2014 FIFA World Cup XI
The 2014 FIFA World Cup which got underway at Sao Paulo on June 12, 2014 is just hours away from becoming history. The stage at Rio de Janerio is set for the electrifying finals which is scheduled to have a face-off between European powerhouses Germany and the South American favourites Argentina. Over 700 players from 32 teams took part in the tournament out of which only 11 outstanding performers managed to get a place in the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI.
The 23 man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI:
Goal Keepers:
Defenders:
Phillip Lahm (Germany)
Daley Blind (Netherlands)
Mats Hummels (Germany)
Midfielders:
Javier Mascarenho (Argentina)
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Mathieu Valbeuena (France)
Angel di Maria (Argentina)
Forwards:
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Neymar (Brazil)
Karim Benzema (France)
Thomas Muller (Germany)
The 2014 FIFA World Cup XI:
The 2014 FIFA World Cup XI has been picked from the 23 men squad and has a formation of 3-5-2 with Thomas Muller playing just behind skipper Lionel Messi. The 2014 FIFA World Cup XI has the local hero Neymar and Dutchman Arjen Robben in the either side of attacking midfielder and the leading goal scorer of the tournament James Rodriguez. Toni Kroos and Argentine Javier Mascarenho take the holding position in front of three rock solid defenders in the form of French Raphael Varane, Brazilian Thiago Silva and German Mats Hummels. Manuel Neuer has been chosen as the stopper for the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI. German manager Joachim Loew has been chosen as the manager of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI.
Goalkeeper of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI:
FC Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been of the unsung hero of the 2014 World Cup for Germany. Whenever the opposition breaches the strong German defence, Neuer keeps his cool and prevent the opposition from finding the back of the net. He has a save percentage of nearly 87 in this tournament and has saved over 15 shots which might have been a sure goal.
He is fearless and comes out of his position when the defenders are beaten and wins the ball successfully from the opposition forwards. Barring the group game against Ghana, Neuer has been at his best and he is the reason why Algeria and France got knocked out early in the tournament. A lot will rest on his broad shoulders when his faces Argentina in the summit clash.
Defenders of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI:
The backline of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI has three of the immovable defenders of the tournament. It needs a herculean effort from the opposition forwards to score past the back three. All the three are quick, read the game well and also has the ability to clear the ball in the air. They can also be a huge aerial threat during set pieces as well.
Real Madrid’s Frenchman Raphael Varane, who is the front runner to get the best young player of the tournament award stood like a rock in the French backline throughout the tournament. He won 24 balls from 5 matches he played and blocked 7 shots which could have been a goal. He was clean throughout the tournament as he had the fouls column in the tournament as zero, which is considered as an extraordinary performance for a defender.
Brazil’s Thiago Silva was badly missed by the hosts in the semi-finals against Germany in which his side was humbled 7-1. Their defence without Thiago Silva looked like a ship without a captain to direct and control it. In the five matches he played before getting suspended for the semis, Silva had recovered 32 balls and saved 7 goals apart from scoring an important goal against Colombia in the quarters.
German full back Mats Hummels is the more effective among the three defenders as he scored two goals including the winner against France in the quarter finals apart from winning the ball 38 times in the tournament. He is holding fort at the German defence line which has a slow Per Mertesacker and struggling Jerome Boateng. Hummels hold key for Germany against Argentina in the finals where is set to have a hard battle on the cards against the world’s best player Lionel Messi.
Midfielders of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI:
The 5 man midfield of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI has Argentine Javier Mascarenho and Toni Kroos as the holding midfielders. It will be an interesting battle between the holding midfielders of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI in the Finals of the tournament where they lock horns with each other.
Mascarenho, who plays as a centreback for his club Barcelona controls the play for his national team Argentina in the World Cup. He can be considered as the hero of his side’s semi-finals win over Netherlands in which he didn’t allow Dutch’s danger men Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder to take advantage of Argentina’s rather weak defence line. Throughout the tournament, he cuts off the opposition’s attack midway thorough and create chances for an Argentine counter. He has won the balls 44 times, the highest by any player in the tournament and has a passing accuracy of over 88. HE holds all aces for Argentina against a strong German attack in the finals.
German midfielder Toni Kroos can be a perfect foil for Mascarenho in the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI. Mascarenho holding fort before the defence line allows Kroos to go for an attack. Kroos has been the silent killer of the opposition in the tournament. He is leading the assists charts along with Colombian Juan Cuadrado with 4 assists to his name apart from finding the back of the net twice in the semi-finals against Brazil. Kroos creates chances for a fast German attack from the opposition’s half. Defensively too he is good and can win balls from the opposition against will.
Colombia’s James Rodriguez, who is the leading goal scorer of the tournament and one of the contenders for Golden Ball award is the attacking midfielder in the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI. In the five matches he played, he has scored six goals apart from assisting for two goals in the tournament. Rodriguez will be threatening in the attack of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI which has two exceptional players either side of him.
The wingers of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI has everything in their bag right from pace, skills to some exclusive diving abilities. Brazilian hero Neymar who missed the semi-finals of the World Cup due to injury has been the only bright star for Brazil in the tournament. A lot was expected from him and he did managed to live up to all his expectations. He has found the back of the net four times in the tournament apart from providing an assist. He single handedly ran 23 times into the attacking area and was exceptional with his dribbles throughout.
The Right side of the midfield of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI is occupied by Dutchman Arjen Robben who had a fantastic tournament. He had the highest percentage of attempts on target in the entire tournament and had made a mind blowing 33 solo runs into the area. HE was inspirational for Netherlands in each and every game they played and was the wrecker in chief in the Spanish demolition in which he made the Spanish defenders look like school kids. He scored three goals in the tournament and deserved many more including the late winner against Argentina in the semis which was cleanly tackled by Mascarenho.
Forwards of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI:
The attacking “M” force of the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI has a combined total of 9 goals and 4 assists between them. Germany’s Midfielder Thomas Muller plays just behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the 2014 FIFA World Cup XI.
Muller has been in a terrific form throughout the tournament and has 5 goals and 3 assists to his name. He is the favourite to get the Golden Ball award and holds key in the strong German attack for the finals against Argentina. A goal in the Final will make Muller the leading goal scorer in the tournament overtaking James Rodriguez.
Unlike Muller, Argentina’s skipper and the world’s best footballer Lionel Messi has single-handedly led his side to the finals. Out of the 7 goals Argentina scored in the World Cup, Messi has been involved with 5 with 4 goals and 1 assist. The World Cup winner’s medal is the only thing which is missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet and he will give everything he can to win the coveted medal. To achieve it, he needs to get the better of his 2014 FIFA World Cup XI teammate and German defender Mats Hummels. Messi might be the difference between Argentina and Germany in the finals of the tournament.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup XI is well balanced unit with Lionel Messi captaining the side and Joachim Leow managing it from the technical area.