WELCOME BACK FOR PART TWO OF THE WORLD CUP AWARDS
Sorry for the delay in coming back for part two. It was already written but I just wanted to prolong my World Cup experience for just a little bit longer! Now it’s time to turn the attention from individual stars to team brilliance
TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT
The likes of James Rodriguez, Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller helped to light up this summer’s global spectacle but all-round team effort is equally, if not more, important. The likes of Costa Rica, Chile and Algeria surpassed expectations to delight their own fans and many of the neutrals but there can really be only one winner of this award.
WINNERS: GERMANY
Although the above teams were strong candidates, it is hard to argue a case for any of the two to take this award instead of Germany. The Germans started their campaign in blistering style with a 4-0 win over Portugal. Ghana made them work hard for a 2-2 draw before Joachim Low’s men ended the group stages with a narrow 1-0 win over USA. Narrow wins over Algeria and France followed and, although they were not at their best at all times, they professionally got the job done and got results when it mattered most. The Germans really played as a close unit throughout the tournament, with the 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil in the semi-final underlining their superiority. Germany needed extra time to beat Argentina 1-0 in the final but they were still more than deserved winners. As an England fan, I should dislike the German football team but I couldn’t help but admire them this summer. A team full of stars working hard for each other and, at a young age, have a very bright future ahead of them.
SURPRISE PACKAGE
WINNERS: COSTA RICA
Without a shadow of a doubt Costa Rica were the ultimate surprise package of the 2014 World Cup. Jorge Luis Pinto's men were expected to be the whipping boys of Group D. Not only did they exceed expectations by topping the group with wins of Uruguay and Italy, but they remained unbeaten during regular time. Only a penalty shoot-out defeat to Holland in the quarter finals prevented Costa Rica from reaching the final four. That is just crazy, but it doesn't appear to have been a fluke! Costa Rica produced
enough good results along the way to prove they deserved to get as far as they did.
WORST TEAM
WINNERS: BRAZIL
Host Brazil may not have won the trophy but they can have this award! There were some weak showings in some of the groups but some of these were expected. Australia failed to get a point but their gutsy displays let them off the hook for this award. Spain went into the tournament as holders and finished with just one win but this award must go to Brazil. They put on a superb tournament and did reach the last four, which to some may not seem too bad, but when one of the globe's biggest sides concedes more goals than any other side at its own tournament, including a 7-1 defeat, it is hard to argue that Brazil were the worst performers, sorry!
MANAGER OF THE TOURNAMENT
3) JORGE SAMPAOLI - CHILE
The Chile boss did superbly to guide his side to qualification despite being in a group with European giants Spain and Holland. Only penalties prevented the South Americans from beating the hosts in the round of 16 and Sampaoli's men can be proud of their efforts.
2) JORGE LUIS PINTO - COSTA RICA
I was just a whisker away from giving Pinto first prize as Costa Rica's performance at the World Cup was nothing short of superb. Pinto's men performed well above expectations and they became a favourite among many of the neutrals. Simply, a joy to watch!
1) JOACHIM LOW - GERMANY
I don't want to be giving most of the awards to Germany but it is hard to argue against this one. Germany weren't always in top gear but to be able to lead his side to World Cup glory, along with masterminding a 7-1 win over Brazil, is a huge achievement. Not to mention a fantastic group of players he has developed. Low really does deserve the award as top boss!
BEST MATCH
This is so hard to choose. For pure surprise and spectacle Germany's 7-1 thumping of Brazil is right up there alongside Spain's implosion in their 5-1 defeat by Holland. Costa Rica's 3-1 win over Uruguay was an immense result for the underdogs, while many of the knock-out games including Chile 1 Brazil 1 and Belgium 2 USA 1 provided great drama. As a close second place, I'll give huge credit to Algeria, who kept me on the edge of my seat in their 2-1 defeat by Germany.
WINNER: HOLLAND 3 AUSTRALIA 2
If there was ever a game to epitomise what is great about a World Cup this was it. Those were my words in my blog after this pulsating match and I stand by them. The game was full of great drama, top quality goals, end-to-end action, and a mammoth effort by the underdogs as Australia came so close to causing a major World Cup upset.
QUOTE OF THE WORLD CUP
Rather vain award this but I am going to give this award to myself! In the first half of the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina there was a moment when a goal was ruled out for offside. It wasn't clear at first if it was a goal and a huge clap in Wetherspoons, where I watched the first half, was heard around the room. I text a friend to say 'whole of spoons erupted in a sophisticated clap, but was offside' and then the quote of the tournament was born.
Going back to the actual commentators and Clark Carlisle, often dubbed as Britain's brainiest footballer, came out with a daft yet amusing comment. During the Ecuador vs Switzerland group match he former Burnley man said 'when Jackson Martinez can't get in the side, they must be pretty good'. Carlisle could've maybe had a good point had it not been for the obvious fact that Martinez is Colombian!
CRAZY MOMENT
The most bizarre moment of the tournament has got to be when Luis Suarez bit Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy, an incident that ultimately saw the striker receive a lengthy ban. But there is no way I am letting Barcelona's newest recruit anywhere near an award, regardless of what it is for. Brazil's horror show in the semi-final, Cameroon's players fighting among themselves, a goalkeeper being substituted before a penalty shoot-out and a locust landing on the arm of Rodriguez are just some of the many other crazy moments this summer. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella falling over was a highly amusing moment but for me there is one winner, and an excuse to let England win at least something in this tournament.
WINNERS: ENGLAND
England thought they had opened their World Cup account with a goal from Raheem Sterling after just four minutes of their Group D opener against Italy. Even the BBC flashed up 'goal' and temporarily had the scoreline at 1-0, only for fans to be left momentarily confused as the shot had actually crashed into the side netting. It is a shame it wasn't the 'goal' that could have made our World Cup turn out so differently, but at least I can just about see the funny side of it now.
BEST WORLD CUP OF MY LIFETIME
WINNER: WORLD CUP 2014
Some have questioned whether or not this is the best ever World Cup and I have debated whether or not this is the best one of my lifetime. I loved France 1998 and Japan/South Korea 2002, but this one has to be the icing on the cake. England were not as good in this tournament, which was obviously disappointing, but that aside this tournament definitely had that little something extra about it. The others were more dramatic and allowed England fans to enjoy some knock-out football they were involved in, but this was different. Plenty drama and enough surprises to keep you on your toes, I loved every moment of it.
On that note, we bid the 2014 World Cup in Brazil a fond farewell. Only German fans will be truly happy with the end result but almost all neutrals can have enjoyed at least some aspects of the tournament. I have loved watching and blogging about every match and, if Russia can come anywhere near this great spectacle, 2018 will be a year to look forward to.
The tournament was already over on the pitch, but now my blogging World Cup is also officially over! It is sad to see the World Cup come to an end, but it’s only four years until the next one!
Let the drama continue in every World Cup from here on in!
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
2014 World Cup: The Awards
If someone had said to me at the start of the tournament that Germany would win the World Cup and England fail to get out of the group stages, I would have been truly disappointed.
Although that is in fact what happened and I am gutted by England's early exit, I think the 2014 tournament has actually been the best World Cup of my life time.
Plenty of shocks, drama and entertainment from the word go, with Brazil claiming a fortunate 3-1 win over Croatia in the opening game before holders Spain were demolished 5-1 by Holland. England lost their opening game 2-1 to Italy but the performance had given many supporters hope that we could turn things around. Already I was loving the tournament, even smaller games such as Switzerland vs Ecuador were grabbing my attention. Football had well and truly taken over my summer but I wouldn't have it any other way. What a great tournament!
When trying to reflect and look back on it, it is difficult to know where to start, but it makes sense to focus on England before then dissecting the rest of the tournament by way of awards.
So how would I rate England's performance?
Usually before a tournament the media over-hype our chances and we are left disappointed. This time, even as early as when the groups were drawn, our chances were already being written of and we were given no hope of getting out of the group stages. So when we failed as most had expected it surprised me somewhat how critical some were of the outcome. It is always disappointing to exit a World Cup but did we really expect much more this time? If it is judged by the pre-tournament comments of some people I think not. I'm not defending our side, far from it, we should've done better. I just think some of the criticism was over the top.
Realistically our squad isn't as good as the top sides. We have some great players but are lacking some truly world class talent. Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney can be great on their day but whether they are up there with the best players in the world I am not so sure. There are a lot of younger players coming through like Raheem Sterling who could become one of those players, but we are still lacking. Our defenders are fairly decent too but then when compared to real top defenders such as Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels and Thiago Silva just how class are they really?
It sounds like I am being too negative so don't want this coming out the wrong way, England have some great players that in theory have great potential but they just never quite deliver when it matters when other big sides can. If things are addressed, who knows, maybe, just maybe we can really give the best sides a run for their money in major tournaments.
Onto the matches, despite losing the opening game to Italy there was a sense of optimism among some fans as we had given it a real go and been unlucky to lose. The performance against Uruguay wasn't bad but wasn't great either, just average, until we equalised then was ours for the taking but we still lost. It is hard to analyse the goalless draw with Costa Rica as it was a dead rubber.
But this tournament was about far more than just England. Even for England fans and fans of sides of other under-performing nations like Spain, there would've been something to enjoy from the tournament from a neutral point of view. An array of great games, great goals, top goalkeeping, and much more, so what were the best points?
GOALKEEPER OF THE TOURNAMENT
This is so hard to call as there were several top performers in this category. Manuel Neuer, who is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, deservedly won the golden glove. After helping Germany to World Cup glory it is hard to argue with that, but it was kind of expected from the global star. It is easy to make a case for a few other candidates who seemingly came out of nowhere to become stars of the tournament. Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa produced some great performances and was the key factor in his side's goalless draw with Mexico. But apart from Neuer, it is Costa Rica's Keylor Navas and USA's Tim Howard that really stood out for me. Navas was instrumental as Costa Rica defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals, while Howard became a record-breaker in one of his many fine displays at the tournament. USA were unfortunate to exit the tournament after a narrow 2-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 but, in that match, Howard made more saves in a single match than any other player in World Cup history with 15.
WINNER: KEYLOR NAVAS
The star of the show for Costa Rica and if people hadn't heard of him before they sure have now. What a World Cup this guy had and he thoroughly deserves to win the award as my best goalkeeper of the 2014 tournament.
SAVE OF THE TOURNAMENT
I could make a case for all these to be number one but have had to make a decision
3) KEYLOR NAVAS - COSTA RICA VS URUGUAY
Diego Forlan's looping shot was heading for goal only for Navas to react superbly and tip it over the bar
2) MANUEL NEUER - GERMANY VS BRAZIL
Germany eased to a 7-1 victory and, although Neuer didn't have much to do, their goalkeeper was excellent when called upon and produced a stunning double save to keep out Paulinho.
WINNERS: GUILLERMO OCHOA MEXICO VS BRAZIL/HOLLAND
TIM HOWARD USA VS PORTUGAL
In the end, I couldn't separate these two. Ochoa deserves the title for two magnificent saves. The first a superb diving stop to stop Neymar's goal-bound header before an excellent close range save to deny Holland's Stefan de Vrij in the round of 16. But Tim Howard, who had a top class tournament, deserves to share the award after reacting superbly to push over Eder's follow up after Nani had struck a post.
But it is no good the goalkeepers doing all the hard work if the outfield players don't bang in the goals and we were treated to plenty of wonder goals this summer.
SO WHAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT?
3) JERMAINE JONES VS PORTUGAL/ROBIN VAN PERSIE VS SPAIN
Although Robin Van Persie's header deserves a place of its own, I thought a wonder goal from one of the so-called lesser sides also deserved a mention. Jermaine Jones beat his man before unleashing a thunderbolt from outside of the box in USA's 2-2 draw with Portugal - a goal truly worthy of joint-third place. Jones' shares the award with Van Persie, whose sublime looping header helped Holland on their way to a shock 5-1 win over holders Spain.
2) TIM CAHILL VS HOLLAND
A high ball flew into the box and Cahill met it with the sweetest of volleys to hammer the ball home for what, at the time, I thought would easily be goal of the tournament.
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ VS URUGUAY
Take a bow Rodriguez! Cahill's goal was only going to be beaten if someone came up with something truly incredible, and one of the young stars of the tournament did just that. Rodriguez cushioned the ball expertly before turning to execute a thunderous volley that crashed in off the crossbar.
PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ
I must admit that before the tournament I had barely even heard of this young star, but now I am a big fan of the Monaco winger. Rodriguez was one of the stand-out performers of the tournament and his six goals saw him take home the golden boot. His displays left me hoping Arsene Wenger would make an offer to try and prize him away from France and into Arsenal. That is unlikely but I can keep dreaming! An incredible player from this summer's spectacle and one I hope I see a lot more of.
Rodriguez's team-mate Juan Cuadrado also had an excellent tournament, while the likes of Costa Rica duo Joel Campbell and Giancarlo Gonzalez, Germany's Mats Hummels and his side's entire midfield, that man Lionel Messi and Belgium's Divock Origi also deserve a shout out. There were several other great performers, but it's onto the next category!
But first...like all good awards ceremonies there needs to be a break, so we'll be back for part two after these messages...
Although that is in fact what happened and I am gutted by England's early exit, I think the 2014 tournament has actually been the best World Cup of my life time.
Plenty of shocks, drama and entertainment from the word go, with Brazil claiming a fortunate 3-1 win over Croatia in the opening game before holders Spain were demolished 5-1 by Holland. England lost their opening game 2-1 to Italy but the performance had given many supporters hope that we could turn things around. Already I was loving the tournament, even smaller games such as Switzerland vs Ecuador were grabbing my attention. Football had well and truly taken over my summer but I wouldn't have it any other way. What a great tournament!
When trying to reflect and look back on it, it is difficult to know where to start, but it makes sense to focus on England before then dissecting the rest of the tournament by way of awards.
So how would I rate England's performance?
Usually before a tournament the media over-hype our chances and we are left disappointed. This time, even as early as when the groups were drawn, our chances were already being written of and we were given no hope of getting out of the group stages. So when we failed as most had expected it surprised me somewhat how critical some were of the outcome. It is always disappointing to exit a World Cup but did we really expect much more this time? If it is judged by the pre-tournament comments of some people I think not. I'm not defending our side, far from it, we should've done better. I just think some of the criticism was over the top.
Realistically our squad isn't as good as the top sides. We have some great players but are lacking some truly world class talent. Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney can be great on their day but whether they are up there with the best players in the world I am not so sure. There are a lot of younger players coming through like Raheem Sterling who could become one of those players, but we are still lacking. Our defenders are fairly decent too but then when compared to real top defenders such as Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels and Thiago Silva just how class are they really?
It sounds like I am being too negative so don't want this coming out the wrong way, England have some great players that in theory have great potential but they just never quite deliver when it matters when other big sides can. If things are addressed, who knows, maybe, just maybe we can really give the best sides a run for their money in major tournaments.
Onto the matches, despite losing the opening game to Italy there was a sense of optimism among some fans as we had given it a real go and been unlucky to lose. The performance against Uruguay wasn't bad but wasn't great either, just average, until we equalised then was ours for the taking but we still lost. It is hard to analyse the goalless draw with Costa Rica as it was a dead rubber.
But this tournament was about far more than just England. Even for England fans and fans of sides of other under-performing nations like Spain, there would've been something to enjoy from the tournament from a neutral point of view. An array of great games, great goals, top goalkeeping, and much more, so what were the best points?
GOALKEEPER OF THE TOURNAMENT
This is so hard to call as there were several top performers in this category. Manuel Neuer, who is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, deservedly won the golden glove. After helping Germany to World Cup glory it is hard to argue with that, but it was kind of expected from the global star. It is easy to make a case for a few other candidates who seemingly came out of nowhere to become stars of the tournament. Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa produced some great performances and was the key factor in his side's goalless draw with Mexico. But apart from Neuer, it is Costa Rica's Keylor Navas and USA's Tim Howard that really stood out for me. Navas was instrumental as Costa Rica defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals, while Howard became a record-breaker in one of his many fine displays at the tournament. USA were unfortunate to exit the tournament after a narrow 2-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 but, in that match, Howard made more saves in a single match than any other player in World Cup history with 15.
WINNER: KEYLOR NAVAS
The star of the show for Costa Rica and if people hadn't heard of him before they sure have now. What a World Cup this guy had and he thoroughly deserves to win the award as my best goalkeeper of the 2014 tournament.
SAVE OF THE TOURNAMENT
I could make a case for all these to be number one but have had to make a decision
3) KEYLOR NAVAS - COSTA RICA VS URUGUAY
Diego Forlan's looping shot was heading for goal only for Navas to react superbly and tip it over the bar
2) MANUEL NEUER - GERMANY VS BRAZIL
Germany eased to a 7-1 victory and, although Neuer didn't have much to do, their goalkeeper was excellent when called upon and produced a stunning double save to keep out Paulinho.
WINNERS: GUILLERMO OCHOA MEXICO VS BRAZIL/HOLLAND
TIM HOWARD USA VS PORTUGAL
In the end, I couldn't separate these two. Ochoa deserves the title for two magnificent saves. The first a superb diving stop to stop Neymar's goal-bound header before an excellent close range save to deny Holland's Stefan de Vrij in the round of 16. But Tim Howard, who had a top class tournament, deserves to share the award after reacting superbly to push over Eder's follow up after Nani had struck a post.
But it is no good the goalkeepers doing all the hard work if the outfield players don't bang in the goals and we were treated to plenty of wonder goals this summer.
SO WHAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT?
3) JERMAINE JONES VS PORTUGAL/ROBIN VAN PERSIE VS SPAIN
Although Robin Van Persie's header deserves a place of its own, I thought a wonder goal from one of the so-called lesser sides also deserved a mention. Jermaine Jones beat his man before unleashing a thunderbolt from outside of the box in USA's 2-2 draw with Portugal - a goal truly worthy of joint-third place. Jones' shares the award with Van Persie, whose sublime looping header helped Holland on their way to a shock 5-1 win over holders Spain.
2) TIM CAHILL VS HOLLAND
A high ball flew into the box and Cahill met it with the sweetest of volleys to hammer the ball home for what, at the time, I thought would easily be goal of the tournament.
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ VS URUGUAY
Take a bow Rodriguez! Cahill's goal was only going to be beaten if someone came up with something truly incredible, and one of the young stars of the tournament did just that. Rodriguez cushioned the ball expertly before turning to execute a thunderous volley that crashed in off the crossbar.
PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT
WINNER: JAMES RODRIGUEZ
I must admit that before the tournament I had barely even heard of this young star, but now I am a big fan of the Monaco winger. Rodriguez was one of the stand-out performers of the tournament and his six goals saw him take home the golden boot. His displays left me hoping Arsene Wenger would make an offer to try and prize him away from France and into Arsenal. That is unlikely but I can keep dreaming! An incredible player from this summer's spectacle and one I hope I see a lot more of.
Rodriguez's team-mate Juan Cuadrado also had an excellent tournament, while the likes of Costa Rica duo Joel Campbell and Giancarlo Gonzalez, Germany's Mats Hummels and his side's entire midfield, that man Lionel Messi and Belgium's Divock Origi also deserve a shout out. There were several other great performers, but it's onto the next category!
But first...like all good awards ceremonies there needs to be a break, so we'll be back for part two after these messages...
Monday, 14 July 2014
Super Mario World Cup
Substitute Mario Gotze proved to be the hero as Germany won their fourth World Cup with a 1-0 win over fellow footballing giants Argentina.
Germany had been the best team in the tournament and fully deserved their extra-time win, although Argentina will no doubt be regretting the big chances they missed in the Maracana Stadium.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who was named as the player of the tournament, and striker Gonzalo Higuain were the biggest culprits for the South Americans who failed to register a single shot on target during the 120 minutes. It was always going to be difficult against Manuel Neuer, who deservedly claimed the goalkeeper of the tournament prize, but it was surprising how little the Bayern Munich man was called into action.
Higuain should have done better when a misplaced header from Toni Kroos put him through on goal, but the Bayern Munich midfielder miscued his shot. Higuain thought he had scored the opening goal soon after, only to see his effort disallowed for offside.
It looked like the South Americans were finally going to break the deadlock in the early stages of the second half, but the usually reliable Messi shot agonisingly across the face goal. If Argentina had wanted the chance to fall to anyone it would have been that man. Messi can be proud of how he inspired his team to the final with four goals, so maybe it just wasn't meant to be his day.
Germany also wasted chances of their own but it was Argentina who would've been the most disappointed at end of 90 minutes, wondering what might have been had they been more clinical.
At times it had seemed like a great end-to-end game, while at other times it seemed too cagey as there were spells in the game where not a lot happened. The game was finely balanced going into extra time with either side capable of taking the title.
Rodrigo Palacio lobbed wide for Argentina before Gotze netted the decisive goal with just seven minutes left on the clock, becoming the first substitute to score the winner in a World Cup final. Gotze latched onto a pass from fellow substitute Andre Schurrle, showing excellent control to calmly chest the ball before hitting it sweetly first-time beyond Sergio Romero in the Argentina goal. Gotze is only 22-years-old and has plenty more World Cups left in him and it is great to see youngsters like him and Colombia's James Rodriguez coming to the fore at this tournament.
Argentina may have only trailed for seven minutes in the entire tournament but it was those seven minutes that proved the most pivotal and left the South American giants in an understandable emotional mood at the final whistle.
Germany became the first European side to win a World Cup on South American soil and, when considering the young age of their squad, this group of players could progress even further and may even help the champions to equal Brazil's record of five titles. Joachim Low's men will no doubt fancy their chances in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and scoring 11 goals in two games against Portugal and hosts Brazil proves they really mean business. It probably sounds like I am being far too positive about a German side I should really hate, being an England fan and all. But as the tournament went on I couldn't help but admire Low's men. They didn't have it all their own way in the tournament but how they took apart Portugal and Brazil was nothing short of superb. Maybe this tournament has reduced my dislike of the Germans slightly as they really do deserve to be world champions and their squad is fantastic. As for their manager, I'd take him at Arsenal when Arsene Wenger decides to retire, as Low has done an immense job this year. Ok, I'll stop praising Germany now (at least for a short while) before people start talking!
It may not have been the final of all finals we had been hoping for but it was still on a knife edge, with either side capable of coming out on top going into the final 10 minutes. It is a shame it wasn't the 4-3 I had predicted in the final, but still a great way to end, arguably, the greatest World Cup of my lifetime.
Brazil imploded horrifically in their 7-1 defeat to the Germans in the semi-final but they can hold their heads high and be proud in terms of the tournament they put on. It has been a truly wonderful month of football and one I will cherish forever, despite my beloved England failing to even make it beyond the group stages. That tainted it slightly, but not enough to prevent it from being my favourite ever World Cup. There was so much drama, shocks and entertainment to keep the fans on the edge of their seats and it is a real shame it has now drawn to a close.
Not only has it provided me, and many other football fans, with top quality viewing but has also given me such great material to write about for the last month. The matches may be over but it is not quite the end of the World Cup blogging, with my final reflections and post-tournament awards still to come.
Let the drama continue for many World Cups to come!
World Cup 2014 - Among the best and one to remember!
Germany had been the best team in the tournament and fully deserved their extra-time win, although Argentina will no doubt be regretting the big chances they missed in the Maracana Stadium.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who was named as the player of the tournament, and striker Gonzalo Higuain were the biggest culprits for the South Americans who failed to register a single shot on target during the 120 minutes. It was always going to be difficult against Manuel Neuer, who deservedly claimed the goalkeeper of the tournament prize, but it was surprising how little the Bayern Munich man was called into action.
Higuain should have done better when a misplaced header from Toni Kroos put him through on goal, but the Bayern Munich midfielder miscued his shot. Higuain thought he had scored the opening goal soon after, only to see his effort disallowed for offside.
It looked like the South Americans were finally going to break the deadlock in the early stages of the second half, but the usually reliable Messi shot agonisingly across the face goal. If Argentina had wanted the chance to fall to anyone it would have been that man. Messi can be proud of how he inspired his team to the final with four goals, so maybe it just wasn't meant to be his day.
Germany also wasted chances of their own but it was Argentina who would've been the most disappointed at end of 90 minutes, wondering what might have been had they been more clinical.
At times it had seemed like a great end-to-end game, while at other times it seemed too cagey as there were spells in the game where not a lot happened. The game was finely balanced going into extra time with either side capable of taking the title.
Rodrigo Palacio lobbed wide for Argentina before Gotze netted the decisive goal with just seven minutes left on the clock, becoming the first substitute to score the winner in a World Cup final. Gotze latched onto a pass from fellow substitute Andre Schurrle, showing excellent control to calmly chest the ball before hitting it sweetly first-time beyond Sergio Romero in the Argentina goal. Gotze is only 22-years-old and has plenty more World Cups left in him and it is great to see youngsters like him and Colombia's James Rodriguez coming to the fore at this tournament.
Argentina may have only trailed for seven minutes in the entire tournament but it was those seven minutes that proved the most pivotal and left the South American giants in an understandable emotional mood at the final whistle.
Germany became the first European side to win a World Cup on South American soil and, when considering the young age of their squad, this group of players could progress even further and may even help the champions to equal Brazil's record of five titles. Joachim Low's men will no doubt fancy their chances in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and scoring 11 goals in two games against Portugal and hosts Brazil proves they really mean business. It probably sounds like I am being far too positive about a German side I should really hate, being an England fan and all. But as the tournament went on I couldn't help but admire Low's men. They didn't have it all their own way in the tournament but how they took apart Portugal and Brazil was nothing short of superb. Maybe this tournament has reduced my dislike of the Germans slightly as they really do deserve to be world champions and their squad is fantastic. As for their manager, I'd take him at Arsenal when Arsene Wenger decides to retire, as Low has done an immense job this year. Ok, I'll stop praising Germany now (at least for a short while) before people start talking!
It may not have been the final of all finals we had been hoping for but it was still on a knife edge, with either side capable of coming out on top going into the final 10 minutes. It is a shame it wasn't the 4-3 I had predicted in the final, but still a great way to end, arguably, the greatest World Cup of my lifetime.
Brazil imploded horrifically in their 7-1 defeat to the Germans in the semi-final but they can hold their heads high and be proud in terms of the tournament they put on. It has been a truly wonderful month of football and one I will cherish forever, despite my beloved England failing to even make it beyond the group stages. That tainted it slightly, but not enough to prevent it from being my favourite ever World Cup. There was so much drama, shocks and entertainment to keep the fans on the edge of their seats and it is a real shame it has now drawn to a close.
Not only has it provided me, and many other football fans, with top quality viewing but has also given me such great material to write about for the last month. The matches may be over but it is not quite the end of the World Cup blogging, with my final reflections and post-tournament awards still to come.
Let the drama continue for many World Cups to come!
World Cup 2014 - Among the best and one to remember!
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Threesy does it
Brazil's World Cup misery was compounded after the hosts ended the tournament on the wrong end of a 3-0 thumping by Holland.
The South American giants had big expectations and a wealth of pressure on their shoulders before the start of the tournament. But, what should have been a successful campaign, ended with a whimper and two terrible defeats.
In a rather meaningless game to see who finished third and fourth, Brazil were hoping to restore some much-needed pride after having been played off the park in their 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-final. Instead, the hosts came up short yet again and were booed by their supporters for a second successive game.
Brazil have hosted a superb tournament, and arguably one of the greatest World Cups of my lifetime, but their own personal performance left a lot to be desired.
Holland were also disappointed not to have reached the final, like they had done in 2010, but at least the Dutch were able to end their campaign on a high.
Arjen Robben, who is often known for going over theatrically in the box, earned his side a deserved penalty after just three minutes when he was hauled down by Thiago Silva. Robin Van Persie made no mistake from the spot with his fourth goal of the tournament.
Louis Van Gaal's men doubled their advantage after 16 minutes when a poor headed clearance from David Luiz fell straight to Daley Blind. The Ajax man controlled the ball well before shooting calmly beyond Julio Cesar for his first international goal.
Brazil tried to reduce the deficit and had a penalty appeal turned down when Oscar went down in the box, with the Chelsea man then receiving a yellow card for diving.
The night got worse for Brazil as they conceded their 10th goal in just two games when Georginio Wijnaldum scored from close range in injury time. In fact, it was the first time since 1940 that the South Americans had suffered back-to-back home defeats.
It could get even worse for the hosts if their South American rivals Argentina take the title when they face Germany in the World Cup final in the Maracana. It is hard to imagine just what is going through the mind of Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari. The former Chelsea boss led Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002, but he is likely to be remembered more for the poor defeats to Germany and Holland in this campaign.
But, for all the hosts' disappointment, maybe Holland can at least look back at the tournament as being somewhat successful. The Dutch didn't take the title but, after demolishing holders Spain 5-1 in the opening game, Van Gaal's men came mighty close and only a penalty shoot-out prevented them from reaching a second successive final. The Dutch got over that disappointment to at least get third place and Van Gaal can head to his new job at Manchester United with a positive frame of mind.
As for holders Spain, they will officially lose their grip on the trophy after the final where either Germany or Argentina will be crowned as the new world champions. Everything seems to point towards Germany being the favourites but this tournament has taught us how dangerous it is to write off any side, so who knows what might happened.
Argentina could get Mullered or it could get rather Messi for Germany! Either way it looks set to be a cracking game! I'm going to stick with my prediction of 4-3 Germany!
Let the drama continue!
World Cup 2014 - One to remember and it's not over yet!
The South American giants had big expectations and a wealth of pressure on their shoulders before the start of the tournament. But, what should have been a successful campaign, ended with a whimper and two terrible defeats.
In a rather meaningless game to see who finished third and fourth, Brazil were hoping to restore some much-needed pride after having been played off the park in their 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-final. Instead, the hosts came up short yet again and were booed by their supporters for a second successive game.
Brazil have hosted a superb tournament, and arguably one of the greatest World Cups of my lifetime, but their own personal performance left a lot to be desired.
Holland were also disappointed not to have reached the final, like they had done in 2010, but at least the Dutch were able to end their campaign on a high.
Arjen Robben, who is often known for going over theatrically in the box, earned his side a deserved penalty after just three minutes when he was hauled down by Thiago Silva. Robin Van Persie made no mistake from the spot with his fourth goal of the tournament.
Louis Van Gaal's men doubled their advantage after 16 minutes when a poor headed clearance from David Luiz fell straight to Daley Blind. The Ajax man controlled the ball well before shooting calmly beyond Julio Cesar for his first international goal.
Brazil tried to reduce the deficit and had a penalty appeal turned down when Oscar went down in the box, with the Chelsea man then receiving a yellow card for diving.
The night got worse for Brazil as they conceded their 10th goal in just two games when Georginio Wijnaldum scored from close range in injury time. In fact, it was the first time since 1940 that the South Americans had suffered back-to-back home defeats.
It could get even worse for the hosts if their South American rivals Argentina take the title when they face Germany in the World Cup final in the Maracana. It is hard to imagine just what is going through the mind of Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari. The former Chelsea boss led Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002, but he is likely to be remembered more for the poor defeats to Germany and Holland in this campaign.
But, for all the hosts' disappointment, maybe Holland can at least look back at the tournament as being somewhat successful. The Dutch didn't take the title but, after demolishing holders Spain 5-1 in the opening game, Van Gaal's men came mighty close and only a penalty shoot-out prevented them from reaching a second successive final. The Dutch got over that disappointment to at least get third place and Van Gaal can head to his new job at Manchester United with a positive frame of mind.
As for holders Spain, they will officially lose their grip on the trophy after the final where either Germany or Argentina will be crowned as the new world champions. Everything seems to point towards Germany being the favourites but this tournament has taught us how dangerous it is to write off any side, so who knows what might happened.
Argentina could get Mullered or it could get rather Messi for Germany! Either way it looks set to be a cracking game! I'm going to stick with my prediction of 4-3 Germany!
Let the drama continue!
World Cup 2014 - One to remember and it's not over yet!
Thursday, 10 July 2014
Holland pay the penalty
The World Cup went from one of the most dramatic games of the tournament to one of the dullest as Argentina overcame Holland on penalties to reach the final.
After the goal-fest of Brazil 1 Germany 7, neither side could find a goal in 120 minutes. It was not pretty viewing and at times was hard to pay attention to, and totally not what you would expect from a World Cup semi-final.
Before the game I thought that the second semi-final could be more cagey, with both sides having seen Brazil obliterated the night before and not wanting to be on the receiving end of a similar hammering. But I did not expect it to be quite as dull as it turned out to be, especially with the likes of Lionel Messi on show.
To prove just how dull the game was, Argentina had just 4 shots on target to Holland's one over 120 minutes. There really was very little of note in a game where so much more had been expected due to the two top quality sides that were doing battle against each other. Not only that but the legendary Messi himself did not touch the ball in the Dutch penalty area during the 120 minutes before the shoot-out - a truly remarkable stat that had me baffled.
The main chance of note in the first half saw Messi's free-kick comfortably saved by Jasper Cillessen in the Holland goal. I genuinely thought there had been a goal in the second half when Enzo Perez's perfectly timed assist was met by Gonzalo Higuain. I stupidly, partly out of not wanting Holland to win, stood up and cheered but the ball had actually hit the side netting. Luckily I wasn't the only one as I know at least one person who made their cats jump doing the same thing.
Holland almost got a breakthrough when Arjen Robben found his way into the box, only to be denied by a world class challenge from Javier Mascherano. Not only was it a sublime tackle from the Barcelona man, but also meant he had made more tackles than any other player in the tournament with 28.
Robben was again in the thick of the action as the Dutch registered their first shot on target after 99 minutes - yes it really did take that long! Robben's shot was straight at Sergio Romero and did little to trouble the Argentina goalkeeper.
Argentina really should've taken the lead in the second half of extra time when a ball over the top found Rodrigo Palacio, but the Inter Milan striker controlled the ball before sending a tame header straight into the grateful arms of Cillessen. Maxi Rodriguez also poorly shot straight at the Dutch shot-stopper but all would be forgiven as he later became the game's match-winner.
It was down to the dreaded penalties - a cruel yet pulsating way to decide a game. With no subs remaining, I turned to a friend and I said that I think Argentina will win and, that if they did, some people will blame the fact Tim Krul wasn't subbed on this time. In the quarter final against Costa Rica Krul came off the bench to win the shoot-out for his side, but he wasn't given the chance this time. Klaas Jan Huntelaar came on for Robin Van Persie after 96 minutes, meaning the Dutch had run out of substitution and there would be no Krul heroics this time!
As it was Cillessen remained on the pitch, but it would be harsh to blame the Ajax stopper as he had obviously been picked as number one throughout the tournament for a reason and deserved his starting place between the sticks. But it was his opposite number Romero who took all the plaudits in the end. Romero kept out Ron Vlaar, who had previously defended excellently in the game, and Wesley Sneijder to ensure it would be Argentina booking a third World Cup final meeting between themselves and Germany.
Both sides have a win apiece, with the South Americans winning 3-2 in the 1986 final before Germany gained revenge with a narrow 1-0 win four years later. So, who will win their 3rd meeting in a World Cup final? I certainly hope it is a better game than the second semi-final and I genuinely believe it will be.
It has been a truly remarkable tournament full of shocks, drama and plenty of entertainment, with several of the underdogs putting in heroic performances. But it has all been about the favourites in the knock-out stages, barring Brazil's embarrassing defeat, and it is great to see two footballing giants in the final. That is what we had all hoped for (other than the desire to see England in the final of course).
But before the final we have the anti-climax of the third/fourth place play-off between hosts Brazil and Holland. A great chance for Brazil to restore some much-needed national pride and ensure they can at least end the tournament on a win. Really though it is a very pointless game. Does anybody really think back to a tournament and remember the team that finished 3rd or 4th? Other than the 2002 World Cup where we had the surprise of South Korea vs Turkey in that match and an unexpected side finishing 3rd, this game often seems pointless. It prolongs the tournament but it is really unnecessary and I would much rather see it go from the semi-final stage straight into the final.
So time for some final predictions...
Brazil vs Holland
Neither side impressed in their semi-final match and Brazil will undoubtedly be desperate to erase the memory of their 7-1 defeat by Germany to end their tournament on a high. Nothing will ever fully erase that memory but at least they can try and salvage a bit of national pride. Or maybe this could be the start of a decline and it could be back-to-back defeats. I think Brazil will have a scare and go behind in this one but ultimately prevail with a 3-1 win.
THE FINAL - Germany vs Argentina
This is it! The moment we have all been waiting for! We will finally get to find out who replaces Spain as world champions. The 2014 World Cup has certainly been one to remember for various reasons and can be considered one of, if not, the best World Cup tournament of my lifetime (barring England's disappointing group stage exit). The tournament deserves to go out with a bang and it needs one last match of footballing magic before we wave goodbye to a great summer of entertainment in Brazil. But which way will the final go?
When the knockout stages started, I had a funny feeling Germany would go all the way and even before they demolished Brazil said to a friend they would win the tournament. I am sticking to my guns and going for a Germany win although they should get a much tougher match than in the last round. Germany seem to have so much great depth in their squad and if they maintain their form will be unstoppable on their way to glory.
But as we know all too well from this tournament it is dangerous to write off any team. Argentina will be looking to win the World Cup for the first time in nearly 30 years and if they can pull it off it will be a fine tribute to the late Alfredo Di Stefano. The Argentine-Spanish striker, who was regarded as one of the finest players to have ever graced the game, recently passed away and it would be fitting if Argentina were able to pull a win out of the hat. Arguably the greatest player of the modern generation, Messi, is in their ranks, so Argentina will pose a massively dangerous threat to the Germans and it really is a tough one to call.
If the match goes as many expect, it will be an absolute cracker! If both teams can hit top form there will be a flood of goals but now I really must decide which way it is going to go. I am going to predict a 4-3 win for Germany in Rio! Let's just hope the game lives up to expectations!
Let the drama continue!
World Cup 2014 - One to remember and it's not over yet!
After the goal-fest of Brazil 1 Germany 7, neither side could find a goal in 120 minutes. It was not pretty viewing and at times was hard to pay attention to, and totally not what you would expect from a World Cup semi-final.
Before the game I thought that the second semi-final could be more cagey, with both sides having seen Brazil obliterated the night before and not wanting to be on the receiving end of a similar hammering. But I did not expect it to be quite as dull as it turned out to be, especially with the likes of Lionel Messi on show.
To prove just how dull the game was, Argentina had just 4 shots on target to Holland's one over 120 minutes. There really was very little of note in a game where so much more had been expected due to the two top quality sides that were doing battle against each other. Not only that but the legendary Messi himself did not touch the ball in the Dutch penalty area during the 120 minutes before the shoot-out - a truly remarkable stat that had me baffled.
The main chance of note in the first half saw Messi's free-kick comfortably saved by Jasper Cillessen in the Holland goal. I genuinely thought there had been a goal in the second half when Enzo Perez's perfectly timed assist was met by Gonzalo Higuain. I stupidly, partly out of not wanting Holland to win, stood up and cheered but the ball had actually hit the side netting. Luckily I wasn't the only one as I know at least one person who made their cats jump doing the same thing.
Holland almost got a breakthrough when Arjen Robben found his way into the box, only to be denied by a world class challenge from Javier Mascherano. Not only was it a sublime tackle from the Barcelona man, but also meant he had made more tackles than any other player in the tournament with 28.
Robben was again in the thick of the action as the Dutch registered their first shot on target after 99 minutes - yes it really did take that long! Robben's shot was straight at Sergio Romero and did little to trouble the Argentina goalkeeper.
Argentina really should've taken the lead in the second half of extra time when a ball over the top found Rodrigo Palacio, but the Inter Milan striker controlled the ball before sending a tame header straight into the grateful arms of Cillessen. Maxi Rodriguez also poorly shot straight at the Dutch shot-stopper but all would be forgiven as he later became the game's match-winner.
It was down to the dreaded penalties - a cruel yet pulsating way to decide a game. With no subs remaining, I turned to a friend and I said that I think Argentina will win and, that if they did, some people will blame the fact Tim Krul wasn't subbed on this time. In the quarter final against Costa Rica Krul came off the bench to win the shoot-out for his side, but he wasn't given the chance this time. Klaas Jan Huntelaar came on for Robin Van Persie after 96 minutes, meaning the Dutch had run out of substitution and there would be no Krul heroics this time!
As it was Cillessen remained on the pitch, but it would be harsh to blame the Ajax stopper as he had obviously been picked as number one throughout the tournament for a reason and deserved his starting place between the sticks. But it was his opposite number Romero who took all the plaudits in the end. Romero kept out Ron Vlaar, who had previously defended excellently in the game, and Wesley Sneijder to ensure it would be Argentina booking a third World Cup final meeting between themselves and Germany.
Both sides have a win apiece, with the South Americans winning 3-2 in the 1986 final before Germany gained revenge with a narrow 1-0 win four years later. So, who will win their 3rd meeting in a World Cup final? I certainly hope it is a better game than the second semi-final and I genuinely believe it will be.
It has been a truly remarkable tournament full of shocks, drama and plenty of entertainment, with several of the underdogs putting in heroic performances. But it has all been about the favourites in the knock-out stages, barring Brazil's embarrassing defeat, and it is great to see two footballing giants in the final. That is what we had all hoped for (other than the desire to see England in the final of course).
But before the final we have the anti-climax of the third/fourth place play-off between hosts Brazil and Holland. A great chance for Brazil to restore some much-needed national pride and ensure they can at least end the tournament on a win. Really though it is a very pointless game. Does anybody really think back to a tournament and remember the team that finished 3rd or 4th? Other than the 2002 World Cup where we had the surprise of South Korea vs Turkey in that match and an unexpected side finishing 3rd, this game often seems pointless. It prolongs the tournament but it is really unnecessary and I would much rather see it go from the semi-final stage straight into the final.
So time for some final predictions...
Brazil vs Holland
Neither side impressed in their semi-final match and Brazil will undoubtedly be desperate to erase the memory of their 7-1 defeat by Germany to end their tournament on a high. Nothing will ever fully erase that memory but at least they can try and salvage a bit of national pride. Or maybe this could be the start of a decline and it could be back-to-back defeats. I think Brazil will have a scare and go behind in this one but ultimately prevail with a 3-1 win.
THE FINAL - Germany vs Argentina
This is it! The moment we have all been waiting for! We will finally get to find out who replaces Spain as world champions. The 2014 World Cup has certainly been one to remember for various reasons and can be considered one of, if not, the best World Cup tournament of my lifetime (barring England's disappointing group stage exit). The tournament deserves to go out with a bang and it needs one last match of footballing magic before we wave goodbye to a great summer of entertainment in Brazil. But which way will the final go?
When the knockout stages started, I had a funny feeling Germany would go all the way and even before they demolished Brazil said to a friend they would win the tournament. I am sticking to my guns and going for a Germany win although they should get a much tougher match than in the last round. Germany seem to have so much great depth in their squad and if they maintain their form will be unstoppable on their way to glory.
But as we know all too well from this tournament it is dangerous to write off any team. Argentina will be looking to win the World Cup for the first time in nearly 30 years and if they can pull it off it will be a fine tribute to the late Alfredo Di Stefano. The Argentine-Spanish striker, who was regarded as one of the finest players to have ever graced the game, recently passed away and it would be fitting if Argentina were able to pull a win out of the hat. Arguably the greatest player of the modern generation, Messi, is in their ranks, so Argentina will pose a massively dangerous threat to the Germans and it really is a tough one to call.
If the match goes as many expect, it will be an absolute cracker! If both teams can hit top form there will be a flood of goals but now I really must decide which way it is going to go. I am going to predict a 4-3 win for Germany in Rio! Let's just hope the game lives up to expectations!
Let the drama continue!
World Cup 2014 - One to remember and it's not over yet!
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Germany Kroosing as Brazil Mullered
After Germany destroyed Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup semi-finals many people have been left wondering just where it went wrong for the hosts.
Was it down to the absences of captain Thiago Silva and injured star striker Neymar? That was certainly a factor but that only slightly masks the true reason.
To put it simply, Brazil were outclassed by a better side on the day. Brazil should have done far better and their performance left a lot to be desired as they slumped to their heaviest ever defeat. At least three of the first five goals were very soft, it was almost like a training session! But even if the South Americans had shown more pride on the day I think it would have only meant a less heavy defeat for them.
Germany really were in the mood to demolish who was ever put in front of them in the final four. For all the deserved criticism of Brazil, nothing should be taken away from Germany as they were truly superb. Germany had a huge part to play in one of the most remarkable games in World Cup history.
Brazil went into the game as slight favourites due to being hosts but some, including myself, backed Germany to do the job and before the game I had said to friends they would come out on top. I also had doubts about Brazil early on in the competition, although nobody could have imagined the margin of victory that occurred in Belo Horizonte.
As England fans we are meant to rival Germany but they truly captivated me in this one and as the game wore on I just wanted them to keep scoring, such was the magnificence of their performance. Manager Joachim Low deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done with the three-time world champions.
Not only did Low mastermind the 7-1 defeat over Brazil, it was done on Brazilian soil where the hosts previously hadn't lost a competitive match in 39 years. But their hammering of the South American giants was no fluke as Low's men also beat European heavyweights Portugal 4-0 in the group stages.
From one to 11, Germany were superb. Even in a game where their defence was seldom tested, the back four stayed mainly solid and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was immense the few times he was called upon. Brazil threatened briefly in the early stages of the second half and Neuer, who had been a mere spectator in the first half, pulled off two world class saves to keep Germany in firm control.
If only we had a squad like this in England that we could be this proud of. We have some talented players in our squad, but Germany have so much depth and, with a fairly young squad, will undoubtedly keep getting better and better.
Brazil, on the other hand, face a huge reality check and changes are likely to occur with Luiz Felipe Scolari's job up in the air in what has been a tough summer for their coach. David Luiz, who captained Brazil on the night, had engineered a big money move to PSG earlier in the summer and people are already doubting whether this is now a good move for the French club. Yes, Neymar was a joy to watch for before injury ended his tournament, but Brazil as a whole failed to meet expectations.
Anything other than reaching the final would likely be considered a failure and the hosts really did fail at this World Cup, well on the pitch. Off the pitch they have produced one of the greatest World Cup of my lifetime, full of shocks, drama and plenty of entertainment. But on the pitch there have been concerns from the word go!
Brazil managed to beat Croatia in their opening group game, but they were very lucky to be given the controversial penalty that got them back in the game and some neutrals felt the European side had been hard done by. Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa produced heroics to force Brazil to be content with a goalless draw before the hosts finally got a deserved 4-0 win. That victory was over Cameroon, although the African side are being investigated over alleged match-fixing.
Brazil did the business with results against Chile and Colombia in the knockout stages and things were still looking up, although in reality both games could've gone either way as the hosts were pushed all the way by their South American rivals.
As they walked out onto the pitch in the semi-final against Germany many fans were expecting a cracking match and that is just what was served up...just not quite in the way we all imagined it.
Brazil knew it would be tough but conceding five goals inside the opening half an hour was surely unthinkable, yet it happened. Thomas Muller fired home a Toni Kroos' corner to set Germany on their way after just 11 minutes. To add insult to injury Miroslav Klose broke Brazilian Ronaldo's record after 23 minutes to become the World Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer with 16 goals (and that was done in just 23 games). Not only did Klose become a record-holder but he also has the remarkable feat of his country never having lost in a game in which he has scored any of his 71 goals.
Low's men doubled their advantage with two more goals in just three minutes. Kroos took advantage of some poor defending to side-foot home before scoring his second following an unselfish assist from Sami Khedira.
Brazil were being torn apart and simply had no answers to the Germans' attack, with the score getting even worse before half-time. The hosts' defensive frailties again came to the fore, allowing Khedira to score a simple goal from close-range after 29 minutes. Brazil had now conceded four goals inside seven minutes, such a crazy turn of events.
Frustratingly I had experienced similar when watching Arsenal face Chelsea and Liverpool last season, but this was something else. This was far worse and in a World Cup semi-final as well, what on earth was going on? It was a truly terrible effort from Brazil and one that could take a hell of a lot of recovering from.
Brazil were well and truly out of the World Cup by half-time but people wondered whether they would at least salvage some pride. Personally, one of the iconic images of the game for me was of a Brazilian fan holding onto a replica trophy, almost like his life depended on it. But Brazil well and truly lost their grip on any chance of lifting the trophy just as pathetically as Spain's defence of it had been.
The South American side started better in the second half and could've pulled two goals back had it not been for the heroics of Neuer. Whilst Tim Howard, Keylor Navas and Guillermo Ochoa have deservedly been singled out as stand-out performers in this World Cup, Neuer must be right up there. He may not have been called into action too often against Brazil, but he proved his world class ability when called upon.
Neuer ensured no pride was restored for Brazil and Andre Schurrle came off the bench to put the icing on the cake for Germany with a well-taken brace. The substitute tapped in after 69 minutes before scoring the pick of the bunch soon after with a sublime control and shot beyond Julio Cesar.
By the time Oscar scored in stoppage time to get Brazil off the mark, I had almost forgotten that the hosts were even on the pitch. It was a horrific capitulation by Scolari's men but Germany deserve massive credit for their world class performance.
I still think the Germans will take the title but Holland or Argentina are likely to give them a much tougher game in the final. The one-sided semi-final against Brazil may serve as a wake-up call to Holland and Argentina, who have now witnessed just how quickly World Cup dreams can be dashed. It could be a cagey first half with the sides possibly being more careful or maybe someone will produce a moment of magic. Whatever happens it looks set to be another great game.
Let the drama continue
World Cup 2014 - One to Remember and it's not over yet!
Was it down to the absences of captain Thiago Silva and injured star striker Neymar? That was certainly a factor but that only slightly masks the true reason.
To put it simply, Brazil were outclassed by a better side on the day. Brazil should have done far better and their performance left a lot to be desired as they slumped to their heaviest ever defeat. At least three of the first five goals were very soft, it was almost like a training session! But even if the South Americans had shown more pride on the day I think it would have only meant a less heavy defeat for them.
Germany really were in the mood to demolish who was ever put in front of them in the final four. For all the deserved criticism of Brazil, nothing should be taken away from Germany as they were truly superb. Germany had a huge part to play in one of the most remarkable games in World Cup history.
Brazil went into the game as slight favourites due to being hosts but some, including myself, backed Germany to do the job and before the game I had said to friends they would come out on top. I also had doubts about Brazil early on in the competition, although nobody could have imagined the margin of victory that occurred in Belo Horizonte.
As England fans we are meant to rival Germany but they truly captivated me in this one and as the game wore on I just wanted them to keep scoring, such was the magnificence of their performance. Manager Joachim Low deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done with the three-time world champions.
Not only did Low mastermind the 7-1 defeat over Brazil, it was done on Brazilian soil where the hosts previously hadn't lost a competitive match in 39 years. But their hammering of the South American giants was no fluke as Low's men also beat European heavyweights Portugal 4-0 in the group stages.
From one to 11, Germany were superb. Even in a game where their defence was seldom tested, the back four stayed mainly solid and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was immense the few times he was called upon. Brazil threatened briefly in the early stages of the second half and Neuer, who had been a mere spectator in the first half, pulled off two world class saves to keep Germany in firm control.
If only we had a squad like this in England that we could be this proud of. We have some talented players in our squad, but Germany have so much depth and, with a fairly young squad, will undoubtedly keep getting better and better.
Brazil, on the other hand, face a huge reality check and changes are likely to occur with Luiz Felipe Scolari's job up in the air in what has been a tough summer for their coach. David Luiz, who captained Brazil on the night, had engineered a big money move to PSG earlier in the summer and people are already doubting whether this is now a good move for the French club. Yes, Neymar was a joy to watch for before injury ended his tournament, but Brazil as a whole failed to meet expectations.
Anything other than reaching the final would likely be considered a failure and the hosts really did fail at this World Cup, well on the pitch. Off the pitch they have produced one of the greatest World Cup of my lifetime, full of shocks, drama and plenty of entertainment. But on the pitch there have been concerns from the word go!
Brazil managed to beat Croatia in their opening group game, but they were very lucky to be given the controversial penalty that got them back in the game and some neutrals felt the European side had been hard done by. Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa produced heroics to force Brazil to be content with a goalless draw before the hosts finally got a deserved 4-0 win. That victory was over Cameroon, although the African side are being investigated over alleged match-fixing.
Brazil did the business with results against Chile and Colombia in the knockout stages and things were still looking up, although in reality both games could've gone either way as the hosts were pushed all the way by their South American rivals.
As they walked out onto the pitch in the semi-final against Germany many fans were expecting a cracking match and that is just what was served up...just not quite in the way we all imagined it.
Brazil knew it would be tough but conceding five goals inside the opening half an hour was surely unthinkable, yet it happened. Thomas Muller fired home a Toni Kroos' corner to set Germany on their way after just 11 minutes. To add insult to injury Miroslav Klose broke Brazilian Ronaldo's record after 23 minutes to become the World Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer with 16 goals (and that was done in just 23 games). Not only did Klose become a record-holder but he also has the remarkable feat of his country never having lost in a game in which he has scored any of his 71 goals.
Low's men doubled their advantage with two more goals in just three minutes. Kroos took advantage of some poor defending to side-foot home before scoring his second following an unselfish assist from Sami Khedira.
Brazil were being torn apart and simply had no answers to the Germans' attack, with the score getting even worse before half-time. The hosts' defensive frailties again came to the fore, allowing Khedira to score a simple goal from close-range after 29 minutes. Brazil had now conceded four goals inside seven minutes, such a crazy turn of events.
Frustratingly I had experienced similar when watching Arsenal face Chelsea and Liverpool last season, but this was something else. This was far worse and in a World Cup semi-final as well, what on earth was going on? It was a truly terrible effort from Brazil and one that could take a hell of a lot of recovering from.
Brazil were well and truly out of the World Cup by half-time but people wondered whether they would at least salvage some pride. Personally, one of the iconic images of the game for me was of a Brazilian fan holding onto a replica trophy, almost like his life depended on it. But Brazil well and truly lost their grip on any chance of lifting the trophy just as pathetically as Spain's defence of it had been.
The South American side started better in the second half and could've pulled two goals back had it not been for the heroics of Neuer. Whilst Tim Howard, Keylor Navas and Guillermo Ochoa have deservedly been singled out as stand-out performers in this World Cup, Neuer must be right up there. He may not have been called into action too often against Brazil, but he proved his world class ability when called upon.
Neuer ensured no pride was restored for Brazil and Andre Schurrle came off the bench to put the icing on the cake for Germany with a well-taken brace. The substitute tapped in after 69 minutes before scoring the pick of the bunch soon after with a sublime control and shot beyond Julio Cesar.
By the time Oscar scored in stoppage time to get Brazil off the mark, I had almost forgotten that the hosts were even on the pitch. It was a horrific capitulation by Scolari's men but Germany deserve massive credit for their world class performance.
I still think the Germans will take the title but Holland or Argentina are likely to give them a much tougher game in the final. The one-sided semi-final against Brazil may serve as a wake-up call to Holland and Argentina, who have now witnessed just how quickly World Cup dreams can be dashed. It could be a cagey first half with the sides possibly being more careful or maybe someone will produce a moment of magic. Whatever happens it looks set to be another great game.
Let the drama continue
World Cup 2014 - One to Remember and it's not over yet!
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Then there were four
Hosts Brazil appear on course to meet expectations and go all the way to win the 2014 World Cup on home soil.
Brazil edged out South American rivals Colombia 2-1 to reach the semi-finals, but three-times champions Germany, who beat France in the quarters, will ensure they have one of the toughest possible routes to get there.
Argentina only beat Belgium by a solitary goal, while Holland needed a dramatic penalty shootout to see off the tournaments surprise package Costa Rica.
Remarkably, it will be the first time in World Cup history that both Brazil and Argentina have reached the semi-finals. I was amazed by that statistic and couldn't believe it had taken this long for two great nations to reach this stage together. However, they would have reached the feat in 1978 had the format of the tournament not been different. The South American duo were in the same second round group, with Argentina topping the pile and Brazil finishing as runners-up in Group B. Argentina progressed straight to the final, where they beat Holland, while Brazil had to settle for finishing third after winning their play-off match with Italy. Had there been semi-finals the duo would both have reached that stage but 2014 will be the first time they are both officially in the semi-finals together.
Equally as surprising it will be the first time in almost 25 years that Argentina have reached the final four and it is shaping up to be a superb climax to the competition. Back in the group stages it was all about expecting the unexpected and underdogs punching well above their weight, with plenty of goals, to delight football fans across the globe. But as the tournament reached its business end the favourites shone through despite some mammoth efforts from the smaller sides. All eight group winners won in the round of 16 and the four favourites won their quarter-final matches, although they were all made to work extremely hard to get the right result.
There is so much more that could be said but, before I get side-tracked, let's look back at the action from the quarter-finals.
Mat's the way to do it!
France 0 Germany 1
Germany may not have peaked at their best this tournament but they don't half know how to get results when it counts! Despite not being at their best, the Germans are now in their fourth consecutive World Cup semi-final and become the first nation to reach that feat. To reach the final four in 10 of their last 13 World Cups is a tremendous achievement and Brazil will undoubtedly find them a tough nut to crack.
Mats Hummels headed home a Toni Kroos free-kick after 12 minutes and that proved to be the decisive goal in Rio. France had chances to level the scores but Manuel Neuer continued his fine form in this World Cup to keep out Mathieu Valbuena and Karim Benzema.
France will be frustrated after their quarter final exit while Germany, who have not consistently been at their best this summer, became the first team into the final four. They may not be destroying teams in attack but they are getting results when it matters and will be an incredibly tough opponent for Brazil to break down.
Brazil nuts at Neymar injury
Brazil 2 Colombia 1
Brazil edged into the semi-finals of the World Cup at the expense of their South American rivals, but the injury to their young prodigy Neymar tainted the victory somewhat.
The 22-year-old had already scored four goals in the tournament to become the hosts' star man but his campaign was ended when a knee to the back left him with a fractured vertebra in his spine. A horrible moment for the youngster but he has still backed his team-mates to win the competition in his absence.
Neymar's injury dominated the headlines of a game that could've gone either way and both sides have been a credit to the tournament. Brazil, as hosts, needed to stay in the tournament to keep the passion of the tournament ticking over. They have been great hosts of arguably one of the greatest ever World Cups and we need them to stay. On the other hand, Colombia had been arguably the best team in the tournament with their superb attacking football and that man James Rodriguez. Rodriguez ended his tournament on six goals and has been the star of Brazil. His volley against Uruguay will be remembered as the best goal of this summer's World Cup so far and the 22-year-old has certainly earned himself plenty of fans along the way. If I could take any player from this World Cup at Arsenal it would be him, he has been a joy to watch.
As the game unfolded I found myself becoming very anti-Brazil. Maybe it was my new-found bias towards Rodriguez but it seemed to me, at the time, that they were fouling Colombia's star man at every opportunity to prevent him from working his magic.
But it was Brazil, who are now unbeaten in 41 home matches, that importantly made their chances count to secure victory. Thiago Silva bundled home from Neymar's corner to put the hosts in front. The defender also picked up his second booking of the tournament during the match, meaning he is set to miss the semi-final through suspension, but Brazil are appealing the decision.
The score could've been worse had Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina not produced a string of fine saves to keep the hosts out. But he could do nothing about David Luiz's stunning free-kick after 68 minutes, although some onlookers believe the award of the set piece itself was harsh.
Colombia, who earlier had a goal ruled out for offside, reduced the deficit when Carlos Bacca was hauled down in the box by goalkeeper Julio Cesar 10 minutes from time. Rodriguez continued his record of scoring in every match by successfully converting the penalty to set up a tense finish.
Neymar leaving the field on a stretcher is not how the hosts would've wanted the game to end but they still remain on course for the trophy.
Messi magic inspires Argentina
Argentina 1 Belgium 0
Lionel Messi once again proved to be the difference as he set up the winning goal on a historic night.
The Barcelona man equalled Diego Maradona's 91 appearances as his side continued their tradition of this tournament of winning by just a solitary goal.
That man Messi had a big part to play in the goal as he spun away from the defence before finding Angel Di Maria with a perfectly timed pass. Gonzalo Higuain latched onto Di Maria's deflected assist with a sweetly struck half-volley after just eight minutes.
Argentina may not have quite hit top gear in this tournament but they are getting the results and Messi has played a huge role, amazing the crowds with countless amounts of brilliance.
Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella also produced his own memorable moment when randomly and comically stumbling backwards after seeing Higuain's effort hit the crossbar.
Sabella's Belgian counterpart Marc Wilmots was less than amused with the match and was critical of Argentina's 'ordinary' performance and believing the referee was too lenient towards Messi.
But that didn't change the result and it was the end of the road for a young and promising Belgium side, while Argentina march on and leave us drooling over the possibility of a Brazil vs Argentina final.
Costa Rica undone by Krul defeat
Holland 0 Costa Rica 0
(Holland won 4-3 on penalties)
Holland's substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul grabbed the headlines after coming off the bench in extra time to save two penalties and propel his country into the final four.
In a bizarre turn of events Dutch boss Louis Van Gaal decided to change his goalkeeper towards the end of extra time and bring on Krul in place of Jasper Cillessen, despite the fact the Newcastle shot-stopper had only saved two of his last 20 penalties in the Premier League.
But the decision paid off as Krul denied Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana in the shootout to send Dutch fans into raptures. Krul's heroics proved crucial but his opposite number in the Costa Rica goal Keylor Navas can leave the tournament with his head held high.
Navas produced numerous superb saves on the night and has been one of the best performers at the 2014 World Cup. People will certainly know the name Keylor Navas a lot more now and the Levante goalkeeper is likely to be on the shopping list of several clubs this summer.
Although Costa Rica had to rely largely on Navas on the night, they deserve huge praise for their performances as a whole in Brazil. To finish top of a group containing England, Uruguay and Italy was nothing short of superb and Jorge Luis Pinto has done a fantastic job to get the best out of his talented group. Pinto's men were undefeated going into their quarter-final tie and can be immensely proud of their efforts as, not only did they defy the odds on numerous occasions, they almost pulled off a shock and took Holland all the way to penalties in the last eight - a fantastic achievement!
Costa Rica had a penalty appeal rejected before Marcos Urena forced a save from Cillessen, but Krul's penalty heroics ultimately proved to be the difference.
A wonderful and surprising journey for Costa Rica, but take nothing away from Holland. Van Gaal's men did the job on the night and got the result to keep alive their hopes of World Cup glory.
The final four
Hosts Brazil must still be the favourites as having home advantage is a huge factor on the world stage, but it would be foolish to write off Germany, Argentina and Holland. Although the underdogs produced moments of greatness we have been left with an unsurprising semi-final line-up. Holders Spain failed to reach the knockout stages but it would've been no surprise to see the eventual final four on anyone's semi-final predictions from before the tournament.
There is plenty more drama to come. It is no longer about the underdogs. We are now into serious territory and nobody can afford any slip-ups.
Let the drama continue!
May the best team win!
Brazil edged out South American rivals Colombia 2-1 to reach the semi-finals, but three-times champions Germany, who beat France in the quarters, will ensure they have one of the toughest possible routes to get there.
Argentina only beat Belgium by a solitary goal, while Holland needed a dramatic penalty shootout to see off the tournaments surprise package Costa Rica.
Remarkably, it will be the first time in World Cup history that both Brazil and Argentina have reached the semi-finals. I was amazed by that statistic and couldn't believe it had taken this long for two great nations to reach this stage together. However, they would have reached the feat in 1978 had the format of the tournament not been different. The South American duo were in the same second round group, with Argentina topping the pile and Brazil finishing as runners-up in Group B. Argentina progressed straight to the final, where they beat Holland, while Brazil had to settle for finishing third after winning their play-off match with Italy. Had there been semi-finals the duo would both have reached that stage but 2014 will be the first time they are both officially in the semi-finals together.
Equally as surprising it will be the first time in almost 25 years that Argentina have reached the final four and it is shaping up to be a superb climax to the competition. Back in the group stages it was all about expecting the unexpected and underdogs punching well above their weight, with plenty of goals, to delight football fans across the globe. But as the tournament reached its business end the favourites shone through despite some mammoth efforts from the smaller sides. All eight group winners won in the round of 16 and the four favourites won their quarter-final matches, although they were all made to work extremely hard to get the right result.
There is so much more that could be said but, before I get side-tracked, let's look back at the action from the quarter-finals.
Mat's the way to do it!
France 0 Germany 1
Germany may not have peaked at their best this tournament but they don't half know how to get results when it counts! Despite not being at their best, the Germans are now in their fourth consecutive World Cup semi-final and become the first nation to reach that feat. To reach the final four in 10 of their last 13 World Cups is a tremendous achievement and Brazil will undoubtedly find them a tough nut to crack.
Mats Hummels headed home a Toni Kroos free-kick after 12 minutes and that proved to be the decisive goal in Rio. France had chances to level the scores but Manuel Neuer continued his fine form in this World Cup to keep out Mathieu Valbuena and Karim Benzema.
France will be frustrated after their quarter final exit while Germany, who have not consistently been at their best this summer, became the first team into the final four. They may not be destroying teams in attack but they are getting results when it matters and will be an incredibly tough opponent for Brazil to break down.
Brazil nuts at Neymar injury
Brazil 2 Colombia 1
Brazil edged into the semi-finals of the World Cup at the expense of their South American rivals, but the injury to their young prodigy Neymar tainted the victory somewhat.
The 22-year-old had already scored four goals in the tournament to become the hosts' star man but his campaign was ended when a knee to the back left him with a fractured vertebra in his spine. A horrible moment for the youngster but he has still backed his team-mates to win the competition in his absence.
Neymar's injury dominated the headlines of a game that could've gone either way and both sides have been a credit to the tournament. Brazil, as hosts, needed to stay in the tournament to keep the passion of the tournament ticking over. They have been great hosts of arguably one of the greatest ever World Cups and we need them to stay. On the other hand, Colombia had been arguably the best team in the tournament with their superb attacking football and that man James Rodriguez. Rodriguez ended his tournament on six goals and has been the star of Brazil. His volley against Uruguay will be remembered as the best goal of this summer's World Cup so far and the 22-year-old has certainly earned himself plenty of fans along the way. If I could take any player from this World Cup at Arsenal it would be him, he has been a joy to watch.
As the game unfolded I found myself becoming very anti-Brazil. Maybe it was my new-found bias towards Rodriguez but it seemed to me, at the time, that they were fouling Colombia's star man at every opportunity to prevent him from working his magic.
But it was Brazil, who are now unbeaten in 41 home matches, that importantly made their chances count to secure victory. Thiago Silva bundled home from Neymar's corner to put the hosts in front. The defender also picked up his second booking of the tournament during the match, meaning he is set to miss the semi-final through suspension, but Brazil are appealing the decision.
The score could've been worse had Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina not produced a string of fine saves to keep the hosts out. But he could do nothing about David Luiz's stunning free-kick after 68 minutes, although some onlookers believe the award of the set piece itself was harsh.
Colombia, who earlier had a goal ruled out for offside, reduced the deficit when Carlos Bacca was hauled down in the box by goalkeeper Julio Cesar 10 minutes from time. Rodriguez continued his record of scoring in every match by successfully converting the penalty to set up a tense finish.
Neymar leaving the field on a stretcher is not how the hosts would've wanted the game to end but they still remain on course for the trophy.
Messi magic inspires Argentina
Argentina 1 Belgium 0
Lionel Messi once again proved to be the difference as he set up the winning goal on a historic night.
The Barcelona man equalled Diego Maradona's 91 appearances as his side continued their tradition of this tournament of winning by just a solitary goal.
That man Messi had a big part to play in the goal as he spun away from the defence before finding Angel Di Maria with a perfectly timed pass. Gonzalo Higuain latched onto Di Maria's deflected assist with a sweetly struck half-volley after just eight minutes.
Argentina may not have quite hit top gear in this tournament but they are getting the results and Messi has played a huge role, amazing the crowds with countless amounts of brilliance.
Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella also produced his own memorable moment when randomly and comically stumbling backwards after seeing Higuain's effort hit the crossbar.
Sabella's Belgian counterpart Marc Wilmots was less than amused with the match and was critical of Argentina's 'ordinary' performance and believing the referee was too lenient towards Messi.
But that didn't change the result and it was the end of the road for a young and promising Belgium side, while Argentina march on and leave us drooling over the possibility of a Brazil vs Argentina final.
Costa Rica undone by Krul defeat
Holland 0 Costa Rica 0
(Holland won 4-3 on penalties)
Holland's substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul grabbed the headlines after coming off the bench in extra time to save two penalties and propel his country into the final four.
In a bizarre turn of events Dutch boss Louis Van Gaal decided to change his goalkeeper towards the end of extra time and bring on Krul in place of Jasper Cillessen, despite the fact the Newcastle shot-stopper had only saved two of his last 20 penalties in the Premier League.
But the decision paid off as Krul denied Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana in the shootout to send Dutch fans into raptures. Krul's heroics proved crucial but his opposite number in the Costa Rica goal Keylor Navas can leave the tournament with his head held high.
Navas produced numerous superb saves on the night and has been one of the best performers at the 2014 World Cup. People will certainly know the name Keylor Navas a lot more now and the Levante goalkeeper is likely to be on the shopping list of several clubs this summer.
Although Costa Rica had to rely largely on Navas on the night, they deserve huge praise for their performances as a whole in Brazil. To finish top of a group containing England, Uruguay and Italy was nothing short of superb and Jorge Luis Pinto has done a fantastic job to get the best out of his talented group. Pinto's men were undefeated going into their quarter-final tie and can be immensely proud of their efforts as, not only did they defy the odds on numerous occasions, they almost pulled off a shock and took Holland all the way to penalties in the last eight - a fantastic achievement!
Costa Rica had a penalty appeal rejected before Marcos Urena forced a save from Cillessen, but Krul's penalty heroics ultimately proved to be the difference.
A wonderful and surprising journey for Costa Rica, but take nothing away from Holland. Van Gaal's men did the job on the night and got the result to keep alive their hopes of World Cup glory.
The final four
Hosts Brazil must still be the favourites as having home advantage is a huge factor on the world stage, but it would be foolish to write off Germany, Argentina and Holland. Although the underdogs produced moments of greatness we have been left with an unsurprising semi-final line-up. Holders Spain failed to reach the knockout stages but it would've been no surprise to see the eventual final four on anyone's semi-final predictions from before the tournament.
There is plenty more drama to come. It is no longer about the underdogs. We are now into serious territory and nobody can afford any slip-ups.
Let the drama continue!
May the best team win!
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Wilmots' wizardry works wonders
Marc Wilmots produced another stroke of genius as substitute Romelu Lukaku scored the decisive goal in Belgium's 2-1 win over a gutsy USA in the round of 16.
Wilmots sent on the Lukaku ready for extra time and the Chelsea striker responded with what turned out to be the winning goal. Former Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne pounced on a loose ball to open the scoring after 93 minutes before turning provider to set up Lukaku for the second before the break in extra-time.
USA substitute Julian Green latched onto Michael Bradley's floated pass to volley home and reduce the deficit after 107 minutes to give his side hope. USA refused to lie down and could've forced penalties but Jermaine Jones shot agonisingly wide before a clever free-kick routine ended with Clint Dempsey being denied by Thibaut Courtois in the Belgium goal. It just wasn't to be for Team America this year as Belgium marched on.
Belgium may not have produced the superb performances many had expected in the group stages but they created plenty of chances in their record-breaking clash in Salvador. But USA goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was already having a fine tournament, took a large share of the headlines after making more saves in a single game than any other player since 1966 as he kept Belgium out on no fewer than 15 occasions.
Howard was having a blinder of a game and was a key factor in the Americans being able to force the game into extra time. His performance was so sublime that it almost sent social media websites into pandemonium with the array of comments about his display. The Everton goalkeeper's Wikipedia page was also changed to give him the role of Secretary of Defence of the United States of America. If his display had led to an American victory the shot-stopper would surely have been in dreamland but unfortunately it wasn't to be and Jurgen Klinsmann's men saw their tournament come to an end.
When they reflect on it after the tournament, USA will undoubtedly be proud of their display. It is always frustrating to be knocked out in a game you were capable of winning but to have even reached that stage is something they should be immensely proud of. Nobody gave the Americans a chance when they were drawn in the same group as Germany, Portugal and Ghana yet they defied the odds to finish as runners-up in Group G.
For all Howard's heroics, it was Belgium who emerged victorious to reach a first World Cup quarter-final for 28 years. Wilmot's men can be proud of reaching the final eight in Brazil but they would go no further after a narrow 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the quarter finals. Wilmots can still be proud of his side's efforts and how his substitutes often repaid him with goals but in the end it was a class outfit from South America that stopped them progressing beyond the quarter finals.
That impressive South American outfit was Argentina, who had beaten another European side in Switzerland before getting the better of the Belgians. The game against the Swiss also produced late drama with Argentina needing an extra time goal from Angel Di Maria to send them through.
With just two minutes of extra time remaining Lionel Messi beat his men before finding Di Maria with a perfectly timed pass, leaving the Real Madrid man to fire home the winner.
There was still time for Switzerland to force penalties but Blerim Dzemaili's header hit a post before the rebound hit his leg and went wide. It was a case of what could've been for the Swiss after they missed a glorious chance to win the game in normal time. Josip Drmic really should have opened the scoring after being put clear, especially after Sergio Romero decided to stay nearer his goal-line, but his chip went straight into the grateful arms of the goalkeeper.
For Switzerland boss Ottmar Hitzfeld it was the end of an illustrious career that had seen him win 19 major trophies at club level, so it was a shame it couldn't end in victory. But it means Messi can light up the tournament for a little while longer as Argentina's wins over European opposition puts them into the final four.
With the round of 16 over and three of the four quarter-finals now decided, the ties just get more and more mouth-watering.
Let the drama continue!
Come on the underdogs!
Wilmots sent on the Lukaku ready for extra time and the Chelsea striker responded with what turned out to be the winning goal. Former Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne pounced on a loose ball to open the scoring after 93 minutes before turning provider to set up Lukaku for the second before the break in extra-time.
USA substitute Julian Green latched onto Michael Bradley's floated pass to volley home and reduce the deficit after 107 minutes to give his side hope. USA refused to lie down and could've forced penalties but Jermaine Jones shot agonisingly wide before a clever free-kick routine ended with Clint Dempsey being denied by Thibaut Courtois in the Belgium goal. It just wasn't to be for Team America this year as Belgium marched on.
Belgium may not have produced the superb performances many had expected in the group stages but they created plenty of chances in their record-breaking clash in Salvador. But USA goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was already having a fine tournament, took a large share of the headlines after making more saves in a single game than any other player since 1966 as he kept Belgium out on no fewer than 15 occasions.
Howard was having a blinder of a game and was a key factor in the Americans being able to force the game into extra time. His performance was so sublime that it almost sent social media websites into pandemonium with the array of comments about his display. The Everton goalkeeper's Wikipedia page was also changed to give him the role of Secretary of Defence of the United States of America. If his display had led to an American victory the shot-stopper would surely have been in dreamland but unfortunately it wasn't to be and Jurgen Klinsmann's men saw their tournament come to an end.
When they reflect on it after the tournament, USA will undoubtedly be proud of their display. It is always frustrating to be knocked out in a game you were capable of winning but to have even reached that stage is something they should be immensely proud of. Nobody gave the Americans a chance when they were drawn in the same group as Germany, Portugal and Ghana yet they defied the odds to finish as runners-up in Group G.
For all Howard's heroics, it was Belgium who emerged victorious to reach a first World Cup quarter-final for 28 years. Wilmot's men can be proud of reaching the final eight in Brazil but they would go no further after a narrow 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the quarter finals. Wilmots can still be proud of his side's efforts and how his substitutes often repaid him with goals but in the end it was a class outfit from South America that stopped them progressing beyond the quarter finals.
That impressive South American outfit was Argentina, who had beaten another European side in Switzerland before getting the better of the Belgians. The game against the Swiss also produced late drama with Argentina needing an extra time goal from Angel Di Maria to send them through.
With just two minutes of extra time remaining Lionel Messi beat his men before finding Di Maria with a perfectly timed pass, leaving the Real Madrid man to fire home the winner.
There was still time for Switzerland to force penalties but Blerim Dzemaili's header hit a post before the rebound hit his leg and went wide. It was a case of what could've been for the Swiss after they missed a glorious chance to win the game in normal time. Josip Drmic really should have opened the scoring after being put clear, especially after Sergio Romero decided to stay nearer his goal-line, but his chip went straight into the grateful arms of the goalkeeper.
For Switzerland boss Ottmar Hitzfeld it was the end of an illustrious career that had seen him win 19 major trophies at club level, so it was a shame it couldn't end in victory. But it means Messi can light up the tournament for a little while longer as Argentina's wins over European opposition puts them into the final four.
With the round of 16 over and three of the four quarter-finals now decided, the ties just get more and more mouth-watering.
Let the drama continue!
Come on the underdogs!
Super sub Schurrle
Substitute Andre Schurrle's extra time goal propelled Germany into the World Cup quarter finals at the expense of gutsy Algeria.
Germany had been expected to run riot in this match and ease into the final eight, but Algeria refused to give up and put in a fine performance. Had they been more clinical with their finishing the African side could've pulled off one of the greatest World Cup shocks of all time but it wasn't to be.
It feels weird writing about Germany's hard-fought round of 16 win now that they are actually in the semi-finals, but that's something that can't be helped on a relaxing holiday somewhere with remote signal and no internet access. Playing catch up with the blogging, rather than being able to post sooner, is frustrating but it also allows me to look back again at the games I watched earlier in the week.
Islam Slimani had a chance to break the deadlock in the first half but Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer rushed out promptly to clear the danger. The same player then beat Neuer with a diving header, only to see his effort ruled out for offside. The African side would later be made to rue those chances but, at the time, it was refreshing to see them try and take the game to Germany and create decent chances rather than just go all out defence.
As the game wore on, I found myself falling more in love with Algeria and the fantastic way in which they had approached the game. But the African side, who were playing in the knockout stages for the first time in their history, almost fell behind to the three-time world champions but a fine double save from goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi kept the score goalless.
M'Bolhi produced further stunning saves in the second half to keep Algeria in the game and give his side hope of causing an upset as they defied the odds to force extra time.
Algeria's work-rate had been immense and they thoroughly deserved to still be in the game, but Germany turned the tie on its head as Schurrle flicked in from close range after 92 minutes.
At that point, I fully expected Germany to then run away with it but their African opponents refused to lie down and kept battling away to make my respect for them rise yet again.
The upset could have been back on the cards had Mehdi Mostefa not lashed wide from close range. That miss proved costly for Algeria as Mesut Ozil scored from a rebound to double Germany's advantage with just a minute of extra time remaining.
Algeria finally got the goal their battling display deserved as substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou fired home from Sofiane Feghouli's cross in injury time. The African side had a half-chance before the end with a header straight at Neuer but they were unable to prevent an emotional exit from the tournament.
Algeria can hold their heads high after not only defying the odds to reach the knockout stages, but to have also run Germany so close in the round of 16. It means there were no African representatives in the quarter finals of the 2014 tournament, but Algeria definitely did themselves proud.
As for Germany, they marched on into the quarter final where they were to later beat France to stay on course for a possible World Cup triumph.
In the day's earlier game, France needed two late goals to see of Nigeria and I managed to tune in just in time to see both. Having just arrived at the holiday cottage, I promptly turned the television on and already over 70 minutes had passed.
It meant I had missed the moment when Emmanuel Emenike had seen a goal ruled out for offside, although after having seen the incident it is clear the referee was forced to make a very tough call. That was a very tight offside decision and could've gone either way.
Nigeria will also feel hard done by after seeing Blaise Matuidi escape with just a yellow card following a horror tackle that left Ogenyi Onazi having to leave the field on a stretcher.
The Africans did at least have some luck when the crossbar kept out Yohan Cabaye's wonder-strike, but France finally broke the deadlock 11 minutes from time. Mathieu Valbuena's corner was completely misjudged by Vincent Enyeama, who had earlier made some fine saves, leaving Paul Pogba with the simple task of heading the ball into an empty net.
Joseph Yobo, who has since retired from international football, marked his 100th cap with an unfortunate own goal as he flicked Valbuena's cross into his own net in stoppage time. Heartbreak for Nigeria, although France would suffer the same fate in the next round.
As I write this, the third of four quarter final games is into the second half, so there isn't too much of the tournament left. It is mainly the big sides that remain but it is still impossible to predict what might happen next.
Let the drama continue!
Come on the underdogs!
Germany had been expected to run riot in this match and ease into the final eight, but Algeria refused to give up and put in a fine performance. Had they been more clinical with their finishing the African side could've pulled off one of the greatest World Cup shocks of all time but it wasn't to be.
It feels weird writing about Germany's hard-fought round of 16 win now that they are actually in the semi-finals, but that's something that can't be helped on a relaxing holiday somewhere with remote signal and no internet access. Playing catch up with the blogging, rather than being able to post sooner, is frustrating but it also allows me to look back again at the games I watched earlier in the week.
Islam Slimani had a chance to break the deadlock in the first half but Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer rushed out promptly to clear the danger. The same player then beat Neuer with a diving header, only to see his effort ruled out for offside. The African side would later be made to rue those chances but, at the time, it was refreshing to see them try and take the game to Germany and create decent chances rather than just go all out defence.
As the game wore on, I found myself falling more in love with Algeria and the fantastic way in which they had approached the game. But the African side, who were playing in the knockout stages for the first time in their history, almost fell behind to the three-time world champions but a fine double save from goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi kept the score goalless.
M'Bolhi produced further stunning saves in the second half to keep Algeria in the game and give his side hope of causing an upset as they defied the odds to force extra time.
Algeria's work-rate had been immense and they thoroughly deserved to still be in the game, but Germany turned the tie on its head as Schurrle flicked in from close range after 92 minutes.
At that point, I fully expected Germany to then run away with it but their African opponents refused to lie down and kept battling away to make my respect for them rise yet again.
The upset could have been back on the cards had Mehdi Mostefa not lashed wide from close range. That miss proved costly for Algeria as Mesut Ozil scored from a rebound to double Germany's advantage with just a minute of extra time remaining.
Algeria finally got the goal their battling display deserved as substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou fired home from Sofiane Feghouli's cross in injury time. The African side had a half-chance before the end with a header straight at Neuer but they were unable to prevent an emotional exit from the tournament.
Algeria can hold their heads high after not only defying the odds to reach the knockout stages, but to have also run Germany so close in the round of 16. It means there were no African representatives in the quarter finals of the 2014 tournament, but Algeria definitely did themselves proud.
As for Germany, they marched on into the quarter final where they were to later beat France to stay on course for a possible World Cup triumph.
In the day's earlier game, France needed two late goals to see of Nigeria and I managed to tune in just in time to see both. Having just arrived at the holiday cottage, I promptly turned the television on and already over 70 minutes had passed.
It meant I had missed the moment when Emmanuel Emenike had seen a goal ruled out for offside, although after having seen the incident it is clear the referee was forced to make a very tough call. That was a very tight offside decision and could've gone either way.
Nigeria will also feel hard done by after seeing Blaise Matuidi escape with just a yellow card following a horror tackle that left Ogenyi Onazi having to leave the field on a stretcher.
The Africans did at least have some luck when the crossbar kept out Yohan Cabaye's wonder-strike, but France finally broke the deadlock 11 minutes from time. Mathieu Valbuena's corner was completely misjudged by Vincent Enyeama, who had earlier made some fine saves, leaving Paul Pogba with the simple task of heading the ball into an empty net.
Joseph Yobo, who has since retired from international football, marked his 100th cap with an unfortunate own goal as he flicked Valbuena's cross into his own net in stoppage time. Heartbreak for Nigeria, although France would suffer the same fate in the next round.
As I write this, the third of four quarter final games is into the second half, so there isn't too much of the tournament left. It is mainly the big sides that remain but it is still impossible to predict what might happen next.
Let the drama continue!
Come on the underdogs!
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