2014 World Cup Afterthoughts
Biggest disappointments: Brazil, England, Italy, Portugal, Spain, CAF
teams (Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Iran, Ghana)...
Pogba (no hat), Drogba (MIA?), Essien (benched for bad attitude?) , Prandelli (clueless & mindless), Cassano (potbelly, no legs), Balotelli (childish & lame), Buffon (misplaced), Luiz (slow & unaware), Silva (spatially challenged), Fred (misplaced & mindless), Suarez (tasteless), Ronaldo (overrated).
Snake-bit (victims of circumstance, bad luck): Bosnia (own goal), Croatia (FIFA fix), Russia (couldn't get a break), Italy (Suarez dined on Spalla di Chiellini, al fresco) and Mexico (read below).
Delightful Surprises: France, Colombia, Chile, CONCACAF teams (Costa Rica, USA, Mexico), Benzema, Howard, Green, Yedlin, Krul, Robben, Ochoa, James Rodriguez, Klose, Neuer, Hummels, Schweinsteiger.
Biggest WHAT IF?: Mexico. To arrive 4th in CONCACAF, La Verde needed an already qualified US to come from behind and beat Panama 3-2, then go on to win a home/away playoff with New Zealand.
One can only wonder when leading 1-0 vs Netherlands at 87', what if: Earlier in the game, Cillessen doesnt get a lucky knee on Dos Santos shot which was headed into the net?
Huntelaar doesnt get the 88' header down? Sneijder doesnt convert Huntelaars 88' header? and Robben doesnt get foolishly challenged on the end line at 90 + 4'?
I venture to say that La Verde would have beaten in order: Costa Rica (as the Netherlands did), Anemic Argentina and being on a huge roll at that point, perhaps even the Germans.
How anemic was the Argentine attack? In the 4 elimination games (Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany)...
Argentina scored 1 goal from the pitch in the last 332' and 2 in the last 450'. In the tournament, excluding the 3-2 win vs Nigeria...
Los Gauchos managed the following goals from the pitch: 65' vs Bosnia; 91' vs Iran; 118' vs Switzerland; 8' vs Belgium, for a total of TWO regulation time goals in 6 games and 630 minutes.
Another telling stat for teams reaching the semis, assists in seven games: Germany 13; Netherlands 9; Brazil 7; Argentina 3.
One more, total passes, completed %: Germany 5084, 82%; Argentina 4318, 77%; Netherlands 3862, 78%; Brazil 3615, 76%.
A shellshocked Messi...
whom nothing can console...
With this kind of anemic performance, who would imagine that Messi (4 goals in 7 games) would win the Golden Ball award as best player in this World Cup?
Perhaps, without him Argentina would not have advanced from their group.
IMO the award would have been better bestowed upon Colombia's James Rodriguez (6 goals in 6 games), DFB's Muller (5 goals in 7 games) or the German keeper Neuer, all of whom have a legitimate MVP claim.
Pogba (no hat), Drogba (MIA?), Essien (benched for bad attitude?) , Prandelli (clueless & mindless), Cassano (potbelly, no legs), Balotelli (childish & lame), Buffon (misplaced), Luiz (slow & unaware), Silva (spatially challenged), Fred (misplaced & mindless), Suarez (tasteless), Ronaldo (overrated).
Snake-bit (victims of circumstance, bad luck): Bosnia (own goal), Croatia (FIFA fix), Russia (couldn't get a break), Italy (Suarez dined on Spalla di Chiellini, al fresco) and Mexico (read below).
Delightful Surprises: France, Colombia, Chile, CONCACAF teams (Costa Rica, USA, Mexico), Benzema, Howard, Green, Yedlin, Krul, Robben, Ochoa, James Rodriguez, Klose, Neuer, Hummels, Schweinsteiger.
Biggest WHAT IF?: Mexico. To arrive 4th in CONCACAF, La Verde needed an already qualified US to come from behind and beat Panama 3-2, then go on to win a home/away playoff with New Zealand.
One can only wonder when leading 1-0 vs Netherlands at 87', what if: Earlier in the game, Cillessen doesnt get a lucky knee on Dos Santos shot which was headed into the net?
Huntelaar doesnt get the 88' header down? Sneijder doesnt convert Huntelaars 88' header? and Robben doesnt get foolishly challenged on the end line at 90 + 4'?
I venture to say that La Verde would have beaten in order: Costa Rica (as the Netherlands did), Anemic Argentina and being on a huge roll at that point, perhaps even the Germans.
How anemic was the Argentine attack? In the 4 elimination games (Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany)...
Argentina scored 1 goal from the pitch in the last 332' and 2 in the last 450'. In the tournament, excluding the 3-2 win vs Nigeria...
Los Gauchos managed the following goals from the pitch: 65' vs Bosnia; 91' vs Iran; 118' vs Switzerland; 8' vs Belgium, for a total of TWO regulation time goals in 6 games and 630 minutes.
Another telling stat for teams reaching the semis, assists in seven games: Germany 13; Netherlands 9; Brazil 7; Argentina 3.
One more, total passes, completed %: Germany 5084, 82%; Argentina 4318, 77%; Netherlands 3862, 78%; Brazil 3615, 76%.
A shellshocked Messi...
whom nothing can console...
With this kind of anemic performance, who would imagine that Messi (4 goals in 7 games) would win the Golden Ball award as best player in this World Cup?
Perhaps, without him Argentina would not have advanced from their group.
IMO the award would have been better bestowed upon Colombia's James Rodriguez (6 goals in 6 games), DFB's Muller (5 goals in 7 games) or the German keeper Neuer, all of whom have a legitimate MVP claim.
Comments
Last but not the least, was there an award for the best BITE??? We all know who would win that award!