It's ironic that many of the qualities we traditional most associate with German football - professionalism, efficiency, athleticism, content-over-style - are actually, in many cases, a product of stereotyping rather than actuality. And, even when they're not, they're rather late developments to an already established template. The point is writer Uli Hesse-Licthenberger's in his excellent history of the German game, Tor! ((WSC Books, 2001) but it stands up to close scrutiny. As this World Cup has ably demonstrated. The ruthless, efficient Germans have, indeed, been ruthless and efficient - except against Serbia. They've also been stylish, counter-attacked like Italians, knocked it about like the Dutch and been flashy and artistic with a wink of - again, rather unGermanlike - cheeky arrogance like the Brazilians. They've scored lots and conceded few, In short, they've been the best team in the tournament so far by a street and a half. So, it was clearly somebody put a stop to that.
Ze Chermans v El Spaniardos
'It's the World Cup underachievers against the World Cup overachievers. If you don't know which is which you might, just, be watching the wrong channel,' noted Gary Lineker. The first chink in the armour of Joachim Löw's boys might have been the revelation that Paul the Psychic Octopus was tipping that Spaniards for this one. Never mock the mollusk. The last time the two sides met, the Spaniards won and the Germans complained of a 'death of one thousand passes.'
Lineker made the interesting observation that it would get harder and harder for the Germans to keep on producing a big performance on the big occasion the longer the tournament went on. Shearer agreed. Hansen looked a bit dubious. Lawro, interviewed in the ground, went for the Spanish too. Del Basque pulled the first big surprise of the night - not so much dropping Torres, that's been coming for a couple of games at least, but rather in replacing him with Pedro rather than Fabregas. as it turned out, it was the move that probably decided the game.
The first half was a classic game of chess between two grand masters. Cagey, for the most part, and yet with moments of furious pace and attack-followed-by-counter attack. Spain were the better side early on and had two really good chance - both spurned - but, you occasionally felt, they always seemed to want that one pass too many every time.
Sometimes, those eight passes to many. Germany came back and were probably the stronger side in the second half of the first half. But, from both sides you sensed it was the lack of a final ball every time that was letting them down. The approach play and the passing was beautiful, but the one major thing lacking was that killer, defence-splitting ball. In the closing seconds of the half, the Germans had a stonewall penalty turned down - Sergio Ramos clipping Ozil's ankles.
The second period was equally fascinating and equally frustrating in the places. The Spanish seemed reticent to really go for it and, when they did, they missed a couple of glorious changes. The Germans, missing Mueller badly, didn't seem able to carve out any decent changes of their own.
Finally, the deadlock was broken when good old mad-haired Puyol powered in a bullet header from his curly bonce after a Xavi corner. After that, the Germans laid siege to the Spanish goal and, for the first time in the tournament it was they were were being caught on the counter-attack rather than the other way around. Ha! Now you know how we felt! The Spanish, to much scratching of heads, took Villa off and brought Torres on. Time ran out. Joachim Löw had a face like a smacked arse. The Spanish went bananas. Or, should that be - fittingly - oranges? The Man from Delmonte, he say 'yes.' Or, should that be 'Si'? We will have a new name on the World Cup on Sunday. Which will be good for football. Particularly as, I confidently predict, I have already seen the winners of the 2014 tournament. They're called Germany.
Goals: 139
Red Cards: 15
Ze Chermans v El Spaniardos
'It's the World Cup underachievers against the World Cup overachievers. If you don't know which is which you might, just, be watching the wrong channel,' noted Gary Lineker. The first chink in the armour of Joachim Löw's boys might have been the revelation that Paul the Psychic Octopus was tipping that Spaniards for this one. Never mock the mollusk. The last time the two sides met, the Spaniards won and the Germans complained of a 'death of one thousand passes.'
Lineker made the interesting observation that it would get harder and harder for the Germans to keep on producing a big performance on the big occasion the longer the tournament went on. Shearer agreed. Hansen looked a bit dubious. Lawro, interviewed in the ground, went for the Spanish too. Del Basque pulled the first big surprise of the night - not so much dropping Torres, that's been coming for a couple of games at least, but rather in replacing him with Pedro rather than Fabregas. as it turned out, it was the move that probably decided the game.The first half was a classic game of chess between two grand masters. Cagey, for the most part, and yet with moments of furious pace and attack-followed-by-counter attack. Spain were the better side early on and had two really good chance - both spurned - but, you occasionally felt, they always seemed to want that one pass too many every time.
Sometimes, those eight passes to many. Germany came back and were probably the stronger side in the second half of the first half. But, from both sides you sensed it was the lack of a final ball every time that was letting them down. The approach play and the passing was beautiful, but the one major thing lacking was that killer, defence-splitting ball. In the closing seconds of the half, the Germans had a stonewall penalty turned down - Sergio Ramos clipping Ozil's ankles.The second period was equally fascinating and equally frustrating in the places. The Spanish seemed reticent to really go for it and, when they did, they missed a couple of glorious changes. The Germans, missing Mueller badly, didn't seem able to carve out any decent changes of their own.
Finally, the deadlock was broken when good old mad-haired Puyol powered in a bullet header from his curly bonce after a Xavi corner. After that, the Germans laid siege to the Spanish goal and, for the first time in the tournament it was they were were being caught on the counter-attack rather than the other way around. Ha! Now you know how we felt! The Spanish, to much scratching of heads, took Villa off and brought Torres on. Time ran out. Joachim Löw had a face like a smacked arse. The Spanish went bananas. Or, should that be - fittingly - oranges? The Man from Delmonte, he say 'yes.' Or, should that be 'Si'? We will have a new name on the World Cup on Sunday. Which will be good for football. Particularly as, I confidently predict, I have already seen the winners of the 2014 tournament. They're called Germany.Goals: 139
Red Cards: 15
