Previewing Saturday’s World Cup games
KNOCKOUT STAGE
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
BRAZIL VS. CHILE
Where: Belo Horizonte. Time: 9 a.m. PDT.
TV: Channel 7, Univision
The buzz: Brazil played its best match of the tournament its last time out, dismantling Cameroon in the group-play final behind two goals from Neymar. And though Chile hasn’t beaten Brazil in 14 years, this is a newly confident Chile, coming off a win over defending champion Spain in group play. Plus this Chile team matches up matches up well against Brazil. Defender Gary Medel and midfielder Arturo Vidal are both hobbled with injuries but are expected to play for Chile; Brazil, whose lineup is loaded with stars, is also healthy.
COLOMBIA VS. URUGUAY
Where: Rio de Janeiro. Time: 1 p.m. PDT.
TV: Channel 7 Univision.
The buzz: Uruguay lost the only game Luis Suarez missed in this tournament then won the two he played in — thanks in part to his two goals. But he won’t play Saturday, or in the rest of the tournament, after being hit with a lengthy suspension for biting an Italian player during the final group-play game. That will be a difficult absence to overcome against a Colombian team that won all three of its group games and, thanks to three scores from James Rodriguez, is second in the tournament with nine goals. In fact, Colombia hasn’t lost anywhere since last September. And the team that beat it then? Uruguay, behind two goals from Luis Suarez.
—Kevin Baxter
