The 20th world cup since inception in 1930 began on June 12 this year in a country that eats, breathes and sleeps football. What followed thereafter was a carnival of football with a plethora of ingredients that spiced it up rightfully in the samba capital of the world.
Rise of the underdogs:
Ladies and gentlemen, little did we know that this was going to be a World Cup of the underdogs. With teams like Costa Rica, Colombia, Iran, Belgium, Russia, Algeria, Ghana and the US making waves in the tournament, the rise of the underdogs has truly been heartening this season. The cup stands out in ushering a generation of teams one would have called the underdogs in the beginning of the tournament.
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Disappointments:
The world cup thus far has seen many highs and lows. The biggest shocker came with the exit of the current champions. The men in the trademark red jerseys, who shook the world with their tiki-taka style of play, crashed and burned in this World Cup. It was the last time legends like David Villa and Xavi Alonso were going to be wearing their national jersey. Their last match, which was played for lost pride, signaled the end of an impressive era. The world cup marked the end of the Spanish dominion in the realm of football.
The English as usual were among the top favourites, like in every cup, but failed to deliver yet again -- like every other world cup in recent years. It also, in many ways, marked the end of an era for them with the likes of Steven Gerrard calling it a day.
Christiano Ronaldo also was a big disappointment as he failed to carve a spot for his country in the last 16.
On a brighter note, these exits ushered in a new generation of fresh talent. Neymar Jr from the host team has been in top form from the very first match of the tournament with four goals this season. Another young talent, Alexis Sánchez from the red hot Chilean team was also seen making his mark in the tournament. The Barcelona boys proved their worth indeed. It has been Lionel Messi, however, who remains on top as the most popular player and rightly so. With a goal tally of four this season, the prodigal son of Argentina set the hopes of millions of his fans high by scoring in the 90th minute of the knock out stage against Iran.
The ever crisp and proper Germans have been a force to reckon with as usual. With Mueller taking his WC goal tally to four as well, the Germans have proved to be the power house of the tournament. Being the front runners as one of the most favourite team to win this season it will be interesting to see whether their infamous history of choking in the semi finals would end this year or not.
The Dutch have been equally enthralling with their performance with the ball. After defeating the defending champions by a margin of four goals, the Dutch have continued their successful run this tournament.
Both Brazil and Argentina have played satisfactorily till now. A possible clash between the two giant Latin American teams in the final would be a dream to watch.
Blot on the Cup:
Every great world cup has its share of controversies that threaten to overwhelm the integrity of the game. If Zidane's head-butting incident hogged the headlines during the 2006 World Cup, Suarez's bite grabbed media coverage this time around. The Uruguayan striker has been banned for four months following his attack on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during a match. This is also the third time he has bitten an opponent during a match.
More than just a sport:
The passion that the sport of football generates is what makes it more than just a sport. From the moment that kickoff starts, sports fans hang on to every pass, celebrate each goal, and cringe in unison when their teams lose. The world cup gets to even those who have no interest in the game. It remains the topic of discussion in offices, schools and colleges. Its drama is inescapable. There are true fans of the game and then there are those who just feign interest just to be a part of the conversation. It will be interesting to note how long the enthusiasm remains after the whole carnival moves on.
Twitter records rocket up during the matches like nothing else. Every goal makes soccer fans take to the social network to express their joy or vent their frustration depending on the team they are supporting.
With the WC half way done and entering the knock out stage, its intensity would attain a new high. With Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Greece having lost in the knock-out stage, the road to glory is open for the remaining 14 countries seeking to make history.