Group stage battles: The home stretch

Group A
Uruguay 4, Mexico 4, France 1, South Africa 1
If Uruguay and Mexico kicked the ball around for 90 minutes and agreed to tie, they'd both advance and Uruguay would claim the top spot having the better goal differential. Of course, match-fixing is illegal and there is actually something to play for here. The second-place team likely faces Argentina in the Round of 16 while the group's winner faces either Greece or South Korea. I'd take the latter. France -- where do we begin?  -- and South Africa need serious help and plenty of goals.

Group B
Argentina 6, South Korea 3, Greece 3, Nigeria 0
Argentina takes the group with a tie or a win against Greece. Even if it loses, it would need to be by a large margin for either the Greeks or South Korea (if they defeat Nigeria) to make up the goal differential and win the group. South Korea has the edge for second place because, quite simply, it's not playing Argentina. The Nigerians, despite going 0-2 so far, can still advance if they win and Argentina defeats Greece.

Group C
Slovenia 4, USA 2, England 2, Algeria 1
We've been over this one and it's a wide open race. The U.S., England and Slovenia control their own fate with win-and-they're-in situations. Algeria needs to win and get some help in the goal differential and/or goals scored department.

Group D
Ghana 4, Germany 3, Serbia 3, Australia 1
The Germans and Ghanaians square off with the winner advancing, likely as the top seed. Serbia will advance with a win and could take the group if the Germany-Ghana match ends in a tie. The Aussies, after taking a 4-0 drubbing in their first game, still hope to advance with a win over the Serbs paired with a Ghana win.

Group E
Netherlands 6, Japan 3, Denmark 3, Cameroon 0
The Dutch are in and Cameroon is out. The winner of the other match between Japan and Denmark is in. If they tie, Japan would be the second seed based on goal differential. The Dutch could only be the second seed with a loss and a blowout win in the other game.

Group F
Paraguay 4, Italy 2, New Zealand 2, Slovakia 1
The standings in this one mirror Group C with a slightly bigger goal differential separating the first- and last-place teams. Paraguay, Italy and New Zealand can advance with a win. Slovakia has to defeat Italy and get some help.

Group G
Brazil 6, Portugal 4, Ivory Coast 1, North Korea 0
The winner of the Brazil-Portugal game wins the group. Because of Portugal's dynamite goal differential, even if Brazil wins, the Ivory Coast would have to make up a 9-goal differential by thumping North Korea.

Group H
Chile 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 3, Honduras 0
Though Chile already owns six points and sits in first place, if it falls to Spain, it still could miss out on the next round if the Swiss score enough goals in a win over Honduras. For Spain, it's in with a win. If three teams wind up with six points, there's a chance this one goes to multiple tiebreakers.