Top 5 World Cup moments

Looking back at the year that was in sports would be a hollow endeavor without devoting more than a little bit of time to the event that captured the hearts and minds of not only hardcore football fans, but the entire world.

In no particular order, here are five of our favorite moments from the greatest sporting spectacle 2014 had to offer, the World Cup. 

Honorable mention

• Miroslav Klose becomes all-time leading World Cup scorer
• John Brooks scores against Ghana, is in complete shock
• Mauricio Pinilla inches away from breaking Brazilian hearts

Germany 7, Brazil 1

Elation for Germany. Desolation for Brazil. 

In unison, 200 million people stood motionless, brought to their knees, with only their flowing tears to confirm that they were still alive. It was a pummeling that usurped the Maracanazo of 1950 as the most embarrassing moment in Brazilian football history.

Seven goals. We've never seen anything like it before. We may never see anything like it again.

Spanish reign comes to an end

The end of an era.

After winning three consecutive major international tournaments - beginning with the European Championship in 2008 - Spain's dominance of the football world came to a screeching halt in Brazil.

Had it not been for Germany's 7-1 annihilation of Brazil, the seminal match of the tournament would have been the Netherlands' 5-1 obliteration of Spain. Arjen Robben was a man possessed as he rendered Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas useless, and Robin van Persie scored that goal. It was shocking. Not only was tiki-taka defeated, it was stomped on, thrown into the garbage and then set on fire.

Chile completed the job with a 2-0 victory in La Furia Roja's second match, a result which officially knocked them out of the tournament and ended their remarkable stint atop the football world.

Luis Suarez does it again

It was probably the worst moment of the tournament. 

Biting an opponent. An act of savagery from a repeat offender, who feigned innocence and attempted to manipulate the referee by, incredibly, holding his teeth as though he was on the receiving end of a violent action.

But boy do we all remember it.

When Luis Suarez and Giorgio Chiellini both crumbled to the turf inside the Italian penalty area at the Estadio das Dunas in Natal, it was obvious something unsavory had happened. When the defender pulled his shirt down to reveal his shoulder, and the teeth marks incised on it, all hell broke loose.

David Luiz reminds everyone what sport is all about

In a tournament that had its fair share of regrettable moments (see immediately above), Brazilian defender David Luiz provided a touching reminder of everything that makes football, and sport, wonderful.

After helping the host nation defeat Colombia 2-1 in the quarterfinal, Luiz rushed to a weeping James Rodriguez, consoling the Colombian superstar before imploring the home crowd to applaud what was a remarkable tournament for the soon-to-be Real Madrid midfielder.

Sportsmanship. Good will. Real sadness soothed by an opponent. In that moment, David Luiz was the best of us.

Mario Goetze becomes a German legend

Obviously.

The intangibles of the moment itself are immense - the stuff of dreams for every footballer from the moment they first step on a pitch. Scoring the winning goal, in extra time, to win the World Cup. It doesn't get any better than that. Period.

What many fail to remember about Mario Goetze's now-legendary goal, however, was that it was utterly brilliant.

Seeing the opening in the Argentine defense, the control with his chest, the volley - with his weaker foot, no less - into the far corner with the 'keeper cutting off every other angle. Anywhere else, and Sergio Romero makes the save. Take another touch, and the chance is gone.

Goetze put the ball in the only possible spot, at the only possible time, and in doing so, etched his name into German hearts forever.