5 Things You Missed At The 2014 World Cup In Brazil: Finals Week
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is over, and Germany has won the title. It was a hard-fought battle, unlike the semifinal against Brazil in which the Germans defeated Brazil 7-1. This time around, the Germans had to work hard to earn their money. That is only the top news for the last week of the World Cup. Here are a few other highlights you might have missed.
1. Nigeria Suspended from International Soccer
FIFA has suspended Nigeria from international soccer because the leaders of the Nigerian soccer federation failed to settle bonus payments with the soccer players that attended the World Cup. This dispute has to be settled by July 15, or the suspension will be extended, affecting the Women’s Under-20 national team. Apparently, the Nigerian soccer federation did not pay their players these promised bonuses for making the knockout stage of the cup. FIFA decided to ban the whole program until things are settled in court.
2. Brazil’s Loss to Germany Most Popular on Twitter
Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany was the most popular event talked about on Twitter. The kings of soccer, who suffered their worst loss in World Cup history, were the most talked about sports event ever on Twitter. The only other sporting event that blew up this much on Twitter was Peyton Manning’s loss in the last Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks.
Argentina vs. Germany, 1986 World Cup (Photo Credit: Bongarts/Getty Images)
3. Germany and Argentina Meet for Third Time in Finals
Germany has won two of three finals against Argentina. These two giants met in the 1986 finals played in Mexico and in the 1990 finals played in Italy. In Mexico, Argentina defeated Germany 3-2 with the help of legendary Diego Armando Maradona. The rematch was played in the following cup in Italy. That one didn't have the same outcome, Maradona and Argentina lost to Germany 1-0 on a controversial penalty. This time around in Brazil, Germany took the tie breaker with a lone goal that was well deserved and came with no controversy. These two countries have written a huge chapter in the history of the biggest sporting event on our planet.
4. Head Injuries in Soccer Are a Concern
During the World Cup final on Sunday, German midfielder Christoph Kramer suffered a huge blow to the head. Kramer kept playing, but later started showing concussion symptoms by collapsing 14 minutes later, and it was a scary sight. He was subbed and taken quickly into the locker room. This incident has raised issues that have been lingering for a while in the sport. Soccer players have been known for playing with concussions and not remembering playing. FIFA has been criticized for not attending to this matter in a more careful manner. The only proposed change is to have a temporary sub while the injured player is examined. If the player passes the brief test by the team doctor, then the player would be allowed to join the game again, and the team would not be penalized with a substitution. FIFA has not accepted this idea, yet.
Christoph Kramer (Photo Credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
5. Brazil Hosted the World Cup Twice
Brazil has hosted the World Cup twice. In 1950, Brazil built the famous stadium Maracana for that occasion and went to the finals against Uruguay. However, Brazil lost to Uruguay 4-2 and did not get to lift the trophy. For this cup, Brazil was one of the favorites to win it, but did not have the same luck they did in 1950. The Germans gave the Brazilians their worst loss in the event ever with a sound 7-1 defeat. Brazil later lost the third place game to Holland 3-0, which is also considered one of their worst.
Check out 5 Things You Need To Know About The World Cup.
J.L. Herrera is a huge fan of football and has been following the Raiders since the 1980s during the LA era. J.L. is also a freelance writer and copywriter on the web. He taught English for a little more than a decade in Los Angeles at the secondary level. While writing for web-based news outlets, J.L. enjoys reading, creative writing, and watching sports. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
