Description

The course of the 2014 World Cup

Early in the group stage there was a repeat of the final that took place four years ago, a game between Spain and the Netherlands. Although it was the Spaniards who came out on the lead first, in the end, however, the Dutch took a stern revenge for their defeat in the final of the previous World Cup and won by as much as 5–1. Spain also lost its second game (0–2 against Chile) and the defending champions did not even get out of the group.

The hosts scored seven points in their group and advanced from first place. Unexpected outcomes occurred in Group D, from which Costa Rica and Uruguay advanced at the expense of the favored Italians and English.

Costa Rica's extraordinary results did not end only in the group stage: in round of 16, the Central American team eliminated Greece after penalty kicks and fell only in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands (also after penalty kicks).

One of the most unusual matches of this World Cup was the semifinal between Brazil and Germany. Before the match, it was expected that there would be a very even, difficult encounter for both teams at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte. Meanwhile, after less than half an hour of play, Germany was already leading... 5–0! The score eventually stopped at 7–1, and the show of strength of the Germans shocked the entire football world. In the second semifinal, Argentina defeated the Netherlands after a penalty shootout.

After what happened in the semifinals, Germany went into the final in the position of a favorite, although it didn't go as easily against Argentina as it did against Brazil. In the end, however, at the famous Maracanã, Joachim Löw's proteges won after extra time 1–0 and claimed the championship title for the first time since the country's reunification.

All tournament matches

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

3rd place game

Final

Attendance:

• Total: 3,429,843
• Average: 53,591