Usual suspects continue dominance of game’s showpiece

SO much for this being a “World” Cup. The quarterfinals will be an all-European and South American battle for the first time since 2006.

Mexico said adios with a 2-0 loss to Brazil in the round of 16 and Japan sayonara when it blew a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss to Belgium, ending the hopes of Central America and Asia.

Africa didn’t make it past the group phase. Oceania and the Caribbean could not even earn an invite.

For 47 consecutive months, experts proclaim emerging soccer nations are catching up with the traditional powers.

Then the World Cup pitches its big tent and the European and South American nations knock all others to the kerb.

Turns out not much has changed from the days when players wore shorts that extended below kneecaps and booted dark T-model leather balls with thick laces.

“What we’re seeing here for the most part, when it comes to that European and South American talent, it’s in abundance, and it’s traditionally very successful,” said former United States defender Alexi Lalas, a Fox analyst.

Since the current format of group stage followed by knockout rounds started in 1986, 46 of 72 quarter-finalists have been from Europe and 18 from South America, with this morning’s England-Colombia match to decide another spot.

CONCACAF has made it three times: Mexico at home in ’86, the US in 2002 and Costa Rica in Brazil four years ago.

Africa also has three quarter-finalists: Cameroon at Italy in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana at South Africa in 2010.

There has been just one from Asia — South Korea, when it co-hosted the tournament. That Koreans were the only outsiders that advanced to a semi-final, where they lost to Germany.

Mexico is the CONCACF power, yet has lost seven straight round of 16 matches and been frustrated in its quest to reach “el quinto partido” — the fifth match — for the first time since 1986.

The quarter-finals are all European and South American for the fourth time in nine World Cups, after 1994, ’98 and ’06. Only once has more than one outsider made the last eight, when CONCACAF, Africa and Asia each advanced a team in 2002.