The individual brilliance of the early matches was eventually neutralized by countries with better all-around squads and this was a World Cup that became reasonably predictable once we escaped the group stage. But every single minute was thrilling and worth it. Read more »
Costa Rica Analysis
Tchau To All That
Expected Goals Of The World Cup Quarterfinalists
Lionel Messi has been magic, while Colombia is now the sentimental favorite, but let's take a step back so we avoid dismissing Brazil and the completeness of France and Germany. Read more »
Messi, Suarez & Costa Rica: An Ode To The 2014 World Cup Group Stages
The deluge of goals from Messi, Neymar, Müller, Robben and Van Persie, impressive play from Costa Rica and Colombia, and the bite seen round the world all overshadowed the changing of the era. Read more »
Group D: Rock, Paper, Scissors
Italy, Uruguay and England is as true of a three-team race as we can ever expect from a group. None of the three squads have enough depth of quality to sustain a run all the way to the Maracană even though they could surely beat any team in the world. Read more »
The 2014 World Cup: A Tournament Of Transition
The best attacker in this 2014 World Cup will be a country’s press. Of course, games are won by brilliant moments from individual players. Genius does still exist. But the modern game is less Steve Jobs than it is Wikipedia. Read more »