Tomorrow signals the start of the knockout rounds at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The first games in the last 16 have traditionally begun on the third Saturday of the tournament, but this year is unique since there were no games on the Friday before (that’s when the final group games have been played in the past). Here are some fun facts on the eight matches that will determine who moves on to the quarterfinals…

SATURDAY

Brazil vs. Chile

These two countries met in a last-16 encounter at the previous World Cup in South Africa, with Brazil running away victorious 3-0. Now with the Seleção hosting in 2014, Chile will be under pressure not just facing the Brazilian team, but also the home crowd. Mexico kept the hosts scoreless in group play, but can Chile do the same?

Colombia vs. Uruguay

Both teams come into this match missing key offensive weapons. Colombia’s Radamel Falcao was left off the squad after he couldn’t recover from an injury in time, while Luis Suárez is banned from all competitions for four months after his incident with Italian Giorgio Chiellini. Don’t expect a dull match, however, with a berth in the last eight, possibly against Brazil, on the line.

SUNDAY

Netherlands vs. Mexico

Mexico has gone out in the Round of 16 in each of the last five World Cups, but they have a lot of confidence after their scoreless draw with Brazil, after a magnificent performance from keeper Guillermo Ochoa. The Dutch had a morale-boosting match after they defeated Spain 5-1 in their opening match, getting some revenge for the 2010 Final.

Costa Rica vs. Greece

Costa Rica emerged from the “Group of Champions” unbeaten, while Greece converted an injury-time penalty against the Ivory Coast to progress from Group C. The Central American nation has already played in Recife, beating Italy 1-0, so that familiarity could help them against the 2004 European champions. This is the first time Greece has advanced past the group stage at a World Cup in three appearances.

MONDAY

France vs. Nigeria

France’s fortunes have alternated in recent World Cups, but should that trend continue, Les Bleus would be poised for a deep run in Brazil. Nigeria gave Argentina fits in their final group match, and could do the same to the French if the 1998 champions take the African side lightly.

Germany vs. Algeria

This is Algeria’s first appearance in a World Cup knockout round, while Germany is seeking a fourth championship, and their first since reunification. This match will take place in Porto Alegre, where Algeria beat South Korea 4-2 in their second group game. Die Mannschaft will be looking for their eighth straight appearance in the quarterfinals.

TUESDAY

Argentina vs. Switzerland

Argentina was one of four nations to win all its group games, with captain Lionel Messi tied for most goals in the competition right now. Switzerland struggled mightily against France in group play, losing 5-2, but came back against Honduras 3-0 to clinch a spot in the last 16. The Swiss were eliminated at this phase in 2006 despite not conceding any goals; they lost on penalties to Ukraine.

Belgium vs. United States

Belgium had one of the stoutest defenses in group play, only conceding once in three games. The U.S. lost its final group match to Germany, but American fans can rely on some history; the Americans lost to Poland in 2002, but still advanced to the knockout round, where they beat Mexico to make the quarterfinals.

There is no consolation round for the nations who lose in this phase, so the excitement will definitely be there for fans around the world. The action resumes in only a few hours.

In case you haven’t heard, the United States men’s soccer team faces Germany at noon tomorrow in their final group game of the 2014 World Cup. There are multiple scenarios for the four teams in Group G to advance to the knockout round, so here are the three simplest ways the Americans can progress…

If Team USA wins over Germany, they are group winners.

If the match is a draw, the U.S. will advance as the 2nd-placed team from the group.

If the Portugal-Ghana is a draw, the Americans will advance regardless of their result with the Germans.

The Americans have a chance for redemption against Germany, a traditional European powerhouse looking for a fourth World Cup (they won in 1954, ’74, and ’90 as West Germany). These two nations met in the quarterfinals of the 2002 tournament in South Korea, with Germany winning 1-0 on a header from Michael Ballack. USA fans will remember the game for a controversial no-call on Torsten Frings, who handled the ball on the goal line according to the American players. Referee Hugh Dallas elected to not give the U.S. a penalty, and German keeper Oliver Kahn collected another shutout victory.

Here’s a video of highlights from that 2002 quarterfinal encounter, taken from Our Way, a documentary about the Americans’ run to the last eight, their best finish since reaching the semifinals in 1930. The film includes audio taken from ESPN’s lead broadcast team at Korea/Japan, Jack Edwards and Ty Keough. This video was uploaded to YouTube by Paul Henricksen:

Will the U.S. beat Germany tomorrow in Recife? The match starts at noon Eastern on ESPN. Portugal-Ghana will be played simultaneously on ESPN2, so you might find flipping between the two channels as the afternoon goes on. With Group H also being decided tomorrow, it should be an exciting end to group play at the World Cup.

The United States will advance to the last 16 of the World Cup with a win tonight over Portugal. As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, the Americans have advanced past the group stage in every World Cup hosted outside Europe since 1990.

Since the new millennium began, one of U.S. Soccer’s brightest moments was their 3-2 win over Portugal in 2002. To many players of the current generation, the game is one of those “Where were you?” moments in American sports. It was a memorable game right from the start, when John O’Brien gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead, which increased to 3-0 through an own goal and a Brian McBride header, up until the final whistle, with Portugal clawing back thanks to Beto and an own goal from Jeff Agoos. Here are highlights of that ’02 encounter (uploaded to YouTube by Benjamin Rodriguez):

12 years later, the rosters have changed almost entirely. American DaMarcus Beasley is the only player from either country to be included in both the 2002 and 2014 squads. The current U.S. team grew up hearing about their country making the quarterfinals in Korea/Japan, while the Portuguese are well aware of the failure to advance in 2002, though they would make the semifinals four years later. With the Americans on the verge of qualifying for the knockout round with a game to spare, will they take advantage of the opportunity?

With Russia and South Korea drawing 1-1 last night, every nation has now played at least one game in this year’s World Cup in Brazil. Through the past six days, we’ve seen goals and shocks galore, as some teams put themselves in position to qualify for the Round of 16 with a game to spare. Others are already in a must-win scenario, or they will exit at the group stage. Last week, I talked about some things worth following prior to start of the tournament. Here are some new stories to keep an eye on.

Is Spain in serious trouble?

The defending world champions were shocked 5-1 in their opening match against the Netherlands, who got some revenge for the 2010 Final. Only four Dutch players started both of those matches, and the new faces, particularly the five defenders, stood tall and showed they weren’t going to be intimidated. Spanish fans will remember that in 2010, La Roja lost its opening match to Switzerland, before winning its first ever World Cup, and the Netherlands is the strongest opponent that the reigning champions will have faced in group play. However, fans also remember that after Italy won in 2006, they finished dead last in their group in 2010; after France won in 1998, they exited the group stage in 2002 without scoring a goal. Spain can get back on track with a win over Chile, but their work is laid out for them.

Will the United States advance from group play?

In my post last week, I mentioned how head coach Jürgen Klinsmann had said multiple times that the U.S. won’t win the Cup this year. However, after the Americans’ win over Ghana and Germany’s thrashing of Portugal, fans can be very optimistic going into Sunday’s match vs. Portugal in Manaus. Paulo Bento’s squad will be without two key defenders in Pepe, who is suspended after being sent off against the Germans, and Fábio Coentrão, whose World Cup is over after a thigh injury. Meanwhile, the U.S. has injury problems of their own; Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, and Matt Besler all picked up injuries against Ghana, but Klinsmann is hopeful that all three will continue to play at this World Cup. The Americans will automatically advance to the Round of 16 if they beat Portugal and Ghana fails to beat Germany.

What surprises will we during the second group games? Has your pick to win the World Cup changed? Leave a comment below!

In case you missed it, Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes made an incredible throw from left field to home plate on Tuesday night to nail the Angels’ Howie Kendrick. What’s most impressive is seeing Cespedes recover from misfielding a line drive, and throw a rocket back to catcher Derek Norris, without any bounces in between. Los Angeles would ultimately have the last laugh that night, winning 2-1 in 14 innings.

Last night, Cespedes made another unbelievable throw, robbing Albert Pujols of a triple. The Athletics would win this contest 7-1. Check out the throw here, from MLB’s YouTube channel:

You’ll notice Cespedes misfielded the ball last night as well, and it makes you wonder if he will make a habit of baiting a batter or runner throughout the rest of the season. Oakland has tonight off, but will we see more highlights this weekend against the Yankees?

The 2014 FIFA World Cup begins tomorrow in Brazil, when the host nation takes on Croatia in São Paulo. This is not the first time Brazil has hosted the world’s biggest sporting event, but a lot has changed since 1950. There have been many stories about the teams and the conditions leading up to the tournament, and there will only be more things to talk about between now and the Final on July 13. Here are three of the unique storylines I’ll be keeping an eye on.

Is Brazil ready to host?

There are many reports that the conditions have been less than adequate, most recently about the state of the pitch that will be used in Manaus. Manaus isn’t the only host city with stadium issues; of the 12 venues, three were not ready by FIFA’s deadline at the end of 2013. There have also been protests over the use of money in preparation for the tournament, and in March FIFA announced there will be no speeches given at the opening ceremony. With all the concern about preparations for this year’s World Cup, it’s important to remember there were major fears about South Africa hosting in 2010, such as the government relocating the homeless away from stadiums. But South Africa received a lot of praise from critics for how it staged the tournament four years ago, and Brazil has an opportunity to earn equally high marks.

How will the United States fare?

Here’s how the Americans have finished in the last six Cups (in order from 1990-2010): Group Stage, Round of 16, Group Stage, Quarterfinals, Group Stage, Round of 16. Should that trend continue, the U.S. would exit this competition in group play. However, in those six previous finishes, all the group exits were at World Cups hosted in Europe; they advanced to the knockout round in the non-European tournaments. U.S. head coach Jürgen Klinsmann has stated multiple times that he doesn’t think his squad will win the Cup in 2014, and he’s received criticism for leaving Landon Donovan off the 23-man roster. The United States has a tough draw in Group G, facing Ghana, Portugal, and Germany. How the Americans perform in their first match on Monday will go a long way in determining how long they stay in Brazil.

Will the stars shine on the big stage?

The top players who will appear at this year’s World Cup include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wayne Rooney. In 2010, these three players combined for just one goal all tournament (Ronaldo vs. North Korea). Of the three, Messi advanced the furthest, as Argentina made the quarterfinals before losing to Germany. Rooney’s tournament is more remembered for his rant on English fans following the draw with Algeria, than for his actual play. This year’s World Cup will certainly give the sport’s biggest stars to add to their accomplishments, but will they take advantage of the opportunity?

When Spain won in 2010, they were largely led by David Villa, who scored five goals. When Italy won in 2006, only Marco Materazzi and Luca Toni scored more than once. The intriguing question is not just which country will win, but will they be led by a star forward or a balanced attack? Whoever wins, the next month will be full of amazing soccer action in Brazil.

Tonight is the 146th running of the Belmont Stakes, the third and final leg in horse racing’s prestigious Triple Crown. California Chrome has the opportunity to become the first horse to win the Crown since Affirmed in 1978, and the 12th horse overall.

Since Affirmed’s victories, 11 horses have won both of the first two legs, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but fell short in the Belmont. (In 2012, I’ll Have Another lost his shot at the Crown when an injury forced him to withdraw early.) California Chrome is eligible to compete in this year’s Belmont because of a ruling last month that will permit him to wear a nasal strip for tonight’s race.

The Belmont is the longest of the three Triple Crown races, measuring a mile and a half (compared to 1.25 miles for the Kentucky Derby, and 1.1875 miles for the Preakness). Chrome right now is embracing the publicity that comes with being a potential Triple Crown winner, but this will be the longest race of his career.

It’s also a big night for Chrome’s jockey Victor Espinoza, who is just 2-for-67 in races at Belmont Park. Espinoza rode War Emblem to victory in the Derby and Preakness in 2002, before falling short at the Belmont.

In the ESPN baseball documentary Four Days in October, one commentator says this about Game 7 of the ALCS between Boston and New York: “Perhaps this is the way ‘the Curse’ has to end…this final exorcism…coming back from (down three games to zero)”

Maybe this is the way the longest drought in Triple Crown history will end: a horse trying to become the 12th Crown winner, the 12th horse since Affirmed to compete in the Belmont after winning the first two legs, attempting to end a drought of 36 years (a factor of 12!) and enter racing immortality.

Tonight is bound to be historic, regardless of who wins. Will California Chrome complete the Crown, or will we have to wait until next year for a new contender? We’ll find out in just a few hours.

245 days ago, the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers began their quest for one of the most prestigious trophies in professional sports: Lord Stanley’s Cup. Here’s how each team made it to the championship round.

Los Angeles Kings

Regular season: 46-26-8, 3rd in Pacific Division

Playoffs: Defeated San Jose, Anaheim, & Chicago

The Kings captured the Western Conference title by winning three Game 7s, all on the road. Their leading scorer this postseason is Marian Gaborik, who arrived in Los Angeles just three months ago at the trade deadline. Los Angeles will be seeking their second Stanley Cup in three years, and return many key components from that squad, including goaltender Jonathan Quick, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2012 as playoff MVP. The Kings have had an up-and-down postseason so far in 2014, coming back from three games down to the Sharks, and almost throwing away a 3-1 series lead to the defending champion Blackhawks. But Alec Martinez’s game-winning overtime goal has the Kings back in the Final, looking for their second Stanley Cup triumph in franchise history.

New York Rangers

Regular season: 43-32-7, 2nd in Metropolitan Division

Playoffs: Defeated Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, & Montreal

New York has qualified for their first Final since winning the Stanley Cup in 1994. Their main on-ice performer in the postseason, Martin St. Louis, won the Stanley Cup in 2004 with Tampa Bay, and like Gaborik, switched teams at the trade deadline. The Rangers will play the first three games of this series without Daniel Carcillo, whose suspension was shortened enough that he will be eligible for Game 4. Like Los Angeles, New York has an experienced goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist, who may not have a Stanley Cup, but won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2006 Turin Olympics. The Rangers have also overcome adversity this postseason, erasing a 3-1 series deficit against Pittsburgh to win in seven games. They are seeking their fifth Stanley Cup in team history.

Fun Facts

-Los Angeles won three Game 7s on the road this postseason, but they would host Game 7 in the Cup Final.

-Kings head coach Darryl Sutter is 1-1 in Cup Finals (lost in 2004 with Calgary, won in 2012 with Los Angeles); Rangers coach Alain Vigneault is 0-1 (lost in 2011 with Vancouver).

-A Canadian team has not won the Stanley Cup in 21 years, since Montreal in 1993. The last team from Canada to make the Final was Vancouver in 2011.

Who do you think will win the Stanley Cup?