The Netherlands were a goal down and Spain in a manner of control before RVP blew that all apart in the most amazing fashion. He met a diagonal cross with a glorious diving header that took the ball up and over Iker Casillas. It also sparked a “craze” called Persie-ing, where social media filled with images of people, err, laying on their loungeroom floors face down.

Robin van Persie’s beautiful goal.Source:Getty Images

3 Gary Lewin’s injury, v Italy.

It was a such a tense match, decided by Mario Balotelli’s header at the back post. We’re used to an element of farce in England World Cup games, but not to this extent. The England physio Gary Lewin landed on a bottle during the celebrations and broke his ankle, ruling him out of the tournament.

France’s second in an convincing win over a terrible Honduras was the first awarded by goal line technology. FIFA has, for so many years, resisted the rise of technology and four years ago England were robbed of a legitimate goal when the shot from Frank Lampard landed well inside the goal line.

This time a Karim Benzema shot rebounded off the post to the goalkeeper Eduardo Valladres who fumbled it over. The ref went with goal and then the tech backed him up. We don’t say this much but: “Thanks, FIFA”.

5 The foam, it vanishes.

While we’re at it, FIFA, it’s not just high tech that we love. That low tech foam that keeps players back 10m at a freekick then vanishes into the turf? Love it!

6 Colombian goal celebrations.

Colombia’s first goal in an exciting 3-0 drubbing of Greece was their first in 16 years, and they celebrated with glee. Now every strike is a chance for the Colombians to get their boogie on and they were at it again on Friday morning when they beat the Ivory Coast.

The team is fast becoming a fan favourite for their togetherness and shared joy.

United States' John Brooks seems shocked by his winning goal.Source:AP

7 John Brooks’s winning goal for USA.

Teammate Clint Dempsey got the game underway with a goal inside a minute, and then suffered an ugly broken nose, but the iconic moment of this game came from a complete unknown.

The 21-year-old US centreback Brooks reacted with shock, and it looked as if one of us had wandered out there and scored at a World Cup.

8 Guillermo Ochoa’s save v Brazil.

We’ve seen strikers signed to big money deals on the back of a brilliant goal, but Mexico’s Ochoa could be about to parlay his brilliant parry into a massive and unexpected payday.

Ochoa is a big name in his home country, but had just been released by his French club team.

Now, according to transfer rumour mills, Barcelona, Arsenal and Liverpool are chasing his signature.

Guillermo Ochoa saves from Neymar.Source:Getty Images

9 Mark Bresciano’s thoughtfulness.

It’s the photo, by Herald Sun snapper George Salpigtidis, that’s swept the world. Mark Bresciano reaching down before the Socceroos’ match with Chile to tie the laces of a young boy on crutches who had escorted the players onto the field.

Bresciano was able to look outside the pressure bubble of the moments before a match.

To him, it was no big deal

“The boy was a little slow walking out and I noticed his shoelace undone so I did what any parent would do, any player for that matter, I just helped him out and tied it back up.”

Australia's Mark Bresciano comes out with a boy on crutches and help him tie up his shoe laces. Pic: George Salpigtidis.Source:News Corp Australia

10 Lionel Messi’s goal.

The world’s number one player hadn’t enjoyed the best of starts against Bosnia-Herzegovina. And a few minutes before his magic moment he floated a freekick over the crossbar and was booed by some in the crowd.

Then it came. He received the ball on the left and weaved with one of those typical Messi surges, embarrassing defenders with sleight of foot and then curling a beauty into the bottom corner. Cue delirium.

Lionel Messi of Argentina reacts after scoring his team's second goal.Source:Getty Images

11 Muller’s hat-trick and Pepe’s red card.

Portgual’s wild man Pepe just couldn’t help himself. Muller, the three goal star of this game, felt a slap on the chin and went down gripping his face. It might have ended with a freekick or yellow but as Muller whined on the ground. Pepe came over and brought his head to meet the Germans. Hardly a painful butt, but enough to have Pepe sent off.

They came into the tournament having won their past three major championships, including the 2010 World Cup. Their reputation was built around rock solid defence but the demise of Iker Casillas as a world class keeper, and the obvious ageing of the midfield stars, combined with the brilliance of the Dutch, tore them to pieces. Xavi Hernandez was dropped for the Chile game and it was like La Rojas had lost their beating heart.

Spain's goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas. “What have I done”?Source:AFP

13 Neymar’s tears.

Talk about the weight of a nation. You get the impression that Brazil’s latest young superstar tears up at the slightest provocation but it all became too much ahead of the Mexico game.

Neymar broke down in the anthem. On the field he tried hard but was denied by the brilliance of Guillermo Ochoa, and a lack of spark in the forward line ahead of him.

Neymar of Brazil cries during the anthem ahead of the Mexico gameSource:Getty Images

14 Tim Cahill’s volley rocket.

Cahill’s fifth World Cup might not have been his most significant but it was certainly his best. Taking a diagonal cross from Ryan McGowan first time off his weaker left foot he thumped the ball in off the cross bar against Holland to bring comparisons with an iconic goal from Dutch star Marco van Basten, fittingly Cahill’s boyhood idol when he played for his favourite team AC Milan.

15 Luis Suarez double sinks England.

Just because it was predictable didn’t make it any less thrilling. His first goal was a neat header off a chip from Edinson Cavani. Wayne Rooney cancelled it out with a tap in, but then the Liverpool man rose to the occasion superbly.

Bursting into the box on the right he seemed to stumble only to regain his poise and smash the ball past Joe Hart. All this after knee surgery that ruled him out of the opening game. Suarez also dissolved into tears after the game, and you knew that for him, this was personal, although he still had feelings for his club captain, Steven Gerrard.

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