11 ways the 2014 World Cup has already changed the way we think about football for ever

With the odd exception, like Iran-Nigeria and Argentina-Netherlands, it has been a cracking World Cup. Great goals, great saves, and some completely revolutionary ways of looking at the world’s greatest sport.

So here are 11 ways we think the 2014 World Cup has changed the way we view football for ever...

1. The Brazil we know and love has gone for ever

Unless you happen to be Argentinian, on Tuesday night you probably found yourself experiencing some kind of weird collective grief on behalf of Brazilian football.

It’s not that Brazil won’t have great teams and win things in the future. But it’s that Germany utterly and totally destroyed the idea that Brazil are a virtually invincible force in world football. A soul-shattering defeat for the most successful footballing nation on earth

Brazil had not lost a World Cup semi-final since the Second World War.

Now, they’ll never play another one without there being at least a fleeting reference to this match.

2. Having boots that are the same colour is now boring

Puma may have made it difficult to win arguments with toddlers who insist on wearing odd shoes, but they’ve also made it obvious that boots of the same colour are yesterday’s thing.

Expect clubs to unleash kits with odd socks next.

3. Penalty shoot-out goalie substitutions are now “a thing”

Louis van Gaal has opened a new can of commentary cliché. Sub a new keeper on like he did with Krul, and it is a tactical masterstroke. Until you can’t do it in the next match, and now you’ve “undermined your #1 keeper”.

We guarantee you’ll never be able to watch another game go to penalties without a pundit or co-commentator saying “do you think he might consider subbing the keeper?”

Talking of which...

4. Substitution boards are now going to look tiny

Unless everybody else adopts the super-massive timepiece sponsored signs that the fourth officials have been holding up in Brazil, the previous designs are now going to look really, really, really tiny.

We also suspect this may be the beginning of an increasing array of novelty sponsor-shaped items creeping into football.

Mark our words, watch out for corner flags in the shape of the McDonalds Golden Arches at the next World Cup

5. The USA are only going to get better at soccer

The American team played with a huge amount of verve in this competition, and did brilliantly to get out of a group that contained Germany, Ghana and Portugal.

The scenes of huge crowds watching the games back home show that the perception of soccer really has changed in the States.

With their huge population, and a very realistic prospect of hosting the 2026 World Cup, we can’t not take American soccer seriously anymore.

6. The “Time out” is probably here to stay

Offically they are “drinks breaks”. And they can only happen if the temperature is above a certain threshold, there is a “J” in the month, and a full moon the night before.

But we think the “time out” is here to stay.

A cynic might suggest their introduction in Brazil was Fifa’s way of softening us up for the heat of Qatar in 2022.

An even greater cynic might note that the three minute drink break is able to masquerade as being for the benefit of the players, while allowing broadcasters to cram an extra ad-spot right into the peak viewing experience of football.

And for that reason, we’re fairly certain we’ll see them again.

7. “Where’s your effing magic foam ref?”

A new refrain from crowds the world over when we spot walls creeping forward or strikers subtly altering the place where a free kick is due to be taken from.

8. Goal line technology and Jonathan Pearce

Goal line technology has been successfully used in the World Cup for the first time. Except in the mind of one person.

Step forward...Jonathan Pearce.

Pearce’s utter failure to grasp what was happening before him during the France-Honduras game means we’ll never be able to watch any goal line technology decision again without chortling at the thought of Martin Keown patiently explaining to him what was going on like a grown-up talking to a 4 year old about the existence of gravity.

9. Fifa have killed off our classic international kit combos

Germany without black shorts? France without white shorts? The Dutch in all orange? England in all white against an Italy in all blue? This World Cup has destroyed our vision of what countries should look like.

10. Players taking celebratory pics of themselves on the pitch is “a thing”

The age of the selfie meets football.

We can’t blame them, to be honest. Who hasn’t taken a selfie of themselves on the last day of the season when you’ve just invaded the pitch?

Oh, just us then?

11. Lionel Messi > Cristian Ronaldo

Whatever happens in the final, and even though he was ineffective in the semi-final against the Dutch, Lionel Messi has dragged this Argentina squad to the climax of the World Cup in the Maracana.

Cristiano is watching at home.

Poor Cristiano.