1. Neymar’s injury!
The Brazilian star forward was struck in the back by Juan Zuniga. The Columbian defender’s knee rammed into Neymar’s back in the 88th minute of the game. The 22-year old told teammate Marcelo that he couldn’t even feel his legs, and medical reports later confirmed that his vertebra has actually cracked.
2. David Luiz’s free kick
The phenomenal free kick was scored from 30 yards away in the 69th minute of the game. It became insurance to the hosts and secured their entry into the semi-finals. It was one of the few free-kicks that actually materialised into a goal.
3. Costa Rico held Netherlands for 120 minutes
There’s a reason the underdogs were celebrated this World Cup, and it includes phenomenal performances by teams such as Costa Rica. They held
4. Argentina reaches semi-finals after 24 years
The only goal of the match was shot by Argentina’s Higuain in the 8th minute of the match. The 26-year old picked up a deflected shot by di Maria and shot it into the bottom left corner of the net. Romero contributed to the win by saving some difficult and powerful shots by the Brazilians and helped ease their way into the semis after 24 whole years.
5. David Luiz consoles James Rodriguez
The PSG man displays a stunning show of sportsmanship on the grounds after Brazil won their match against Columbia. He goes over to the young Columbian forward who cries at the end of the game and exchanges number tees with him while encouraging the entire stadium to cheer for James Rodriguez.
6. James Rodriguez’s goal vs Brazil
Rodriguez became the top contender for the Golden Boot with this goal. Scored in the 80th minute of the game on a penalty, it was as artful as the rest of his goals. The highlight - a grasshopper accompainied him while he was at it !
7. Mats Hummels goal vs France
Scored in the 13th minute of the game, Hummels took advantage of a pass by the Germans and shooed it in to the goal by means of a fantastic header. He has been the highest scoring defender this World Cup along with David Luiz and carried his team to victory over France.
8. Krul’s crucial saves
120th minute in their game against Costa Rica and the Netherlands substituted Cilessen for Tim Krul. He made two very crucial saves – one by Bryan Ruiz and the other by Umana in the penalty shoot-out that secured Netherlands’ spot in the semi-finals.
9. Thiago Silva’s Yellow Card
Brazil’s captain and best defender Thiago Silva was booked for getting in-between Ospina’s kick and the goal. It was unfortunate because the match saw 54 fouls and worse offenses weren’t booked. This removes Silva from their semi-final meet against Germany and severely cripples Brazil since Neymar is also out of the World Cup.
10. Di Maria’s thigh injury
In the 30th minute of their game against Belgium, Angel di Maria’ hurt his thigh and walked off the field, only to be replaced by Perez. It did not look too severe at the time as he wasn’t thrashing about or carried off in a stretcher, but it now looks like he might miss the semi-final against the mighty Oranjes.
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