Season's Over gives it's best predictions for the 2014 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.

By Mike Corasaniti
Editor-in-Chief

Not to toot our own horn, but Season's Over did pretty well in it's Round of 16 predictions...give or take a heartbreaking loss by the United States.

The final eight teams in the World Cup get back to work Friday after some drama filled elimination matches to start the knockout rounds. After all was said and done it's hard to say there were many upsets, besides maybe Uruguay, but they really never reached their World Cup potential especially after the Suarez fiasco.

The matches that will decide the semifinals in this year's World Cup though are all but up in the air. Some of the favorites like Brazil and Germany have showed that they're flawed, while newcomers on the big stage like Costa Rica and Belgium are playing strong in trying to make their own mark.

Only a week and a half separate us from the final match of the 2014 World Cup, and the next four contests may very well be the most exciting yet.

France v. Germany – Friday, July 4 at 12 p.m. (ESPN2)

France didn't have to exactly run the gauntlet to get to the Round of 16, but their defeat of Nigeria further grounded the Group E winners as one of the best remaining teams in the field. Karim Benzema has proven he's an excellent scorer but it seems that almost any Frenchmen has been able to find the back of the net. The fact that France was one of only three teams to get past their opponent this round without any overtime was another positive sign. 

It's unfortunate that Germany is running into such a hot France squad at a time when they're not playing their best soccer. The Germans easily have one of the Top 4 teams remaining in the bracket, but they haven't showed top form since blowing out Portugal in their opening match. There's no way to avoid the fact that Germany dodged a bullet against Algeria and a similar performance won't do against this French squad. Prediction: France 1-0

Brazil v. Colombia – Friday, July 4 at 4 p.m. (ESPN)

As heroic as Julio Cesar's performance was in penalty kicks against Chile, Brazil will need to take a stand much earlier on against Colombia if it wants a shot at advancing to its first semifinal since 2002. Brazil's talented midfield and attack needs to get over the flaws that have been trying to doom it all tournament. Colombia is a much more terrifying opponent than Chile and Brazil is going to need to treat them as such.

The excellent James Rodriguez is front and center on the international stage and again took control on Saturday for them to get past a disheveled Uruguay. Friday's match has the opportunity to be a classic offensive contest between the likes of Rodriguez and his Brazilian counterpart Neymar. If the host nation can indeed get past the Colombians then they might be good enough to go all the way, but that's a very big "if". Prediction: Colombia 2-1

Argentina v. Belgium – Saturday, July 5 at 12 p.m. (ESPN2)

This may be a matchup of the two weakest teams of the quarterginals but it will garner an interesting result regardless: Either the best player in the world makes it to the semifinals, or Belgium becomes one of the biggest Cinderella's the World Cup has ever seen. That shouldn't take away from the fact that many guessed Belgium would give a strong showing to begin with, but their meeting expectations is still something to be celebrated.

Neither team dominated their knockout round opener. It took late goals from both to get to the quarterfinals, but Argentina played like a struggling squad while Belgium played like a great team against a stellar goalkeeper. It would be a shock to see Argentina fall short of their ultimate goal, but they are yet to prove this tournament that they're a team capable of winning it all. They can't rely on Lionel Messi alone forever. Prediction: Belgium 3-2

Netherlands v. Costa Rica – Saturday, July 5 at 4 p.m. (ESPN)

You can call the Netherlands's comeback win over Mexico luck or you can call it talent, but the Dutch will only have one thing on their minds regardless and its getting back to the World Cup Final. An offensive showing from Wesley Sneijder showed that the Netherlands are more than just the 1-2 punch of Robben and Van Persie. Now the Dutch only have the upstart Costa Rican squad to ensure a return trip to the semifinals.

Costa Rica had to sneak past Greece to make it this far, somewhat diminishing their strong performance in the group stage. Their defense though could make things difficult for the Dutch and their earlier wins against Uruguay and Italy have shown that they won't be the pushover the Netherlands may be hoping for. You should still expect a close match, but a match where the clear-cut better team comes out on top in the end. Prediction: Netherlands 2-0

Season’s Over looks at the possibility of Spain and Germany meeting in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and how the matchup would pan out.

By Mike Corasaniti

The two best teams in the world could be on track for a rematch of their 2010 semifinal matchup, which Spain won 1-0 en route to its first World Cup.

Spain, considered the favorite to win the whole thing by many, will have its hands full in Group B with the Netherlands and Chile. Nobody is seriously doubting that the world’s best team will make it to the Round of 16, but two tough tests right off the bat will certainly be a good warm-up for this veteran team.

Germany on the other hand, a nation that has been knocking on the door for years now, is looking to avoid its third consecutive third place finish at the World Cup. If they could get past the likes of Spain and other challengers, this may finally be the year the Germans break through for their first World Cup title in 24 years.

Their toughest scheduled match will be their opener against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on June 16, which just might give the world a great idea on the chances for this year’s Germany team.

A Word on Spain

After suffering for long period of time throughout their history, Spain has been great for the better part of the last six years. This year’s club might not come off as intimidating as Spain did four years ago, but they’re still on the short list of favorites to win it all once again..

Since its victory in the 2008 European Championship, the Spanish have set the standard for excellent soccer on the international level, a standard that could very well continue on for years to come. Spain’s prospects to become just the third repeat winners in World Cup history will require more than just a continuation of their recent success.

Some of their best, Xavi and Andres Iniesta most among them, may be heading past their prime but are still performing quite handsomely. So Spain’s chances may hinge most dramatically upon the likes of Sergio Ramos and the defensive side of the ball. Ramos has been one of the best defenders in the world when he’s at his peak but has also showed disastrous potential when he loses his concentration. Spain will need much more of the former from Ramos if they hope to leave Brazil smiling.

A Word on Germany

Germany was billed by many to be the team to watch next time around after coming up just short in 2010 against the eventual champions. And with three World Cups and countless other championship-caliber squads lining their history books, the Germans are always good at setting themselves up for a position to win. 2014 is no different.

Some role players may have changed for Germany but the core of the team for the past years has remained pretty much the same. For another World Cup season, Germany will look greatly to Bastian Schweinsteiger to lead them to prosperity, although he represents only one of the many weapons Germany has brought to the table. With Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, and others playing at the top of their games, Germany may have the deepest squad in the entire tournament.

To say that it is championship or bust for the Germans may be a bit of an overstatement. But the potential for a fourth World Cup victory is just as great as it’s ever been for one of the most consistently successful teams in international soccer’s history.

Prediction

There’s no doubt the talent and experience is there for Spain to walk away from Brazil 2014 with their fourth consecutive major international championship, but it’s difficult to know whether the collective mind and body are willing. 

Spain is comprised of a team of stars that has made a habit of winning big championships over the past few years, but the majority of them are only getting older and a step slower. Not to say that a fourth consecutive major international championship isn’t within the grasp of this year’s top-rated team, but the obstacles look bigger when you look at potential challengers such as Germany.

Yes, if there are any giants that need to be taken down for others to rise this World Cup, it will be La Furia Roja and its relentless attack. But third place dwellers no more; this could very well be the year that Germany finally breaks through.

Germany 2-0