The crazy thing about this seasons WWC is that the "Path to the Final" was kind of set-up backwards...
You expect:
R16: good but not looking like the #1 team in the tournament opponent.
R8: Team that looks has an amazing offense, but lackluster defense and isn't ranked in the top four
QF: Extremely well rounded team that looks excellent on both sides of the ball this tourney
Final: Highest rated team left in the tourney.
And the US path was the exact opposite: #3 Sweden, Japan, likely Spain, then likely England or France.