After the attack-minded tactics and goal glut of the group stages, the World Cup quarterfinals were predictably marked by caution and even aggression as hosts Brazil pushed soccer's laws to the limit in dispatching Colombia.

Only five goals were scored across the four games, and the average per match at the finals has crept down to 2.6, still the highest since 2.7 in France 1998 but far short of the record of 5.4 in Switzerland in 1954.

The inevitable tension of the knockout phase prompted some coaches to fall back on negativity and Brazil's ugly 2-1 win over the Colombians was a depressing comedown after some entertaining contests earlier in the tournament when a majority of teams played with ambition, style and verve.

Colombia were drawn into a kicking match, with the Brazilians clearly under orders from coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to win by any means.

Scolari's players committed 31 fouls and Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo waited until well into the second half, and for 41 to be committed overall, before he showed his first yellow card, a caution for Thiago Silva that means the Brazil captain misses Tuesday's semifinal against Germany.

The game was also marred by the injury to Brazil talisman Neymar, who suffered a fractured vertebra after a clumsy challenge by Colombia ­defender Juan Zuniga, depriving the tournament of one of its most exciting forwards.

The dark side of the encounter in Fortaleza overshadowed David Luiz's brilliant free kick that won the game for Brazil as Scolari appeared to have instructed his players to treat fouling as a tactical resource rather than an infringement of the laws of the game.

The quarterfinal between European heavyweights Germany and France was a much tamer affair, with the Germans taking an early lead through Mats Hummels and content to sit back and protect it on a hot afternoon in Rio de Janeiro.

France had set the finals alight after putting five goals past Switzerland and thrashing Honduras 3-0 in the group phase but that was a distant memory as Les Bleus had little to offer in attack.

Saturday's last-eight clash between Argentina and Belgium followed a similar pattern, with the South Americans going ahead in the eighth minute through Gonzalo Higuain and showing little inclination to push for a second goal.

Alejandro Sabella's side, desperate to make the last four for the first time since 1990, turned in a canny tactical display in Brasilia and survived a few late scares from an otherwise toothless Belgian team to set up a semifinal meeting with the Netherlands.

Runners-up to Spain in 2010, the Dutch got sweet revenge when they thrashed the holders 5-1 in their opening group game but their obvious attacking strengths were ­unable to break through a ­determined Costa Rica defense in their quarterfinal.

With Costa Rica defending desperately for long periods, all the team's fans ­celebrated the end of extra time and taking the Dutch to a penalty shootout as if they had won the game.

Bidding to become the first Central American team to reach the last four at a World Cup, they chose caution rather than playing the enterprising ­soccer that had garnered surprise wins against Italy and Uruguay and a draw with another former ­winners England that secured top spot in Group D.

In the end, they were undone by a ruthlessly efficient set of Dutch penalties, Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul coming off the bench at the end of extra time to save two Costa Rican spot kicks.

The match was more evidence, if any were needed, that negative tactics can pay off.

If they fail the doubt will always remain that perhaps taking the match to your ­opponents, at least in the early ­stages, might be the better ­option.

However, with so much at stake, particularly for hosts Brazil, a similar approach is likely for the semifinals.