MLS Cup 2014 Review

December 7th, 2014 at the Stub Hub Center, Carson, CA

Western Conference Champion: LA Galaxy
Starting 11
GK: Jaime Penedo (Panama)
RB: AJ DeLaGarza (Guam)
CB: Omar Gonzalez
CB: Leonardo (Brazil)
LB: Robbie Rogers
RM: Stefan Ishizaki (Sweden)
CM: Marcelo Sarvas (Brazil)
CM: Juninho (Brazil)
LM: Landon Donovan
FW: Robbie Keane (Republic of Ireland) Team Captain
FW: Gyasi Zardes
Subs
GK: Brian Rowe
LB: Todd Dunivant
RB: Dan Gargan 91' for Rodgers
CB: Tommy Meyer
CM: Baggio Husidic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 96' for Juninho
CM: Kenney Walker
FW: Alan Gordon 91' for Ishizaki
Manager:
Bruce Arena

vs.

Eastern Conference Champion: New England Revolution
GK: Bobby Shuttleworth
RB: Andrew Farrell
CB: AJ Soares
CB: Jose Goncalves (Portugal)
LB: Chris Tierney
CDM: Scott Caldwell
CDM: Jermaine Jones
RM: Teal Bunbury
CAM: Lee Nguyen
LM: Kelyn Rowe
FW: Charlie Davies
Subs
GK: Brad Knighton
RB: Kevin Alston
CB: Darrius Barnes
CDM: Andy Dorman (Wales) 90+1' for Nguyen
CM: Daigo Kobayashi (Japan) 58' for Caldwell
FW: Diego Fagundez (Uruguay)
FW: Patrick Mullins 72' for Davies
Manager:
Jay Heaps

Result
Gyasi Zardes scored first but Chris Tierney responded which tied the game up 1-1. The game went into extra time but was decided by Robbie Keane, the MLS Season and Final MVP, who scored the winning goal. With a 2-1 score after extra time, the Los Angeles Galaxy won their 5th MLS Cup, now solely in 1st place for most championships won by a single club in the history of Major League Soccer.

Interestingly enough while the Galaxy have won 5, the New England Revolution have now been to 5 MLS Cup finals and lost each of them. Some might say they're the MLS version of the Buffalo Bills. Despite the sting of defeat at the final hurdle being reintroduced to the New England fans, they did very well to get this far, given the amount of attention they received and the kind of team they were perceived to be in the first half of the season.

The first thing that comes to mind is Landon Donovan. A few days after the All Star Game where he was important in the MLS All Stars defeating Bayern Munich 2-1, he announces his retirement at the end of the season. One of the greatest American soccer players of all time, he has done a lot for his national team and Major League Soccer over 14 years or so. His biggest criticism comes from his failed stints in Germany playing for Bayern Munich and Leverkusen, but his brief spell at Everton in between MLS seasons showed that he did have the potential to play in a big European league but instead he chose to play in the United States and help grow the sport there.

Since Donovan became an MLS icon each year it seemed the MLS became a bit more star studded and gained more and more talented players. Not many people when David Beckham joined Landon Donovan in LA Galaxy thought that he would be followed by players such as Robbie Keane, Thierry Henry, Rafael Marquez, and Tim Cahill. In recent years several other important members of the USMNT such as Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley, and Jermaine Jones, who featured in this year's championship match, left either Europe or Mexico to play the beautiful game in the USA.

Landon Donovan ends his career with many accolades including 6 MLS Cups as well as the record for most goals scored in MLS history. But this is more than just Landon Donovan's story.

Even though Robbie Keane is used to bigger crowds in places like White Hart Lane, he continues to contribute to this leagues growth and his hunger for titles is evident. He's made himself right at home with the LA Galaxy.

It was a significant year for AJ DeLaGarza on and off the pitch. Easily LA Galaxy's most important defender, he had a great season. However, his son Luca was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a serious congenital birth defect. In September, Luca died just at one week old. This only fueled the motivation present in this evidently tight knit group of players.

I could go on and on. From Robbie Rodgers going from retiring after coming out as gay to ending up on a championship team, Jaime Penedo's recent rise to success just over a year after an incredible campaign with Panama at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the importance of the Brazilian midfield duo of Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas, but you guys get the picture. Ultimately the Los Angeles Galaxy not only seemed destined to win but they were built to win. They had the right pieces in building a strong team and they didn't disappoint. They might not have won the Supporters Shield Trophy like the Seattle Sounders but for the MLS winning the MLS Cup is the biggest trophy you can win....aside from the CONCACAF Champions League, where DC United and Montreal Impact will hope to become the first MLS side to win the trophy in the tournament's current form.

The debate as to whether the playoffs or the season should be more important will go on and on because this isn't the sort of thing that's common in most of the top soccer leagues in the world. Mexico and Australia's leagues have a playoff format, and playoffs are used in England and Germany for promotion and relegation between the different tiers. Ultimately for the MLS the playoffs are just something special that people will have to accept if they want to enjoy this league. And if the amount of people that visit the Stub Hub Center or Century Link Field this season among other stadia to support their team suggests, there's plenty of fans to go around.

It was a good season for the MLS. Sending the 10th most players to the 2014 FIFA World Cup out of all the world's leagues, ahead of leagues such as the Eredivisie, Belgian Pro League, Raiffeisen, and Scottish Premier League and just two behind Portugal's Primeira Liga, as well as attracting some notable players to the league such as the aforementioned and including Jermain Defoe, Rais M'Bolhi, and Julio Cesar, it only continues to grow. MLS without Landon Donovan will be just like MLB without Derek Jeter next season, it's going to feel strange without such an icon and star player around. But Orlando City and New York City FC join the league as we wave goodbye to Chivas USA. Donovan and Henry may be leaving but Frank Lampard, David Villa, Kaka, and maybe some more players will be joining us. 20 clubs next season and with the quality of players currently in the league, hopefully it will be an even better season than this one.

MLS Playoffs: The Stars Align

For most of MLS's short history, parity was part of the identity. The gap between the 1st place team and last place team in the league usually looked minuscule compared to the gaps between the best and worst teams from leagues such as La Liga and Bundesliga. However the final 4 remaining clubs in the MLS Playoffs are exactly what most people expected, as they were probably the most star studded teams this season.

11 of the 28 players who were at some point on the roster for the 2014 MLS All Star Game against Bayern Munich come from clubs still in the playoffs: Clint Dempsey (Sounders), Osvaldo Alonso (Sounders), Obafemi Martins (Sounders), Landon Donovan (Galaxy), Tim Cahill (Red Bulls), Thierry Henry (Red Bulls), DeAndre Yedlin (Sounders), Bradley Wright-Phillips (Red Bulls), Omar Gonzalez (Galaxy), Robbie Keane (Galaxy), and Chad Marshall (Sounders) (although Gonzalez, Keane, and Marshall ultimately did not play due to injuries or unavailability). And even players who didn't make this roster such as Marco Pappa (Sounders), Luis Robles (Red Bulls), Gyasi Zardes (Galaxy), Lee Nguyen (Revolution), and Jermaine Jones (Revolution; summer transfer from Turkish club Besiktas) have been among the most talked about players this season.

From a neutral's perspective it's probably the best Western Conference and Eastern Conference playoff showdowns you could ask for.

The more anticipated of the two are LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders. They've had a lot of big encounters all season long, and you simply can't wait for Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane to bump heads with Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey. Throw in other talented players like Omar Gonzalez, DeAndre Yedlin, Marco Pappa, and Gyasi Zardes and it will definitely be a good one. The biggest storyline of all is will this be the end of the road for Landon Donovan's career?

Red Bulls vs. Revolutions aren't to be overlooked though. Bradley Wright-Phillips for New York and Lee Nguyen for New England have been big revelations this year for their respective clubs as they are having the seasons of their lives. These two have a longer rivalry than their Western counterparts and no less fierce. And parallel to Donovan's storyline is Henry's, who is considering retirement as well.

My predictions: Sounders and NYRB in the MLS Cup final

MLS Cup Playoffs 2014 Begins

Another MLS Season comes to a close, and before even more expansions and off season moves are afoot, 10 teams remain with one goal in mind: The MLS Cup

Playoffs are an American thing. Probably not the best way to put (especially since Canada can claim to have as much of a connection to playoffs as the USA) it but it's the easiest way for me to defend the playoffs format. Australia's Hyundai A-League, Mexico's Liga MX, and England's Football League Championship (between the 3rd-6th place teams to determine the 3rd and final promoted team that season) are just a few examples of league around the world who use some sort of playoff format in soccer. There is an argument that there needs to be some more important recognition for the team that won the regular season since that shows which team from start to finish was "the best". Well for that in the MLS we have the Supporters Shield, which the Seattle Sounders won this season, along with the right to compete in the 2015-2016 CONCACAF Champions League. So it's not like winning the season isn't important and only finishing in the top 5 in the West or East is. Plus the higher seed gets homefield advantage. But this is just the way we do things here in the USA and Canada, that's just how it is. Growing up watching playoffs in other sports such as the NBA and NFL, I can't imagine the MLS any other way.

So who made the playoffs? Unfortunately the San Jose Earthquakes didn't, and other notable absences include the high spending Toronto FC, Vancouver and Seattle's Cascadia rival Portland Timbers, and playoff regular and 2011+2012 MLS Cup runners up Houston Dynamo.

West
1.Seattle Sounders
2.LA Galaxy (4-time Champions, 3-time runners up)
3.Real Salt Lake (1-time Champions)
4.FC Dallas (1-time runners up)
5.Vancouver Whitecaps

East
1.DC United (4-time Champions, 1-time runners up)
2.New England Revolution (4-time runners up)
3.Columbus Crew (1-time Champions)
4.New York Red Bulls (1-time runners up)
5.Sporting Kansas City (Defending Champions, also 2-time Champions and 1-time runners up)

First up on October 29th is FC Dallas vs. Vancouver Whitecaps. Whitecaps are the only of 3 Canadian teams to make it to the playoffs, while FC Dallas can exist in the playoffs out of the more successful Texas team's shadow. It'll be an interesting matchup but it'll be tough for the Whitecaps's defense to survive FC Dallas's attacking talent so I see FC Dallas coming out on top.

Red Bulls vs. SKC appears to be the more interesting of the two wildcard matchups, with more recognizable names by European fans such as Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry, as well as US soccer fans such as Graham Zusi and Matt Besler. Interestingly these two teams met in the last game of the season as well which decided the seeding. It ended in a NYRB victory, and there's no reason why the story should change this time around. A lot has changed in a year. NYRB look stronger, SKC look a bit weaker, and in what could be Thierry Henry's final season, the Red Bulls aren't about to let their Playoffs run end at the first hurdle.

This is only the beginning of what can be an exciting playoffs. Fans who more commonly follow leagues such as La Liga or Barclays Premier League may see little purpose in following along. The players in MLS aren't exactly as talented as those from bigger European clubs and leagues but it's still an exciting time of the season and it's worth giving it a go.

2014 FIFA World Cup Final Review

A month of football/soccer magic is what we have just witnessed. A tournament that began with 32 teams from all corners of the globe who had worked hard to make it to the world's biggest stage has now culminated with 2 teams left fighting for the crown. Germany and Argentina meet in the World Cup Final for the 3rd time in the tournament's history with Argentina winning their 2nd title in 1986 and Germany winning their 3rd title in 1990. Who made it best two out of three?

Final: Germany vs. Argentina
Result: After extra time, a 1-0 win to give Germany a 4th star on their crest
Goalscorer: 113' Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich)
Bookings: 29' Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), 34' Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), 64' Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), 65' Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Lineups
Germany (4-2-3-1)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich, captain), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke); Christoph Kramer (Monchengladbach), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich); Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal); Miroslav Klose (Lazio)
Changes from last match
Due to an injury in the warmups, Sami Khedira was ruled out of the final, meaning Kramer had to fill in.
Subs:
Andre Schurrle (Chelsea) 31' for Christoph Kramer
Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich) 88' for Miroslav Klose
Per Mertesacker (Arsenal) 120' for Mesut Ozil

Argentina (4-4-2)
Sergio Romero (Monaco); Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Sporting CP); Enzo Perez (Benfica), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG); Lionel Messi (Barcelona, captain), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli)
Changes from last match
Just the change in formation which put Ezequiel Lavezzi as a midfielder as opposed to a striker
Subs:
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) 46' for Ezequiel Lavezzi
Rodrigo Palacio (Inter) 78' for Gonzalo Higuain
Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors) 86' for Enzo Perez

Unfortunately for Sami Khedira, a last minute injury ruled him out of the World Cup final. His replacement didn't last long either with Christoph Kramer suffering a concussion, leaving Jogi Low no choice but to use a substitution early on to bring Andre Schurrle into the mix, his first half debut at this World Cup. Argentina looked very impressive in the first half and had the best chance which Gonzalo Higuain, to use one of the more kinder words, squandered. Germany weren't being dominated but they were facing a worthy adversary for sure. Both teams played skillful defense despite a number of cards being given out (nowhere near the number that were distributed at the World Cup Final 4 years ago, thankfully). Both teams wanted this win but they couldn't want it hard enough to take the chances that came their way, with Neuer and Romero doing their bit to keep their respective sides' chances at winning optimum. In the 2nd half, Germany's closest attempt hit the post while Rodrigo Palacio mishit a golden opportunity for Argentina. Miroslav Klose did come off in the 88' minute playing his final match for Germany after 13 years and 4 World Cups worth of achievements and memories. And you couldn't have scripted it any better with the man who replaced the top German goalscorer of all time scoring the goal that decided the match: Mario Gotze. Despite Argentina's solid defense in this game and this tournament, Andre Schurrle's cross was able to find Mario Gotze to score the decisive goal late into extra time. Argentina found themselves in an awful position and were desperate to get back in the match with what little time remained. Their final chance was a dangerous looking free kick with Lionel Messi to take it. This would've been his chance, possibly, to turn things around and to complete his World Cup legend in the best of lights. Unfortunately the free kick was too high to do anything and Germany become World Champions after an incredible run and after 24 years of waiting.

Golden Ball: Lionel Messi (Argentina)

This was the most controversial of the awards given out because Lionel Messi didn't play as well as he usually does for his club in this tournament, but every game it was apparent to me how vital Messi is for Argentina and how tough it'll be when Messi is no longer around (though that won't be for a while since he is only 27). If not for Messi, not only are they screwed for getting to even the quarterfinals, they'd be tied with Iran with 2 pts in the group stage getting knocked out there with Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina advancing. Lionel Messi is the heart and soul behind this Argentine team and their run to the World Cup final. The importance of other players like Javier Mascherano and Angel di Maria is not to be forgotten, but Lionel Messi did a great job to make his team better and get them farther, just like Diego Maradona did.

Best Young Player: Paul Pogba (France)

One of the many French players to shine brightly in the World Cup, Pogba made it very difficult for the midfielders of any of France's opponents (except for eventually winners Germany) to have any sort of foothold in the game. Leading up to the World Cup it was not a mystery that he is something special, it takes talent to be a key player in a team like Juventus (the club that inherited Pogba after an unsuccessful period with Manchester United, who will be kicking themselves for letting a player of his quality slip away). He's the next Franck Ribery, and in Ribery's absence he showed that. A smart player and good sport for someone his age, he could well go on to do many more great things with Frane.

Golden Gloves: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

So many great goalkeepers at this world cup: Tim Howard, Guillermo Ochoa, Jasper Cillessen, Keylor Navas, Vincent Enyeama, David Ospina, Hugo Lloris, Diego Benaglio....you get the idea. With a team as richly talented in the outfield positions as Germany it's easy to underestimate the importance of having a world class goalkeeper in the mix of things. But they've certainly found one in Manuel Neuer. Neuer was first given a chance when Rene Adler was ruled out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to injury, and he made the #1 goalkeeper position for Germany his with an impressive showing in South Africa, and he's been amazing for club and country ever since. His athleticism, intelligence, and reflexes have done well to put less pressure on the rest of his teammates who would be able to do their job knowing Neuer is fully capable of doing his. Even in the match against Brazil when Germany had the game all wrapped up early on he stayed focused to preserve Germany's massive win.

Golden Boot: James Rodriguez (Colombia)

Ramadel Falcao's injury threatened to derail Colombia's World Cup dreams but James Rodriguez certainly kept them alive by scoring 6 goals in 5 matches for Los Cafeteros. The player who had the biggest surge in popularity through this World Cup (yes, shockingly even more than John Brooks haha), he had big shoes to fill but passed the test with flying colors, promoting a beautiful style of play echoed by the other Colombian players, making Colombia one of the most entertaining and impressive teams at this World Cup. Several big clubs will be chasing the Monaco superstar down now, while the rich French club will not be modest in paying him to keep him around for the future.

Elimination Analysis: Argentina

In every championship game there's a winner and loser. Everyone knows that going into it but it's little consolation to the team or player(s) that lose it. Knowing you were that close to glory. The look of Lionel Messi's face receiving the Golden Ball award, which many would argue he didn't even deserve to win that but I thought he did. I don't think one individual was more important to a team in this World Cup than Lionel Messi was for Argentina. The closest were Neymar and James Rodriguez, but it came down to how early they were needed in the group stages the majority of both Brazil and Colombia squads shined brightly, while Lionel Messi scored 4 of Argentina's 6 goals, the others coming from Marcos Rojo and a Sead Kolasinac own goal. Despite Argentina not cruising through their "easy group", they still did just enough to get the 9 points, even if there was some controversy along the way, most notably against Iran were Iran felt they deserved a penalty. Ultimately though it did seem like Argentina benefited from a bit of luck time and time again, and it caught up to them in the final where their luck ran out by wasting golden opportunities. But they also benefited from a lot of players other than Messi. Argentina's entire backline along with Javier Mascherano and Lucas Biglia were very organized, and Angel di Maria had a great tournament before his injury. Sergio Romero, the backup goalkeeper for AS Monaco, proved to the world that he is better than that and hopefully he'll be getting 1st team action wherever he may end up. Argentina should be proud of getting this far and giving Germany their biggest challenge but ultimately it just wasn't meant to be. Even though they had their best World Cup run since 1990, being eliminated from the last 3 World Cups by Germany (the 1st time the same team has been defeated by the same opponent 3 World Cups in a row) will not be something they'll let go of easily

My team of the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Goalkeeper
Starter: Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Backups: Sergio Romero (Argentina), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica)
Honorable mentions: Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico), Tim Howard (USA), Jasper Cillessen (Netherlands)
Defenders
Starters:
Philipp Lahm (Germany)
Ron Vlaar (Netherlands)
Mats Hummels (Germany)
Daley Blind (Netherlands)
Backups:
Pablo Zabaleta (Argentina)
Jerome Boateng (Germany)
Thiago Silva (Brazil)
Pablo Armero (Colombia)
Honorable mentions: Benedikt Howedes (Germany), Ezequiel Garay (Argentina), Mario Yepes (Colombia), Vincent Kompany (Belgium)
Midfielders
Starters:
Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
Sami Khedira (Germany)
Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
Backups:
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
Honorable mentions: Mario Gotze (Germany), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Mathieu Valbuena (France), Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium), Paul Pogba (France)
Forwards
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Thomas Muller (Germany)
Backups:
Neymar (Brazil)
Miroslav Klose (Germany)
Alexis Sanchez (Chile)
Honorable mentions: Robin van Persie (Netherlands), Karim Benzema (France)

Before I wrap things up, I'll just take one last glance at each of the 32 teams, give them a letter grade and summarize their World Cup in 1-2 sentences. Their letter grade is based on their expectations going into the tournament, how they actually did, how they did it, and what impact this will have. And how bright their future looks.

Cameroon (1-0 loss to Mexico, 4-0 loss to Croatia, 4-1 loss to Brazil)
Grade: F
Future: Questionable, needs work
Summary: They weren't favorites in their group but they were expected to put up a much better fight but they completely fell apart. Scoring against Brazil was the highlight of their World Cup
Honduras (3-0 loss to France, 2-1 loss to Honduras, 3-0 loss to Switzerland)
Grade: F
Future: Not good.
Summary: I mean winning a game would've been a generous prediction for this team but they just didn't look like they belonged there at all. Definitely a reason why Group E looked weak.
Australia (3-1 loss to Chile, 3-2 loss to Netherlands, 3-0 loss to Spain)
Grade: C
Future: Optimistic, but possibly good
Summary: They did lose every game but they lost after putting up a series of great fights. Tim Cahill's goal is by many considered to be the goal of the tournament and a great way for the Aussie legend to end his World Cup career.
Japan (2-1 loss to Cote D'Ivoire, 0-0 draw with Greece, 4-1 loss to Colombia)
Grade: D
Future: May be brighter
Summary: Not a great tournament for the 1st team to qualify for this World Cup. So many talented individuals shining for great clubs but they couldn't beat a 10-man Greece.
Iran (0-0 draw with Nigeria, 1-0 loss to Argentina, 3-1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Grade: B-
Future: On the right track
Summary: When your most famous players play for minnows across Europe and the rest play in Asia, expectations are rock bottom, but they made their nation proud playing much better than anyone expected, especially against Argentina.
South Korea (1-1 draw with Russia, 4-2 loss to Algeria, 1-0 loss to Belgium)
Grade: D+
Future: Not something to get excited about
Summary: You get a draw against Russia from a goalie mistake and you let Algeria put 4 past you. Even if you're South Korea that's not really good, so meh.
England (2-1 loss to Italy, 2-1 loss to Uruguay, 0-0 draw with Costa Rica)
Grade: D+
Future: With a lot of young players, possibly bright
Summary: They had a horrible tournament but it could've been a lot worse for the Three Lions. They gave Italy and Uruguay a good fight but it's nothing like even the 2002 or 2006 England teams right now, but they could be soon.
Ghana (2-1 loss to United States, 2-2 draw with Germany, 2-1 loss to Portugal)
Grade: B-
Future: Promising
Summary: A team very much in transition that needs to make a few adjustments to get better. Full of talent, gave all of their group of death opponents great games and a 2-2 draw against Germany at the World Cup looks great now that they won the whole thing
Russia (1-1 draw with South Korea, 1-0 loss to Belgium, 1-1 draw with Algeria)
Grade: C-
Future: Very unclear
Summary: Russia were their own worst enemies. They were one big mistake away from the Round of 16 and despite their domestic league producing more and more dark horses to make deep runs in Europe, they're still nowhere where they want to be.
Spain (5-1 loss to Netherlands, 2-0 loss to Chile, 3-0 win over Australia)
Grade: D+
Future: Good if right decision are made
Summary: It was a nightmare tournament for Spain who were supposed to own this group. Their tika taka football should be buried by now and they have to find a new way to succeed.
Italy (2-1 win over England, 1-0 loss to Costa Rica, 1-0 loss to Uruguay)
Grade: B-
Future: Great potential
Summary: Italy was unlucky to be eliminated in the group stage for the 2nd straight World Cup. They played hard and well but their main problem, even with Balotelli in the mix, is scoring goals.
Cote D'Ivoire (2-1 win over Japan, 2-1 loss to Colombia, 2-1 loss to Greece)
Grade: D+
Future: Not great
Summary: No excuses for them to get out this early this time with a very reasonable group they were put in. Check Tiote's mistake let Greece take a spot in the final 16 they've wanted desperately since 2010.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-1 loss to Argentina, 1-0 loss to Nigeria, 3-1 win over Iran)
Grade: C
Future: Bright
Summary: Even with the Nigeria controversy they failed to reach their potential, with some of their best players unable to step up most of the time. But I'd be shocked not to see them again 4 years from now.
Croatia (3-1 loss to Brazil, 4-0 win over Cameroon, 3-1 loss to Mexico)
Grade: B
Future: Looks good
Summary: They couldn't have fought harder and more impressively in their opener, and despite their collapse against Mexico the quality in this team was plainly visible.
Portugal (4-0 loss to Germany, 2-2 draw with United States, 2-1 win over Ghana)
Grade: C-
Future: Needs sorting out desperately
Summary: Portugal looked very fragile throughout their World Cup and fought hard to earn as many points as they did. They need to find out what new players they can depend on because Ronaldo will be 33 when 2018 Russia takes place.
Ecuador (2-1 loss to Switzerland, 2-1 win over Honduras, 0-0 draw with France)
Grade: B-
Future: They likely won't be giants soon but in a manageable spot
Summary: So few start players on this team but they produced a few results and 1 last minute Swiss goal denied them a spot in the final 16. Enner Valencia looked very impressive, especially.
Nigeria (0-0 draw with Iran, 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3-2 loss to Argentina, 2-0 loss to France)
Grade: B-
Future: Possibly bright despite some aging key players
Summary: Their scrappiness and their dependance on luck on one big instance prevents them from getting a better grade, but at least they survived the group stage. Amhed Musa and Vincent Enyeama notably inspiring.
United States (2-1 win over Ghana, 2-2 draw with Portugal, 1-0 loss to Germany, 2-1 loss to Belgium in extra time)
Grade: B+
Future: Bright
Summary: They had their blunders and rough patches but in a American perspective they couldn't have asked for much more. Revenge against Ghana, preventing Portugal from getting their revenge, and surviving the group of death=amazing.
Algeria (2-1 loss to Belgium, 4-2 win over South Korea, 1-1 draw with Russia, 2-1 loss to Germany in extra time)
Grade: B+
Future: Bright
Summary: Where did this Algerian team came from? They played admirable soccer and did well to give their nation their best World Cup performance by far.
Greece (3-0 loss to Colombia, 0-0 draw to Japan, 2-1 win over Cote D'Ivoire, 0-0 against Costa Rica then losing on penalties)
Grade: B
Future: Biggest names running out of time.
Summary: They weren't always the team I enjoyed watching most but they did what they had to do to get the results and for them to get this far was impressive.
Uruguay (3-1 loss to Costa Rica, 2-1 win over England, 1-0 win over Italy, 2-0 loss to Colombia)
Grade: B
Future: Up in the air.
Summary: Once again despite needing to go through playoffs to get here, once they did they made an impact and were a reason why England and Italy's tournaments ended after 3 matches, but when playing without Suarez they looked uninspired.
Switzerland (2-1 win over Ecuador, 5-2 loss to France, 3-0 win over Honduras, 1-0 loss to Argentina in extra time)
Grade: B+
Future: Promising
Summary: Did they deserve to be a seeded team? No, stupid FIFA rankings. But were they entertaining and was Xherdan Shaqiri among others fun to watch, yes they were.
Mexico (1-0 win over Cameroon, 0-0 draw with Brazil, 3-1 win over Croatia, 2-1 loss to Netherlands)
Grade: A-
Future: Bright
Summary: Miguel Herrera's antics aside he did well to make Mexico such a force to be reckoned with in a short amount of time. Many Mexican players had decent showings but of course Guillermo Ochoa steals the spotlight.
Chile (3-1 win over Australia, 2-0 win over Spain, 2-0 loss to Netherlands, 1-1 against Brazil then losing on penalties)
Grade: A-
Future: Bright
Summary: Knocking out Spain and being very close to knocking out Brazil definitely shows how good this Chilean team were and how unlucky they were not to stick around longer.
Costa Rica (3-1 win over Uruguay, 1-0 win over Italy, 0-0 draw with England, 0-0 with Greece then advancing on penalties, 0-0 with Netherlands then losing on penalties)
Grade: A
Future: Might be one hit wonders but hopefully not; we'll see
Summary: No one would've dreamed in a million years that Costa Rica would've gotten this far. Being one of only three teams to not lose a game this World Cup alongside Netherlands and Germany is something to be proud of.
France (3-0 win over Honduras, 5-2 win over Switzerland, 0-0 draw with Ecuador, 2-0 win over Nigeria, 1-0 loss to Germany)
Grade: A
Future: Bright
Summary: A complete 180 from the disaster of 2010 South Africa. Played well even without Franck Ribery and the depth of the squad was apparent as well.
Belgium (2-1 win over Algeria, 1-0 win over Russia, 1-0 win over South Korea, 2-1 win over United States in extra time, 1-0 loss to Argentina)
Grade: A-
Future: Bright
Summary: The chemistry still has much room for improvement but the quality this team has was very apparent.
Colombia (3-0 win over Greece, 2-1 win over Cote D'Ivoire, 4-1 win over Japan, 2-0 win over Uruguay, 2-1 loss to Brazil)
Grade: A
Future: Bright
Summary: James Rodriguez was the breakout star and golden boot winner. Aside from him, the entire squad looked in sync and at home throughout most of their journey in this World Cup
Brazil (3-1 win over Croatia, 0-0 draw with Mexico, 4-1 win over Cameroon, 0-0 against Chile then advancing on penalties, 2-1 win over Colombia, 7-1 loss to Germany, 3-0 loss to Netherlands)
Grade: C-
Future: Very hard to say
Summary: The grade would've been much higher if it weren't for being outscored 10-1 in their last two games; certainly not how I or anyone envisioned Brazil's World Cup journey culminating. A World Cup journey riddled with controversy, egos, and luck along the way and most non Brazilian firmly believe that if this World Cup was held elsewhere Brazil wouldn't have a prayer
Netherlands (5-1 win over Spain, 3-2 win over Australia, 2-0 win over Chile, 2-1 win over Mexico, 0-0 against Costa Rica then advancing on penalties, 0-0 against Argentina then losing on penalties, 3-0 win over Brazil)
Grade: A
Future: Bright
Summary: Many of their players who had little expected of them stepped up big and Netherlands performed very well in this World Cup despite modest expectations after a disappointing 2012 UEFA Euro run.
Argentina (2-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1-0 win over Iran, 3-2 win over Nigeria, 1-0 win over Switzerland in extra time, 1-0 win over Belgium, 0-0 against Netherlands then advancing on penalties, 1-0 loss to Germany in extra time)
Grade: A
Future: Seems good
Summary: They had a very slow start and there was never really a period where they couldn't stop scoring countless goals. But they stayed unified as a team, fought to the very end, and with an amazing effort against Germany justified their appearance in the World Cup Final
Germany (4-0 win over Portugal, 2-2 draw with Ghana, 1-0 win over United States, 2-1 win over Algeria in extra time, 1-0 win over France, 7-1 win over Brazil, 1-0 win over Argentina in extra time)
Grade: A+
Future: Without a question bright as the sun
Summary: It was the perfect tournament for Germany; they didn't crush every opponent but they did well in every match and had an interesting journey along the way to end up deservedly winning the title. Now that they've had a taste of victory and with a large group of talented players that exceeds their 23 man World Cup roster, there's no limit to what they can achieve.

I'd like to thank everyone who took time out of their regular schedules to read what I wrote, it definitely means a lot. Whether you read one article or all of them I appreciate it and I sincerely thank you. Feel free to suggest sports related topics or events you'd like me to write about in the future and feel free to share these with as many people as you'd like. It feels fitting to end this World Cup series of articles with one final look at the team that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup: Germany

1 GK Manuel Neuer (Age 28) Bayern Munich
12 GK Ron-Robert Zieler (Age 25) Hannover 96
22 GK Roman Weidenfeller (Age 33) Borussia Dortmund
2 DF Kevin Grobkreutz (Age 25) Borussia Dortmund
3 DF Matthias Ginter (Age 20) SC Freiburg
4 DF Benedikt Howedes (Age 26) Schalke 04
5 DF Mats Hummels (Age 25) Borussia Dortmund
15 DF Erik Durm (Age 22) Borussia Dortmund
16 DF Philipp Lahm, captain (Age 30) Bayern Munich
17 DF Per Mertesacker (Age 29) Arsenal
20 DF Jerome Boateng (Age 25) Bayern Munich
21 DF Shkodran Mustafi (Age 22) Sampdoria
6 MF Sami Khedira (Age 27) Real Madrid
7 MF Bastian Schweinsteiger (Age 29) Bayern Munich
8 MF Mesut Ozil (Age 25) Arsenal
9 MF Andre Schurrle (Age 23) Chelsea
13 MF Thomas Muller (Age 24) Bayern Munich
14 MF Julian Draxler (Age 20) Schalke 04
18 MF Toni Kroos (Age 24) Bayern Munich
19 MF Mario Gotze (Age 22) Bayern Munich
23 MF Christoph Kramer (Age 23) Borussia Monchengladbach
10 FW Lukas Podolski (Age 29) Arsenal
11 FW Miroslav Klose (Age 36) Lazio

Coach: Joachim Low

Congratulations Germany on your 4th World Cup title, 2014 World Cup Champions!

2014 FIFA World Cup Day 24 Review Final Match Preview

Neither Brazil or Netherlands will get their names on the trophy, but pride and redemption are on the line for two teams who could use a little bit of both but for different reasons.

3rd place match: Brazil vs. Netherlands
Result: 3-0 victory for the Dutch
Goalscorers: 3' penalty Robin van Persie (Manchester United), 17' Daley Blind (Ajax), 90+1' Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV)
Bookings: 2' Thiago Silva (PSG), 9' Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), 36' Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City), 54' Fernandinho (Manchester City), 68' Oscar (Chelsea)

Lineups
Brazil (4-2-3-1)
Julio Cesar (Toronto FC); Maicon (Roma), Thiago Silva (PSG, captain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Maxwell (PSG); Paulinho (Tottenham), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg); Ramires (Chelsea), Oscar (Chelsea), Willian (Chelsea), Jo (Atletico Mineiro)
Changes from last match
Dante, Marcelo, Fernandinho, Hulk, Bernard, and Fred were taken off the starting lineup to be replaced by Thiago Silva (back from suspension), Maxwell, Paulinho, Ramires, Willian, and Jo.
Subs:
Fernandinho (Manchester City) 46' for Luis Gustavo
Hernanes (Lazio) 57' for Paulinho
Hulk (Zenit) 73' for Ramires

Netherlands (5-3-2)
Jasper Cillessen (Ajax); Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Daley Blind (Ajax); Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City); Robin van Persie (Manchester United, captain), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Changes from last match
Injuries to Wesley Sneijder and Nigel de Jong meant that their World Cup ended in their defeat to Argentina, which also meant Clasie and de Guzman got to start.
Subs:
Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord) 70' for Daley Blind
Joel Veltman (Ajax) 90' for Jordy Clasie
Michel Vorm (Swansea City) 90+3' for Jasper Cillessen

So yeah, in case you weren't aware or you were still in denial or thought that was just an outrageous dream, Germany beating Brazil 7-1 actually happened. A result that has sent possibly the biggest soccer/football nation in the world in shock, disbelief, and depression. But they still had one game left against another formidable opponent. Wesley Sneijder got injured in the warmup so Jonathan de Guzman was a last minute edition to the starting lineup. This would be Dirk Kuyt's final appearance for the Dutch national team, after playing for Netherlands for over 10 years since 2004 (since his Feyenoord days, which lasted until he moved to Liverpool and now Fenerbahce). What was awesome about both managers Luis Felipe Scolari and Louis van Gaal was how many players they let play in this World Cup. Every field player for Brazil made at least one appearance in this tournament (only backups goalies Jefferson and Victor being left out), while van Gaal went a step further and had all 23 Dutch players (including all 3 goalies) make at least one appearance in this tournament. In this game, quite simply, everything went Netherlands's way. There was some controversy surrounding their first two goals though. Thiago Silva's foul on Arjen Robben forced the penalty but it's debateable whether it was inside or outside the box. If it was inside the box, Thiago Silva should've been red carded and Netherlands should've been given a penalty. If it was outside the box, it should've been a yellow for Silva and free kick for Netherlands. Instead it's a yellow for Silva and a penalty kick for Netherlands. And the ball in that led to the 2nd goal seemed to have happened in an offside position but it was not called. Even then the goal could've been avoided if David Luiz just kicked it out for a corner or throw in. Instead, he conveniently kicks the ball right to Daley Blind to score his first ever international goal. Georginio Wijnaldum's goal was totally legit and it capped what was another frustrating night for Brazil. Brazil did play better, they had more possession and looked more dangerous. But they still lacked that creative spark and killer instinct that seemed essential for Brazil to have with their players from previous generations. For Netherlands it's a positive way to exit the World Cup, for Brazil, it merely added insult to injury.

Elimination Analysis: Brazil

Who could've seen this coming? A year ago Brazil won 5 of their 5 games at the FIFA Confederations Cup, winning the trophy in a stunning 3-0 victory over then reigning World champions Spain. This victory had the proud South American nation where soccer is an integral part of life excited and hopeful for the World Cup the following year. They did have a strong team on paper, with players playing in big clubs like Chelsea, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, but this wasn't anything like a classic Brazilian team no matter what you put it. And despite the confidence you think these Brazilian players had, they lacked the talent and the mental power to sustain the pressure that was put on them by their home fans. Yes playing in Brazil was a boost and like many experts said, maybe Brazil's run would've been a shorter one if this World Cup was played outside of Brazil, but there was an expectation that Brazil needed to win on their home soil to make up for their missed opportunity in 1950 to do it then. Time after time though Brazil had under performed. They really struggled in their opener against Croatia with Marcelo being the first Brazilian player to OFFICIALLY score an own goal at the World Cup (I believe Felipe Melo had an own goal vs. Netherlands in 2010 but it wasn't counted as one). They couldn't score against Mexico in a 0-0 tie. They let Cameroon score on them, one of the weakest and most disorganized teams of the tournament. They had to get through penalties to beat Chile and if Mauricio Pinilla's shot is just a little bit lower it goes in and knocks Brazil out but luckily it hit the post. And a bit of David Luiz magic (who played horribly in the two Brazil games that followed) and Carlos Sanchez sloppiness gave Brazil the win over Colombia. Yes Brazil still made the top 4 but that's not the way we're used to seeing Brazil progress in the World Cup. And this is definitely not the way a team like Brazil should go out of the World Cup: Losing 7-1, their biggest loss EVER in their history, and then losing again 3-0 to lose back to back home games for the first time since the 1940s. Just unbelievable. The most positive thing I can say about Brazil is that they can afford to have one bad spell from an objective point of view. Arguably Brazil has the proudest history in international football with 5 World Cups, 4 Confederations Cups, 8 Copa Americas, and 4 Pan American games, and I might still be missing a thing or two. This will take some getting over, something Brazilians don't do easily because of how much the sport means to them, and we'll see how long Brazil's struggles last, especially now that they have to qualify for World Cups again. Surely these bad days won't last forever and Brazil should be able to be a decent team still, but they will have to earn whatever they can.

Elimination Analysis: Netherlands

Always the bridesmaid never the bride. Another World Cup where Netherlands's run can be best summed up as "so close yet so far". They didn't make it to the final before being denied their first ever World Cup this time, but losing to Argentina on penalties in the semifinals is how close they were to the Maracana. For a Dutch fan it definitely seems frustrating. Yes, they're still a great team and they're still better off than most other teams in the world. They also greatly improved on their 2012 Euro performance and exceeded their expectations at this World Cup (it's weird to think of them that way now, but before the tournament many people favored Spain and Chile to progress and leave Netherlands in the dust). They definitely fought hard to get as far as they did against a stream of decent opponents that included Spain, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, surprise package Costa Rica, and feisty underdogs Australia who scored 2 against them. Unlike their finalist buddies from the last World Cup Spain, this Dutch team was young and much different than the team that played in South Africa. Only 7 of these 23 players were in the 2010 South Africa squad: Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Nigel de Jong, Dirk Kuyt, Wesley Sneijder, Michel Vorm, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and those seven plus Ron Vlaar and Tim Krul were the only survivors from the 2012 UEFA Euro Squad. The entirety of Netherlands's defense was pretty inexperienced, but they definitely stepped up, especially Ron Vlaar and Daley Blind. This team played as a cohesive unit throughout the campaign even when missing some players like Kevin Strootman and Rafael van der Vaart. From Robin van Persie's "flying dutchman" goal to Tim Krul's surprise appearance to win the penalty shootout over Costa Rica, they definitely didn't lack in the entertainment department either. It's players like these who keep the Dutch hopeful that someday they will win a World Cup. Though in Russia the likes of Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, and Wesley Sneijder will either be past their prime or not on the team entirely, players like Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay look like they can fill in in a few years time and keep the Orange strong.

Up Next
Final: Germany vs. Argentina

One team survived Portugal, Ghana, USA, Algeria, France, and Brazil. The other survived Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. One team is known by most through their star player, while the other team doesn't quite have a star player but a constellation that shines brightly as one star. Argentina looks to tie Germany's record with their 3rd World Cup win, with Lionel Messi leading the way in a chance with destiny to write his name in history alongside Diego Maradona. Germany looks to tie Italy's record with their 4th World Cup win. This golden generation, which includes Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Thomas Muller, has come close to the title but not close enough the past 3 World Cups and this is their chance to rid themselves of those demons and win the title they so desperately want. Germany looked the more impressive but despite all the doubt Argentina are still in it as well. The World Cup is on the line and it's coming to it's conclusion. Either Argentina will win the World Cup in their rival Brazil's soil or Germany will become the first European nation to win the World Cup in South America. It will definitely be a tense encounter and hopefully a fantastic game.

2014 FIFA World Cup Day 23 Review Day 24 Preview

With the behemoth that crushed Brazil 7-1 commonly referred to as Germany waiting at the Maracana, Argentina and Netherlands fought for the only other spot up for grabs in the biggest game in soccer/football. But who claimed it?

Semifinal: Netherlands vs. Argentina
Result: 0-0 (Argentina won 4-2 in penalties)
Penalty Shootout:
Netherlands 1: Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa) unsuccessful
Argentina 1: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) successful
Argentina leads 1-0
Netherlands 2: Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) successful
Argentina 2: Ezequiel Garay (Benfica) successful
Argentina leads 2-1
Netherlands 3: Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray) unsuccessful
Argentina 3: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) successful
Argentina leads 3-1
Netherlands 4: Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce) successful
Argentina 4: Maxi Rodriguez (Newell's Old Boys)
Argentina advances upon winning the shootout 4-2
Bookings: 45' Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), 49' Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), 105' Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke)

Lineups
Netherlands (5-3-2)
Jasper Cillessen (Ajax); Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Daley Blind (Ajax); Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray); Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Robin van Persie (Manchester United, captain)
Changes from last match
Change from 5-2-2-1 to 5-3-2 formation. Memphis Depay replaced by de Jong in the starting lineup.
Subs
Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord) 46' for Bruno Martins Indi
Jordy Clasie (Feynoord) 62' for Nigel de Jong
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke) 96' for Robin van Persie

Argentina (4-3-3)
Sergio Romero (Monaco); Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Sporting CP); Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Enzo Perez (Benfica); Lionel Messi (Barcelona, captain), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG)
Changes from last match
Change from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 formation. Rojo was no longer suspended so Jose Maria Basanta was left off the starting lineup in Rojo's place. Angel Di Maria was ruled out of the rest of the tournament which made space for Perez.
Subs
Rodrigo Palacio (Inter) 81' for Enzo Perez
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) 82' for Gonzalo Higuain
Maxi Rodriguez (Newell's Old Boys) 101' for Ezequiel Lavezzi

So in one semifinal match up there was technically a goal every like 11 or 12 minutes if it was averaged out evenly. This time was a barren goal wasteland. It's been an interesting tournament seeing teams more famous for their offensive players like Netherlands and Argentina pull out some major defensive performances but struggle offensively, and this match was simply more of the same. To Argentina's defense they were without Angel di Maria, which meant they were without their 2nd best player behind Lionel Messi (who was one of Argentina's better players throughout the match, creating lots of chances that needed better finishing from his team mates like Higuain, who couldn't add to his tally after scoring the decisive goal against Belgium in the quarterfinals. Javier Mascherano and Ezequiel Garay did well to prevent many Dutch attacks, which is saying a lot since Arjen Robben has had an amazing tournament. However Robin van Persie didn't contribute much, but it was shocking how later he was substituted for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, especially since RVP would be many people's choice to take a penalty kick (though Huntelaar did score a heartbreaking penalty against Mexico in the Round of 16). Another shocker was Memphis Depay not playing, but instead Louis Van Gaal elected to bring in Jordy Clasie, the Feyenoord youngster (the only Dutch player on this team who plays his club football for Feyenoord and isn't a defender) who hadn't played a minute in any of the previous 5 Netherlands games at this World Cup, and Depay had scored 2 goals for the Netherlands, including a critical game winner against Australia. And this time the upcoming Manchester United manager trusted Cillessen to be between the sticks for the penalty shootout. Unfortunately Tim Krul's magic didn't rub off on the Ajax goalie, while Sergio Romero made a great case for him to either be a starter for Monaco (over 2nd string Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subasic) or play in a better club next season, making saves that won Argentina the penalty shootout. One thing I'd like to point out is how Lionel Messi decided to kick first for Argentina in the penalty shootout, where as other big names like Neymar and Ronaldo preferred to take the last penalty kick. After a great run in the World Cup and being part of the funeral planners for Spain this World Cup, Netherlands failed to reach what would've been their 4th ever World Cup final. At least they can't lose at the final again now (although Dutch fans would rather see them reach to the final, right? idk)

I'll save the elimination analysis for Netherlands after their 3rd place match for Brazil

Up next
3rd place match: Brazil vs. Netherlands

These two teams last met in the 2010 World Cup Quarterfinals. Brazil were favorites to advance but Netherlands stunned them by winning 2-1. Can the Dutch inflict further pain to a wounded Brazil and make them settle for 4th place on their home soil, or will Brazil make a complete 180 (more like 720) and finish their World Cup run on a high note? The team with the most World Cup victories against the team STILL known as the greatest team never to win the World Cup: who will take the bronze?

2014 FIFA World Cup Day 22 Review Day 23 Preview

We're at that point of the tournament where we're down to one game a day, but in each of those four days (well, except the 3rd place match) a lot is on the line for the nations who were able to survive five games at the World Cup and make it this far. Today it was Brazil against Germany, a matchup many claimed was unfortunate not to be the World Cup final. But what happened in this match, no one besides a liar or a psychic could dare claim to have seen coming.

Semifinal: Brazil vs. Germany
Result: An unbelievable 7-1 (dead serious, I didn't type the wrong numbers) victory for Germany
Goalscorers: 11' Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), 23' Miroslav Klose (Lazio), 24', 26' Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), 29' Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), 69', 79' Andre Schurrle (Chelsea), 90' Oscar (Chelsea)
Bookings: 68' Dante (Bayern Munich)

Lineups
Brazil (4-2-3-1)
Julio Cesar (Toronto FC); Maicon (Roma), David Luiz (Chelsea, captain), Dante (Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Fernandinho (Manchester City); Hulk (Zenit), Oscar (Chelsea), Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk); Fred (Fluminense)
Changes from last match
Since Neymar is out for the World Cup due to injury, Thiago Silva was suspended for yellow card accumulation, and Luis Gustavo returned from yellow card suspension, Neymar, Silva, and Paulinho were dropped from the starting lineup to be replaced by Bernard, Dante, and Gustavo respectively
Subs:
Ramires (Chelsea) 46' for Fernandinho
Paulinho (Tottenham) 46' for Hulk
Willian (Chelsea) 70' for Fred

Germany (4-2-3-1)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich, captain), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke); Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich); Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal); Miroslav Klose (Lazio)
Changes from last match
Same starting 11 and formation used against France
Subs:
Per Mertesacker (Arsenal) 46' for Mats Hummels
Andre Schurrle (Chelsea) 58' for Miroslav Klose
Julian Draxler (Schalke) 76' for Sami Khedira

It's a big deal when a single match gets its own Wikipedia page (World Cup finals, Battle of Nuremberg 2006, Miracle on Grass 1950, Non-Agression Pact of Gijon 1982) It's a match that no one will be able to forget (I know I won't). So many records and landmarks reached I probably won't hit them all in this review but I'll do my best. Brazil were in for a nightmare it seemed, facing the mighty Germans without both their best offensive (Neymar) and defensive (Thiago Silva) players, but they had the support of their nation and the comfort of their own backyard, along with as much confidence as you can imagine. They wanted to win the World Cup for their fans and for Neymar. Brazil had a brief bright start but then Germany started playing their game and Thomas Muller's 5th goal this tournament and 10th World Cup goal overall released the floodgates for Germany, and after about a half hour Brazil found themselves down 5-0 courtesy of goals from Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, and Miroslav Klose. That's the fastest a team has scored 5 goals in a world cup match, the first time a team scored 5 goals in 1 half since Poland did that to Haiti (congrats Haiti, you're being compared to Brazil) in 1974, and most importantly that's Klose's 16th World Cup goal, breaking Brazilian Ronaldo's record of 15 goals and making Klose the sole top scorer in World Cup history. Germany tried to keep their professionalism as much as they could but you had a feeling that at half time they knew they had this game wrapped up as they subbed off their best defender Mats Hummels to give him some playing time, as well as putting in Julian Draxler, who surprisingly (for me at least) hadn't played a single minute before this match). 2 goals from Andre Schurrle made it 7-0, a scoreline last seen at the last World Cup when Portugal beat North Korea by that scoreline (Haiti and North Korea, such fine company, Brazil. Dare I mention Tahiti (10-0 loss to Spain) or El Salvador (10-1 loss to Hungary) ?), this would've been the sole biggest loss in Brazilian soccer history. Oscar did score a late goal to deny an otherwise impressive Manuel Neuer his clean sheet (which probably made Julio Cesar, who was obviously having a terrible day at the office, and by office I mean his goal, feel slightly better) and made this result Brazil's joint worst loss ever along with a 6-0 loss to Uruguay in the 1920 Copa America. But after generations of legendary footballers/soccer players, a legacy to live up to, in a World Cup semifinal, in their home nation, this loss will have definitely inflicted more pain to Brazilians everywhere. Fans and players alike were upset and emotional after this loss, flags being burnt, riots happening, and it's just the worst case scenario you could've imagined Brazil being eliminated from a World cup they hosted. They just can't catch a break, first losing 2-1 to rivals Uruguay in the final in 1950 and now being demolished 7-1 by Germany in 2014. This win will leave German supporters absolutely in love with this team, but then you have to remember Germany's real goal is to win the World Cup, and as sweet as this victory is for them and as much as they should cherish this moment, Joachim Low's side must refocus on dealing with either Netherlands or Argentina in the Maracana.

I know Brazil have been eliminated but technically their World Cup isn't over as they will play the loser of the Netherlands/Argentina match in the 3rd place match in Brasilia, so I'll save the elimination analysis for that post.

Up next
Semifinal: Netherlands vs. Argentina

A place in the World Cup final against Germany is on the line as two strong teams spearheaded by two world class players. Lionel Messi has been instrumental to Argentina's success at this World Cup but Angel di Maria has been performing well as well. Arjen Robben, despite finding himself in some diving controversies, has been phenomenal for Netherlands, and Robin van Persie has been decent too. But injury concerns threaten both teams. Angel di Maria is out of the World Cup and Sergio Aguero is likely not 100%, while Netherlands will be concerned with the health of Robin van Persie and Nigel de Jong. Will Netherlands beat Argentina to make it to their 4th ever World Cup final and ensure Europe's first World Cup triumph in South American soil, or will Argentina be able to stop the Dutch and get one step closer to giving Lionel Messi the World Cup title he needs to truly be a legend?

2014 FIFA World Cup Day 21 review Day 22 (Semifinals) Preview

Argentina, Belgium, Costa Rica, and the Netherlands battled it out to join Germany and Brazil in the semifinals. Who succeeded?

Quarterfinal: Argentina vs. Belgium
Result: 1-0 win for Argentina
Goalscorers: 8' Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli)
Bookings: 53' Eden Hazard (Chelsea), 69' Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid), 75' Lucas Biglia (Lazio)

Lineups
Argentina (4-4-2)
Sergio Romero (Monaco); Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Jose Maria Basanta (Monterrey); Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Angel di Maria (Real Madrid); Lionel Messi (Barcelona, captain), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli)
Changed from last match
Change from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 formation. Federico Fernandez, Marcos Rojo (yellow card accumulation), and Fernando Gago replaced by Demichelis, Basanta, and Biglia in the starting lineup
Subs:
Enzo Perez (Benfica) 33' for Angel di Maria
Rodrigo Palacio (Inter) 71' for Ezequiel Lavezzi
Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors) 81' for Gonzalo Higuain

Belgium (4-2-3-1)
Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid); Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid), Daniel van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City, captain), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham); Axel Witsel (Zenit), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United); Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Kevin de Bruyne (Wolfsburg); Divock Origi (Lille)
Changes from last match
Same starters and formation used against the United States except Mirallas starting in Dries Mertens's place
Subs:
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) 59' for Divock Origi
Dries Mertens (Napoli) 60' for Kevin Mirallas
Nacer Chadli (Tottenham) 75' for Eden Hazard

Both teams so far had harder roads to the quarterfinals than most people anticipated prior to this tournament, but for one of these teams this is where the road was to end. It was a very close match but unfortunately for Belgium an early Gonzalo Higuain, who notably had his best game so far at the World Cup, goal set the tone allowing for Argentina to take control of the match. It was shocking how sloppy the play was sometimes, although Argentina did lose some momentum with Angel di Maria needing to leave the game early (later being ruled out of the World Cup. Belgium, who enjoyed most of the possession and a lot of shots against their earlier opponents (notably the USA, forcing Tim Howard to make 16 saves to keep it at 2-1 at the end of the game), Belgium hardly got anything that Sergio Romero needed to keep out, even when they summoned the likes of Lukaku and Mertens, who had previously done well for Belgium. Argentina held on to break their streak of quarterfinal exits and head into the semifinals.

Elimination Analysis: Belgium

Like Colombia, in just a few years Belgium transformed from an under-performer to a dark horse contender to win the World Cup, and despite the dark horse riding off into the sunset now, we finally got a taste of what this Belgian team is all about after ending their 12 year major tournament drought by qualifying for this World Cup. Belgium had an interesting qualifying group which had the likes of Croatia, Serbia, and Scotland, but they took full command of that group, earning automatic qualification meaning Croatia had to head to playoffs and no World Cup for Serbia and co. Sometimes these players played with the class that we see week in and out for their European clubs, but many other times they sort of looked like strangers. Maybe it's the inexperience, the fact that no one besides Daniel van Buyten had competed in an international tournament before this one. Through the ups and downs this young Belgium team fought their way to the quarterfinals, and if things continue to go as they have and the bulk of their team continue to play in some of the biggest clubs in Europe, quite possibly they could be champions, or at least have another deep run, in the next World Cup.

Quarterfinal: Netherlands vs. Costa Rica
Result: 0-0; Netherlands advancing 4-3 on penalties
Penalty Shootout: 
Costa Rica 1: Celso Borges (AIK) successful
Netherlands 1: Robin van Persie (Manchester United) successful
Tied 1-1
Costa Rica 2: Bryan Ruiz (PSV) unsuccessful
Netherlands 2: Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) successful
Netherlands 2-1
Costa Rica 3: Giancarlo Gonzalez (Columbus Crew) successful
Netherlands 3: Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray) successful
Netherlands 3-2
Costa Rica 4: Christian Bolanos (Copenhagen) successful
Netherlands 4: Dirk Kuty (Fenerbahce) successful
Netherlands 4-3
Costa Rica 5: Michael Umana (Saprissa) unsuccessful
Netherlands advance upon winning the shootout 4-3
Bookings: 37' Junior Diaz (Mainz 05), 52' Michael Umana (Saprissa), 64' Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), 81' Giancarlo Gonzalez (Columbus Crew), 107' Johnny Acosta (Alajuelense), 111' Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke)

Lineups
Netherlands (5-2-2-1)
Jasper Cillessen (Ajax); Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Daley Blind (Ajax); Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray); Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Memphis Depay (PSV); Robin van Persie (Manchester United, captain)
Changes from last match
Change from 4-3-1-2 to 5-2-2-1 formation. Paul Verhaegh and Nigel de Jong (injured) replaced by Martins Indi and Depay in the starting lineup
Subs:
Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kyiv) 76' for Memphis Depay
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke) 106' for Bruno Martins Indi
Tim Krul (Newcastle United) 120+1' for Jasper Cillessen

Costa Rica (5-2-2-1)
Keylor Navas (Levante); Cristian Gamboa (Rosenborg), Johnny Acosta (Alajuelense), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Columbus Crew), Michael Umana (Saprissa), Junior Diaz (Mainz 05); Yeltsin Tejeda (Saprissa), Celso Borges (AIK); Bryan Ruiz (PSV, captain), Christian Bolanos (Copenhagen); Joel Campbell (Olympiacos)
Changes from last match
Acosta replaces Oscar Duarte (suspended after receiving a red card against Greece), otherwise the same lineups and starting lineup that faced Greece
Subs:
Marco Urena (Kuban Krasnodar) 66' for Joel Campbell
David Myrie (Herediano) 79' for Cristian Gamboa
Jose Cubero (Herediano) 97' for Yeltsin Tejeda

A very interesting match between two interesting teams, this match was tight as tight can be, which explains the 0-0 scoreline. However, the Dutch came much closer to scoring than los Ticos. Several chances, a few of which hit metal which denied them what could've been a fatal blow. Despite Costa Rica playing strong, attractive soccer in their group stage games, this match they looked more like the "classic" Costa Rica we've come to know and hate in Gold Cups and World Cup Qualifiers, where they excel defensively, frustrating their opponent, but don't get much done offensively. Many will claim that Costa Rica wanted to go to penalties all along and that wouldn't shock me. The most interesting part of the match came from Louis van Gaal's late substitution: he brought on Tim Krul in place of Jasper Cillessen just for the penalty shootout. How often do you see that? An incredible gamble but one that paid off as Krul saved Ruiz and Umana's shots to take Netherlands to their 2nd semifinals in a row. And the last shocker gets knocked out of the World Cup, Costa Rica doing far better than even their fans hoped for going into this tournament

Elimination Analysis: Costa Rica

The notion that CONCACAF is just Mexico, USA, and several other minnows is no longer correct. For a long time now Costa Rica had been seen as one of the biggest threats in their region but a minor threat in the global stage. Like USA, Costa Rica found themselves in a difficult group that they were expected to finish last in. Instead, Costa Rica became the most shocking team in the tournament by winning their group through defeating Uruguay and Italy as well as drawing with England. In the group of champions, the sole nation without a World Cup to its name was victorious. They bravely emerged triumphant in their round of 16 clash against Greece having played nearly half of the 120' minutes with 10 men, and they pushed Netherlands to a penalty shootout where only some mighty saves from Tim Krul ended their run at the World Cup. Costa Rica will exit this tournament undefeated and with their best performance at a World Cup to date. Will Costa Rica continue to be a threat? It's quite possible, and if that happens the respect CONCACAF has earned in this World Cup will not fade away any time soon.

Semifinals

That's a wrap for the quarterfinals and we say goodbye to these four teams

Belgium
Colombia
Costa Rica
France

Even though they aren't winners, Colombia and Costa Rica had their best run ever at a World Cup, Belgium their 2nd best ever, and France their best since they finished as runners up in 2006.

So despite a fair bit of surprises at this World Cup, we're left with 4 giants to fight for the World Cup trophy. Two from local South America, hosts Brazil and neighbors and rivals Argentina, and two from Europe, Germany and Netherlands. Up next is a rematch of the 2002 World Cup final: Brazil vs. Germany. So many talented players of both teams, it will definitely be a great game. Germany will not take their opponents lightly, who promise to be their biggest obstacle yet despite the absences of Thiago Silva and Neymar due to suspension and injury respectively. Does Brazil have enough depth to cope with their absences, or will Germany avenge their defeat that cost them what would've been their 4th World Cup from 12 years ago?

2014 FIFA World Cup Day 20 Review Day 21 Preview

Familiar rivals close in proximity from one another took each other on in some interesting quarterfinal matchups. Which two out of Brazil/Colombia and France/Germany will meet in the semifinals?

Quarterfinal: France vs. Germany
Result: 1-0 win for Germany
Goalscorers: 13' Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Bookings: 54' Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), 80' Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

Lineups
France (4-3-3)
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, captain); Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Patrice Evra (Manchester United); Paul Pogba (Juventus), Yohan Cabaye (PSG), Blaise Matuidi (PSG); Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)
Changes from last match
Change from 4-5-1 to 4-3-3 formation. Laurent Koscielny (who covered for the then injured Sakho) and Olivier Giroud replaced by Sakho and Griezmann in the starting lineup.
Subs:
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) 72' for Mamadou Sakho
Loic Remy (Newcastle United) 74' for Yohan Cabaye
Oliver Giroud (Arsenal) 84' for Mathieu Valbuena

Germany (4-2-3-1)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich, captain), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke); Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid); Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal); Miroslav Klose (Lazio)
Changes from last match:
Change from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 formation. Shkrodan Mustafi (injured), Per Mertesacker, and Mario Gotze left off the starting lineup allowing Hummels, Khedira, and Klose to start. Lahm moves from midfield to his preferred right back position
Subs:
Andre Schurrle (Chelsea) 68' for Miroslav Klose
Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich) 83' for Mesut Ozil
Christoph Kramer (Monchengladbach) 90+3' for Toni Kroos

A matchup that caused the internet to erupt with World War 2 jokes and references was actually pretty interesting on paper. Both teams are coached by intelligent coaches, Didier Deschamps for France and Joachim Low for Germany, we've seen a lot of different players from both sides excel during their respective paths of the tournament, and both these teams along with Netherlands seemed like the most likely of the European teams that survived the group stage to win the World Cup. However, right away we remembered why Germany were so good: they waste no time to get ahead in most matches (vs. Algeria wasn't one of those matches): An early Toni Kroos free kick found Mats Hummels who beat Hugo Lloris with a well-placed header. Mats Hummels became the first defender of this World Cup to score two goals, and his contributions on both offense and defense in this match should definitely cement his starting position at least for the remainder of Germany's tournament barring any injury or suspension (sorry Per Mertesacker). The rest of the match was mostly blown opportunities by France who looked the more inspired side after that goal. Thanks to a block from Mats Hummels and some good saves from Manuel Neuer (and the post on one occasion), the best of France's chances failed. Germany handled the situation well enough for one goal to be all they needed to make it to the semifinals for a record 4th consecutive time at the World Cup. Germany appeared a bit too calm throughout that match but they got the job done and that's all that matters. I think this formation with Klose starting and Lahm in right back works wonders for them, and I understand people are concerned about Klose playing for 70-90 minutes but Germany have more than enough options to make that work.

Elimination Analysis: France

At this day and age one great World Cup run won't be enough to appease French fans. One day you're in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup defeating Brazil, the next Zinedane Zidane gets a red card in the final for a headbutt and the day after that Nicolas Anelka is being kicked out of the squad. However at least for right now things look good for France. They have a wealth of talented players playing for a lot of Europe's best clubs like Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, PSG, and Arsenal. Young players like Raphael Varane, Mamadou Sakho, Paul Pogba, and Antoine Griezmann have yet to reach their full potential. They'll definitely remain as one of Europe's best teams but the next step is trying to become the best, like they did in their sole World Cup triumph in France 1998.

Quarterfinal: Brazil vs. Colombia
Result: 2-1 win for the hosts
Goalscorers: 7' Thiago Silva (PSG), 69' David Luiz (Chelsea), 80' James Rodriguez (Monaco)
Bookings: 64' Thiago Silva (PSG), 67' James Rodriguez (Monaco), 71' Mario Yepes (Atalanta), 78' Julio Cesar (Toronto FC)
Significance of bookings: Thiago Silva will be suspended for the semi final against Germany

Lineups
Brazil (4-2-3-1)
Julio Cesar (Toronto FC); Maicon (Roma), Thiago Silva (PSG, captain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Fernandinho (Manchester City), Paulinho (Tottenham); Hulk (Zenit), Oscar (Chelsea), Neymar (Barcelona); Fred (Fluminense)
Changes from last match
Dani Alves and Luis Gustavo (yellow card suspension) did not start and were replaced by Maicon and Paulinho
Subs:
Ramires (Chelsea) 82' for Hulk
Hernanes (Inter) 86' for Paulinho
Henrique (Napoli) 88' for Neymar

Colombia (4-4-2)
David Ospina (Nice); Juan Zuniga (Napoli), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Mario Yepes (Atalanta, captain), Pablo Armero (West Ham United); Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari), Carlos Sanchez (Elche), Fredy Guarin (Inter), Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina); Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate), James Rodriguez (Monaco)
Changes from last match
Abel Aguilar and Jackson Martinez replaced by Guarin and Ibarbo in the starting lineup
Subs:
Adrian Ramos (Hertha BSC) 46' for Victor Ibarbo
Carlos Bacca (Sevilla) 70' for Teofilo Gutierrez
Juan Quintero (Porto) 80' for Juan Cuadrado

Two South American teams who look strong and are usually interesting to watch, this definitely looked like it would be a great match. However Brazil's struggles against teams they were supposed to be able to beat easily and Colombia having an easy group were areas of criticism for both teams. Both managers made interesting lineup choices as main stays Dani Alves for Brazil and Abel Aguilar for Colombia didn't start this time. Despite having a slow start against Chile, and knowing that in recent years teams who progressed via penalty shootout were likely to lose in the next round, Brazil got the first goal thanks to a corner kick. Thiago Silva had an easy opportunity since Carlos Sanchez failed to mark him. Then David Luiz scored from another set piece to make it 2-0 to Brazil. Colombia, who had had an amazing run so far in the World Cup and felt confident in their chances to defeat the hosts, were now in a terrible position. James Rodriguez's penalty kick made the situation a bit more pleasant for the Colombians (6th goal of the World Cup for Rodriguez, 2 ahead of his nearest rivals Messi, Muller, and Neymar) but then the biggest moment of the game came when Juan Zuniga recklessly hit his knee on Neymar's back. The challenge resulted in Neymar needing to be pulled out of the match by stretcher and Neymar is ruled out of the World Cup. It's potentially bad news for Brazil's World Cup hopes, but for now Brazil won the match, sending Colombia home and Brazil into the semifinals for the first time since 2002 (after back to back quarterfinals in 2006 and 2010).

Elimination Analysis: Colombia

After missing the last 3 World Cups, the longest drought of any of the 31 nations in this World Cup who weren't making their debuts (this excludes Bosnia and Herzegovina), it's amazing how things have gone for Colombia. Led by previous Atletico Madrid and later Monaco star Ramadel Falcao, Colombia came in 2nd in CONMEBOL qualification for the World Cup. But it wasn't quite until this World Cup that we realized what an impressive supporting cast he had that are probably stars in their own right, especially James Rodriguez. Even if Colombia didn't have the toughest of group stage opponents (they were the seeded team so they were supposed to be the alpha dog in Group C), they surely did impress us with a beautiful style of playing that other South American giants such as Brazil are known for. James Rodriguez is only 22 and other players will likely be around for a while longer too, and with many of these players playing in notable clubs in Europe (especially in Serie A, such as Juan Cuadrado in Fiorentina and Cristian Zapata in AC Milan), Colombia will hope that their status as one of the best teams in the world doesn't fade away too soon.

Up next
The last two quarterfinal matchups
Argentina vs. Belgium
Netherlands vs. Costa Rica

Neighbors Belgium and Netherlands defeated another pair of neighbors USA and Mexico respectively in the Round of 16. Now their opponents come from other new world nations. Surprise package Costa Rica will not want to wake up from this dream run just yet, but if there's any team that can function as an alarm clock in this situation, it is the Netherlands, who shot Spain and Mexico out of dream land. Belgium will likely be unlikely to be able to be wasteful against Argentina, but the same applies to Argentina. Both teams, despite their vast offensive resources, haven't been beating some of their easier opponents by as many goals as they were expected to. In the only South America vs. Europe showdown in this round, a Belgian win could increase Europe's odds of having one of their nations win a World Cup in South America for the first time, while an Argentine win could signal that history is destined to repeat itself.

2014 FIFA World Cup Day 19 Review Day 20 Preview

The Round of 16 draws to a close. Lionel Messi and Argentina, Xherden Shaqiri and Switzerland, Eden Hazard and Belgium, and Clint Dempsey and USA. 2 of those teams are in the quarterfinals, 2 of those teams are going home.

Round of 16: 1F Argentina vs 2E Switzerland
Result: A late 1-0 Argentine win
Goalscorers: 118' Angel di Maria (Real Madrid)
Bookings: 36' Granit Xhaka (Monchengladbach), 73' Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), 90' Marcos Rojo (Sporting CP), 120' Angel di Maria (Real Madrid), 120+4' Ezequiel Garay (Benfica)

Lineups
Argentina (4-3-3)
Sergio Romero (Monaco); Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Sporting CP); Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Angel di Maria (Real Madrid); Lionel Messi (Barcelona, captain), Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli)
Changes from last match
Sergio Aguero, who wasn't quite 100%, left on the bench replaced by Lavezzi
Subs:
Rodrigo Palacio (Inter) 74' for Ezequiel Lavezzi
Jose Maria Basanta (Monterrey) 105+1' for Marcos Rojo
Lucas Biglia (Lazio) 106' for Fernando Gago

Switzerland (4-2-3-1)
Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg); Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Johan Djourou (Hamburger), Fabian Schar (Basel), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg); Valon Behrami (Napoli), Gokhan Inler (Napoli, captain); Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Granit Xhaka (Monchengladbach), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg); Josip Drmic (Nurnberg)
Changes from last match
Same starters and formation used against Honduras
Subs:
Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg) 66' for Granit Xhaka
Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad) 82' for Josip Drmic
Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli) 113' for Admir Mehmedi

Despite both teams having more talented players besides their brightest stars, Messi for Argentina and Shaqiri for Switzerland have been instrumental to their success in the tournament up to this point. In the first half of normal time, Switzerland looked like the better team and had 2 great chances but it remained scoreless in halftime. Argentina began picking up the pace and looking more like themselves, but then both teams just cancelled each other out for the rest of the game. That is, until the last few minutes of extra time. A great run from Argentina threatened the Switzerland defense. Lionel Messi gave Angel di Maria a great ball in and di Maria finished it to score the decisive goal for Argentina. Switzerland got one last great chance in the form of a free kick outside Argentina's box in the last minute of the game, but Xherdan Shaqiri's shot hit the wall and time was up, allowing Argentina to breathe and move on to the quarterfinals for the 3rd World Cup in a row.

Elimination Analysis: Switzerland

Switzerland definitely looked the most out of place from the 8 seeded teams this World Cup (Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Belgium, Colombia<---first World Cup since 1998, and Uruguay, who qualified via playoffs), but they were an interesting and enigmatic team. In 2006, Switzerland were knocked out in the Round of 16 despite not conceding a goal (losing to Ukraine in a penalty shootout). In 2010, Switzerland beat Spain but failed to beat Chile and Honduras and left in the group stage. Switzerland were like a poor man's Belgium: they had a collection of decent players scattered around notable European clubs and were probably among the darkest of dark horses in this tournament. However, Switzerland definitely didn't look like a team that were going to lift the trophy. They won the games they were supposed to win (although they left it very late to score the winning goal against Ecuador), against the favorites of their group France they got defeated rather easily, and ultimately when it came down to the wire they lacked that extra bit of skill to come out on top against Argentina. Switzerland remain a team that will be happy to qualify for major tournaments in a tough region, UEFA, and with Ottmar Hitzfeld retiring, it won't be easy to find a coach as influential and intelligent as him. Switzerland will continue to be a mystery until they find consistency.

Round of 16: 1H Belgium vs. 2G United States
Result: 2-1 win for Belgium
Goalscorers: 93' Kevin de Bruyne (Wolfsburg), 105' Romelu Lukaku (Everton), 107' Julian Green (Bayern Munich)
Bookings: 18' Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), 42' Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)

Lineups
Belgium (4-2-3-1)
Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid); Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid), Daniel van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City, captain), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham); Axel Witsel (Zenit), Marouane Fellani (Manchester United); Dries Mertens (Napoli), Kevin de Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Divock Origi (Lille)
Changes from last match
Anthony Van Den Borre (injured), Nicolas Lombaerts, Steven Defour (red card vs. South Korea), Mousa Dembele, Adnan Januzaj, and Kevin Mirallas left on the bench which meant Alderweireld, Kompany, Witsel, Hazard, de Bruyne, and Origi were able to start.
Subs:
Kevin Mirallas (Everton) 60' for Dries Mertens
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) 91' for Divock Origi
Nacer Chadli (Tottenham) 111' for Eden Hazard

United States (4-5-1)
Tim Howard (Everton); Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla); Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City); Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders)
Changes from last match
Change from 4-2-3-1 to 4-5-1 formation. Kyle Beckerman and Brad Davis replaced in the starting lineup by Cameron and Bedoya.
Subs:
DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders) 32' for Fabian Johnson
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) 72' for Graham Zusi
Julian Green (Bayern Munich) 105+2' for Alejandro Bedoya

USA got out of a tough group but are still rarely going to be favorites in any knockout stage encounter. Belgium got out of a weak group unscathed but are still a talented team. USA's worst nightmares would be that they would face the same problems they faced against Germany (being unable to hang onto possession, putting immense stress on the defense and goalkeeper) and that Belgium's talented but inexperienced team would finally start reaching their true potential. And in this match, slowly but surely those nightmares were coming true but USA definitely did put up more of a fight. They did get chances but it was still Belgium who had the bulk of them and if it weren't for some poor finishing from the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Jan Vertonghen (it was mostly them, but almost everyone except Thibaut Courtois got at least one crack at Tim Howard) and Tim Howard making 16 (yes, 16, saves), USA would've been massively screwed. However USA refused to give up. The rare opportunities they did get they put into better use than Belgium and Chris Wondolowski had a huge opportunity to break Belgian hearts and give USA a win but he didn't even hit the target. This match became the 5th of so far 8 knockout stage encounters to require extra time. My first thoughts were "ok if we can survive the first five minutes we can have a chance, just please don't concede early like they did against Ghana in the last World Cup. And guess what USA did? They conceded early. The player who seemed like he was having the worst luck ever taking shots, Kevin de Bruyne finally got rewarded for his efforts and finally scored for Belgium. To make matters worse Romelu Lukaku, the last guy you want to see on the other team if you're a tired US defender (which wasn't the first problem for the USA's defense, since Fabian Johnson had to leave the game early as he pulled a hamstring, just like his teammate Jozy Altidore). Lukaku helped set up de Bruyne's goal and he got his own right before the end of the first half of extra time. It seemed like things were finally over and Belgium had it in the bag, but all of a sudden Julian Green of all players scores and gives USA some hope. The rest of the game is pretty much USA going for that 2nd goal, with Clint Dempsey getting the closest to bringing it 2-2, but it didn't come and USA were knocked out, with Belgium reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 1986 and their 2nd time overall.

Elimination Analysis: United States

I admit I was one of the people who were nervous for the World Cup after the draw back in December. Imagine being stuck in a car in a road trip with 3 people you're not quite friends with. That's how it was for USA. Not only were Germany, Portugal, and Ghana strong teams but in the last 3 World Cups USA had faced those teams in what were dramatic and emotional encounters. It's never easy being the USA. Because we call football soccer, because the majority of the population may prefer other sports over soccer, and.or because we compete in CONCACAF USA faces more criticism than most other teams that are at least a semi-regular sight in the World Cup. But this was an opportunity to prove to the world that they are no longer minnows in the World Cup. And it's a chance they took. They finally "broke the curse" and beat Ghana, they nearly beat Portugal once again but settled for a draw that saw USA dominate decent portions of the match against Portugual. Even though Portugal weren't 100%, they were still considered favorites by a lot of people. And Germany did beat the USA but it was a respectable game that saw Jurgen Klinsmann face his home nation and the team he coached at a World Cup 8 years ago, and since Portugal got taken down 4-0, a 1-0 loss doesn't look so bad. As runner up of a group, facing Belgium in the next round seemed like a manageable task if we played our best but USA didn't. Belgium did. But even if players like Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan (who was left out of this World Cup squad), and Tim Howard will likely not be around by the next World Cup, hopefully by then players like Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, Fabian Johnson, DeAndre Yedlin, Aron Johansson, and Julian Green will only be better and USA will be able to set their heights higher then. But for now, we'll see how much attention soccer in the USA can sustain after the World Cup is over and how the 2015 Gold Cup and 2016 Copa America Centennial (both hosted by USA) go.

Round of 16 Wrap-Up

Despite all 16 teams putting up a decent fight, only the eight group winners survived and now have a 12.5% chance (on paper, not considering strength of each remaining team, which would increase or decrease those numbers) at lifting the most coveted trophy in this sport. 4 European teams (Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands), 3 South American teams (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and 1 North American (or Central American, which is a region, not its own continent) team (Costa Rica) remain. Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Netherlands seek their 1st, France their 2nd, Argentina their 3rd, Germany their 4th, and Brazil their 6th World Cup. It's Netherland's 2nd, Argentina's 3rd, Brazil's 6th, and Germany's 16th quarterfinal appearance in a row: it's Costa Rica and Colombia's 1st every quarterfinal appearance.

Goodbye, but congrats on reaching the top 16!
Algeria
Chile
Greece
Mexico
Nigeria
Switzerland
United States
Uruguay

Quarterfinal matchups and previews for the first two
Friday July 4th
France vs. Germany
Brazil vs. Colombia
Saturday July 5th
Argentina vs. Belgium
Netherlands vs. Costa Rica

No matter what happens, exactly 1 European and 1 South American team will be triumphant in Friday's matches. It's no surprise Germany has made it this far but it was tougher to get there than they expected, narrowly defeating Algeria after extra time. France however had a more comfortable victory over Nigeria and it only took 90 minutes for them to win their game. Both teams have strong, deep squads and it will take the combined efforts of all of their players that get used to defeat the other, and it looks like it'll be a good match.

The pressure continues to grow for Brazil. For the superstitious breed, they're relieved not to be facing Uruguay (remember Uruguay vs. Brazil at the 1950 World Cup), but that relief isn't that comforting considering Colombia is proving to be a very strong team even without Ramadel Falcao. James Rodriguez currently leads the scoring racing with 5 goals and might need to score more against Brazil if Colombia are to advance. If Brazil can conquer Colombia, winning the World Cup in their own backyard will seem much more realistic after barely getting through Chile on penalties.

2014 FIFA World Cup Day 18 Review Day 19 Preview

Africa's last survivors in this World Cup took on a pair of European giants, and this is what happened:

Round of 16: 1E France vs. 2F Nigeria
Result: 2-0 win for France
Goalscorers: 79' Paul Pogba (Juventus), 90+2' Joseph Yobo own goal (Norwich City)
Bookings: 54' Blaise Matuidi (PSG)

Lineups
France (4-5-1)
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, captain); Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United); Yohan Cabaye (PSG), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid); Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)
Changes from last match
Bacary Sagna, Mamadou Sakho (injured), Lucas Digne, Morgan Schneiderlin, Antoine Griezmann, and Moussa Sissoko left on the bench, allowing Debuchy, Varane, Evra, Cabaye (was suspended from Ecuador game due to yellow cards), Valbuena, and Giroud to start.
Subs:
Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad) 62' for Olivier Giroud
Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United) 90+4' for Mathieu Valbuena

Nigeria (4-4-2)
Vincent Enyeama (Lille); Efe Ambrose (Celtic), Joseph Yobo (Norwich City, captain), Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod), Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough); Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow), Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), Victor Moses (Liverpool); Peter Odemwingie (Stoke City), Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce)
Changes from last match
Michael Babatunde replaced by Moses in the starting lineup, otherwise same starters and formation used against Argentina
Subs:
Reuben Gabriel (Waasland-Beveren) 59' for Ogenyi Onazi
Uche Nwofor (Heerenveen) 89' for Victor Moses

Both teams failed to get out of the group stage in the last World Cup but just because they got farther than last time didn't mean they were satisfied just by getting to this point. Both sides believed they could get into the quarterfinals (for Nigeria, it would've been their first quarterfinal ever and Africa's 4th, while for France that was quite familiar but inconsistently visited territory). Nigeria looked up to the task and seemingly scored a goal in the first half but Emmanuel Emenike's effort was ruled offside by the referee Mark Geiger. France had most of the chances and Vicent Enyeama was more busy than Hugo Lloris was, but Enyeama was not phased and made a lot of good saves, denying a lot of good chances France had including a powerful header from Karim Benzema. But in a corner kick in the 79' minute, a Vincent Enyeama blunder and poor marking all around by the Nigerians resulted in an easy opportunity for Paul Pogba to finally put France in front. And although Nigeria tried their best to equalize with what little time they had left, all that happened was their captain Joseph Yobo (celebrating his 100th cap for Nigeria, the first Nigerian player to reach that milestone) scoring an own goal (which Antoine Griezmann thought, or claimed, was his) which only sealed France's victory. Now France move on in the tournament with potentially their toughest opponent yet standing by. Considering France's opposition so far, their appearance in the quarterfinals wasn't quite a shock but they still have been playing quite well. However, all those missed opportunities are more likely to go punished when playing a stronger team.

Elimination Analysis: Nigeria

From a disappointing early exit in 2010 in their home continent and their president threatening to ban Nigeria from playing for two years, a lot has gone right for Nigeria these last four years. Their players have made moves to bigger clubs (Enyeama from Hapoel Tel Aviv to Lille, Victor Moses from Wigan Athletic to Liverpool on loan from Chelsea, Peter Odemwingie from Lokomotiv Moscow to Stoke City), and they put together a decent showing at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup which resulted from an impressive African Cup of Nations victory that same year. Even though they matched their best finish at a World Cup with a Round of 16 appearance, there is still area for improvement, especially since Nigeria were lucky to get this far. Had Edin Dzeko's goal been correctly allowed, Bosnia and Herzegovina would've made it through to the last 16 at Nigeria's expense. Their defense remains a work in progress, with Joseph Yobo not getting any younger (33) and Efe Ambrose being their next best defender, whose Champions League experience with Celtic is largely appreciated for this team. The key now for Nigeria is consistency. They have to be hungry for more and assert their dominance at least in a regional perspective. If Nigeria can constantly match or best the likes of Cote D'Ivoire and Ghana, then that would be good for them.

Round of 16: 1G Germany vs. 2H Algeria
Result: Germany escape with a 2-1 win
Goalscorers: 92' Andre Schurrle (Chelsea), 120' Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), 120+1' Abdelmoumane Djabou (Club Africain)
Bookings: 42' Rafik Halliche (Academica), 107' Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)

Lineups
Algeria (5-1-3-1)
Rais M'Bolhi (CSKA Sofia), Mehdi Mostefa (Ajaccio), Esseid Belkalem (Watford), Rafik Halliche (Academica, captain), Aissa Mandi (Reims), Faouzi Ghoulam (Napoli); Mehdi Lacen (Getafe); Saphir Taider (Inter), Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia), Islam Slimani (Sporting CP); El Arbi Hillel Soudani (Dinamo Zagreb)
Subs:
Yacine Brahimi (Granada) 78' for Saphir Taider
Madjid Bougherra (Lekhwiya) 97' for Rafik Halliche
Abdelmoumene Djabou (Club Africain) 100' for El Arbi Hillel Soudani

Germany (4-3-3)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Shkodran Mustafi (Sampdoria), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke); Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich, captain), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich); Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Subs:
Andre Schurrle (Chelsea) 46' for Mario Gotze
Sami Khedira (Real Madrid) 70' for Shkodran Mustafi
Christoph Kramer (Monchengladbach) 109' for Bastian Schweinsteiger

Believe it or not, Algeria had an 100% record against Germany going into this match. A victory in a friendly match as well as a famous 2-1 victory over West Germany in the Group Stage in the 1982 World Cup. However, on the final match day of the group stage, West Germany and Austria played out a convenient 1-0 German win that sent both teams through and eliminated Algeria on goal difference. Known as the "non-aggression pact of Gijon", it's something the Algerians were very upset about. That incident is the reason why the final group matches in major tournaments are played simultaneous now. Germany were expected to dominate and annihilate the Algerians but Algeria looked like they could make history repeat itself, looking dangerous throughout the match. Germany were denied by various good saves by Rais M'Bohli but also screwed up a lot of good chances. The match went to extra time but right at the start of it, Andre Schurrle finally broke through the impressive Algerian defense and scored for Germany. Mesut Ozil sealed the deal and Algeria finally got a goal they deserved as Sofiane Feghouli delivered a great cross to Abdelmoumane Djabou but it was too little too late. Germany, in what definitely was their worst performance of this tournament so far, just made it to the quarterfinals, and France will hope that Germany play like this in that match.

Elimination Analysis: Algeria

In 2010, Algeria were known solely for giving England a hard time and for being the team USA beat to win the group and advance to the second round. They entered this World Cup as one of the teams with the lowest expectations from non-Algerian fans, they exit it as arguably the best African team of the tournament. They scored 7 goals, more than all the goals they obtained in their previous World Cup history. To get out of their group instead of either Russia or South Korea and then causing as much problems as they did to favorites Germany, they have gained a lot of respect from the soccer/football world. This could be the last tournament Algeria are underestimated in, as long as they keep getting results. And with players like Islam Slimani and Sofiane Feghouli, that seems very likely.

Up Next
1F Argentina vs. 2E Switzerland
1H Belgium vs. 2G United States

A showdown between Lionel Messi vs. Xherdan Shaqiri. Both are idols for their respective countries and their teammates, coaches, and fans will look to them to lift their respective sides into their quarterfinals. Aside from a 5-2 defeat to France, Switzerland have looked like a decent team. Argentina have had their work cut out for them so far and needed Lionel Messi to get them this far. However, whichever team gets the most out of their other players besides their main super star will be the one to win.

Belgium and USA both are trying to shake off their underdog statuses compared to the elite teams in the world, but both have talented squads that have their fans excited about their chances of doing well in this World Cup. USA are happy to have survived a group everyone thought would be too much for them, but now they're looking to do even better, and against a vulnerable Belgian side that will likely be without Vincent Kompany, they certainly have a shot. But Belgium are still a vastly talented team with a number of elite clubs in their players' resumes and will like their chances against a USA team they've already beaten twice (1-0 in Brussels, 4-2 in Cleveland) in the Jurgen Klinsmann era.