SOC: Russia & Uruguay Advance
We picked Egypt and Uruguay to advance to the Knockout Stage from Group A, but after two games, Russia has locked up a bid in the Round of 16. As has Uruguay. Russia picked up a 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the opening game last week, and then followed that up with another high scoring output, eliminating Egypt with a 3-1 victory. All three Russian goals were scored in the second half. They now have two wins and six points, to go along with an incredibly impressive +7 goal differential. On the other side of the group, Uruguay has looked like one of the top defending teams, but haven't been able to figure it out on offense. Nonetheless, they've escaped with a pair of 1-0 wins, and are advancing to the Knockout Stage again.
Uruguay is heading to their fourth consecutive Round of 16 appearance. This time around, they'll look to get further than in 2014, when they went down 2-0 to Colombia in the opening round. Luis Suarez got on the board today which was a good sign, but they're going to need more from him and his running mate, Edinson Cavani, going forward if they're going to truly contend. Uruguay has been playing pretty well lately, as they're 7-2-1 in their last 10 matches. In those outings, they've outscored their opponents 15-5. But all of a sudden, it seems like the scoring has stalled. If Uruguay can figure that out before it's too late then watch out for them to make a deep run. Their next game is on Monday against Russia.
The winner of that match will take over sole possession of first place in Group A and will play the second place team in Group B in the Round of 16. It's generally thought that Uruguay is superior to Russia, but the Russians are playing at an extremely high level and if their offense continues scorching then they could realistically pull off another victory. Russia was thought to be one of the worst teams in the entire field, coming in with a 2-1-7 record in their last 10 outings, but they've flipped the switch in their home country. After combining for eight goals in their first two matches, Russia is becoming a threat right before our eyes. They're still a bit away from actually contending, but it's time to take them seriously as they've advanced past the Group Stage.
Photo Credit: ESPN.
