While many stories are still to be written--as with whether Lionel Messi or Neymar can capture their first World Cups respectively, or how far can Mexico and the United States go, we look back at some of the not-so-obvious stories we discovered from the World Cup so far.
1) European teams' struggles in South America continue.
Of the twelve European teams that made it to the World Cup, only six have advanced to the Round of 16. No European team has won a World Cup on South American soil, and many of the teams, with the exception of England and Russia that crashed out were favorites to make a deep run in the tournament.
While Italy were unlucky, many of the European teams were not used to having to play important matches in the heat and humidity of Brazil (or anything close to Brazil), and did not have to deal with the antics of the host fans (who often were against the European sides). While the battle against racism, improper invasion of team facilities, and to contain hooliganism must continue to be fought, it is possible that with being able to complaint to UEFA to force closed door matches, hyper-secure training facilities made the European sides rattled when they played critical matches against American and African opposition.
Those are factors that often define the difficult roads that define World Cup Qualifying out of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL (as well as CAF) and make those sides more prepared to deal with the adversity of playing in enemy territory with the ultra-passionate fans from the Americas (the USA included) or Africa.
Of the European teams that advanced, only France, Switzerland, and Greece came out of a group where there was South American competition. France and Switzerland came out of Group E, which contained Ecuador (whom were arguably the weakest South American side at the competition).
When this tally is expanded to include all the teams from the Americas, there were only three groups containing a CONCACAF or CONMEBOL team in which a European team advanced. Of those teams, two of those needed to do so in the final round of the Group Stage (although Germany would have needed an exceedingly complex scenario to crash out at the group stage).
2) England fans, despite not their team not getting out of Group D, should be optimistic about the future.
The English media have already started to label this World Cup a failure in retrospect to 2010. But the 2010 crop included a bunch of mostly (now) aging stars, including Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Peter Crouch, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Michael Carrick, whom were all rated much higher (in England) than their actual technical ability. Worse of all, the club players seemed to lack the enthusiasm to play for the national team (with people in England seeming to hold players' club ventures in higher regard). Tyneside-born American commentator Ray Hudson had this to say about that 2010 team.
Roy Hodgson set up his England teams to be much more attacking-minded and possession-oriented than Fabio Capello did. And he included better players, such as Adam Lallana, Gary Cahill, Luke Shaw, Daniel Sterling, and Raheem Sterling, who interchanged better, worked harder on the ball, and were more creative overall. The bravery to create chances on goal and to take players on 1v1 was also there.
It is just unfortunate for this 2014 England side that they were drawn into one of the 2014 tournament's Groups of Death, with Uruguay, Italy, and plucky Costa Rica (who had a lot of belief in their own abilities) to contend with.. While few people could predict Italy crashing out of the World Cup given their Euro 2012 success and the quality of their squad, England were the ones that were counted out. This England side was brave enough to force Italy to defend for most of their match, and troubled both Uruguay and Costa Rica.
While Hodgson has to make sure his players can rally England to believe in their side, he has shown enough bravery in identifying good attacking players that are not bothered by the weight of history (or their wages) to warrant staying on for another cycle.
The emphasis on possession-based attacking and flair (versus directness and physicality) is one that was introduced to the Premier League (and lower leagues) through the introduction of foreign players. While many argue those spots should go to English players, the competition from better Spanish, Dutch, (North and South) American, European, and African players has given the Three Lions' players quality around them to be able to continue to play modern, creative football.
As long as English clubs continue incorporating global elements into their game, and as long as England continue to properly identify good prospects from their immigrant communities and working class neighborhoods (as well as middle class neighborhoods) and to value the creativity, flair, and technical ability these kdis bring, England will be on the path to winning the World Cup.
3) Spain were the team made from misfit toys, and it showed.
In terms of team success, Spain had an unprecedented run from 2008 to just before the World Cup. La Roja won UEFA Euro 2008 and 2012, and captured the 2010 World Cup by utilizing players who knew how to work the structured, short-passing game known as tiki-taka, to a level of mastery that made it become art. The system allows smaller, and occasionally slower players to get past bigger, faster players by way of using their passing, rather than individual strength and skill to dismark defenders. amd retaining their organization throughout the match.
The formula had a major weakness--Spain's defenders were slow, undersized, and not adept at recovering the ball. They relied on longtime captain Carles Puyol to keep the back four organized and to recover balls by adjusting their positioning. Spain could not play the aerial game.
Their attacking game, which was beautiful to look was frustrating without that player who could break down defenses with his individual skill. In an ideal world, some bloke named Lionel Messi would have given up representing the country of his birth and represent the country that finished off his football education. But even without Messi, Spain had relied on David Villa to be that guy.
But leading up to the World Cup, Vincente del Bosque exiled the Atletico Madrid man to the bench, favoring an injured Diego Costa and an ill-fitting Fernando Torres. Torres is much more of the holdup player that is most comfortable with his back to goal, and does not have the pace he once had (although Torres is still very good, and has been a major contributor to Chelsea's successes without appearing much on the scoresheet). Diego Costa was a last minute addition who did not have the World Cup qualifiers to gel with his teammates,
Add in the newfound difficulty of trying to mesh players together from many different teams (versus only a few in 2010), and Spain was a recipe for disaster despite their skill. There was not enough trust within the team to overcome adversity, and the team could not tactically adjust to try to exploit the weaknesses of its opponents.
But it should be also noted that many past powers, like Hungary, Romania, Austria, and Bulgaria, who once dominated Europe would be happy with what was a "relative failure" for La Roja. But like those former greats, what seemed like a "total failure" could become a "great moment of the past," if Spain do not solve their issues in time to qualify for UEFA Euro 2016 and to the 2018 World Cup (and onward).
5) The problems with African football reared their ugly heads, but two countries managed to overcome those problems.
The African national teams often wow on individual talent, and on a few matches together as a team. Most of the good national teams consist of a large number of players, whom either left their home country by the time of they turned pro (or very early in their footballing career) or are representing a team of heritage. Many also benefit from post-colonial policies that allow the players' families to emigrate to Europe with relative ease. But many others migrate to non-colonial powers (Italy, Germany, etc.) for better opportunities.
But that often means a number of African players are often unaware of their parent FAs' financial situation. The amount of money devoted to player pay and infrastructure, despite the deep grassroots passion and understanding in the game, offered by many FAs pale in comparison to what is offered abroad. And often, the career trajectories of players who stay in many parts of Africa to play professionally into their twenties, differs from those that leave before their mid-20s. And some good players playing domestically in those countries may not get noticed without an outstanding performance on a stage as big as the World Cup.
There is also a difference in what the Europe and West Asia-based players have come to expect in terms of compensation, versus what the local FAs can provide. Disputes of payment resulted in team divisions in both Ghana and Cameroon, and might be to blame for Côte d'Ivoire's struggles to come together although no media reports have suggested that was an issue with the Elephants.
The differences in opportunity between the foreign-based and Africa-based players was a major impetus for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to create a second continental tournament in 2009--the African Nations Championship--open only to players playing in their country's domestic league(s). While the tournament has yet to yield a World Cup-changing player (especially since Egypt, which arguably has the best club league in Africa, has never participated in this tournament), it had allowed nations to test the depth of their teams, and been of benefit to those nations who have not sent many players abroad.
Many of these FAs also have had to deal with political strife at home, little money (and thus being prone to taking part in fixed matches), and corruption. But these were not excuses Algeria and Nigeria used. And both countries managed to keep their focus on the prize (although a dispute between the Nigerian FA and Nigeria players over owed bonuses has also been rumored to have flared up and responsible for many of the Nigerian players to miss a training session).
What those countries had, that Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, or Ghana have was the leadership to at least put the financial issues to the side and give their nations sides that not only played with purpose and belief, but ones that can rise above the existential issues (for that moment) and get their countries to dream.
Ultimately, these pay disputes will have to be resolved or they will continue to affect African footballing nations each and every cycle. While a bargain may be sufficient for one cycle, other nations will continue to fight this battle. The way it could end would be with more public and private investments (and sponsorhips) into the national FAs so there is a larger pot of money from which to give players their bonuses. (Much of this will include increasing the visibility of African football through expanded TV distribution of club leagues, national tournaments, and investment in infrastructure).
5) Asian teams have a long way to go before becoming World Cup contenders. And many of the issues are fundamental.
2014 was supposed to be a breakout World Cup for Japan, who showed the world their brave and attractive brand of football at last year's Confederations Cup. Instead, Japan and the rest of the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC's) contingent managed a combined record of 0-3-9.
Many praises were heaped towards Australia and Japan for their brave, attacking play against some of the world's best teams. But as Tom Byer explained in a series of tweets, for the Asian teams to have better luck in the World Cup, every national team has to improve, and the FAs have to do more to bring in sponsors into the national team framework.
Most FAs in the region, as Byer noted, have no plan or strategy to get to the World Cup, or even know how to make their national team's games available to the public. And as he adds, the marketing departments in many FAs fail spectacularly in attracting sponsors or become overly dependent on one wealthy individual or organization underwriting the salaries of the FA. This could also leave the FAs open to taking part in fixed matches against unknown opponents, and to the risk of many Asian continental matches being fixed.
One of the financially distressed nations happened to be at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Iran, devoid of sponsorship because of economic sanctions against its country over both its nuclear program and deep influence of traditional religious law (in some places), could not afford to have its players partake in the traditional post-match shirt swap because their teams could not afford replacement shirts for the said players.
And in places with plenty of revenue and sponsorship, much of it is directed towards the clubs and luring famous stars and manages to the region on the guise of those players making a big payday with few taxes to pay. Many of these sides, like Guangzhou Evergrande in China, or Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, often use those big signings to propel them to AFC Champions League glory. But that glory comes with the continued struggle of their national teams to push the best sides in the region to make a World Cup appearance.
Without the constant competition, there will not be the pressure on Japan, South Korea, Australia, or anyone else to overcome their own issues to becoming World Cup contenders.
6) Some managers were very incompetent at this World Cup.
It is one thing for a Vincente del Bosque or Roy Hodgson or Cesare Prandelli to not get their squads right for the World Cup. All of those managers were missing key players, or fielded sides whose ceilings were not going to be hit this World Cup. And many of those issues are pool related, and will need at least one cycle to be worked out,
But other managers managed to take very talented sides and make them completely listless. The easiest thing to do for managers when they have a "best side," would be to let the best side play and express themselves. Others just simply took the life out of their side, and hurt their sides' chances of going as deep as possible in the World Cup.
The top honor for worst manager at the World Cup goes to Ecuador's Reinaldo Rueda. The side should have featured quick, passing-oriented attacking play that replicated what many of its players contribute to Liga MX, and boasted the fastest player at the tournament in captain Antonio Valencia.
However, La Tri scored only three goals (all of them by Enner Valencia) and created few other chances at the World Cup. And they utilized a central midfield that was better at making hard, physical challenges than they were at orchestrating the passing.
Although all-time leading scorer Christian Benitez was no longer alive to help La Tri, not even he would be able to do much with Rueda's tactics. With the success Colombia have enjoyed under Jose Pekerman, many were convinced Rueda's tactics and player selection were the reasons why the Cafeteros had not qualified for the tournament since 2002.
Portugal's Paulo Bento did little to inspire his very talented side to play up to their capabilities. The side featuring arguably the world's best winger in Cristiano Ronaldo and elite creative players in Joao Moutinho and Silvestre Varela, and defenders in Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, and Hugo Almeida was not inspired to play up to its technical ability.
Perhaps, Bento asked his side to absorb too much pressure. But his players also failed to link up, and the skills of William Carvalho were often left underused on the bench or in the holding midfield when they were best used in the central defense.
As the highest paid coach in the World Cup, Fabio Capello deserves to be on the list for both not being honest about his team when his team crashed out of the tournament, and suggesting that the Russian players should get more playing time in their own top flight--the Russian Premier League (RPL). But almost all of the players in Russia's squad played regularly in the RPL.
It could be argued that the Russian NT players did not try to test themselves by playing abroad. (Of the players in Russia's preliminary squad, only Denis Cheryshev and Pavel Pogrebnyak played outside the homeland.) So, the players' technical qualities were not tested outside of Russia.
But Fabio Capello failed to address the mentality of his squad, which seemed too comfortable and complacent when they grabbed their leads, and did not know what to do when they fell behind. These were the same problems his England side faced during the 2010 World Cup, although England got out of its group in 2010.
But Capello could still stay on with Russia for another cycle simply because he got the side to the World Cup, a feat that had not been achieved in the modern history of the Russian Federation. But his showings at the World Cup suggest Russian national team supporters need to figure out that he is incompetent.
7) There were also plenty of world class managing miracle workers at the World Cup.
The brilliant coaches have shined much brighter than the incompetent ones.
At the top of the list is Miguel Herrera. 'El Piojo' took over a Mexico team that had been through three coaches in a matter of months, and had to rescue a World Cup qualifying campaign that went completely sour, and the promise of a 2012 Olympics gold that went unmet. While 'Piojo' brought in a few new players like Jose Juan Vazquez, Carlos Pena, and Luis Montes, he was brought in too close to the intercontinental playoffs (and the World Cup) to really cycle in new players. Yet, with his directness and gregariousness towards players, fans, and media, his intensity on and off the pitch, and his overall trust in his players (always making sure to put out his lineups on the day before matchday to allow players to prepare for their roles in his 5-3-2 system) helped to turn a team that needed luck to continue their World Cup qualifying campaign into one that took home 7 points and got out of one of the World Cup's many Groups of Death.
Colombian manager Jose Luis Pinto also managed to lead his Costa Rica side to 7 points out of nine out of another one of this World Cup's Groups of Death (Group D). While the side features arguable Neymar's adversary in "best player of his generation" in Joel Campbell, Pinto deserves plaudits for getting his Costa Rica side to play attacking football with consistent, pinpoint passing and movement when they had the ball. Pinto has opened the world's eyes to outside backs Christian Gamboa and Junior Diaz (whose play with Mainz in the Bundesliga was already earning him plenty of onlookers).
For everything Reinaldo Rueda got wrong with Colombia, current Colombia manager Jose Pekerman is getting right. Pekerman, who was a finalist for the USA job before the job was given to Jurgen Klinsmann, not only steered Colombia to a top two performance in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, but he managed to restore the confidence in world class playmaker James Rodriguez, who was left undeservedly on the bench many times for AS Monaco. Pekerman has also gotten brilliant performances out of a good forward corps in Carlos Bacca, Victor Ibarbo, Jackson Martinez, and Teofilo Gutierrez. It has been "Teo," who plays his club football with River Plate, that has been surprisingly impressive. But the attention to detail in defensive structure and the holding midfield, which has allowed Colombia to attack its opponents effortlessly, that deserves the most praise. Having technically capable players in those positions helps a lot. But having them play in sync enough to