Memorable moments of 2014 FIFA World Cup

The 2014 FIFA World Cup has reached the end of its first round and after a total of 48 games played, the World Cup seems to be at a point where nothing seems to be a set as far as the probable result of the tournament is concerned.

Some of the top rated team have fallen and half of the teams that were considered to be the favourites in the tournament are already on their way home. If that was not enough some major players in the tournament have failed to live up to their hype and some others have lived right up to the name that they built for themselves. Let us take a look at some of the most memorable moments of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

1. Netherlands slaughters defending champion Spain: In what proved to be one of the major upsets or rather one of the most bizarre results of the current or any other edition of the FIFA World Cup, Netherlands came back from being 1-0 down to beat the champions 5-1. If the result itself was not embarrass enough for the Spanish team, their goalkeeper and captain was practically made to crawl like a dog for saving a particular goal from Robben, a visual that will not embarrass him but the entire country and will be played again and again whenever the 2014 World Cup is reviewed.

2: Rob Van Persie’s flying header: If the match mentioned above was not memorable enough for football fans, Dutchman Van Persie only made it better when he netted a spectacular header over the head of a misplaced Casillas to bring up the second goal for the Dutch, a lead that turned the momentum in their favour.

3: Tim Cahill’s spectacular goal against the Dutch: The Dutch seem to be involved in a lot of these memorable moments, this time though they happened to be on the receiving end. Tim Cahill, the Australian forward netted home a spectacular goal that was considered to be among the best goals that the World Cup has ever seen. Although the Australians lost the match, they at least have something to be happy about.

4: Thomas Mueller’s hat trick: Thomas Mueller single-handedly destroyed the Portuguese challenge in the tournament when he went on to score three times in the first game of their campaign. What made the match even more memorable was the fact that he dedicated the performance to a recovering Michael Schumacher, who miraculously happened to regain his consciousness after an induced coma; brought chills down the spine of many fans.

5: Messi’s last minute brilliance: After being held down by the opposition defence and his own team strategies for the first 90 minutes, Lionel Messi came into his own in the dying stages of the game and single-handedly scored a brilliant winner which made sure that the Argentine team qualify for the next round.

6: Suarez’s bite: Yes, bite marks; marks that have been left on the career of the Uruguayan forward; a footballer of extraordinary capabilities. It’s not the first time that we have seen Suarez bite someone or be a part of a controversy in the FIFA World Cup itself. Suarez bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in what seemed to be a game that had already been won.

It has left Suarez banned from all forms of football for nine games and suspended for four months, a punishment that may result in the downfall of the Uruguayan team’s campaign at the World Cup, and even more so, his own descent into oblivion, unless he truly turns a new leaf.