Max-level burst damage at the start, the British Empire arrives!

In the final round of the group stage, every team gave it their all.

Some players aim to help their teams advance to the knockout stage, some aim to demonstrate their value to their clubs, and many aim to find a new club for themselves.

Even though every World Cup has seen a constant stream of meteoric rises of exceptional players.

Even though everyone knows that buying players during the World Cup year is like taking over a bargain at a high price, many clubs still can't control themselves.

Many clubs are like gamblers when it comes to gemstones; they see a player's talent shine through in the World Cup and want to snatch him up and polish him into a gem.

After Colombia's three group stage matches concluded, news broke that Real Madrid wanted to sign James Rodriguez, and there were substantive contacts within days.

This deal can be considered the most regrettable and unsuccessful transfer in Real Madrid's history, even more so than the later Hazard transfer.

Although Hazard's transfer fee was higher, Real Madrid's failure in his transfer was obvious, mainly due to too many injuries.

Logically speaking, 28 years old is the prime age for a professional player. In his last season at Chelsea, Hazard made 37 Premier League appearances, contributing a top-tier performance of 16 goals and 15 assists.

Even on a global scale, excellent left-wing players are a rare commodity. Top clubs will invest heavily in them if they come across them, and they won't regret it if they fail.

Moreover, Hazard is equally adept with both feet, making him unpredictable for defenders in dribbling, passing, and shooting.

If such a player becomes available, Real Madrid will definitely have to sign him, and there's nothing they can do about long-term injuries afterwards.

James Rodriguez is different. His first stop after arriving in Europe was Porto. He just transferred to Monaco last season, and his stats in his first season were 10 goals and 12 assists, which was nothing special.

Monaco signed James Rodriguez just one season ago, and Real Madrid wants to buy him; this kind of deal is inherently a buyer's market.

At this point, the player still had three years left on his contract, and since Monaco was an oil club, the player's treatment was certainly not bad.

If Real Madrid wants to sign a player at this time, they will definitely have to pay a premium.

Furthermore, given that it was a World Cup year and James Rodriguez was performing exceptionally well, the €8000 million price tag seemed like a logical step.

No price reduction. If you want it, pay up; otherwise, you can look around some more.

This deal, which was extremely risky from the start, came about, but it did not achieve the result Real Madrid had hoped for.

To put it bluntly, James Rodriguez's ability is not enough to play the number 10 position at a club like Real Madrid.

In this position at Real Madrid, one must either shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals or the responsibility of organizing the attack.

However, his strengths are not outstanding enough, and he can't do anything well. After playing for Real Madrid for five years, he can only be a rotation player who plays a total of twenty or so games in all competitions.

Before this World Cup, most fans didn't know who James Rodriguez was.

By the end of this World Cup, James Rodriguez's name was known to everyone; he is a classic example of a player who rose to fame through the World Cup.

James Rodriguez has played for ten clubs throughout his career, and everyone knows he is a good player.

However, his characteristics are not particularly distinctive, so no one knows what level of player he can eventually develop into.

His value in the transfer market is like a balloon, constantly inflating, and no one knows when it will burst.

James Rodriguez joined Envigado, a Colombian club, at the age of 14 and was the best player of his age group in Colombia.

Sixteen-year-old James Rodriguez represented Colombia's U17 team at the FIFA U-16 World Cup and helped the team win the runner-up title.

Shortly after the World Youth Championship ended, Argentina's Banfield signed James Rodriguez for a transfer fee of 28 euros.

Judging from the price, this transfer fee should only be compensation, and James Rodriguez most likely moved to a bigger stage on his own initiative.

At 17, James Rodriguez became the youngest foreign player to appear in the Argentine league and soon became the youngest goalscorer.

When James Rodriguez had just turned 18, Banfield decisively rejected Udinese's €500 million offer, knowing full well that the kid wasn't worth that price.

James Rodriguez not only helped Banfield win the Argentine Spring League title, but also had a standout performance in the Copa Libertadores.

In 2010, Porto offered 700 million euros to bring James Rodriguez to the Portuguese league.

In three years, James Rodriguez rose to fame in South America, but his transfer fee only increased by 200 million euros.

Porto were able to acquire him for such a low price because he only had one year left on his contract.

However, when faced with this player who always likes to use clubs as stepping stones, Porto, the European club known for its cunning, has taken a much more sophisticated approach.

In James Rodriguez's second year at the club, they opted for a pay raise and a five-year contract with a release clause of €4500 million.

If James Rodriguez wants to transfer again, other clubs will have to pay his release clause to buy him.

In the 2012-2013 season, Porto felt that it was time for James Rodriguez to mature, so they changed his jersey number to 10.

James Rodriguez also lived up to expectations, scoring the winning goal against Paris Saint-Germain at home in the Champions League and staging a spectacular long-distance run in the Portuguese league title race, helping Porto secure their third consecutive Portuguese league title.

That season, his stats were 11 goals and 10 assists, the same as the previous season.

To be honest, such double-double statistics are not particularly impressive in the Portuguese league, because it's easy to rack up stats at a powerhouse like Porto.

Even the top scorers in the Portuguese league throughout history have found it difficult to secure a place in one of the top four European leagues, let alone a mid-to-lower-tier team.

James Rodriguez's compatriot, Chinese Super League legend Roberto Martinez, won the Portuguese league's Golden Boot twice and scored two goals in the World Cup.

This guy transferred to Atletico Madrid for 3700 million euros, but his true colors were revealed after just one season, and Atletico Madrid regretted it terribly.

Just then, Evergrande wanted to sign Martinez for 4200 million euros, and Atletico Madrid couldn't wait to let him go. As it turned out, this guy hadn't even figured out how to play in the Chinese Super League.

After witnessing James Rodriguez's game-winning goal against Paris Saint-Germain, the deep-pocketed Monaco signed him for €4500 million of his release clause.

This price is very close to James Rodriguez's actual value. He was already 22 years old at this time. Under normal circumstances, if he joins the Premier League or La Liga before the age of 25, his value can increase further, but it will definitely not reach 8000 million euros.

In this era, 8000 million euros could buy all the players except for Sun Ke and Messi and Ronaldo.

Real Madrid's high-priced acquisition of James Rodriguez, coupled with his failure to achieve the expected results at Real Madrid, triggered a series of chain reactions.

All of James Rodriguez's subsequent destinations were losing money. Bayern Munich spent 1400 million euros to loan him for two seasons, only to find that the high salary plus the loan fee was a bit of a loss, but they still managed to "get" Real Madrid for free.

Everton signed James Rodriguez for €2500 million, but found he was still not a good fit, so they sold him to the Qatari league for €800 million a year later.

James Rodriguez's career was largely marked by free transfers followed by contract terminations.

Regardless, James Rodriguez is still a good player, just not as good as Real Madrid, and missed the opportunity to improve further.

However, judging from James Rodriguez's career, his life has undoubtedly been a success.

He has hit the mark at every stage of his career, never missing a step on the path to becoming a top player.

Even if they don't become hugely famous, at least they made a lot of money and changed their lives.

......

The World Cup group stage has concluded, and the round of 16 matchups have been determined.

In the upper half of the bracket:

Brazil vs. Chile.

Colombia vs. Uruguay.

France vs. Nigeria.

Germany vs. Algeria.

In the lower half of the bracket:

Netherlands vs. Mexico.

England vs. Greece.

Argentina vs. Switzerland.

Belgium vs. Portugal.

Sun Ke discovered that compared to his previous life, the trajectory of history had not changed much, except for two changes.

England topped Group D, Costa Rica was eliminated, and Uruguay remained a solid team.

Portugal still couldn't put up much of a fight against Germany, but with Real Madrid eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals, Ronaldo got an early rest and didn't suffer a knee injury like in his previous life. So Portugal narrowly defeated the United States and advanced as the second-place team in their group.

The Round of 6 began on June 29.

Brazil and Chile were the first teams to play.

With a star-studded lineup, the Brazilian team started the game with great momentum, fueled by the cheers of their home fans, and opened the scoring in the 18th minute through David Luiz.

However, Chile quickly equalized through Sanchez, and then the two teams engaged in a fierce back-and-forth battle.

The clash between the two South American teams was just as intense as the Premier League match, with numerous unsportsmanlike acts occurring.

As a result, the score remained unchanged after 90 minutes, and the two teams went into overtime.

Brazil's relentless attacks failed to break through Chile's defense, but the Chilean players united as one, and the game remained undecided in extra time.

The match then went to penalties, with Brazil missing two penalties and Chile missing three.

The moment the match ended, Chilean players collapsed in tears, and Brazilian players were all in tears as well.

The host team, Brazil, almost collapsed under pressure and showed no signs of winning the championship.

Sun Ke watched the entire match. It was the first time he had ever seen a victory so miserably and so unhappy.

The second knockout match was between Colombia and Uruguay.

The match started off intensely, with Cuadrado breaking through from midfield all the way to the front, only to be physically tackled by a Uruguayan player – a rather dirty move.

But Cuadrado was no pushover either. The moment he fell to the ground, under the guise of kicking the ball, he unleashed a powerful kick on the Uruguayan player's leg, winning his team a free kick.

If Uruguay's style is fiery, Colombia's style is fiery plus; in this match, it was Uruguayan players who were repeatedly kicked down on the grass.

The physical battles in midfield between the two sides were basically about attacking the players, not the ball; they were kicking the players, not the ball.

Uruguay fielded veteran Diego Forlán at center forward in this match, but Colombia maintained control throughout.

In the 28th minute, James Rodriguez received a pass from his teammate just outside the penalty area. He controlled the ball with his chest, turned and unleashed a powerful shot that struck the crossbar and bounced into the goal.

1: 0!

This is James Rodriguez's fourth goal in this World Cup, equaling his goal tally with Luis Suarez.

In the 32nd minute, Uruguay won a free kick just outside the penalty area, which Suarez converted.

1: 1!

Both sides are back on equal footing.

In the 50th minute, James Rodriguez received a header pass from his teammate and scored with a shot inside the penalty area.

2: 1!

In the time that followed, the two sides engaged in a back-and-forth battle, constantly exchanging the initiative.

In the final ten minutes of the match, Colombia defended with all their might, while Uruguay launched a full-scale attack, but still failed to equalize the score.

Colombia ultimately defeated Uruguay 2-1, narrowly escaping defeat and achieving their best result in the World Cup.

Sun Ke was thrilled watching the match; the game between South American teams was so exciting and wide-ranging.

The third knockout match was between the Netherlands and Mexico.

The "Uncrowned King" versus the "World Cup Round of 16"!

After the start of the game, it was Mexico, not the Netherlands, that took the initiative.

The Dutch players were very unaccustomed to the unpredictable style of play of the Mexican players, and were repeatedly created dangerous opportunities by the opponents. They did not get their first shot on goal until the 26th minute.

In the first half stoppage time, the Mexican players pulled off a blunder: their full-back watched as a cross was made in the attacking third, and the center-back, in a hasty chase, fell to the ground.

Van Persie accelerated to receive the ball and then played a through pass to Robben.

Robben broke into the penalty area, and Mexican defender Marquez poked Robben's ankle with his foot, and then both of them fell to the ground in pain.

The referee had already run into the Dutch team's half, but after turning back and sprinting, he missed the foul and, after a moment's hesitation, decided to let the game continue.

The Netherlands team missed a penalty despite being at a disadvantage.

Despite having a clear advantage in terms of squad size on paper, the "Oranje" failed to create a single decent chance, except for a dangerous moment in stoppage time when they capitalized on an opponent's mistake in front of the goal.

To be honest, the Mexican team played quite beautifully.

If England faces Mexico, and Mexico scores first, Sun Ke will have to give it his all to win.

Mexican players' playing style is particularly effective against the physical style of European teams.

Just two minutes into the second half, Mexico's Dos Santos scored with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.

1: 0!

Mexico had three or four similar chances in the first half, and they always managed to get a shot off. It was only a matter of time before the Netherlands conceded a goal.

In the following match, Mexico continued to dominate, with Dutch goalkeeper Cillessen making several crucial saves to keep a clean sheet.

In any major competition, the goalkeeper plays a crucial role in the final stages.

Seeing his team being repeatedly elbowed and pinned down on the pitch by Mexico, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal decisively substituted a defender with the young Memphis Depay.

After Depay came on, he started attacking aggressively, and the sluggish Dutch team gradually regained their form.

In the following match, Mexican goalkeeper Ochoa began to make a series of incredible saves.

In the 68th minute, Robben stumbled into the penalty area under pressure from two defenders, and was then brought down by a Mexican defender who had fallen to the ground.

This scene was exactly the same as the goal by Italy's "great left-back," but the referee still didn't award a penalty.

There's no way around it, this is South America!

Robben didn't give up and started putting on a series of solo runs, but Ochoa was always in the perfect position to keep the ball out of his net.

The match had entered the 80th minute without anyone noticing, and the Netherlands' situation was becoming increasingly precarious.

Van Gaal then made another crucial substitution, replacing Van Persie with Hendrar.

This substitution became the turning point, shifting the tide of the game for the Netherlands from a ground-based style to an aerial one, relentlessly bombarding the penalty area with high balls.

In the 88th minute, the Netherlands took a corner kick. Hendrar leaped high among the Mexican players and headed the ball from the six-yard box to the edge of the penalty area.

With the Mexican players all huddled in the penalty area, a vacuum appeared around Sneijder, who decisively unleashed a powerful shot to equalize the score.

1: 1!

In the 92nd minute, Robben launched another attack down the right flank.

Two Mexican players couldn't stop him, and even when a third and fourth player came forward to surround him, he still managed to break into the penalty area.

At that moment, Mexican captain Marquez bumped into Robben again.

To be precise, they ran into Robben.

Robben actively sought contact with the ball, and slow-motion replays suggest it wasn't a penalty.

The referee made all three wrong decisions regarding the penalty kicks, but the Netherlands were wrongly penalized twice, so getting one of those penalties was a kind of compensation.

Hendrar calmly converted the penalty, finding the perfect corner!

2: 1!

After the game restarted, Mexico had only two minutes left.

The miracle did not happen, and the Netherlands team narrowly made it into the quarterfinals.

Dutch fans have always looked down on a weapon like Huntelaar, but they never expected that ten years later, the Dutch forward line would be so depleted.

It's true that we only appreciate what we have when we lose it; the era of the Dutch team mass-producing goal-scoring machines is over.

Two hours after the match ended, the England and Greece teams walked side by side into the Pernambuco Stadium.

The previous matches taught Sun Ke a lesson: there are no weak teams in the knockout stage.

There wasn't a single weak team in the first three knockout rounds.

After the knockout stage began, the World Cup entered a completely new mode.

To win a game, every team has to fight to the death.

England largely retained their starting lineup from the first group stage match, except that Wilshere replaced Gerrard.

The starting players, including Sun Ke, got at least seven days of rest, while Terry and Ashley Cole enjoyed an eleven-day break in Brazil.

Against England, Greece adopted a 4-3-3 formation, which looked very spirited, but spirit alone is not enough; strength is also essential.

After the match began, Sun Ke realized that the Greek team also had its share of strength...

Greece fielded a fast and very strong winger on the right wing, who repeatedly outmaneuvered Ashley Cole from the start.

Ten years ago, England's first-choice left-back would have been more than capable.

But time waits for no man, and Ashley Cole appeared unsteady against his opponents.

In the seventh minute, Greece's right winger broke past Ashley Cole and entered the penalty area, where their center forward Samaras turned and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the six-yard box.

At the crucial moment, Joe Hart spread his arms and lunged forward, using his chest to block the opponent's shot.

Greek fans went wild!

The Greek team's midfielders and forwards are like meat grinders; once they get involved, they're subjected to a physical onslaught.

In the eleventh minute, Greece crossed the ball from the left wing.

The 1.92-meter-tall Samaras gave Terry a push, then turned and headed the ball towards the goal, but Joe Hart was well-positioned and caught it in his arms.

England gradually found their rhythm ten minutes later. Wilshere's control of the ball and dribbling past his opponent resulted in a yellow card for the opponent's killer midfielder, Karagounis.

Facing Wilshere again, the Greek defensive midfielder behaved much more properly.

In the 14th minute, England made a series of cross passes from about 30 meters in front of the Greek goal, but the Greek defense remained impenetrable.

Sun Ke immediately dropped back to receive the ball outside the penalty area, at which point the two Greek center-backs immediately moved towards the center.

Just as they were closing in, Sun Ke gently pushed the ball past them with the instep of his foot.

At this moment, the Greek defenders focused their attention on Walcott on the right wing.

Seeing Walcott strolling on the edge of the penalty area, the Greek left-back took two steps and then stopped.

but!

next moment!

All the Greek players widened their eyes!

broken!

This wasn't a through ball!

It's a shot!

On the goal line, the Greek goalkeeper was frozen in place, watching helplessly as the ball grazed the inside of the right post and rolled into the goal.

1: 0!

Sun Ke excitedly ran more than ten meters and slid down the lawn.

From the commentary box, Lineker shouted, "Goal!"

"That shot was so strange, I'm not even sure if that kind of power even counts as a shot!"

"The football isn't particularly fast, but its angles are extremely tricky!"

"The goalkeeper only saw the ball when it passed between the center-backs, but it was too late!"

"At moments like these, the role of star players is crucial!"

"We took the lead very early! A fantastic start!"

"This is Sun Ke's sixth goal in this World Cup!"