One aspect of soccer that separates it from many sports is the unique combination of speed and endurance that is required, and no position must run farther during a match than midfielders. These players are often asked to cover the entire length of the field, which can be up to 130 yards long.

During the U.S. national team's opening match against Ghana, midfielder Michael Bradley led the team with 7.9 miles covered during the match. The match lasted 100 minutes and 1 second, which means Bradley averaged 4.75 mph for more than an hour and a half, with only one real break (continued below).

This chart also shows that even goalkeepers must travel long distances, with Tim Howard traveling just under 3 miles during the match.

We also get a sense of the effects fresh legs can have on a match.

Alejandro Bedoya, who was replaced by Graham Zusi midmatch, combined with Zusi to travel 7.8 miles, topped only by Bradley.

Similarly, Jozy Altidore and Aron Johannsson combined to run 7.1 miles, a half-mile more than the team's other forward, Clint Dempsey.

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After winning three-straight major competitions, the Spanish soccer dynasty is over.

Spain lost 2-0 to a younger, faster, more athletic Chile team on Wednesday. The defending champions have been eliminated from the 2014 World Cup, and their game next week against Australia will effectively be an exhibition.

After coming into the tournament as one of the favorites, they've been outscored 7-1 over 180 minutes.

Like the second half against the Netherlands, Spain couldn't get the type of possession we've seen from them in recent years. They were hounded in the midfield and sloppy at the back.

Spain's best defense through the last eight years has been its ability to hold the ball and never, ever give it away. That all went out the window in Brazil, and the goals started flowing in past a sub-standard Iker Casillas.

Chile opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Eduardo Vargas stabbed in a shot on a counterattack. They went 2-0 up in the 43rd minute when Spain failed to clear a free kick and Charles Aránguiz netted a soft shot.

The South Americans got chance after chance on the counter. It could have been worse than 2-0.

Some will see this as the death of Spain's tiki-taka style. But in the end the demise of this Spain squad, one of the best teams in the history of the sport, has a more familiar explanation — age.

Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso are all over 32 years old. That trio had dominated every midfield in the world for years. In 2014 they were run off the ball and overwhelmed by well-organized opposing midfields, and Xavi was even benched for the Chile game.

The Netherlands and Chile will advance out of Group B. The winner players the runner-up from Group A (probably Mexico), while the runner-up from Group B plays the winner from Group A (probably Brazil).

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Spain will not qualify for the World Cup's knockout stage after losing to Chile 2-0, the defending champion's second straight loss in the group stage.

This pleased one Brazilian fan greatly, who gleefully held up his iPad to the camera with the message "Adios Spana" written on the screen.

Harsh.

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Down 1-0 late in the first half, Cameroon midfielder Alex Song got a red card for a vicious and inexplicable elbow to a Croatia forward as they ran down the field.

This is a professional wrestling-style move right here:

The ref was right there, and Song was sent off.

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Neymar likes them Brazil-green. England's Wayne Rooney, white. Luis Suarez, blue.

Banned from the pitch by FIFA for licensing reasons, the bulky Beats headphones are a favorite for many of the world's top players, making the World Cup a huge unofficial ad for the company acquired by Apple Inc last month.

The colorful high-end headphones created by rapper Dr Dre have become a ubiquitous soccer accessory.

Neymar wore them as he stepped off the bus at the Castelao stadium of Fortaleza for Brazil's last training season on the eve of their match with Mexico on Tuesday.

Suarez had them wrapped around his neck as he joked with his Uruguay team mates during a break at a recent practice.

But soccer world governing body FIFA's licensing agreement with rival electronics maker Sony Corp means players have to take them off when they are in World Cup stadiums for official matches and media events.

Marketing experts say that probably only amplifies their appeal.

"When fans see World Cup athletes wearing Beats in their downtime, by choice, it has as much impact as seeing them lace their Adidas (boots) or sip a sponsored beverage," said strategist Ellen Petry Leanse, a former Apple and Google executive.

"Maybe more, actually – Beats isn't a sponsor, so the message is more authentic and credible."

Acquired by Apple for $3 billion, Beats Electronics is known for "guerrilla marketing" tactics to bypass licensing barriers.

During the 2012 Olympics in London, for instance, the company sent thousands of free headphones to high profile athletes including the U.S. basketball team and the entire British delegation, outsmarting official sponsor Panasonic.

Officials at Beats were not available for comment on their strategy at the Olympics and this World Cup.

A 5-minute film featuring Neymar, Suarez, Germany's Mario Goetze, Netherlands' Robin van Persie, Mexico's Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and other players wearing Beats headphones released days before the World Cup has been seen by 10.6 million people on YouTube.

Its name? "The Game Before the Game".

Sony this month issued all players participating in the World Cup with a free set of its own headphones they can take to the games.

But so far few players have been spotted with them wrapped around their necks.

(Editing by Kieran Murray)

SEE ALSO: Beats releases 5-minute-long World Cup commercial featuring Neymar, Lebron, and Lil Wayne

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The most successful era of Spanish soccer history came to an end on Thursday when Spain was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup in a 2-0 loss to Chile.

They're the only defending champions to ever be eliminated after two games under the current World Cup format, according to ESPN's Paul Carr.

Marca, Spain's highly influential daily sports newspaper, published this brilliant front page on Thursday morning.

Spain won the 2008 Euros, 2010 World Cup, and 2012 Euros. There is reason to believe they'll reload with young talent at the 2016 Euros, but the dynasty is now over.

Says it all:

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Jozy Altidore will miss Sunday's Group G game against Portugal with a hamstring injury, U.S. soccer announced on Thursday.

The forward got injured in the 23rd minute against Ghana and had to come out of the game.

The team has not ruled him out for the entire tournament.

It's a big deal.

As we saw against Ghana, the U.S. struggles to relieve pressure without Altidore. While he has been in bad form for Sunderland, he's still a big, athletic forward who can hold up the ball and keep possession against smaller defenders. The U.S. can fire long balls in Altidore's direction and expect him to retain possession so the team can get forward. There's no other player on the U.S. roster who has that type of hold-up play, including Aron Johannsson — the promising Iceland-American striker who was largely ineffective after coming on for Altidore against Ghana.

We could see Johannsson step into Altidore's role again. Or we could see Klinsmann tweak the shape of the team a bit and play an extra attacking midfielder like Mix Diskerud, with Clint Dempsey alone up top. Either way, the U.S. is not going to be able replicate the things Altidore does on the field.

A draw could go a long way toward qualifying the U.S. for the knockout rounds. Portugal, which has injury issues of its own, needs a win.

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During Spain's shocking World Cup loss to Chile, which eliminated the defending champions from contention, a Reuters photographer captured this image of Sergio Busquets' reaction after missing a shot.

The photo captures the agony of the entire team. It also makes it look like Sergio's head is a soccer ball.

Of course, if you look closer, the tips of the fingers reveal the illusion. But at first glance, the photo does feel like the perfect reflection of what happened to Spain at the World Cup, clutching a soccer ball head in despair.

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Before the World Cup draw last December, the U.S. men's national team coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, said he'd be fine with any and all scenarios, as long as his team didn't have to go to Manaus, the remote Amazon outpost 1,700 miles from the team's base in São Paulo.

"Everybody wants to avoid Manaus,"he told The Wall Street Journal on the eve of the draw.

Instead, Klinsmann was dealt a nightmare scenario — nearly 9,000 miles of travel in the group stage alone with a trip to Manaus to play Portugal plopped right in the middle.

The jungle city of 2 million has been the most criticized of the 12 World Cup host cities.

Of the estimated $3.6 billion Brazil spent to renovate and build stadiums, the $300 million it took to construct Manaus' Arena Amazonia is the most glaring example of waste.

As Sam Borden of The New York Times notes, the cost was escalated by the fact that there are no roads from Manaus to the coast, meaning everything had to be shipped up the river:

"Most materials for the stadium have been sent from the port of Aveiro, in Portugal. Three ships were filled with steel and a fourth brought the membrane, or sheath, that serves as the stadium’s partial roof. Each of the ships needed roughly 17 to 20 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean, then navigate the Amazon River and its tributaries to arrive in Manaus." 

There are no top-flight professional teams in Manaus. The city's most popular club, Nacional, plays in the fourth division and draws just a couple thousand fans a game.

After the Arena Amazonia hosts its four World Cup games, there's no clear use for it. Brazilian legend Romario told The Times about the stadium and others like it, "There will be a couple games there and then what? Who will go? It is an absolute waste of time and money."

More than any other venue in Brazil, there are fears that the stadium could become a white elephant.

On the field, the arena has been met with complaints about the weather and pitch conditions.

Three days before the Italy-England game, the first World Cup match in Manaus, the field at the Arena Amazonia was so patchy and dead that the organizers painted it green. A defeated head groundsman told the Associated Press, "The maintenance has been complicated in Manaus. There're no roads, all the machinery and materials had to be brought by ship. There's no fertilizer, no seeds. Everything has been complicated."

After the game, the pitch took a backseat to a much more pressing issue — the heat.

Temperatures lingered in the high 80s throughout the game. The jungle humidity, impossible to replicate in pre-World Cup training, created oppressive conditions.

One Italy player said he felt like he was hallucinating from the heat.

Italy's coach said it was "truly absurd" that they weren't allowed to call time-outs as players began cramping at the end of the second half.

It's supposed to be in the 80s with 86% humidity on Sunday for the U.S.-Portugal game.

Holding a World Cup game in the middle of the jungle was always a risky proposition. Ultimately, the complaints from teams about the hot weather and bumpy pitch will subside, but the bigger questions about the cost and legacy of the Arena Amazonia will linger for years.

SEE ALSO: 23 Photos From Manaus, The World Cup's Most Controversial Host City

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The USMNT stole three points that they desperately needed in a 2-1 win over Ghana.

With the win, the Yanks' chance of making it out of the "group of death" improved from 33% to 67%. But in order to get to the knockout stage the U.S. could use at least a tie against Portugal.

A tie or a win against Portugal can happen but it involves containing the best soccer player in the world: Cristiano Ronaldo. 

While Ronaldo has an injury and there is a slight chance he won't play, the U.S. likely won't know that until hours before the game.

Business Insider asked soccer experts, some who have played in World Cups past, how the U.S. can stop Ronaldo, here's what they had to say.

Jimmy Conrad (@JimmyConrad), KICKTV host, and former World Cup defender for the USMNT : 

"They can’t because he’s just too good. And because he knows, at age 29, that this will be his last chance to have a legitimate opportunity to win a World Cup before he’s on the wrong side of 30. So he’ll be incredibly motivated, but they can do these two things to slow him down:

"1. Suffocate, stifle, and hound the players that provide him the ball in dangerous areas, specifically João Moutinho, who is an incredible passer of the ball for both club (Monaco) and country (Portugal) and if the U.S. gives him the time and space to pick up his head and make passes to Ronaldo, we’re toast.

"2. Similar to how the U.S. contained Portugal’s Luis Figo, the World Player Of The Year in 2000, in the 2002 World Cup by having U.S. defender Frankie Hejduk just follow him around the field for 90 minutes, they could elect to put someone solely on Ronaldo, the 2013 World Player Of The Year, like a Timmy Chandler, for example, to play the role of pest and hope for the best."

(You can watch Conrad's preview of the Portuguese team on KICKTV here)

Jeff Agoos (@JeffAgoos), Vice President of Competition for MLS, and former World Cup defender for the USMNT:

SEE ALSO: Cristiano Ronaldo: How The Best Soccer Player In The World Spends His Millions

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For Brazil, winning isn't everything. It's the only thing.

As the country hosts the 2014 FIFA World Cup, its men's national team feels the heat of 1,000 suns. Not only is Brazil the "spiritual" home of the world's most popular sport, but the country already lost the World Cup on its own soil in a stunning defeat back in 1950.

Expectations for Canarinho could not be higher. (That's Brazil's team nickname which means "Little Canary."See every World Cup nickname here.)

At times, we all feel Brazil's burden and the inescapable need to "win." How often do we see another Millennial land a huge paycheck for the latest and greatest startup? This time: Washio.

What about the rest of us? Are we blowing our chances?

Nonsense. Success in our 20s is the ability to exit the decade with a clearer sense of purpose.

To arrive at that point, we must be what the world needs of every 20-something. I'll explain ...

1. The World Needs You to Step in Line

If you're habitually late or dress like a slob, people will offer you less opportunities. Doors which should swing wide open will instead lock forever.

The worst part? You'll never know what you might have missed.

2. The World Needs You to Not Think So Much

Your first gig won't be your "forever" job, but it will show you the kind of work you dislike and a glimmer of the kind you love.

So pick something and dive in.

3. The World Needs You to Fall Flat on Your Face

In our 20s, mistakes aren't actually mistakes. They are golden moments of heightened clarity.

Now go and screw up all over this great land of ours. Retain the lesson, shed the bad memory and keep plugging away.

4. The World Needs You to Ask Everyone About Everything

Job interviews. Networking with strangers. Lunch breaks with co-workers.

To more you ask, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you understand the world and your place within it.

5. The World Needs You to Give Without Hesitation

Concede the spotlight, lose the ego and offer your time. When you live for other people, "luck" beats a path to your door.

What's "luck"? The chance to do the work you truly love.

6. The World Needs You to be Vulnerable

Assume, in your 20s, you are far from perfect. Figure you need other people to critique your performance.

In fact, let's start right now. Stop using these two words. They make you sound lame.

7. The World Needs You to Go Beyond

When others quit, you keep going. Where others stop, you push further.

The world doesn't need mediocre, average and typical. There's a drastic shortage of authentic 20-somethings.

Fill the void.

8. The World Needs You to Listen to Your Soul

Shut out the noise, ignore what your friends do or say and look within.

If you spend your 20s trusting your instincts, you will uncover what the world needs most.

You. In the purest sense.

SEE ALSO: 3 Surprising Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Navy Captain

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The World Cup is dominating the Super Bowl — in terms of time spent with ads.

According to the latest stats from YouTube, people all over the world have watched more than 1.2 billion minutes of World Cup ads. That's four times as many minutes as people spent watching Super Bowl ads.

Nike Football has claimed three of the top ten spots for most watched YouTube videos. Ads for Nike’s “Risk Everything” campaign are packed with famous soccer players including Nike-sponsored names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Neymar, Tim Howard, and Gerard Pique.

But Nike isn’t the only brand turning to the stars for support.

Eight of the top ten spots feature soccer stars. Samsung’s top ad, “The Training,” showcases Landon Donovan, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, while Adidas looked to David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Suarez, and Dani Alves for its campaign.   

One thing to consider is the length of many of these spots. According to Google, the average length of the top ten ads is about three minutes, while the average length of Super Bowl ads was one minute. 

Unlike the Super Bowl, where commercial breaks are frequent, advertising spots are limited during World Cup matches because commercial breaks only happen at halftime. By increasing the length of these ads and posting them online, brands have turned their advertisements into viral sensations that tell more elaborate, engaging stories and boost minutes spent watching the ads.

This year's World Cup campaigns are being watched on YouTube all over the world as well. Brazil brings in the most YouTube views at 61 million while the U.S. trails behind at number two with 57 million views, followed by Mexico with 50 million views.  

Here's a list of the top ten World Cup ads on YouTube as of Wednesday:

10. Beats by Dre: The Game Before The Game 

 9. Nike Football: Risk Everything. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. & Wayne Rooney

8. Castrol: Neymar Jr. v Ken Block 

 7. Adidas Football: House Match ft. Beckham, Zidane, Bale and Lucas Moura: all in or nothing — Adidas Football

 6. Itaú: Mostra tua força Brasil (Clipe Oficial) 

5. Adidas Football: The Dream: all in or nothing ft. Messi, Alves, Suárez, Özil, RVP & more 

 4. Nike Football: The Last Game ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Rooney, Zlatan, Inesta & more 

3. Samsung Mobile: #GALAXY11: The Training  

2. Nike Football: Winner Stays ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Kr., Rooney, Ibrahimovic, Iniesta & more

1. Shakira & Activia: Shakira - La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown 

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Germany's World Cup team is staying at a custom-built luxury resort in Brazil.

The resort, called the Campo Bahia, was privately financed by a German investor and it won't open to the public until the World Cup is over.

There are 14 villas, a training center, a pool, a bar, and a specifically-oriented practice field at the resort, and right now the German national team has the place all to itself.

Judging by the photos, Campo Bahia is easily the swankiest World Cup camp.

The resort is on a remote beach that's 15 miles from the town of Porto Segura.

When it opens to the public, the resort will offer diving, fishing, and kite surfing.

Each villa has at least 5 bedrooms.

All eyes are on the World Cup, the world's biggest sporting event. Thanks to social technologies and digital media, the global soccer (or fútbol, depending on your location) community shared millions of pieces of content, including more than 140 million related Google searches, before a single match was played.

World Cup fans are no longer confined to experiencing the games within their direct community. Rather, this audience taps social platforms like Twitter to share real-time reactions, VSCO (full disclosure — VSCO is an Accel-backed company) to share beautiful images of the sport and Facebook to express patronage with other fans (and foes) on a global scale.

Entrepreneurs can learn a lot from how the World Cup has brilliantly navigated the evolving media landscape in support of a more technical audience. Soccer's global governing association FIFA, advertisers, teams and fans are brought closer together as information transcends borders and demographics in real-time. That brings big opportunities for companies small and large. 

Globalization has impacted the FIFA fan community and entrepreneurship at large. Soccer talent has long come from all corners of the world. Teams from dozens of countries compete at the World Cup. Similarly, entrepreneurship has broken through geographic boundaries, thanks to social media, venture capital investment and technology. Entrepreneurs with winning startup ideas are surfacing from nations big and small.

Here are five specific lessons that the World Cup can teach us about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

1. Embrace change. This year, FIFA integrated new digital media and technology to promote the event and increase anticipation. When compared to the last two World Cup events (2006 and 2010), mobile adoption has skyrocketed to become the primary means of communications for the "mobile-first" generation.

The World Cup's adaptation to new technology and consumer trends is an example for entrepreneurs who must continually understand customer behaviors to remain relevant. Startups must be prepared to iterate a product, service or entire business roadmap based on new trends and customer trends.

2. Utilize engaging content. We've seen outstanding content from the World Cup and its advertisers. A steady cadence of visual, engaging content that solicits deep emotional ties to the event and individual teams amplifies anticipation. Ideas that spread are emotional. Only companies that touch a person's heart will touch a customer's pocketbook.

If you haven't already, watch the "Game before the Game" video from Beats, which solicits an emotional connection to the World Cup and the Beats brand.

Start by understanding which channels your customers acquire information. Develop content that appeals to their needs. Determine the real pain your widget solves and base your company's content strategy on that, not what you think will work. Beats found a way to add value to the World Cup conversation through entertaining content, not the other way around.

3. Build a community. Soccer fans are among the most passionate sporting enthusiasts in the world. They eagerly come back with more energy and enthusiasm than ever, even after waiting four years between World Cup events.

Similarly, social media enables young companies to build devout communities through a shared passion around a product or service. Entrepreneurs who focus on individual customer desires will build a long—term social following. This following fuels the growth of passionate online and 'offline' customer communities.

4. Leverage the ecosystem. FIFA recognizes the vast community of people who are passionate about the very sport its organization represents. Similarly, major sponsors like Nike and Kia Motors view the World Cup as an opportunity to position their brand in meaningful way to soccer fans worldwide.

Entrepreneurs typically have a much smaller community but keep in mind that other stakeholders — think complementary businesses, media, analysts, customers from your competitor — exist in your startup's ecosystem. Identify those within your community who share your vision. Develop mutually beneficial and creative partnerships. Expand your influence by supporting your industry's ecosystem.

5. Expand your network. The World Cup is a global phenomenon linking a global community drawn from every nation and demographic. Entrepreneurs often find themselves surrounded by like-minded people. That often jeopardizes growth opportunities by leveraging a small eco-chamber. The best startups think outside of their direct surrounding, and understand how, where, when and why people value their company. While not always convenient, embrace an unfamiliar community and find a way to get true product feedback.

You may never make it to a World Cup game, let alone play for a professional soccer team, but the lessons that have made the event a global spectacle for nearly 90 years can help guide an entrepreneurs' growth, influence and success.

SEE ALSO: The Craziest Fans At The World Cup

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You can’t get away from soccer right now.

Thanks to the World Cup, it’s all over TV and social media. Like a zombie apocalypse, no one is untouched by the epidemic. No matter how paranoid and hermetic you try to be, it will hunt you down.

So instead of hiding from it, you might as well watch, discuss it and take what you can from it and apply its lessons to your financial life.

Lesson 1: Whiners are winners.

If you have ever watched a World Cup game for more than seven seconds, you’ve seen a player who was barely grazed by an opponent flop around like a fish out of water. Sneer and shake your head if you like. Hate the player, hate the game, but respect the survival instincts.

The takeaway from floppers is that complaining works. Pick your spots and complain when the corporate or job worlds do you wrong. Even if you don’t get the call one time, human nature dictates that those you’ve complained to will keep your plight in mind for the next time you bug them.

So protest when you’re overcharged on your electric bill and ask for an explanation when you’re passed over for a raise or a promotion. The afflicted-seeming wheel gets the grease, or something like that.

Lesson 2: Annoying dullness and lameness are virtues.

Flashy, daring moves may make the highlight montages, but those who hunker down and watch dozens of full two-hour matches this month will tell you it’s timidity, not boldness, that wins games. Many goals in soccer are borne from solid defenses waiting for opponents to make mistakes and leave openings for counterattacks. If that’s too abstract for you, think back to playing checkers in elementary school, and how annoying it was to play against people who never moved the pieces in their back row.

Apply this to your money by avoiding get-rich-quick schemes and shoring up your reserve fund, retirement accounts and, for parents, college saving plans. Take down debt before blowing your excess income or worrying about investing. Boring is soaring. Put that on one of those motivational office cubicle posters.

Lesson 3: Emotion is the enemy.

Goal-scoring celebrations aside, players who lose themselves in outbursts on the pitch end up costing themselves and their teams. Earlier I talked about how many goals come from counterattacks, and here I’ll say most other goals come from set pieces — penalty kicks, free kicks, or corner kicks — awarded after an opponent flipped out and made a mental error. The same applies to soccer fandom, because letting the spirit of the moment overcome you to partake in postgame riots only puts you in danger.

Both with soccer and money, it’s always best to keep your cool and not let emotion dictate your moves. If you’re an investor, ignore your gut and the way the wind seems to blowing during sell-offs. And if you’re hurting psychologically, don’t indulge the whim to make yourself feel better by retail therapy. Tell your heart to shut its piehole and let your brain do the thinking for you.

Lesson 4: Your head is your best weapon.

Many spectacular scores involve a gorgeous cross hammered into the back of the net, ricocheting off the forehead of a lunging striker. The lesson to learn is that just as brain damage from taking a header off a laser-like pass is well worth the glory of a goal scored, you won’t regret pushing your brain to the limit when researching and pondering financial moves. Sure, this may seem like a stretch, but it does make sense, sorta.

Keep your head in the game, the eye on the ball, and every other sports cliche. Even unsuccessful moves you made, when fully thought out, are tough to regret because they made the most sense given the information at your disposal. 

Lesson 5: Champs are those who are best at dealing with constant frustration.

The difference between an unbeaten juggernaut and a winless group stage washout can be only a few goals. Soccer is a tough and cruel game — which is probably why Third World fans identify it in larger percentages than Americans do — and everyone who plays it will face an incomprehensible amount of repeated failure. The teams that manage to stay upright and keep their eyes open for those rare glimmers of hope are the ones who dominate.

So as far as your money goes, don’t let setbacks set you back. Expect the worst, grit your teeth through the catastrophes you face, and stick to strategies you know to be sound, even when successes aren’t coming. Sock away savings even when the amounts are depressingly small. Pile money into your 401(k) even when the market stalls.

The definition of insanity may well be doing the same thing and expecting a different result, but dammit, as far as your money goes, be insane. Because insanity is what soccer players, and fans, do best.

SEE ALSO: 7 Money-Saving Myths, Debunked

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England's Wayne Rooney finally scored his first ever World Cup goal in the 75th minute against Uruguay.

In the first 60 minutes, though, it looked like his drought was going to continue when he missed two golden chances from point-blank range.

The first was a header from a few feet away:

The second was a left-footed shot from maybe eight yards away:

Third chance is the charm!

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Luis Suarez is probably the third-best player on earth going into the 2014 World Cup.

On the field he's smart, hard-working, and exceptionally skilled on the ball.

But a number of ugly incidents — including two separate biting fiascos and a racism controversy — have turned him into the most despised player in the world.

Looking through a list of his most outrageous scandals, it's easy to see why so many people will be rooting against him and Uruguay in Brazil.

He bit an opponent while playing for the Dutch team Ajax in 2010. He was banned for 7 games.

Source: BBC

He also bit Chelsea defender Branislov Ivanovic during a game in 2013, resulting in a 10-game suspension.

Source: Mirror

In the 2010 World Cup semis, he punched a shot off the line against Ghana with his fist and got a red card.

No matter the circumstance or time of day, fans from every corner of the world tune in to support their country when it takes the field in the World Cup. For some, this is a little more complicated than others.

Here are 15 awesome pictures of fans all over the world watching the World Cup:

Men at a camel market in Daba, Saudi Arabia stream a game onto a laptop.

A 13-year-old patient and his mother watch from a Sao Paulo hospital as the Brazilian team sings its national anthem before playing Mexico.

A butcher in Cuiaba watches Colombia vs. Greece.

German fans in Berlin moved couches into a small stadium to watch the soccer games at night.

A small crowd gathers in a Rio favela to watch the second half of Brazil vs. Mexico.

Two girls watch a game from a holding cell at the US Customs and Borders Protection Nogales Placement Center in Nogales, Arizona. 

A mother and son in Rio cheer on Brazil.

A father in downtown Mexico City moved a chair into the street to watch Mexico play Cameroon with his son.

An old man throws his arm up in frustration during Brazil's 0-0 draw with Mexico.

Fans watch in Berlin as Germany dismantle Portugal, 4-0.

Brothers in a Rio favela watch Mexico vs. Brazil.

Members of the Australian rugby team watch Australia play the Netherlands.

A Sao Paulo taxi driver takes his eyes (momentarily) off the road.

Fans in a Hong Kong shopping mall.

Rain or shine, Brazilian fans will figure out a way to watch their team.

SEE ALSO: The Most Mesmerizing Photos From The World Cup

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England's 2-1 loss to Uruguay on Thursday dealt a blow to their World Cup hopes, but they aren't out of the tournament just yet.

Their path to getting out of Group D is actually not as impossible as you'd think.

Here's what would need to happen, in order.

1. Italy beats Costa Rica (40% chance of happening, according to SPI).

2. England beats Costa Rica (45% chance of happening, according to SPI).

3. Italy beats Uruguay (33% chance of happening, according to SPI).

4. England's goal difference (currently -2) is better than Costa Rica's (currently +2) and Uruguay's (current -1) after all games are played.

Italy would win the group with nine points and England, Uruguay, and Costa Rica would all have three points. England would go through if they somehow have the best goal difference of those three teams (which is unlikely, but possible if the results fall right).

Nate Silver gives it a 3.5% chance of happening.

The easiest path: Italy beats Costa Rica 2-0, England beats Costa Rica 2-0, and Italy beats Uruguay 2-0, and Three Lions would go through.

A lot needs to happen, but there is a way out of this for England.

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During the second half of Uruguay's win over England at the World Cup, Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Pereira was injured when his head collided with the knee of an English player.

Even though he appeared to be momentarily unconscious, Pereira remained in the game, in large part because FIFA's antiquated substitution rules do not allow teams enough time to properly evaluate players for concussions.

This particular case is a perfect example.

It was clear to anybody with access to a replay just moments after the collision that the contact with Pereira's head was not only severe, but that he was clearly out of it as he laid on the pitch.

Pereira was able to get up and walk off the field, but he was clearly woozy and a person who appeared to be the team doctor immediately signaled to the sideline that a substitute was needed.

But once Pereira saw the signal for a substitute he immediately argued that he was staying the game, saying no to both the doctor and to the coaches.

And here is where soccer has its biggest problem when it comes to head injuries.

The team's manager must make a decision right now and he has three choices.

1. He can insert a substitute and lose one of his best players for the rest of the match. In soccer, once a player is replaced by a substitute he cannot re-enter the game.
2. He can have the player evaluated for a concussion. But this forces a team to play with only ten players until the evaluation is complete. According to the NFL, a proper concussion evaluation takes a minimum of eight minutes and includes a test where a player must recall a specific word five minutes later.
3. He can just trust his player and put him back in the game at the next dead ball.

The Uruguayan manager opted for the third option, reinserting Pereira without a proper concussion evaluation. Most managers would make the same decision.

Former American national team member and current ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman was one who expressed his concern with how FIFA handles head injuries.

Any questions about Perriera being unconscious?! This has to stop FIFA. #URUvsENGhttp://t.co/VX3la5mje5

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) June 19, 2014

While this particular injury was a freak accident, head injuries are not rare in soccer. Concussions are actually a huge problem because of headers in general and especially when two opposing players attempt to head the ball at the same time.

The simple solution is that FIFA is going to have to allow special temporary substitutions when a head injury is suspected. Allow teams to enter a substitute while the injured player is tested along with a time limit on the return of the player (e.g. if the player is not cleared to return in 12 minutes, he cannot return).

These substitutions could still count towards the allotted three substitutes to help minimize the number of fake head injuries from players just looking for rest.

Like the NFL, a concussion crisis is coming to FIFA and the sport of soccer. Changes will have to be made that will affect the tradition of the sport. But those changes must be made.

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