The group stage is over, time for sudden death knockout - finally something the USA audience can understand! No more ties, from hereon the game will continue for an extra 30 minutes if the score is level after 90 minutes and then with a penalty shoot-out if still no result.

Going over my entries in my local paper’s Beat The Press competition, I see that I correctly predicted 13 of the 16 teams in the second round, missing Ghana, Ecuador and Australia. That gives me 13 points going forward. I missed seeing what the editor had picked so I don’t know how well they are doing but I doubt many people picked more than one of those. I think I am still in the running for the $100.