What A World Cup

I've been following football for the past 12 years and in those great, sad, stressful wonderful years I've seen my beloved Arsenal win the league unbeaten, I've witnessed great players like Messi, Zidane, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho grace the footballing stage and players bite other players (I wonder if Barca will put a muzzle on Suarez next season?). But nothing compares to what a great spectacle the 2014 World Cup has been. 2006, 2010 were poor tournaments but 2014 gave us entertainment, shocks, twist and turns and highs & lows that a Hollywood script writer couldn't pan out.

First of all let's say congrats to Germany who won the global showpiece on Sunday. There great defending, immense team work and mesmerizing attacking play that won them the tournament after 12 years of pain of going two finals and two semi-finals of tournament football. The Germans have produced great talents through their systems and from great work from the German FA and Bundesliga in making sure Bundesliga teams play their youth players and given them a chance. Gratitude and props must be shown to Low and Klinsman who have raised this team since 2004. If only Gregg Dyke could take note but that's for another blog. Germany have produced top talents and will be the new Spain and will be a force to reckon with  in world football.

Like every tournament there's always the stand out player just like in 1982 we had Italian striker Paolo Rossi who had controversy surrounding him before the summer tournament. As he came back from a two year ban because of a betting scandal. We can never forget about Ronaldo who came out on top in 2002 where he lead the once mighty Brazil to their filth and last World Cup victory. But this years stand out player was Monaco's Colombian ace James Rodriguez who won goal of the tournament and the golden boot award which took Columbia to the quarter finals. It's a shame he didn't win player of the tournament which undeservedly went to Messi. This tournament was about attacking play and goals and many attacking players having great World Cups that contributed to that such as Robben, Musa, Joel Cambell and Neymar.

With every World Cup there always that moment of controversy that scars the tournament. Maradonna being sent home in 1990 for drugs use, Roy Keane's spat with Mick Mcarthy that ended his World Cup in 2002. This year we had Luis Suarez biting Italian defender Chiellini and earning him a 4 month ban from all contents of football. But the real downsides of every World Cup is the best players under performing Ronaldo being the most shocking I give him effort for playing through injury, even though it could've been career threatening. But most neutrals, would have liked to see a fit Ronaldo destroying his opposition at will like he does for Madrid week in, week out. Messi's magical runs and scoring 2, 3 even 4 goals a game and Ozil showing why he was the star man in 2010. But it's impossible to see the top 10 best players in the world all play there best in a World Cup minus that it was a great show piece and just showed why football is the beautiful game of two halves.