Curtain dropped on the “Greatest Show on Earth” FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014. Beautiful Country of “Joga Bonito” Brazil presented a wonderfully attractive Football world which for many reasons will be remembered for a long time in to the future. Germany won the World Cup their fourth in all but by doing that in Brazil they wrote a page in world cup being the first nation from the other continent to lift the cup from South America. Germany joined Italy as four time cup winner. Brazil still tops the list winning it five times. For a month billions across the world remained engrossed on TV Channels enjoying the exciting and enthralling contests. All will now wait for World Cup 2018 to be staged in Russia.
For the host the one and only country where football is the religion and where nothing less than championship is considered a success it was a bitter sweet memory. They can take pride for staging the best ever world cup in any measure. But for the home team it was a total disaster. Not since 1940 Brazil lost two matches back to back in World Cup, not before Brazil got 7-1 margin humiliation in a World cup match. Not before they digested 10 goals in two matches. Losing a match is one thing but getting bruised, battered, harassed and humiliated is altogether different. Not only was the HEXA dream cruelly destroyed this World indicated that it may not be so easy for any South American team in near future to challenge the European Supremacy. Perhaps the European rule in World Soccer has set in.
Brazil World Cup also showed a country does not need to be big, too rich to produce quality football team. Little Costa Rica, Colombia, Algeria, Ghana, Australia turned up with wonderful brand of football. There are no minnows in the world Cup stage any more, no toddlers among the big fish. The difference between teams hardly exists anymore making the contests very lively. We are sure the contests in Russia 2018 will be more intense. Just because some teams were picked in the group as previous champions will no longer be enough to tag that group as the group of death anymore. Belgium showed the world how proper planning and grassroots development can facilitate the overall upgrading of standard. Belgium in not too distant future will be a force to reckon with in world stage.
This world cup showed that teams of CONACAF and African region are steadily advancing. Ghana, Nigeria and Algeria impressed many. On the other hand, this world cup again proved how teams from Asia Oceania region are lagging behind. Though South and South East Asian countries have billions of passionate football fans yet for poor football organizations and lack of leadership football standard continues to remain well below world standard. Only Australia showed some promise because of their usual mental strength and do or die national attitude.
This world cup strongly evidenced and rightly established that football is a team game. Individual whatever brilliant he might be cannot bring ultimate success for the team. The greatest footballer of the earth according to Many Lionel Messi and another great Christiano Ronaldo could not inspire their teams to ultimate success. Both of them in another 4 years may not retain their present form. Many try to compare Messi with Pele and Maradona. Both of them apart from being great individuals inspired their teams in winning more than one world cup. Perhaps Messi though have won many individual and other laurels for his club will not have opportunity once again to win the world cup. CR7’s team was not world class anyway. Germany winning the cup amply demonstrated that little above average quality but greater depth and balance of the team is essential for playing consistently well and winning. And finally need a fair share of luck as well. Netherland being the inform side of the tournament could not go all the way just they did not have the stroke of luck in the semifinal. Looking back in retrospect perhaps a Germany – Netherland final could be the most ideal culmination of this world cup.
The world saw swan song of some great footballers like Robin Van Persie, Mirolsav Klose, Cassilas, Rooney, Inesta, Lampard, Torres, Xavi Alfonso, and possibly Robben. It also presented some wonderful new players like James Rodriguez, Neymar, Musa, Karim Benzama Kroos, Boetang, Vidal, Shakiri, Pogba, Schaweinsteiger, Courtois and others. Many of these players will get better and bigger by the time next World Cup gets going. Miroslav Klose became the highest scorer of World Cup with 17 goals all together breaking the 16 goals record of Ronaldo of Brazil.
There were few controversies as well. Some poor refereeing deprived the lesser teams from being more completive. Some genuine penalties were not given while some cases few were wrongly given. Some genuine goals were disallowed. Neymar was dangerously tackled from behind but that offence even did not receive any card. Star Uruguayan player Luis Suarez will be remembered for his biting incident on the shoulder of Italian defender and getting bans.
According to many, Golden Boot to Messi was possibly not the right decision. Robben, Rodriguez, Kroos, Mascherano were much better performers. Perhaps his star value counted more in the voting. In semifinal and final he failed to do justice to his name.
In any case the world will have to wait for another four years for another football extravaganza. Many friendships were made before and during the matches, many wonderful write ups and features were produced, many FB posts and twittered triggered lot of discussions. Now suddenly all will become quite. It will be business as usual everywhere. How wonderfully football brings the world close together under one religion, one language under Football Fraternity.
BDST: 0930 HRS, JUL 14 , 2014
