With England’s much publicised match-up with Germany in the last sixteen, it’s a good time to examine how the knockout phase is beginning to shape up and the impact that is likely to have on our Fantasy lineup selections. One half of the draw is now complete giving us, not only a team’s next round opponent but also their potential opponents in the Quarter-Finals. One glance at this and you can see why Landon Donovan’s last-gasp winner against Algeria was so significant.

Donovan’s strike not only put USA into the last sixteen, it gave them a draw as Group C winners, that would see them paired with either Uruguay or South Korea should they navigate their way past the Ghanaians. There’s no question that this first quarter of the draw is the easier of the two so far, with England paired with the winners of Argentina vs Mexico should they see off Germany on Sunday.

The Fantasy implications are pretty clear. The bulk of our transfers need to be aimed squarely at the four teams in the first half of the draw. All four sides have an array of budget or mid-price talent available that will allow us to fill up positions and free up significant funds for the big name players elsewhere. The likes of Messi, Higuain, Lahm and Podolski will all remain popular signings although it’s likely that many of these players are already ensconced in many a Fantasy lineup. It’s finding the smaller stones to drop around these Fantasy rocks that is the real trick and perhaps the key to success in the knockout phase…

Uruguay look to be the favourites to make progress over the next two rounds and claim a semi-final spot. Their defence has been robust while in attack they have a striker in Diego Forlan who has the potential to be the standout player in their half of the draw. Certainly there’s no other striker with his reputation amongst the Korean, US or Ghanaian squads and Forlan already has two goals in the tournament. His price has been on the rise since his brace against South Africa and he and Argentina’s Diego Higuain are the most transferred in strikers in this round. Paddy Power have also shortened their odds for Forlan’s claim to the Golden Boot – he now stands at 12/1 and he certainly looks a good option to move closer to a winning tally over the next two rounds. Another McFIFA price rise is likely before the transfer window closes on Saturday.

Aside from Forlan it’s no surprise to see the Uruguayan defence picking up plenty of investment having not conceded a goal in the group stages. Maximiliano Pereira has seen a 0.2 McFIFA price increase in this round, as has keeper Nestor Musrela. Pereira has amassed over 20,000 transfers in for the round so far so yet another rise looks likely for both him and his keeper. Fellow defenders Diego Lugano and Jorge Fucile (Uruguay’s top tackler) are attracting suitors and have also seen their values jump in the round. It’s pretty clear that you need at least one Uruguayan defender for the last sixteen – if you don’t have him in place now, you’re going to be paying over the odds on the eve of the deadline.

The midfield is less of an attraction. Alvaro Pereira has seen heavy investment, along with budget option Arvaleo Rios but both have spent the majority of their time in their own half and have picked up 9 defensive bonus points between them as a result. Pereira’s goal in the 3-0 win over South Africa signalled a huge jump in his popularity as a Fantasy signing but his goal threat is perhaps restrained by defensive duties. Certainly when it comes to solo runs – such a prominent method of scoring in the McFIFA game, neither player has made an impression. Both could well be little more than squad filler then – value options that allow for funds to be liberated for bigger investments. Even so, they look assured of starts and more defensive bonus could come their way over the next two rounds.

In contrast to the midfield, defender Maximiliano Pereira has shown up with 8 solo runs from right-back so far, earning him 4 attacking bonus points to go with is clean sheet returns. That’s the biggest attacking bonus contribution in the Uruguayan squad. When you consider that stat, the huge interest in him looks fully justified and he begins to look like a must-have signing for the knockout rounds.

Team USA are considered favourites to edge past Ghana and it’s not surprising to see Landon Donovan attracting Fantasy interest as a result. If you fancy further progress for the Americans then you surely have to back Donovan for returns. All-action midfielder Michael Bradley is the bigger draw right now however and he has seen close on 9,000 transfers in for the round so far. His impressive defensive bonus returns are behind the interest but Clint Dempsey surely looks the bigger threat in attacking terms. He’s been unlucky not to have registered more than the one goal in the opener with England and, for my mind, could be worth that extra investment for the clash with Ghana. In defence meanwhile the pace and attacking talents of Steve Cherundolo has won him some attention and a McFIFA price rise. Clean sheets look a look shot from here on in but Cherundolo could be worth a gamble if you need to save cash in defensive areas.

That leaves both South Korea and Ghana as outsiders for progression to the Quarter-Finals then. Certainly the Koreans have their work cut-out against the efficient Uruguayans. Two goals in the group stages has seen Lee Jung-Soo earn almost 8000 investors in defence, while the bonus returns of Bolton’s Chung Yung Lee have seen him pick up interest from those looking to save cash in midfield. Overall attacking bonus is thin on the ground in the Korean camp, defensively it’s Cho Yong-Hyung that’s been the most effective with 12 clearances in total, although a clean sheet against Uruguay looks unlikely – he could well be in line for further defensive bonus and at just 3.6 looks a budget option.

As for Ghana, currently it’s the budget talents of Andre Ayew that’s earning the most interest in McFIFA. That’s not surprising given his 3.7 price tag and 10 point bonus point haul. FIFA’s attacking statistics show no less than 11 solo runs for Ayew and he looks to be a major consideration given his price, regardless of how you feel about Ghana’s chances. Elsewhere Kevin-Prince Boateng continues to impress alongside him in midfield. He’s picked up steady attacking bonus over all three group matches and could be a key threat against USA in the next round. Up front it’s all about Asamoah Gyan who presents an option if you’re scratching around for a mid-price forward. For me there are far better options elsewhere in the draw. More on that to come.