Why the Brazil World Cup is the best so far (plus some incredible trivia)

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Why the Brazil World Cup is the best so far (plus some incredible trivia)

by rick olivares pic by getty images/FIFA website

The 2014 World Cup is halfway done and everyone is already saying that this is the best one played. And I believe -- and arguably -- it is the best one.

How does one characterize a tournament as being the best? Goals scored? Results decided at death’s door? The inevitable controversy? The intense drama?

Check them all I say, and add those ingredients to all the swirl of controversy surrounding the awarding and preparation of the games in Brazil. Consider that before kickoff, all the news filtering out from host country was negative – late construction, deaths during construction, natives rallying against the World Cup, locals clashing with cops with one constable getting hit by an arrow – an arrow!

Furthermore, it got off to an inauspicious start when Yuichi Nishimura helped the home team to a win in the opener. But when the Netherlands came back to crush Spain – boom – it has been one exciting and riveting match after another.

But how does this World Cup stack up so far against previous editions?

Let’s back track and take at look at FIFA’s centerpiece event since the format expanded the finals to 32 countries in 1998 in France. Since we aren’t past the quarterfinals, let’s take a look at the numbers from the group stages and the Round of 16.

Number of goals scored

Stage	1998	2002	2006	2010	2014
Group Stages	126	130	117	101	136
Round of 16	27	17	15	22	18

Games decided in the last 15 minutes of regular time with no extension

Stage	1998	2002	2006	2010	2014
Group Stages	15	12	21	16	16
Round of 16	2	2	2	2	2

Games decided in extra time

Stage	1998	2002	2006	2010	2014
Round of 16	1	1	1	1	3

Games decided by penalty kicks

Stage	1998	2002	2006	2010	2014
Round of 16	1	1	1	1	2

In the five years that FIFA went into its current expanded format, the group stages in Brazil have seen the most number of goals with 136 and that is in spite of the humidity and the long league season that concluded a month before the World Cup kicked off.

So why the drop off in the Round of 16?

The simple answers are: one, teams are more conscious of their defensive efforts knowing the attacking prowess of other teams, and two, we have seen exemplary performances by goal keepers in the Round of 16.

Prior to the Belgium-USA match, Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa was lauded for his excellent effort at goal until the Dutch broke El Tri’s stubborn resistance.

Now everyone has heard of Tim Howard’s performance of the ages against the Belgian onslaught.

As we look at the quarterfinals, the battles will be more intense and the defensive efforts even more valiant because of the following points that further bolster the argument that the Brazil games are the best ever.

For the FIRST time in FIFA World Cup history, all eight countries that TOPPED THEIR RESPECTIVE GROUP STAGES are facing each other in the QUARTERFINALS. That has never been done before.

Of the eight teams – four are undefeated so far – Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, and the Netherlands.

Four of the remaining teams are ranked in FIFA’s Top Ten: Germany at #2, Brazil at #3, Argentina at #5, and Colombia at #8.

Belgium is ranked #11, the Netherlands #15, and France is #17.

Costa Rica is the lowest-ranked seed by FIFA, checking in at #28.

But all are the leaders of their group stage, all advanced past the Round of 16, and all will now face each other in what promises to be a battle royale.