After the final round of Group D matches on Wednesday morning (3), all the top eight teams were born. The previous champion, Argentina, has the 'comfort zone' all to itself, and with a last eight opponent of just Ecuador, it's not hard to pass the test. If you make it to the quarterfinals, the opponent is nothing more than Venezuela or Canada, and Argentina has a chance to make it to the final.
In contrast, Brazil, the previous runner-up, had to settle for second place. The top eight had to battle another traditional powerhouse, Uruguay. The winners top four have a good chance to meet the big brave Colombia. They were beaten before reaching the final, which gave Argentina the benefit of the doubt as fishermen.
