Biggest disappointments of the 2018 World Cup Round of 16

Once again, Neymar's brilliant, world-class play was overshadowed by his overacting and embellishments. The 26-year-old continues to flirt with danger and being shown a yellow card, at least, for his theatrics. He's become the most polarizing player in the tournament. 

Football can be cruel, as evidenced by Argentina's Marcos Rojo going from hero to goat in less than a week. Rojo's unnecessary and silly foul on Kylian Mbappe in the penalty area gifted France a lead before the match's 15th minute, and manager Jorge Sampaoli removed Rojo from the contest at halftime.  

Portugal's Raphael Guerreiro delivered a perfect ball for Pepe that was headed home, but losing Uruguay's Edinson Cavani in the penalty area is an unforgivable crime. Guerreiro was a ball-watching liability on a defense guilty of yet another poor showing at this World Cup. 

Simply stated, Spain's David Silva looked slow and without energy from the early stages of the match versus Russia. That he was removed from the action in the 67th minute even though La Roja were seeking the go-ahead tally speaks to how disappointing he was during what should be his final World Cup fixture. 

The penalty shootout between Croatia and Denmark made for great theater, but it could have been avoided had midfield maestro Luka Modric converted from the spot late in extra time. Modric did well to hit the back of the net during the shootout won by Croatia to keep his World Cup dreams alive, however.

Denmark star and key man Christian Eriksen failed to beat Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic in the shootout, and that miss may haunt the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder for years to come. As Rob Tanner of the Leicester Mercury wrote, Eriksen admitted after the match that he and others on the team let goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who kept his team alive by saving Modric's penalty, down. 

Mexico shouldn't feel shame in losing to a superior Brazil team, but coach Juan Carlos Osorio seemed to have no backup plan once the Brazilians survived early attacks and entered halftime having not conceded. Rafael Marquez performed well in the first half, but Osorio selecting a 39-year-old who could only go 45 minutes against arguably the top side in the tournament remains a curious decision. 

Romelu Lukaku's run that helped propel Belgium past France was a thing of beauty and football poetry in motion. Praise the Manchester United striker all you want for that moment, but also realize he should have notched a brace, at least, during the second half. Belgium need Lukaku to be more clinical in the box moving forward. 

Everything about Japan's final corner versus Belgium was disastrous. The cross itself was poor, and the underdogs threw too many players forward and were left unprepared and outnumbered for what could be the best counterattack of the World Cup when all is said and done. 

Nacer Chadli winning it for the Red Devils on the final kick of the game disappointed viewers around the world who wanted to watch Belgium and Japan play an extra 30 minutes. The second half, one filled with box-to-box action, was maybe the best to date of the World Cup. 

Sweden were the better side and deserved to defeat Switzerland and advance, but their finishing must improve against better competition. Albin Ekdal can put this miss out of his memory ahead of his side's quarterfinal game versus England. If only a lengthy striker and proven scorer, perhaps one starting for a Major League Soccer side this July, was available for the Swedes. 

ESPN FC's Sam Kelly rated four of the five Argentina defenders who featured against France a "4" or lower. That may have been generous. This back line was as bad as advertised, if not worse, and France did Argentina a favor by sending them home after a single knockout game. 

The 21-year-old Goncalo Guedes was given an opportunity to shine for Portugal versus Uruguay, but he flopped in a shift that mercifully ended 16 minutes before time. Guedes offered little in link-up play with Cristiano Ronaldo on a day when Portugal needed both to excel. 

Russia happily conceded possession to Spain throughout Sunday's affair, and the favorites to advance fell right into the trap by creating nothing resembling creative attacks. The result was an intolerable bore of a match, up until the penalty shootout, that no person should be forced to ever watch again. 

Mexico needed veteran striker Javier Hernandez to produce something special versus Brazil, but he disappeared well before he was removed from the game after an hour. Chicharito looked out of his element and was forced to drop back searching for possession far too often during what may have been the 30-year-old's last World Cup appearance. 

The Belgium defense is supposed to be one of the team's strengths, but you wouldn't have known that watching the unit perform during the second half of Monday's game against Japan. Jan Vertonghen's shocking mistake allowed Japan's Genki Haraguchi to open the scoring three minutes after the halftime break, and the Red Devils were fortunate to only be down by a pair of goals before Lady Luck guided Vertonghen's 69th-minute header inside the far post. This back line must be better versus Brazil.

American soccer supporters tweeting about Tuesday's match between England and Colombia couldn't help but joke while watching referee Mark Geiger lose control of the contest well before halftime. The latest "Geiger Show" involved him giving only a yellow card to Colombia's Wilmar Barrios following a deliberate headbutt and allowing players from both sides to stall via arguments and protests. Geiger's critics would love watching him work in MLS. 

There's no one person to blame for Spain's inexcusable loss to Russia. With that said, we still can't figure out what Gerard Pique was thinking when he raised his hand over his head before the ball struck it inside of the box minutes ahead of halftime. As Joe Short of the Daily and Sunday Express wrote, it's expected Pique will retire from international duties. 

Ahead of the World Cup, Argentina supporters feared manager Jorge Sampaoli called in the wrong team for his specific tactics and that his selections would leave a weak defense exposed. That's precisely what occurred in the loss to France. Per Simon Mullock of the Irish Mirror, Sampaoli could receive £16.8 million, the remaining amount on his contract, if he is sacked. At least somebody from Argentina won something this summer. 

Here's some free advice for every outlet covering the World Cup: If you're thinking about making an immigration joke about Mexico or any other team in a headline or social-media post, walk away, and don't return to your computers until you've located logic and common sense. The internet never forgets. 

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has until July 6 to fix his side's porous defense ahead of a showdown with a Brazilian side capable of lighting up a scoreboard against any opponent. Martinez must consider starting Moussa Dembele to control possession in the midfield and also provide cover for a back line repeatedly torched by Japan. 

Colombia were dreadfully negative, in tactics and style, for roughly 85 minutes of Tuesday's game versus England without an injured James Rodriguez, and they were unable to make use of a second chance in extra time after scoring a late equalizer. Their six yellow cards only tell part of the story. How they entered the shootout with all 11 players still on the pitch is anybody's guess. 

There's truth behind those "death by 1,000 passes" jokes made at Spain's expense. Spain weren't merely boring versus Russia. The tactics utilized by manager Fernando Hierro were ineffective throughout the tournament, and Sunday's result left many wondering if "tiki-taka" still has a home in world football in 2018. 

Squawka Football ‏listed three stats to show how disappointing Cristiano Ronaldo performed against Uruguay. The Portugal and Real Madrid superstar registered the fewest touches, fewest attempted passes and fewest completed passes. That woeful display may be the 33-year-old's last in a World Cup. Portugal, and everyone who has followed his historic career, deserved better from him. 

In fairness, Jorge Sampaoli failed Lionel Messi by waiting too long before giving the Barcelona star help up front via Sergio Aguero. Fielding Messi as a false nine hung him out to dry, but Argentina nevertheless needed the 31-year-old to be the best player in the world. He wasn't, and his performance against France won't quiet critics who will point to his international record when comparing him with other all-time greats.