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There may be no sporting event that is driven by emotion than the World Cup.

Both extremes were perfectly evident in the 2014 edition of this event. Whether it was complete exultation on the sides of the victors or complete despair on the side of the vanquished, passion seeped through the host nation of Brazil over the course of one month’s worth of football drama.

Ultimate joy went to Germany, which used the latest goal ever scored in World Cup final to edge Argentina in extra time.

That ever-precious and ever-dramatic goal came off the foot of Mario Goetze in the 113^th minute and went past the outstretched arms of Sergio Romero.

It prompted cheers from the German rooters contrasted with tears and anguish from the Argentines—which lasted through the final whistle and may last for the foreseeable future.

While Goetze is the hero of the moment, Lionel Messi has been a star for years. The unquestioned leader of the Argentina attack finished the World Cup as the third-highest scorer (four goals) and the recipient of the Golden Ball Award—given to the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. However, he was rendered helpless in the all-important final—managing a meager four shots (none on goal) against German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

The last came in the waning seconds, as Messi was granted a free kick 25 yards away from the net. Bypassing a possible pass to a teammate, he went for the score—and his attempt was well high.

Moments later, Germany had captured its first World Cup title since 1990 and had eliminated Argentina for the third straight time.

But the failure for Messi to bring a championship for his home country was nothing compared to the complete unraveling of the host nation.

Brazil and its fans had sights set on a dream finish. Instead, they got a nightmare scenario. After cruising through group play, needing penalty kicks to beat Chile in the round of 16, and edging Portugal in the quarterfinals, they encountered Germany in a semifinal showdown. It quickly became a one-team showcase.

The Germans scored in 11^th minute, then in the 23^rd minute, the 24^th minute, the 26^th minute, and the 29^th minute. Before many could blink, it was 5-0. Brazil was stunned, Germany was cruising. The final score was 7-1, marking the largest defeat in Brazilian history.

Four days later, the home team attempted to summon up the energy to play in the third place match—but there were similar results. Going up against a Netherlands team that had already exceeded expectations with its run, Brazil surrendered a goal just three minutes in. Another Dutch score came just 14 minutes later. Brazil never recovered and once again couldn’t mount any offense, ultimately falling 3-0. It’s 14 goals allowed in the tournament was the most by a team in any World Cup since 1986 and the most by a host nation in the event’s history.

For Brazil, Argentina, and the other nations that came up short in their efforts for 2014, they now have to set their sights on Russia in 2018.

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The singles champions at this year’s edition of Wimbledon showed tremendous strength in different fashions. For Novak Djokovic, winner of the gentlemen’s tournament, it was great intestinal fortitude and resilience against the apparent momentum of the great Roger Federer. For ladies’ champion Petra Kvitova, it was sheer power in overwhelming her opponent. 

That opponent in the final held on Saturday at the All-England Club was Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard—a 20-year-old with a bright future.

But her hopes dimmed and darkened rather quickly against the 24-year-old Kvitova. Using a devastatingly fast serve and a wicked forehand, the No. 6 seed cruised to a 6-3 win in the opening set of the best-of-three set match.  Then, she dominated the second set and closed out the affair, 6-0, to claim her second Wimbledon title. The 2011 champion has a fantastic history in London, with a 26-5 career record (.839 winning percentage) on those grass courts.

While the loss for Bouchard may seem devastating on the surface, it’s apparent that her time of winning majors may be coming soon. Bouchard, a No. 13 seed at Wimbledon, used a pair of upsets to reach the finals—including a straight set triumph over third-seeded Simona Halep in the semis. The 2013 WTA Newcomer of the Year also was one of the last four in this year’s Australian Open and French Open.

Where Bouchard is heading, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have already been—and then some.

The two had combined for 23 major championships (Federer with 17 of those) heading into their meeting on Sunday for what was a final for the ages. Early on, the edge seemed to side towards younger and fresher Djokovic. The top seed on the men’s singles draw, however, was matched a determined Federer—aiming to add to his legendary status in the game of tennis and a record eight Wimbledon victory. The 32-year-old native of Switzerland, seeded No. 4 for this tournament, took a 7-6 win (9-7 in the tiebreaker) in the first set. Djokovic then took control—coming out victorious for the next two sets (6-4, 7-6 (7-4 tiebreaker)) and needing just one more for the crown.

It came to championship point in the fourth set. But Federer had an answer, rocketing an ace past his opponent and keeping the match alive. Federer used that momentum to win the fourth set—and the British crowd was on his side. Chants of his name, appreciative of the determination and guile he had shown, would deter most players.

That didn’t happen to Djokovic. The Serb rebounded, fending off break points in the fifth and deciding set and ultimately coming out with the victory in three hours and 56 minutes. Like Kvitova, it was a reprise of the 2011 final for Novak—who won that year but had become the subject of doubters after dropping his three previous major final appearances. Sunday’s win not only erased any notion to cracking under pressure, but it retained his status as the world’s No. 1 player.