By Sportswriter Zheng Daojin
BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 2014 World Cup in Brazil has witnessed the end of Spanish dominance of international football and the start of a new era.
Spain has dominated international football for six years, winning two European champions and one World Cup. It made La Roja the first team in history to win three consecutive tournaments. Their quick passing, organization and synchronicity in movement, dubbed 'tiki-taka' style, were impressive to watch.
But cracks started to show in the Spanish legion as key players like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Iker Casillas were aging and no longer in their prime.
A 5-1 loss to the Netherlands and a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Chile sent Vicente del Bosque's boys back home after the group stage of the World Cup in Brazil.
Spain's early World Cup exit, however, didn't mean 'tiki-taka' football was dead.
According to experts, Germany's triumph at the World Cup was technically based on the Spanish style. The German youth football training system drew inspiration from the famous La Masia academy.
Germany coach Joachim Loew has been learning 'tiki-taka' football ever since their 1-0 defeat at the 2008 Euro final, and Pep Guardiola also made a contribution as the former Barcelona player and coach instilled the 'tiki-taka' philosophy into Bayern Munich after he took over the German Bundesliga giants in 2013. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller, Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze and Philipp Lahm, who played pivotal roles in Germany's World Cup campaign, were all from Bayern Munich.
The success of German football was believed the outcome of huge efforts in cultivating young talents. Germany reformed their youth training program following their disappointing performance at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euro. All 36 clubs in the two Bundesliga divisions were obliged to build up their own youth training academies before being given a license to play in the league. The youth training program generated a dozen of stars like Muller, Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira.
Germany's success has inspired others to follow as well. After the World Cup, the English Football Association and the Confederation of Brazil Football both launched reforms in their respective youth training programs.
Although world football is embracing a new era of highly technically coordinated team work, it still needs individual brilliance to add some spark. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were the most shinning stars in 2014.
Messi helped Argentina reach the World Cup final almost single-handedly. At his club FC Barcelona, Messi has broken the Champions League and Spanish league scoring records this month, but he will end the year without a team title.
In Brazil, Ronaldo was eliminated at the World Cup group stage with Portugal, but he has broken the 60-goal barrier for a fourth calendar year in a row, and his goals have powered Real on an incredible run of 21 straight wins, with a Club World Cup final still to come.
Last but not least, two things are worthy to be mentioned. Costa Rica shocked the world when they survived the "Group of Death" in the World Cup, which also included former world champions Italy, England and Uruguay, and beat Greece before losing to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals after a penalty-shootout, while Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez fell from grace for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini and was suspended four months.
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