My Top 5 World Cup Goals

1) Robin van Persie – For me this goal is incredibly underrated. Firstly the pass from Daley Blind was flawless but the finish was second to none. If it was off the boot I admit it wouldn’t be as amazing but to have such wonderful control with the head is not something that everyone can execute and thus it was no surprise that #persieing became a thing.

2) Mario Götze – In crunch moments it is often said that you want an instinctive shot rather than time and space as you don’t have the opportunity to defeat yourself with the pressure of the situation. However, it takes incredible moxy to have the composure to control and volley home with incredible technique in the 113^th minute of a World Cup final, but that is exactly why Götze is seen as the boy wonder of German football.

Video of the goal can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28287024

3) James Rodriguez – When you first see this goal in real time you may quert its place on the list. Watch it again in slow motion and thats when the beauty in the technique shines through. Starting with his back to goal James had the presence of mind to look over his shoulder to ascertain how much space he had to work with while the ball was on its way. In doing so he made the decision to chest it into the path for him to spin and fire in a volley that was simply unstoppable, with it coming off the crossbar for added visual splendour.

4) Tim Cahill – This is the type of goal that players wait their entire careers for. It is guaranteed to make any highlights package such was the beauty of it. The pass was inch perfect from Ryan McGowan and Cahill’s volley with his weaker foot could not have been hit any cleaner. Cillessen had no chance.

5) David Luiz – His tournament did not end in the most desirable way but he did have one of the moments of the tournament with his free kick against Colombia. He has hit a few great free kicks in his career thus far but this was as good as any as the technique he used allowed for the perfect blend of power, swerve and dip to leave Ospina helpless to prevent it from going in.

World Cup Best XI

Manuel Neuer – This hs truly been the tournament of goalkeepers with Howard, Navas, Ochoa and Enyeama all having excellent tournaments. That said, no keeper has matched the level of consistent brilliance that Neuer has shown in all aspects of his goalkeeping, even when he has had to act as a sweeper to bail out his defence.

Phillip Lahm – He didn’t start the competition at right back but as necessity demanded he returned to cover that spot. Both his form and his team benefitted from it, as he was unflappable there.  Not only did he not let a left-winger even have a sniff against him, he added a further threat down the right hand side of the pitch.

Giancarlo Gonzalez – Columbus Crew’s 26 year old defender exceeded all expectations with his performances for Los Ticos and rightly so. He was a key part of Costa Rica’s brick wall of a defence with his positioning being particularly impressive. Several opposition attackers are still having nightmares after losing duels with him.  I wouldn’t be surprised if teams from one of the major European leagues make a move to sign him following his World Cup performances.

Ron Vlaar – Never has his moniker of Roncrete been more apt. The Aston Villa defender was a brick wall all competition and opposition attackers were thwarted by him time and again. After his showing at the World Cup I wouldn’t be surprised if a move away from Villa Park is on the cards for him.

Daley Blind – He aided out his nation in a number of positions but it is at left back that he did his best work. His tactical nous allowed him to excel both in his defensive and attacking duties.

Javier Mascherano – There is no doubt in my mind that when Mascherano plays in the defensive midfielder role that he is amongst the best in the world and this tournament proved it. He came up huge for his nation and was a major part of why they did not fall behind at any stage of the tournament (until extra time in the final).

Thomas Müller – If there was one person in the World you could rely upon for a World Cup it is Thomas Müller. At only 24 years old he is on track to beat the existing goal scoring records and as such is one of Germany’s consistent performers at this level. If that wasn’t sufficient he has unparalleled stamina, something that helped Germany out on more than one occasion.

Toni Kroos – Toni Kroos just completed a master class on how to instantly make your team regret letting you go on the basis of wage negotiations. He barely misplaced a pass and proved why he is one of the best midfielders in the world. Real Madrid are getting themselves an absolute bargain.

James Rodriguez – Despite moving to Monaco for a deal in excess of 30m last summer the vast majority of common football fans were not aware of his technical prowess. This World Cup changed that. He leaves the tournament with the Golden boot and was no doubt one of the best performers at the tournament. His wing partnership with Cuadrado looked threatening with every attack.

Arjen Robben – In my opinion he was the player of the tournament. It seems that since his disappointment 4 years ago he has stepped up his performances in the big games for both club and country. That didn’t change for the Oranje as he was their main threat in every game and he had opposition defenders at sixes and sevens trying to deal with him. People will focus on the diving but that really does a disservice to the level of performance he has put in throughout the competition.

Lionel Messi – This is a funny one. By Messi’s standard he hasn’t had that great of a tournament but by normal standards he has had a very good one. His 4 goals and an assist not only bailed Argentina out on a number of occasions but has earned him a place in this XI.

Awards

Best Player

Winner:Arjen Robben

Runner Up: James Rodriguez

Golden Boot

Winner: James Rodriguez

Runner Up: Thomas Müller

Best Goalkeeper

Winner: Manuel Neuer

Runner Up: Tim Howard

Best Manager

Winner: Louis van Gaal

Runner Up: Jorge Luis Pinto

Germany vs Argentina: World Cup Final Review

The World Cup final, a game that all involved would have been dreaming about all of their lives and one that takes more focus and preparation than any other. So when a member of your starting XI goes down in the warm ups not only is it crushing for the player involved but it has the ability to hamper the approach for the whole team whose strategy undoubtedly needed a last minute rethink.

It wasn’t too big a hindrance as Kramer was on hand to fill Khedira’s spot but there was no doubt that Messi and his compatriots were primed to seize the opportunity presented by the last minute change.

The game as a result was a lot more even as expected without either side really creating any major threats on goal. Both Mascherano and Schweinsteiger were closing anything down in midfield but it was Jerome Boateng, who was arguably man of the match, who stole the show.

Boateng nullified the threat of every Argentine attacker and his good work meant that Manual Neuer barely had to make a save all game. However, the most clear cut chance all game came as a result of a Toni Kroos error, surprising, as he has barely misplaced a pass all tournament. This time though he didn’t look before heading back and his pass went beyond the backline putting Higuain clean through. It was the chance of any striker’s dream and the kind you cannot afford to miss in a World Cup final. Yet miss it he did as he shanked it wide without even troubling Neuer. A mistake of epic proportions, one that he thought he had made up for when he had another shot in the back of the net, only for it to be ruled for offside.

The first was the kind of miss that Robben rued 4 years ago and one that Higuain will always think about. However, that was not the only chance the Argentine’s had to overcome the German defence.

At the start of the second half Lionel Messi had the chance to book his place in footballing immortality along the likes of Pele and Maradona. The chance to silence all those foolish critics once and for all but when the chance arose he did beat Neuer only for his shot to go wide.

One great chance a team can overcome; two great chances and they are certainly riding their luck. Aside from that, neither team really had any real danger except for a few German strikes, which were pretty much directly at Sergio Romero. Changes were made to spark this game into life. Aguero came on for Higuain to add a new dimension to the Argentine front line but more importantly the Germans took off Klose to bring on the prodigy himself, Mario Götze who along with Schürrle (who had came on for Kramer earlier in the game due to what looked like a concussion) were posing a much greater and direct threat to the Argentinians.

While the teams could not be separated in the first 112 minutes, it was in the 113^th minute when Schürrle drove down the left wing and played a lovely early cross that found Götze free in the box who quickly yet exquisitely controlled the ball with his chest precisely enough so he could deliver a quick volley which Romero was helpless to stop. The all-important first goal had been scored and in reality with that much time passed there was no way back for the Argentinians. The Germans had grown stronger defensively over the course of the game and were now shutting down every Argentinian attack especially with Messi’s legs tiring. They did have one last go when Messi attempted one last dribble and was upended but the resulting free kick went well over the bar to ensure that the Germans could finally celebrate adding the fourth star to their kit.

They are champions and it is fully deserved, as they were the best team in the tournament. They are the first European team to win the Copa de Mundial in the Americas and they are more than worthy of that accolade. With the group of players as young as they are there is a genuine possibility that this unit can go on a period of dominance a la the Spanish team that preceded them. It will simply be up to Jogi Löw to deliver on that potential as he has with this World Cup.

Brazil vs Netherlands: Review

With humiliation against Germany fresh in the mind, the Brazilians would have been hoping that the return of their captain, Thiago Silva, would have helped revitalise them but 3 minutes in that idea was quickly extinguished.

He was about to be left for dead by a rampant Arjen Robben and to stop him Thiago Silva decided to stop him by pulling him down when he was through on goal. It was as clear a red card as you would ever see but the referee buckled under the pressure and only showed him a yellow card. To compensate he awarded the Dutch a penalty when it probably should have been a free kick. Either way, the Oranje obliged as Robin van Persie scored a perfectly placed spot kick.

Now it is important to know that there were several changes for both teams. For Brazil Fred was finally dropped (although Jo was just as useless on the day) and Willian came in for Hulk. As for the Dutch, they were near full strength but Jonathan de Guzman and Jordy Clasie replaced De Jong and Sneijder. Did the changes have any impact on the game? Not particularly, the Dutch were all over the Brazilians as expected.

They quickly doubled their lead on the 17^th minute after yet another David Luiz howler. The cross came into the box and instead of heading the ball out for a corner he put it right back into the danger zone and Daley Blind was treated with a gift to get his first international goal to pile the misery onto the Selecao and its fans.

Fortunately for them the Dutch quite visibly took their foot off the gas and while the Brazilians were able to get back into the game as a result, they never really fashioned a great chance instead it was still the Dutch who posed the greater threat and rightly so they put the final nail in the coffin when Georginio Wijnaldum slotted home right at the end of the game to take home the bronze medal with a 3-0 win.

Scolari has been given his marching orders and given the tournament as a whole, it is probably a fair call as the Brazilians will need to go back to the drawing board to evaluate how they want to progress in preparation for Russia 2018. As for Louis van Gaal, he leaves his post with his head held high taking after taking one of the weakest Dutch squads in a while all the way to 3^rd place earning himself the accolade as best manager at the world cup (in my opinion).

Germany vs Argentina: World Cup Final Preview

3 years and 820 matches later we have finally arrived at the two teams that will contend in the biggest football match of all, the World Cup final.

There is no blueprint as to how a team reaches this stage in the competition and the paths that Germany and Argentina have taken to reach this point are reflective of this.

For most of this tournament the consensus has been that Argentina hasn’t set the world alight with their performances. With them stumbling past Iran, Bosnia and Nigeria there was some scepticism about how far the Argentine’s could go, and rightly so, but they have done exactly what has been necessary to get to this stage.

Initially, this meant there was an intense focus on the play of Messi but against Holland we saw a dimension to the Argentine’s that allowed them to cope when Messi was shut down and a large part of that success was down to the momentous play of people such as Mascherano and Demichellis, who will be key if they are to beat the Germans.

While the Argentinians are yet to beat a team by more than one goal, the Germans have been quite the opposite. Yes, they had their games against USA and Algeria where they stuttered to victory but at the same time they have had games where they have completely battered their opposition, specifically those that speak Portuguese.

There can be no question about Germany’s attack when at full flow. Pep’s imprint has been firmly planted on this side given the large Bayern Munich presence in the XI and the speed of play and movement is enough to terrorise any defence. The scary part is the depth in talent that they have available at the same time. Marco Reus was not available for selection but the Germans have barely missed a beat and then there are players like Julian Draxler who can barely even get a sniff in the first team.

However, this game will not be decided by the strength of the German attack. Instead, it will be their defence that will be placed under the microscope. They haven’t really been tested this tournament but when they have been placed under pressure there has been a few cracks that have appeared. The return of Lahm to right back should help rectify that and the fitness of Mats Hummels will be essential as his mobility is key alongside Mertesacker who together are more than capable of shutting down the Argentine attack.

If it does come down to the goalkeeper situation then there will be no contest as Neuer has arguably proven himself to be the best in the world. Whether it is shot stopping or aiding the defence with his sweeper play, Neuer ensures that his defenders need not worry, as he will be imperious when called upon. This isn’t to say that Romero hasn’t been good but more the case that he is no match for the likes of Neuer.

As for how this game ends up, it is impossible to say. Remember that this is a cup final and in any one off game with everything on the line, anything can happen. Personally I see it going one of two ways: a landslide win for Germany or a game that goes the distance which Germany just edge. I know that sounds a bit harsh on Argentina but my gut instinct is that they will not win, but it would be silly for me to rule out completely any side that has Messi in it. As always, if he is on top form then there may not be anything that will prevent him from getting the World Cup monkey off his back to book his place amongst the footballing Gods.

Brazil vs Netherlands: Preview

This is a game that crushes the souls of the teams that were just short of being good enough to make it into the finals.

It’s sole purpose is to line the pockets of FIFA further, as I’m sure that every team that ever has/will participate in this game would prefer not to.

It would not be a surprise if both Brazil and the Netherlands made wholesale changes to give a chance to all the players who haven’t managed to get a run out thus far.

Then again, Phil Scolari may take the opportunity to try and save some face for the Brazilians that were humiliated against Germany. Louis van Gaal has already declared his lack of care for this game, stating that he’s said for ten years that it should be cancelled.

Either way, not many people will really care about how this game plays out or the final result but if both teams do opt for their strongest XI then the Oranje should come away with the win.

My Semi-Finals Best XI

Sergio Romero – There wasn’t much for him to do but was massive in the penalty shootout with his saves sending Argentina through to the final.

Pablo Zabaleta – For Manchester City he has established himself as one of the best full backs in the world and in this match he replicated that form by locking down the right side of the pitch, restricting the effectiveness of Arjen Robben.

Ron Vlaar – Arguably the best centre back at this year’s world cup, Vlaar lived up to his Roncrete nickname. He had Messi in his pocket all game.

Martin Demichellis – He was ridiculed throughout the season for his struggle to adapt to the Premier League but now Martin Demichellis has silenced all of his critics with his end of season and World Cup form. He was superb once again.

Benedikt Howedes – Didn’t have much to do all game but he kept quiet one of Brazil’s few threats (Hulk).

Javier Mascherano – When Mascherano joined Barcelona he was arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world. Barca ruined that by converting him into a centre back. Thankfully Argentina have returned him to his natural role and he was superb. His last ditch challenge to deny Robben at the death will go down as one of the most important at this World Cup as it was probably the difference between the Argentine’s going through rather than the Dutch.

Toni Kroos – A master of his craft, Toni Kroos pulled the strings beautifully to help the Germans dominate the Brazilians while at a pace that meant the Selecao couldn’t even keep up with the shadows of the German players.

Thomas Muller – Forever a goal threat Muller moved ever closer to the tournament lead and the all time record. It is crazy to think that he is only 24 years old. If he continues at this rate he should smash the record once his career is said and done.

Andre Schurrle – He doesn’t start for Germany but every time he has come on he has been one of their main danger men. His movement and positioning means he is always in place to score when the chance arises. The Brazilians had no answer for him.

Miroslav Klose – No longer at the prime of his career but his positioning and finishing remain unaffected. He put in a perfect showing in a performance that helped him score the goal that saw him surpass Ronaldo atop the all time scoring list. Ronaldo won’t begrudge him the record but will be a little disappointed that his precious Brazil were the whipping boys when Klose finally reached the mark.

Semi-Final Awards

Best Team Performance: Germany – Annihilated Brazil in a World Cup semi-final on their own turf in a result of historic proportions.

Worst Team Performance: Brazil – In the absence of Neymar and Thiago Silva they were simply embarrassing. This result will hang over their heads for a long long time.

Best Player: Toni Kroos – Orchestrated the demolition of Brazil without a defender getting within a 10-mile radius of him. I’m still not sure why Bayern Munich are looking to sell him.

Worst Player: David Luiz – An abysmal centre back performance by the stand in captain. He was totally off his game and Mourinho must be laughing all the way to the bank with the 50m PSG handed Chelsea in exchange. No refunds allowed.

Best Goalkeeper: Sergio Romero – He didn’t have much to do all game but delivered when he was called upon in the penalty shootout by saving two Dutch penalties.

Worst Goalkeeper: Jasper Cillessen – The poor guy features once again but his performance in the penalty shootout was terrible. He came close a couple of times but wasn’t strong enough to keep the ball out.

Best Goal: All 7 of Germany’s goals. The perfect mix of passing, movement, teamwork and ‘footballing smarts.’

Worst Miss: Brazil – I was going to say Rodrigo Palacio’s effort against the Netherlands but I went with Brazil because the Brazilian team was the thing that was missed most in the semi-finals.

Game of the Round: Brazil 1 Germany 7 – The score line says it all. A game of historic proportions and one of the finest attacking performances you will ever see.

Netherlands vs Argentina: Review

After the goal-fest on Tuesday, I think the whole world was ready for a game that was not going to live up to that standard of attacking football.

We were right as it became a high order defensive battle with each unit holding their own, even if the majority of the viewing public found it to be a drab affair.

However, we must show some appreciation to the likes of Ron Vlaar, Stefan de Vrij, Javier Mascherano and Martin Demichellis, all of whom were in inspired form, as shown by how anonymous Messi, Robben and van Persie were all game.

Chances were few and far between as a result. Both teams were afraid to take a gamble to try and win it in regular time. The Dutch probably should have pressed ahead further during the game and were essentially punished for not doing so.

The game headed to penalties and this time van Gaal had already used all three substitutes, so Tim Krul could not come on and it soon became evident why he was turned to in the quarterfinals. Cillessen hadn’t saved a penalty in his career thus far and he was no closer to in this shootout. In the opposition goal was a keeper that van Gaal had brought to Europe himself and his proficiency to stop penalties was far greater as a result.

The pressure of penalties also clearly affected the Oranje’s outfield players as Vlaar was forced to take the first penalty, with no one else willing to step up. It was therefore no surprise that the Dutch fell to defeat.

They now head to the soul crushing 3^rd and 4^th place playoff while Messi moves one step closer to immortality, although the Germans must be licking their lips after watching the lack of attacking intent the Argentinians have shown throughout the tournament. But hey, in a one off game we all know anything is possible.

My Quarterfinal Best XI

Keylor Navas – It is no surprise that Navas has been deemed as one of the goalkeepers of the tournament as he put in yet another magnificent performance. So much so that he made his goal seemed impenetrable. It is just a shame that he had to be on the losing side.

Phillip Lahm – He hasn’t been great in midfield but his return to right back demonstrated how magnificent a player Lahm is. He didn’t overcomplicate things; he just played with a simple brilliance as he locked down that side of the pitch.

Mats Hummels – He returned to the team after a bout with illness and he dominated both in defence and attack. His marvellous header ended up being the difference between the sides.

David Luiz – He didn’t have to do much defensively as the Brazilian midfield stifled the Colombian attack by kicking lumps out of James Rodriguez. That said, for his amazing free kick alone he deserves his place in the team.

Benedikt Howedes – There wasn’t really any standout performers at this spot but Howedes was solid and played an important part in keeping the clean sheet for the solid German defence.

Javier Mascherano – Playing in his natural defensive midfield position Mascherano silenced a Belgium midfield that looked rather toothless as a result.

Yeltsin Tejeda – Playing against the Dutch is never easy and keeping them at bay is even tougher, but Tejeda managed to limit the number of chances created in a game where his side drew with a strong Oranje team.

Wesley Sneijder – He didn’t start the tournament particularly well but he has certainly stepped it up in the past couple of games. His link up play was solid but his set pieces were absolutely majestic. Everyone is still unsure as to how none of his strikes hit the back of the net.

Lionel Messi – Requested to drop into a deeper role to help deal with Belgium’s populous midfield, Messi Kept it simple and ran rings around Fellaini and Witsel all game. It didn’t need to be a swash buckling performance, as the Red Devils did not demand it from him.

James Rodriguez – Having spent most of the game having a Brazilian trying to knock him over, the moments he did have free, he relished. He created several key chances and laid the pass that led to the penalty, which he scored.

Arjen Robben – He has been immense all tournament and against Costa Rica he terrorised the defenders all game. He was such a threat that four of the back five received yellow cards and Junior Diaz was very fortunate not to be sent off.