FINAL

It's a funny old game.

This World Cup has seen me fall both in and out of love with football multiple times. When reveling in the pure joy of Jim Rodrigueuz's performances for Colombia, the beautiful game was at its most eponymous. When watching Fernandinho kick him out of the tournament, the cynical professionalism of a commercially saturated global industry was football at its absolute worst.

And then came the Germans.

Their destruction of the hosts was a victory for football over advertising. The ruthless enthusiasm with which Brazil were unpicked was a sight to behold. In fact, the Brazilians' incompetence overshadowed the perfection of Germany's display. Fast, skilful, incisive: this was the sort of football Brazil are supposed to play.

Lazy broadcasting would have us believe that Brazil play a breed of football that everyone grew up loving; that everyone else aspires to. They've won five World Cups playing a style of soccer learnt on sandy beaches and favelan back streets.

It's, like, SO romantic.

But after Carlos Alberto scored that goal in Mexico City 1970, Brazil tried and failed to kick Johan Cruyff out of the tournament in 1974...



... Before flattering to deceive in 78 & 82, getting outclassed by Platini in 86 and out-thought by Maradona in 90. They won the 94 World Cup by packing their team with workman-like players who freed up their one outstanding talent, Romario. Granted, the 2002 winners were a hell of a team (Cafu, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho) but that aside, I'm sorry: I just don't buy into the myth.

Yes, Brazil gave us the greatest football team the planet has ever seen: 44 years ago.

It's like expecting England to win the World Cup because they did it once before.

Let's talk about what happens on the pitch, not the story we're told by television trying to reach as broad an audience as possible. Don't understand / like football? Don't worry: this is The Greatest Show On Earth and it's about the boys from Brazil, led by Boy Wonder Neymar. This story is about Samba Football.

It's not. And the World Cup is not a Nike advert. This is an unpredictable game.

And Adidas have won.



Match of the tournament: Brazil 1-7 Germany

Player of the tournament: Philipp Lahm (Germany)

Goal of the tournament: James Rodriguez (COLOMBIA v Uruguay)

[In other news: I became mildly obsessed with the FIFA World Rankings at the start of this tournament and - mock them as much as you like - they're a useful barometer of success / failure. So here's the final roll call, with the (+/-) figure representing how each country actually performed compared with where they should have finished based on pre-tournament rankings & the World Cup draw.

The headlines being -
Biggest over-achievers: COSTA RICA
Other Notable Winners: Holland, Nigeria, Mexico
Biggest failures: SPAIN
Other Notable Losers: Portugal, Italy, England

FINAL GEEK-OUT / ROLL CALL
[placings, after round of elimination, decided by group points won, then overall goal difference for the tournament - additional points awarded for extra time / penalty eliminations]

1. Germany (+1); 2. Argentina (+3); 3. Netherlands (+16); 4. Brazil (-1); 5. Colombia (+3); 6. Belgium (+4); 7. Costa Rica (+18); 8. France (+4); 9. Chile (+3); 10. Mexico (+10); 11. Switzerland (-5); 12. Uruguay (-5); 13. Greece (-2); 14. Algeria (+7); 15. USA (+3); 16. Nigeria (+12); 17. Ecuador (+6); 18. Portugal (-14); 19. Croatia (-5); 20. Bosnia & Herzegovina (-4); 21. Ivory Coast (+1); 22. Italy (-13); 23. Spain (-22); 24. Russia (-9); 25. Ghana (+2); 26. England (-9); 27. South Korea (+4); 28. Iran (-4); 29. Japan (=); 30. Australia (+2); 31. Honduras (-5); 32. Cameroon (-2)]