Brazil, Germany eye World Cup last 16 as Netherlands face Morocco

LOS ANGELES: Brazil’s quest to win a record sixth World Cup heads into the knockout stages on Monday as Carlo Ancelotti’s team face Japan in the last 32, before four-time champions Germany play Paraguay and Morocco take on the Netherlands in perhaps the tie of the round.
The Brazilians are desperate to win the World Cup again, 24 years after they last lifted the trophy, and they eased through the group stage in first place above Morocco, with Vinicius Junior playing a starring role by scoring four goals.
The South Americans may be the favorites to progress to the last 16, but Japan are dangerous opponents and unlikely to make life easy in the first game of the day in Houston.
“We need to play with our heads and hearts, and be clear about what we want to do.

We need to be ready for everything that can happen in a knockout tie,” said Ancelotti, who insisted his players were “confident” but prepared for the prospect of extra time and penalties.
Brazil are well aware of the threat posed by Japan, having lost 3-2 when the teams met in a friendly last October.
“I think that really was a learning experience for us,” said the Brazil captain, Marquinhos.
The last non-European nation to knock Brazil out of a World Cup was Argentina, in 1990, but Japan are confident they can beat the Brazilians.
“The team is united and that feeling is getting even stronger now,” said Japan coach Hajjime Moriyasu, whose side finished second in Group F behind the Netherlands.
The winners will advance to a last-16 tie on Sunday against Ivory Coast or Norway in New Jersey.
Germany take on Paraguay at the Gillette Stadium near Boston in what will, remarkably, be their first knockout match at a World Cup since they beat Argentina in the 2014 final.
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