It’s down to the nitty gritty. After two weeks of sometimes joyful, sometimes boring football and plenty of excitement off the field, the FIFA World Cup has arrived at the knock-out stage, the Round of 16.

Half the 32 teams, including defending champions Italy and the beaten finalists in 2006 France, have gone home. Never before have both champion and beaten finalist from the previous World Cup been eliminated at the Group stage.

Coaches and players of the survivors are acutely aware that the cautious tactic of wait and see and safety first remains relevant — but only to a limited extent. For now there has to be a winner. No more tolerance for the draw — be it tame or drama-packed. If after 90 minutes there’s no winner, there will be half-an-hour of extra time. And if there is still no winner, the dreaded penalty shootout follows.

Already the sharp edge from the shocks and drama of recent days is fading, but some high and low points will linger long in the memory.

Italy drawn alongside Paraguay, Slovakia and little-thought-of-New Zealand could hardly have asked for better. But out they went, winless, and last-placed in their Group. Perennially touted for their sturdy defence, the Italians shockingly gave up three goals in their loss to Slovakia. They often seemed a pace or two behind their opponents — perhaps vindication of the pre-tournament criticism that coach Mr Marcello Lippi had relied too heavily on the old guard. The heroes of 2006 were four years older and far less hungry.

But perhaps even more disappointing was the shambolic performance of the French, not just on, but off the field. Reports of coach Mr Raymond Domenech being verbally abused, the accused player Mr Nicolas Anelka being sent home, and players refusing to train as a result, will no doubt have lasting consequences for French football.

Pre-tournament hopes that an African team would go all the way on home soil have all but disappeared. Ghana, up against the United States this afternoon, remains Africa’s only hope.

For the CONCACAF (Caribbean, Central and North America) and Asia, the news is much better — both with two representatives in the Round of 16: USA and Mexico in the case of CONCACAF and Japan and South Korea for Asia.

The most satisfied confederation so far must be South America. All five of their representatives — Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay — have come through with some style. None more so than the Argentines, whose talismanic Mr Lionel Messi has — despite his lack of goals — lit up the tournament with his deft skills.

The most attractive pairing in the Round of 16 is perhaps Tuesday’s Iberian clash of silky smooth Spain and her highly skilled, small neighbour and sister, Portugal.

But contests such as Germany versus England and Argentina against Mexico set for tomorrow as well as Brazil versus Chile on Monday can’t help but whet the appetite.

We can hardly wait.