Western Hemisphere Continues Its Romp Through World Cup

Argentina’s Win Means It Could Meet Ecuador Next

The World Cup already features an entire portion of the Round of 16 bracket that’s dedicated to South America. It includes Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay and guarantees that one (and only one) of those four teams will reach the semifinals.

Now there is a chance that a third match in the Round of 16 will be an all-Americas affairs. Argentina has won Group F with its victory over Nigeria. So long as Ecuador can do as well in its match against France as Switzerland does against Honduras in matches later today, Ecuador will advance to face Argentina. That’s not an easy feat, given that France is a better team than Honduras, but it’s not impossible.

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And if fans of Western Hemisphere soccer really want to dream, they can imagine a final eight that includes six teams from North, Central or South America. It could include something like Brazil versus Colombia, Argentina versus the United States, Costa Rica versus Mexico — and, for the Old World’s sake — France versus Germany. Although such a lineup isn’t likely, the fact that it’s still possible is a reminder that a Western Hemisphere nation has won every World Cup held in the hemisphere.