After a grueling 120-plus minutes at the
historic Maracana Stadium, Germany were deservedly crowned the world champions.
A 113th sublime finish from super-sub, Mario Goetze crashed the
hopes of all Argentinians. But perhaps, Argentina, still reeling in tears will
live to rue the glorious chances that they missed to seal the final. Gonzalo
Higuain (21st), Lionel Messi (46th) and Rodrigo Palacios
(96th) all failed to inflict pain on the Germans.
This year’s World Cup will be remembered for
the breath-taking goals that we witnessed. From van Persie’s lobbed header that
took the gas out of Spain, David Luiz’s scrorching 30-yard free kick that
eliminated Colombia in the Quarters, Lionel Messi’s curling stunner against
Iran that broke the Iranian hearts, James Rodriguez’s thunderous left-footed
volley that eliminated Uruguay in the Round of 16, to Mario Goetze’s sublime
volley that won the cup for the Germans, Brazil 2014 saw many exceptional
goals! But
what are the stand-out memories from Brazil 2014?
When The Dutch clobbered Spain’s La Roja
Furia 5-1 in the group stage, Robin van Persie had his moment of glory and a
stand-out goal that stood out for the audacity with which he lobbed a diving
header over Iker Casillas in the Spanish goal. The striker sprang in the air to
meet a raking cross from left-back, Daley Blind. A lob header that will take
time to be eclipsed! Audacious famous dink the ball with their feet, however
van Persie took it a notch higher and did it with his head!
In the Round of 16 clash between USA and
Belgium, Tim Howard made a record 16 daring saves that kept the Americans in
the game, till the extra time loss of 2-1! Remember that after these heroics,
Howard was randomly tested for any performance enhancing stimulus in his
system!
In a scintillating Quarter final that swung
from end to end, between The Netherlands and surprise package, Costa Rica, Loui
van Gaal made that change that earned The Dutch a place in the semis, never
mind that the game was a nerve-wrecking affair! After The Netherlands had
crashed the post three times, as the game wore into the final minutes of extra
time, Newcastle’s Tim Krul came in for Jasper Cillesen, and went on to save two
of Costa Rica’s spot-kicks as The Dutch went on to win 4-3. Talk of a gem of a
substitution by Louis van Gaal!
As the home team and the Selecao faithful
marched on into the Quarter final against their South American rivals,
Colombia, nothing prepared them for what lay ahead. With 2-1 lead after David
Luiz’s cracking 30-yard free kick, Brazillian wonder-kid, Neymar Jnr was sent
crashing in pain, with a career-threatening vertebral injury by Colombia’s Juan
Camilo Zuniga. No card was issued for the foul, and what initially appeared a
simple knock, gad suddenly left Neymar in tears, a World Cup over and the
Brazillian dream was dealt a blow. This is the injury that Brazillians will
forever bemoan and curse, as without their talisman, Selecao were never going
to match the frighteningly scary Germans in the semi-finals. Neymar’s injury
simply re-defined a Brazillian side that was clearly built around him. The
curse of the 2014 World Cup!
Enter Selecao and the Germans in a feisty
semi-final affair at the Estadio Meinerao. But was anyone in the entire world
prepared for the roasting that Neymar-less Selecao were bludgeoned into by an
inspired German side that put 7 past them?
In an astonishing first 18 minutes, Brazil was shell-shocked and soaked
in five goals! The 7-1 score line went down the history books a Brazil’s worst
result in the World cup and embarrassingly worse, on home soil! You can rub
your eye again and again, but the score line stands!
On July 13 inside the Historic Maracana,
Germany came face to face with Les Albiceleste in a potentially cracking final!
Gonzalo Higuain missed a 21st minute sitter while one-on-one with
Manuel Nuer in the Germany goal! In a minute, Germany were almost tossed out of
the game, but they lived! Later, the always dependable Lionel Messi failed to
score in the 46th minute and Rodrigo Palacios too missed in the 96th
minute. These are the moments that scared the Germans fans to the spine, but
Argentina will forever bemoan them. Germany too had their chances. But when
substitute Andre Schuerrle escaped down the left wing in the 113th
minute of extra time, Germany fans were sent into derilium as fellow substitute
Mario Goetze deftly controlled the ball on his chest and sent a rasping volley
that left Romero with no chance in the Argentina goal! Germany had won the
Jules Rimet for the fourth time! Heartbreak for Argentina!
