2014 World Cup review

Top 10 defenders from the 2014 World Cup

By Richard FarleyJul 15, 2014, 4:01 AM EDT

Top 10 midfielders from the 2014 World Cup

By Richard FarleyJul 15, 2014, 12:40 AM EDT

Picking up where we left off with the forwards, here are PST’s 10 best midfielders from the 2014 World Cup (in alphabetical order):

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Juan Cuadrado, Colombia – At club-level, Cuadrado’s wide play often flatters to deceive, his clearly prodigious talent productive in flashes for Fiorentina. For three or four games in Brazil, however, Cuadrado put it all together, recording one goal and four assists. The 26-year-old was the best attacker player at this year’s World Cup.

Kevin de Bruyne, Belgium – An inconsistent but promising group stage gave way to a decisive performance in the Round of 16 against the U.S., with a goal and assist highlighting the role de Bruyne played in Belgium’s ever-dangerous counter. With a goal and two assists, de Bruyne helped pick up where some of his more famous teammates left off.

Ángel Di María, Argentina – Di María’s absence was keenly felt in Argentina’s final, where the Albiceleste failed to offer the extra attacker that could have made some of Lionel Messi’s work pay off. Before the final game, however, Di María was that guy, combining his typical high energy game with an attacking sense that left him in position to score the winner against Switzerland in the Round of 16 .

Héctor Herrera, Mexico – Had Mexico held on against the Netherlands, Herrera would have been celebrated as one of the tournament’s breakout stars, with the spotlight of the tournament final eight settling on the 24-year-old as one of the main reasons for El Tri’s success. Of course, Mexico didn’t make it that far, but that shouldn’t diminish what we saw from Herrera, whose single assist understates the value he brought to the team’s three-man middle.

Jermaine Jones, United States – Jones is normally one of the most scrutinized members of the U.S. national team, but in Brazil, he never gave those doubts a chance to surface. Seemingly leveraging the experience he’s garnered in Germany and the Champions League, Jones rose to the occasion for the U.S., providing vital solidity for a midfield that was asked to spend much of its time focusing on positioning over possession. With Jozy Altidore injured, Jones picked his spots to surge forward and provide an outlet out of the back, and with this second half goal against Portugal, the German-born American provided one of the best finishes of the tournament:

Toni Kroos, Germany – Kroos’s two goals and three assists would be impressive in their own right, but the 24-year-old also completed 89.9 percent of his passes. The key man linking Germany’s deep midfield with its forwards, Kroos may have been the most important in a series of vital cogs.

Javier Mascherano, Argentina (pictured) – The competition’s best defensive midfielder earned consideration for player of the tournament, a just reward for protecting a defense that only allowed three goals in seven games. Though he plays mostly as a defender with Barcelona, the former Liverpool destroyer reminded the world that he’s still one of the game’s best anchors in midfield.

Paul Pogba, France – Voted the tournament’s best young player, Pogba combined with Blaise Matuidi to lock down France’s midfield, a hold only Germany managed to solve. Scoring once and setting up another, the 21-year-old Juventus star showed why he is one of the most covered young players in the world, on track to be a regular in Les Bleus midfield for a decade to come.

James Rodríguez, Colombia – Arguably the tournament’s best player, Rodríguez gets grouped with the midfielders even though he did all of his damage going forward. Scoring at least once in each of his team’s games, James eventually claimed the tournament’s Golden Boot, even though he played two fewer games than the likes of Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben, and Lionel Messi.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany – Not completely healthy at the beginning of the tournament, Schweinsteiger’s improvement as the tournament progressed allow Joachim Löw to move Philipp Lahm back to fullback, a change that helped balance the eventual champions. In Lahm’s place, Schweinsteiger offered a more robust option in the middle, one that liberated Kroos and Sami Khedira in Germany’s historic route of Brazil.

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Top 10 forwards from the 2014 World Cup

By Richard FarleyJul 14, 2014, 11:55 PM EDT

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In case you couldn’t tell, we’re taking Monday to pause, collect our thoughts, and commit them for posterity in the wake of the 2014 World Cup. In the next series of posts, we’ll go position-by-position, considering which players stood out during the last four weeks in Brazil.

Letting the alphabet set our order, here are our top 10 forwards:

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Karim Benzema, France – Benzema had so many chances during France’s often dominant group stage, he should have been the tournament’s leading scorer. Even with some high-profile misses, the Real Madrid striker finished the tournament with three goals and two assists, with his team reaching the quarterfinals.

Miroslav Klose, Germany – The 36-year-old only had two goals, but they were two of the more important goals in World Cup history. His group stage equalizer against Ghana moved him even with Ronaldo for most goals in competition history (15), a record he claimed for his own with Germany’s second against Brazil in the semifinals.

Lionel Messi, Argentina – His choice as 2014 player of the tournament was debatable. His inclusion on this list is not. Whether he was the best player or not, Messi was one of the best forwards in Brazil, scoring four times and playing a part in five of Argentina’s seven goals.

Thomas Müller, Germany (pictured) – He was one goal away from a second Golden Boot, scoring five times for the second straight World Cup. Only 24 years old, Müller may one day break the record he helped Klose set against Brazil.

Neymar, Brazil – The premature end of his tournament will leave Selecao fans with eternal what ifs, but before injury sent him to the sidelines, Neymar had four goals and one assist in five games, serving as the focal point of the team that make the semifinals.

Arjen Robben, Netherlands – When you have a player like Arjen Robben, you can afford to play five defenders, set up deep and compact, and play long. With three goals and one assist, Robben helped Louis van Gaal’s plan pay off. While his numbers don’t quite match those of Messi or Müller, he was arguably more important.

Alexis Sánchez, Chile – One of the worst things about Chile’s Round of 16 exit was losing Sánchez four games into the tournament. In those games, the new Arsenal attacker scored twice, set up a third, and was sometimes his team’s only source of attack. Though his numbers weren’t dominant, Sánchez reminded people he can be one of the world’s best attackers.

Islam Slimani, Algeria – Slimani’s group stage goals against South Korea and Russia helped the Fennec Foxes reach their first knockout round, where he nearly delivered an upset against a Germany defense that was missing Mats Hummels. With two goals, one assist, the 26-year-old matched the production of some of his more famous peers, making the case for more time at Sporting in Portugal.

Enner Valencia, Ecuador – The one player on this list whose team didn’t reach the knockout stage, Valencia is also the only player to score at least three goals without reaching the tournament’s fourth game. If Slimani made the case for more time in Portugal, Valencia’s performance was a plea to move out of Mexico. Yesterday, West Ham United answered that plea, paying $20.5 million to get the Ecuadorian out of Liga MX.

Robin van Persie, Netherlands – Six games, four goals … but this, nothing but this:

After this goal, van Persie could have walked out of Arena Fonte Nova, boarded the first plane to Amsterdam, and announced his immediate retirement. We would have still put him on this list. When you make “dolphin header” a thing, there’s only so much more you can accomplish.

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Biggest losers from the World Cup 2014

By Richard FarleyJul 14, 2014, 9:55 PM EDT

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Earlier today, PST went through its collection of winners from this year’s World Cup. Now we look at the other side of the coin. Here’s the negatives, the losers, from Brazil 2014:

The Teams

Asia’s representatives – The ACF’s four representatives played 12 games, lost nine, and failed to win a match, posting a -16 goal difference along the way – a surprisingly weak performance from a confederation that put two teams into South Africa’s knockout stage. While the current World Cup allocation seems pretty balanced, there are always those that want to shake things up based on one tournament’s results. Particularly in this part of the world, Asia’s performance will have CONCACAF honks arguing for their half-spots at Russia 2018.

Brazil – In 2010, South Africa, became the first host nation to miss the knockout round, a disappointment that pales in comparison to what happened to Brazil. Though the Selecao reached this year’s semifinals, their ensuing collapse created the country’s second major soccer nightmare – a failure that will rival 1950’s Maracanzo. With 7-1 and 3-0 losses to close their tournament, Brazil has sparked a national soccer identity crisis, one that has the world’s most successful nation questioning whether it can keep up.

Honduras – The Catrachos only played three matches, two of which were among the worst performances in the tournament. A overly physical approach in the team’s opener against France saw Wilson Palacios sent off during a 3-0 loss, a result that was replicated against Switzerland at the end of group stage. While experts predicted Honduras would be one of the (euphemism warning) least sophisticated teams in Brazil, an undue level of cynicism cast Luis Fernando Suárez’s team apart from the rest of CONCACAF. While Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States were pushing their way into the knockout round, Honduras looked out-of-place.

Spain – Call it a crash or flop, or maybe pick something more onomatopoeic, like whiz or whimper. There’s no shortage of ways to describe Spain’s collapse, one that saw the defending champions fail to making it out of a tough Group B. Somewhere between South Africa and Brazil, la Roja’s zeppelin turned into a lead balloon, and while the autopsy has reminded us of a number of preconditions, it was still shocking to see the crash on June 13 in Salvador.

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The Players

Rafa Márquez – Márquez’s vilification in the U.S. has achieved full distortion since he left the New York Red Bulls two years ago, a bias that stood in stark contrast to the 35-year-old’s strong group stage. In the knockout round, however, Márquez fulfilled his heel’s destiny, taking down Arjen Robben in the penalty area to give the Netherlands a stoppage time, game-winning penalty kick. It may be unfair that one moment overshadows the previous 360 minutes, but when you make a mistake to send your team out of the tournament, you get branded. You also get ridiculed by the fans you scorned.

Pepe – With the possible exception of the next name on this list, no player’s misadventures stunted his team as much as Pepe’s. Earning a red card against Germany after head butting Thomas Müller, the Real Madrid defender was a major part of his team’s 4-0, opening match loss, with the effects of that goal difference leaving the Seleccao virtually eliminated after their draw with the United States. Suspended for that match, Pepe was helpless as his team gave up two goals to the States, turning a must-win match into one of the lasting memories of a failed World Cup campaign.

Luis Suárez – This goes without saying.

Juan Camilo Zuñiga – Zuñiga is a quality if imperfect fullback, one who’s capable of playing for teams at near top of most of the world’s best leagues. From here forward, however, he’s going to be the guy who broke Neymar’s back. After leaping knee-first into the Brazilian’s back, Zuñiga saw Neymar’s stretchered off in agony with a broken third vertebra. Only 28, Zuñiga may have another World Cup in him, but he’ll always be known as the guy who ended the young superstar’s tournament.

The Coaches

Fabio Capello – Blame Igor Akinfeev if you want (and you’d be right to do so), but none of Russia’s games were so far beyond reach that a more aggressive approach, particularly against Algeria and South Korea, couldn’t have produced a better result. But Capello, despite being the world’s most expensive coach, had only one approach, one that favored a conservative, reactive style above taking the game to his opponents. Now, between 2010 and 2014, Capello has won once in seven World Cup games. Congratulations for getting England past Slovenia, Fabio.

Luiz Felipe Scolari – Felipao is the last coach to win a World Cup for Brazil, taking the Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho team to glory in 2002. After this year’s performance, critics will be less forgiving about that easy run to that title. As bad as Brazil was, the team doesn’t lack for talent, as evidenced by its players’ performance at club level. Lacking in cohesion, preparation, proper selection and execution, the hosts’ performance reflects terribly on their coach.

The Supporting Cast

African FAs – Cameroon’s players almost didn’t go. Ghana’s had to hold out to make sure they got their money. Nigeria’s been banned by FIFA in the wake of the World Cup. The reasons behind all of these aren’t simple (for example, FIFA’s dabbling in Nigeria’s FA), but it’s easy to imagine these soap operas influencing the results on the field.

Concussion protocol – All of Uruguay’s Álvaro Pereira, Argentina’s Javier Mascherano, and Germany’s Christoph Kramer had high-profile, on-field concussion incidents, and while we’ve gotten bit reactionary about assuming every clash of heads produces a concussion, there’s a reason why people err on that side of the equation. Teams have proven unable to manage the conflict of assessing their own players, and until FIFA recognizes some objective assessment is needed, players will continue to assume too much risk in the face of potential concussions.

Yuichi Nishimura, Carlos Carballo – While the tournament’s officiating got off to a terrible start, the quality of refereeing was mostly fine (particularly considering the role Howard Webb’s leniency had in the final four years ago). There were, however, two noticeable exceptions. If Nishimura doesn’t reward Fred’s dive with a penalty kick in game one, perhaps Brazil gets found out in group stage? And if Carballo doesn’t allow such a rough game in the quarterfinals, maybe James Rodríguez is able to pick apart the Selecao? In the spotlight of the host nation’s games, both poor performances stood out.

World Cup alarmists – The lead up to the last two World Cups has featured a slew of English-language media moaning and hyper-ventilating about the tournaments’ impending failures, yet just as South Africa 2010 was fine, Brazil 2014 came off with only minor hitches. The weather was managed, the stadiums stayed up, and the matches were played as planned. While there were social and logistical issues, too, this year’s World Cup betrayed the alarmists.

Remember this in the lead up to Russia 2018. With the tournament going to a first-time host, there’ll be stories about whether the nation can pull off the event. There’ll be concern about infrastructure. Maybe Vladimir Putin’s politics will come into play. Regardless, no opportunity to worry will elude those who’ve cultivated this beat.

As you’re clicking on those stories, just remember 2010. Remember 2014. Remember that there are always people worrying about whether a World Cup will come off.

Also remember: Brazil just gave us one of the best World Cups in history, and while there were plenty of social issues around the games to worry about, whether the games would actually happen was never a real concern.

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Biggest winners from the 2014 World Cup

By Richard FarleyJul 14, 2014, 6:46 PM EDT

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Germany was the big winner, of course, but that’s not exactly what we’re talking about here. At least, we’re not limiting ourselves to the results on the field.

Taking a broader view of the 2014 World Cup, which players, coaches, and teams came out as big winners? Who came into the tournament with one perception and, by virtue of what happened over the last four weeks, has crafted a new reputation for themselves? Who used Brazil 2014 raise their profile in the soccer world?

And let’s not limit this to what happened on the field. When we look back on the 2014 World Cup, what other aspects will leap from our memories, serving as the surprise contributions that helped define the tournament’s second trip to Brazil.

Undoubtedly, there are too many to list; then again, that’s what comments sections are for. Still, here are the handful that jump out to us one day after festivities have ended in at this summer’s World Cup.

The Players

Tim Howard – The long-time Everton keeper had established a certain level of respect within England, but aside from the most loyal of U.S. Men’s National Team diehards, few would have listed him as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. While that status may still be slightly beyond the 35-year-old’s reach, after his Round of 16 performance against Belgium, his name’s going to come up more often. Germany’s Manuel Neuer is now recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world, but you don’t have to move too far down that list before asking whether Howard deserves recognition.

Miroslav Klose – He’s never going to be discussed among the best strikers in history, but after claiming the World Cup’s all-time scoring record, the 36-year-old has a claim to being the tournament’s best striker. Longevity is certainly on his side, as is his production, but perception is not, something we may want to reconsider. As Klose’s 2014 shows, it’s easy to take the reliable for granted. As German found out, there’s something to be said for somebody who “merely” does his job very, very well. Where Klose started the tournament as an as-needed number nine, he ended it as a starter.

Javier Mascherano – Do you realize there’s a team in the world that has both Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano? After seeing what the Argentina destroyer did in Brazil, it’s tempting to ask why those two can’t play in the same midfield with Barcelona. Yeah, the club’s preferred style and formation mean … blah, blah, blah … Why would you ever want to take Mascherano out of midfield? Crucial to protecting Argentina’s defense, the former Liverpool linchpin proved his still one of the best defensive midfielders in the game, even if he doesn’t get to play the position as often as he wants.

Guillermo Ochoa – The former America goalkeeper’s promising international career was derailed when Javier Aguirre went away from him before the 2010 World Cup. It took four years and a pre-tournament injury to Jose de Jesus Corona to get that career back on track, but over four games in Brazil, the free agent goalkeeper reminded us of the promise he flashed in his early 20s. Now we wait and see what Memo’s World Cup breakthrough means for his club career.

Arjen Robben – Robben is recognized within the game as one of the world’s more dangerous attackers, but amid frequent injuries, playing in Germany, and a reputation for treating any contact like an artillery shell, his talents get overshadowed. In Brazil, however, the system Louis van Gaal implemented allowed Robben’s speed and skill to shine in transition, reminding the world that beyond the game’s absolute elite, there may be no player more dangerous than the Dutch star.

James Rodríguez – Radamel Falcao’s injury was a huge loss for the tournament, but Colombia may have been better for it. With James as the team’s focal point, the Cafeteros made a quarterfinal run, along the way establishing their 22-year-old as one of the world’s most exciting players. Back at Monaco, the five games James played in Brazil may become a distant memory, but if the 2014 World Cup provided any hint of his future, a new superstar was born.

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The Coaches

Jurgen Klinsmann – Group of Death or not, almost nobody expected the United States to get out of Group G. But advance they did, vindicating the controversial decisions Klinsmann has made in the run-up to Brazil. Though the team was again eliminated in extra time at the Round of 16, Klinsmann’s redemption continued, with the Germany program he helped build claiming the country’s first title in 24 years. In both his old and new homes, Klinsmann has begun converting doubters into fans, convincing some that his aloof confidence is based on a vision that may actually work.

Louis van Gaal – The Netherlands’ inability to qualify for World Cup 2002 was one of the blights on van Gaal’s résumé. Over the last four weeks, he’s earned redemption, taking a Dutch team picked to crash out in group stage to the tournament’s semifinals. Now on his way to Manchester United, van Gaal will have another reclamation project to master, but in his two years with the Dutch, he’s taken a team humbled by Euro 2012 embarrassment and restored its place among the best nations in the world.

The Countries

Algeria – The Fennec Foxes had never qualified for the knockout round, with the ghosts of Austria and Germany’s 1982 collusion lingering 32 years later. In South Africa, the team didn’t even score a goal, leaving few hopeful Vahid Halilhodzic’s team would make a big impact in Brazil. Yet employing a quicker, more ambitious approach, Algeria bested Russia for second in their group, eventually taking Germany to extra time in the Round of 16. Shunning their own limitations, the Foxes set a new standard for themselves, making waves at the World Cup in the process.

Costa Rica – Perhaps the biggest Cinderellas since Turkey and South Korea made the semifinals in 2002, the Ticos showed a five-man defense need not be boring. Jorge Luis Pinto’s men were among the hardest workers in the tournament, an ethic that allowed them to navigate one of the competition’s deepest groups. While drawing Greece provided some fortune in the Round of 16, the Costa Ricans took the Netherlands to penalty kicks in the quarters, becoming CONCACAF’s best performer at the 2014 World Cup.

France – For Les Bleus, 2014 went beyond getting results on the field. Looking to redeem the team that was a source of embarrassment in 2010, France played some of the most attractive soccer of the tournament, and while they eventually met their end in the quarterfinals, their run helped erase the lingering unease over what happened in South Africa. Now, France can push on knowing the likes of Paul Pogba and Antoine Greizmann are capable of ushering in a new era, one that will make 2010 less of a memory than a footnote.

Germany – Obviously, the biggest winners of the tournament, but coming off a disappointing Euro 2012, die Nationalmannschaft’s triumph represents something more than the world title. Though the reforms Klinsmann introduced helped move the program out of its 2004 nadir, the semifinal loss to Italy two years ago highlighted a fragility in the team – a fault that introduced new doubts for a squad with nearly unmatched talent. With their win in Brazil, though, there’s no more room for doubt. Even if this generation crashed out of the next two tournaments, they’d still have this moment on top of the world.

The Supporting Cast

Goal-line technology – From Ochoa’s save on Neymar in the group stage to Ron Vlaar’s near goal in Holland’s penalty kick shootout against Argentina, goal-line technology was implemented simply, elegantly, and without error, with the goal-no goal graphics sparking a number of memes through the competition. Perhaps FIFA should have implemented this sooner, once they did, they got it right.

Vanishing spray – While it was funny to hear the rest of the world’s reaction to a technology the Americas have used for some time, vanishing spray still represented a big win for world soccer. Perhaps that victory was lesson by some’s confusion the vanishing paint with an ability to make objects disappear, but that’s more about branding (and, education levels) than implementation. As Major League Soccer knows, there’s no reason why every major league shouldn’t use this stuff.

The World Cup – Seemingly from the tournament’s opening weekend, Brazil 2014 was lauded as one of the most entertaining World Cups in memory, and while there was some discussion of the tournament slowing as it reached its knockout rounds, drama in competition’s final rounds helped restore the competition’s last impression. With the last bastion of soccer nihilism watching in record numbers (at least, that’s how some want to see the U.S.), the World Cup was winning some of soccer’s final battles. Unless our memories fail us, Brazil 2014 will be remembered as one of the greatest World Cups.

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