Biggest disappointments of the 2018 World Cup quarterfinals

Fernandinho whiffing on an attempted header and accidentally knocking the ball into his own goal 13 minutes into the match may not have been the worst moment for the Brazilian defense incapable of handling Belgium's counterattacks. At least they won't have to worry about being torched by Romelu Lukaku again in the foreseeable future. Was Marcelo even on the pitch? 

As Jamie Smith of Goal.com wrote, Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani "tried everything" to return from injury and feature for his country versus France, but it wasn't meant to be. He was sorely missed. Uruguay created little of note in the attacking third without the Paris Saint-Germain star, and the game offered nothing but disappointment to casual fans hoping to see a back-and-forth battle. 

Jan Vertonghen experienced a difficult outing in another winning effort. The Tottenham Hotspur defender reacted too slowly in the sequence that ended with Brazil's Renato Augusto hitting the back of the net. He conceded a few other scoring opportunities, and his passing left much to be desired. Belgium fans should feel hopeful Vertonghen's worst performances are behind him. 

Critics of LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic would say that the Sweden starting XI was better without the outspoken striker. That's fair, but those same people have to admit Sweden could have "dared to Zlatan" during the final 20 minutes of the match versus England. The underdogs needed a super-sub on Saturday. In other news, we hope Zlatan enjoys fish and chips. 

Dele Alli made no mistake in burying an unmarked free header in the second half of Saturday's game versus Sweden, but one good moment doesn't erase that he hasn't looked right since suffering a knock earlier in the competition. England manager Gareth Southgate might have to consider dropping the Tottenham midfielder with a trip to the World Cup Final on the line. 

Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic played through an apparent hamstring injury in the penalty shootout victory over Russia, but one can only guess how he'll feel once the adrenaline disappears. Subasic has been nothing short of fantastic, and he deserves to play in the semifinal. Whether or not he'll be able to go is unknown as of the posting of this piece. 

England fans have been in good voice throughout the World Cup, and nobody can blame them for believing football's coming home. There's just one thing: you guys seem to be wasting a lot of beer during your celebrations. Those beverages can't be cheap, especially drinks purchased inside of stadiums. Lids are your friends. 

With the previously mentioned Edinson Cavani out, Uruguay needed Luis Suarez to play the role of hero. Much like Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, Suarez couldn't answer the call when his nation needed him. He failed to register a single clear scoring opportunity. 

Sweden conceding a goal wasn't enough to make them push players forward against England before halftime. Just how boring was the opening 45 minutes? Talksport 2 commentary went to commercial five minutes before the break — seriously. 

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez deservedly received praise following his team's victory over Brazil, but he wasn't flawless — particularly during the second half of the match. Martinez waited far too long to introduce Thomas Vermaelen as defensive help to hold a 2-1 advantage, and his refusal to utilize Mousa Dembele boggles the mind. Especially when his squad needs such a presence to hold possession and slow the action during this World Cup. 

Not everything Neymar did on Friday was pathetic (more on that later), as his laid-off ball for teammate Philippe Coutinho in the 84th minute was perfect for an equalizer. Unfortunately for Brazil, Coutinho skied a chance that, at the very least, should have tested the goalkeeper. The 26-year-old Barcelona player, who otherwise produced an excellent showing on world football's biggest stage, might have nightmares about one of the worst miss-hits of the tournament. 

Uruguay weren't beating France on Friday, and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera's mishandling of a Antoine Griezmann strike shortly after the hour mark of play guaranteed the result for the favorites. Per ESPN, Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina criticized the balls used at the World Cup after Muslera's blunder. A good craftsman never blames his tools, sir. 

Russia weren't the most exciting team in the World Cup — far from it, truth be told — but the hosts captivated the entire sports world with a run that lasted longer than any reasonable person predicted at the start of June. Imagine the storylines we all could have read if the only thing standing between overachieving England qualifying for a World Cup Final was a win over a lackluster Russian side playing on home soil. Heads up, Russia. You did your country proud. 

As a shot-stopper, England's Jordan Pickford was a 10 out of 10. His save of a header in the early moments of the second half prevented Sweden from landing an equalizer that would've shifted the match's momentum. That said, Pickford's distribution — both with his foot and his hand — missed the mark too many times. A team cannot repeatedly hand possession over to an opponent in a World Cup semifinal. 

Brazil superstar Neymar left the World Cup after one last embarrassing and shameful dive in the penalty area. His talent is undeniable, but his theatrics caused him to become the subject of memes even before the loss to Belgium. Neymar's reputation suffered permanent damage regardless of what he does down the road in club and international football.