(Repeats from Dec 19) By Julian Linden SINGAPORE, Dec 30 (Reuters) – A year that was supposed to showcase the virtues of modern sport was instead smeared by a series of scandals that exposed the ugly underbelly of the games people love. On the fields of play, the action in 2014 was at times breathtaking. A German team, unshackled from its pragmatic past and playing with uninhibited flair, won a World Cup in Brazil that exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. …