5. Hometown advantage » A win over Uruguay would make Ghana the first African team to make the World Cup semifinals. How fitting would it be for the Black Stars to make a deep run in Africa’s first time as a host nation.
4. Race for the Golden Boot » Three players have four goals in the tournament: David Villa (Spain), Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina) and Robert Vittek (Slovakia). And talented strikers Luis Fabiano (Brazil) and Luis Suarez (Uruguay) lead a group of four players with three goals that are still alive in the tournament.
3. Dutch breakthrough » The Netherlands, along with Argentina, are the only two nations to win every game this World Cup. But the Dutch have never won the World Cup and face Brazil on Friday.
2. Will Messi ever score? » Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. He leads the tournament with 23 shots and has been involved in many of Argentina’s goals. But he has yet to put one in the back of the net. It’s bound to happen soon though, right?
1. South American dominance » Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay made the quarterfinals and there is a chance for an all-South American final four.
