June 30th World Cup Update

UEFA teams continue their undefined run which started on June 24th with Greece late win over Côte d'Ivoire. Since that win UEFA is 9:3:0 before that win they were 12:5:14 counting intra-UEFA games and otherwise 7:5:9. Moreover, none of the UEFA teams lost in the round of 16 (3:1:0, Greece was eliminated, but officially it was a tie).

During the knockout stage run, until the 79th minute all four UEFA teams failed to score a single goal. That is over 5.25 without scoring a goal. The rest of the way UEFA teams scored 7 goals and given up a meaningless goal at the 120'+1' min. During the 15 min post the 79' (1 hour across 4 games) UEFA teams are 6:0 and turn two ties into wins, a loss into a tie and most amazingly a loss into a win.

During the first 6 round of 16 games the group winner has won all 6 games. Never before have we gone that deep into the round of 16 without a 2nd place team advancing to the quarters. In 2010 Ghana beat the USA, in 2006, Ukraine advanced over Switzerland and France beat Spain (Ukraine & Spain as well as France & Switzerland were in the same group). In 2002 half the 2nd place teams advanced - USA beat Mexico, England beat Denmark, Senegal beat Sweden and Turkey beat Japan. In 1998 the tally was lower, but still Denmark beat Nigeria, and Croatia beat Romania. 

Even in 1994 with only 6 group winners, we had Bulgaria advancing over Mexico and Italy over Nigeria. In 1990 the only group winner to lose was Brazil which lost to Argentina which finished third in its group. 1986 saw Spain beating Denmark, Belgium beating the USSR, and West Germany beating Morocco. Even 1982 with a 2nd group stage of 12 teams had a 2nd place Italy advancing ahead of Brazil and France ahead of Northern Ireland.  In the other two groups we had West Germany advancing over England by beating Spain and Both Poland and 2nd place USSR finished ahead of Belgium. 

Even if we go father. In 1978 there was a semi-final group out of which two 2nd place teams (Argentina and Netherland) made it to the final and one more (Brazil) to the 3rd place game which they won. If not for Austria beating Germany on a 87' goal on the last match it would have been a clean sweep for the 2nd place teams. In 1974 using the same format 2nd place Germany made it to the final (which they won) and 2nd place Brazil was again in the third place game which they lost. In 1970 when knockout started at the quarter finals Uruguay beat USSR. It is only in 1996 that we have all group winner advance, but there were only 4 groups (16 teams) in the finals.

Is 2014 going to be the first time that all group winners advance since the expansion from 16 teams?