The World Cup, in case we needed reminding, doesn’t truly get going until the knockout rounds.No making up for an off day. No second chances. Crank up the intensity. Stale Solbakken apparently got it right – save your starters for the second round.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listSeven UEFA teams advanced from the Round of 32, among them Solbakken’s Norway, sufficiently rested after basically conceding Group I to France. Tri-hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States made it three CONCACAF representatives in the Round of 16 for the second time, and the first since 2014 (when it was Costa Rica, Mexico, and the US).Four South American countries got through: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay.Paraguay’s methods were un-Solbakken – all-out effort to squeeze through the group stage, followed by a quick turnaround and cross-country fight to meet Germany in Foxborough, Massachusetts.But La Albirroja had enough left in the tank to become the first team to ever beat Die Mannschaft on penalties at the World Cup.Les Bleus lead the wayFrance’s front four – Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Kylian Mbappe, and Michael Olise – proved unstoppable in the group stage. Furthermore, Bradley Barcola replaced Doue and upped the pace in a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the last 32. Les Bleus’ only problem could be an abundance of attackers.Can coach Didier Deschamps keep everyone, including Rayan Cherki, happy?Europeans set standardsBelgium, England, Portugal, …
