Brazil 2014 Winners!!!

To say that Brazil 2014 is the best World Cup tournament of the modern era may sound subjective, but there is no arguing against its entertainment value. Given how much effort FIFA has put into developing the game to allow more goals to be scored, they can celebrate this tournament as the most successful in history given that it had the highest number of goal scorers and tied France 1998 for most goals scored. More fitting though, for the first time since 2002, the Champions were the most offensive team, defeating the sometimes dulling sports cliché, “defense wins Championships”.

CONGRATULATIONS GERMANY!!! Despite winning Euro 1996 as unified Germany, German football generally seemed to lose its way with the collapse of the Berlin wall. Humiliating defeats at World Cup 1998, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004 forced a grass roots effort to revive success for this footballing power house. In the 2006 World Cup with Germany as host nation, the revolution begun as they delivered a group of younger-technical players and an adventurous style of play that was such a breath of fresh air. How fitting that after the agonizingly near misses of World Cup 2006, Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012, Germany is rewarded with the first European nation World Cup triumph on South American soil!

The South American hosts were hoping to exorcise the one blemish on their football record, “failure to win the previous World Cup they hosted in 1950”. So united were the Brazilians in this goal that the multitudes demonstrating in the build up to this World Cup put their cause on hold, as the nation cheered the Seleção with one loud and passionate voice. It is argued that it is this passion that led to their annihilation at the hands of the eventual World Champions but the Brazilians may have more to celebrate than staging a very successful World Cup. It would have been even more painful had Argentina, their bitter South American rivals, triumphed on Brazilian soil like Uruguay did more than a half century ago.

Argentina however deserves a lot of credit for a disciplined performance that led them to the periphery of winning the tournament, despite appearing to be overly reliant on one star player. Winning the Golden Ball award for the best player in the tournament may be scanty reward for Lionel Messi, but it may cause a rethink by those Argentina fans that questioned his commitment to the national team. Messi and Netherlands’ Arjen Robben are two players that kept us on the edge of our seats with their jaw dropping skill, and gave football fans the moments that they will remember Brazil 2014 by.

Congratulations to James Rodriguez for winning the Golden boot for the tournament’s top scorer. He and his Colombian team mates will also stick in memory for the way they celebrated each goal by performing a brief choreographed salsa dance.

Costa Rica the tournament’s Cinderella team deserves an honorable mention for the way they stood up to more illustrious opponents, making it all the way to the quarter finals without losing a game in regulation time. Congratulations to CONCACAF for a record three teams making it to the knock out stages and for their breathtaking goal keeping displays. Africa despite a generally disappointing tournament also celebrated taking two teams to the knock out stages for the first time in history.

Of course the infamous Suarez-bite and African team strikes for unpaid bonuses attempted to throw some blemish into the mix but FIFA deserves credit for the way it has addressed these. For all the corruption and imprudent statements that have scarred their leadership, it is surprising that FIFA responded quickly and decisively to Suarez’s animalistic tendencies and are at least discussing a solution to the constant bonus-saga that encumbers African teams. With Brazil 2014 now behind us, it may leave a legacy of the tournament when FIFA and Brazilian football finally begun to get their act together. Brazil’s humiliating defeat is likely to force the kind of system overhaul that their conquerors had to go through almost a decade ago, and this pain will hopefully make Brazilian football stronger.

Semi-finals to Savor!

Down to the last four teams of what has been a fascinating contest between the thirty-two finalist nations from across the globe, this is a time when each game’s special moments are firmly engrained in the history of the world’s favorite sport. As the last sixty games have treated us to goals galore, giant-killing performances, first-class goalkeeping and tactical master class, some may wonder what new the semi-finals will have to offer.

While the quarter finals of most World Cup finals boast the game of the tournament, tact and experience came to the fore at the Brazil 2014 quarter finals. Given the semi-final matchups at this tournament, we shall tune in more in expectation than hope that this round should deliver the game of the tournament. In the quarter finals, football’s super powers may have been hampered by the fear to lose to lesser opponents, but in a face off against each other, should be liberated to play to their respective strengths.

One half of the draw features a face-off between two of this tournament’s most captivating players. Messi’s moments of magic carried Argentina through their sluggish start to the tournament while Robben’s mesmerizing runs have kept all witnesses on tips of their toes. While home turf and the “Messi factor” tip the balance in Argentina’s favor, there is an element of suspense because no one can predict the impact of Netherlands’ maverick coach’s next move. After losing in three World Cup finals, the Dutch will be desperate to shed the title of “Greatest footballing nation to never win a World Cup.” The Dutch were arguably very unfortunate to lose the 1974 and 1978 finals, but having gone through the last round on spot kicks, they may start to believe that they have finally traded their misfortune for the luck of the Irish!

The other half of the semi-finals features two teams that have historically achieved the sport’s greatest success using quite contradictory methods. Brazil traditionally renowned for their flair and the German’s for their efficiency have recently appeared to switch philosophy. Especially robbed of Neymar, their poster boy, the Brazilians are expected to fight for every ball and probably win more out of will than ilk as they are fervently roared on by an entire nation. The German’s on the other hand move into their fourth consecutive World Cup semi-final playing a more possession based game and will be desperate to shed their new found tag of “Football’s nearly men”.

Given that no European team has ever won the World Cup on South American soil, Argentina and Brazil may be considered slight favorites heading into their respective ties. Should these two fierce rivals advance and get pitted against each other in the final, Brazil will have to face their greatest fear of losing another final on home soil, worse still, this time to their arch enemy. Netherlands and Germany will be desperate for their own success, and given the relative mediocrity of their South American rivals’ teams, will know that they may never have a better opportunity to assert European football supremacy. These contests may be too close to call, but it is the teams that have a greater desire to win than a fear to lose that will prevail!

A Battle Against History

With a flurry of first round goals and nail biting finishes to second round games, we eagerly anticipate the new twist that will be delivered by the quarter finals of World Cup 2014.

With seven of the last round’s games not decided until the last 10 minutes, it is ironical that only the game featuring Uruguay did not have a nail biting end. Whether this was down to the brilliance of James Rodriguez and the Colombia stars or the absence of Uruguay’s star striker, a match up against the host nation in the next round is the best way to settle this debate. With only the crossbar preventing Mauricio Pinilla’s shot from settling the tie against the hosts in favor of Chile, this game also offers Brazil’s Seleção an opportunity to finally prove their doubters wrong. While many pundits believe that history and home support will inspire Brazil to step up their game, I am backing Colombia’s collective strength and ambition to reveal a fighting spirit the Los Cafeteros have not needed so far in this tournament. Unlike any other World Cup tournament, Brazil has the extra motivation to correct the only blemish on their record, being the only major soccer power yet to win a major tournament as hosts. With history beckoning for both nations, this looks like a tie that will be settled in favor of the team with the greater will.

Before Colombia can overcome their historically dominant South American rival, France will have a score to settle with their European nemesis. Despite looking the more complete team this tournament and having the motivation to complete their renaissance since a shambolic showing at World Cup 2010, France will face a German team equally determined to end a run of three impressive major tournaments without silver ware. Given France’s sequence in the last four world cups of first round elimination preceding progress to the final, World Cup 2014 may be earmarked for a French final. While the Germans have not looked imperious since their opening day thumping of Portugal, Germany is probably at their most dangerous when they do not look their best. The older French generation will know first-hand that after taking a 3:1 semi-final lead in extra time against the Germans in 1982, they had a place in the final snatched from their grasp. In a contest that is almost impossible to objectively call, it will be interesting to see what aspect of history will be overcome.

Although Belgium boasts one of the most complete squads at this World Cup, 1986 is the only time in their rich World Cup history that they have made it to the quarter final stage. Given their recent run of results, Belgium’s presence at the quarter finals is no surprise and neither will a victory against previously fancied Argentina. As Messi finally discovered form for the national side, an Argentina squad that has an embarrassment of attacking talent was tipped to triumph on the familiar territory of their bitter South American rivals. Argentina’s performances so far have however left more questions than answers given their over reliance on Messi to keep them in the tournament. Roared by most Brazilian fans that cannot stand the thought of their archenemy hoisting the world cup on their territory, Belgium has a great opportunity to make the World Cup Semifinals for only the second time in history.

When the draw was made, I was tempted to brand Costa Rica the light weight of the round and their tie against the Netherlands the only one that I could predict with some confidence. I was quickly reminded that when the first round draw pitted Costa Rica against three former World Champions, almost all pundits did not give them a chance. Costa Rica went on to defy predictions by not simply qualifying from the group but doing so as group winners and with a game to spare. Fast, fearless and aggressive, they are without a doubt the “Cinderella Story” of World Cup 2014. With the exception of South Korea which made it to the semi-finals as hosts of World Cup 2002 and helped by controversial decisions against Italy and Spain respectively, the “Cinderella Story” usually ends in the quarter finals. Although I do not fancy them to, Costa Rica has a great opportunity to create the most impressive World Cup “Cinderella Story” in World Cup history.

Whether it is a battle to make history or to defy history for their nations, let the games begin!

Changing the Status quo

Given that twelve of the previous nineteen World Cup editions have been won by only three countries, a world cup elite group was inevitably been created in the subconscious of most fans and pundits. There is only a select group of countries that are viewed as realistically having a chance of winning the World cup or even make it to the semifinal stage of the tournament.   

After a pulsating first round at the 2014 world cup edition that has delivered a record number of goals, the knock out stages are being greeted by an air of anxiety as fans have been primed to expect the unexpected. There seems to be a changing of status quo as some heavy weights are knocked out by less traditional football powers and there are suspicions that this could be the World Cup when the semi-finals are finally graced by some different teams.

The biggest surprise of all is probably the emergence of Costa Rica from a group of previous world champions. Almost all predictions had a combination of two from Italy, England or Uruguay qualifying. No one would have expected that a Costa Rica team that was ranked at a lowly 66^th as recently as 2012 would so comfortably dispatch its illustrious rivals and make it to the next round with a game to spare. Given that every world cup usually has a “Cinderella story” of an unfancied team that makes it to the quarter finals, Costa Rica should overcome Greece to complete their christening as the 2014 World Cup Cinderella team.

Before we check in to see the progression of our Cinderella story, there is the little matter of the battle for South American supremacy to settle. Having impressively seen off the defending Champions, Chile has an opportunity to announce their emergence as a new power house by defeating the hosts. Chile’s skill, pace and power should give them the ability to more than match the pre-tournament favorites, but at this stage it will take flawless refereeing to hold out against pressure from the crowd. Colombia on the other hand should easily overcome a toothless Uruguay. Given that they were defiant about Suarez, their start striker sinking his teeth in an opponent’s shoulder; very few neutrals will regret Uruguay’s elimination.

Having barely sneaked into this World Cup after a chaotic qualifying CONCACAF campaign, Mexico has been one of the most impressive teams on show at the tournament. Facing an equally impressive Dutch side that only lost the last World Cup in extra time, this promises to be the most exciting game of the second round. I am tipping a moment of magic from Robben or van Persie to determine a very even contest in favor of the Europeans.

In a battle between Europe and Africa, events of the last few days lead me to think we may not have much of a contest especially between France and Nigeria. Despite impressing against Argentina, Nigeria’s performances at this tournament have left many wondering how they won the Africa Cup. Having lost a whole day of training as they joined two other West African nations demonstrating for unpaid allowances, one can’t help but imagine what these countries could have achieved if they focused nearly as well as their opponents. Algeria on the other hand will be extra motivated to punish Germany for their part in a conspiracy to eliminate Algeria from the 1982 World Cup group stages. I expect this to be a gritty contest that the Germans will finally edge tactically and with their quality in the attacking third of the field.

The final set of second round matches pits two of Europe’s emerging teams against the best from South America and COCACAF. Argentina which had to rely on Messi’s brilliance to get them through the group stages will need more of the same and a better team performance to keep their match towards a third World Cup title. I suspect this may be the stage where we finally start to see the best of Argentina. Belgium on the other hand considered favorites heading into their match up against United States have only demonstrated their strength in the last quarter of matches. Brimming with confidence after impressive performances against bogey side Ghana and Portugal, another of Europe’s power houses, I have a feeling that United States’ fighting spirit will overcome Belgium and force these two emerging European powers to wait until Euro 2016 to announce their arrival on the big stage.

Inches Away

In the movie “Any Given Sunday”, Al Pacino playing Coach Tony D'Amato delivers one of the most inspiring sports speeches of all time to help save The Miami Sharks American Football team’s season. In his famous speech, dubbed “Inch by Inch”, highlighting the fine margins between winning and losing, Tony encouraged his players to fight for every inch on that football field with their lives. Those fine margins between winning and losing have never been more evident than in the world cup matches of the last few days.

With host nation Brazil looking to put on a more convincing display than their controversial opening day win, they were denied time and again by Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, often at full stretch. Thanks to one of the most inspired World Cup goal keeping performances, El Tri (Mexico’s team) retain control of their destiny heading into the final group game against Croatia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is one team that was unjustly denied control of their destiny. Enjoying their maiden World Cup tournament, the Bosnian’s were on course to win their first points, only to have their goal wrongly disallowed for offside. Moments later, they conceded a goal despite Nigeria arguably committing a foul in the buildup. Bosnia and Herzegovina will thus only have pride to play for when they face an Iranian side that was harshly denied a famous point against Argentina by Messi’s last ditch brilliance.

Just two days earlier, with the prospect of the nation that invented football being kicked out in the first round of a World Cup for the first time in fifty-six years, England had battled their way back to level the tie with just fifteen minutes to go. With momentum appearing to swing in England’s favor, their captain’s attempt to head a long goal kick back to the opposition half turned out to be an assist for Uruguay’s Suarez. Had Gerard been able to jump an inch higher, the English would probably have pushed on to the next round as group rivals Italy went on to lose to previously unfancied Costa Rica.

With fellow European giants Spain and England knocked out after two games, Portugal was on the cusp of elimination. Having fought for every inch to overcome an early deficit, United States was a few seconds away from confirming second round qualification. An evidently less than fit Cristiano Ronaldo had been subdued for much of the game, but he managed to deliver an inch perfect cross to Silvestre Varela’s head for the equalizer that literally pulled the next round from under United States’ feet with the last kick of the game. United States lives to fight another day with their destiny still in their hands, although facing a German side in need of a result to seal their place in the next round is a position few will envy.

Congratulations to Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica and Netherlands for qualifying to the round of sixteen. Brazil is also practically in the next round given that their last obstacle is the shambolic Cameroon side which has its players doing more harm to each other than the opposition. With nine more places up for grabs, it is only the teams with players that are willing to die for that extra inch that will make it to the next round.

The World Cup Midas Touch

Watching games from Group C to Group G over the last few days, the value of having a personality with a “midas touch” on a World Cup team could not have been made more evident. I mean those personalities who seem to fit the biggest stage as perfectly as hand in glove. In especially the tight games, these personalities seem to give their teams the edge over opposing teams that deserve to at least win a share of the points.

The build up to this World Cup was dominated by pundits highlighting the importance of youth to cope with the sweltering conditions in Brazil at this time of the year. Tellingly though, despite what has been described as the best England performance at a major tournament in the last decade and a half, Italy’s 35 year old Andre Pirlo pulled the strings in midfield and delivered passes that exposed England’s left flank, eventually leading to the winning goal for Italy. Similarly in a game in which the Japanese delivered a very impressive performance to hold onto a single goal lead for long periods, it took the late introduction of 36 year old Didier Drogba to give Ivory Coast the cutting edge that eventually won them the match.

Talking of match winners, World Cup fans anticipated none more eagerly than the four-time World Player of the Year award winner. Faced with a very well drilled Bosnian side that was threatening to burst the bubble of one of the tournament favorites, Lionel Messi single handedly ripped the opposing defense apart to deliver the winning goal for Argentina. Given that this tournament is being hosted by their next door neighbors, many are predicting that the little number 10 will carry Argentina to the World title with dominance similar to the one of his predecessors, Diego Maradona did in 1986.

Few personalities have been fortunate enough to enjoy the midas touch both as players and coaches. A World Cup winner as a player and boasting the sixth highest number of goals scored at a World Cup (11), Jurgen Klinsmann’s first managerial job saw him lead German to the semi-finals of World Cup 2006. Facing a Ghana side which had beaten USA at the previous two World Cups, even the American commentators were suggesting caution after the Ghanaian equalizer, as a draw would represent progress. The man with the World Cup midas touch had other ideas, making the substitution that would eventually deliver the winning goal that had even Klinsmann’s harshest critics labeling him a genius.

As though there is something synonymous between German forwards and the midas touch for World Cups, this tournament’s first hat trick was delivered by Thomas Muller. Top scorer at the previous World Cup edition with five goals when he was just 20 years old, his three goals in the opener against Portugal have Muller on track to be the first player to win the golden boot at back-to-back world cups and eventually overhaul the record World Cup tally of 15 goals.

The World Cup is a stage on which the talent of many national heroes has been suffocated. Faced with the weight of expectations and scrutiny of doubters, only a select group rises to the occasion, establishing themselves as genuine world greats to be discussed in football history for generations to follow. Didier Deschamps and Neymar are other notable personalities that their respective countries, France and Brazil, believe have the World Cup midas touch. In a sport where only the champions are remembered, it will be interesting to see whose midas touch will deliver World Cup 2014 to his country.

The End Justifies the Means

It may seem strange that I am discussing “the end” after just two World Cup groups have had their opening round of matches, but this World Cup happens to be in Brazil. See, over the years Brazilian fans have been generally recognized as the ultimate purists, concerned not only about winning games but how they win them. If Dani Alve’s pregame battle cry had helped build their anticipation for this world cup, the first 60 minutes of Brazil’s exchanges against Croatia did more to put a touch of reality. This was affirmed by the Brazilian press uniting in celebration of a star that had a lucky scuffed shot and dodgy penalty decision to thank for their opening round victory. Little wonder Neymar was modest enough to make sure he shook referee Yuichi Nishimura’s hand before leaving the field for his substitution. All that truly mattered, at least for this first game, was that Brazil found a way of recording victory!

Speaking of referees, football is one sport that has long held a strong line against technology, using the argument that controversial decisions are part of the game’s appeal. Well, the referees for Group A’s opening round of matches were accordingly determined to upstage each other in causing controversy. Fortunately for Mexico, the Columbian referee’s two controversially denied goals were not enough to prevent the victory that their dominant performance merited.

Back to the purists, having been denied the show of artistry that past Brazilian teams have got them accustomed to, we were left to second guess the motivation for the vocal Brazilian fans in Salvador for the Group B opener. Given the lavish praise that Brazilian football officials have heaped on Spanish football as they worked to build an even silkier Brazilian team to dethrone them, we could be excused for thinking that the fans were drawn in to watch a demonstration the style they covet. The fans however seemed more intent on booing every touch that lost son Diego Costa made during the game.

 Switching to Diego Costa, one can’t help but wonder whether the Brazilians only truly wanted him when they realized that they could lose him to their major threat, Spain. Brazilian coach Scolari had after all only played Costa in two friendly games and seemed to favor Fred and Jo as his center forwards. The promise of a staggering 720,000 euros each in bonuses for the Spanish team players if they win the World Cup may throw more weight behind claims in Brazil that Costa’s switching of allegiances was more financially motivated than strategic to gain playing time for a team that truly wanted him. What cannot be discounted though is that he has finally made a World Cup appearance!

 On the subject of strategy, Australia is one team that brilliantly found a way of ensuring routine qualification to the world cup by switching allegiance from Oceania to Asia qualifying region. Having missed out on eight consecutive world cup editions, Australia now find themselves at their third consecutive world cup!

 Australia may only be the tournament’s lowest ranked team but they definitely played with more pride than the number one ranked La Roja did in their respective world cup openers. In a repeat of the last World Cup’s final, Netherlands found a way of putting the record right by not only delivering a thumping 5:1 victory against the defending champions, but delivering it with the style that has led many to label the “best footballing nation to never win a World Cup.” The brilliance of Robben and van Persie provided the Dutch with the means to not only avenge the defeat that has haunted them over the last four years, but enjoy the luxury of doing it with the style they believe “Orange” should be associated with!