So it is all over. The World Cup is done and dusted and Germany are the champions of the world. It has been one of the best in recent memory and there have been results and players that no one will forget in a hurry. With that in mind, here are ten things we learnt from the World Cup.
Ten is the new nine – We saw hints of this when Vicente Del Bosque used Cesc Fabregas and failed to really trust a number nine during the Euros, but think back to this World Cup. There were very few out and out number nines who impressed apart from Higuain and Robin van Persie at times. But there were number tens in spades. From James Rodriguez to Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. when he was fit, this was the tournament for the tens.
Changing of the guard – Spain have reigned supreme for a fair while now, and to see them exit the group stages in such a manner, not to mention fall to Holland and see their defence and keeper humiliated was a shock. There is no doubting now that this Germany side have the potential to dominate like La Roja have over the past few years. They too grew up together. They too won the Under 21’s version of the tournament. They too have sheer quality and are the real deal.
A result to define a generation – As Jose Mourinho said, this generation of footballers and fans will never forget the 7-1 battering Germany handed out to Brazil. So may players were below par – and that is being kind – but conceding that many goals? It brought Brazil down to earth with a bump and stripped away the myths around the hosts. Fantasy football? More like nightmare football.
The end of many an era – Fred has retired and Brazil are in mourning (only kidding) but seriously, this could be the last World Cup for the likes of Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Javier Mascherano and Andrea Pirlo. Germany will have a couple of players saying goodbye too, but Miroslav Klose and co can hang up their boots with pride.
Not all fun and games – Head butting, biting and diving. Yes, the World Cup was not all sweetness and light. Whilst Barcelona forward Luis Saurez was the main culprit, Pepe also failed to cover himself in glory, Arjen Robben faced the diving police again and there were a couple of nasty tackles throughout. The one bright point from all of that? The hilarious virals that ensued and of course the free marketing for a host of eateries who are willing to feed Chewy Lewy.
No 'I' in team – Germany showed that in spades. They did not have a Lionel Messi or a Neymar or even a Cristiano Ronaldo. What they did have is a clinical, efficient and lethal collective who all work for each other and have talent in spades. The champions and deservedly so.
Brazil (as hosts) were brilliant, FIFA not so much – The concerns before the tournament were very real, but even when Brazil crashed out, the problems were minimal. The people of Brazil did their nation proud, the crowds were brilliant. FIFA however were not and have just hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the dissent they will face over 2018 and 2022.
Same old same old – England didn’t even fail to disappoint. We knew deep down what we would get and lo and behold, it turned out exactly like that. Roy Hodgson made the wrong selection, pandered to the wrong players and was tactically unadventurous. Now is the time for real change (when have we heard that before). Roll on the Euros.
Roll on August 16th – We love the World Cup, don’t get us wrong, but nothing quite gets us going like a bit of domestic action. Manchester United fans are chomping at the bit to see LVG and RVP, Chelsea fans want to see a forward who can actually score, Liverpool face the era without Suarez, Arsenal want to go one better and win two trophies in a decade and Manchester City are defending their crown. Yep, it can’t come soon enough.
For Keeps – Never have 0-0 draws been so enthralling, and it is not like the attempts were few and far between either. A huge amount of the stars this World Cup has thrown up were goalkeepers.From Memo Ochoa, to Tim Howard, to Keylor Navas the saves have come thick and fast. The one who beat them all however is Manuel Neuer – who makes Gandalf jealous with his commitment to stopping people pass.
What did you learn from 2014 World Cup Brazil? Let us know your thoughts below.
