Year of the dark horse?

The group stages of the World Cup are finally done with and while teams such as England, Spain and France will now be turning their attention to adding a second star and denying Uruguay or Argentina a third or even Brazil their record sixth, there will be a few that will quietly be hoping to add a maiden World Cup trophy to their cabinet.

And with the way things have been going, they may very well be getting a once-in-a-generation opportunity -- quite literally for some.

Even before the World Cup proper kicked off, there were whispers of an uprising following the exclusion of heavyweights Netherlands and Italy, although the latter's presence may not even have had an impact at this stage considering they were eliminated from the group stages in 2010 and 2014.

The inexplicable drama of the group stages was a showcase for the 'little guys' such as Sweden, Switzerland and even Japan. And they showed that the gap between them and the more traditional powerhouses are smaller than ever.

With Germany eliminated, and not a single team on song as yet, the way the bracket has formed is the perfect recipe for a dark horse to rise up and live up to their potential. In fact, there has not been a sequence so ruthless on one half of the draw and so merciful on the other.

Local favourites Brazil and Argentina are on one side, joined by European champions Portugal, France, Uruguay, Belgium, Mexico and Japan; meaning that two of those teams will make it to the semifinals and one to the final.

This is also the half that offers up the most romantic encounters such as potential match-ups between Argentina and Brazil in the semifinals, which may cause an all-out war across Bangladesh, and a showdown between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the quarterfinals.

However, on the other side there is potential for any number of teams to upset Spain, the only Goliath in their half, and make a dream run to the final.

The 2010 champions came into the tournament with the best form but since the day before the start of the showpiece event, they have been under a dark cloud. The last-minute sacking of coach Julen Lopetegui, a constant barrage of questions over the ability of his replacement and two humdrum showings against Iran and Morocco salvaged by late goals will only serve to inspire the others.

Most notable among them are England and Colombia. The English will direct you to the fact that the last time they made it further in a tournament than Germany, they lifted the trophy. The Colombians, meanwhile, will be hoping that the return of Radamel Falcao and a host of others joining in will give them the boost they need. One of them will be silenced at the first hurdle.

The giant-killing Swedes, who ousted Netherlands and Italy in the qualifiers and facilitated Germany's exit in the first round, will be looking to exterminate whoever remains if they can battle past Switzerland.

Perennial dark horses Belgium will be chomping at the bit with everything -- from their stars entering their primes, a more tactically flexible new coach and of course the draw -- in their favour.

However, perhaps the best chance lies with Croatia. They showed that their midfield was nothing to trifle with in a thorough humiliation of Argentina as they walked Group D. And if things go to plan and they get past Denmark in the last 16, they will likely face Spain in the quarterfinals. A win there would likely propel them past any one of England, Colombia, Sweden or Switzerland in the semis.

And once the final begins, it's anyone's guess.