OPINION: The Football World Cup cannot be won in the first week - but it can be lost.
Here are a handful of fixtures over the next few days that could boost playoff hopefuls or send some highly fancied teams home early.
England vs Tunisia – Tuesday 6am (NZ time)
Not the most appetising fixture, but it's all about what England put on show here.
Perennial underachievers at major tournaments since semi-finals at Italia ‘90 and Euro ‘96, the English headed to Russia with a genuine lack of expectation from their own pundits, let alone the footballing world.
But they have talent to burn in the front half of the pitch, with the likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard sure to cause fits for most.
Can they put it all together?
A convincing win over Tunisia would go a long way to a decent tournament result for England.
Russia vs Egypt – Wednesday 6am (NZ time)
For me, this match is all about Mohamed Salah.
If he plays, then Egypt are a legit chance to top the hosts, who despite a 5-0 opening scoreline, were less than convincing against Saudi Arabia, playing without the ball for 70 percent of the match.
Even without Salah, the Egyptians have a better attacking edge than that provided by the Saudi and are much better defensively. It's a must-win game for the African side, playing their first World Cup since 1990.
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The Egyptians were more than a match for Uruguay in their opener, which suggests they should have a fair bit of the ball against the home side.
For Russia, the equation is a simple one - earn a point, and goal difference should be enough to get you through to the knockout stages and appease Mr Putin.
Australia vs Denmark – Thursday midnight (NZ time)
Okay, so I know most Kiwis took a fair amount of pleasure in watching the Aussies just fall short against the French, but that was a mighty performance from our neighbours.
They were playing a talent-rich France outfit that will more than likely play at the business end of the tournament.
Australia defended magnificently, and attacked with pace and skill. The Danes were lucky to escape the banana skin that Peru provided them, outplayed for the majority.
This is a crucial match-up in the final make-up of this group - a win for either side will have them sniffing the second round.
In Denmark's case, they would likely be there.
France vs Peru – Friday 3am (NZ time)
Peru were dominant against Denmark, but a lack of finesse in the final third prevented them from a deserved three points.
Now they face a must-win game with the French.
Didier Deschamps' men were fairly lucky to leave with all three points against the Socceroos, but played most of that match with the ball.
This could be a little different, given the technical prowess of the South American side. This is a real sleeper match in the group stage and could set the tournament on fire, if Peru can top the European giants.
Argentina vs Croatia – Friday 6am (NZ time)
The great Lionel Messi will have the weight of Argentina on his slim shoulders on Friday morning.
A win and Argentina are likely heading for the second round, but a loss could spell disaster for the 2014 finalists.
Croatia were impressive in dispatching a very good Nigerian side 2-0 on Sunday and have one of the most loaded mid-fields in the tournament, with names like Modric, Rakitic, Kovacic and Brozovic.
They will have their moments and a fragile Argentine defence may not have the answers. That leaves the ball firmly at the feet of Messi.
He must put in a vintage performance against the Europeans or the South American giants could be on an early flight home.
Brad Lewis is Newshub senior online sports producer.
