The Champions Have Fallen

The giants of international football over the past six years have feebly perished leaving the race to lift the golden trophy an open affair.

Best Goalie: Guillermo Ochoa - The Mexican goalkeeper was a huge reason why Brazil were unable to find the net, pulling off a couple of outstanding saves whilst looking a calm presence at the back. There were a few other 'keepers in contention for this award with Tim Howard pulling off a wonder save as well as the likes of Asmir Begovic, Claudio Bravo and Vincent Enyeama displaying their knack for making numerous saves throughout their respective matches.

Best Defender: Jonathan Mensah - There weren't any stand-out performances in defence unlike Rodriguez's one last round but the young Ghanian provided a last line of defence for his country keeping a potent German attack out for much of the game. His last ditch tackles were a joy to behold and aided by his natural athleticism and dominant aerial performance, he provided the Black Stars with a slim but reasonable chance of qualification. 

Best Midfielder: Blase Matuidi - It would be impossible to not wax lyrical about the French performance against a strong Swiss side so that's exactly what I'm going to do. The all around brilliant performance of PSG's unsung hero formed the foundation upon which France would go on to dominate their local opponents. His energetic dribbles and accurate passing would have kept fans of Les Bleus on the edge of their seats whilst scoring their second goal seemed to make certain of a French win.

Best Striker: Karim Benzema - Even an inability to convert from the penalty spot couldn't taint what might be the Real Madrid striker's finest performance in a French shirt. He assisted two goals, scored one, had a golazo controversially erased from the record books yet it was the small things that impressed me the most. He allowed France's attacks to continuously flow forward through brilliant movement and tidy touches when both controlling and passing the ball. Others who were close to this award were Emmanuel Eminike, Enner Valencia and Mario Mandzukic.

Best Match: Australia 2 - 3 Netherlands - Once again there were many matches to choose from but the way the scoreline continued back and forth until the Dutch took their final lead was exhilarating. The Aussies pure grit was inspiring to watch as were both Robben and Cahill's goals. The only negative was the way it was decided with an unfortunate goalkeeping error from the very promising Matthew Ryan.

Worst Match: Japan 0 - 0 Greece - Anyone who watched this game needs no explanation.

Surprise Player: Abdelmoumene Djabou - The Algerian winger who played down the left wing against South Korea was outstanding defensively, preventing the Koreans from attacking down the right until he was subbed off. He scored one goal and created another but perhaps more impressive was his ability to win free kicks. I don't think he is good enough to play for a big club but he has certainly done enough to maybe receive a transfer bid from a more reputable league than the Tunisian system.

Best Manager: Jorge Luis Pinto - I was very tempted to pick Algerian manager Vahid Halilhodžić but what Pinto is achieving with this Costa Rican team is absolutely outstanding. I do think that Italy looked a little tired and if I had to pick the worst manager of the round it would probably be Cesare Prandelli as he dropped Marco Veratti when the game seemed to call for control of possession. Even so, the Colombian deserves immense credit for putting the minnows into a pole position to qualify top of the supposed "Group of Death".

Team of the 'Round':

-----------------------Ochoa----------------------

Mandi--------Medel------Mensah--------Diaz

Valbuena----Matuidi-----Jones-------A. Ayew
----------------Eminike----Benzema---------------

Subs: Bravo, Srna, Márquez, Gonzalez (Costa Rica), Hazard, Pjanic, Aránguiz, Valencia, Mandzukic

Predictions:

Golden Boot: Lionel Messi (Previously Karim Benzema) - Something about Lionel Messi's last minute winner against makes me think this may be his tournament. I thought Argentina had a good chance beforehand but their performances so far have left a lot to be desired. However, if the tiny genius can keep dragging his country to victory anything is possible for Messi both individually and within his team. Neymar will probably do the same thing with Brazil whilst everyone else I mentioned last round are still well within reaching distance of this award.

Player of the Tournament: Arjen Robben (Unchanged) - Was again the best player on the pitch and whilst he didn't stand out as much this match I do think he looks a completely different player this year compared to his injury-ridden tournament in South Africa. He seems to have completely upped his physical attributes too becoming a much better athlete than he has been at any other point in his career. Again, there are a lot of players with fantastic performances so far but I'm sticking to my guns here!

Winners: Netherlands (Previously Germany) - Germany didn't seem as though they could handle Ghana's attacking exploits which could prove a problem against more clinical sides. Watching how poorly the Dutch team seemed to be playing against a resolute Australian side made me think if they can win this game they can probably win the entire tournament. Maybe my Manchester United fandom is kicking in here.

Surprise Team: Costa Rica - Italy may have been suffering from their physical encounter with England in the rainforest but Costa Rica were good value for their win. Italy just couldn't cope with their organisation and team ethic. If Costa Rica qualify top of their group they could face the easiest possible opponent in the next round assuming Colombia top their own group too.

Overperformers: Chile - Knocking out the champions whilst performing to an extrodinary level, La Roja have shown themselves to be the real deal but unlike in the last tournament I think they have two very established superstars in Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal who will be good enough to carry them very far in Brazil. Hopefully Aránguiz hasn't injured himself too badly.

Underperformers: Spain - It is sad to see such a legendary side crumble away like this. In reality they have so much talent throughout their nation that they should be comfortably making the semi-finals. Vincente del Bosque will more than likely continue in his role as I believe Pep Guardiola will be the next Spanish manager after a few more years in Munich. This will provide the catalyst for promoting the talented youth that has struggled to break through but there will likely never be a generation with so many of the planet's greatest players such as Xavi, Iniesta, Torres, Villa, Ramos, Puyol and Casillas. Look for them to come back with a bang in 2016.

Final Thoughts

I truly believe Roy Hodgson should leave and have the decency to hand in his resignation. He chose the wrong players for the squad, leaving players like Ashley Cole and Andy Carroll at home has been proved to be wrong. Ricky Lambert doesn't provide the same impact of the bench that Carroll is capable of whilst Cole is clearly still England's best left-back and he was sorely missed. The FA shouldn't keep Hodgson just because it is difficult to find a replacement.