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10 players whose reputation tanked during the World Cup

The lasting memories of World Cups should be the celebrations of football — the glorious goals, the mesmerizing skills, the feel-good stories. But we also know that there's no joy without suffering and no winners without losers, and sometimes, it's those dramatic failures that really resonate because life's a snitch and then you die. 

Some of this is completely unfair to players who've given us so much over the years and to young guys who've got a lot of ball left to play, but these are the 10 individuals who really let me down in Qatar.  

Las atajadas de Bono y un Panenka de Hakimi dejan a España fuera del Mundial

No es por venir a presumir, pero en el análisis de Marruecos antes del Mundial hice una predicción: que Yassine Bounou, su arquero atajaría un penal durante el torneo. 

Y Bono, mi brother, no me decepcionó.

El arquero fue la figura de un Marruecos fenomenal, atajando no uno, sino que dos penales en la tanda con que los Leones del Atlas dieron el gran golpe de Catar 2022, despidiendo a España y avanzando a los cuartos de final del torneo.

World Cup favorites Spain bounced by ultimate humiliation: a Panenka and a waddle

Spain's shock 2018 World Cup Round of 16 exit at the hands of Russia — when La Furia Roja took 79% possession with 1,115 passes but fell in a penalty shootout — was supposed to be the ultimate nightmare fuel for the purveyors of tiki-taka.

On Tuesday in the 2022 World Cup Round of 16, Spain suffered another incredible upset in a penalty shootout, this time to African neighbors Morocco after taking 77% possession with 1,019 passes. 

Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal sends Marcos Llorente back to Spain with filthy skill

Spain manager Luis Enrique made the surprise decision to start Marcos Llorente at right back for his team’s Round of 16 clash with Morocco. Llorente hadn’t played a single minute in this World Cup before Tuesday and Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal had a field day with him in the first half.

Boufal was a Moroccan menace in the opening 45 minutes showing off a variety of skills and good dribbles. The 29-year-old winger who plays for Angers in Ligue 1 made Llorente’s life a living hell.

Costa Rica estuvo clasificada a la segunda fase del Mundial durante tres minutos

La definición del Grupo E del Mundial de Catar fue una verdadera locura. Tanto que por momentos, Costa Rica estaba clasificando a la segunda fase del torneo, dejando fuera a Alemania y a España.

Sí, la misma España que los había goleado 7-0 en el debut.

El sueño en todo caso fue corto y solo duró un total de tres minutos.

This ball was called in play for Japan’s winning goal — it’s the reason Germany is out of the World Cup

Germany is out of the World Cup after an extremely controversial Japan goal vs Spain on Thursday. Germany defeated Costa Rica 4-2 but were eliminated due to having a lower goal difference than Spain.

Group E chaos is exactly why we love soccer

Unpredictability is inherent in soccer, and major international tournaments seem to always throw up a heaping of craziness. The gulf between reality and previous perceptions reminds anyone who claims to know soccer that they don’t, and if we were truly as smart as we claim to be, we’d stop trying to predict results. Just embrace the unpredictability and the chaos and enjoy these moments. 

Germany blows golden last-minute opportunity to defeat Spain in shocking fashion

Germany still has a chance to advance out of the group stage, however it will be an uphill battle as the 2014 World Cup champions tied Spain 1-1 on Sunday. German fans will be disappointed not to come away the three points as their team botched several big chances.

In the final moments of the game Leroy Sané broke free toward Spain’s goal. In the middle he had Niclas Füllkrug as an option or he could shoot. Instead, he did this.

Leroy Sané Chance vs. Spain

Spain scores 7, takes 82% possession and completes 1,043 passes to end Costa Rica

Tiki-taka (the lethal variety) is back. Spain was greatly helped by Costa Rica's decision to grant mobile brain-in-a-jar Sergio Busquets freedom of the park Wednesday, but to downplay La Furia Roja's 7-0 World Cup victory over Los Ticos is like throwing mashed potatoes at a Van Gogh.

This was always the danger for Old Man Costa Rica: 35-year-old Keylor Navas, 34-year-old Celso Borges and 33-year-old Óscar Duarte getting torn apart by 22-year-old Ferran Torres and Barcelona teenage prodigies Pedri and Gavi. 

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