Fifa World Cup 2014 Round Of 16 Argentina vs Switzerland

This is the 7th round of 16. Switzerland,  after finishing as the runner-up after France in Group G, takes on Argentina who won all 3 games by 1 point leads. Even though most people thought Argentina was going to crush Switzerland I didn't. I think this world cup was really weird. Spain didn't pass, and Costa Rica finished 1st in the "group of death". This was a great game with a lot of shots for both teams. There were no goals in the 90 minutes of regular time so the game had to go to overtime. In minute 118, 2 minutes before the game would go to penalties Lionel Messi makes a beautiful pass to Angel Di Maria who shoots it past Benaglio and scores a beautiful goal. Of course Di Maria received all the credit which I thought was unfair. All Di Maria did was shoot the ball with a pass right to his feet. But Messi actually did the whole thing. He evaded 2 defenders and made a really nice pass to Di Maria who scores. That's how the game ended, Di Maria almost scoring when Benaglio goes all the way up front. Argentina earned a spot vs. the winner of USA and Belgium in the quarter finals.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Fact-Book

• James Rodriguez's 1st goal vs. Uruguay earns top goal
• Sabella resigns as Argentinian coach
• Rueda to replace as Colombian coach
• Luiz Felipe Scolari resigns as Brazilian coach
• Lahm raises his last international cup as he resigns from international football 
• Steven Gerrard retires from international football
• Carles Puyol hands out cup to Germany
• Mario Gotze latest scorer in world cup   

Fifa World Cup 2014 Round Of 16 Germany vs. Algeria

This was a very good game between Germany and Algeria in the round of 16. Algeria, as you probably guessed the underdogs, was able to hold Germany back. Just after the break, Islam Slimani heads the ball and scores a beautiful goal but he was offside by a foot so the goal was violated. The game ended like that and went to overtime. Joachim Low must have talked to Germany spewed up hope because in minute 92 Andre Schurrle does a Ronaldo chop (a kind of play where you slide your right foot through your left foot and kick the ball) and scores. Then in minute 120 Schweinsteiger shoots and it hits the wrong side of Algerian defender Esseid Belkalem and goes right to Mesut Ozil who shoots it and scores. One minute later Islam Slimani receives a pass from Sophiane Feghouli and scores. That's how the game ended. I think the loss was due to Esseid Belkalem who passed it right to Ozil so he could score the winning goal.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Round Of 16 France vs. Nigeria

This is the 5th round of 16 between France and Nigeria. France played much better than the Super Eagles but none of the beautiful shots were goals until minute 79 when the Nigerian goalie charges up on a corner kick and the ball goes straight to Pogba who heads it in. It was weird since France had so many really good shots but the one shot that wasn't really that good went in. Skipping ahead to minute 92 when Valbuena crosses it to Griezmann and it looks like he shot it in but it actually hit the Nigerian defender, Yobo. Griezmann nods his head to when Valbuena jumps on him. That's how the game ended. The Super Eagles went home; and France will be facing the winner of Germany and Algeria.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Round Of 16 Costa Rica vs. Greece

This is the 4th round of 16 between Costa Rica and Greece. This was a pretty good game. After the break in minute 52 Ruiz gets a shot on the ground that crosses the net. The Greek goalie, Orestis Karnezis was probably in shock since he could've easily saved it but he didn't move an inch. So that was what I like to call a "given goal". In the late 2nd half Duarte gets his 2nd yellow card of the game and Costa Rica is playing with 10 men. Just 1 minute before Costa Rica would win Soraktis slammed the ball through the net marking extra time for this astonishing game. There were no goals in extra time so the game went to penalties. Costa Rica scores, Greece scores. Costa Rica scores, Greece scores. Costa Rica scores, Greece scores. The score is 3-3. Costa Rica scores, Greece misses. now it's all up to Costa Rica. If they score, they advance. If they miss, Greece has the chance to tie up the game and keep it to extra-penalties. He directs, he takes a lead, he shoots, he scores!! Costa Rica advances to the quarter finals vs. Netherlands!!

Fifa World Cup 2014 Round Of 16 Netherlands vs. Mexico

This is the third round of 16 match between Netherlands and Mexico. In the beginning of the game I think Mexico played better given on the possession, 54-46. Just after the break Giovanni Dos Santos gets a really nice shot outside the area making the lead 1-0. After that Mexico started to go downhill. They were able to hold the lead until minute 88 when Arjen Robben makes a corner kick to Wesley Sneyder who bombs it to the left corner and scores. But that wasn't enough for Netherlands. In minute 94 Rafael Marquez slide tackles Arjen Robben in the area making it a penalty which Huntelaar scores. 1 minute later the game ended and Netherlands won. My man of the match was Andrea Ochoa. If it weren't for him Netherlands would've won 5-1 instead of 2-1. Netherlands are playing in the quarter finals vs. the winner of Costa Rica and Greece.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Round Of 16 Brazil vs. Chile

This is the round of 16 between Brazil and Chile. In minute 18 Neymar shoots a corner kick to Thiago Silva who heads it to David Luiz and he scores. I think it was a nice goal, 3-person teamwork. In minute 32 Marcelo does a bad throw-in that goes to Humberto Suazo and he crosses to Alexis Sanchez, who shoots it to the corner for the equalizer. Late into the second half Marcelo gives a long pass to Fred and he scores but unluckily for Brazil, the ball hit Fred's hand when he jumped up to get the ball so the referee called it a handball. The game ended like that and went to overtime, still no score. After that the game went to penalties. The game ended 3-2 Brazil, Jara, Pinilla, and Sanchez missing their penalty shots. Brazil is playing vs. the winner of Uruguay and Colombia.  

Fifa World Cup 2014 Round Of 16 Colombia vs. Uruguay

This is the round of 16 between Colombia and Uruguay. Uruguay was not said to do very well as their best player Luis Suarez, had been suspended for 9 Fifa World Cup games and 4 months of any league after biting Giorgio Chiellini in the arm. In minute 28 a great play came. Radamel Falcao heads the ball that goes directly to Coates, who heads it out which goes back to Radamel Falcao. Falcao heads the ball to 22-year-old Colmbian star James Rodriguez just outside the area. James gets it, stops it with his chest, and then without the ball hitting the ground he takes a left footed shot that tips Uruguayan's goalie Fernando Muslera's hand, then hits the crossbar and goes in. I think that was the best goal yet. Everything from Falcao's 1st header up to the James' beauty strike was made without the ball even touching the ground. Right now every Uruguay fan hates Suarez for being suspended because he could've really helped Uruguay score some goals. But that wasn't enough for James. In minute 50 just after the break he receives a pass from Radamel Falcao and scores another goal. That's how the game ended. Colombia will be versing Brazil in the quarter finals.  

Fifa World Cup 2014 Holland vs. Costa Rica

This was a very close game. Costa Rica was a big underdog but after becoming 1st in the group of death with England, Italy, and Uruguay, they were said to be a threat to the major teams. Holland played better but the game still went out 0-0. Then came overtime, still no score. After that the game went to penalties. Holland made a goalie substitution since Tim Krul was better (and barely taller) at catching penalties than Jasper Cillenssen. Krul saved 2 shots, so he technically won the game for Holland. Holland won 4-3, and they are versing Argentina in the semi-finals.

Fifa World Cup 2014 World Cup Quarter-Finals Argentina vs. Belgium

This is the world cup quarter finals between Belgium and Argentina. In minute 8 Messi evades 2 defenders, then passes to Angel Di Maria, who tries to cross but fails. The ball goes to Gonzalo Higuain who strikes it to the corner and scores. This is what I think Argentina needs. The early lead at the beginning of the game so they can know that worst case scenario, they have the lead. The game ended that way, Di Maria getting injured just before the 1st half ended. Argentina earned a spot in the semi-finals vs. the winner of Costa Rica and Holland.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Finals Argentina vs. Germany

This is the world cup finals between Argentina and Germany. If you think of it it's like the World Cup Finals Series Game 3 since in their two World Cup Final confrontations (1986 &1990) Germany and Argentina had each won one. The competition was so intense 100,000 Argentinians and 25,000 Germans flew to Rio De Janeiro to watch the game. The beach near Maracana was filled with people. They had put a giant screen there. You couldn't move half a foot without bumping into somebody. This game was said to be very uneven as Germany had crushed Brazil 7-1 and Argentina had beat Holland 4-2 by a close game of penalties. In minute 21 Thomas Muller heads the ball really wildly to Gonzalo Higuain who shoots the ball with the wrong side of his foot and misses. But he "returned the favor" in minute 30 when he receives a cross from Lionel Messi and shoots it over Manuel Neuer scoring a goal. I have to admit even when I was watching the game I did fall for the trap but Higuain was an inch away from the goalie but wen I saw the replay I knew he was offside. So when the referee called offside I wasn't surprised. Right before the end of the first half, Muller received a corner kick pass and hits the post which bumps off Ozil and is so close from being a goal before Romero gets it. Joachim Loew starts shouting but Goal Line Technology (the new system used by Fifa to debate goals that look on the line. They way they do it is simply by turning the picture downwards 270 degrees and see if the ball crossed the line.) called it a miss. But there was no need to argue since it was offside anyway. In minute 55 the referee made a horrible mistake. Marcos Rojo made a long pass to Higuain but Manuel Neuer jumped in front of him and caught the ball. The referee called a foul on Higuain because he hit the goalie's chest with his shoulder. I thought that was really unfair. Higuain didn't push the goalie, the goalie jumped over him and kicked him down to the ground. I thought that should be a yellow card for Neuer and a penalty for Higuain but the referee called horribly. He called a foul for Germany and Higuain got injured and had to be taken out for Rodrigo Palacio. So you Argentina fans can thank Fifa for that. The game ended like that and went to overtime. The Argentinians were getting a little tired so Sabella had to take out Ezequiel Lavezzi and Enzo Perez. In minute 113 the winning goal from Mario Gotze came. Andre Schurrle made a high through ball to Gotze and he shoots the ball from the side. I think Romero made a mistake when he dived to the left because the only way the ball could have gone in through the left was if Gotze crossed but there was nobody open in the area. Gotze shot to the right, and the ball crossed the net. The game ended like that. As a retirement gift, Spanish defender Carles Puyol was given the gift of handing the Cup to Germany. This was Phillip Lahm's last trophy for Germany as he retires from international football. And Lahm raises the cup.

Fifa World Cup 2014 "Loser's Final" Brazil vs. Holland

This is the Fifa World Cup 3rd place match, or, as I like to call it, the "loser's final". Brazil, (still without Neymar) after losing 7-1 vs Germany and creating pandemonium everywhere, takes on Holland, who lost 4-2 in penalties vs Argentina after Argentinian goalie Sergio Romero saves Ron Vlaar's and Wesley Sneyder's shots. I have to say the Fifa committee did a very bad job choosing referees because this Algerian referee technically won the game for Holland. It all started in minute 2 when Arjen Robben receives and overlap pass from Robin Van Persie and is just outside the area when Thiago Silva, (who had been suspended last game) brings him down to the ground. Normally, that would just be a foul, but since Thiago Silva was the last man standing he received a yellow card and called a penalty. I think what he did was wrong, as all the cursing Brazilian fans did in the stadium. A foul is always judged by where it started, not where it ended. But since Arjen Robben was running at 16 M.P.H, he fell in the area, and the referee called it a penalty. I think he should've given Thiago Silva a red card and Holland a free kick right outside the area but the referee did the opposite. Van Persie took the penalty and scored. I don't know why Robben never likes to take penalties. He did the same in the game vs. Mexico when he let Huntelaar take the shot. Maybe he doesn't like having all the pressure on him. If you miss a shot while people are marking you, it's okay, it's not your fault. But if you miss an open shot (like a penalty) especially a decisive one like vs. Mexico everyone will be super mad at you. Skipping up to minute 17, when Arjen Robben gives a terrible cross that went right to David Luiz who heads the ball terribly, right to Daley Blind, and he scores. Again, the referee made a terrible call. Arjen Robben was right next to the offsides referee and anyone could see that he was offside by a mile but the referee didn't say anything. That's how the first half ended. In the second half Brazil won possession 58 to 42 but they couldn't get good shots on target. The only shot they had was when David Luiz had a nice strike but Jasper Cillnessen caught it easily. I think it was like the game vs. Germany because when the other team scores several goals at the beginning of the game, they are in shock and can't play well. Holland kept coming strong, and in minute 93 Arjen Robben makes a pass to Dirk Kuyt, who crosses it to Wijnaldum who shoots to the corner and scores. In the last minute Holland made a goalie change so Michel Vorm could experience what it was like to be a player in the world cup for a minute. Holland got their medals, and Brazil went back home sad and disappointed.    

Fifa World Cup 2014 Top 10 Goals

1. David Luiz (Brazil) vs. Colombia, 2nd goal for Brazil
2. James Rodriguez (Colombia) vs. Uruguay, 1st goal for Colombia
3. Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland) vs. France, 1st goal for Switzerland
4. Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland) vs. Honduras, Switzerland's 1st goal 
5. Lionel Messi (Argentina) vs. Iran 1st goal
6. Memphis Depay (Holland) vs. Australia, 2nd goal for Holland
7. Tim Cahill (Australia) vs. Holland, 2nd goal for Australia
8. Graham Zusi (USA) vs. Portugal, USA's 1st goal
9. Claudio Marchisio (Italy) vs. England, Italy's 1st goal
10. Thomas Mueller (Germany) vs. USA 1st goal

Fifa World Cup 2014 Quarter-Finals Brazil vs. Colombia

This is the 2nd world cup quarter-finals. Brazil vs. Colombia. To my opinion, it was a very even game. Colombia did very well, but Brazil barely held them back. The game started in minute 8 when Neymar shoots a corner kick. The ball went right to Colombian defender Cristian Zapata but David Luiz made a very smart play. He was taller than Zapata, and he saw that if it didn't hit Zapata it would go directly to Thiago Silva. So he faked a jump and then moved Zapata out of the way so the ball went to Thiago Silva and he scored. Even though I was rooting for the Colombian team, Brazil deserved that goal. Neymar had dribbled all the way since midfield, only for his beautiful shot to be declined by the Colombian goalie, David Ospina. Skipping ahead all the way to minute 43 when Juan Zuniga trips on Neymar and knees his back, badly injuring him. I think that was not on purpose since Zuniga tripped but Neymar would be missing the semi-finals if Brazil won. After half-time in minute 69, when Mario Yepes slide tackles David Luiz, he is granted a free kick 35 yards away. Now David Luiz is usually a powerful shooter, usually from far distances, but nobody expected him to have that good of a shot. Beats the wall, to the back post, and GOOAAL!! What a beautiful shot! Best goal in the world cup!! Eight minutes later, Julio Cesar tripps Bacca for a penalty taken by Colombian star James Rodriguez which Julio Cesar deflects and clears the ball. In the last minute Brazilian defender Hernanez pushes Zuniga in the the area getting a great opportunity for the Colombians. James Rodriguez scores, and Brazil still leads 2-1. the game ended that way. My man of the match was David Luiz. 35 yard free kick, smart assist, it's surprisingly hard to top that. Brazil will have to face Germany without Neymar and Thiago Silva, but they didn't know what was waiting for them.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Quarter-Finals France vs. Germany

This was a very interesting game. France, after finishing 1st in their group with two wins and one tie and eliminating Nigeria 2-0 takes on Germany, who beat Algeria 2-1 in the 119th minute because of Algerian defender Esseid Belkalem's error. The game kicked off to a rough start for France as Thomas Mueller heads the ball to the top right corner beating Hugo Lloris as Germany leads 1-0 in minute 13. For me, even though Mueller scored the player of the game was Mathieu Valbuena. He had so many close chances but German goalie Manuel Neuer blocked every single shot. The game ended 1-0, even though I think France played better. France shoud've won, but Germany earned a spot in the semi-finals vs. the winner of Brazil and Colombia.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Semi-Final Argentina vs. Holland

This is the 2nd semi-finals. Holland, after beating Costa Rica in a close game of penalties, takes on Argentina, who hasn't won a game by more than a one goal difference. This was a really close game. Since Argentina's star midfielder Angel Di Maria had injured himself early on in the game vs. Belgium this was said to be the best game so far. The game had a lot of close tries like Maxi Rodriguez in minute 90 when he bombed but Jasper Cillnessen barely tips it out. Wesley Sneyder has a one-on-one with the goalie in minute 73 but Romero dives at the right moment to the right side. The game was followed by extra-time, still no score. After that the game went to P.K.s. Argentina's order was Messi, Garay, Aguero, Maxi Rodriguez... Holland's lineup was Vlaar, Robben, Sneyder, Kuyt... Vlaar takes his shot to the right corner. Argentinian goalie Romero deflects the ball and sends the ball forward and Messi scores to the left while Cillessen dives to the right. Robben nails the ball to the bottom left corner and Garay shoots straight down the middle. Wesley Sneyder gets a beautiful corner shot but the bit of Romero's goalie gloves tip the ball out of bounds. Sergio Aguero shoots to the left corner beating Cillessen, who dived to the right. Dirk Kuyt gets a low shot to the very right corner, so Argentina leads 3-2. This is the forth round, Maxi Rodriguez shoots. If he scores, Argentina advances to the finals vs. Germany. If he misses, Holland has the chance to score and keep the game to extra penalties. Maxi Rodriguez takes a lead. He aims. He shoots. Hits the goalie... touches the crossbar... goes down and GOOAAL!! Argentina faces Germany in the finals. It will be a 1986 World Cup Final/1990 World Cup Final revenge. Meanwhile, Holland will face Brazil in the "loser's final".

Fifa World Cup 2014 Semi-Finals Brazil vs. Germany

This was probably the poorest game the Brazilian team ever played in World Cup history. Brazil, who was Neymar-dependent, was sad after Neymar had been injured against Colombia in the quarter-finals and, on top of that, the captain Thiago Silva was missing, too. These 90 minutes were the worst the hosts of the world cup themselves were going to experience. Thomas Mueller kicks off the game in minute 11 nailing the ball into the right corner with his knee. In minute 23 Miroslav Klose shoots. Hits off Julio Cesar, comes back to Klose, and Germany leads 2-0. Only 43 seconds later in minute 24, Tony Kroos receives a through ball from midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, extending the lead by another goal. Two goals in two minutes, that's as far as it gets, you would assume, but you would be wrong. Not two minutes later, Miroslav Klose makes a dangerous area pass to Tony Kroos, who makes the lead 4-0. The German side are now laughing their heads off, since a 26 minute 4-0 lead is not something you'd normally expect against Brazil. To make matters worse for Brazil, in minute 29, Sami Khedira receives a one-on-one with the goalie and makes the 5-0 lead. After half-time in minute 69, Chelsea midfielder Andre Schurrle gets an angle shot that hits the cross-bar and then bounces back in, clearly unstoppable for Julio Cesar. Andre Schurrle scores again, 10 minutes later with a cross right to his feet. In minute 90, Brazil midfielder Oscar scores making the lead 7-1, but the Germans didn't care. They were moving on to the finals and had broken a World Cup record. They are playing vs. the winner of Argentina & Holland in the Fifa World Cup Final, in the stadium of Rio De Janeiro. As for the humiliated Brazil; they will be facing the loser of Argentina and Holland in the "loser's final".