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"FacebookPinterest\n\nThe World Cup quarterfinals can be best summed up by one of the \"other\" football's more epigrammatic athletes, Terrell Owens: \"Get your popcorn ready.\" Like the NCAA Tournament, the quarter and semi-finals of the World Cup can produce action that dwarfs the final. We've already witnessed one stunner: the Netherlands's come-from-behind upset of Cup favorite Brazil. And tomorrow's Argentina-Germany tilt could be even better. But first let's take a brief look back at a cagey week that was in South Africa, and look forward to what will hopefully be a footballing feast this weekend.\n\nDown and Out\n\n This week the English-speaking world bid adieu to their two representative teams. The cardiac kids of the USA ran out of magic dust against an admittedly superior Ghana side. The USA made themselves a lot of fans internationally, due to their straight-up play (none of that Uropeean rolling around for us, right?) and \"yes-we-can\" spirit. But look, where we ended up is exactly how good we are. Maybe a more charismatic, talented or experienced coach wouldn't have made some of Bob Bradley's selection blunders against Ghana (starting Ricardo Clark instead of the galvanizing presence of Mo Edu was a head-scratcher). Still, the fact is, talent-wise, USA was a round of 16 team. And anyway, we'll always have Pretoria, where Landon Donovan's goal caused scenes like this (at a sports bar in San Antonio)\n\nThe same cannot be said for England. The Three Lions returned home to Blighty and received a reception fit for a war criminal. Perhaps England had an over-inflated sense of how well they would do in South Africa, but nobody expected them to comport themselves so craptastically both on and off the pitch.\n\nThe incredibly well-paid stars complained about the boredom of being shacked up in their five-star, custom-built training complex/hotel. Poor lambs. When they weren't having a moan about the accommodations, they were playing, collectively, with two left feet. Watching balls bound off the shins of these world-class foootballers was something to behold, and not in a good way.\n\nOnto the fun stuff...\n\nGoals Of The Week \n\n Carlos Tevez, Argentina\n\n Carlos the Apache didn't want to leave Argentina's round of 16 match with only a controversial, clearly offside poach to his name. So he messed around, about 20 yards out, almost fell down and then uncorked this cannonball. Never has Alan Partridge's, \"S--t! He must have a foot like a traction engine!\" been more appropriate.\n\nLuis Suarez, Uruguay\n\n With Brazil out, Uruguay might have the most lethal strike partnership left in the tournament. Suarez, who has been chalking up goals for Ajax in the Eredivisie at an alarming rate, and Diego Forlan, who almost single-handedly brought a Europa League championship to Atletico Madrid, have been dazzling throughout the Cup. Suarez's curling, elegant strike against South Korea didn't have the RPM's that Tevez's rocket did, but it was an act of footballing genius just the same.\n\nThen There Were Eight. Sorry, Make That Seven.\n\n There's a lot to watch for in the quarter-finals. Will Ghana keep the African dream alive? Will Spain be able to break down a staunch Paraguayan defense? Intriguing questions. But our attention, and the rest of the world's will be on Argentina vs. Germany. Like any good fight, this matchup has seen a fair amount of smack talked before a ball has even been kicked in anger.\n\nArgentina and Germany have a bit of history. In their last matchup the two sides got into a bit of handbags after Germany knocked Argentina out of the 2006 World Cup. The bad blood continues to run, especially since German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger popped off that the Argentines are disrespectful and that their \"behavior shows their character and mentality.\" Not exactly a 50 Cent level burn, I'll grant you. But in football, them's fightin' words.\n\nExpect 90 minutes of sheer hell for the players and 90 minutes of utter paradise for the football fan."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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