With every passing game, we’re one step closer to finding the 2015 U20 World Cup champions. Sadly, we’ve bid farewell to New Zealand, but they can hold their heads high after a superb effort against Portugal. 24 teams became 16 teams and now 16 have become 8. Here are the quarterfinalists:

We can also proudly report that tickets for the final at North Harbour Stadium have now sold out. It’s too much to ask for a New Zealand population of around 4.5 million to pack crowds out like the Colombian fanatics of a couple tournaments ago (who got an average of over 25k to each game), but with a combined attendance now of just under 300,000 fans and the business end of the Cup now arriving, the support has been enormous. Not in the least because NZ2015 is averaging over three goals a game, something that’s only happened once this millennium.

Austria 0-2 Uzbekistan

Tell ya what, you wouldn’t mind heading into a sword fight with either of these two teams based on the lack of cutting edge on show here. Austria had only scored three goals all tournament, though their defensive structure is fantastic, while Uzbekistan took a fair while to break down Fiji in their last game. It’s not so much that neither team had any chances in the first half, it’s just that those chances almost exclusively came from set pieces. But as so often is the case, it opened up just enough in the second half for a foot to be squeezed in the door. And it was Uzbekistan who made it happen. A couple of times Austria failed to deal with a high ball over the top, and a couple of times they were punished. Nothing Austria could do after that was enough to claw themselves back into it.

Germany 1-0 Nigeria

Who can beat the Germans? Their monstrous form in the group stages had them all but set as favourites for the tournament, the only thing holding them back was the weak nature of their opposition. Except that they then went and pummelled Nigeria in one of the most one-sided 1-0 wins you’re likely to see for a while. Honestly, it could have been 4-0 or 5-0 but it didn’t need to be. One was enough. It came early, after 19 minutes, through Levin Oztunali, whose left footed shot went flying between the keeper’s flailing hands. And though Germany had several more chances to add to that score, they couldn’t. But between their 61% possession and restricting a dangerous Nigerian side to only one shot on target, the victory was theirs.

Brazil* 0-0 Uruguay (*5-4 on Pens)

At the same time that the German’s one-sided 1-0 win was going on, we had an even more one-sided 0-0 draw. Brazil bossed the game completely against a Uruguayan side happy to sit back and frustrate. And to their credit, they did just that. Brazil’s flowing style was largely negated as they had no luck with crosses, and couldn’t penetrate through the middle, far too often settling for a pot-shot from distance. Hence 35 total shots and only 7 on target. Brazil obviously looked the more likely to score, yet once they got into injury time, it was Uruguay who found themselves with a couple of chances that they easily could have buried on a better day. Those chances can be the difference, that was what they were playing for and they let them slide. A relatively drab extra-time proceeded and it was off to penalties. Both sides seemed to have settled for that eventuality, and you soon saw why, as spot kicks were dispatched with convincing ease. Brazil scoring all five of theirs, Rodrigo Amaral the poor man to send one over for Uruguay that eventually cost them their place in the tournament.

New Zealand 1-2 Portugal

After their emphatic win over Myanmar to get them to this stage, you almost could have forgiven New Zealand for feeling the job was done before they faced a mighty Portuguese side. Instead they turned in their very best performance of the tournament, surviving a first half in which they were out-classed but never out-worked, falling behind to a fine effort from Raphael Guzzo. The kiwis rallied in the second half, and were able to fend away most of what Portugal had to offer. Then, to the absolute joy of the home crowd, substitute Stuart Holthusen found a pocket of space on the end of a loose ball, and shot his side level. New Zealand couldn’t quite hold on for extra time as they visibly tired, Gelson Martin beating a couple of exhausted defenders before curling a late winner in off the far post with the outside of his right boot. A bitter pill for NZL, however they can be immensely proud of how they competed. Portugal survive to extend their trophy quest, they face Brazil in the next round.

The Main Men

Dostonbek Khamdamov (Uzbekistan) – The first Uzbek player to score a double at the U20 World Cup, helping his side to their second consecutive quarter finals at this event. They were dead and buried a week ago.

Marc Stendera (Germany) – In a team full of brilliant players, German forward Stendera (who plays his club stuff at Eintracht Frankfurt) seems to be the focal point of the lot of them. Very few things don’t go through him, he has four goals and three assists at this tournament.

Bill Tuiloma (New Zealand) – There’s not all that much left to say about the New Zealand captain. He had his best game of NZ2015 against Portugal, showing great strength and composure at centre-back, often stepping forward to pick off passes and winning everything in the air. Absolutely massive from him.

GOOOOOOOOALS!