Sport360 Int'l Team of 2014: Vote for your favourite now

Sport360 staff 00:53 21/12/2014
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  • Simply the best: Who out of Germany football, Real Madrid, Europe Ryder Cup, Mercedes F1 and the San Antonio Spurs is your International Team of the Year?

    Unlikely heroes, runaway winners, champions at last: There are many factors that can make a team’s season the best ever. Have your say as to who should be crowned Sport360’s International Team of the Year for 2014 from our shortlist of nominees using #360awards.

    GERMANY FOOTBALL TEAM 

    In Germany’s first match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup they routed a much-fancied Portugal containing Cristiano Ronaldo 4-0 courtesy of a Thomas Muller hat-trick. After a draw against Ghana and wins against the United States and Algeria, Joachim Low’s side secured a 1–0 victory over neighbours France in the semi-finals. A record 7-1 humbling of hosts Brazil in the last four preceded a 1-0 win triumph over Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the final at the Maracana.

    Germany’s World Cup campaign broke multiple records; Low’s team became the first team to score seven goals in the knockout phase, the fastest scorers of five consecutive goals in a World Cup, the first team to score five goals in the first half in a World Cup semi-final as well as being the subject of the most tweets ever on Twitter about a certain topic when they scored their fourth goal against Brazil.

    REAL MADRID

    Los Blancos‘ first title of the 2013-2014 season came in April when they defeated arch rivals Barcelona 2-1 in the final to win their 19th Copa Del Rey. Cristiano Ronaldo was unavailable for the game but Gareth Bale’s late goal ensured a 2-1 win and, before the match, Real had not conceded in the whole competition.

    Real’s biggest achievement, however, was their Champions League triumph – La Decima representing the club’s 10th European Cup success. Madrid had failed to win the trophy since 2002, but lifted the trophy at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon after beating city rivals Atletico Madrid in the final. As European champions, Los Blancos then added a UEFA Super Cup to their bulging silverware collection in August, beating Europa League winners Sevilla in Cardiff, before making a record-breaking start to the new season – winning 21 successive games (at the time of writing), inlcuding all six in the Champions League group stage. 

    TEAM EUROPE RYDER CUP

    In late September, captain Paul McGinley lifted the Ryder Cup after Team Europe defeated their U.S. counterparts by 16.5 points to 11.5 at Gleneagles, Scotland. The United States won two matches and halved another to take the lead after the opening fourballs but that would be the only time Tom Watson’s side would be ahead of their opponents. In the foursomes and the singles, Europe were too strong and claimed the biannual tournament for the third time in a row after Welshman – and Ryder Cup rookie – Jamie Donaldson played the shot that forced Keegan Bradley to concede. It may not have had the drama of 2012’s “Miracle at Medinah” but the impresseive margin of victory served to underline the strength of European golf. 

    MERCEDES F1

    Mercedes took full advantage of the revised engine rules for the 2014 Formula One season and shocked all of their competitors to create an almost unbeatable car for drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who finished first and second in the Drivers’ Championship respectively. Despite the dominance of the two Mercedes drivers, the season was still considered one of the most exciting ever as the winner was only descided at the final race of the year as Lewis Hamilton triumphed in Abu Dhabi.

    Mercedes secured their first Constructors’ Championship in Russia in October and finished the season with 701 points, 296 points ahead of Red Bull Racing in second-place. The German team were totally dominant with 16 race wins from 19 on the calander and have set the standard for teams to aim for next season.

    SAN ANTONIO SPURS

    The Spurs clinched the best record in the NBA with 62 wins, which included a franchise record 19 straight wins in February and March. San Antonio played the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals – the Spurs’ third successive appearance in the  at that stage – and defeated them to advance to the finals for a second consecutive year, setting up a rematch with the Miami Heat.

    The Spurs cemented their place in NBA history by wining the 2014 Championship by 4 games to 1, beating Miami by 15 or more points in all four wins. Kawhi Leonard was named MVP for his big game performance – the third youngest player in history to win the award.

    And the nearly men…: New Zealand rugby team, Atletico Madrid, Swiss Davis Cup squad, New Zealand Cricket team, England Women’s Rugby Team. Sri Lanka Cricket team

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