Argentina will play Croatia and France take on Morocco in the semi-finals; it will be a great story whoever lifts the trophy
One of the most exhilarating, yet also brutal, things about a World Cup is the way it reaches a crescendo. The games become less frequent, from four in a day at the start to four a week at the end, but they are increasingly imbued with a savage jeopardy. Careers are defined, for richer and poorer, potential champions are bumped off without warning or sentiment like Janet Leigh in Psycho, and before you know it there are only a few teams left standing.
