There’s an increasing consensus that this World Cup has been
up there with the best ever, at the very least the best in living memory. That
might be true in my case: none of ‘my’ previous three tournaments -2002, 2006
and 2010 – have been able to contend with the levels of excitement that Brazil
has treated us to so far.
I’ve come to tolerate hearing that this World Cup is the
best ever – it may a touch premature, but it is a judgement that is ultimately
subjective. But I’ve heard its proponents suggest that these finals have “had
it all” - have they really? The semi-finals are upon us and we are, in my
opinion, yet to see a truly great side.
That does not mean to say that this World Cup hasn’t had
plenty going for it. There has been controversy – but dodgy refereeing, dives
and bites are to be deplored rather than celebrated. So, too, have there been
upsets, but none of the earth-shattering variety to be found in Korea and Japan, or indeed Brazil in 1950.
For many, the joy of this World Cup has been the triumph of
the underdog, with the progression of the likes Colombia and Costa Rica giving
the tournament flavour and variety. Whilst this may be true, even the most
extraordinary of underdogs cannot make a tournament great – no-one would
suggest the Greeks boring their way to the European Championships in 2004 made
it the best tournament of all time, however surprising it was.
Of course, perhaps significantly, there have been plenty of
goals. The group stages boasted nearly three a game – almost unprecedented
levels of excitement. Goals mean entertainment, of course, but they do not
necessarily equate to a tournament of high quality – especially when they come
at the cost of decent defending.
That is something that has been scarce at this tournament –
just ask England. Costa Rica, perhaps, have been the most organised and adept
side defensively, but they have been a refreshing exception. I am by no means a
purist, but it is hard to announce a tournament as history’s finest when so few
teams have mastered one of the game’s most basic objectives – keeping the ball
out of your own net.
It should probably be pointed out that the knockout stages haven’t
extended this barn-storming start. In fact, forgetting extra-time, the last 16
and quarter-final stages in Brazil have yielded fewer goals than the same
stages in South Africa four years ago – widely perceived to be the worst
tournament ever.
Regardless, the point is that goals are not necessarily
indicative of entertainment. If they were, as Jonathan Wilson writes in Inverting the Pyramid, there’d be huge
queues to watch primary school football. It might be a little simplistic but
there can be average 3-3 draws in the same way that there can be great 0-0s.
I am probably being overly critical of what has undoubtedly
been the finest tournament I have experienced. Perhaps I sound ungrateful for
the hours of entertainment Brazil 2014 has brought, but I find it hard to refer
to Brazil 2014 as the best ever as long as it continues to lack a great team.
Although it has been a privilege to see the individual
brilliance of characters such as James Rodriguez, Neymar and Lionel Messi, when
a World Cup comes around one of the things that excites me most is the
opportunity to witness a truly great side.
The World Cup’s history is littered with great champions –
teams that have done more than simply win
the competition. The Brazilian champions of 1970 epitomise this, with the likes
of Pele, Carlos Alberto and Jairzinho capturing the imagination of millions on
their way to the trophy.
There have even been sides that have become immortalised
despite falling short – the Dutch side of 1974 still managed to make those
finals great with their revolutionary Total Football that ultimately saw them
beaten in the final.
Even the comparatively dire 2010 tournament could still boast
the presence of a brilliant Spanish side. When Iker Casillas lifted the trophy
in South Africa you knew you were witnessing the rewarding of excellence.
For all the excitement of these finals, that’s exactly what’s
been missing from the tournament. A friend of mine summed it up perfectly on
Saturday night when he said that he didn’t want any of the four teams left in
the competition to win it. It’s not hard to see where he’s coming from. Despite
the 21 finals the four sides accumulatively boast, each has flattered to
deceive.
The Netherlands and Germany both started with a bang, but
have petered out as the weeks have gone on to the point where both, and the Dutch in particular, have had to ride their luck on their way to the semi-finals. Outstanding
victories over Spain and Portugal respectively have proved to be false dawns.
Meanwhile, the Argentinians are in the final four by virtue
of the excellence of Lionel Messi alone. Against Bosnia, Iran and indeed Switzerland,
it took a moment of brilliance from the Barcelona magician to carry them
through to the quarter-finals where they struggled past a lacklustre Belgian
side.
And although I am a fan of this Brazilian side for their
spirit and ability to cope with the expectations of a nation, they have hardly lit
up their own tournament. Their only creative influence sadly leaves the
tournament with a broken back, leaving us with a team that spent the majority
of their quarter-final attempting to kick the apparently insatiable James
Rodriguez out of the game.
In the event, it was France that came closest to this ideal.
It was the first time I’d seen them come into a tournament and play with so
much verve and drive. A solitary German goal saw them leave Brazil with a whimper,
however, as they failed to produce with their backs against the wall.
Instead we are left hoping that one of the remaining sides
can take a leaf out of the French book and produce some football worthy of a
World Cup semi-final. The frustrating reality is that each of these sides has
it in them. We’ve already seen it from the Dutch and Germans, and any side with
Lionel Messi in their ranks is capable of the extraordinary.
It is not inconceivable that the eventual champions will
dazzle their way to the World Cup with two quality performances at this late
stage, but if they don’t, in the words of Brian Clough (albeit in a different context), they’ll be
champions, but they won’t be good champions.
And if that occurs, then the “best World Cup of all time”
will be missing one key component.
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