2014 FIFA World Cup in Pictures

Match 01: Group A, Brazil vs Croatia 3-1
A wrong decision is the decider in the opening match of the tournament. Fred went diving in the Croatian box and referee Nishimura awarded him a penalty instead of a yellow card. Bitter for the brave Croatian team, but ultimately Brazil's win was not undeserved.

Match 02: Group A, Mexico vs Cameroon 1-0
Two goals scored Giovani dos Santos against Cameroon, both were disallowed for offside - wrongly! Still, Mexico managed to win this game.

Match 03: Group B, Spain vs Netherlands 1-5
Incredible match, incredible goal by Robin van Persie. In the manner of a seal he took a cross from the halfway line and lobbed it into the net like you've never seen it before. It was only the third match, but a great contender for the goal of the tournament!

Match 04: Group B, Chile vs Australia 3-1
I didn't watch this one myself, but from what I've read it seems that it wasn't as onesided as the result might suggest. In this picture Alexis Sánchez celebrates his goal that put Chile 1-0 in front in the 12th minute of the match.

Match 05: Group C, Colombia vs Greece 3-0
Honduras' players celebrating the first goal of the match together with the team's substitutes and physios in a beautifully choreographed dance sequence.

Match 06: Group C, Ivory Coast vs Japan 2-1
The latest match of the tournament. At three in the morning in Central European Time Japan was about to triumph over the Elephants... until Didier Drogba was sent on in the 62nd minute. In the four minutes after that Ivory Coast scored two goals and took home the victory.

Match 07: Group D, Uruguay vs Costa Rica 1-3
In the first major upset of the tournament Costa Rica fell behind against Uruguay only to come back in the second half and finish first. This is Joel Campbell celebrating his equalizer in the 54th minute.

Match 08: Group D, England vs Italy 1-2
In the jungle town Manaus this was one of the hot matches of the 2014 World Cup. And it didn't really go well for England. Italy scored first. England's Daniel Sturridge managed to equalize shortly after, but while celebrating the goal the team's physio Gary Lewin twisted his ankle and had to be carried out on a stretcher. Ultimately Italy took home the victory, and deservedly so.

Match 09: Group E, Switzerland vs Ecuador 2-1
For a long time it looked like a draw, until Haris Seferovic decided the match with a last-minute goal. Scorer-points for referee Ravshan Irmatov, who wisely ignored a tactical foul by Ecuador preceding the Swiss counter that led to the goal.

Match 10: Group E, France vs Honduras 3-0
It started with a glitch, when the national anthems could not be played before the match. What followed was a rough game that saw a red card and the first time the new "goal control" technology came to use. In the 48th minute Karim Benzema hit the post, from where the ball was deflected along the line and hit Honduras' goalkeeper Noel Valladares. Accidentally, he shoved the ball into the goal and managed to take it out again immediately. But thanks to goal control it the goal was proven true. In the end France won 3-0.

Match 11: Group F, Argentina vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0
For the first time in this tournament a match was played in the legendary Estádio do Maracanã. It also marked Bosnia and Herzegovina's very first match in a World Cup. And although Argentina won, they made a great match and with their skills, they still have good chances to advance to the second round. The team consists mainly of refugee kids of the Yugoslav Wars who were dislocated all around the world and now form a team together. With only five minutes to go Vedad Ibisevic, who already scored the crucial goal to qualification, managed to net the first World Cup goal for the young nation from the Balkans.

Match 12: Group F, Iran vs Nigeria 0-0
A goalless draw, and not a good one. Nothing much to say here.

Match 13: Group G, Germany vs Portugal 4-0
Three goals by Thomas Müller, one by Mats Hummels. A big win for Germany, but also a disappointing performance for Portugal, who not only lost the match but also three players due to injuries and a dismissal.

Match 14: Group G, Ghana vs United States 1-2
A very fast goal put the US team in front. Captain Clint Dempsey only needed 34 seconds to score. The game became more balanced afterwards, but USA defended the victory with a strong finish.

Match 15: Group H, Belgium vs Algeria 2-1
Algeria had the better start and thanked god for their goal. Nevertheless, Belgium managed to come back and score two goals with two substitute players.

Match 16: Group H, Russia vs South Korea 1-1
Fabio Capello was not content with what he saw on the pitch. In a close match Russia fell behind first and came back only six minutes later. In the end for both teams the draw was not enough.

Match 17: Group A, Brazil vs Mexico 0-0
Another draw, but this one was worth watching. Before the start Brazil's Neymar was overwhelmed by his emotions. What followed was a lively match with chances for both teams, but no goals.

Match 18: Group A, Cameroon vs Croatia 0-4
Team Cameroon falling apart. Not only did they concede four goals and a red card, they even started to get rough against each other. The low point was Benoit Assou-Ekotto's headbut against his teammate Benjamin Moukandjo near the end of the second half.

Match 19: Group B, Spain vs Chile 0-2
Going home... It is only the second matchday an Spain is already out of the tournament. It is the second time in a row that the reigning World Champions is knocked out in the preliminaries. After Italy's disastrous performance in South Africa 2010, this time Spain does not stand a chance against a strong team from Chile and can't undo the thrashing defeat against Netherlands.

Match 20: Group B, Australia vs Netherlands 2-3
Netherlands on the other hand continue their success with a win over Australia. Again, they fall behind but come out on top in the end. Again, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie bag a goal.