For those who are skeptics about the unpredictability of soccer, consider this. The bottom half of the quarterfinal bracket for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup included the following nations: Germany, Mali, Serbia, and the United States. One of those four teams would be headed to the Final on June 20, and odds are that nine of 10 neutrals would pick Germany to be in that position. The USA-Serbia match could be viewed as a toss-up, but conventional wisdom said Die Mannschaft would have little, if any, difficulty progressing to the championship match.

No one told the Malian squad before their quarterfinal against the Germans last Sunday in Christchurch. Highlights uploaded to YouTube by FIFA’s official channel:

It’s not just a shock that Mali was able to upset Germany, but that they were able to do so on penalties, as the Germans have developed a reputation as excellent penalty takers. It must be said, though, that with this being the U-20 World Cup, the players in this tournament will surely grow and compete for spots on the senior squad for future men’s World Cups.

Both semifinals are set for Wednesday, with Brazil facing Senegal in Christchurch, while Mali and Serbia will meet in Auckland. Of the four remaining nations, Brazil is the heavy favorite to win what would be its sixth title in this competition. But the Seleçao needed penalties to get past both Uruguay and Portugal in the knockout round; should they reach that phase against Senegal, will their luck run out? And can Mali continue their Cinderella run against the Serbians, who needed more than 90 minutes to progress in both the Round of 16 and the quarterfinal?

For those interested in watching future household names in the sport, the rest of the week provides great opportunities to see them in action in New Zealand.