As Brazil (and Japanese fans) sweep up the streamers and pack up the party hats, Coral writers cast an eye over the most eyebrow-raising tournament incidents.
It has been a World Cup that stands out as one of the most thrilling in recent memory, with plenty of fireworks on the football pitch to match the stunning closing ceremony.
Whilst some events, namely an underwhelming England display, were agonisingly predictable, other nations and individuals did their best to buck the trend, and provided talking points in spades. Here are our top five surprises from Brazil:
Brazil’s blushes Germany’s shocking 7-1 rout of hosts Brazil will live in the minds of football fans and pundits for a long time, not least for being the biggest margin of victory ever to occur in a World Cup semi-final.
That was not the kind of stat the Samba Boys were hoping to be responsible for, as the eye-popping result also catapulted Die Mannschaft ahead of Brazil, to become all-time top scoring World Cup nation.
At 5-0 down within half an hour, the drubbing is Brazil’s most humiliating. The fact that it occurred on home soil only served to rub salt into the wounds, as the deflated Samba Boys etched their place in South American football history for all the wrong reasons.
Defeat to Germany was no shock in itself, with Brazil’s defence having looked distinctly wobbly all tournament, and their attack, minus Neymar, also looked worryingly average. It was the lethargic manner of the loss, however, that appalled fans, reducing many to tears.
It was an unforgettable World Cup for many reasons, but for the host country and Phil Scolari’s Samba Boys, the scoreboard of their semi-final shame will be burned into national memory for years to come.
Captivating Colombia With Algeria, Costa Rica and Greece all reaching the knockout phase, Brazil 2014 was certainly the tournament for dark horses. However, Colombia were the only relatively unfancied side who could have conceivably gone on to win football’s biggest prize.
The Coffee Growers thrilled and entertained audiences with their dominating displays and ruthless attacking intent, spearheaded by eventual Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez. Colombia’s top scorer netted six times, with the decision to overlook him for the Golden Ball award in favour of Lionel Messi, also competing for top shock status.
Rodriguez and compatriot Juan Cuadrado combined to great effect, with the dynamic duo breezing past established international sides, such as Japan and Uruguay, with ease. They eventually came unstuck against hosts Brazil, but with a bigger slice of luck they could have been the team to face Germany in the semi-finals.
What made their achievement so surprising and captivating, was that for a side who appeared so seasoned, it was the first time in Colombia’s World Cup history that their nation had reached the quarter-finals. In addition, the confidence and panache with which they faced opponents, despite missing talisman Radamel Falcao through injury, was refreshing.
Spanish surrender Spain’s capitulation to the Netherlands and Chile in Group B constituted the worst ever World Cup crown defence in history.
A side that had swept all before them in the last six years or so were dismantled and deposed emphatically by two of the most exciting teams in the tournament, with Louis van Gaal’s Clockwork Orange feasting 5-1 on a Spanish side in disarray.
Weaknesses that had been previously hinted at in Vicente del Bosque’s squad, such as a lack of pace and directness, were suddenly and cruelly exposed by quick, aggressive systems.
In theory, the climate and atmosphere of Brazil should have been ideal for the patient, possession-oriented style of the Iberian outfit. Instead, Del Bosque’s boys were toyed with by their tactically savvy opponents, in what was the first of many shocking eliminations for elite sides in the tournament.
Amongst the most draw-dropping moments of Spain’s ill-fated South American adventure was the confirmation of Iker Casillas’ fall from grace between the posts. A stopper clearly lacking in confidence, San Iker emerged as the joker in a pack of poor performers, conceding seven goals in his two outings.
Some credit for that embarrassing record has to go to the likes of Robin van Persie, who powered a seemingly Superman-inspired bullet-header past the Spain skipper.
Costa Rican fairy tale Perhaps the biggest surprise of Brazil was Costa Rica. Not only did they qualify from a “group of death”, containing former World Cup winners England, Italy and Uruguay, but they also emerged completely unscathed.
With a poor pre-tournament record of four losses in six games, the Central American minnows outshone their supposedly superior opponents to top the pool. Thriving on the dismissal of their talents as probable cannon fodder, a status only later upgraded to plucky underdogs, Costa Rica made history for their nation.
Following in the footsteps of the much lauded team of Italia ‘90, now immortalised in an inspiring film, Jorge Luis Pinto’s humble side were organised, dogged, determined and defended for their lives. In addition to that, they also illustrated they could play fast, slick, counter-attacking football, and compete toe-to-toe with any team of superstars on their day.
Unfortunately, the fairy tale ended in the quarter-finals, but even then Costa Rica managed to force the Netherlands into a penalty shoot-out. They return home with the scalps of Greece, Italy and Uruguay, and having contributed some of the most memorable moments of the tournament.
Hot tempers Brazil 2014 was, above all, a World Cup of goals, with 171 scored during the tournament. It will most likely be remembered, however, for a series of unsavoury issues, each more surprising than the last.
Lack of discipline seemed to increase alongside the heat and humidity, as several stars shamed their nations and hindered their teams.
Pepe was the first to hit headlines, for an untimely head-butt on Germany poacher Thomas Muller, with his subsequent red card contributing to Portugal’s 4-0 drubbing and early World Cup exit.
Cameroon duo Alex Song and Benoit Assou-Ekotto had soon upstaged the tempestuous centre back, however, with unsporting acts to rival even Luis Suarez.
Song saw red for lashing out at Mario Mandzukic’s back, as the Indomitable Lions were conquered by Croatia. Not one to be outdone, Spurs star Assou-Ekotto topped-off Cameroon’s miserable and controversy-plagued World Cup campaign by releasing his frustrations with a head-butt on teammate Benjamin Moukandjo.
Award for most ill-judged on-field attack does, of course, have to go to Suarez, for his not-so-sneaky, or subtle, nibble on Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder. Whilst it shouldn’t have been a surprise considering the new Barcelona buy’s history of biting faux-pas, fans went global with their shock at the incident, which is now immortalised in thousands of inspired internet memes.
