favourites to win the tournament because of their victory in Russia, but also because of the depth of talent in their accomplished squad. Even with 6 players ruled out of the World Cup before it even started because of injury, they were still expected to follow in the footsteps of the 2018 team.
They came up against a Polish side who just scraped through to make it to the round of 16. As expected, France dominated the game and put 3 past the Polish team. Poland was able to pull one back though, when they were awarded a penalty in the 99th minute. France moved comfortably into the quarter-finals, and Poland had to say goodbye to their Qatar fans after a hard-fought campaign.
The Result: France 3 – 1 Poland
England Vs. Senegal
As one of only two African sides left in the competition, Senegal had the hopes of an entire continent resting on its backs. They proved that even without Sadio Mané, their top player and main goalscorer, they were able to conquer the group stages and make it to the next round.
Unfortunately for them, what was waiting in that next round was an ambitious and powerful English side. What followed was an entertaining game in which England cemented their spot as one of the dominant forces of this Soccer World Cup. They bagged 3 goals and walked into the quarter-finals comfortably, much to the heartbreak of an optimistic African nation.
The Result: England 3 – 0 Senegal
Japan Vs. Croatia
With two draws and one win, the runners-up from the 2018 World Cup had a rockier group stage run than expected. Nevertheless, Croatia were favourites to win this round of 16 tie, but not by much. Soccer fans from all around the world knew the Japanese would come out guns blazing, and that’s exactly what they did. The 43rd minute brought about the first goal of the game, one that lit up the faces of Japanese fans and painted worry on the faces of those from Croatia.
The Croatians pulled one back in the second half, and despite multiple efforts from both sides, that is how the match ended. Two halves of extra time weren’t enough for either side to secure a winner, so penalties were how it would be decided. Croatia proved to be more clinical from the penalty spot, and they would be the team to move on to the next round.
The Result: Japan 1 – 1 Croatia (Penalties = 1 – 3)
Brazil Vs. South Korea
Other than a final match in which Cameroon pulled off a historic win, the highly-skillful Brazilians showed in the group stages why they’re favourites to win the World Cup. Their round-of-16 tie against South Korea was no different, as they put 4 first-half goals into the back of the net. The Asian team had no answer in the first 45 minutes, but the second half saw them put one of their own away. The crowd was treated to a delightful high-scoring game that ended with Brazil securing their spot in the quarter-finals as expected.
The Result: Brazil 4 – 1 South Korea
Morocco Vs. Spain
Morocco knew they had a tough task ahead of them in attempting to walk away victorious after facing a lively Spanish side, but the Spaniards also knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park. Morocco proved to be a worthy opponent after topping a group with some of the world’s top-ranked sides. Spain dominated the passing, possession, and shooting statistics to name a few, but Morocco didn’t concede and held on to send the game into extra time. After both sides failed to score in the extra 30+ minutes, it was time for a penalty shootout. Much to the delight of Moroccan fans, Spain failed to score a single penalty. Soccer fans from the African continent raised their hands and erupted in celebration as Morocco lived to see another day in the 2022 Soccer World Cup.
The Result: Morocco 0 – 0 Spain (Penalties = 3 – 0)
Portugal Vs. Switzerland
Once it was known that Argentina had reached the next stage, the world watched on in hopes that Portugal would do the same. A Messi vs. Ronaldo final was what fans wanted to see, but a determined Swiss side stood in the way of the Portuguese. Much to the confusion of many, Christiano Ronaldo didn’t start this game on the field. He watched on from the bench and witnessed a magnificent performance from the young star that replaced him.
The tactical change by the Portuguese coach paid off as Ramos scored a hat-trick. He wasn’t the only player to find the back of the net, though. 3 More goals were scored by Portugal, and 1 by Switzerland, in what was a dominant performance by the Portuguese to send them to the quarter-finals.
The Result: Portugal 6 – 1 Switzerland
Conclusion
High-scoring games, extra time, penalties, and much more – the round of 16 of the 2022 Soccer World Cup had it all in action-packed and memorable games that won’t be forgotten easily. If you’re interested in finding out more about the facts behind the glamour of every game, find out what you should know about the 2022 Soccer World Cup. While you’re adding to your soccer knowledge, book a SweepStar to give your home an expert cleaning service as no one else can.
