Doha, Dec 8 (AFP\/APP):Brazil were gearing up for a showdown with Croatia while Argentina prepared to face the Netherlands as anticipation mounted Thursday on the eve of the World Cup quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
After three weeks of pulsating action, just eight teams are left standing as the 32-nation tournament heads into the final rounds of knockout competition after a two-day break.<\/p>\n
A blockbuster set of quarter-finals gets under way on Friday when five-time champions Brazil face 2018 runners-up Croatia.<\/p>\n
That clash is the appetiser for another heavyweight World Cup collision between Lionel Messi’s Argentina and three-time losing finalists the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Morocco will carry the flag for African football in their quarter-final clash with Portugal before holders France face England in an eagerly anticipated showdown.<\/p>\n
Wins for Argentina and Brazil on Friday would set up a titanic semi-final between the two South American heavyweights.<\/p>\n
For now though Brazil are looking no further than Friday’s assignment against Croatia at the Education City Stadium in Doha.<\/p>\n
“They have individual quality and collective quality as well as a resilience and persistence,” Brazil coach Tite said of Croatia.<\/p>\n
“We are aware of their virtues but my focus is on maintaining our standards and whoever plays best will go through.”<\/p>\n
Croatia captain Luka Modric said Thursday that his side were determined to progress beyond the last eight.<\/p>\n
“We did a great thing by going to the quarter-finals, but regardless of that we would like to do more,” the Real Madrid midfielder said.<\/p>\n
“We have to play our best match. And if we do that we have a chance of winning.”<\/p>\n
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is optimistic that Angel Di Maria and Rodrigo De Paul will be available for his side’s clash against the Netherlands after injury issues.<\/p>\n
His opposite number, Louis van Gaal, back in charge of the Dutch for a third spell, said his team would have to step up a gear to compete with the South American side, who beat them on penalties in the 2014 semi-final in Brazil.<\/p>\n
“The tournament is actually starting tomorrow for real for us, although of course I don’t want to downplay the importance of other countries we were able to beat,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But Argentina and Brazil, who we will possibly play in the next round, are quite different to the teams we beat in the group stage and last 16.”<\/p>\n
– Ronaldo says Portugal ‘united’ –<\/p>\n
On Saturday, all eyes will be on the battle between France and England at the Al-Bayt Stadium, the Bedouin tent-inspired structure located in the desert outside Doha.<\/p>\n
England said Thursday that forward Raheem Sterling is set to return to the squad after initially leaving the team’s World Cup base following a break-in at his family home.<\/p>\n
Sterling did not feature in England’s squad for the 3-0 last-16 win against Senegal and it would be a major surprise if the 28-year-old starts against France.<\/p>\n
In Saturday’s other quarter-final, buoyant Portugal will be looking to end Morocco’s fairytale run to the last eight.<\/p>\n
Portugal produced one of the most scintillating displays of the tournament by dismantling Switzerland 6-1 in the last 16 after coach Fernando Santos opted to drop Cristiano Ronaldo.<\/p>\n
Ronaldo’s replacement, 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos, fired a brilliant hat-trick as Portugal ran riot.<\/p>\n
According to reports in Portugal, Santos’s bombshell decision to drop Ronaldo prompted the 37-year-old superstar to threaten to walk out of the team camp.<\/p>\n
But Ronaldo took to social media to stress the squad was rock solid after the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) issued a statement denying the reported bust-up with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star.<\/p>\n
“It’s a group too united to be broken by outside forces,” said Ronaldo.
\n“A nation too courageous to let itself be frightened by any adversary. A team in the truest sense of the word, which will fight for the dream until the end.”<\/p>\n
Elsewhere on Thursday, Spanish football authorities dismissed coach Luis Enrique following the team’s shock elimination against Morocco, naming under-21s boss Luis de la Fuente as his replacement.<\/p>\n
“Both the president, Luis Rubiales, and the sporting director, Jose Francisco Molina, have told the coach their decision,” the Spanish federation (RFEF) said in a statement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Doha, Dec 8 (AFP\/APP):Brazil were gearing up for a showdown with Croatia while Argentina prepared to face the Netherlands as anticipation mounted Thursday on the eve of the World Cup quarter-finals. After three weeks of pulsating action, just eight teams are left standing as the […]<\/p>\n
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