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The quarter finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup proved to be very nervy encounters with all the matches having a close finale. All the matches did have moments of brilliance, goals andcontroversies that werea treat to fans worldwide.In such close matches the top players generally leave their mark with a piece of magic that is the difference between the two teams.However, there are also players who flop on such big occasions. The pressure and the dream of winning the World cup tends to become a nightmare for players who are expected to produce a match winning performance. There were quite few players who failed to live up to their expectations in the quarter finals. Its not only the players but even the officials who are capable of blunders at this stage.We look at such players andofficialswho flopped at the quarter finals.Disclaimer: This list is in no particular order and is the opinion of the writer, and isin no wayendorsed by Sportskeeda.
#5 Bryan Ruiz
One of the most endearing stories of this World Cup has been the journey of Costa Rica. This wouldn’t have been possible without some stellar performances by the team but a certain Bryan Ruiz has been instrumental in leading them till the quarter finals.
He has been excellent on the right side of the midfield running up and down the flank with a muscular application which was missing for his club. He has truly been threatening whenever Costa Rica have attacked, forging a devastating partnership with Joel Campbell that took them past the group of death.
Having scored 2 goals and also created plenty for the side, Ruiz was the center of attention in the much anticipated quarter final clash.
However, against Netherlands he was neither given the space nor the room to counter attack which hampered his side’s progress when going forward. The safety first approach adopted by Los Ticos also didn’t help his game as more often than not he was left isolate.
For his brilliance in the other games it was just a performance that might well count as a disappointment in an otherwise successful campaign.
#4 Robin van Persie
Netherlands will be riding high on reaching the semi finals, however Louis van Gaal might be worried with the form of Robin van Persie. After a world class showing against the World Champions Spain, the form of van Persie has continuously dipped to the point where against Costa Rica he was absolutely poor.
He squandered plenty of chances, looked off color and also missed a sitter after Sneijder had set him up. He offered almost nothing in the entire match and was needlessly caught offside a few times as well.
Although he converted his penalty emphatically, his performances have been poor, and he needs to step up during Netherlands’ match against Argentina.
#3 Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema started the World Cup by scoring a brace against Honduras, answering critics who had questioned his spot in the team after an indifferent showing in Les Blues’ qualifying campaign. It had been difficult for him to reproduce his club form for Les Blues on international stage thereby leading to suggestions of Oliver Giroud starting ahead of him.
He was able to put in decent performances against Switzerland and Ecuador but when the chance finally came to prove his potential he produced a meek performance against the Germans. He could not lead the attack against a defense which was struggling in terms of form as well as fitness.
So poor was his application on field that it looked like a tired, almost boring performance to say the least. He was also guilty of spurning chances that fell his way proving that he is not a striker who is ruthless in front of goal.
Its one thing to perform against lesser known teams and another to lead and perform against a brilliant defense. Questions will again be raised about his mediocrity.
#2 Eden Hazard
If there was ever a game that Belgium needed Eden Hazard to be at his peak, it was against Argentina in the quarter finals. However, Hazard was dismal, yet again, a theme that has recurred throughout the tournament.
Touted to be one of the young players to create a powerful impact at the biggest stage, Hazard failed to live up those lofty expectations. If he had average games in the group stages and the Round of 16, he saved his worst for the quarter finals. The playmaker was sluggish, sloppy in passing and possession was not able to create anything for his team mates.
Completely anonymous in a high stakes match, Hazard couldn’t even provide the pace that would have troubled the Argentinean defence. Hazard’s role as the playmaker entails that he do something decisive, but he could not.
In the Premier League, Hazard completed the most take-ons (132). Despite this, he only attempted two take-ons against Argentina, a statistic emphasizing his poor show and Argentina’s ability to stifle him. He would probably be heading home as the biggest flop of the tournament.
#1 Referee- Carlos Carballo
The match which was supposed to make headlines for either Columbia’s flair or Brazil’s hunger to win at home never did. Instead Carlos Carballo hogged the spotlight for his terrible performance in what will go down as the most controversial match in this World Cup.
There were a total of 54 fouls in the match, the highest in the tournament, but a total of only four yellow cards were produced. A foul happy Brazilian side garnered the majority of tackles, especially some cynical ones against James Rodriguez who was hacked out of the match.
The officiating was so poor in the match that the discussion was only about the referee rather than the football itself. Fernandinho and Julio Cesar were some of the lucky ones to even have completed the match for challenges which would have earned them a red card on any other day.
It took 39 fouls combined for Carballo to book someone. If such refereeing blunders continue in the semi finals and finals, football would end up being the biggest loser.
