The phony war is finally over - let the real battle commence.
The initial skirmishes and general jockeying for position of the group stages are behind us. From now on every match counts.
What have we learned - if anything - about the various qualities of the remaining sixteen competitors? First round statistics can certainly be a guide, but surely should not be taken as gospel when attempting to gaze into soccer's crystal ball towards the 'business end' of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
It's no surprise that all the pre-tournament favourites successfully negotiated the first hurdle, albeit, in the case of Brazil, by the skin of their teeth. Does that mean that this season's crop is not up to par with their illustrious predecessors, or that they were over-confident, or merely that they've started slowly and have yet to be tested when it really matters?
One thing's for sure, if Brazil does go on to lift the U-20 trophy for a fifth time on July 22nd, no one will remember that shock defeat to Poland on the tournament's opening day. And whatever the reasons behind their uncharacteristic lethargy thus far, the Brazilians will certainly need to be firing on all cylinders against the unbeaten Europeans champions from Spain if they're to make any further progress.
The Brazilians' great rivals, Argentina, by contrast have, so far, lived up to their pre-tournament billing. They breezed into the round of sixteen without conceding a single goal and the defending champions will be hot favourites to book a quarter-final berth at the expense of the aforementioned Poles.
That could set up an intriguing encounter with the much-hyped Mexicans, a team blessed with the brilliant individual skills of Giovanni dos Santos, and the only nation to maintain a 100 per cent winning record through the group stages.
Meanwhile the U.S. and Chile must be licking their respective lips if they dare to peer over the horizon. Both teams hit the ground running in Canada with a series of impressive performances.
The Americans can claim to be the tournament's top scorers and with Freddy Adu and Josmer Altidore among their ranks, they'll expect to beat the goal-shy Uruguayans in Toronto. The previously unheralded Chileans have also caught the eye - comfortable in possession, incisive going forward and solid defensively. If they can get past Portugal in Edmonton, the South Americans could look ahead with justifiable confidence to a place in the final four.
Finally, let's pay tribute to the African nations competing at the tournament. All four of their representatives - Congo, Gambia, Nigeria, and Zambia - advanced to the round of sixteen with a combination of physical, fast flowing, almost carefree soccer to the delight of their colourful and vibrant fans.
And at least one is guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals, since Nigeria and Zambia go head-to-head in Ottawa. The Gambians, meanwhile, fresh from their memorable victory over Portugal, will be in buoyant mood against a well-organized but somewhat predictable Austrian line-up.
Time to put my head on the chopping block and attempt to select a final four, on the clear understanding that you don't come back and read this and laugh like a hyena when the semifinals are done and dusted.
Semifinal 1: USA vs. Brazil (Edmonton)
Semifinal 2: Chile vs. Argentina (Toronto)
Keep following the U-20 World Cup, because whatever you've seen so far, believe me, the tournament's just getting started.
