"When hosts Brazil met Germany in the semi-finals of the World Cup, few could have predicted what a crazy game was to take place. Despite some underwhelming performances at the tournament, the Selecao were riding an incredible wave of momentum on home soil and had given themselves a golden opportunity of reaching their eighth final.
"Standing in their way was a Germany side that had dazzled with their clinical brand of total football; a slick machine that had got through to the latter stages with little fuss. On paper, and considering the circumstances, it was a game that could have gone either way. However, the Germans tore Brazil apart during a dizzying first half that saw them score five unanswered goals.
"As the ball hit the net time and again there was a genuine sense of disbelief among the watching world and those inside the stadium. What were we witnessing? This was the type of freakish match that comes around once in a generation. Come the final whistle, Germany had ran out 7-1 winners (seven!) and a proud footballing nation had been reduced to tears."
Jack Prescott, London Correspondent
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"My moment of the year has to be watching Michael Clarke reach his century in the first Test against India. The knock came just a couple of weeks after the death of his teammate and good friend Phil Hughes. To even get out onto the field after such a tragic accident was an achievement, but the way Clarke led by example in Adelaide was quite incredible. If captaining a side through a difficult period was admirable, then watching him produce a stunning knock while battling with injuries was something very special.
"David Warner and Steve Smith would both reach three figures in the same match, and each moment will be remembered by cricket fans all over the world. However, it was Clarke, a man who had conducted himself superbly well throughout one of the darkest periods in Australian cricket, who stole the show in an emotional Test match in Adelaide."
Callum Mulvihill, Reporter
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"Luis Suarez's form for Liverpool last season made him one of the best strikers in football, but there's a certain part of his character that prevents him from being mentioned in the same breath as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In the summer of 2014, Suarez bit into the shoulder of Italy's Giorgio Chiellini while playing for Uruguay at the World Cup in Brazil.
"If biting on a football pitch isn't shocking enough, the barbaric incident was the third of Suarez's career! A four-month ban followed and despite being publicly disgraced, Barcelona shelled out around £75m to buy the striker from Liverpool. Questions of morality in football were raised and it even became the topic of conversation in non-football circles. It was arguably one of the biggest sporting moments of 2014, albeit memorable for the wrong reasons!"
Danielle Joynson, Staff reporter
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"My family and I have always followed Jo Pavey with strange affection. That is to say that we had cheered her on at the big events, prior to cruelly giggling at her as the long-distance elite made a mockery of her attempt to lead from the front on lap five or six. There's something so endearing about an underdog, and at 40 years old, only 10 months after giving birth, Pavey was not expected to make waves this year either, in one of athletics's most gruelling events.
"So to see her run to European Championships gold in Zurich, three weeks after medalling at the Commonwealth Games, delighted me in ways that many other major sporting moments have failed to. A massive congratulations to Jo on all of her achievements this year, which show the value of true persistence and self belief."
Joe Fish, Reporter
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"My sporting moment of 2014 has to be the World Cup semi-final match between Brazil and Germany. The stage was set for the host nation, winner of five World Cups, to finally click following a mediocre tournament up to that stage, defeat the mighty Germans and march on to the final where they would exorcise the ghosts of 1950 and claim their sixth trophy at the Maracana.
"Except Germany hadn't so much disregarded the script as torn it to shreds completely. Which is exactly what happened to the Brazilians, who were mercilessly destroyed in Belo Horizonte as Jogi Low's charges ran SEVEN goals past them in front of an increasingly shocked home crowd, some of whom were visibly crying and howling in horror at what they were witnessing.
"The Maracanazo had played on Brazil's mind for over half a century, but the Mineirazo went on to overshadow it completely. It may possibly be the most seismic football result of all time."
Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter
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"On May 17, 2014, Atletico travelled to Barcelona knowing that a point would be enough to claim their first La Liga title since 1996. It was the Catalan outfit that took the lead after 34 minutes, which had it remained that way, would have seen Gerardo Martino lead Barcelona to the title and leave Atletico wondering what might have been.
"However, Atletico, as they had done many times that season, responded. It was fitting that Diego Godin, who was exceptional all season, grabbed the goal that ultimately secured the title, with his header after 49 minutes proving enough. The celebrations that followed the final whistle were a demonstration of the effort that it took.
"The capital outfit were operating on a budget that could not come close to matching Barcelona and Real Madrid, but they were the victors where it mattered most. Winning the 2013-14 La Liga title is an achievement that simply should never be forgotten."
Matt Law, La Liga Correspondent
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"Speaking as a proud Welshman, and someone who has closely followed the career of Aaron Ramsey since the day he broke into Cardiff City's first-team squad back in 2007, it was great to see the midfielder score what many described as being the finest goal in Champions League history earlier this month against Galatasaray.
"While it may not have been the biggest sporting moment of the year in terms of excitement, an accolade jointly held by Team Europe for successes in the Ryder Cup and more recently the Mosconi Cup, on an individual level this was a standout moment. One of the finest strikes of the ball you are ever likely to see, Ramsey reminded those watching on that he is returning to something close to his best form with a goal that will live long in the memory."
Daniel Lewis, Reporter
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"The standout sporting occasion of the year for me was the World Cup in Brazil, as it is every four years that it comes around. The tournament was an instant hit, with many proclaiming it to be one of the best in history. There is no doubt that the location added something to the spectacle, and some of the football that took place this summer was simply magnificent. Indeed, the only disappointment was England's performance. Within the World Cup itself there were many big talking points, from Spain's early exit to another Suarez bite, but for me the most memorable one was Germany's 7-1 destruction of Brazil in the semi-finals.
"Granted, the hosts were without their two best players in Thiago Silva and Neymar, but the way they were ripped apart by the eventual winners was simply incredible. Watching on, I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. Brazil were 5-0 down within half an hour, including a run of four goals in six minutes, and went on to fall to their heaviest ever defeat. It was the lowest point in the proud country's footballing history and the first time they had lost a competitive game at home for 39 years. To add insult to injury, Miroslav Klose also scored to overtake Ronaldo as the World Cup's highest scorer.
"It was a result that shook the world of football, and it can be put in the same category as Hungary's double demolition of England in the 1950s. That result sparked a period of change in the English game, ultimately culminating in the 1966 success, and Brazil will be hoping that they are able to bounce back in similar fashion. It wasn't nice to watch a team that had given so much to the World Cup ruthlessly and brutally humiliated in such a way, particularly on home soil. It was certainly unforgettable, though, and will be spoken about for years to come."
Barney Corkhill, Staff Reporter
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"It's never nice to see a manager losing his job, but as a Manchester United supporter, David Moyes had been on borrowed time for a long period. I argued in a column on Sports Mole hours after his appointment that he was not the right man to follow Sir Alex Ferguson, but nevertheless I was willing (and hoping) to give the Scot the chance to prove me wrong. In truth, his tenure started badly with several failed transfer bids and it never recovered.
"Defeats, particularly at home, became a regular occurrence and when both Liverpool and Manchester City came to Old Trafford in quick succession and outfought, outplayed and outclassed United, it was time for Moyes to go. As a United fan that had only seen one man in charge of the club during my lifetime, it was certainly strange to see a manager being sacked. Even so, it was a necessary move and with Louis van Gaal now at the helm, it seems that things are slowly getting back on track.
Liam Apicella, Features Editor
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"When the first instalment of Carl Froch and George Groves was made for the end of 2013, it was widely considered that their contest in Manchester would prove to be a routine mandatory defence for the champion, but as soon as Groves floored Froch inside the first three minutes, a story began that culminated at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 31.
"After the controversial ending of the first fight, the demand for a rematch reached unprecedented levels, with Groves playing his part in drumming up interest after winning an appeal to force Froch's hand to face him for a second time. By the time that fight week arrived, the expectation of the occasion had reached fever-pitch but no-one could have anticipated the spectacle that was created come 9.30pm on that unforgettable night in North London.
"Too often, fans in this country look on enviously across the pond when the spotlight falls on the best boxers in the world but this was an evening where British boxing took centre stage as Froch, Groves and Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sport delivered and more. The second bout wasn't as enthralling as the first but it was intriguing nonetheless, and the devastating right hand from Froch was a fitting conclusion to a night that had taken the sport in this country to a whole new level."
Darren Plant, Reporter
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Liam Apicella
