Match Twenty Four: The Last Man Standing

Have you ever watched a movie, a survival/apocalypse-type one,

Where there's this protagonist so possible to make it to the end,

Because he's the strongest, and most dependable of the group,

Yet has to die of sacrificing himself?

Yes that's what I exactly saw,

When I watched this match

Brazil vs Keylor Navas

Group E

Seen inside the picture, one of the best player in the world, and oh
that's Neymar the crybaby on the right. Pic's from here.

I'm not exaggerating. It's literally the whole squad of one-of-world's-best football team, against Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas. If you ask me how many saves and punches and tackles and other forms of goalkeeping that he did, I can't answer because it was literally that many. Brazil was on their ultimate attack mode and they really did countless of shots and sieges. But those attempts turned up to be mere shit because Keylor Navas, one of the best goalkeeper I saw with my very own eyes rising in Brazil 2014, flushed those Brazilian poos away.

It's not until minute 90+1 -yes, it was entering stoppage time already- when Navas finally started losing his grip, and Brazil broke the crazy goalkeeper's walls through Philippe Coutinho. Then Neymar -ewh- showed his capability by adding to Brazil's victory on minute 90+7 -really unfair to me, honestly, because it was past the stoppage time. But then again, it's only nature for Brazil to score both goals because Neymar is a human. He has his limit.

Anyway, it's a fortunate comeback from Neymar to save his own ass from embarrassment, given the fact that he hadn't made any goal while Coutinho had scored twice. Plus, as ever, Neymar had been a complete asshole throughout the game with all his stupid acts, exaggerating non-sense injury, imbecile complains, and on top of all, an ultimate super-obvious diving that almost rewarded Brazil an unfair penalty. The stupid referee had actually decided it was a penalty, but thanks to VAR -in which Costa Rican players need to convince him so hard to check on the screen, it was cancelled and ALL THE SHAME WAS ON YOU, YOU FUCKING DRAMA QUEEN BRAZILIAN TRASH BIN!

But okay, I'm not here to talk about that brat Neymar.

Let that bitch be, he got all the embarrassment he deserved.

This post is dedicated to Keylor Navas.

Obviously the man of the match, to everybody who really watched the game. FIFA decided it was Coutinho who got the title but screw that shit. It's close to rare that goalkeepers got the title although they defend their goal much better than the whole squad try to score goals.

If only, IF ONLY, Costa Rica did more offense, try to rely on attacking, buying time for their goalkeeper to take his time and breathe, and actually score goals rather than defending and counting on Navas, or, IF ONLY, Navas' stamina is unlimited, well, I don't see why Costa Rica can win or at least make it a draw. I didn't think Brazil is on their best shape because, hello, it took them almost the whole match to finally score goals, remember?

Ahh well, Navas...

You may be the last man to be considered hero,

But you were definitely the first one in my mind

For the title "Best Player"

Highlight of the Cup

Entering the last two posts of World Cup 2014,

Lol I just can't stop doing this, it's just so on and on.

Well, no wonder because I guess this has been the most entertaining World Cup I ever watched so far. Losing the team I supported from the very beginning of the cup and forced me to having no preference, made me be oh-so neutral and totally objective to all the games. That's what mentally happened.

Technically, most teams served a hell of a performance! Great sets of mixture, big and small ones, all played damn great. Even to me personally, the best shows came from moderate to relatively infamous players! So fvckin mindblowing!

Now in this pre-closing post of World Cup 2014, I'd like to highlight some of the best dramas that became my personal favorites. You might think this is a shallow selection but, well, I'm just trying to be fair.

Best Goal: Tim Cahill | AUS v NED
Runner Up: James Rodriguez | COL v URU

While most people would say that James' goal against Uruguay was the best in the entire cup, I'd think that Tim Cahill's to Netherlands on the group stage was the true finest goal. The long haul pass -not even an assist- from I don't know who, arrived smoothly around his left foot and then BOOM! There went the ball to the left corner of Jasper Cillessen's goal. That was so delicate and freakin beautiful...

Now James' goal, well, I think y'all knew. Oh ya I'm talking about the first goal tho, since he scored both goals on the match. The one outside the penalty box, with the ball landed on his chest, then got executed with his left foot, ya, you eat that Suarez! Oh sorry, he wasn't even be played on the game. Sent home already so still, eat that!

Best Save: Guillermo Ochoa | Tim Howard
Runner Up: Tim Krul | NED v CRC

Okay as much as I want it to be objective, I can't really tell who wins the category. I can't even decide which save was the best because everything with either Ochoa and Howard in it, was sick! But let me try. The one I really couldn't forget from Ochoa was against Brazil. When Thiago Silva received a ball and headed it to the goal in just a very close distance, Ochoa could unbelievably blocked it. From point blank, for God's sake, he's a god!

While Tim, oh Tim... His 16 saves from Belgian assaults were all crazy incredible. He used all parts of his body to defend his goal. But the ones that blew my mind were when he used his legs. I mean, legs! He was falling down already, any player could easily score an easy goal but then who would've thought that Howard would stretch his legs and block the ball?! He's seriously my idol.

Tim Krul's saves that I mentioned, was the ones with the penalty shootout against Costa Rica. Well he didn't save all balls but, did you notice what he did before each Costa Rican players shot the balls? He walked to the right and left side of his goals like distractions, then talked to the shooters like a form of intimidation. It was a trick, he played with Costa Rican minds! This was what made me interested in his performance.

Best Game: BRA v CHI
Runner Up: GER v GHA

Actually, all matches consisting of fantastic goalkeepers with their fantastic goalkeeping performances were the best games to my preference -especially Belgium versus USA oh Lord that's one breathtaking performance I like! But then remembering the first match of the second round, Brazil against Chile, I think it was the complete set of game, with everything in it! Scores on the original 90 mins, yes. Attacks and counterattacks from both teams, yes. Entering extra time, yes. Penalty shootout, yes! Everything!!

Not to mention the drama. It was like a match of both rationality and emotion: Chilean actual better performance versus Brazilian loud crowd. Yes, I'm saying that this match showed to us that Brazilian current squad was nothing without their supporters, and Neymar's popularity-esteem. Those were the only explanations they could eventually win the penalty shootout. The match also showed us that underdog teams, represented by Chile, took a major role in this World Cup they could even tied the host team. Salute!

Now the runner up of the best game. Well, I must say that this was the most intense game in the group stage. Both physically, and mentally. The European emperor and African warrior kept tumbling each other down all game long, scoring both two goals, featuring sibling fight between Jerome and Kevin Prince Boateng, ended up with Thomas Muller's bloodbath. Remember Captain Tsubasa? This match was adapting the anime.

Best Twist: USA v POR
Runner Up: NED v MEX

I'm sorry but USA really stole my heart. And this game, was crazy. USA's boosted performances gave pains in the asses of this European big team. But Nani's early goal really trembled USA down, they couldn't even score until the half time. But then something shoved Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey they played fvckin well and each scored one goal on the second half. Entering the stoppage time, no one in this whole globe would think that USA would leave this match losing. Well, they didn't. But they didn't win either.

Substitute Silvestre Varela suddenly scored a goal in THE VERY LAST MINUTE of the match, making it ended up draw. It was really mind blowing. I can't imagine how was it like to be Americans. All cameras were shooting the benched Clint Dempsey on the last moments, the man himself couldn't even conceal his excitement of ending the game and going back to the hotel, winning. But Varela's goal, wow, it ruined everything.

Another twist was made by the Dutch, when they were facing Mexico in the round of 16. It was a tie game of 1 - 1, and they were really on the verge of entering the extra time when Rafael Marquez fouled Arjen Robben and Netherlands got a penalty gift, on the stoppage time of the second round. Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who was substituting Robin van Persie, scored the penalty and there they went. Really unfortunate for Mexico, damn, I mean, the penalty kick was so unnecessary and the fact that it was given on the very last minute of the match... It sucked big time.

Wow.

I could talk about this long enough I'd even forget the time.

This just shows how excited I always am, when it comes to World Cup.

Can't wait to start watching Liverpool soon, to fill my longing towards the cup.

Or worse yet,

Can't wait for World Cup 2018

The Rising Underdogs

You might got bored already reading word "underdog" in this blog. To be honest, I am too. But what can I do, this World Cup has surprisingly highlighted underdogs team like I never seen before!

It all started in the round of 16.

Each of Chile, Nigeria, Algeria, Switzerland and USA -oh God, USA, I missed them already- gave too much things to be handled by their match-mate. Great games happened when small teams met big ones, when we got to see like Brazil, Uruguay, France, Germany and Argentina were like working their asses off to show that they were big. But the greatest game was, when underdogs met each other. Costa Rica vs Greece, Belgium vs USA. The last match was even too good to be missed.

Then proceed to the quarter final round.

Only Colombia, Costa Rica and Belgium survived.

Once again, all three out of four matches, that has underdogs in it, turned to be extraordinarily awesome -the other match consisting big teams France and Germany, apparently, damn dead. Not even one big team facing those three, could win easily. Brazil should lost Neymar, and Argentina, well, for me they won by luck. Even Netherlands, one team that has clean sheets over the first rounds they played, should be forced to play extra time and ended up in the penalty shoot-out against Costa Rica.

Costa Rica.

I should've been so mad at this team. They were also one of reasons why England couldn't go on to the next round. But I forgot about dramas in Group D already. Logic over emotion. They actually played well. The captain was capable, the manager was crafted, the keeper was--oh, the keeper. I don't know what else to say, I talked too much about too many too good keepers in this World Cup. Maybe this screenshot could describe how I felt.

Costa Rica.

Trapped in one of the hell group, eventually became the hell itself. They can even proceed further than any of their group mates which were all European giants. And their game last night, which started really slow and dull, but ended up with a massive climax, marked the rising of underdogs.

Another match suited the end of the round. Too sweet.

They who you didn't even see before. Pic's from here.

It all started in the round of 16, and ended up last night.

With Costa Rica leaving, all four semifinalists now are big teams you might've predicted to crowd the last two stages of the tournament. Could turn to be boring like France versus Germany two days ago, but since it's the semi final round and host country Brazil is also there, things would be somewhat interesting.

What a cup. 60 games full of underdogs giving surprises.

I hope the phenomenon's not only occurred in this World Cup.

It's really, tremendously amazing to see teams you took for granted,

Show their true colors and give a hell of a game to big clubs you favorite.

Excitement I never expected from football

World Cup 2014 First Half

The 20th World Cup's group stage had over.

It's only one hour left to the next round's kick off.

The knock out round.

So far the cup has served very entertaining games. So many hell-based groups, underdog teams gone wild, big ones returned home, many surprising stuff happened only on the first round of the tournament. You guys of course knew everything about what happened in Brazil, but then I just don't want to forget the moment so I'm gonna recall anyway. I have summarized some of surprising moments happened in this World Cup that according to me personally, were mind-blowing. And here they are.

1. Spain was the first going home

The defending champion, the last one standing on the previous cup, the last one going home from South Africa, had to be declared as the FIRST TEAM eliminated from Brazil. Even before Cameroon and Australia -whom to me, gave more fight than Spain did. I knew this would eventually happened to Spain, they're just too overwhelmed. But still, lol, I never expect them to be the very first one leaving.

2. Costa Rica survived one of the hells

This was totally unexpected. People kept saying that Group D was hell. For three of the previous champions, to one another. Leaving Costa Rica as the underdog, shouldn't be given shit about. But then everything's flipped. Group D was literally hell, but the hell itself was Costa Rica. Who won two matches and one draw. Being the champ of the group, giving dusts to the remaining three. I seriously can't wait for what happen next.

3. Ghana tied Germany, USA tied Portugal

No doubt, the second set of Group G matches were the best games. I mean, Ghana who lost to USA, could have a draw match against Germany and USA who eventually lost against Germany, could have a draw match against Portugal. To make it better, their draw matches were not such no-goal matches. Both ended 2 against 2, with very dramatic scenes and stuff!

4. Algeria qualified to the next round

Out of all the underdogs succeeding to enter the round of 16, I might say that Algeria's the one people had been taken granted of. They're like, the underdog's underdog. And this is literally their first time ever, entering the knock out round of the World Cup. Oh Allah they're so becoming my fave team, seriously. But next one will be against Germany. I'll give some money for charity if Algeria can beat them :)

5. What else but... Luis Suarez

I was surprised about the biting incident. I was surprised about how actually foolish he was, acting all plain dumb like Chiellini would say nor complain nothing. I was surprised that the punishment given to him, the ban of total 4 months of all football-related activity, plus 9 international matches, was the biggest and the harshest FIFA had ever granted so far. But what I was surprised the most was, the fact that I'm not the only one, even not the only Liverpudlian, that hate Luis Suarez's overall attitude.

http://grantland.com/features/world-cup-questions-knockout-messi-neymar-suarez/

Skill-wise, he's definitely one extraordinary football player ever born. But behavior-wise, he's below scum. I never liked how dirty he always plays. Even if it gives benefit for Liverpool. He's just plain filthy. And I was more than happy to see him punished that hard. He. Just. Deserves. It. And I. Hate. Him.

And Back to his game versus England, it was actually hurting. Because Suarez was in there, stripping his fellow Liverpool's honors, scoring both goals, and on top of that, what pissed me off the most, he came to Captain Gerrard and cheered him up like there was nothing happened. I mean, what the hell??  If only somebody else scored the goals, what he did was really respecting. But he was the one crushing them!! That act was seriously offensive to me. So now following his punishment, I personally would love to say "EAT THAT BAN!"

Okay that last one was purely personal.
I'm a little bit too carried away about him.

So I guess I'm done now. Brazil vs Chile next.

Bem-vindo, segunda rodada