Messi, Van Gaal And Suarez Among The Biggest Winners and Losers

With the semi-finalists for the World Cup 2014 decided, we take a look back at the winners andAi??losers of the biggest show on earth.

This World Cup in Brazil has been the most attacking in recent memory, with 159 goals being scored,Ai??a whopping 2.65 goals per match. From the own goal credited to Brazilai??i??s Marcelo against Croatia toAi??the masterstroke from Louis Van Gaal, nonchalantly bringing on substitute keeper Tim Krul for theAi??penalty shoot-out against Costa Rica in their quarter-final, the World Cup has been a meanderingAi??journey of twists and turns.

Most of the big names have justified their tag in Brazil, while there have been a few smaller surpriseAi??packages punching above their weight. For a few stalwarts like Gianluigi Buffon, Xavi and World CupAi??legend Miroslav Klose, this is the last time their presence will grace the biggest football carnival inAi??the world, while for the likes of James Rodriguez, Xherdan Shaqiri and Neymar, this was a glimpse atAi??their long and seemingly successful World Cup futures. We look at some of the winners and losers ofAi??this World Cup so far.

Winners

Lionel Messi

For a few years now, when the call for who the best player on the planet is floated, Lionel Messi isAi??the answer on most peopleai??i??s lips. The skeptics, however, raise an eyebrow, shrug, and point to theAi??fact that Messi has never really transformed his sensational club performances for Barcelona at the international stage. Reserving his best form for his club is what has come in the way for Messi beingAi??placed on the same pedestal as his compatriot Diego Maradona.

Prior to this World Cup, Messi had never really shone on the biggest stage in the world, despiteAi??carrying the hopes and ambitions of his team. No longer. Lionel Messi and Argentina are now, afterAi??24 long years, in the semi-finals of the World Cup. The Barcelona forward has racked up 4 goals andAi??an assist so far in the tournament, increasing his goal tally at the World Cup by five times.

Coach Alejandro Sabella has built his team around Messi, shunting Napoliai??i??s Gonzalo Higuain toAi??the right flank and accommodating Messi to the central False 9 role he plays with such aplomb forAi??Barcelona. And the move has worked. Big players need to stamp their authority when the goingAi??gets tough for their team. And such a moment of individual brilliance was seen when Messi putAi??Argentina into the round of sixteen with a superb curler against Iran, with the game poised at 0-0Ai??after 90 minutes. These are the kind of goals Argentina need from their star man. These are the kindAi??of moments that define big players with big characters. Messiai??i??s time has come. And not too soon.

The Americas

Given that the World Cup is in Brazil, much was expected from the host nation. And Luiz FelipeAi??Scolariai??i??s men have not disappointed. But they havenai??i??t been the only ones carrying the flag for theAi??Americas. They have been joined in the semi-finals stage by under-achievers Argentina, but theAi??surprise package have been the other North and South American teams, who have shocked qualityAi??oppositions and have stamped the Americasai??i?? authority over the tournament.

Half of the teams in the round of sixteen in this tournament were from the Americas. The UnitedAi??States qualified for the round of sixteen despite criticism of Jurgen Klinsmann for not taking veteranAi??Landon Donovan to the World Cup. Chile gave hosts Brazil a scare by taking them to the penalty-shootout. Rafael Marquez led Mexico into the round of sixteen with typical determination, and hadAi??Hollandai??i??s Arjen Robben not gone over a little too easily from Marquezai??i??s trip, the Mexicans mightAi??have been in the semi-finals. Uruguay looked impressive, overcoming the Group of Death that sawAi??Italy and England dispatched off in the group stages. They ran into James Rodriguez and Colombia inAi??the round of sixteen.

But if there is one team that overshadowed CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, it was brave Costa Rica.Ai??Minnows they might have been thought of before the World Cup, but they showed they could rubAi??shoulders with the best in the world, going out to the Dutch in the quarter-finals through a penaltyAi??shoot-out. Aware of their shortcomings, Costa Rica played with prudence, at times relying on theirAi??defensive tactics to come good. Their 27 year goal-keeper Keylor Navas was little known outsideAi??Costa Rica and parts of Spain, but is now a household name with his gallant performances in goal,Ai??winning three man of the match awards at the World Cup, keeping clean-sheets against the likes ofAi??Italy, England and Holland. This was a truly a World Cup where the Americas outshone their superiorAi??European counterparts.

Louis van Gaal

With a move to Old Trafford imminent, Louis van Gaal has silenced critics who questioned hisAi??temperament by producing a series of tactical moments of brilliance during the World Cup. He hasAi??taken a relatively inexperienced Dutch team to Brazil and has made it to the semi-finals. He has gotAi??the best out of his star men Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. He has blooded youngsters likeAi??Memphis Depay, Daley Blind, Bruno Martins Indi and Jermain Lens. And he has brought in his tacticalAi??genius.

The Dutch comfortably saw off holders Spain in their opening match in a 5-1 attacking master-class.Ai??Van Gaal showed his tactical acumen by fielding a 3-5-2 formation with flying wing-backs that movedAi??into a more secure 5-3-2 formation when Spain had the ball. The speed with which wing-backs DaleyAi??Blind and Janmaat raided the flanks, gave the right kind of support to Arjen Robben and Robin vanAi??Persie. It was a system that was demanding of the players, who bought into Van Gaalai??i??s ideas andAi??performed their tasks to the T.

Van Gaal showed his tactical versatility next by putting out a more compact 4-4-2 against Chile inAi??their last group game, starting with hard-workers Nigel de Jong and Dirk Kuyt in midfield to wear outAi??the high tempo Chileans, before hitting back with two telling substitutions ai??i?? Leroy Fer and MemphisAi??Depay both of whom scored the goals that put the Dutch on top of their group. Next came theAi??round of sixteen clash with the Mexicans where Van Gaal boldly took off Robin van Persie in the 76thAi??minute after Mexico had taken the lead in the 48th minute. With time running out, Van Gaal changedAi??his teamai??i??s formation, replacing lone striker Van Persie with Klaas Jan Huntelaar and ordering DirkAi??Kuyt to partner him, as the Dutch put long balls up field in an attempt to rescue the game. WesleyAi??Sneijder and Huntelaar scored the winning goals to take the Dutch through.

Van Gaalai??i??s final stroke of genius came at the end of extra time in the quarter final against Costa RicaAi??when in a ballsy move, he replaced keeper Cillessen with a substitute. Newcastleai??i??s Tim Krul cameAi??on for the penalties, saved two and guessed right on all five occasions to take the Dutch into theAi??semi-finals. Some may say this was Van Gaal being lucky, but to change your goalkeeper with the lastAi??substitution is a risky and deliberate move that can either backfire or put the opponents in doubt.Ai??Van Gaal claims the change was tactical, but whatever the sceptics might say, he has certainly wornAi??his tactical hat with shrewdness in Brazil.

Losers

Luis Suarez

Suarez lets a nation down, moments after biting Chiellini

Carrying the hopes of a nation on your shoulder is an immense responsibility. World class playersAi??have failed to shoulder this task, but they have at least tried their best. Luis Suarez came to theAi??World Cup on the back of a brilliant season at Liverpool, and was showcasing his talents in the groupAi??stages with quality performances. The goal he scored against England will possibly go down as oneAi??of the best strikes at a World Cup. However, old habits die hard. Suarez shot himself in the footAi??and irresponsibly let his country down by taking a nibble at Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguayai??i?? final groupAi??game.

Suarez was banned by FIFA for nine international matches and his World Cup was over. His bite atAi??Chiellini, the third of a career that has yet to reach its maturity, indicates the possibility of moreAi??such animalistic moments in the future. But that is a topic for another discussion. Suarez has doneAi??what Suarez does best. He has taken his team into the next round only to jeopardize their chancesAi??of winning the tournament. He did something similar in the last World Cup, spoiling Ghanaai??i??s partyAi??with a goal-line handling of the ball that got him sent off but saw Uruguay advance, only to miss hisAi??services in the final stages of the tournament.

Suarez also missed eight games at the start of Liverpoolai??i??s Premier League campaign as a result ofAi??a ban for biting Chelseaai??i??s Branislav Ivanovic. Yes, the biting is innate. While everyone at AnfieldAi??praised Suarezai??i??s contributions to Liverpoolai??i??s title chasing cause, it is not far-fetched to believe thatAi??had Suarez not bitten another player on the pitch, Liverpool might have been champions by March.

Spain

It looks like the end of an era has come. A six year domination of international football for theAi??Spanish has culminated with an embarrassing group stage elimination from Brazil. A run that sawAi??them win one World Cup and two European Championships has seen them bow out with defeats inAi??their first two group games. Spain lacked the technical ability that has given them the edge in recentAi??times.

Xavi was sorely missed this time round and it only reinforces the belief that his replacement is notAi??soon to be found for Spain. Perhaps coach Vicente del Bosqueai??i??s biggest error in judgement was toAi??play Diego Costa up front. Swayed by the Atletico Madrid forwardai??i??s excellent season, Del BosqueAi??opted to include him to play in a classic Spanish tiki-taka style movement, which Costa couldnai??i??t doAi??much to add to. It looks like itai??i??s time to go back to the drawing board for the Spanish, for whom anAi??era has come to a grinding halt.

European big names and Asia

Italy, Portugal and England failed to ruffle any feathers in disappointing campaigns. Moreover,Ai??star players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Andrea Pirlo and Mario Balotelli were hugeAi??disappointments and this is a summer they would look to forget in a hurry. These EuropeanAi??powerhouses, all ranked in the top ten had tame exits from the group stages and not undeservedlyAi??so.

Asia as a continent was a massive disappointment at this World Cup. Not only did no Asian teamAi??qualify for the round of sixteen matches, none of them won a single game at this World Cup. AAi??World Cup to forget for the most populous continent in the world.

Messi, Van Gaal And Suarez Among The Biggest Winners and Losers | World Cup 2014

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