A US fan leaves the stands after a 2-2 draw in the group G World Cup soccer match between the USA and Portugal at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Sunday, June 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
The second round of the World Cup begins on Saturday, and the rules of the game change a little. The next stage is often referred to as “knockout round” because every match is lose-and-go-home.
Games that end in a tie go to overtime, which consists of two 15-minute periods with a short break in between. If a game is still tied at the end of overtime, the winner is determined by a penalty kick shootout—in which each team gets five penalty kicks and the one that converts the most wins. (In case of a tie in penalty kicks, each side kicks one more until the tie is broken.)
In any event, a number of teams have already qualified for the Round of 16, and a fairly clear picture of who will play whom can be drawn. Those that are through are: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Mexico, The Netherlands and Uruguay.
Sat. June 28:
Brazil vs. Chile, 12 p.m., Belo Horizonte
Colombia vs. Uruguay, 4 p.m., Rio de Janeiro
Sun. June 29:
The Netherlands vs. Mexico, 12 p.m., Fortaleza
Costa Rica vs. Greece, 4 p.m., Recife
Mon. June 30:
France# vs. Nigeria#, 12 p.m., Brasilia
Germany# vs. Algeria#, 4 pm., Porto Alegre
Tue. July 1:
Argentina* vs. Ecuador or Switzerland, 12 p.m., São Paulo
Belgium* vs. USA#, 4 p.m., Salvador
*Already qualified, most likely position
# Most likely qualifier
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