Tym Glaser
I DON'T know about you, but my World Cup brackets have been pretty much shot to pieces.
Wherefore art thou Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia and Montenegro, the United States, Japan and Paraguay? On a plane home, that's where.
Ghana and Australia through to the second round! If you predicted that you are either a terribly good guesser, have absolutely no clue or are a descendent of Nostradamus.
After two weeks of action, we are now down to the nitty-gritty final 16 where you lose, you go home.
The 'pedigree' teams are all there and apparently ready to fire. Argentina look the class side at the moment, but you really don't want to peak too early.
SLEEPING GIANTS
Mr Keiji Tamada woke up sleeping giants Brazil by striking for Japan in Thursday's Group F game. After two lacklustre performances against Croatia and Australia, Keiji's goal finally turned the Brazilians' ignition key and, four goals later, the world champions' engine is revving now. Although Ronaldo "ate all the pies", he's still lethal in front of the net and showed that with a useful brace against the Asians.
On the European front, hosts Germany are leading the charge and playing attractive football to boot or head. If they get as far as the semis, Miroslav Klose will win the Golden Boot award for most goals. The lanky striker just scores in bunches and is an ideal fit for coach Juergen Klinsmann's upbeat brand of football.
Iberian teams Spain and Portugal advanced to the last 16 with a minimum of discomfort with one boasting an abundance of youth (Spain) and the other (Portugal) full of experience.
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Meanwhile, for England, Italy and the Netherlands it's been business as usual. They are not exactly setting the world alight, but you don't have to at the Group stage, you just have to advance.
My crystal ball has obviously blown a fuse but logic suggests Brazil will still make it title No. 6 come July 9, but they meet tricky Ghana next and there's no easy passage to the Cup for any side.
What this event has shown is that the margin between the 'elite' sides and the rest has grown considerably smaller.
The world's game is indeed global and the lines between South American football and European football have become blurred through cross pollination of coaches and ideologies and emerging African and Asian flair.
On any given day now, say, an Australia could beat an Italy. Memba dat come Monday.
