FirstpostEbook WorldCupFinal FINAL 20140716120013

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Table of contents
Final
German Messi no more: How Mario Goetze carved out his niche 05
How Germany outplayed Messi and everyone else 07
Failed on biggest stage yet again: Will Messi ever know World Cup glory? 09
Why Brazilians are supporting Germany over Argentina in the World Cup fnal 11
Top of the top: The Best XI of World Cup 2014 13
David Luiz, Gerrard, Ronaldo all part of World Cup 2014s Worst XI 15
Semifnals
Placing Neymar before country: Where Brazil went terribly wrong 17
Brazils 7-1 tragedy: Not just the match, they also lost part of their legacy 19
Netherlands stopped Messi, but forgot how to score 21
Not Messi, but Mascherano must be thanked for Argentinas win 23
Against Germany, it was Silva, not Neymar, whom Brazil missed the most 25
Quarterfnals
Louis Van Gaals Krul masterstroke takes Dutch into World Cup semis 28
Unity in diversity? How Belgiums exit from World Cup 2014 affects the country 30
In one cruel day, the World Cup lost Neymar and James Rodriguez 32
Brazil and Germany win, but take the joy out of the World Cup 34
For France, World Cup 2014 should be considered a victory 36
Round of 16
Belgium rob superb Tim Howard of his Hollywood ending 39
Arjen Robbens genius for diving saves the Dutch again 41
Colombias James Rodriguez is lighting up the World Cup 43
A substitution, a water break, a penalty: How Mexico lost to the Netherlands 45
In Brazil vs Chile, the best team lost 47
How dancing Colombia became the World Cups favourite team 49
Suarez
Hannibal Suarez bites Chiellini as Uruguay knock out Italy 1-0 54
One bite too many: Enough excuses, notorious Suarez must be banned 56
Chew on this: FIFA is part of Luis Suarezs biting problem 58
Uruguays serial biter Luis Suarez banned for nine matches: FIFA 60
The madness of the group stages
FIFA World Cup: Thomas Mller is great but Germany need Miroslav Klose too 62
World Cup: The soccerization of football in the USA is complete 64
Messis brilliance cant hide how disappointing Argentina have been 66
Robben adds a touch of genius to Dutch machine 68
World Cup 2014: Costa Rica topping the Group of Death is no fuke 70
WC 2014: For Uruguay, Luis Suarez is Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar rolled into one 72
World Cup 2014: Goodbye boring Spain but thanks for the memories 74
Prodigious Neymar shows the world hes up there with Messi and Ronaldo 76
The current Brazil arent good enough to win the World Cup 78
What Germany taught Ronaldo: Worlds best player needs a team 80
World Cup: Costa Rica have turned their opponents pressure against them 82
Final
German machine ends 24 year wait for World Cup
"I
t is not possible to stop Mario Goetze.
He has the same assets and is an in-
stinctive footballer just like Lionel
Messi," Franz Beckenbauer said in August 2011.
Goetze was just 19-years-old at the time.
In the 113th minute of the 2014 World Cup fnal
against Argentina on Sunday, Goetze chested
down a delicious Andre Schurrle cross and
struck it on the volley from a tight angle past
Sergio Romero in the Argentinian goal. In one
shot, he showed the world the instincts Beck-
enbauer was talking about three years ago, won
his country a fourth World Cup and outshone
the man he has been compared to all his life.
Goetze also became the youngest ever goalscor-
er in a World Cup fnal and the only substitute
to have scored the tournament winner.
Being compared to Messi is one thing; living up
to it is another. And while Messi was already be-
ing hailed as a great when he was 22 years old,
Goetze chose just the right moment to realise
his potential and transform it into reality.
Some credit should also go to Joachim Loew for
Goetze's performance. The forward had lost his
starting place to Miroslav Klose after the group
stages and was sporadically used in the knock-
outs. But just when it seemed he would not see
any more action in Brazil, Loew brought him on
with these words: "Show them that you are bet-
ter (than Messi) and can decide the World Cup."
It was the the most impossible of tasks prove
German Messi no more: How
Mario Goetze carved out his niche
Pulasta Dhar Jul 14, 2014
you're better than Messi and decide the World
Cup. Thirty two minutes later, Goetze may not
have proved that he is better than Messi, but he
has won a World Cup for his country, something
Messi cannot say, and may never be able to say.
"He is the wonder who can play in numerous
positions, he is the decider who can come on
and make a difference and that is what he did,"
Low said of his 22-year-old match-winner.
Goetze started off at Borussia Dortmund's acad-
emy and made his way up into the frst team,
breaking through at the age of 17 and providing
glimpses of his class. Luckily for him, Dormund
manager Jurgen Klopp believes in giving youth
its due, and so Goetze was in the perfect hands
and developed rapidly.
He made just fve appearances in the 2009/10
season but was a regular starter in the next
campaign, amassing eight goals and 15 assists.
But it was in 2012/13 that he really started mak-
ing his mark. In 44 appearances across all com-
petitions, he scored 16 and created 21 others as
Dortmund reached the Champions League fnal.
A multi-million transfer to Bayern Munich was
quickly sorted out and Goetze got 15 goals and
13 assists in his frst season with the Bavarian
giants.
Goetze's ability to slip through clusters of de-
fenders, shoot with both feet, play across the
forward line and be comfortable in a passing
team like Dortmund gave rise to the Messi
comparison. But while the world swoons over
how the pretender overshadowed the real deal,
Goetze has a different idol he wants to emulate.
"Me, the German Messi?. No I want to be the
German Cristiano Ronaldo."
As of now, he's neither. He's Mario Goetze,
world champion.
How Germany outplayed
Messi and everyone else
L
ionel Messi is probably the saddest ever
Golden Ball winner. The dejection etched
on his face was as intense as the elation
that was on it a month ago when he curled in a
beautiful goal in a tricky match against Bosnia-
Hercegovina.
He started the fnal against Germany with a
blazing run down the left, was part of a goal-
mouth scramble and played a terrifc pass to
Ezequiel Lavezzi to start off an attack.
But things rapidly went downhill after that.
He missed a chance down the inside left, rolling
the ball wide past Manuel Neuer in a situation
where you would have ordinarily bet your house
on him to score. Destiny teased him with one
last chance when he won a free-kick 30 yards
from goal, blazing over it was high, wide and
not so handsome.
After the fnal whistle, it seemed as if the emo-
tional dam building inside him was precariously
close to exploding. Even Manuel Neuer, who
was standing beside him with the Golden Glove,
didn't push too hard. A cursory acknowledge-
ment, that was it.
Messi knew it, Neuer knew it, every fan in the
stadium and around the world knew it the
best player (as voted by the media) had lost and
the best team had won.
It's a cliche to call Germany a machine, but
that's exactly what coach Joachim Loew has
made his team.
After three goals against Brazil, Loew stopped
celebrating. When Mario Gotze scored in the
112th minute in the fnal, he just adjusted his
hair a bit and rubbed his nose. No celebration,
no loss of focus. This has permeated into his
team, most evidently in their brilliant goalkeep-
er (and sweeper) Neuer who makes stunning
saves look routine.
During the fnal, his high-knee almost broke
Gonzalo Higuain's neck as he came out for a
punch. "If he dies, he dies," popular football
statistics website Squawka tweeted out with a
video of that save and that's exactly how the
goalie plays.
And that's how Germany played at this World
Cup. They ruthlessly demolished Portugal 4-0
in their frst match before toiling hard for a
draw against Ghana and a win over the USA
in the group stages. They then broke Algerian
hearts with a 2-1 win and saw off a resilient
French squad 1-0, before hitting top gear and
demolishing Brazil 7-1, not just changing the
course of the World Cup, but of a whole nation's
history.
But there was no rubbing it in after that win.
The only hype that was generated came from
their media.
Even coming into the fnal, there was no ar-
rogance, no over-confdence, no complacency
and no slack. This is a team that simply put, has
been built to win.
They have scored 18 goals, matching Brazil's
2002 record for the most scored by a World Cup
winning team. These have come from eight dif-
ferent players. 12 of them have been assisted by
seven players.
These 30 goal-scoring situations have seen con-
tributions from 10 players including both wing-
backs, their centre-back, defensive midfelder,
attacking midfelder, wingers and strikers
(Bendict Howedes, Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira,
Andre Schurrle, Phillip Lahm, Toni Kroos, Tho-
mas Mueller, Mario Gotze, Matts Hummels and
Miroslav Klose). In fact they were so good that
their frst World Cup fnal goal was assisted and
scored by a substitute.
They had the best possession percentage out of
all the teams that reached the knockouts, the
most passes attempted, the most passes com-
pleted, the best overall passing accuracy (10
players in their team have a passing accuracy of
85% or more), the most set-piece goals (6), the
best shot accuracy (62% of 99 shots), the most
chances created, the most number of key passes,
and the most assists this list can go on but
the bottom line is this Germany were the best
team at the World Cup.
As for the best player, Messi has now had three
shots at the World Cup and he's got closer at
every go.
He mesmerised at times with his goals, skills
and passes shocking crowds into silence while
enthralling them back home. He was so close
that when we remember World Cup 2014 it
will go down as the tournament the best player
lost but the best side deservedly won.
And that is the sport's ultimate victory.
Failed on biggest stage yet again:
Will Messi ever know World Cup glory?
Ashish Magotra Jul 14, 2014
A
t the end of the World Cup fnal against
Germany, Lionel Messi cut a lonely, sad
fgure. He didn't smile. He didn't look at
anyone. He didn't break down like some of his
team-mates. He didn't cry. He didn't speak a
word.
He just stood -- slightly away -- from his team-
mates and coach Alejandro Sabella. Dazed. He
just stood and looked into the distance -- and in
his mind, probably relived his missed opportu-
nity in the 47th minute of the match. He curled
it -- beat the keeper Manuel Neuer but also sent
it wide off the far post. It was the kind of goal he
has scored many times for Barcelona.
But here at the biggest stage -- he had failed yet
again.
The best player in the world has now played in
three World Cups and hasn't won a single. He is
also 27. If there is hurt, then perhaps at this mo-
ment no one knows it better than Messi.
This was his chance to do it alone; to lead a
rather unspectacular team to the World Cup
title; to match Diego Maradona and for most
part, he had looked good for the money. Messi's
performance wasn't blindingly good. Rather,
it was sprinkled with moments of just enough
genius to carry the team into the next round.
His statistics after the fnal were still among the
best in the World Cup: 7 matches, 573 minutes,
4 goals, 1 assist, 23 chances created, 46 dribbles
completed.
And still there were some... no... maybe many...
who thought that the Argentinian genius did
not deserve the Golden Ball (the best player of
the World Cup award). They thought he wasn't
good enough; they thought others were better;
they thought he had missed the bus. A goal in
the fnal would have perhaps sealed the deal
and made the award his for the taking.
But here's the deal -- he really didn't seem
to care about the award. He wanted a trophy
-- only it wasn't the Golden Ball. It was the
big one, he couldn't have that and he was dis-
traught. At the award ceremony, he barely
exchanged a word with the trophy presenters
or even with Neuer, who received the Golden
Glove award.
They stood side-by-side. A quick handshake
took place (one for the cameras) and then back
to his thoughts. He stared at the Golden Ball
trophy long and hard -- even with Neuer stand-
ing right next to him. He was clearly not in the
mood for small talk. Within minutes after the
defeat, he seemed to have erected an invisible
wall around himself. He was there in plain sight,
yet, it was like he wasn't there. His thoughts
were working a time travel miracle of their own
-- one in which he scored the goal and Argen-
tina won in 90 minutes.
In the frst half, he even vomitted on the feld.
But that isn't the frst time he has done that. So
it didn't worry Sabella too much. However, after
a brilliant frst half, his contribution seemed
to wane after the missed chance in the 47th
minute. The time when he got the ball, he still
looked very dangerous and the Germans would
immediately have two defenders tracking him.
But he wasn't running as much in the second
half. He wasn't coming back for the ball. In-
stead, he seemed to be waiting for another
chance; for another ball to make amends. But it
never came.
Perhaps one of his fnal touches in the game was
emblematic of his day. He sent a free kick from
30 yards -- late in extra-time-- way over the bar.
It was so bad that he couldn't help but give a
wry smile. It was not to be his day -- he seemed
to know it.
Now, no one knows what the future holds. But
by the time the next World Come comes along,
Messi will be almost 31 (his birthday usually
falls during the tournament). He probably won't
be the same player. Experience might make him
wiser but age will diminish his fearsome accel-
eration. His passing will still have vision but will
it still be as sharp?
The thing is -- no team is ever sure of making
the World Cup fnal. There are upsets; there are
mistakes; there are champions, there are mira-
cles. How will Messi stand the test of time -- as
he stared into the distance, it seemed like even
he was looking for an answer.
I
t may come as a surprise to the interna-
tional community but most Brazilians will
likely be supporting Germany over Argen-
tina in the upcoming World Cup fnal, despite
the epic whopping the Brazil team got from the
German team.
After the absolute humiliation of losing 7-1 on
Tuesday in the frst semi-fnal, Brazilians are
slowly healing their wounds. The streets have
been sadly devoid of yellow shirts and the me-
dia is scrambling to makes sense of what went
wrong. As it rains heavily in Rio and the sun at-
tempts to shine through the clouds, we have to
admit that Germany was simply the better team
in terms of training, strategy, talent and sports-
manship.
This historical loss has left Brazilians a little
bit broken, but the rivalry between Brazil and
Argentina runs deep. From an early age I was
taught that losing to Argentina was the worst
thing that could happen in Brazilian football.
Even the friendlies between the two countries
are extremely competitive and somewhat hos-
tile.
There are diverging schools of thought about
where exactly this rivalry has come from. Some
say it originated in colonial times, when the
Spanish and the Portuguese were fghting over
Latin American land. Others, like sociologist
and journalist Ronaldo Helal, say the rivalry
was born only in 2002, with the debate of Who
is the best Pel or Maradona? to which the
obvious answer is, and has always been, Pel.
The same kind of rivalry has been rolling be-
Why Brazilians are supporting Germany
over Argentina in the World Cup fnal
Nicole Froio Jul 13, 2014
tween Neymar and Messi who is better? The
answer to me is Neymar, of course, but I cannot
say it is an unbiased assessment. In contrast to
this competition, Neymar said he will be sup-
porting Argentina and that he wants Messi to be
a world champion.
We also have to consider that both players are
young and have not yet reached the peak of
their careers. Pels early blooming and talent
was the exception to the rule.
In truth it is a silly rivalry but, unfortunately, a
deeply entrenched one. As Rio de Janeiro pre-
pares itself for the fnal in the Maracan, the
government expects around 100,000 Argen-
tinians to arrive in the city and take over dear
territory: the heart of samba, the Sambadrome.
Copacabana, usually the gathering place for
cariocas has been invaded by loud, drunk
Argentinian football fans eager to provoke the
Brazilian residents.
Supporters from both sides are harsh to each
other, keen on provocation. Before Brazils
humiliation on the feld anti-Argentinian chants
went like this: If youre Argentinian, tell me
what its like, to have only two World Cups, one
less than Pel. Now those chants have been
replaced by the Argentinian Brazil how does it
feel, to lose the cup at home, the years will go
by, and we will never forget.
All of this considered Brazilians support for the
German team may have other origins than this
rivalry. Speaking to Globo network, a Brazilian
supporter said: Ill be supporting Germany be-
cause they really did show the better football.
Others are appalled and hurt by the invasion
that has turned Rio in a second Buenos Aires
even though Brazilians would probably do the
same were the situation reversed.
I will be supporting the Germans on Sunday
both because of the rivalry and the sportsman-
ship they have shown the Brazilian team. And
like a meme that has been going around the in-
ternet says Argentina has Messi Germany has
a whole team. I dont think I can stand support-
ing a losing team again. I hope the Argentinians'
smiles are wiped off their faces tomorrow.
Top of the top: The Best XI
of World Cup 2014
Pulasta Dhar, July 16, 2014
U
psets, goals, annoying extra-time peri-
ods, penalty shootouts and goalkeeping
heroics World Cup 2014 was a crack-
ing tournament that kept you guessing and pro-
duced a brilliant fnal too. It had some duds and
some fantastic performances making heroes
out of players who the world rarely heard about.
Considering all that and their team's per-
formances we've come up with our Best XI of
World Cup 2014
Manuel Neuer (GK): With four cleansheets
and just four goals conceded in the World Cup,
Neuer is easily one of the most reliable man be-
tween the sticks. He has a penchant for making
the stunning look routine and an almost cold-
blooded method of manning his area as we saw
in the fnal when he went for a ruthless punch
as Gonzalo Higuain tried to reach a dangerous
lob. He has 12 successful claims with 100 per-
cent success.
Phillip Lahm (RB): Lahm has made a suc-
cessful transition from right-back to midfeld,
but Joachim Loew shifted his skipper back into
defence after the 2-2 draw with Ghana and it
worked to perfection. There is probably no bet-
ter right-back in the world at the moment he
has made only four passes less than Toni Kroos
who is the tournament's leading passer, and
that says a lot about his array of skills and reli-
ability.
Ron Vlaar (CB): Who expected Aston Villa's
Vlaar to feature on this list? But Louis Van Gaal
trusted the centre-back and he delivered with
class. Vlaar had the tournament of his life as he
settled into a back-three, making 21 intercep-
tions, blocking fve shots and clearing the ball
69 times. He also committed just fve fouls in
theentire tournament and won a whopping 82%
of his aerial duels.
Matts Hummels (CB): Hummels has the most
number of interceptions in the German squad
and replaced Per Mertesacker in the team after
the Arsenal man had a couple of shaky games.
Apart from being adept at defending, Hummels
proved to be a great asset at set-pieces, scoring
twice in the tournament, including the only goal
against France.
Daley Blind (LB): Blind made an excellent
start to the World Cup with three assists in two
games and also scored against Brazil in the
third-place playoff match. His form did taper
off in the late stages and he was shifted around
but remained a vital cog in the Dutch team. No
other left-back impressed as much as Blind.
Lionel Messi (AMC): Messi is here because of
his sheer goal-scoring abilities. The Golden Ball
winner helped Argentina to narrow wins over
Bosnia-Hercegovina, Nigeria and Iran -- and all
his goals were tremendous strikes. Also assisted
Angel di Maria's goal against Switzerland.
James Rodriguez (AML): You can't stop
praising Rodriguez -- Colombia's new star
impressed one and all with his dribbling, posi-
tioning, ability to stitch attacks and fnish with
aplomb. Delivered the goal of the tournament
with a stunning volley against Uruguay and
showed a silky touch in the game against Japan.
With six goals, two assists and nine key passes
-- many could argue that he should have won
the Golden Ball.
Javier Mascherano (DMC): Argentina's
former skipper played with great pride in the
middle of the park -- putting his body on the
line and making the most number of tackles in
the tournament. Mascherano also rallied his
team when they needed a boost and it was his
presence that allowed Argentina's talented at-
tackers to stay farther up the pitch and break
without worrying about having to track back.
Arjen Robben (AMR): Call him a diver but
you cannot deny his incredible talent. When
Robben gets going, no one can stop him. He
was the fastest player at the World Cup and his
continuous forays into the opposition half gave
the Dutch an edge unlike any other team. Rob-
ben laid on a goal, scored three and won 68%
of his dribbles. Also won the Dutch the penalty
against Mexico and converted his spot-kick with
aplomb against Costa Rica in the shootout.
Toni Kroos (MC): If you thought Toni Kroos
was all about passing, then think twice. The cen-
tral midfelder also won 60% of his tackles, took
16 shots (eight on target) and scored a couple of
goals. But Kroos is a midfeld general in the real
sense of the word controlling the tempo of
Germany's attack with his 522 accurate passes.
Thomas Mueller (ST): Mueller is the perfect
forward, applying himself across the attacking
third in a way very few players can in the world.
His contributions range from passing, crossing,
getting stuck in and positioning himself in key
areas to fnish attacks. His fve goals and three
assists prove that he's a player who can walk
into any team.
Substitutes: Tim Howard, Guillermo Ochoa,
Ezequiel Garay, Toni Kroos, Alexis Sanchez,
Ricardo Rodriguez, Thiago Silva, Angel di
Maria, Karim Benzema, Arturo Vidal, Neymar,
Andre Schurrle.
David Luiz, Gerrard, Ronaldo all
part of World Cup 2014s Worst XI
Pulasta Dhar, July 16, 2014
T
he World Cup is where the stars come
together and what they do with clubs
counts for nil if they fop at the biggest
stage of them all. While new stars are unearthed
and those with potential fnally shine there
are some who come into the tournament as top
players and go back home faded, their star-pow-
er slightly eroded.
World Cup 2014 ended with Germany lifting
their fourth title and here's the Worst XI of
the tournament:
Igor Akinfeev: Two errors, two goals - against
South Korea and Algeria. For a tournament
which has hardly seen any errors from goalies,
Akinfeev is probably the only keeper who made
two glaring errors resulting in his team losing
out on a spot in the last 16. Iker Casillas was
also bad, but not solely responsible for the goals
Spain conceded. With Russia, it has to be said
that Akinfeev was responsible for the goals.
Dani Alves: Considered the best attacking
right-back, Alves had an okay start before a ter-
rible game against Chile in the last 16. He was
then dumped for Colombia and Germany and
Maicon did a better job defensively. Alves's
notorious habit of going forward and leaving
spaces did him.
Pepe: A ridiculous red card when his team re-
ally needed to get stuck-in against Germany in
Portugal's 0-4 loss. Stupid.
David Luiz: Too emotional, too excited, too
all-over the place. After scoring the freekick he
had a chance to lead Brazil to a historic win,
instead looked like an orphan without Thiago
Silva to control his exuberance. Captain of Bra-
zil's 1-7 loss.
Marcelo/Benoit Assou-Ekotto: Got to be
close between a man whose lack of positional
sense is only matched by the lack of profession-
alism of Assou-Ekoto who headbutted team-
mate Benjamin Moukandjo. It was Moukandjo's
fault if we're to go by Ekotto's explanation, but
being the senior player, he should've under-
stood.
Alex Song: Attacked Croatia's Mario Mand-
zukic from behind in what looked like a very
botched murder attempt. Red carded. Does he
really play for Barcelona?
Steven Gerrard: England have to let him go.
Lots of class but has lost competitive streak for
national side at least. Finally released from the
burden of having to play next to Frank Lam-
pard, he still couldn't lead a young talented
English side out of a tricky group. Very little
individual contribution and made the two errors
that led to Luis Suarez' double in England's loss
to Uruguay.
Cristiano Ronaldo: He didn't have the team
around him, but we expected more from the
reigning world player of the year. Got a goal and
an assist but both turned out to be meaningless.
Most disappointing was his reaction to not get-
ting the ball -- and the rumours of him bullying
his teammates and not listening to Paulo Bento
don't refect well. Suddenly Jose Mourinho's
words of Ronaldo being player who feels he
Semifnals
Humbled, humiliated, hammered: Brazils nightmare
Placing Neymar before country:
Where Brazil went terribly wrong
I
t is 24 hours to the semifnal against Ger-
many and you don't have two of your best
players available one out due to injury
and the other due to an idiotic challenge on the
Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina* as he was
in the process of kicking the ball out of his area.
It's time to regroup, time to strategise, time to
prove that Brazil is still as good, time to put on
that game-face and come out like bulls from
their pens.
But all we saw and read about in the run up to
one of the biggest games of the World Cup was
this:
The plans of fans who would wear Neymar
masks transforming the stadium into a Ney-
mar-sea. A poem called 'Neymar and our des-
tiny' on the sports page of a popular newspaper
on the day of the game. Neymar's video message
to his fans being played again and again how
his dream of being a champion continues, his
image of waving into the camera as he was
airlifted back home, a psychologist helping the
team cope after watching their star break a ver-
tebrae.
Then there were the reactions and tributes:
Brazil's president calling him 'a great warrior',
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari saying how he's
asked Neymar to come watch the game (thank-
fully that didn't happen) and how he'd asked
his players to win it for him. The Brazil football
federation posting images of the team queu-
ing up for a photo where they were all making
a sign Neymar's friends used to make, images
of Brazil's team in the swimming pool making
the same sign, images of Brazil's team in 'Forca
Neymar' (Be strong Neymar) caps and fnally, as
if it was not enough skipper David Luiz and
keeper Julio Cesar holding a Neymar shirt be-
tween them during the national anthem before
the match against Germany.
And after all this... the disastrous 1-7 loss.
Brazil treated the match like a testimonial and it
got them a testimonial scoreline.
If only Brazil had realised that the real tribute
to Neymar would have been to win the World
Cup or at least play to the best of their abilities.
To do that however, they needed to be in the
zone. The Brazilian camp constantly gave out
distress signals of their inability to swim with-
out Neymar of their wounds and their weak-
nesses.
It seemed like Brazil was solely concentrating
on how to win for a teammate, not for their
countrymen for a star who is far from being
in the prime of his career (and has not achieved
anything great yet) rather than for people who
have seen their bus fares hiked and houses
claimed to stage a World Cup from which they
have now been ruthlessly kicked out.
Till the match started, Brazil was just about
Neymar it is excusable for fans to get carried
away like that, but not for the team.
They should have zipped their emotions in their
kit-bags and walked out as Brazil not as a
Brazil clinging onto Neymar's identity.
They should have walked out as the best XI,
not as the remaining best they should have
walked out as the proudest team in World Cup
history, not as a team whose pride rested in
winning for their best player.
But Brazil walked out as a team struggling
without their poster-boy and if they thought
the presence of his empty jersey at the start of
the match will help them overpower Germany
through sheer emotion then the whole world
knows how wrong they were.
* This story originally incorrectly identifed
Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina as Keylor
Navas. The error has been corrected.
Brazils 7-1 tragedy: Not just the match,
they also lost part of their legacy
I
t's over. For Brazil, the World Cup is over.
It's rather hard to say the words. Harder
still because Brazil didn't just lose. They
were demolished. They were destroyed. They
were ripped to shreds, picked up and dumped
in the trash can right in front of everyone who
loved them. Then, as a fnal measure, the can
was set on fre.
The players were in tears, the fans were in tears,
the coach was shell-shocked, and so were people
all around the world. This was beyond the realm
of reality. If you couldn't sleep, you were not
alone. If you got up in the morning and checked
the offcial score once again, you were not alone.
If you refused to believe it, you were not alone.
Going into the match, the heaviest defeat ever
suffered by the Brazilians against Germany was
a modest 2-0 loss way back in 1986. But after
the 7-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of a
ruthless Germany last night -- the old record
seems like a win.
Former Brazil star Juninho perhaps gave the
most damning assessment while speaking to
BBC: "Germany taught us how to play football."
It will be diffcult to recover and some of them
I dont think will be back to wear the Brazilian
shirt.
Germany played like we like to play. We need
to sit back and see whats happened with Brazil-
ian football something is wrong.
Some might argue that this was just one poor
game. It cannot and should not have an impact
on the legacy of Brazilian football which was
built over the years by generation after genera-
tion of brilliant footballers. Five World Cups --
Brazil still stands alone.
In reality, Brazil stood alone; not because of the
number of trophies they have won but because
of the way they won those trophies. There was
a charm in their play; a freedom; a vision... not
just of winning but of joy. In this World Cup,
they chipped away at that vision until the bare
bones of an unforgiving reality remained.
Brazil's footballing legacy is lost now. As Jun-
inho says, 'something is wrong.'
They don't play the Brazilian way anymore; they
play a European style; the stylists have given
way to crudeness of players like Luiz Gustavo
and Fernandinho; the fuid movements have
given way to false bravado.
Close your eyes and think about Brazilian play-
ers: Garrincha, Didi, Domingos Da Guia, Pele,
Socrates, Zico, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ri-
valdo, Ronaldinho and Kaka come to mind. All
stylish. All classy. All typically Brazilian. The
no-look passes, the trickery, the effortless run-
ning, the nut-megs. They were all there.
Of this team, perhaps only Neymar can lay
claim to that legacy. And that itself is a shame.
They are torn between European methodol-
ogy and Brazilian expression -- they ended up
nowhere.
The bigger challenge for Neymar will be to fnd
a way to preserve his Brazilian style of play. At
Barcelona, he is part of a system and he can't
play with the freedom that he is afforded by the
Brazil set-up. It is the same for all the big stars
of the Brazilian team -- almost all of them play
in Europe; almost of all of them are expected to
play differently.
You can't play the 'Brazilian way' unless you are
you are playing that way... day in and day out. It
is the advantage Germany have and Spain had.
For club and for country, they play the same
way. For Brazil, though, it means a loss of iden-
tity. It also means that they are not as different
from other teams and hence easier to counter.
Scolari had clung on to Neymar as if his life
depended on it. But can you ever remember a
Brazilian team that depended so much on just
one star?
Reuters
Can you ever remember a Brazilian team that
depended so much on just one star? Reuters
This defeat will change the way Brazil sees
football and prepares for it. It will transcend
the sport. It will be remembered as a game that
changed things forever. There is plenty of talent
in Brazil; there always will be. But this isn't just
about talent, it's about having a sense of belong-
ing.
Last night, the Brazilians fans were cheering
every German pass with chants of 'Ole.' It was
almost like they had written this Brazilian team
off as not being one of their own. It was almost
like they had accepted the German team as one
of their own.
One doesn't know what is worse but Brazil lost
not just a match... they also perhaps lost their
link to the glorious legacy of 'Jogo Bonito.' And
if that doesn't hurt then god alone knows what
will...
Netherlands stopped Messi,
but forgot how to score
L
ouis Van Gaal won the battle but lost the
war. Pre-match, it was the master tacti-
cian against the maestro on the pitch
and while Van Gaal and his team devised the
perfect plan to stop Lionel Messi, they never
could fgure out how to get a goal themselves.
Here are three things from Netherlands vs Ar-
gentina:
Yes they stopped Messi, but forgot how to at-
tack: It's not easy to stop Messi you need to
commit resources to do that. Van Gaal spent
all the fuel he had to stop Messi, but it was his
Oranje machine that stuttered and spluttered
to a halt in the fnal third. They had just 2six
touches in the Argentina box in 90 minutes (16
in 120) and spent just 18.74% of 120 minutes in
all of the attacking third. It's simple commit
your midfelders and wing-backs to stop Messi,
and the fuidity of your game dies.
The fow from midfeld to attack is blocked and
you don't want Arjen Robben, Wesley Snei-
jder and Robin van Persie running back for the
ball you want them to launch those counter-
attacks that made the Dutch contenders in the
frst place.
Netherlands touches and time spent in areas of
the pitch over
Van Gaal's plan to stop Messi was no doubt
executed to perfection. He managed just one
shot in the whole match, created two chances
(one of them from a corner) and completed just
one of fve crosses. He didn't touch the ball once
in the box. All these numbers are testimony to
Netherlands' discipline in defence but in a bid
to stop him, Van Gaal over-committed the core
of his team this picture doing the rounds on
Twitter shows how his team shaped in a 6-3-1 at
one point.
Messi - chances created in 120 minutes
Picking Van Persie was a terrible mistake: Since
that fying header against Spain, Van Persie has
been disappointing to say the least his worst
performance coming against Argentina. As a
striker, if you touched the ball four times in the
box, attempted 11 passes, failed in your only
attempted take-on and didn't have a single shot
in 96 minutes then you're having a disastrous
game.
Van Gaal said pre-match that if there was a
slightest chance of his captain playing, he would
but RVP wasn't really making too much
impact in other games either. In fve games
he took just 14 shots and attempted 95 passes
which is probably fne for a counter-attacking
team depending on wing-power, but hardly
impressive.
RVP heat-map - 96 minutes of football
A rejig could have seen Memphis Depay (six
shots in just 177 minutes of total WC football
with 100% accuracy, 1 assist to RVP's none)
play. He is direct, draws defenders and frees
players Sneijder and Robben to wreak havoc.
In fact, Netherlands scoring after impact sub-
stitutes was a trend in the World Cup. Picking
an out-of-sorts RVP is one thing, but picking
an out-of-sorts and stomach-bugged RVP and
not substituting him for 96 minutes is inexcus-
able. He was just another man on the pitch who
posed no threat whatsoever.
Vlaar taking the frst penalty: "Two players
refused to take the frst penalty," was Van Gaal's
explanation (he didn't name them) to why
centre-back Ron Vlaar was given the responsi-
bility. Make no mistake, he had a tremendous
game: 100% tackles won, 100% aerial duels, 11
clearances, 6 interceptions and 92% pass ac-
curacy but he was probably the last man you
would want taking the most important shot of
the shootout. His defending was impeccable, his
penalty shot miserable.
Either Van Gaal left his big balls at home, not
being able to order his players to take the frst
penalty or there was an error in judgement.
The penalty shootout is a lottery but Vlaar's
ticket came with a guarantee of not winning.
Graphics and stats courtesy Squawka
Not Messi, but Mascherano must
be thanked for Argentinas win
J
avier Mascherano had no business being
out on the feld for Argentina.
In the 27th minute, the Argentina midfelder
came off worse after a head-to-head collision
with Holland's Georginio Wijnaldum as both
jumped for the ball. He was visibly shaken,
couldn't see right or keep his balance, held his
arms out, and was caught by Wijnaldum even as
he collapsed to the ground.
He remained on the ground for several seconds
before leaving the feld on his own power, only
to return to the game as if nothing had hap-
pened. Some might argue that it shouldn't have
happened. The risk of Mascherano returning to
the game was too great and they would be right.
But Argentina without him are like a rudderless
ship.
Alejandro Sabella needed his man back in the
game and Mascherano wasn't about to disap-
point him. FIFA will take a lot of fak for allow-
ing a player who had just suffered a concussion
back on the feld without a proper check-up but
every Argentinian fan will be thanking their
lucky stars that he did.
For if Mascherano had not been on the feld,
who would have made that last-ditch tackle
in the 90th minute to defect a Robben shot --
away from goal and towards safety?
It was typical Mascherano; it was the Mascher-
ano that Argentina have come to expect. Day in,
day out. He is the rock that they can't do with-
out. Messi is the star but Mascherano is Argen-
tina's heart.
Mascherano was Argentinas captain from 2008
to 2011. But when host nation Argentina were
knocked out of the 2011 Copa America by Uru-
guay, Sabella decided it was time for Messi to
take over.
Now, Messi's goal-scoring record for Argentina
since being handed over the captaincy has been
exceptional but Mascherano continues as be-
fore.
In the last 16 game against Switzerland, Ar-
gentina had been pushed hard. But as they got
ready for extra-time, Messi seemed lost in his
own thoughts. Mascherano, however, was going
to each player, trying to instill some fghting
spirit and give their morale a boost.
He did the same thing during extra-time against
the Dutch. Even Sabella seemed to be at a loss
of words as Mascherano spoke. He was the
leader without the armband. He simply doesn't
need one.
For Barcelona, he often ends up playing in de-
fense. But Argentina need him in a slightly more
central role -- he plays just ahead of the defend-
ers. And he is part of the reason why Argentina
have looked so solid.
He has had 509 ball touches (460 successful
passes), which is the most of any player in this
World Cup, a few touches ahead of Toni Kroos
(498 touches/454 passes) and he has covered
more ground than any other Argentina player.
And then there is the class he adds to the de-
fense.
He has committed to 22 tackles -- out of which
he has won 56 percent. During the 6 matches,
he has managed 13 interceptions (5th best
among all the players) and he also has 6 blocked
shots (3rd best). Now, he may not make it to
any World Cup XI but he is the man who makes
Argentina tick.
His numbers in the game against the Nether-
lands once again outline his value to this team:
84% pass accuracy
4 tackles won
75% aerial duels
3 interceptions
2 blocks
And each of those blocks and interceptions
was worth it's weight in gold. It was the kind of
defensive brilliance that Brazil could have used
against a rampant Germany; also the kind of
effort that Argentina will hope Mascherano can
fnd once again in the fnal.
The fnal is, for many, just about Messi. But if
Argentina can't fnd a way to keep Germany at
bay -- Messi won't have a chance to work his
magic. And that is where Mascherano comes
-- in many ways, his spoiling abilities will be the
key to the fnal.
The semi-fnal was just a preview, the real test
awaits Argentina's iron man. Let there be no
doubt, he will be up for it.
Against Germany, it was Silva,
not Neymar, whom Brazil missed the most
Gautam Viswanathan Jul 9, 2014
T
he world is still coming to collective grips
with Brazils 7-1 mauling at the hands of
Germany last night. History was made
in Belo Horizonte but not in a manner the hosts
would have envisioned.
Out went the hosts proud record of not losing
a competitive game on home soil since 1975. To
become the frst team to concede four goals in a
span of six minutes in front of their home fans
added insult to injury.
Defeats of this magnitude and under these cir-
cumstances often choose to stubbornly embed
themselves in a nations psyche. What will make
Brazil reel in agony just a little bit more when
they look back at this defeat is Miroslav Klose
eclipsing the goal scoring record of Ronaldo,
one of Brazils most cherished sons. That too on
Brazilian soil.
Brazil would have fervently prayed to the pow-
ers that be that the spirit of Neymar would
inspire them to mount one of the most memo-
rable turnarounds in World Cup history. But
they shouldve been praying for Thiago Silvas
suspension to magically rescind itself so that
the Brazil team would have a leader to turn to in
times of such dire adversity.
As much as Neymar raises the quality of Bra-
zils attack by several notches, the reason Bra-
zils attackers are able to go about their game
is because Silva effciently marshalls the hosts
backline.
In the absence of Silva, Luiz took over as the
captain and the heart of the defence, writes
Chris Lehourites of the St. Louis Times. During
the Brazilian national anthem before the match
started, he held up a No. 10 Brazil shirt to hon-
our Neymar, who was ruled out of the rest of the
World Cup with a broken vertebra after getting
kneed in the back in the quarterfnal win over
Colombia.
It might have been more ftting to hold up the
No. 3 shirt of Silva.
Silva is the foundation on which this Brazil team
is built. His uncanny reading of the game gives
him the ability to know exactly when to step
into the tackle and break up attacks. Add to that
his unfinching willingness to put his body on
the line to defect a goal-bound effort or block a
key pass makes him a complete and indispensa-
ble defender for his country.
In addition, he is blessed with a razor-sharp
mind, quick thinking and mental resilience,
which helps him organise those around him and
enables him to keep calm under pressure, mak-
ing him a natural leader for Brazil. The reason
Brazils defence performs the way it does when
Silva plays is because of his presence.
Like most good things, Silvas true value was
only realised during his absence. Luiz is ex-
tremely composed when hes on the ball and
while his vision and attacking verve are often
seen in the form of his characteristic forward
runs, his blockbuster free kicks and his defence-
splitting passes, but he is left wanting when the
defensive side of his game is brought into ques-
tion.
The reason Jose Mourinho has allowed Luiz to
leave Chelsea is because he is error-prone and
often commits unnecessary, expensive fouls that
potentially shoot his teams in the foot. Disci-
pline and tactical awareness are non-negotiable
for any Mourinho team and it is the lack of
these qualities that make Luiz unft to marshal
Brazils back four.
I would say that Thiago Silva in this moment is
so more important than Neymar in the team,
said Mourinho, speaking to the Daily Mail. His
absence is an important absence because Bra-
zil's game is based on their defensive structure
where Thiago Silva gives great stability to the
team.
Of course they have Henrique and Dante as
an option to play, he added. Maybe because
Dante plays in Germany and in the same team
as every one of the other German players, he
is the elected one but Thiago is an important
player for them.
Like Luiz, Dante also isnt composed under
pressure. During the 2013 Champions League
fnal, the Bayern Munich defender needlessly
conceded a penalty, allowing Borussia Dort-
mund the ability to equalise.
It is during such high-pressure games that play-
ers less tangible abilities are on display, reveal-
ing their true characters. Dante may be part of
an illustrious Bayern team that have captured
six trophies in two seasons, but it is Jerome
Boateng who is the rock of the Bavarian team.
Two centre-backs who cannot hold their own in
a high-pressure situation is a recipe for disaster
and that was aptly refected in the fnal score.
Brazil shipped seven not solely because Germa-
nys attackers were excellent, but because their
defenders were bad.
Against the relentless waves of the Mannschaft
attack, Brazil needed someone like Silva to
organise the defense and help the team soak up
pressure.
Highly intelligent players that the Germans
are, they were able to sense the panic and lack
of organisation in that Brazilian back four after
Thomas Muller scored their frst goal and it was
that weakness that they exploited again and
again.
"It is laid down by law that the team who scores
the most goals wins, Herbert Chapman, the
legendary Arsenal manager once said. To ac-
complish this, you must be sure that the defence
is sound. All this, I know, is elementary but it is
also the rock bottom of football."
It was that basic tenet that was missing from
Brazil last night. What makes it worse was that
there was not one amongst the 23 players whod
been called up to represent the hosts to infuse
the team with that mentality when it mattered
most.
Brazilian footballing folklore is often peppered
with stories about the Maracanazo of the 1950
World Cup. Given that the fnal of Brazil 2014 is
being played at the iconic stadium, there would
be those whod consider the manner in which
Brazil failed to get to that stadium the second
chapter of that footballing debacle.
On the other hand, like their national anthem
suggests, Germany are well on their way to be-
coming uber alles in der welt.
Quarterfnals
Neymar broken, Rodriguez robbed: Two great
entertainers exit World Cup
Louis Van Gaals Krul masterstroke
takes Dutch into World Cup semis
L
eading into the semi-fnal against the
Netherlands, Argentina coach Alejandro
Sabella is going to have a few sleepless
nights. He is about to run into a man who has
quite clearly established himself as the best
coach of the 2014 World Cup.
With time running out in the second half of the
extra time, the Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal
stepped up and made the change. He took the
regular keeper Jasper Cillessen off and sent on
Tim Krul.
On frst impression, it just seemed like a smart
psychological ploy. Send a man in just ahead of
the penalty shootout, confuse the Costa Ricans,
throw them off just enough to make the differ-
ence. Also make them wonder -- is he really a
specialist?
Sitting on the outside -- Krul statistics against
penalties weren't that great. For example, the
Newcastle United goalkeeper faced fve pen-
alties in the Premier League last season, but
he didn't save a single one. If one went a little
deeper, then he had saved just two of the 20
penalties he has faced in the Premier League
over the last fve seasons
The Costa Ricans, however, didn't know that. It
was a move that would have invoked some ad-
ditional pressure at least.
But then again, you wonder -- getting in a keep-
er from the cold to replace someone who had
not conceded and was seeing the ball well. But
Van Gaal had made up his mind and his players
have learned not to argue.
Secondly, this was something Van Gaal had
planned. He trained Krul in the dark arts of
stopping penalties and then convinced the oth-
ers that he was making complete sense. There
was no talk of ego; this is about the team and
not an individual.
Van Gaal's decision making at times can seem
devoid of emotion. Cold, rational and to the
point of almost seeming rude. But he has this
team responding to him and his whims. It's
working.
Krul guessed right on all fve penalties and he
saved two. In between, he walked up the Costa
Rica penalty takers and trash-talked them.
There was no guarantee that he would have
saved any but Gaal has given him the freedom
to go out there and do his thing. The pressure in
a sense was as much on the coach as it was on
Krul.
The Dutch were the better side through -- they
hit the woodwork thrice and spent a majority
of the match in Costa Rica's half. It wasn't until
late in the match that Costa Rica fnally started
getting a few looks at the Dutch goal.
After the match, Louis van Gaal said: "I thought
we had more quality than Costa Rica. I thought
that with three strikers we could hurt them
more"
With some teams, there is a lack of a plan B,
with Van Gaal that never seems to be the case.
He changes formations, positions of players and
players. So much so, that he has all 23 believing
that they are needed.
"This is what you work for seven weeks. Now
you can see, you have to do this with all 23
men," said Krul after the game.
Late in the game, Van Gaal took off Martins
Indi and got on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. A defend-
er for a striker. He was hunting for a win and he
almost got it. But when the change didn't work,
he had another plan lined up.
"Frans Hoek came to me and said: "If we have a
sub left there's a chance you'll have to come in".
And then it happened." Krul added.
While obviously elated by Krul's performance,
Gaal was pretty clear about who his main keep-
er was: "Jasper has done extremely well. There
is no question who will be in goal next time,
Jasper knows that."
Van Gaal's strength has been the way he has
managed to bring this squad together. And he
will be hoping that is enough to take him past
Lionel Messi's Argentina as well.
For now, it's back to the drawing table. Asked
about the match against Argentina, van Gaal
nonchalantly said: "We'll make a plan and then
we'll just see what happens."
Let the mind games begin. This is going to be
fun.
Unity in diversity? How Belgiums exit
from World Cup 2014 affects the country
W
hen Belgium took to the World Cup
in Brazil, they were not just dark
horses or outside favourites or a
talented bunch of individuals who were luckily
born in the same generation to create a team
full of superstars the 23 players Belgium took
to Brazil represented something Belgium has
struggled with unity.
The situation was a bit like the French team of
1998 which went on to win the World Cup. It
was made up of players from Armenia to Ghana
and Guadeloupe, their hero Zinedine Zidane
himself of Algerian descent. The victory may not
have provided a permanent solution to a coun-
try torn by differences in colour, creed, language
and ancestry but it was certainly an example
of how sport can unite a nation.
Belgium has two primary groups vying for
power and control the Flemish or Dutch
speakers in Flanders which represent a slightly
upper class of people and the French speakers
in the south. Brussels, the capital and easily the
most popular city in the country is a mish-mash
of both a more progressive French-speaking
core with Flemish towns around it.
The current political situation is dicey nation-
alists NVA (New Flemish Alliance) saw major
gains during the national election in May but
Belgium hasn't been able to form a govern-
ment in over a month. The World Cup itself has
become a talking point in political discussions
NVA even refused to reschedule a meeting
which clashed with a World Cup game featuring
Belgium.
"The winner of the elections on the Flemish
side, currently the front man in the debate
hasn't seen any match, or so he proclaims.
There are loads of Belgian fags but the fags are
not a form of patriotism, but a way of backing
up the team in Brazil. I have even seen some
fags upside down too," Carolina Nicq, a resi-
dent of Sint-Pauwels in Belgium, told Firstpost.
Nicq, who works as a Communications Manager
with Ford, adds that people are supporting a
team but patriotism is probably not the cause
of this: "We have players from various descents
and in interviews all questions are posed in
the country's two languages. However, I do not
see a change in people's reactions. We are all
behind the team though, even Belgians of Mo-
roccan descent are wearing jerseys over their
'hijab'."
Firstpost also spoke to Vincent Vanhooymissen,
a passionate football fan, about the mood in the
country: "We're proud to go so far especially
after making the World Cup after a gap of 12
years. It has also been good to see the Belgian
fag hanging from balconies and not the region-
al one. After a long time, Flemish and French
speakers united in bars and pubs during games
supporting a common cause but the political
repercussions are ambivalent. Everything will
be normal after the loss sinks in."
It seems people were cheering for a team rather
than a country but this is a team with a dif-
ference: "Earlier teams were dominated by
Flemish speaking players. Now, with so many
of them playing abroad it's common knowledge
that they converse in English. The captain Vin-
cent Kompany, who has a Congolese father and
a Flemish mother, speaks in an accent which
makes it unrecognisable as to which part of Bel-
gium he is from," the 30-year old said.
Vanhooymissen has lived in the Congo for 15
years and admits that he is inclined to support-
ing the Flemish idea of the nation and that
football may not really lead to a permanent so-
lution: "There have been times when politicians
have joined hands in supporting the football
team, but back at the table -- things won't really
change behind closed doors."
Though the two are being addressed at the same
time due to a political confict and a World Cup,
Nicq also warns that Belgians are looking at it
differently: "We are in the middle of forming
a new government, these two facts need to be
separately communicated in the media."
In one cruel day, the World Cup lost
Neymar and James Rodriguez
T
wo South American countries, two stars,
two number 10s, two 22-year-olds in
tears, one match, one loser, one injury
a cruel twist of fate, and it suddenly seems as
if the curtains of the World Cup have already
come down. It's like wrenching out the plug of
your television the noise abruptly giving way
to a deathly silence, waiting for you to digest the
fact that for four years, you will not be see them
come together on football's biggest stage.
Neymar and James Rodriguez were both crying
at the end of the World Cup quarterfnal be-
tween Brazil and Colombia the former from
agony after a crushing knee to his spine from
Juan Zuniga that broke a vertebrae; the latter
from the sheer emotion of giving everything on
the pitch for his country and ending up empty
handed. Between the 87th and the 94th minute,
the World Cup was robbed of two it's most
entertaining players who were shouldering the
hopes of their respective nations.
Before the start of the World Cup, it was Ney-
mar who dominated the news his 'slender
shoulders' getting more mentions than the
talented and potentially world-class talent that
is Rodriguez. Neymar was going to wear the
hallowed No 10 of Brazil, he was going to bring
smiles to faces that have seen their houses turn
to rubble in a bid to raise stadiums to host the
World Cup for the frst time since 1950.
Rodriguez came out of nowhere. Those who
have followed the game know of him as an in-
demand player whose name keeps appearing
in the 'transfer gossip' section of websites and
papers but six goals and two assists later, he
ensured that Neymar shared the spotlight with
him. There was also the now famousseries of
dance moves that displayed an innocence his
Brazilian counterpart could hardly afford.
In fact, for a while, until news of Neymar's inju-
ry broke, it was Rodriguez going home that was
giving fans heartache pictures of his coach
and David Luiz consoling him getting retweeted
and shared across the internet. Demands of a
4th/5th place playoff suggested how restless
fans were to watch him play his volley against
Uruguay was a standout moment of the World
Cup so far.
Neymar's four goals were in danger of being
eclipsed by this new rising star even with
10 minutes remaining, Rodriguez's brilliantly
threaded through ball forced Julio Cesar to
come off his line and concede a penalty. He
then guided the ball past the shootout hero with
an unnerving calm it had become a type of
tug-of-war between him and Neymar for the
'heaven' that is to lift the World Cup amid the
hell that his own players created with 31 fouls in
Fortaleza. But full time came and Rodriguez was
gone, sobbing.
Minutes later, news that the spine of Brazil's
attack was broken trickled in this was the real
blow. For a Brazilian, it must be shattering to
see Neymar go out like this. He didn't deserve it.
He is probably the only player who epitomised
Brazil's way of playing the game. His trickery,
goals, assists and fair helping Brazil forget
about troubles, hope about glory and think
about their illustrious past at the same time.
Neymar will not get the chance to take his team
all the way in 2014. There will be no mouth-
watering fnal against Argentina with Barcelona
team-mates Messi and Neymar on opposite
sides. At least, Rodriguez went out on his feet;
Neymar went out on a stretcher.
There are fashes now of both of these players
Neymar's frst goal, Rodriguez break-dancing to
the beat of the fans Neymar's new hairstyle,
Rodriguez' baby face staring into the camera
with a smile Neymar's weaving run and
cracking strike against Cameroon, Rodriguez'
glance-twist-volley against Uruguay. Then there
is the fnal fash Neymar screaming in pain on
the pitch and Rodriguez immediately reaching
out to him his hand at the small of his back
asking him if he was okay.
Brazil and Germany win,
but take the joy out of the World Cup
O
n being hounded by questions of the
pressure getting to him before the Co-
lombia game, Neymar said: "We're not
here to put on a show, we're here to win."
True, but nobody really believed him until their
quarterfnal against the fellow South Americans
kicked-off. It was as if every one of the 31 fouls
were an echo of Neymar's words there was no
samba, there was no joy, there was no fair and
there was certainly no show put up by Brazil
as they hacked their way to a semifnal against
Germany.
Their semifnal opponents themselves shouldn't
be too proud of their wins so far. In the frst
game, when we saw them decimate Portugal
(and if you compare how they played in World
Cup 2010), it seemed that Germany had found
a new way of winning a positive attacking
and entertaining way. But against USA, Algeria
and France they reverted to their workmanlike
system.
It's a different kind of art smash and grab
score from a set-piece and get stuck in not so
much like Jose Mourinho's knack of squeezing
out a result than an arrogant way to stife op-
ponents. While that is not the problem, the real
worry is to see a team so talented and creative
resort to an approach like that.
France did everything better but score: If you're
a stickler for numbers you'll enjoy this. Here
are the stats of the match in France/Germany
order - 13/9 shots, 78/77 percent passing accu-
racy, 10/7 chances created, 25/10 crosses, 22/8
take-ons or successful dribbles, 60/45 percent
tackles won, 60/40 oercent tackles won, 28/36
clearances, 15/18 fouls, 0/2 cards, 15/13 blocks
and 2/5 saves made. In every department, de-
fensive or offensive France were better more
inventive and more attuned to playing attacking
football like they have in the tournament so far.
Chances created in 90 minutes France were
more penetrative than Germany
As for the intangibles, you can contrast Manuel
Neuer's casual fick of the palm to stop Karim
Benzema's shot with 10 seconds remaining and
his brilliant save earlier on both followed
by almost no celebration, to Vincent Enyeama
going mad after saving Lionel Messi's shots or
USA's John Brooks running in disbelief after
scoring a winner against Portugal.
This is not to say that Germany didn't deserve
their win, it's to say that their machine-like eff-
ciency removed a team from the World Cup that
tried to erase the burden of a disastrous World
Cup 2010 by peppering the World Cup with
goals and playing as a team.
Brazil's fouls and tackles: Brazil simply ditched
their magic for results by coming up with a
game plan to take out Colombia's two star
players James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado.
They committed 31 fouls (the most by Brazil in
a single World Cup match) in a display which
they would ideally like to forget. 12 of their fouls
were on Rodriguez and Cuadrado. The Brazil
the world love to watch play with expression
and fuidity, not a stop-start game-breaking
system.
Brazil's fouls committed in 90 minutes
Add to that some ridiculous refereeing which
acted as fuel for the players to fre in more
tackles tackles which got more robust and
fearless with every passing minute. Brazil, who
themselves played with supreme fair against
Mexico, Cameroon and Chile (they were hound-
ed by Chile, but they wanted to win by scoring
goals and Alexis Sanchez was not brought down
multiple times), didn't just take a joyous and
talented Colombia out of the World Cup they
somehow changed their identity too sacrifc-
ing skill for body-bashing and shots for fouls.
In a span of 180 minutes, the world was intro-
duced to a Brazil that they really didn't know
about, a Germany they thought had changed
and the end of two teams who played the game
and thrilled. But hey, who's here to put on a
show?
For France, World Cup 2014
should be considered a victory
Gautam Viswanathan Jul 5, 2014
L
ike most teams whove exited a tourna-
ment, France will be hurting following
their elimination from the 2014 FIFA
World Cup.
And while their 1-0 quarter-fnal defeat to Ger-
many will be met with commiserations by the
French, there were infnitely more positives to
take from Brazil than there were negatives.
The French contingent that travelled to South
America was being closely watched by the
entire footballing world after their very public
meltdown in South Africa four years ago. For
the French Republic, South Africa 2010 was a
catastrophic failure, not just on sporting levels
but on diplomatic levels as well.
Those whod credited Raymond Domenech with
Frances Cinderella run at Germany 2006 were
left eating humble pie as it became quite clear
that it was Zinedine Zidanes brilliance that
had taken them up to the Olympiastadion eight
years ago.
Without Zizous magic on the road to Euro
2008, the French fell apart and Domenech
whose eccentricities ranged from an extreme
distrust of David Trezeguet and Robert Pires
because they were Scorpios to proposing to his
girlfriend on national television after Frances
embarrassing exit from the Group of Death in
Austria-Switzerland was never going to have
the frm hand required to lift the French out of
their listless performances.
His successors, Laurent Blanc and Didier De-
schamps, are no-nonsense, hard-nosed men
who understand that a united squad was key to
achieving results on the pitch. They knew that
the French were sorely hurting after seeing their
nation collapse in Africa and the best way to
heal those wounds was to get France to return
to their winning ways.
The frst step to managing their players egos
was to show those players who was boss, and
that was precisely what both coaches have done.
Blanc suspended the 23 players whod repre-
sented France in South Africa and told them in
no uncertain terms that they were to respect the
nation they were playing for.
With him at the helm, France qualifed for Euro
2012 at the top of their group, the frst time
theyd done so since the 1992 European Cham-
pionships.
Deschamps has only built on what his fellow
World Cup winner has achieved. Thierry Hen-
rys handball against the Republic of Ireland
four years ago was a sign of desperation because
he knew that there was no other way the French
were going to make it to South Africa.
For Deschamps and the French nation, their
decisive second leg of their playoff against
Ukraine brought all those bitter sentiments
rushing back. There was a distinct sense of dj
vu amongst the French because they knew their
honour and their reputation was on the line at
the Parc des Princes.
It is said that a team that remain united in the
face of adversity and overcome it are forever
changed for the better afterwards and Frances
comprehensive 3-0 demolition of Ukraine in
Paris was perhaps a sign of how far Blancs and
Deschamps healing process had come.
More importantly, the heart of the French team
beat in unison with the populace they repre-
sented. As players and fans stood as one, they
all knew that the spectre of Domenechs rapid
fall from grace was fnally evaporating.
The undercurrents of mutiny that ignited the
proverbial powder keg that the French had been
sitting on in South Africa had been replaced by
a wave of solidarity that coursed through the
nation, a wave, alive and pulsing with undu-
lating energy that showed the world that the
France team that would be travelling to South
America would indeed by a united symbol of the
French Republic.
A symbol of libert, galit, fraternit.
It was this unity that France brought to Brazil.
They knew they had a point to prove and they
set about proving it straight away. Every goal
was celebrated collectively, often in front of the
cameras to drive home the point that this was a
changed France, a unifed France.
It is a spirit that promises to be part of the
France teams of the future. The single-mind-
edness, dedication and doggedness that the
French have showed in Brazil have given French
fans a reason to hope that was decidedly absent
four years ago.
While a quarter-fnal fnish may not be as glit-
tering an achievement as years past, it is an
achievement that Frenchmen and women eve-
rywhere can admire with pride because it em-
phatically ended Frances ignominy.
In 2010, one wondered whether the French
would muster enough gumption to get out of the
group stages. 2012 showed that that nous had
returned to the French side, 2014 gave French
fans renewed cause for optimism.
The 2014 World has allowed French fans to
dream again and that is why they should treat
Brazil 2014 as a moral victory. With the 2016
European Championships taking place on home
soil, there is every chance the world will see
France return to its place among footballs elite,
especially since the team is bursting with talent
that should come of age two years from now.
They will take with them the experiences of
Brazil 2014, knowing that they did their country
proud, knowing that they brought back hon-
our to their country, knowing that they given
reasons for their fans to dream again, knowing
that theyve lifted the doom and gloom that sur-
rounded their national football team.
Knowing that theyve erased forever the scars of
2010.
Round of 16
Howards heroics, Robbens dive, Colombias joy and
Van Gaals genius
Belgium rob superb Tim Howard
of his Hollywood ending
T
he numbers at the end of it all were
incredible -- 39 shots, 26 on target, 15
saves. After a point, though, Tim Howard
must have seemed like Fort Knox to the Bel-
gians, who attacked in speedy waves for the
best part of 90 minutes. They hit the crossbar
once (an Divock Origi header) from open play
and went past the post a couple of times, but
anything and everything that went close to the
American goalkeeper was collected, punched or
palmed out of play.
It was the most stunning display of goalkeeping.
The 15 saves are a record for a World Cup game
(the records stretch back to 1966 -- that's when
they frst started recording the numbers). He
made himself large when he needed to; he was
nimble and brave at other times. This was Tim
Howard responding to all those chants of 'USA
USA"- this was him doing it for his country.
And truth be told, he deserved a medal.
The Belgians had their best game of the tourna-
ment -- the US defenders made an incredible
70 clearances tonight, more than any side has
managed in a single World Cup 2014 game. But
for a majority of the game, the US defenders
were unable to deal with the pace of the Belgian
team that for the frst time in the tournament
found its true rhythm.
A side flled with some of the most talented
players in Europe was supposed to cruise into
the second round but instead, they struggled
to get fnd the right balance and often left their
goals late. Too late in some cases.
But today, against a well organised USA team
-- they played like favourites are supposed to.
They were inventive and direct and most impor-
tantly, they were always looking to go forward.
Only, they kept running into Howard. Goal-
keepers are usually called upon to make a few
vital saves in every game but for Howard, it
was one long procession of saves that started as
early as the frst minute and went on till the last.
His concentration could not drop and it did not.
Marc Wilmots, the Belgium coach, said the
game was not easy on him. It was bad for my
heart, he said. But I am happy now, only con-
centrating on Argentina in the next round.
People said we were not a good footballing
team, but we created a chance after two minutes
and must have had about 20 more. Tim Howard
had a fantastic match. I think we saw a lot of
football from Belgium tonight, a lot of move-
ment."
At the end of the day, the Red Devils were too
determined and got the goals they so desperate-
ly sought. Kevin De Bruyne broke the Howard
wall a few minutes into extra time and then
Romelu Lukaku added a second later. Julian
Green got one back with just 12 minutes to go
but the Belgians somehow pulled it off.
Football is so often about tactics, formations,
the strikers, the midfelders, the defenders or
even the coaches. But Howard showed that the
game more than anything else is about heart.
His performance was the stuff of legend and it
will not be forgotten by anyone who watched it.
USA almost showed that they are scaling up to
a level where they will soon be challenging the
European and South American super powers.
"I think... it's heartbreaking. I don't think we
could have given anymore. We got beat by a
very good team," said a tearful Howard after the
game. "It's heartache. It hurts. Hats off to Bel-
gium, but we gave it our all. Sometimes you give
your best and it doesn't come off. Dream falls
short but this is an incredible group and I will
never forget this match."
You were under siege for most of the game...
asked the interviewer in the post-game inter-
view.
Howard didn't bat an eyelid before saying: "But
that's what I signed up for..."
Arjen Robbens genius for
diving saves the Dutch again
Ashish Magotra Jun 30, 2014
I
n real time, it was a penalty. But as the ac-
tion was slowed down, frame by frame in
the replays and the pictures and vines, one
could not help but think that the Dutch genius
Arjen Robben had made a mountain out of a
mole hill.
It was the slightest of touches. The Mexican
captain Marquez had planted his foot, Robben
got a light touch but then he fopped over in the
manner of an Oscar winner.
This was the Robben that the world had come to
hate.
Footballers are actors and we have seen enough
evidence of that during the World Cup but if
there was a hierarchy of sorts in the diving
stakes, Robben would probably be close to the
top.
He has all the right attributes -- pace, dribbling
skills and the ability to draw defenders in and
earn a vital foul. But then he gives it all away by
diving; faking it over and over again.
The lesson one could probably take from it all
was simple: Keep diving and eventually, the
referee will give you what you want.
The Mexicans had gone on the defensive af-
ter taking the early lead through Giovanni dos
Santos and it played into Robben's hands. He
was allowed to get forward; allowed to run at
the defenders and allowed to get into positions
where a foul could get his side a penalty.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had said ear-
lier this year after Arsenal's loss to Bayern Mu-
nich in the Champions League: (Arjen) Robben
is very good at getting the maximum of nothing.
Hes a great player as well a very good diver but
its part of him.
And today we saw the truth of those words.
After the match, Robben apologised. Not for the
penalty but for his attempted dive in the frst
half.
"I must apologise.The one [at the end] was a
penalty, but the other one was a dive in the frst
half. I shouldn't be doing that," said Robben. "It
was awful and stupid."
Indeed, he must not do that. The whole point of
having this kind of crazy talent is that you don't
need to rely on such petty tricks but no -- just as
Suarez is a biter by habit, Robben is a diver.
Mexico manager Miguel Herrera believed that it
wasn't just Robben's fault: "If the referee ... in-
vents a penalty of that size, you leave the World
Cup.
He went on to say that Robben went down
three times and he should have been cautioned.
"Doubtful decisions were always against Mexi-
co," added Herrera. I hope the referees com-
mittee looks at the decision and that he, like
us, goes home. Were leaving [the World Cup]
because of the fact that the decision to stay was
not in our hands. If they have a conscience, he
should not take charge of another game at the
World Cup.
Robben had looked dangerous throughout the
game, should have had a penalty in frst-half
injury time, and was once again the man who
made the difference. But does it always have to
be this way?
M
ost people remember Colombian leg-
end Carlos Valderrama for his fam-
boyant mop of blonde afro hair. But
he was a superb playmaker too and Colombia
haven't found anyone to take his place following
his international retirement in 1998. But now
with the arrival of James Rodriguez, the wait
seems to be over.
Rodriguez also wears the No. 10 jersey, which
was last worn by a Colombian at the World Cup
when Valderrama donned it in 1998.
In one moment during the game against Uru-
guay, Rodriguez spelled out just how good he is
as a player. He trapped a cushioned header on
his chest, let it drop down on to the his left foot
and volleyed it straight towards the Uruguay
goal. Fernando Muslera, the Uruguayan goal-
keeper got his fngertips to the ball but it wasn't
enough. The ball crashed into the underside
of the crossbar and the World Cup had a goal
of the tournament contender. It was the frst
goal of the match -- a little later in the game,
he added a second but the frst goal was simply
stunning.
With fve goals in four matches and a further
two assists, Rodriguez has established himself
as a star. He has spent the past few seasons
with Porto and Monaco but now with reports
of Manchester United being interested, the
22-year-old (the same age as Neymar) has well
and truly arrived.
He probably had the best 45 minutes of the
Colombias James Rodriguez is
lighting up the World Cup
Ashish Magotra Jun 29, 2014
World Cup during Colombia's last group game
against Japan and his goal late in the game was
the icing on the cake. A wonderful through ball
gave him space, then he tricked a defender be-
fore lofting the ball over the diving goalkeeper
to make the fnal score 4-1 in Colombias favour.
It was almost Messi-like, which is high praise.
At 17 years old, Rodriguez had become the
youngest foreign player to both play and score
in the Argentinian league with Banfeld. He
quickly moved to Europe and FC Porto. Porto is
a nice place for youngsters and it helped that he
had country-mate Radamel Falcao (who is miss-
ing the World Cup because of an injury). He
scored 31 goals in 104 appearances over three
years.
Next in line was AS Monaco. Rodriguez had
great potential and was used to European foot-
ball but still Monaco's decision to cough up
45-million Euro transfer fee did raise some
eyebrows. He had a league-leading 12 assists
this past season and with his show in the World
Cup, he is probably going to be worth even more
now.
He has immense ball control, vision and has
shown himself to be a leader; to be a player who
can take him team to a higher level. There are
many young players who have amazing indi-
vidual skills but to watch him dictate play and
score goals with consummate ease singles him
out in a very special category.
If he had been Argentine, Brazilian and even
English, he would have defnitely got much
more press by now. But being Colombian meant
that he was walking in the shadows. But now, he
has seized his moment and is perhaps shining
even brighter than Messi, Muller and Neymar.
This man has arrived and for Colombia, he
couldn't have picked a better time.
A substitution, a water break, a penalty:
How Mexico lost to the Netherlands
Pulasta Dhar Jun 30, 2014
F
or 88 minutes, Mexico were revelling in
the possibility of causing one of the big-
gest upsets of World Cup 2014 by beating
the Netherlands. But three decisions completely
changed the match and the Los Manitos ended
up losing 1-2, eliminated from the Last 16 for
the ffth World Cup in a row.
Taking Dos Santos off: Giovani dos Santos was
Mexico's most potent attacking threat and tak-
ing him off for the less mobile and more with-
drawn Javier Aquino gave the Dutch confdence
that their opponents were retreating into a
defensive shell. Up until that point, Mexico were
dictating play through the trio of Dos Santos,
Hector Herrera and Oribe Peralta. But after the
60th minute, they decided that a 1-0 lead was
enough and it was time to absorb pressure.
Mexico vs Netherlands in 60 minutes: Nine
shots to Netherlands' four, eight chances cre-
ated to Netherlands' two, 13 take-ons to six, 27
percent tackling success compared to 13 per-
cent, 10 clearances compared to 22 the Dutch
made and just one save for Guillermo Ochoa.
Mexico shots in 60 minutes. After this, they
attempted only one.
Mexico vs Netherlands from 61st minute to
end of match: One shot to Netherlands' nine,
one chance created to Netherlands' seven, four
crosses to 17, six take-ons to 10, 20 percent
tackling success rate to 50 percent the Dutch
could boast of, 16 clearances to 14 and two saves
for Ochoa compared to none for Cillessen.
It was a tactical error instead of fnishing the
game up or pressing the Dutch for the rest of
the match, Mexico just left too much to chance.
The water break: Four minutes before Dos
Santos was removed, Louis van Gaal threw on
Memphis Depay and removed right wing-back
Paul Verhaegh. One, it pushed Miguel Her-
rera to ask his team to get more defensive and
two, Netherlands got width with Arjen Rob-
ben pushed to the right and Depay on the left.
Wesley Sneijder and Klaas Jan Huntelaar both
pushed up as forwards with Robin Van Persie
coming off later.
Van Gaal asked reporters after the match: Did
you see what I did? I frst changed to a 4-3-3
and then we created a lot of opportunities with a
shot on the post and a fantastic save from Guill-
ermo Ochoa. Then I moved to plan B and yes, I
did that in the cooling break that is a clever way
of benefting from these breaks.
So Van Gaal changed his tactics during the
cooling break with 15 minutes to go, saying that
he asked his players to ping long balls into the
forward line. In these 15 minutes alone, Nether-
lands created three chances and took four shots,
two of them goals. It was a tactical masterstroke
from Van Gaal, who had by then sensed the ur-
gency in Mexico to get the ball out of the area as
soon as possible meaning that getting it back
in the area as soon as possible would eventually
result in a mistake.
Netherlands passes in last 15 minutes
The penalty: Robben had not found much space
through the middle, attempting only two take-
ons and two crosses in 50 minutes of play an
incredibly poor number for a player who de-
pends on his dribbling and parallel passing to
create havoc in danger areas. As soon as he was
moved to the right after Netherlands conceded,
Robben started taking on men (5/6 take-ons
successful, 11 crosses attempted) and getting in
key areas where a pass could split open Mexico's
tight defence.
He had been looking for a clumsy foul in the box
throughout the game and Rafael Marquez' tired
legs fnally made a half-hearted attempt to steal
the ball from him in a situation that didn't really
require it. The fall was theatrical and there was
minimal contact, but it's hard for the referee to
make a quick decision in real time when most
people are still divided over whether it was a
penalty or not despite seeing replays from mul-
tiple angles.
Robben take-ons from 51st minute to end of
match
Talking point: There's a huge discussion over
the meaning of water or cooling breaks in foot-
ball. One side of the argument is that this has
permanently changed football and one would
rather have time-outs to give instructions which
may affect the team. Purists will say that the
continuous fow of football is what makes it so
exciting but only the harshest conditions de-
mand such breaks and as for instructions, both
managers had equal time to give them.
In Brazil vs Chile,
the best team lost
B
razil may have beaten Chile 3-2 (1-1 at
FT) on penalties on Saturday, but no one
can deny that Chile's tactical master plan
didn't have the fve-time world champions in
knots at times. Here are three things we learned
from the match:
Blood, sweat and tears: Chile worked their socks
off every time a Brazilian attacker had the
ball, they surrounded him like a pack of wolves
biting at his heels, covering the angles and
body-checking. And it was not ugly it was,
as their coach Jorge Sampaoli said, 'beautiful'.
There was not a park-the-bus feeling about the
way Chile defended it was ruthless commit-
ment and concentration for 120 minutes (18 in-
terceptions, 28 clearances, 37 tackles). At times
you could see the Brazilians sleeping. Take the
frst goal for instance it didn't come from
a Chile move, it came when they intercepted
a mistake from a Brazil throw-in and quickly
capitalised on it. They also hit the bar with
seconds remaining and pulled off a marvelous
team move which forced Julio Cesar to make
the save of the match.
Chile were better at passing (Brazil completed
just 68 percent of their passes while Chile com-
pleted 78 percent), forced 40 clearances and 20
blocks from Brazil and committed seven fouls
fewer despite being the team defending most
times.
That's what Chile were about a desire to win
the way they know how to raw dedication. It
was amazing to see them give their all in a quest
to beat a lackluster Brazil and all they got for it
were tears. And of course, respect.
Chile interceptions in 90 minutes vs Brazil
Freeze Brazil's right fank and half the job is
done: What a plan this was. Brazil knew it was
happening, they knew Dani Alves wasn't get-
ting forward and Oscar was near invisible. They
knew that they have to spread the ball to the
right to clear space in the left-centre for Neymar
and Hulk. But they couldn't do anything about
Chile constantly taking the game to their right
fank and attacking Marcelo and David Luiz on
that side. They deployed Alexis Sanchez and Isla
on that side and whenever they got the ball, it
was quickly shifted to the right (which was Bra-
zil's left). If you see the heat maps below there
are huge gaps in the right as well as left fanks
of Brazil Chile never let them through. It was
so obvious yet Brazil had no fx to it. Probably
Willian should have come on earlier and given
them some width.
Brazil and Chile heat maps
Rough him up, and Neymar is sorted: You have
to intimidate the world's best players to show
them that as a team, we're not afraid of you.
Chile got on the act of roughing up Neymar
from the start and when it comes to rough-
ing up, it doesn't mean playing foul. It means
you close him down, you physically challenge
him and you charge him down when he's about
to unleash that piece of skill that affords him
a couple of yards. Neymar was successful in
only two of his nine take-on attempts and Chile
cleaned him up with proper football he suf-
fered just four fouls while committing three
acts of frustration for not being able to do what
he can.
Neymars take-on attempts vs Chile in 90 min-
utes
How dancing Colombia became
the World Cups favourite team
C
ameroon's Roger Milla lit up the 1990 World Cup with his hip-shaking dancing celebrations
near the corner fag every time he scored. In 2002, it was Senegals's Papa Bouba Diop who
removed his shirt and led a dance after scoring against France .
Fast forward 12 years and we have the Colombian team who are pulling off dance celebrations as
enjoyable as the goals they score. The combination of striking football striking rhythm has gained
them the world's admiration. Here are three reasons Colombia has gone from rank outsiders to the
world's favourite team:
James Rodriguez: Call him James as in King James or Haamezz with a Spanish twang as in Jala-
peno this guy has been sensational for his country. With fve goals in four games two of them
nothing less than spectacular the 22-year-old has ensured that the spotlight is frmly on him
now despite the credentials of Neymar and Lionel Messi. In the absence of Rademel Falcao, Rod-
riguez has become the focus of Colombia's attacking moves. He's a threat from distance (14 total
shots - 8 from outside area, 6 from inside, 88 percent shot accuracy), dribbles, pulls of some bril-
liant passes and is the fulcrum of a talented, young, attacking Colombia.
Rodriguez' super solo goal against Japan
Rodriguez' goal against Uruguay in the Last 16
They are a team, not a one man army: Portugal depended on Cristiano Ronaldo, England on
Wayne Rooney and Spain on Andres Iniesta they're all out. Argentina depends on Lionel Messi
and Brazil on the brilliance of Neymar. But Colombia are a proper team which executes perfect
transitions from defence into attack. 10 out of the 11 goals they have scored have been assisted by a
teammate (Cuadrado leads the World Cup assists chart with four) and have come from fve differ-
ent scorers. Their defending mainly depends on throwing bodies in the way of shots. They have
made the most number of blocks (22) and even their goals are very well worked (watch below) and
quick with an average passing streak of just 3.75. This is a team which knows each other, there is
no one superstar and the dressing room ethos comes out in their dance moves and attacking moves
both of which they execute perfectly.
This is a team which is having fun: When you anticipate the goal celebrations as much as the
goal itself, you know you are watching a team that is playing with freedom and just enjoying them-
selves. When Pablo Armero scored their frst 2014 World Cup goal (vs Greece) and broke off into a
classic put-your-hands-in-the-air celebration, little did we know that was just the beginning.
But it did, and when Teoflo Gutierrez added a second, another set of moves was shown with style:
After seeing off Greece with ease, Colombia laid dancing on the back-burner in a serious contest
against Ivory Coast which they won 2-1. With qualifcation assured, it was time to show the world a
new celebration. As soon as Juan Cuadrado converted a spot-kick in the 17th minute, it was time
for a move right out of Michael Jackson's Thriller.
James Rodriguez scored the fourth goal in their 4-1 win and ran across the touchline before lead-
ing the team to a fne step learn this one, it's going to be handy for a clubbing night.
Colombia next take on Brazil in a mouth-watering tie it's Neymar vs Rodriguez, Oscar vs Cuad-
rado a battle of two South American teams, one struggling under the expectations of a nation
and the other enjoying every minute of the World Cup. If Colombia can beat the hosts and pre-
tournament favourites, it could herald a new era for a country that sadly has been known more for
their drugs than anything else.
Suarez
Jaws, Hannibal, Cheat, Biter: Suarez does it again
Hannibal Suarez bites Chiellini
as Uruguay knock out Italy 1-0
AP, Jun 25, 2014
C
aptain Diego Godin scored in the 81st
minute as Uruguay edged 10-man Italy
1-0 Tuesday to reach the second round
of the World Cup, although the victory was
overshadowed by a biting incident involving the
South American side's star forward Luis Suarez.
Four-time champion Italy, meanwhile, is head-
ing home after the group phase for the second
time in four years.
Godin rose above a crowd of defenders to meet
a corner with his left shoulder and veteran goal-
keeper Gianluigi Buffon had no chance.
Moments earlier, replays showed Suarez appar-
ently bite the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio
Chiellini as the pair clashed in the Italian pen-
alty area.
Suarez was already sanctioned with a heavy ban
for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic
in the English Premier League in 2013 and FIFA
can sanction players for biting with bans of up
to two years.
Chiellini said Suarez should have been sent off
and that the red card for Italy midfelder Clau-
dio Marchisio should never have been given.
"The red for Marchisio and not sending off
Suarez were ridiculous," Chiellini said. "It was
absolutely clear. There's even a mark," Chiellini
said of the bite.
It was only one of many ugly incidents in a
highly physical "in or out" match at the Arena
das Dunas.
Marchisio was shown a direct red card for
putting his boot into Egidio Arevalo's knee in
the 59th. Also, Mario Balotelli picked up his
second yellow card in two matches for a danger-
ous foul during the frst half, and was benched
for the second period.
"(The referee) certainly didn't give us a helping
hand," Buffon said. "But in the end you can't
always be recriminating and putting the blame
on others.
"Every now and then, it's only right that you
accept what you're to blame for and when you're
coming off two defeats without even scoring a
goal, we clearly also have to take our share of
that blame," added Buffon, who tied the record
by being selected for his ffth World Cup squad.
Costa Rica was the surprise winner of Group
D with seven points following a 0-0 draw with
England on Tuesday. Uruguay fnished second
with six, while Italy and England went home
with three and one point, respectively.
Uruguay had to win to go through while Italy
needed only a draw and it was clear that the
Azzurri were playing for that result when coach
Cesare Prandelli replaced Balotelli with a de-
fensive midfelder, Andrea Parolo, to start the
second half.
It appeared the tactic could work when veteran
goalkeeper Buffon stuck his right arm out to
deny an excellent effort from Suarez in the 66th
on a sizzling afternoon.
But Godin was waiting to meet a corner from
substitute Gaston Ramirez, who had come on
three minutes earlier. With his back to the goal,
Godin managed to redirect the ball into the far
corner.
Uruguay had argued for a penalty in the 51st
when Edinson Cavani got his legs tangled with
Leonardo Bonucci, but Mexican referee Marco
Rodirguez motioned to play on.
The last time Italy failed to proceed from the
group stages in two successive World Cups
came between 1950 and 1966, when Italy was
eliminated in the frst round four successive
times.
"I assume full responsibility," Italy coach Cesare
Prandelli said, while also criticizing the referee
for Marchisio being sent off.
"It's absurd to be left with 10 men in a match
like this," Prandelli said. "There were no ugly
fouls worthy of being sent off. You can't (ruin) a
match like that. The referee ruined the match."
Days before departing for Brazil, Prandelli
signed a contract extension to keep him in place
through the 2016 European Championship but
now his future appears in question.
"After four years of work, a red card puts every-
thing up for discussion," Prandelli said. "Let's
refect now and then we'll see."
Italy controlled much of the match with its pass-
ing accuracy in midfeld while Uruguay relied
on swift counterattacks and even attempted to
surprise Buffon with shots from its own half.
FIFA listed the temperature at a sizzling 33 C
(91 F), and clouds gave way to sun about mid-
way through the frst half, providing no relief for
the players.
Uruguay fans took over one entire corner of the
stadium which is named after this coastal
city's massive sand dunes and greatly out-
numbered Italy's supporters.
In the 22nd, Balotelli was shown a yellow for a
needless foul on Alvaro Pereira. Balotelli practi-
cally leapt over the midfelder, hitting the back
of the opponent's head with his left shin.
Pereira was already the victim of a head injury
in Uruguay's 2-1 win over England.
Uruguay's next opponent will be the winner of
Group C, which is currently led by Colombia.
___
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Leon-
ardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Matteo Darmi-
an, Marco Verratti (Thiago Motta, 75), Andrea
Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Mattia De Sciglio,
Mario Balotelli (Marco Parolo, 46), Ciro Immo-
bile (Antonio Cassano, 71).
Uruguay: Fernando Muslera, Martin Caceres,
Jose Maria Gimenez, Diego Godin, Alvaro
Pereira (Christian Stuani, 63), Alvaro Gonzalez,
Egidio Arevalo Rios, Nicolas Lodeiro (Maximil-
iano Pereira, 46), Cristian Rodriguez (Gaston
Ramirez, 78), Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez.
One bite too many: Enough excuses,
notorious Suarez must be banned
L
uis Suarez didn't seriously chase a dream
of being a footballer player, he chose it as
a means to marry his girlfriend who had
moved to Spain.
He would collect coins while on his sweeper's
job in Uruguay just to take her out and f-
nally married her after his goal-scoring exploits
earned him a move to Europe. It's such a beau-
tiful story football mingled with romance
that it makes people forget how he head butted
a referee when he was 16-years-old, because he
thought he had been unfairly sent off.
Controversy only seemed to follow him how-
ever.
In the 2010 World Cup, he saved a certain goal
with his hand in the quarters against Ghana and
got sent off. When Asamoah Gyan hit the bar
from the spot, he celebrated shamelessly near
the players' tunnel. But he had already scored
three goals for Uruguay in the World Cup till
then and was coming off the back of a season
which saw him score 49 goals in 48 appearances
for Ajax. He sacrifced a place in the semifnal
lineup to get Uruguay there... of course we can
forgive him.
Later that year, he bit PSV Eindhoven midfeld-
er Otman Bakkal's shoulder, got a seven match
ban for it and then sealed a move to Liverpool
where he quickly showed what the hype around
him was all about. His movement in front of the
goal itself generated so many oohs and aahs that
Bakkal's poor shoulder was quickly forgotten.
In 2011, he racially abused Patrice Evra then
refused to shake his hands in the next Manches-
ter United vs Liverpool incident. The Reds fully
backed him and his teammates wore t-shirts in
support for him. He claims he said 'negrito' in a
non-abusive way. And come on, everyone gets
one guilt-free pass when they're adjusting to a
new league and culture.
Then he bit Branislav Ivanovic in 2013 the
30-goal man coming under so much scrutiny
that he demanded a move away from the Pre-
mier League. But he stayed and with every
goal and assist (31 and 24 in total), fans and
the media chose to see his pedigree in the game
above the controversies.
He had a mature season to be honest and
those who had backed him were vindicated.
Those who were sceptical about him were not
entirely convinced but were still so awed by his
phenomenal goals that they tried to like him.
And when he scored two goals against England
in the World Cup after a knee surgery barely a
month ago, his stature as a fghter only rose. His
on-feld conduct may have divided opinion, but
his credentials as a player who cold lift his team
on his own were never in doubt.
That is until his taste for bits of other players
returned against the crucial world cup group
game against Italy when he decided to start
chomping again. And this time it may cause him
more pain than the toothache he complained
about in the middle of the pitch after clashing
with Giorgio Chiellini.
Even if there was no bite, there was a blatant
head-butt in a move that later resulted in the
corner from which Diego Godin scored to put
Uruguay into the last 16. Two World Cups, two
controversies surrounding Suarez and both
times to the detriment of the opposing team.
This time however forgiveness from the football
world may not come easy. Suarez is in danger
of writing off all his goals because of a stupid
bite. This time, the ban has to come and it has
to come from FIFA. There needs to be an end
to this, and the only way that will happen is if
Suarez is handed out a harsh punishment (FIFA
can ban players up to 24 matches if they fnd
enough evidence).
Various reasons have been given in a bid to ex-
plain Suarez's tendency to bite. Some say it is an
instinctive reaction that he learnt in his forma-
tive years in Uruguay. It's self-preservation
maybe even an incredible will to win that makes
him see the football pitch as a gladiators ring
where do-or-die matches happen.
But Suarez has everything now. He's been play-
ing in Europe for the last eight years. He is an
exceptional footballer who leads the line of one
of the most historic clubs in the world a fa-
ther of two lovely children who walked out with
him at Anfeld recently. He is Uruguay's talis-
man and darling their Messi, Ronaldo and
Neymar all rolled into one. What excuse does
he have for the latest controversy he's landed
himself into?
The answer is none and the only explana-
tion seems to be that he has taken his fans, his
country, his club and his game for granted. The
claps and cheers after his remarkable feats were
always louder than the insults and abuse he
received this time those claps and cheers will
be reserved for a massive ban.
Chew on this: FIFA is part of
Luis Suarezs biting problem
Tariq Engineer Jun 25, 2014
T
here is no excuse for one grown man to
bite another on a football pitch. FIFA
absolutely needs to throw the book at
Luis Suarez for chomping down on the shoulder
of Italys Giorgio Chiellini like a thirsty vampire
at the end of a month-long diet.
Yet Suarezs comments after the game should
give us a moments pause.
In an interview with Uruguays Channel 10,
Suarez said: These are just things that happen
out on the pitch. It was just the two of us inside
the area and he bumped into me with his shoul-
der, and thats how my eye got like this as well.
There are things that happen on the pitch and
you should not make such a big deal out of
them.
In todays big-money, high-stakes sporting
world, there is a lot that happens on the pitch
that is acknowledged with no more than a wink
and a smile. Players are expected and encour-
aged to do whatever it takes to win.
A forward bursting through on goal has to
be stopped, even if it takes a cynical foul that
brings down the player with no attempt to get
the ball.
Baiting an opponent is also fair game. Who can
forget Cristiano Ronaldos wink at his bench af-
ter his theatrics helped in getting his Manches-
ter United team-mate Wayne Rooney sent off in
Portugals win over England in the 2006 World
Cup? Antics are justifed if they bring your team
a noticeable advantage.
Then there is diving, or simulation as FIFA
likes to call it. The rationale is that the referee
is there to make a decision and if he makes the
wrong one, good for you. That rationale ignores
the larger principle of personal integrity. It is in
effect saying that it okay to cheat as long as you
dont get caught.
In the NBA, players are now fned for fopping,
the equivalent of diving. This happens even
after the fact, as in the case of the league review
resulting in Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat
being fned $5,000 for fopping against the San
Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA fnals.
Yet FIFA does nothing. Anyone who watched
the replay of Brazil forward Fred tumbling to
the ground against Croatia with arms raised
even as he fell could see it was a dive. FIFAs
reaction was to simply shrug its shoulders, indi-
cating it is all part of the game.
In the 1990s, New York city was bedeviled by
violent crime. The police force decided to adopt
the "Broken Windows" theory of crime, which
in plain language claims it is harder to be bad
when everything around you is good. The New
York City police concentrated on cracking down
on vandalism and petty theft in an effort to
make sure the city looked nice. The result was a
marked decrease in violent crime. In footballing
terms, cutting out the diving and the theatrics
could translate to a decrease in violent fouls.
This isnt Suarezs frst brush with World Cup
scandal either. Four years ago, he stuck out a
hand to prevent Ghana from scoring the win-
ning goal in the World Cup quarter-fnals.
Suarez was sent off but Ghanas Asamoah Gyan
missed the penalty and Uruguay went on to win
the game on penalties.
Suarez wound up a home-town hero (though
admittedly criticised almost everywhere else)
and earlier this year told the Telegraph he
would do the same thing all over again. For me
I didnt do anything wrong, he said. I sacri-
fced playing in a World Cup semi-fnal for my
team-mates to have a chance to play in that
game."
That Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said he
didnt see the incident, and still proceeded to
vociferously defend his star player is sympto-
matic of the same ideology. Every coach wants a
player who will do anything to win (as long as it
doesn't cross the line into damaging the team's
chances).
Individual actions, however, tend to refect
the wider cultural norms in which they occur.
Sports, all sports and not just football, have
moved towards an ethos where doing whatever
it takes for your team to win is a badge of hon-
our (crickets debate about walking is a case in
point). The ideals of the game are secondary to
the interest of the team.
Only Suarez knows what went through his mind
as he bared his considerable set of teeth. Per-
haps he wanted to provoke Chiellini into a reac-
tion and get a second Italian player sent off as
his team desperately needed a goal to progress
to the next round. Perhaps, he was willing to
sacrifce himself again for the sake of his coun-
try in case both men were sent off. Perhaps he
was simply frustrated after having little infu-
ence on the game up until that point. It is un-
likely we will ever know.
But in a sport where there is intense pressure
to win, where the rewards are enormous and
the punishments comparatively minor, Suarez
is not the only one who needs to look in the
mirror. The way the sport is encouraged to be
played is part of the problem.
Uruguays serial biter Luis Suarez
banned for nine matches: FIFA
Reuters, Jun 27, 2014
U
ruguay striker Luis Suarez was banned
for nine matches by FIFA on Thursday
after being found guilty of biting Italian
defender Giorgio Chiellini.
Suarez was also suspended from any football-
related activity for four months and fned
100,000 Swiss francs (65,255.81 pounds).
Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any
football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA
World Cup when the eyes of millions of people
are on the stars on the feld," Claudio Sulser,
chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee,
said in a statement.
"The Disciplinary Committee took into account
all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr
Suarezs guilt in accordance with the relevant
provisions of the Code. The decision comes into
force as soon it is communicated.
The incident occurred 10 minutes before the
end of Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy in their fnal
Group D match in Natal on Tuesday.
Suarez will miss Uruguay's last-16 match
against Colombia in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday
and will play no further part in the tournament
if they progress.
The 27-year-old, voted England's Footballer of
the Year after scoring 31 Premier League goals
for Liverpool last season, has now been involved
in three incidents of biting opponents, the other
two during league matches in the Netherlands
and England.
Suarez was also banned for one match at the
last World Cup in South Africa for a deliberate
handball that cost Ghana a match-winning goal
in a quarter-fnal.
The madness of the group stages
FIFA World Cup: Thomas Mller is great
but Germany need Miroslav Klose too
Ashish Magotra, June 27, 2014
There isnt a team in the world that

wouldnt like to have Thomas Mller on its
side, USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann said
after his side lost to Germany in the fnal group
match. He is a remarkable player.
German coach Joachim Lw was all praise for
the strikers ftness and work rate as well as his
fnishing ability. He is mentally strong, a very
smart player who always seems able to fnd
space, but physically he is in great shape as well.
He is the one who runs the most kilometres
but he makes it look easy, even the heat doesnt
seem to affect him.
And while the accolades, all deserved, are be-
ing piled up for Mller, it cant hide the fact that
Germany needs to change its game plan a little.
And that is where Miroslav Klose comes in.
After impressing against Portugal in their frst
group game, Germany received a wake-up call
against a feisty Ghana which showed that
the German defence wasnt impregnable. And
against the USA, despite enjoying a lot of pos-
session and creating chances they were still
able to score just once.
Getting Bastian Schweinsteiger to start the
game was the right decision their ball move-
ment was very good and always going forward.
The attacking verve is something that Sami
Khedira for all his defensive capabilities
doesnt exactly bring to the side.
But if the talented midfelders can create so
much for the false No.9 Mller, then imagine
what they can do for Klose. Even in the game
against the USA, almost as soon as Klose came
on after half-time Germany started looking
much more threatening in the box.
Mullers perfectly placed shot was another
example of how Klose can help he draws the
centre-backs to him. They know he has a great
header and leaving him alone can be dangerous.
So they man-mark him and this creates spaces
for the others to exploit; spaces that allow play-
ers like Mller to score.
It also gives the Germans a target man during
open play. The crosses become that much more
dangerous and it forces teams to defend dif-
ferently; and in this case different means more
space for Mller, Mesut Ozil and Mario Goetze
to exploit.
Klose also has a good equation with Mller and
Ozil their link-ups and interchanges are fan-
tastic. So he would ft right in.
Klose may have equalled Ronaldo's goal scor-
ing record with his goal against Ghana but he
has been a bit player so far. And that needs to
change. In a sense, Klose remains one of the few
real number nine strikers who know where to
be and when.
Coming into the World Cup, Klose was still
struggling to get match ft. But now, that seems
to be taken care of and rather than use him as
a super sub, Low should start him. Certainly,
against Algeria in the round of 16, he should
start the 36-year-old and see how it goes.
Klose is the only out-and-out striker in the Ger-
man team and its about time Low made full
use of him. A man with 70 international goals;
a record 15 World Cup goals included should
not be wasted on the bench. Put him on the feld
and watch the goal count. It wont stop rising.
World Cup: The soccerization of
football in the USA is complete
I
n the minds of anyone who has followed
world football for a while, the USA team
has always been a bit odd. For starters,
while the world plays football, the USA prefers
to call it soccer. Next up, a world championship
in US terms be it baseball, basketball or amer-
ican football - has always meant a tournament
played with just its own city teams. Football, by
stark comparison, is truly a global game one
understood and played by billions.
However, regardless of what name it goes by, if
the outpouring on support in the USA is any in-
dication perhaps the game has fnally arrived in
the land of the brave. In Chicago, some 20,000
people turned up to watch the USA vs Portugal
game and chanted I believe that we will win
there were similar scenes all the states - in New
York, in St Louis, in Los Angeles - and not just
in the soccer pockets.
USAs opening game against Ghana was also a
rating hit. It drew over 11 million viewers and
averaged a 6.3 US HH rating, making it the
highest-rated and most-viewed mens soccer
match including 265 from the FIFA World
Cup on ESPN or ESPN2 on record, Accord-
ing to Forbes.com.
USA is taking to soccer as it never has before
and a lot of it is down to the way the team plays
they never give up and in Juergen Klinsmann,
they have a coach who has taught them to
believe in their abilities regardless of the oppo-
nent.
Last night, with just about the fnal throw of the
dice, Portugal earned themselves a slim chance
of going into the last 16. Their goal in the 95th
minute earned them a 2-2 draw against USA
and also prevented Klinsmanns team from
advancing. But for most of the game, it was the
Americans who were in command.
Portugal took the early lead through Nani but
then the stars and stripes brigade dominated
the match. Jermaine Jones stunning shot
equalized in the 64th minute and then Clint
Dempseys stomach gave them the lead in 81st
minute. By this time, Portugal looked beaten.
Ronaldo, clearly struggling due to his troubled
knee, had almost stopped chasing the ball
saving up energy for a fnal burst. In the dying
moments of the game, he found the space and
the will to burst down the right fanks and curl
in the perfect cross for Varela to fnish.
The USA team seemed a little shocked by the
turn of events nevertheless, they know that if
they can turn in another solid performance,
they will knock Portugal and Ghana out of the
World Cup.
After the game, Klinsmann said: My job is to
get everything done to get us into the round of
16, and that is what Im going to do. There is
no time now to have friendship calls. That time
is done. Both teams go into this game and they
want to win the group. So we go into this game
and try to beat Germany. To put ourselves in the
driver seat for the last-16, that is our goal.
USA beating Germany sounds like a bit of a
joke in real world terms but this is a team that
has been tutored to play a very specifc brand
of football. Unlike many team, they dont go to
pieces. They will play their game based on sharp
passing, pace and Clint Dempseys fnishing
skills.
When the squad for the World Cup was an-
nounced, one of the crowd favourites Landon
Donovan was missing and it surprised many but
it had only been an extension of the message
that Klinsmann had been sending all along.
As an Associated Press piece noted, when
Klinsmann took over, he jettisoned players'
regular uniform numbers, going to the old
system where starters were assigned Nos. 1-11
based on position. The message: No starting job
was permanent.
According to the German coach, who now even
calls the sport soccer,
American players lack a higher demand of
accountability, that daily pressure to perform
from fans and media.
But given just how well USA have been perfor-
maing, then that might change very quickly.
Especially, if they can beat Germany. It has
happened thrice before (twice in 1999 and once
in 2013); thrice in nine matches and that isnt a
bad record but it has never happened in a major
competition like the World Cup.
"You have quality now available that is ready to
compete on the next stage," Klinsmann had said
before the tournament. "We are ready to go eye
to eye with the bigger ones. And that's what the
fascinating side is."
Looks like he wasnt just talk.
Messis brilliance cant hide how
disappointing Argentina have been
O
ne couldn't help but root for Iran as the
match against pre-tournament favour-
ites Argentina was coming to an end.
The Asian team, which had trouble fnding
opponents for friendlies in the lead up to the
tournament due to the politcal uncertainty in
Iran, were proving unbreakable against Messi
and Argentina.
Let there be no doubt: Argentina controlled the
game -- they had 64 percent possession, more
shots: 21 to 8, better passing percentage: 90 to
66, created more chances: 18 to 7, and had more
crosses: 41 to 16.
But Iran fought by putting their bodies on the
line and defending like men possessed. While
Argentina were on top in all the attacking stats,
Iran's stats in defence against the team that in
the eyes of many has the best concentration of
attacking talent in the world were stunning -- 43
clearances and 17 blocks.
For 90 minutes, Iran didn't put a foot wrong.
In the frst half, they stayed circumspect; in the
second half, they even attacked and forced good
saves out of the Argentine goalkeeper. They
more than deserved a point out of the match.
But sports isn't about deserves. In the 91st
minute, Iran gave Lionel Messi an inch in line
with the right hand post but well outside the D.
Messi took that inch, converted it into a yard,
took four steps, pushed past his marker and
curled the ball into the left hand corner of the
Iranian goal.
From 33 yards out, it was Messi's longest suc-
cessful strike of 2014 and given the brilliant
placement, it was unstoppable.
It was a deja vu moment -- we saw Messi do
almost the same thing in the frst game against
Bosnia. Two bad games for Messi and Argen-
tina, but two goals of rare quality rescuing them
on both occasions.
But as long as Messi was shackled, Argentina
looked anything but pre-tournament favour-
ites. Iran didn't give him space and Argentina's
lack of a midfeld general was once again sorely
exposed.
Coming into the tournament, many had felt that
the Argentina defence would be suspect. But
their forward line made up of Higuan (24 goals,
12 assists for Napoli in last season), Aguero (28
goals, 14 assists for Man City), Messi (41 goals,
15 assists for Barcelona), Lavezzi (12 goals, 7
assists for PSG), Palacio (19 goals, 8 assists for
Inter) and Angel di Maria (11 goals, 26 assists
for Real) would more than make up for what-
ever defciencies they had at the back.
In total, the Argentina attack force has 135 goals
and 82 assists in the last club season. Now, they
are all players playing in the top leagues around
Europe and surely, they can put in a better per-
formance at the World Cup against opponents
like Bosnia and Iran.
In that sense, Argentina have been one of the
most disappointing sides in the tournament.
So much was expected of them and Messi that
their current show is underwhelming. The lack
of a playmaker seems to be hurting as is their
decision to play almost everything through the
center of the pitch.
That is the area where Messi is at his best but
it is also where Aguero and Higuain are dan-
gerous. As a result, the three ended up being
bunched up almost through the game. It makes
them easier to mark and less potent.
Di Maria does a lot of his good work for Real
down the fanks, using his superb pace to pull
defenders out wide. But he hasn't been able to
do that in this World Cup, creating just three
chances in two games. Contrast that to the way
he plays for Real and you know that tactically,
they are just not letting him loose at the opposi-
tion.
Messi usually plays superbly in traffc but he
isn't playing at Barcelona, with players who
spend the best part of a year together. Instead,
despite his improving record for Argentina, he
still seems to fnd himself part of an unfamiliar
team. The link-up play especially in the fnal
third between the team has been lacking -- and
that is hurting this team.
Messi has been directly involved in (64) goals in
(88) appearances with Argentina's senior na-
tional team (40 goals, 24 assists). The numbers
show just how key he is for the national side.
It also shows that if you somehow managed to
control him, you will have a chance and that is
what has been happening so far.
Iran were very disciplined in defence but if
Argentina can't break them down even with the
best player in the world in their side, then it
spells trouble for them.
For now, though, Messi's magic moments have
earned them a reprieve and a chance to go back
to the drawing board. Tactically, Alejandro
Sabella's side still seems to be experimenting to
fnd the right combination -- if and when they
do, it'll show in the goals tally.
Robben adds a touch of
genius to Dutch machine
W
ith Arjen Robben, it is almost always
the same thing: He'll get a pass on
the right fank, he will use his pace to
get the defender back pedalling, then he will cut
in towards the goal mouth and take a shot.
He has done this over and over again. With
Groningen, PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern
and Netherlands -- the method never changes.
But still defenders seem to have no answer to
the man.
That's simply because the things he can do
make him pretty much unstoppable.
At last count, he was the world's fastest foot-
baller. During the frst match of the tournament
against Spain, he few past Sergio Ramos to
score what will go down as one of the goals of
the World Cup. It brought back memories of the
manner in which Gareth Bale had beaten Mai-
con in a straight race. Only this was better.
FIFA statistics later revealed that the 37km per
hour sprint was the fastest ever recorded by
a footballer. But pace alone doesn't make one
deadly. It is knowing when to accelerate that is
just as important. Ally that to Robben's drib-
bling skills and you have a fearsome combina-
tion.
This is the frst time the Netherlands has scored
multiple goals in all three of its group stage
games in World Cup history. And Robben with
three goals and an assist has been a big part of
the goal fest.
This hasn't been 'Total Football' -- with Robben
it almost never is -- but it's been very effective
direct football. In the post-game show after
win over Chile, Robbie Fowler was pointing out
instances where Robben could have passed the
ball but he didn't. When asked why he thought
Robben didn't pass the ball, Fowler was direct
too: "He is selfsh."
His team-mates disagree though. For Robin van
Persie, Robben is perfect: "He is unpredictable
for the opponent, but not for me and the team.
You can see all sides with him. He is quick, can
score goals and provide assists."
And another example of that quality was the
assist for the second Dutch goal -- quick break,
into the penalty area, perfectly weighted low
cross, goal. The defender never had a chance.
From an early age, Dutch footballers are taught
that the ball moves faster than the player. So
their idea of football has always involved good,
strong passing but Robben breaks that mould.
Last night against Chile, one bewildering crazy
run had eight touches, all with his left foot. He
does the illogical with such grace that one might
be fooled into believing that it is the right thing
to do.
Robben's biggest strength is on the counter, and
he moves very well into space knowing that the
opposition is wary of his pace. The Dutch team
and their manager Louis Van Gaal have played
to Robben's strengths by even employing a 5-3-
2 formation -- the transitions are also quick but
not mechanical.
As Spain's manager Vicente del Bosque ex-
plained before the frst game: "We know what
Netherlands are like, with their rapid transi-
tions. They could play [with fve defenders],
or four at the back with two men open. Their
strength is their quick breaks."
An open secret but one that no one quite seems
to have an answer for at the moment. Robben's
genius adds just right touch of unpredictability
to the Dutch machine and so far, it's working
perfectly.
Brazil's 4-1 win against Cameroon means that
the Netherlands will run into Mexico at the last
16 stage. Tough opponents who will no doubt
try to mark Robben out of the match but in their
heart of hearts, they will be hoping the mercu-
rial winger just doesn't turn up.
Because if he does, then it just means trouble.
World Cup 2014: Costa Rica topping
the Group of Death is no fuke
T
he frst fve teams to qualify for the last
16 of the 2014 World Cup are The Neth-
erlands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and
France.
France have pedigree -- they are former World
Champions. The Netherlands are the eternal
underdogs -- great talent and they enter every
tournament with a chance of going all the way.
Chile seem to get better with every tournament
and even though Pele's World Cup predictions
are never great, he still had Colombia as favour-
ites for the 1994 World Cup.
Simply put. Costa Rica, in the eyes of many, are
not a natural ft in that group. They are playing
in just their fourth World Cup and their oppo-
nents last night, Italy -- have four World Cup
titles to their name. That is how vast the gulf
was.
But going into the game Italy coach Cesare
Prandelli had admitted to being afraid of Costa
Ricas combination of European-style organi-
sation and the explosiveness of the Americas.
Costa Rica manager Jorge Luis Pinto has had 19
jobs in 30 years of management and he added
some needle to the contest by saying: "I've stud-
ied the Italian side for 20 years... Today we are
going to beat (Italy)."
As it turned out, it wasn't an empty boast.
In the last round of qualifying in CONCACAF,
Costa Rica had conceded the least amount of
goals of all the teams by only letting in seven
goals in 10 matches. But then again, that was
the CONCACAF. Their opponents weren't teams
like Italy.
Still Costa Rica came out and played without
any fear. They played their brand of football,
gave the likes of Andrea Pirlo no time on the
ball (he attempted just 33 passes in the 1st half,
less than half the number he managed in the 1st
half vs England) and even a world class striker
like Mario Balotelli managed to get only one
clear chance. Italy had just 83 touches in the
attacking third, its fewest in a World Cup match
over last fve tournaments.
After the game, Costa Rica coach Pinto said: "I
dont want to seem like Im being over-positive,
but I honestly think that our defence were sim-
ply perfect today. Its not easy tackling a team of
Italys quality. It must be said that much of what
I now know about the game I owe to Italy, hav-
ing always followed Italian football. Our players
now have to stay cool and keep going."
They were solid in defence and their passing
game held together well, even when they moved
forward.
Bryan Ruiz, Costa Rica captain and the man
who scored the winner said, "It was a great win
but, on the other hand, its worth highlight-
ing that the whole team believed that this was
possible, particularly after we beat Uruguay. I
think its only now, a little after the game, that
it's sinking in how much this achievement will
mean to the people of Costa Rica."
For Prandelli, the difference was the athleti-
cism.
"When you come up against a side that are
more athletic than you, you have to be more
organised than them and we werent. Unfor-
tunately, after we conceded the goal we werent
capable to responding: we tried to create one-
on-one situations on the fanks but we never
really managed to take advantage of them."
When the names of teams in Group D were
frst announced, Costa Rica were expected to
be fodder for the other big teams in the group.
Uruguay, world no.7; Italy, world no.9; and
England, world no.10. Instead, they have come
out and beaten Uruguay and Italy and can even
afford to rest some of their players against Eng-
land if they so wish to.
Arsenal player Joel Campbell has been a star
for them but the others have played their roles
to perfection as well. They are well drilled, they
are athletic and they counter well -- three quali-
ties that will allow them to compete against any
team in the world.
Their performance also shows that how the gap
between the big teams and the chasing pack
has become much smaller than it was perhaps
a decade ago and that can only be good for the
game. It means that fewer matches in the World
Cup are easy to call; it means everyone -- except
perhaps England -- has a chance.
WC 2014: For Uruguay, Luis Suarez is
Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar rolled into one
D
uring his post-match interview after
the game against England, Luiz Suarez
broke down in tears.
I dreamt this, I dreamt this he just man-
aged to say. Then, after a pause, he added, Im
enjoying this moment, because of all I suffered,
the criticism I received. So, there you go.
One can imagine that his comments didnt bring
him much love in England, where he plays his
club football for Liverpool. But he probably
didnt care.
One month back, Suarez was in a wheelchair
after undergoing knee surgery. Now, he had
miraculously staged a recovery, taken the feld,
netted two goals and a famous victory for his
country. In this moment, for Uruguay a coun-
try with a population of just 3.5 million Sua-
rez is Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar all rolled into
one. He is their world beater; he is their genius;
he is their saviour. England, Liverpool can all
wait this is bigger, much bigger.
During Uruguays frst game of the current
campaign against Costa Rica, Suarez sat on the
bench knowing that he wasnt going to play
and watched his team lose 1-3. It was a bit of a
shock. This was a game that they would have
hoped to win given that the other sides in their
group were Italy and England.
So come the game against England Suarez
simply willed himself on to the feld. He came
into the pre-match conference talking about
how he was 100 percent ft and almost immedi-
ately the conversation shifted gears it was all
about Suarez.
His season in England had done two things it
allowed him to net an astounding 31 goals in
33 league matches thereby proving that the
English defenders dont really have a handle on
him and it had given the opposition a fair un-
derstanding of just how dangerous he is. With
that understanding came the most important
weapon in Suarezs armoury: fear.
All great strikers inspire fear because of their
scoring instinct put them in front of goal and
theyll score. Against England, Uruguay man-
aged two shots on target and scored with both.
That is lethal fnishing. But even among great
strikers, Suarez is different.
He stands out not just because he is a great
fnisher but also because of his movement, his
quick-thinking and his indomitable will. In the
game against England, Uruguays frst corner
-- Joe Hart was, for some reason, standing at
the edge of the six yard box. Suarez spotted the
England keeper was off the line and tried to curl
it in at the near post. It almost worked.
When he saw that Hart didnt learn from that
experience, he tried it again and once again, al-
most succeeded. It was the unpredictable touch
that Uruguay solely lacked in the frst game. It
was also the kind of thing that only players will
tremendous confdence will try.
Suarez had 47 touches during the game more
than everyone else in the Uruguayan team ex-
cept full backs Alvaro Pereira (62) and Martin
Caceres (61). It showed how he wasnt just play-
ing as striker, he was creator too. He was mov-
ing all over the pitch and his passing was always
about trying to fnd the right angles.
When you come into a match with just a few
training sessions behind you, nervousness
cannot be far behind. But Suarez just willed
himself into doing all the right things. The op-
portunity to score the second goal for instance
came because of messed up clearance header by
Gerrard. The 27-year-old was on the ball in an
instant and drove towards the goal but even as
he set himself up to take the shot at full tilt, he
lost his balance just before pulling the trigger.
Somehow, he righted himself, kept his balance
and poise, to smash the ball into the net. Per-
haps, all of it comes down to how much he hates
losing.
In the June issue of Sports Illustrated, he spoke
about it: It defnes me in the sense that I will
fght for every ball, want to win every game
and get upset when I lose because it gives you a
garra, a bad sensation, simply because you hate
to lose. Not only for me, but I think for a lot of
Uruguayans.
And that is what really got his back on the pitch
that is also what saw him use him hand to
stop a ball on the goal-line in a game against
Ghana during the last World Cup. It earned him
a lot of grief from the world, but in Uruguay it
was seen as the act of a man who put the team
above self.
He did the very same against England too. Of
course, it helped that he wanted to make a few
points of his own.
Before the game too many people in England
laughed about my attitude over the last few
years. This is a very good time for me. I want to
see what they think now.
Over the years, weve seen that an angry Suarez
isnt a good one but at this was him just rubbing
it in.
Uruguay, though, still arent out of the woods
they run into Pirlos Italy next and that wont be
easy. But as long as they have Suarez they will
know nothing is impossible. He gives them the
gift of genius.
World Cup 2014: Goodbye boring
Spain but thanks for the memories
B
rilliant Spain. Clinical Spain. Greedy
Spain. Boring Spain. Boring Spain. Bor-
ing Spain. Borriiinnggg...
In their prime, Spain were so good that they
were boring; boring in the way that Michael
Schumacher, Ed Moses or even Martina Navra-
tilova were. The opposition, almost always, was
just an afterthought.
The frst time Spain got their Tiki-Taka act
together, it was jaw-dropping. They had Fern-
ando Torres and David Villa upfront but that
wasn't the awe-inspiring act - rather it was the
way they moved the ball around the park, the
way they kept possession, the way they passively
dominated the opposition. It was like watch-
ing two teams playing a different version of the
same game.
The possession statistics would often indicate
the Spain had kept the ball for around 70 per-
cent of the game. In the remaining 30 percent
-- the opposition needed to get the ball out of
defence and fnd a way to mount an attack. All
this with the Spanish players (they followed the
'get the ball back in fve seconds' rule) hounding
you every inch of the way.
Xavi Hernandez was Spain's heart beat, the
metronome, pulling the strings, running around
and rarely, if ever, missing a pass. Iniesta was
the ever-present adventurous sidekick. The
rest of the group simply needed to fall in line -
Xavi would get the ball to everyone, keep them
all involved. They didn't crush the opposition
but that was only perhaps because they never
felt the need to. They seemed to be, at times,
happy just to pass the ball among themselves
-- it didn't matter that there was another team
on the feld. Whoever said that two teams were
needed to play a match hadn't watched Spain in
action.
If Spain went up 1-0, the game was as good as
over.
Brazilian defender Davi Alves, who plays for
Barcelona in the La Liga, once said that, "Xavi
plays in the future." And he wasn't wrong.
Xavi had a simple philosophy -- think quickly,
look for spaces. It kept Spain mobile and made
their fuidity breathtakingly beautiful. It took
some getting used to and perhaps it got bor-
ing only because no team in the world had an
answer to Spain's approach. They watched and
hoped for a mistake but for six years Spain
didn't put a foot wrong.
Then, they got sucked into the 'boring' debate.
The team that even changed fanks by stitch-
ing together four short passes, suddenly went
into the 2014 World Cup hitting long balls and
fring in diagonal passes. This wasn't the Spain
we knew; rather this was a Spain that was trying
to be different and abandoning it's identity in
the process; an identity that had brought them
unbelievable success.
The 1-5 loss against Netherlands was a shock. It
broke them. But by time the match against Chile
ended, the great champions of Spain were little
more than cold nostalgia.
Xavi, the player who virtually played every
minute of their wins at 2008 and 2012 Euro and
the 2010 World Cup, started the Chile game on
the bench and stayed there for the remainder of
the game. The old way had been abandoned, the
old players discarded.
In a 2011 Guardian interview, Xavi was asked
whether Barcelona -- the team that played in a
manner similar to Spain -- put style over suc-
cess and his answer is enlightening: "If you go
two years without winning, everything has to
change. But you change names, not identity.
The philosophy can't be lost. Our fans wouldn't
understand a team that sat back and played
on the break. Sadly, people only look at teams
through success."
Spain decided to change their identity and
ended up losing. It was a gamble but for once,
one hoped that they would have stuck to their
guns; to the style that made them the envy of
the world. Tiki-taka was astonishing in a way
that direct football will never be and now, we
may not see it back on the feld for a while. That
ship, given Vicente del Bosque's substitutions,
has probably sailed.
In the end, though, the exit was soft; the meek-
ness of the hardened veterans was unexpected
and Chile were better but still it'll be hard not
to miss Spain. That sadness will stay with us for
the 2014 World Cup and beyond.
Prodigious Neymar shows the world
hes up there with Messi and Ronaldo
Pulasta Dhar, June 24, 2014
N
o one doubts the genius of Cristiano
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. While the
former got a chance in probably the
most popular league in the world when he
played for Manchester United, the latter repre-
sents the rise of Barcelona. Both were also play-
ing in the Champions League and when they
fnally came together in La Liga the Messi vs
Ronaldo battle matched the magnitude of Real
vs Barca.
In the shadow of these two was Neymar a
name spoken in the same breath but cautiously.
Maybe it was because aside from YouTube
videos and lucky reruns on television, there was
no real way to gauge his potential. Even if he is
the 'next best', he never got a chance to show it
off on a grand stage the way Ronaldo and Messi
did.
This was of course, until the Barcelona move,
which resulted in him playing at a top side albe-
it in a more restricted role on the left restric-
tions not in terms of movement, but in terms of
creative freedom of expression.
While he adapted amicably to the tiki-taka sys-
tem and the demands of Messi for the ball, the
signs of potential genius came only in glimpses.
He wasn't able to play with the directness that
had till then, defned him as a player.
Barcelona's poor season took the spotlight off
individual players but Neymar had still not
proven what he could do.
So the World Cup in his backyard was his big
chance. In the frst game, we saw Neymar score
with a scuffed shot at least the monkey was
off his back but he was clearly nervous. In
the second we saw him create a few chances
and miss two attempts close to goal unable to
beat the in-form goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. It
was as if he was trying to grope with the sudden
freedom and responsibility thrust upon him.
Brazilian-born tennis star Gustavo Kuerten was
quoted as saying in this Wall Street Journal fea-
ture that Brazilians "play with happiness, with
emotion, and we have an expression com o
corao na ponta da chuteira." The saying trans-
lates to "with the heart at the tip of the cleat."
It didn't take an expert's eye to realise that Ney-
mar wasn't playing with his heart.
But that's not the case now. Heart was all we
saw in his performance against Cameroon in
Brazil's 4-1 win. From the off, Neymar was mak-
ing football look beautiful as well as outrageous
his brilliant volley which drew a fne save
his tricks and ficks his 360 on a defender
which looked like it belonged more on the dance
foor.
In another move he quickly touched a pass into
the box and spun off a defender's back, baiting
him to move with him only to vanish a second
later. In that second, the Mane Garrincha Na-
tional Stadium was transformed into a favela.
His frst goal was a casual caress into the back
of the net almost careless in its execution.
The second bled of arrogance as he galloped
across the edge of the penalty area and past two
defenders to slot the ball into the back of the
net with style. In the match, he took four shots,
all of which hit the target he drove the team
from midfeld to offence with a few strides, rode
fouls and slithered like an eel between chan-
nels. The team was playing through him. He
had created more chances against Mexico, but
there was a certain air of confdence against
Cameroon that he displayed that should inject
fear in Chile, whom Brazil will now face in the
last 16.
One could argue that Cameroon are hardly the
team against which one should judge Neymar,
but the Africans had levelled soon after Brazil's
frst and gave the hosts a fery attacking game.
Like many Brazilians, Neymar honed his skills
in the street: "I played with a ball a lot in the
street, on the beach, and Futsal has always been
part of my life since I was small," he was quoted
as saying in this interview.
Against Cameroon, Neymar made it look like
he was that small boy shouldering the hopes of
Brazil. And he seemed to be loving it.
The current Brazil arent good
enough to win the World Cup
M
any of the reports you might read
about the Brazil-Mexico match will
focus on Guillermo Ochoa. The Mexi-
can goalkeeper had a brilliant match -- coming
up with six saves (a tournament high) and at
least four of them were stunning.
In fact, while the match was on the internet was
abuzz with tales of Ochoa's sixth fnger and how
that might have helped him keep the Brazilians
at bay. The rumours were a hoax but more than
anything, it might lead you to believe that Brazil
were unlucky to be denied a win.
However, that is anything but the truth.
Mexico were superb in defence, they were quick
on the counter and their tackles were hard but
most importantly, they weren't afraid of Brazil.
They came into the match with a plan and stuck
to it. And with some luck they could have won
as well.
The rousing rendition of the Brazilian national
anthem had Neymar in tears before the kick-off
but it did not intimidate the Mexicans. Rather it
seemed to spur them to great heights and their
high-press stifed Brazil for much of the frst
half.
In the frst half for instance, Marcelo was their
top dribbler, Oscar their top tackler. It was a
stunning reversal of roles and the reason why
Brazil weren't having as much of an impact go-
ing forward.
In the frst game, Oscar had gone through the
gears and been splendid in both attack and
defence. But Mexico's quickness meant that
he was constantly having to cover for Marcelo.
It also forced Neymar, deprived of any other
spark, to wage a lone battle against the Mexican
team -- taking on as many as four players at
times.
With Hulk missing out due to injury, Fred had
to lead the line and he had an awful match. Fred
-- no, he didn't dive this time round -- complet-
ed 8 of 16 attempted passes (50 percent) and
just one of the passes was in the penalty area.
His almost invisible display meant that Brazil
were rarely threatening enough in the fnal third
of the feld.
Perhaps a more telling statistic is that Brazil's
top three passers in the frst half were defend-
ers... the midfeld made up of Oscar (who was
on defensive duty), Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho,
Ramires just didn't have enough of an impact
on the game. Some of the best passes in the
fnal-third also came from the full-backs. Now,
while you want the full backs to have an impact,
the midfeld has to pull the strings. That didn't
happen against Mexico -- rather it wasn't al-
lowed to happen.
The possession stats -- 54 percent for Brazil, 46
for Mexico -- showed that they didn't hold on to
the ball for too long either.
Mexico's display also showed that Brazil lack
the intimidating presence of a team like Ger-
many. When Germany take the feld, the op-
position has a serious problem -- they can't
really mark one player and be done with it. But
against Brazil -- if you can take Neymar and
Oscar out of the game, then you will have dealt
with a majority of their attacking options.
Also while Neymar is expected to score goals,
they need the strikers to step up and make their
mark as well. If Brazil want to harbour any
hopes of winning the World Cup, they need to
show more attacking onus.
Against Mexico, it seemed like they didn't have
a plan B. They play with one plan -- bomb
forward. Croatia pegged Brazil back in the frst
game and Mexico once again outlined why Bra-
zil need to up their game.
They still look good to make it to the round of
16 and are most likely to run into Spain (sec-
ond place in Group B) there. Against that level
of opposition, the current Brazil won't stand a
chance.
What Germany taught Ronaldo:
Worlds best player needs a team
I
f this was an old school football video
game, then the game plan would have
been simple: give the ball to Ronaldo right
outside your penalty area and dribble across the
length of the pitch, beating the opposition XI
and calmly slotting it into the goal.
We have all done it. And really, it made you feel
a little like God on that football feld. You could
create, you could fnish, you could do what you
want and you didn't need any assistance.
However, Germany showed Ronaldo and the
world that being the best player in the world
matters little at the World Cup especially if you
don't have the team-mates to back you up. In
the real world, the best player in the world is
only as good as his team.
In the Fifa World Rankings, Germany are
ranked no.2 and Portugal are no.4 but the ease
with which the Germans cruised to a 4-0 victory
suggested that the gap is much wider.
It was sad to watch Ronaldo being reduced to
a whirlpool of disappointment, rage and bewil-
derment but perhaps it was just as well; perhaps
it is too much to expect one man to carry his
team to World Cup glory; perhaps it is impossi-
ble if Pepe is one of your team-mates.
Portugal were already 2-0 down by the time
the Real Madrid defender had a meltdown and
head-butted Thomas Mueller. On a good day,
when he can avoid his anger spasms, Pepe is
one of the best defenders in the world. But his
inability to see the bigger picture could not have
gone down well with Ronaldo.
For Portugal to have any chance, Ronaldo had
to be at the top of his game. And for that to hap-
pen, he needed his team-mates to step up. But
they let him down.
Before the red card to Pepe, Portugal had at-
tacked and they had created chances. Not goal-
scoring chances but chances nonetheless. It
wasn't as one-sided as the fnal scoreline sug-
gested. But after being reduced to 10-men, Por-
tugal had no chance against a German team that
is the pre-tournament favourite for many.
In the frst half, Ronaldo managed just 15 touch-
es on the ball. It improved in the second half but
he wasn't infuencing the game as we know he
can. He didn't run at the German defence and
certainly didn't use his pace to trouble them. A
total of 5 shots -- only 2 forced a save out of the
German keeper -- showed a desperate touch to
the FIFA's reigning player of the year.
If Ronaldo and Portugal thought things couldn't
get any worse -- then they did when Fabio Coen-
trao pulled up and had to be stretchered off in
the second half.
If Portugal want to advance, they need to fnd
a system to involve Ronaldo more. It has to be
a system with Ronaldo at the centre of it -- a
system that works for Ronaldo; not against him.
Nani can be a crucial peg. He remains a player
with a great deal of promise and this might be
his stage to shine.
Robbed of two of their best defenders, Portugal
will fnd it diffcult against the United States on
22 June and 2010 World Cup quarter-fnalists
Ghana on 26 June in their remaining group
games but if they can fnd a way to get the best
out of Ronaldo, they still might have a chance of
winning.
For the moment though, that remains a big 'if'.
World Cup: Costa Rica have turned their
opponents pressure against them
Gautam Viswanathan, June 24, 2014
W
hen the groups for the 2014 FIFA
World Cup were announced, peo-
ple from all over the world expected
Costa Rica would fnish at the bottom of the
Group of Death.
But the Ticos had already served notice they
might not be pushovers, having beaten both
the powerhouses of North America at home en
route to qualifying for Brazil 2014. Mexico were
beaten 2-1 in San Jose and a 3-1 win against the
United States soon followed in the capital.
Jorge Luis Pintos team made it to Brazil with
two games to spare. Little nations like Costa
Rica are seldom expected to qualify for show-
piece tournaments such as this one let alone
stun the footballing world and that meant that
there was no pressure on the team to perform.
Because of the footballing history and pedigree
that Italy, Uruguay and England bring to the
competition, there would be a certain pressure
exerted on them by their countries who expect
them to perform on the worlds stage.
These teams are normally the strongest in the
groups theyre placed in but that pressure can
increase exponentially when theyre facing a
team of similar strength so early in the tourna-
ment.
Costa Ricas best fnish at a World Cup was a
Round of 16 fnish at Italy 1990. They could
therefore perhaps afford to go into Brazil 2014
in a more light-hearted frame of mind and a
sunnier disposition than their opponents.
Because the three teams had similar expecta-
tions, similar objectives and a similar frame of
mind, it was easy for Roy Hodgson, Oscar Taba-
rez and Cesare Prandelli to size each others
teams up. Costa Rica were more of an unknown
quantity who maybe werent expected to threat-
en. The three teams could therefore focus their
energies on formulating strategies to beat each
other.
That pressure obviously told on the pitch when
Uruguay took on Costa Rica. The South Ameri-
cans had expected to breeze past their northern
opponents but things obviously didnt go ac-
cording to plan when Costa Rican equalised.
That meant the Uruguayans had to throw the
script out the window, something they probably
werent prepared for have prepared for, and
missing their star Luis Suarez, only succeeded
in cranking up the pressure on themselves and
forcing Tabarezs plans to go awry.
Ditto the case for Italy. After their embarrassing
exit in South Africa four years ago, the Italians
wouldve been under pressure to perform in
Brazil. Theyd started well with a win against
England because the expectations the two teams
were under wouldve cancelled each other out
but once again, Costa Rica represented an un-
known quantity. The Ticos could therefore have
fun while playing their football, and players
excel at what they do when they enjoy doing it.
On paper, Pintos team were arrayed in a 5-3-2
formation, designed to commit as many bodies
as possible to defending in order to close down
spaces and stop the opposition from playing.
While attacking, however, the team switched
to a 3-5-2 formation, with the fullbacks bomb-
ing forward to support the Costa Rican wingers.
While defending, the Ticos retreated into a very
compact 5-4-1 formation, with the same wingers
helping out as auxiliary fullbacks.
The partnership that existed between Costa
Ricas wingers and their fullbacks was key to
their victory. It meant that while attacking, the
wide players were able to double team the op-
positions defenders, allowing the wingers to
run into the box and drag defenders with them,
thereby leaving the opposition in defensive dis-
array and creating spaces for supporting players
to exploit.
Costa Ricas formation was centred around
intelligent movement by players. When their
players didnt have the ball, theyd press their
opponents incessantly, forcing them to make
mistakes and surrender possession.
That worked wonderfully against Italy, where
even the great Andrea Pirlo could not get past
the massed ranks of opposition players in front
of him. As a result, the Italian forwards were
starved of service and couldnt muster enough
chances to beat Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor
Navas.
In attack, the Costa Ricans made diagonal runs
that were aimed at drawing out defenders. The
move that led to their goal against Italy il-
lustrates this perfectly. Christian Bolanos had
Celso Borges making a run from midfeld into
the box; Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell were in
the box by the time Bolanos had launched his
cross towards Ruiz while Christian Gamboa and
Junior Diaz provided support on the fanks.
This spread confusion among the Italians, who
did not know which man to mark. Even Gian-
luigi Buffon, normally an epitome of calm, was
unseated by Costa Ricas approach. He expected
the cross to reach Campbell and hed realised
too late that it was going to reach Ruiz and
could not adjust in time.
While Costa Ricas fullbacks spurred them-
selves on to complement their teams offensive
capabilities without reservation, their wingers
tracked back to defend with unfinching com-
mitment.
This also means that the Central Americans can
alternate between playing the ball through the
middle and crossing it into the box from the
fanks.
Costa Rica ave it their all for their country with
a passion and dedication that shows just how
united they are as a team. It is that single-mind-
ed determination and team spirit that has seen
Pintos plans come to fruition.
He has taught Costa Rica to ignore the pres-
sures that they wouldve normally been beset by
because there is no greater honour than play-
ing for ones country. While Italy, Uruguay and
England do have the better players, little Costa
Rica from Central America have shown that
they have the better team.
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