World Cup Results 2014: Tracking Final Scores, Golden Boot Contenders for Day 20


We've seen penalties. We've seen extra time. We've seen golazos. We've generally seen the favorites prevail. And boy, have we seen drama.
That certainly didn't change on Tuesday. With the final two berths in the quarterfinals remaining, there was more drama to be had. Below, we'll take a look back at the day's results, goalscorers and update the Golden Boot watch from the 2014 World Cup.
Results
Tuesday Fixtures
Golden Boot Watch
World Cup GoalscorersTuesday scorers highlighted
Analysis
Manu Fernandez/Associated Press
You can execute your game plan perfectly for 90 minutes. Just ask Iran. Heck, you can execute it perfectly for 117 minutes. Just ask Switzerland.
But when you are playing Argentina and Lionel Messi, well, a few seconds can be lethal. And once again, it was the man who plays like poets write who played the leading role, as his run and assist to Angel Di Maria in extra time was the difference for Argentina in their 1-0 win over Switzerland.
Watch for yourselves, via ESPN FC:
Messi still probably needs to win a World Cup to escape Maradona's shadow, fair or not. But as Marc Stein of ESPN notes, nobody can say that he didn't bring his A-game to Brazil:
But much of this game was a cagey affair, highlighted by Switzerland's strong defensive play and the excellent form of 'keeper Diego Benaglio. He made several huge saves, but one of his best was this gem against Messi in the 87th minute, via ESPN FC:
Messi didn't get his goal in this one, no. But he's moving on, and he remains a favorite in the Golden Boot race.
That's a race currently led by James Rodriguez, who has been simply superb thus far in the tournament. Nipping at his heels are Messi, Neymar and Thomas Muller, while Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Karim Benzema seem likely to have their say in the competition.
Hassan Ammar/Associated Press
Few players are facing more pressure than Neymar, but if you think any of that pressure stems from some need or desire to be the top scorer in this tournament, think again.
"I don't want to be the best player, I don't want to be the top scorer," Neymar told the Associated Press, via the Times of India
.
"All I want is to win the World Cup title. It's what I always dreamed about. It doesn't matter how it happens, I just want to win the title."
Brazil are going to have one heck of a journey to get there, however. Next up is Colombia, one of the hottest teams in this tournament, and should they win that match, the winner of Germany vs. France beckons.
For a team that hasn't looked overly convincing thus far, that's a tough road to reach the finals.
But to win the World Cup, you have to beat the best. With so many top scorers and elite talents still in the running, the Golden Boot race remains truly intriguing.


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