FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – It’s a shame that some of the cream of the World Cup already has turned sour.

Predictably, six European nations have joined Brazil and Argentina in the quarterfinals, and the eight survivors include the six former champions who were in the 32-team competition when it kicked off June 9.

But when are they going to start playing the beautiful game? There have been plenty of goals, saves and drama. But where’s the flowing football? Maybe the players left it behind with their clubs last season and they are simply too stale or tired to reproduce it.

Try to recall a game that had eye-catching passing movements. It’s hard to remember seeing players weave through defenses with mesmerizing runs without being hacked down. It’s been too many long balls, not enough skill on the ball, far too many unnecessary fouls.

Which of the eight survivors look like worthy winners? Host Germany and Argentina, for sure, but they play each other in Berlin on Friday. Defending champion Brazil, still not out of second gear, faces aging France, which was close to going out in the first round for the second World Cup in a row, but has finally shown glimpses of why it beat the Brazilians in the 1998 final.

England-Portugal doesn’t look like a classic because neither team has hit top form, and Italy-Ukraine is likely to be decided by one goal – unless former AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko breaks through the miserly Italian defense. A game-by-game look at the quarterfinals:

Germany-Argentina at Berlin (Friday)

This has the potential to be one of the all-time great World Cup games.

Criticized for commuting from California, coach Juergen Klinsmann has convinced a skeptical German public that he has assembled a youthful team capable of winning the title now, not in four years.

His young defenders are surviving the pressure of being in the spotlight as hosts, and co-strikers Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski have scored seven goals between them while forming an almost telepathic understanding when it comes to setting up chances for each other.

Argentina coach Jose Pekerman has an embarrassment of riches on his squad. He takes off starting strikers Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola and replaces them with Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi, with Juan Riquelme pulling defenses apart with his imaginative support and accurate passing.

Argentina 2-1.

Italy-Ukraine at Hamburg (Friday)

The Italians scrambled into the last eight thanks to a questionable penalty 12 seconds from the end of injury time against upstart Australia. Now they face a Ukraine team that got to the last eight because Switzerland missed all its spot kicks in a shootout after a tedious 0-0 tie.

Marcello Lippi’s defenders are well aware of the threat posted by Shevchenko, who scored 173 goals in seven seasons for Milan before moving to Chelsea a month ago. But the Ukrainian striker won’t have Marco Materazzi in his way because the center back is suspended after being sent off against Australia.

Oleh Blokhin’s team has made it all the way to the quarters despite losing 4-0 to Spain in its first World Cup game. The Spaniards, meanwhile, are out. Ukraine has had an easy ride, however, beating Saudi Arabia and Tunisia and then outlasting the Swiss.

Italy 1-0.

England-Portugal at Gelsenkirchen (Saturday)

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, running out of time before he leaves the job after the World Cup, has promised a long-overdue good performance. Judging by the previous four games, where he gets his optimism from is a mystery. Wayne Rooney is getting sharper after his six-week layoff with a broken foot, but Michael Owen has already gone home with a ruptured knee ligament and Eriksson’s alternatives are limited.

Now the Swede takes on Luiz Felipe Scolari, who took Brazil to its fifth World Cup triumph four years ago, and was linked with the England job as Eriksson’s successor. Scolari has a record 11 consecutive World Cup victories.

Portugal has two players suspended from the yellow and red card infested 1-0 victory over the Netherlands. Forget the soccer, the two teams had an unprecedented four players sent off.

The absence of Deco and Costinha through suspension could weaken the Portuguese, and much will depend on how Luis Figo’s legs withstand another tiring game. The England defenders are experienced enough to deal with the wing threat of Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, if he is recovered from a leg injury, and make up for Portugal’s penalty-kick shootout victory in the quarterfinals of Euro 2004.

England 1-0.

Brazil-France at Frankfurt (Saturday)

The world is still waiting for Brazil to carry its weight. But Ronaldo has shrugged off ridicule about his poundage to score three goals and become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 15.

But Ronaldinho has been shadow boxing so far, with few successful examples of his bewildering footwork, and Adriano is off form despite two goals.

With seven of the players who took part in that 1998 final in Paris back to face each other eight years later, Brazil has plenty of motivation to beat the French. But it was the defending champion then, as well, and came up with a weak effort in the final.

Raymond Domenech’s players were teetering on the edge before they beat modest Togo 2-0 in their final group game. But France’s celebrations after coming from behind to beat Spain 3-1 in the second round on Tuesday were like they’d won the title again.

Old hands Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira and Lilian Thuram need to raise their game again, while Thierry Henry is far short of his Arsenal form.

Brazil 2-0.

AP-ES-06-28-06 1119EDT