GENEVA -- Risk-taking and counterattacks are the new fashion in football, according to a FIFA study of World Cup teams tactics. "The trend is for teams to play positively and do everything to win a game rather than merely not lose," FIFAs panel of coaching experts working in Brazil reported Friday. The best teams were rewarded for being "not afraid of losing their shape for brief moments," the 284-page document noted. "Outstanding fast transitions and counterattacking tactics," were praised as the most effective strategy at a World Cup which equaled the tournament record for most goals and was widely praised as the best in a generation. It was a different story four years ago. Then, the football was so poor in South Africa that FIFA President Sepp Blatter asked a task force to suggest ways of making football more entertaining. Though that panel achieved little, in Brazil the teams, coaches and players rose to their challenge. "The tempo of the game was impressive -- Brazil 2014 was one of, if not the fastest World Cups ever played," the FIFA technical report said. Other successful trends in Brazil included playing with at least two strikers, three central defenders and only one defensive midfielder. Controversial incidents -- including Uruguay forward Luis Suarez biting an opponent, and players continuing despite apparent head injuries -- are not mentioned in the document. Teams are also rarely criticized, though Brazil is not spared after being outplayed by eventual winner Germany and the Netherlands. "An incomprehensibly poor performance against Germany," the report said of the host nations semifinal humbling, adding that 7-1 was "a fair reflection of the strengths of the two teams." FIFAs coaches noted Brazils "attacking game not quite clicking into gear and some co-ordination problems obvious in defence." Tactically, the FIFA report says top teams no longer use two holding midfielders, which was effective in South Africa. A lone striker is also out of fashion. "Most teams played with two strikers (if not three), and the few teams that played with one lone attacker left the competition early," the report said. Goalkeepers like Germanys Manuel Neuer now function as an extra outfield player, and specialized coaching should reflect that, the report said. The report suggests playing with three central defenders is "on the rise again" thanks to the third-place Netherlands, surprise quarterfinalist Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay. Four years after Spain rode its tiki-taka passing to win the World Cup, the report notes effective use of the ball is now more important than simply having it. In Brazil, 21 of 64 matches were won by the counterattacking team having less possession. "Possession play must be efficient and not sterile," the report noted, adding that 34 of 171 goals in Brazil came from "quick transition play." "Counter-attacking tactics were once a tool in a teams armoury, but now some teams base their entire play around such tactics," the report said. More goals than expected came from corner kicks and "remarkable" high-quality crosses, and early leads were often overturned. "Teams that scored the first goal were at times too confident and too sure of themselves," the report said. Defensive tactics included aggressive pressing to get the ball in the first 15 minutes, and holding a back line at least 40 metres from goal. "Teams defended in a compact block in a high line and overloaded the area where the ball was," the report said. Costa Rica and Algeria are praised for making progress, and so was the CONCACAF region which also had Mexico and the United States reach the second round "Good development work has seen the gap between (CONCACAF) teams narrow, which automatically means that there is healthy competition and an improved standard of football," the report states. "Europe can be more than happy with their performance at Brazil 2014," the report said, after winning for the first time in the Americas. The four winless Asian confederation teams "lacked creativity, ideas, penetration and players who could turn a match in their favour." FIFAs experts also hope the World Cup will encourage a generation of unselfish players putting their team first. "Individual skill can only be effective if it is fully in sync with the efforts and philosophy of the team." Jack Morris Twins Jersey . -- Oakland Athletics starting pitchers Jarrod Parker and A. Trevor May Twins Jersey . 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Dane Dobbie had four goals and two assists, Karsen Leung had two goals and two assists, and Matthew Dinsdale scored two and helped on another for Calgary (6-3). Shawn Evans and Jeff Shattler had eight-point games with a goal and seven assists apiece, and Jon Harnett and Geoff Snider also scored. Byron Buxton Jersey . -- Wichita State is all alone in the record book.Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Packers clinched a spot in the playoffs for the sixth straight season on the backs of their defense, limiting the Buccaneers to 109 yards of offense in their 20-3 win over Tampa Bay Sunday. Green Bays tough defense sacked Josh McCown seven times, including 2 1/2 from Clay Matthews and two from Julius Peppers. On the Bucs last offensive play of the game, McCown was under duress and threw an interception to defensive lineman Datone Jones. Offensively the Packers (11-4) were led by Aaron Rodgers once again as he threw for 318 yards and a touchdown too Jordy Nelson.dddddddddddd Rodgers completed 31- of-40 passes. Nelson caught nine passes for 113 yards and fellow receiver Randall Cobb set career highs with 11 catches and 131 receiving yards. Eddie Lacy ran for 99 yards on 17 carries, including a 44-yard touchdown to open the scoring in the first quarter. Tampa Bay (2-13) got only 16 rushing yards, led by Doug Martin with 17. His longest run of the day was four yards. McCown completed just 12-of-26 passes for 147 yards. Vincent Jackson caught three passes for 60 yards, and Mike Evans added 49 yards on four receptions. ' ' '