A week into the tournament and there have already been a plethora of major surprises and disappointments. Here's a look at the major moments thus far in the FIFA World Cup.

Disappointments

1. Spain's title defense goes awry

Spain entered the tournament as one of the favorites. And who could blame that opinion. Since 2008, this team had been completely invincible. They were history-makers. They were the best team in the history of the sport. A team that had revolutionized the game with their possession soccer.

But alas, the title defense was not meant to be. Few would have expected the decline and end of the era to end the way it did. One of the major attributes of this Spanish side had been a strong mental state that knew how to deal with pressure and frustrating defenses. But in this tournament, that mental fortitude disappeared the moment the team conceded a goal against the Dutch. The team's most reliable stars over the last few years were ineffective and embarrassing and the team was crushed. In the second game against Chile, Spain played an ugly brand of soccer that was a shadow of the style that made them great. To watch Spain make poor passes was not only ghastly, but disappointing. The team gave up before putting up a fight.

2. No Jogo Bonito from Brazil

Two games into their campaign and it is hard to see the Brazilians as a formidable force moving forward. They eked out a win against the Croatians and then failed to capitalize against Mexico. But to say that Brazil deserved to win either game (they drew with Mexico) would be to undermine the performances of Brazil's opponents. For long stretches of their game against El Tri, Brazil was thoroughly dominated and looked lost for answers. Neymar has looked solid so far, but the same cannot be said for the creaky back four of Brazil.

3. Argentina

The team won its opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but those expecting a show from Argentina were left disappointed. The team started with a weird 5-3-2 formation that essentially announced the lack of faith in the backline and isolated star Lionel Messi. For 45 minutes, the Barcelona superstar did little when he got the ball because he was surrounded by Bosnian players. He eventually scored his goal to win the game, but the team never managed to truly find its rhythm. Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain were not particularly effective and neither was Angel Di Maria.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo

One player does not make a team, but a great player helps his team. Ronaldo was invisible against Germany in the opening game and was powerless in the 4-0 defeat for Portugal. Reports indicate that he may still be suffering from his lingering injury.

Surprises

1. Costa Rica's win over Uruguay

When Group D was announced back in December, most expected Costa Rica to be the whipping boys for the other teams in the group. But the CONCACAF side was not to be had. The team dominated a Uruguay side that some thought was a favorite to win, and won by a healthy margin. The team won 3-1, but the lone goal conceded was off a penalty. This team could still have a lot to say as the tournament develops.

2. Dutch Dynamite

Everyone knew that the Dutch were stocked with superstars like Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie (and to a lesser extent Wesley Sneijder). But there were also questions about the team's youthful side that lacked experience on the big stage. While the first half against Spain seemed to confirm these belief, the second went against the doubters and proved that under Louis van Gaal, this team is a potent contender. That they defeated Australia 3-2 was a further display of how dynamic this team could be. The defense may not be completely stable, but scoring is coming at an impressive rate. This team could make a deep run.

3. The Goal-Scoring

Heading into Friday's games, the goal total in this tournament stands at 65. Four years ago only 145 goals were scored and Champion Spain scored eight of them. The highest scoring team of the past tournament was Germany with 16; Holland has already scored eight in just two matches. There have been seven penalty kicks awarded thus far; four years ago there were only 15. And we are only two rounds into the group stage and offensive dynamos like Germany, Belgium and Argentina have not played their second games. Part of the reason is because this World Cup has been about quick-paced attacking; the tournament four years ago stressed possession and defensive attempts to shut it down. Expect more goals to continue raining on this tournament, making it all the more exciting.