Day 25:-

Germany vs. Argentina: Part 3:-

Germany began extra time by going all-out in attack with some urgent play early-on, pressing high and switching sides quickly as they looked to utilize their extra energy reserves; after all, they did get ONE more complete day of rest compared to Argentina’s squad!

Argentina were not potent enough on the counter when they got the ball on the break and were not able to get the right momentum going into the opposition’s final third; offering barely anything of notice.

The Germans were now playing with almost 7 or 8 players fully in Argentina’s own half; but, for all that added physical presence, they were unable to time their runs into the box correctly as their somewhat poor positional play hindered their chances of combining well enough in front of goal to find the back of the net.

It was an intense start from Germany in that first half of extra time; however, they could not kick it into high gear for the remaining 10-12 minutes as they seemed unable to find the proper passes and spaces in the box.

Argentina, on the other hand, were largely subdued in attack, and they appeared to be slowing down their own tempo going forward on the counter!


Fatigue was slowly kicking-in as the second half of extra time moved on, with far too many physical tussles on display.

Then, the unthinkable happened!

Germany launched an attack down the left side with a pass from Kroos to Schürrle, who then ran the channel before sending in a brilliant cross for a totally-unmarked Mario Götze to beautifully chest it down and swing it across with his left foot for a German 1-0 lead!

It was an absolute nightmare from an Argentinean perspective; for they have been defending so well for most of the game and threw it all away due to ONE defensive mistake.

Martín Demichelis was the culprit there; as he was caught way out of position in the build-up to the goal, and his lack of pace prevented him from quickly recovering and closing Götze down!

Argentina immediately pressed Germany back into their own half and threw extra bodies forward in a feeble attempt to grab a late equalizer; but it was all a little too late and too lethargic.

Indeed, it was one moment of defensive inattention on Argentina’s behalf which saw Germany grab that goal.


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The Argentineans, at the end of it all, probably paid for their rather overly cautious and defensive approach, given all the attacking firepower they had at their disposal.

However, they showed great tactical, technical, physical, mental and spiritual resolve to reach the final and go head-to-head with this talented German side.

Now, whether or not Lionel Messi will get another close chance at World Cup glory remains to be seen, but one certainly cannot blame Argentina’s ultimately failed WC campaign entirely on him; for he single-handedly carried his team into the knock-out stages with some moments of absolute individual brilliance.


On the other hand, Germany fully deserved this win as they have proven to the world that they are, first and foremost, a great team with a real footballing identity and solid foundations on so many levels.

Coach Löw and his entire staff should be applauded for their acute readings of games and the willingness to be as flexible as the tournament had dictated upon them.

They had some really big obstacles to overcome way before the tournament even begun, but they passed almost every single test with flying colors.

The players displayed some magnificent performances throughout the tournament and it is a difficult case to argue against the fact that each and every single squad member played a vital role in their eventual World Cup triumph.


Standing ovations all around and hats off to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Champions: Germany!!!


Man of the match: Bastian Schweinsteiger:-

A lot of responsibility was placed on his shoulders from the beginning of the match given Khedira’s injury, in addition to Kramer’s subsequent withdrawal; but he shrugged it all off as he had an excellent game in midfield and didn’t allow Messi much room to breathe either!

Day 25:-

Germany vs. Argentina: Part 2:-

Coach Sabella decided to bring on Sergio Agüero after the break as he looked to inject more urgency and energy into Argentina’s play; slightly tweaking his formation in the process, with Lionel Messi dropping a bit deeper, Lucas Biglia in the now-vacant LM role and Agüero being deployed as a pure second-striker behind Higuaín.



The second half witnessed Argentina begin with a more aggressive offensive approach as they committed more bodies forward. Germany, on the other hand, were defending a bit deeper than they did in the 1st half.

It didn’t take long for the pace and rhythm to truly settle, and Germany were naturally enjoying more possession of the ball and attempting to break through Argentina’s backline from central areas rather than from out wide.

The Argentineans reverted to some long vertical play for a while in an attempt to catch Germany’s backline off-guard and hope to quickly break through on goal.

Germany's attacks were still suffering from their inability to deliver that final ball into the box as Lahm and Kroos were now pushing further forward.

Argentina’s “laid back” approach and lack of urgency going forward, coupled with a number of physical duels, all constantly chopped down the game’s tempo.

Germany then began to slowly adapt more and more to the game’s rhythm; playing better with the ball and correctly finding spaces at the back.

Meanwhile, Argentina rightly addressed the issue of the shortage of physical presence in the box and were now focusing play entirely down the right channel; but they were somewhat unable to hold onto possession and also had problems finding the right spaces behind Germany’s defense as Higuaín and Agüero were too static in their positional play.

As the 90 minutes drew ever closer, the Germans began to throw many bodies forward and they genuinely pressed Argentina back into their final third in search of that first (and, at this stage, probably winning) goal.

However, Klose’s inability to quickly adapt to the forward momentum saw him being constantly caught out of position as play was wasted from Germany’s point of view.

Which is, probably, why coach Löw decided to bring on Mario Götze for the current World Cup record goalscorer in the final few minutes, with Germany now deciding to play-out the rest of the game with their “false nine” system.

Coach Sabella also brought on some fresh legs in the latter stages of normal time (which was his last "playing card" after Rodrigo Palacio came on for Higuaín a while ago), with Fernando Gago now replacing Enzo Pérez in yet another slight tweak of Argentina’s formation; Biglia dropping back to the center of midfield in a holding 4-3-3/4-3-1-2 variation.



Neither substitution had any significant effect on the way the game went on; as both sides were unable to make the most out of ball possession and could not create any real chances from open play. Germany, though, still looked the more dangerous side going forward.

It was another somewhat enthralling second half, albeit with less intensity in comparison to the first!

Germany were more commanding in attack and were able to get into better positions than they did before the break. They also exchanged play well, but almost always lacked that final touch into the box and weren’t able to convert their chances from open play.

Argentina continued to play with great discipline at the back and they covered spaces well practically all over the pitch; they did, however, have a couple of lapses in concentration in defense that could have cost them dearly (more on that soon!).

In attack, they lacked urgency at times, and at others, their 2 strikers were a tad too static in their positioning.

Moreover, their shortage of offensive options from central areas in midfield forced them to (uselessly) drift play out wide more often than not.

Day 25:-

Germany vs. Argentina: Part 1:-





The Germans are crowned Champions in a memorable 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, to the delight of a large part of the host nation and many neutrals, as Messi and co. were unable to bring the glory home!


Germany’s Coach Joachim Löw picked the same formation and tactical set-up from the previous 2 knock-out games; but, he was forced to slightly change the line-up approximately 15 minutes prior to kick-off because of a calf injury that Semi Khedira suffered during the warm-up session.

As for Argentina, Coach Alejandro Sabella also stuck with his tried-and-tested tactical layout from the previous games; however, in comparison the semi-final against the Dutch, coach Sabella decided to play Enzo Pérez and Lavezzi out wide this time, as opposed to the former playing in a central midfield triangle and the latter as a support striker.


The final got underway with a high tempo to it; Germany playing a high-block game and controlling most of the possession, and Argentina defending deep while looking to break quickly on the counter.

The Argentineans were successfully exploiting the space and lack of pace down Germany’s left defensive side as they looked to make the most of Benedikt Höwedes’ (a natural CB) lack of experience in an LB role; however, they were short of physical presence in the box, and that lead to them being unable to convert some dangerous crosses from the right attacking flank.

The Germans were moving well forward, opting to cross more into the box than to play through balls on the ground in an attempt for Klose to perhaps expose Demichelis’ defensive weaknesses; but they were incapable of getting that final touch into the box correctly.

There were some physical tussles about midway through the first half that slowed down the game’s tempo constantly, while Gonzalo Higuaín missed a glorious opportunity to take the lead when Toni Kroos mistakenly headed the ball back into his own box.

Germany were probing for spaces just around the opposition’s box and were using the full width of the pitch while they patiently passed the ball around in midfield. It did seem apparent at the time that they needed a bit more urgency going forward.

Argentina, meanwhile, were still defending deep and relying on counter-attacks from the back; but they weren’t very effective when they actually broke play forward.

As the half came to an end, the game became much more open as both sides began to attack with more flair and potency either end of the pitch.

Argentina pressed slightly higher up the pitch in the final few minutes after Germany’s Christoph Kramer (who was having a rather good game) was forced off due to a concussion; ironic given how he was brought in to replace the injured Khedira!

Given Germany’s lack of DMs on the bench now, Toni Kroos had to drop deep and play in the 2nd DM role in front of the German backline, with Özil deputizing in the AM role (his favored position if you may) and Andre Schürrle being subbed-in and deployed on the left side of attack as the Germans looked to regroup.

All in all, Germany played with real attacking grit in the first half and were very unlucky to lose those players to injury in such a short space of time. They played well in offense but were constantly unable to provide the correct final touch in and around the opposition’s final third. Their defense was not that bad either, but sometimes seemed flustered and unable to easily deal with Argentina’s pace out wide.

The Argentineans executed their game plan almost perfectly, and they were considerably stable at the back for the most part (Demichelis proving to be the weakest link though). In midfield, they were better at tracking back than going forward at times; and in attack, they did not hold anything back as they constantly ran at the German defenders and sometimes caused havoc in their box.

However, Argentina's clear lack of attacking physical presence in the box, largely as a result of Higuaín having to drift wide to draw defenders out of position, was hindering their chances of converting the numerous good deliveries they provided.

Day 23:

Netherlands vs. Argentina: Part 2:-





Argentina were ever reliant on counter-attacks; but they were incapable of utilizing them properly as their lack of a support striker behind Higuaín really killed their offensive approach.

They continuously opted to go wide whenever they went forward, and also continuously sent wayward passes and/or crosses across the opposition’s final third.

Neither team was taking any risks as the half slowly came to an end, with both sides still defending deep and not committing many bodies forward.

Holland showed real intent to win the game with their substitutions and tactical changes; but somehow retreated into their own half slowly and became subdued in their attacking approach.

Meanwhile, Argentina looked to inject more attacking potential into their team with the clock ticking down.

At the end of normal time, it isn’t ludicrous to say that the Netherlands attacked more in the second half and had one or two proper chances at scoring that elusive goal; however, their lack of urgency as the game moved on, coupled with some poor passing and Van Persie's below-average positional play, all hindered their chances going forward.

In comparison, Argentina continued playing with a defensive mindset for the rest of the game; refusing to commit too many players in attack and continuously shifting play out wide.

In the opposition’s final third, their inability to hold onto possession, and the lack of support Higuaín received (in addition to his own slightly average performance) made sure that they were not really going to cause the Dutch many problems at the back.

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The first half of extra time inherited the recurring theme from the first 90 minutes; namely, Holland reverting to playing mostly on the break, while Argentina being seemingly short of genuine ideas going forward.

Both teams’ late offensive substitutions signaled that they were trying to go for a win, with Argentina now seeing more of the ball, but unable to deliver that final pass in the box (a lack of mere physical presence inside!).

The Netherlands, meanwhile, were looking to focus more on physical forward play and delivering aerial balls from out wide.

It was a display of “doses” of offensive movements from either side as neither was able to break the opposition’s defense with a correct final touch in and around the box.

Admittedly, the Argentineans were now attacking from more central areas, but still had difficulties getting behind Holland’s stable backline.

The second half of extra time did not witness a drastic change in the way things had been going so far.

However, Argentina injected a final “boost” of attacking vigor into their game, but wasted two glorious chances in front of goal; mainly due to a shortage of technical abilities at a specific time and place on the pitch, while fatigue also played its role too.

Neither team really invested too much in terms of carving-out a win so a draw after 120 minutes was a fair result for both sides.

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Argentina put-in a great defensive performance (probably one of their best over the last decade), and have a lot of positives to which they can look forward in terms of stability at the back.

In attack, they were largely subdued and, given the nature of how Messi was completely marked-out, missed a true element of creativity in midfield (think Di Maria!).

The good news for them is that they are in their first WC final for over 24 years, and now have a genuine chance at career-defining (for some players) glory!


Following the result of the penalty kicks, it is rather unfortunate for the Netherlands to exit the WC in such a fashion. They played some great games in the group-stage and, apart from the first 80 minutes or so against Mexico, were fully deserving of a place in the final.

The great tactical nous from their coaching staff saw them rise to each challenge they faced; even though, for the most part, that they had a fairly inexperienced and young squad who have not been tested at such a big stage before.

They took their infamous “total football” to a whole new level as they maneuvered their way through many obstacles and were unlucky not to be rewarded at the end of it all.

Nevertheless, they leave the competition with no reason NOT to hold their heads high after some scintillating performances (a lot of credit to Robben, Sneijder, Vlaar and Van Persie), and they will surely be missed in Rio on the 13th of July 2014.


Man of the match: Javier Mascherano: He was absolutely phenomenal all over the pitch, while also rescuing his team-mates time and again with some sharply-timed tackles and clearances.



Honorable mention: Ron Vlaar: The Aston Villa captain also had a great game (apart from the PK miss!) and it's truly sad to see him on the losing end of it all!

Day 23:

Netherlands vs. Argentina: Part 1:-





A WC semi-final of which many people will not have fond memories as both teams cancelled each other out in almost all areas of the pitch.


Coach Louis van Gaal opted for a defensive 3-5-2 formation, with 2 DMs to further enhance the siege around Lionel Messi at the back.

On the other hand, Coach Alehjandro Sabella set-up his team with a 4-3-3/4-3-1-2 lay-out; choosing to deploy 3 central (defensive) midfielders, with Messi in a CF role behind 2 strikers (more like 1 true striker!).


The Dutch began the match by defending deeper than Argentina for the most part; looking to send long aerial balls (diagonal and vertical) over Argentina’s backline à la vs. Spain in the group-stage.

The Argentineans were playing a tad higher up the pitch, and were looking to slowly build their attacks from the back; as they were more in control of the ball. Messi, as expected, was being tightly marked by around 3 players (sometimes even 4!) wherever he went!

The Netherlands had a tough time taking their game into 2nd gear in terms of quick counter-attacking play for large parts of the first half; but they were doing a good job at the back by efficiently minimizing Argentina’s attacking threat.

Coach Sabella’s team were exposing Holland’s lack of width in defense, but they were unable to deliver the proper passes and crosses into the box from which Gonzalo Higuaín could benefit. To be fair, the Napoli forward was not getting into the right positions himself in the final third!

There weren’t many spaces opening up in either team’s half as both sides were playing with extreme caution and defensive tactical discipline.

Argentina were seen drifting play out wide more often than not, and were clearly in need of more support from their central players as Messi was being absolutely silenced in terms of his darting runs through the middle.

The Dutch seemed unable to launch any proper attack in between Argentina’s defensive lines and should have pulled the opposition CBs/DMs more towards the center, in an attempt to free some channels at the back.

All in all, it was a very tight tactical half from both teams, with Argentina enjoying more ball possession and able to create more chances than the Netherlands.

The Argentineans, however, shifted play out to the flanks way too many times, and their lack of a true 2nd striker (Lavezzi is no striker!), alongside Higuaín, limited the physical presence in the opposition’s box.

They defended well though, and did not make many mistakes in midfield either; but they needed an extra element of central play from their main CMs.

Holland weren’t able to create any real chances from open play as their strategy of sending long aerial balls over Argentina’s backline did not work as their coach might have hoped.

Moreover, the trio of Sneijder, Robben and Van Persie were largely subdued in attack due to an enhanced focus on defensive duties from their coaching staff. They were in dire need of more urgency going forward and an increased dose of creativity from the middle of the park.

Defensively, the Dutch played a very compact and organized game (Vlaar being especially excellent) and were doing an impressive job in nullifying and frustrating Messi!

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The second half saw Coach Van Gaal switch to a more attacking 4-3-3 formation as he replaced Martins Indi with Janmaat.

It may be that such a change was an obligatory one due to Indi’s yellow card late in the 1st half; as Coach Van Gaal might have feared losing a player due to Indi’s inexperience at such a big stage.

Janmaat was now playing in the LB role, Daley Blind switching back from RM/RWB to RB, Kuyt moving to LW and Robben playing opposite to him in the RW position.

It was a variation which was supposed to offer the Netherlands much more offensive width and cover up the lack of defensive width at the back.

Holland’s tactical changes didn't require too much time to come into effect as the Dutch started to attack more and press Argentina higher up the pitch.

The Dutch were clearly going for the win as they pushed play even further forward and committed more bodies in attack. They were, however, still lacking a cutting-edge pass or two in the final third, while also being not urgent enough in some areas of the pitch.

Argentina seemed totally subdued in attack and were having difficulties retaining possession for a long enough period of time.

For all the extra physical presence that the Netherlands added to their offensive game in the second half, they were still unable to impose themselves in attack; lacking clear urgency in their forward momentum and seemingly unable to get proper passes through...

Day 22 (Don’t worry, this won’t be THAT long!):-

Brazil vs. Germany:-





A match which re-defined the meaning of the words “ruthless” and “implosion” in the high-profile international football dictionary!


Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari did not make any drastic changes (maybe he should have?), tactics-wise, to his set-up. The only noticeable alterations being Hulk’s position on the left side of attack and Oscar’s free role behind the striker.

In terms of personnel, Bernard and Dante featured in place of the suspended Thiago Silva and the injured Neymar respectively.

For Germany, Coach Joachim Löw (logically) decided to stick with the same formation and tactical lay-out he used against France in the quarter-finals.


Brazil showed they meant “business” from the early stages of the game as they directly enforced a high-press game on their opponents.

Meanwhile, the Germans were clearly set up to play with more patience and less aggressiveness off the ball, and look to launch quick counters in order to fully expose the spaces in Brazil's (rather unorganized) defense.

It didn’t take too long for that strategy to work; with Khedira soon winning a corner following some blitz-fast German play on the break. Kroos utilized it by delightfully crossing to Müller, who was completely unmarked, and the FC Bayern forward tapped the ball in for Germany’s first goal of the night.

It was a result of some poor defending and marking from Brazil in such a simple set-piece situation, with a lot of credit going to Klose for blocking Luiz from following Müller in the box shortly prior to the goal.

The Brazilians seemed flustered after the goal, and were unable to initiate a proper passing rhythm from which they could launch meaningful attacks.

The second German goal started at the middle of the park, with Kroos playing Lahm on the right side of Brazil’s defense, and the RB then sending a low cross towards the tip of Brazil’s final third for Kroos to play Müller through.

Thomas Müller proceeded by back-heeling the ball to Klose, who had his first shot saved by Júlio César, but made no mistake about it from the rebound to become the FIFA WC’s official all-time top scorer!

It was another display of poor Brazilian defending from the center of midfield and all the way back to the goalkeeper.

The rest of the first half was just history; as Brazil succumbed to the nerves and constantly lost possession in extremely vital areas.

Ozil, Kroos and Khedira combined brilliantly to add three more goals in about 5 minutes-time and end the match, then and there, for more than 200 million proud Brazilians!

To be fair, Brazil started the half brightly and showed real fight and spirit in taking the game to the Germans; however, their defensive mistakes leading up to the first 2 goals cost them deeply. From that point on, they just lost all concentration and confidence!

Germany took “ruthless play” to another level as they took advantage of almost every single defensive and midfield mistake from Brazil. They played a compact game in defense and were much more tactically mature than the home nation all over the pitch.

Brazil looked to restore some much-needed pride after the break, with coach Scolari opting to go on the offensive even further and press Germany back into their own half.

They came close on more than one occasion; but Germany’s Neuer put-in some smart saves to prove why he’s considered, among many football experts, the undisputed current World number one goalkeeper.

Germany were not committing more than 4 bodies forward; all the while slowly moving play up the pitch as Brazil seemed unable to retain possession for any considerable period of time.

The sixth and seventh German goals came in a period of less than 10 minutes as they attacked from both sides of the pitch and fully utilized the gaping holes in Brazil’s defense, with Schürrle scoring both amidst some pure German power play.

The game fully faded-out after that and Oscar’s late consolation goal brought an end to a very disappointing semi-final for every true non-German and non-Brazil-hating football fan around the world.

The Brazilians had a fine start but completely imploded following some very, very horrendous defending and it was quite clear, at the end of it all, who the world’s most expensive football defender really is!

Germany made full use of Brazil’s errors, defended not too bad themselves and out-ran Brazil in midfield. They were tactically, technically, physically and mentally superior in almost all aspects of the game.


Man of the match: Toni Kroos: Largely involved in the majority of his team’s goals and added icing to the cake, or strudel if you like, with 2 goals “made in Germany”.

Day 21: Part 2:-

Netherlands vs. Costa Rica:-





Do NOT be fooled by the score-line! This was far from a drab nil-nil draw as two great tactical minds clashed in one of the most fiercely contested 2014 WC matches so far (tactically speaking)!!!


As usual, Coach Louis van Gaal decided to further tinker with his system by going for a wide 3-4-3 formation, with Blind and Kuyt both acting as SMs/WBs behind a three man attacking line-up, built around the focal point that is Robin Van Persie.

Coach Jorge Luis Pinto did not throw any surprises as he continued with the same tactical set-up which has been serving him well so far.


It was a rather amusing opening to the game; for, based on both teams’ tactical blueprints, neither was very comfortable with possession of the ball as the two sets of players looked to mainly play on the counter via mostly long vertical balls.

The Dutch started pressing higher up the pitch as time passed by and were looking to somehow draw Costa Rica’s players into their own half in an attempt to execute quick breaks themselves.

Both teams were fairly very compact and well organized at the back; but it was the Netherlands who were finding more and more spaces in the final third, and were it not for a lack of central support from Sneijder, they might have just been able to create some really dangerous opportunities early on.

Costa Rica were never risking too much as they attacked in doses, albeit with flair and attitude, and looked to make the most out of some set-piece situations and aerial ball deliveries; they were, however, not lethal enough in front of goal.

Nothing but extremely tactical play was displayed for the majority of the first half from both sides!

The Dutch eventually saw more of the ball and even had more genuine goal-scoring chances; but they were unable to get proper passes forward into Costa Rica’s box, as Van Persie struggled to break away from his markers time and time again.

The Costa Ricans were a bit fragile at the back, but played generally well in defense overall; shifting properly according to the ball’s movement and closing down spaces on Holland’s most dangerous men. In attack, they lacked some urgency and accuracy and needed a bit more aggressiveness when losing possession.

The second half took cue from the first and saw the tactical battle between both teams’ midfield-lines continue!

The Dutch were the more offensive side though as they focused play down the channels (specifically the right one); but they were incapable of really breaking through the opposition’s backline, with Van Persie being too passive in his play.

Costa Rica had their own difficulties when attempting to launch ultra-fast counter-attacks; seemingly unable to convert their chances on the break into genuine goal-threatening opportunities.

The Netherlands were continuously being frustrated by their failed attempts at feeding Van Persie in between Costa Rica’s defense, and they really lacked some creative options from the center of midfield.

The Dutch pressed more and more as full-time drew ever closer; trying to play several aerial crosses in an attempt to use their physicality in headed duels.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica were not very efficient with their ball deliveries from deep positions, and they chose to somewhat retreat into their own half and not attack anymore as the half came to an end.

In yet another tactically-orientated half, Holland spent much more time in the opposition’s final third; but they could neither convert their chances effectively nor make more use of their target man, due to his poor positional play. They were also missing an element of clear aggressiveness in midfield (largely because of De Jong’s absence!).

Costa Rica defended bravely over the course of the entire 90 minutes, but they barely offered anything particularly noticeable in attack; for they did not inject enough urgency and physical presence in their offensive movements.

The first half of extra-time saw the Dutch continue their high-press game, and it seemed like they were coming closer and closer to scoring that elusive first (and, probably, winning) goal!

However, Costa Rica, who did not have any proper reaction in terms of in-play options, were able to slow the game’s tempo and protect the ball as the Dutch were limited to long balls from deep areas for the rest of the half.

The second half saw a slight change in momentum for both teams, with the Netherlands switching to a 4-2-4 formation as they looked to make the most of the extra physical presence now gained from Huntelaar’s substitution.

The idea was to allow Van Persie to drop deep and attempt to pull one, or more, Costa Rican CB(s) in a bid to free spaces at the back, which would then be exposed collectively by their extra striker, wingers and/or midfielders!

Here, aerial play from wide positions was a very important aspect of their offensive approach.

Costa Rica, however, had other ideas, as they somehow managed to draw “special” energy levels out of almost nowhere and took a shot at going forward for the last few minutes of the game; coming close on 2 separate occasions with some really end-to-end stuff on display!

It was an absolute tactical tussle between both teams’ coaches in extra-time and the game was really brought to life in the dying moments.

The Netherlands tried really hard, and were it not for a combination of Van Persie’s poor positional play, a missing spark in midfield, as well as a lack of some precision in front of goal, they would have buried the game long before it went into extra-time.

Costa Rica displayed a really brilliant and well organized defensive performance; but did not offer too much in attack as they lacked many elements needed to convert those counter-attacking chances they had.

Nonetheless, they should take great heart from their amazing run at this WC; for, when they arrived, some footballing experts did not give them the slightest chance of even QUALIFYING from the group-stage, yet alone coming THAT close to reaching a historic WC semi-final! Hats off to them…


Man of the match: Keylor Navas: Great solid display of goalkeeping skills between the posts and he heads back home as one of the best goalkeepers in this tournament!

Day 21: Part 1:-

Argentina vs. Belgium:-





Inexperience takes a heavy toll as Argentina glide past Belgium onto their first WC semi-final in 24 years!


Coach Alejandro Sabella slightly changed his tactical set-up in comparison to previous games; opting for a 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 formation, where Di Maria and Lavezzi played out wide, and Messi served almost as an attacking midfielder, or a support striker if you will.

He also deployed Lucas Biglia alongside Mascherano as he looked to inject more dynamism into Argentina’s midfield play; an element which Gago was not able to provide in this competition so far.

For Belgium, Coach Marc Wilmots stuck with the same formation and tactical outlay he used in the round of 16 tie against Team USA; favoring speed, once more, over physicality in the final third.


Argentina began the game by dominating possession and passing their way into Belgium’s own half, with the match still not adapting a specific and constant rhythm yet.

Moments later, Kompany made a rather uncharacteristic mistake when he lost possession in the middle of the pitch, and play was quickly transformed as Messi played Di María forward, who then looked to send a through ball to Zabaleta down the right flank.

However, the pass took a deflection and landed midway through the air in front of Higuaín, and the Napoli forward sent a shot dripping with a striker’s instinct for a 1-0 Argentinean lead!

Belgium attempted to respond quickly by going on the offense shortly afterwards; however, they were lacking accuracy in their passes which lead to them losing possession too often.

For all the counter-attacking possibilities (time and space-wise) that Argentina had every time they retained possession deep in their own half, they opted for a rather slow build-up from the back, devoid of any real urgency, and looked to keep a solid and compact defensive form on display.

The Belgians were playing with practically 10 men inside Argentina’s half as they pressed higher up the pitch looking for that equalizer; but it was just not good enough as they were unable to do anything particularly creative or threatening with the ball to break Argentina’s defense apart.

It was a somewhat tactical first half from Argentina’s point of view; but the game, as a whole, did not have much tempo in it.

Argentina played very compact and deep at the back and were fairly well organized as they limited Belgium to almost zero real chances on goal. In attack, they relied on a bizarre possession-based counter-attacking strategy as they got themselves into spaces early following several breaks, but chose to slowly pass their way into the box instead of continuing the forward momentum directly.

Belgium were poor as a team on so many levels, they lacked a clear identity all over the pitch, creativity in midfield (Hazard and De Bruyne practically asleep) and a real urgency in attack. They were also missing some real physical presence in the box as Origi was drifting out wide way too much!

The second half began with neither side pressing properly nor playing with any real flair or urgency going forward.

The Belgians were not even able to create one single offensive move in the first quarter of an hour after the break, while Argentina squandered a few chances on goal as they showed some ineffectiveness up front.

Coach Wilmots’ decision to bring on Lukaku (for physicality) and Mertens (for dynamism and more aerial play from out wide) did not have the desired effect on Belgium’s play as quickly as he might have wanted. They were unable to hold onto possession for long enough to create something from midfield.

Meanwhile, Argentina were attacking with too much width and were not getting into central positions enough as they somehow seemed content with the 1-0 lead.

The game saw some very, very late FLASHES of urgency and attacking prowess from the Belgians in the dying minutes; but it was just a continuation of their miserable afternoon rather than a re-discovered element of vigor.

In summation, the match was very uneventful from many aspects. Argentina defended fairly well but barely showed any genuine interest in really taking the game to their opponents by creating dangerous chances from open play. They were a tad wasteful in front of goal; but, overall, it was an efficient display of football (and that's putting it in the nicest way possible!).

The Belgians had extreme difficulties initiating attacks from the back; as De Bruyne and Hazard were utterly silented by Argentina. The team lacked passing precision in vital areas of the pitch, shifted play out wide too often and enforced the obvious tactic of focusing on aerial balls way too late.

All in all, one cannot say that it has been such a bad tournament for this very young and talented Belgium team; but their lack of experience at such a big stage eventually proved to be their undoing!


Man of the match: Take your pick:-

Lionel Messi: He put in a mature performance as he contributed all over the pitch.




Javier Mascherano: Did a good job canceling-out Hazard and De Bruyne in midfield.

Day 20: Part 2:-

Brazil vs. Colombia:-





The host nation continues its march onto WC greatness after having overcome a resilient, spirited and rather unfortunate Colombian side!


Nothing major in way of tactical changes for both teams, with Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari drafting experienced Maicon into RB in place of Dani Alves (mainly due to his poor performances there so far) and Luiz Gustavo missing due to suspension.

Coach José Pékerman opted against beginning with Jackson Martínez on the left side as he was looking to use the pace of Ibarbo and Cuadrado on the flanks to exploit the spaces usually left behind by Brazil’s SBs when they go forward.


The match began in a very expected fashion, with the Brazilians pressing Colombia back into their own half and focusing play down the channels, while the Colombians looked to play on the break.

However, the game’s balance quickly changed after Brazil were able to make full use of an early corner which Neymar sent flying over several Brazilian and Colombian players, only for Thiago Silva to pounce on it and tap it into the net at the far post for a 1-0 lead!

The game became very intense after that first goal as the Colombians played with real tempo and momentum going forward, while the Brazilians went for that aggressive style about which Coach Scolari spoke prior to the match; not allowing Colombia much possession and double-pressing them all over the pitch.

Brazil were using the full width of the pitch in their attacks and Neymar was roaming freely in Colombia’s final third as they looked to exchange passes to find a way through the Colombian defense, while Oscar was bizarrely dropping very deep (almost adapting a DM role!) as he looked to retain possession for his side.

The Colombians looked as though they were going to score almost every time they went on a run towards Brazil’s goal; ensuring their game had an extremely high tempo to it and using spaces in Brazil’s midfield cleverly.

It was a rather top quality end-to-end game in the first half as both teams held nothing back and displayed a proper show of pure attacking football.

Brazil showed an aggressive side to their play never seen before at this WC, and played relatively better in almost all areas of the pitch compared to their previous 4 games; they did, however, lack a good chunk of precision in front of goal as they wasted some really glorious opportunities to make it 2-0 before the break.

Colombia looked very dangerous whenever they went forward throughout the entire half, and they also had a good chance or two at an equalizer which they wasted. They had difficulties delivering that final pass into the Brazilian box and were perhaps hurt by the lack of proper central midfielders in the final third.

The second half witnessed a different mood from the Brazilians as they came out defending a bit deeper than in the first half. But that was largely due to Colombia’s now high-press game as they went searching for a much needed (and, truthfully, deserved) first goal.

The game still had a hint of that urgency of play and high tempo from both sides before the break.

Colombia were being frustrated by their inability to get a proper passing rhythm initiated and the fact that they were playing with too much width but without any real penetration into Brazil’s box. Another issue for them was that the physical presence they had in the box was not proving to be as effective as they might have wanted.

Meanwhile, Brazil were struggling to get out of their own half as they constantly lost possession due to some wayward passing. They were clearly relying too much on set-pieces and seemed clueless as to finding spaces in Colombia’s defensive areas and creating something threatening from open play.

David Luiz’s screamer of a goal from that somewhat long-distance free-kick just raised the level of urgency in Colombia’s game even further.

The Colombians were absolutely committed to attack as they threw players forward and pressed Brazil all the way back into their final third, and the game became even tenser after James Rodríguez converted from the penalty spot.

Colombia tried and tried to get something proper going in attack as the Brazilians seemed to have given up but they came just short as the referee blew the whistle for full time.

It was a fairly subdued performance from Brazil in the second half after a commendable display of football in the first half. It seemed as if they came out after the break to merely defend their narrow lead; for they showed barely no genuine interest in having a go at Colombia’s defenders.

They were poor with their passing, not urgent enough in their build-up play and too physical in attempting to retain possession. The only positive thing from that second half performance for coach Scolari would probably be their rather improved defense (and even that isn’t all jolly news as Silva will miss the semi-final after a rather immature mistake of his own doing!).

Colombia were by-far the better side after the break, offensively and defensively; but were undone by the ineffectiveness of their main striker’s physical presence up front and a lack of central play from the back as they failed to make the most of some really good counter-attacking chances they had.


Man of the match: David Luiz: Probably THE best performer in Brazil’s squad over both halves; as he provided stability and security for his entire team going forward. He topped it all off with a goal which will probably contend for the title of “goal of the tournament” now!

Day 20: Part 1:-

France vs. Germany:-





The Quarter-Finals of the 2014 WC got off to a cracking start with a scintillating display of football from both teams!


On a tactical level, Coach Joachim Löw abandoned his “false nine” system, at last, in favor of a more suitable, effective and balanced formation; fielding Miro Klose as a main striker and opting to deploy Lahm in the RB position, where he would be most effective in a short-term tournament.

Meanwhile, France Coach Didier Deschamps decided to go with speed over physicality in his tactical set-up, as Griezmann and Valbuena manned the left and right flanks respectively; consciously leaving out Giroud as he looked to expose Germany’s lack of pace at the back.


The game began with the Germans practically owning ball possession for the first 5 minutes or so; trying to focus play out wide and avoiding central midfield battles.

France, on the other hand, were defending somewhat deep with almost 2 banks of 4; looking to launch quick counters.

It was Kroos’ brilliant ball delivery from that set-piece in midfield which saw Hummels get rid of Varane in the air, somewhat forcefully, and head the ball into the corner for a 1-0 German lead!

It was fully “game on” from that point, with France now pushing forward whenever they had possession and attempting to play long aerial balls in behind Germany’s defense. They were more aggressive after the first goal and did not hold anything back.

Germany were in a more comfortable situation after a rather tense start to the game; still looking to play the channels and attempt to penetrate France’s defense from wide areas.

The French were having difficulties getting a proper forward momentum going and were often losing possession in the opposition’s half; as their midfield became too crowded and their play lacked a real element of width.

France were somewhat subdued in attack for a short period as they became over-reliant on long balls and seemingly still unable to hold onto possession for long enough.

The Germans were playing better in midfield and attack; but they were unable to make the most of their chances in front of goal with Özil having to shift sides as Höwedes was not offering him enough support on the left flank.

All in all, it was a tense first half, with France beginning the game tactically well; defending relatively deep when off the ball and pressing the opposition properly when on it.

However, they perhaps focused too much on those long balls and were incapable of retaining possession in Germany’s own half, while Benzema was lacking real support from his wide players (just the kind of support a certain Franck Ribéry would have provided!!!).

Germany played fairly well all over the pitch, but their defense might have been somewhat too static at times when dealing with France’s long aerial play and they were sometimes unable to efficiently execute the offside trap they have been trying to play.

Apart from the apparent lack of link-up play on the left side, the Germans did not do too bad in offense; but they were clearly missing that final touch in the box and were unable to get into genuinely threatening attacking positions in front of goal.

It was a rather different affair in the second half, with France coming out with a different attitude; pressing the Germans high up the pitch and looking to catch them off-guard quickly.

The French were looking more likely to score as time passed by and were playing with real flair and vigor in Germany’s half. They were effectively using both sides of the pitch, with their midfielders going on explosive forward runs in between German defenders.

Germany were playing in a very passive fashion and were unable to promptly adapt to the game’s current rhythm. They seemed a shadow of their selves from the first half and were constantly losing possession cheaply!

France went all-out in attack as coach Deschamps switched to a 4-4-2 variation; but they were in need of more precision in the opposition’s box because they were wasting numerous chances.

The Germans were not urgent enough in their offensive approach and seemed powerless to properly build play from the back and hold onto possession for a sufficient amount of time.

As the game came to an end, Germany wasted several clear-cut opportunities at sealing the game as Schürrle twice horribly mishit the ball following two very effective German counters.

France threw bodies forward but were not able to get a proper passing rhythm going and lacked some real urgency in attack.

A different story in the second half in comparison to the first; as France clearly played better in attack and midfield. They showed real tenacity going forward and had some really good opportunities which they should have buried, had it not been for some ineffective finishing (and also some good goal-keeping from Neuer).

Karim Benzema seemed all alone in attack at times and their midfielders could have been more precise in their passing and ball delivery.

The Germans put in a rather indifferent performance in attack in the second half, but they were very solid and stable at the back. They had difficulties getting back into the game after the break and lost possession way too easily on numerous occasions. Their attackers should have taken more advantage of their counters and finished the game then and there.


Man of the match: It’s a toss-up between Philipp Lahm and Mats Hummels as they both displayed an excellent show in defense so we’ll leave you to decide on that one!

Day 19 (part 2!):-

Belgium vs. USA:-





The culmination of a rather tense and extremely tight set of matches in the round of 16 was more one-sided than any of the previous games as Belgium supremacy overran US spirit!


Both teams did not report any noticeable tactical changes, with Coach Marc Wilmots opting for speed over physicality at the spearhead of attack; Origi starting as Belgium’s main striker in place of Lukaku.

Coach Jürgen Klinsmann went with a more-balanced approach; as he deployed natural-CB Geoff Cameron in the only holding DM role, since Kyle Beckerman was suspended for this game.


The game took shape quite quickly as Belgium began pressing way-high up the pitch from early-on; looking to force their way through the US’ box as they searched for an early lead.

Team USA were trying to settle-down the game’s tempo every time they got hold off the ball in an attempt to subdue the Belgians’ attacking ferocity. Belgium, meanwhile, were unable to hold onto possession for a sufficient amount of time.

The game was being, more or less, fully controlled by the Belgians as time passed by. They were upping the tempo with their fast offensive movement at will; however, they were unable to convert numerous chances in front of goal.

The US were obviously depending on launching a counter-attack every now and then; but were looking increasingly vulnerable at the back!

They attempted to press Belgium higher up the pitch as the half faded-out, with a view to attack more as the Bradley-Dempsey fulcrum dictated play down the middle; but, ultimately, the lack of physical presence in Belgium’s box (a consequence of Dempsey dropping deep to initiate play) made it difficult for them to score a goal.

Belgium started the first half with ferocious pace; barely allowing the US any time to properly adapt to the game. However, they lost possession in key areas sometimes and were too wasteful with the scoring opportunities they had!

Team USA slowly grew into the game; successfully slowing Belgium’s tempo at times while playing on the break for the most part. They, too, were unable to make the most of one or two really good chances in front of goal.

The second half began in a very similar fashion to the first; the Belgians pressing high from the off, but, again, unable to find the right pass into the box as the lack of a proper physical striker was beginning to hinder their offensive approach (think Lukaku!).

The match turned into a completely one-sided affair from that point, with Belgium coming closer and closer to scoring a goal with incredible misses and even more incredible saves from Tim Howard.

The US were nowhere close to being lethal enough up front; as Dempsey continuously dropped deep and left spaces in the box, which were then not occupied by anyone capable of finishing-off their attacks!

Belgium continued to attack in waves as Team USA defended deep; but the Belgians were lacking a real “cutting edge” to their forward momentum as they seemed unable to break through the US’ defense, while they were also in dire need of more precision in front of goal.

The shortage of urgency in Belgium’s build-up play, coupled with the missing physical presence in the final third (again, think Lukaku!) and the fact that they were too wasteful with chance after chance on goal, all hampered their chances of ever scoring a goal as Tim Howard was the only man performing on the US team.

It was an utterly one-sided story in the second half as Belgium tore the US apart in terms of chances created; but it was all pointless as they wasted most of them and were denied others by some great heroic saves from Tim Howard.

Team USA defended well at times but barely offered anything of notice in attack; being too passive in their approach and they only have their GK to thank for keeping the score at 0-0 after 90 minutes.

Lukaku, FINALLY, came on at the start of the first half of extra-time to inject that much needed physical presence in Belgium’s attacks.

It did not take that long though for the substitution to pay off, as Lukaku used his physique (surprise surprise :P) to force his way through the US’ box, after a quick counter-attack, and passed the ball to De Bruyne; who then pulled-back almost 3 US defenders, before turning and shooting for a 1-0 lead.

The US responded by trying to quickly press Belgium into their own half, but it was not working very well; for they were unable to create anything of notice from open play and were losing possession of the ball way too easily, amidst some very compact and sturdy Belgian defense.

Another quick counter-attack saw De Bruyne assisting Lukaku this time! The Belgium striker then blasting the ball past a distraught Howard for an unassailable (or so the Belgians thought!) 2-0 lead.

Lukaku was the obvious game-changer in that first half of extra-time; offering Belgium the missing element of physicality their play has been craving for so long prior to the substitution.

Meanwhile, the US were just too flat at the back and, fatigue or no fatigue, they were not able to do much with the ball as they lacked true creativity from midfield.

Just after the second half of extra-time began, the US brought the game back to life with a long ball from Bradley over and above Belgium’s backline, with youngster Green timidly volleying it into the back of the net to ensure a nail-biting end to this game (Alderweireld being at fault for that goal as he was too static in his reaction)!

Team USA threw bodies forward and were not holding anything back, while the Belgians suddenly began to look extremely flakey and nervous in defense, even though that they were still very dangerous on the break.

The US gave it their all in attack as they pumped urgency and flair into their offensive approach; but, sadly for them, it was not meant to be as the game came to an end.

Belgium were clearly the better side for well over 105 minutes of the game and should have concluded the game way earlier, had they not missed so many chances in front of goal.

The US, as always, showed real spirit in fighting back and did fairly okay in defense for most parts of the game (Tim Howard being especially brilliant).


Man of the match (the obvious choice would have been the aforementioned US GK, had Team USA won or even tied!):-

Kevin De Bruyne: He was directly involved in both of Belgium’s goals and was at the center-stage of almost every Belgian attack!

Day 19:-

Argentina vs. Switzerland:-





Yet another match of 120 minutes which could have gone either way had one team (or the other) done a thing or two differently!


There weren’t any significant tactical changes for either side, and as far as their line-ups were concerned, Lavezzi was the only man who started his first match at this WC; as Sergio Agüero has been ruled out of the competition due to injury.


The “big picture” of the game was drawn from the very first minutes as Argentina piled pressure on the Swiss, who were happily defending deep with almost 11 men behind the ball; waiting for counter-attacks once retaining possession from defensive zones.

Switzerland were constantly unable to hold onto the ball amidst the Argentinians’ pressing game, while they also often lost individual duels in midfield and in attacking areas.

Argentina were not threatening Switzerland’s goal properly; simply because they were focusing too much on attempting to get into the Swiss box from out wide and not trying to launch more attacks from central areas.

Switzerland, on the other hand, were not offering much in way of offensive moves for a while; as they were somewhat stuck in their midfield and unable to “kick” the momentum into high-gear!

That slowly began to change as Shaqiri found his way (more than once) through Argentina’s right defensive flank.

Meanwhile, Argentina were relying on aerial play from almost all areas of the final third; but their passing was not decisive and they were lacking a sense of aggressiveness and urgency.

It was a relatively very tactical first half, with the Swiss playing a compact and very organized game. They were, however, not committing enough bodies forward in their counter-attacks and kept losing possession cheaply due to some sloppy passing (Mehmedi was rather poor in attack!).

Argentina defended better than what was expected from them (based on their defensive displays in the group-stage); but they still seemed vulnerable on the flanks though. In attack, they were over-reliant on aerial balls and needed more urgency by engaging the Swiss defenders more and attempting to attack centrally via through balls on the ground.

The second half began by inheriting the first half’s tempo and rhythm; Argentina still being too slow in their build-up play and Switzerland still lacking precision in front of goal.

The Argentineans’ rather increased element of width in their offensive approach was somewhat of an obstacle for them in terms of reaching the Swiss goal; as Switzerland’s SBs were easily dealing with their play down either channel.

The Swiss were somehow slowing their own tempo when going on the counter due to a lack of physical presence up front (especially on the left where Mehmedi was not performing well in offense).

It took a while, but, eventually, Argentina began to find more and more spaces in the Swiss defense; but they were still pointlessly relying on aerial play and not providing enough urgency!

Switzerland were, at this point, very subdued in attack and unable to get proper passes forward.

As the half came to a close, the Argentineans started to play with more urgency, with Messi creating space for himself from which he would launch attacks once given the ball; but the team, as a whole, were missing that crucial final touch in the box.

Meanwhile, Switzerland did not launch a single attack during that period; allowing Argentina possession and somehow refusing to press them amidst some pretty static play to say the least!

It was a better second half from Argentina in attack as they eventually switched to a more central style of play; but they were undone by a lack of physical presence in the Swiss box from their main strikers.

Switzerland barely threatened Argentina’s goal and were too flat going forward, as well as lacking clear urgency on the break.

Extra-time began with the Swiss pressing higher up the pitch and not allowing Argentina the same ball possession they had enjoyed before.

However, the game’s tempo was subdued by the Argentinians as they passed the ball around; looking to avoid early exhaustion!

Neither team was risking too much, while both teams’ defenses were doing their jobs.

Switzerland were not committing any extra bodies forward and Argentina were not pressing them too much either; preferring to attack from deep areas.

The second half of extra-time saw Argentina go all-out in attack from the kick-off, as if they were trying to fully expend every remaining shred of energy left in them!

The Swiss were too slow on the break though and seemed out of options in attack.

At a time when both teams’ urgency of play seemed to significantly drop due to an almost tangible sense of fatigue, the unthinkable happened as Lichtensteiner (who was having a good game so far!) lost possession to Palacio in a crucial area!

Palacio then quickly passed the ball to Messi, and the Argentine captain went on one of his trademark dazzling runs towards the goal before playing Di María through on the right, who placed it low on the opposite side before a distraught Benaglio (who had an EXCELLENT game between the posts!).

The Swiss attempted to immediately throw bodies forward and almost got the goal they deserved had it not been for the Argentinian right post!

All in all, a somewhat deserved win for Argentina as they fully pressed on the pedal in that second half of extra-time. The Swiss were undone by a tiny lapse in concentration that lead to that fatal mistake; as, otherwise, they put in a very respectable performance.

It was a sad ending for them, and, truthfully, a very bitter way for Coach Hitzfeld to retire!


Man of the match: Lionel Messi: He had a good all-round game and did more than what was asked of him as he, yet again, lead his (rather underperforming) team to victory.

Day 18:-

Germany vs. Algeria:-





Action, Comedy, Drama…you name it! This game had almost all the elements of a true WC match!


From a tactical point of view, German Coach Joachim Löw decided to, yet again, deploy a “false nine” system with only one notable change in personnel from the USA game; namely Mustafi playing in the RB position, as Boateng had to move to the CB role due to Hummels’ late illness.

The real talking point in terms of tactics was Algeria’s set-up. Coach Vahid Halilhodžić opted for a 5-man defense (which they’ve deployed earlier in this WC) and decided to add a real element of offensive grit by placing Feghouli at the tip of their midfield as an attacking playmaker with a totally free role. Dinamo Zagreb forward Soudani was shifted to the left side in favor of the versatile and multi-talented Djabou.


It did not take long for Coach Halilhodžić’s tactical outlay to come into full effect; as Algeria began catching Germany’s backline off-guard with their ultimate pace and pressing, sending-in numerous long balls behind a static and (somewhat) flat German defense!

Germany’s midfield players were unable to slow Algeria’s high-tempo game; for they were struggling to hold onto possession, with their key midfielders being tightly marked by several Algerians.

At times, Manuel Neuer had to act as a pure sweeper and come to the German defense’s aid; clearing those long balls every time they flew over Boateng and Mertesacker.

Germany began to regain some control of the game as the half progressed; playing with extreme width and dictating play from midfield with more freedom.

Meanwhile, Algeria’s poor finishing in front of goal hurt them badly; because they could have been leading at the time, and they wasted some really good chances.

On a whole, the Algerians started the first half more brightly and were better on a tactical and technical level. Their long vertical balls were working wonders for them as the Algerians’ pace was just too much to handle for Germany’s defense. However, they did somewhat retreat into their own half and drop their intensity at a time when they should have been gone after that first goal they so rightly deserved!

The Germans were all over the place in defense, with Shkodran Mustafi having a horrible game in particular; as he constantly left gaping holes at the back. The entire backline was looking increasingly vulnerable and unable to effectively stop Algeria’s offensive moves; Neuer rescuing them time and time again.

Moreover, their build-up play was not fast enough, and their midfielders were suffocating to find the right spaces in order to get a proper passing rhythm going. Also, the lack of pure offensive physical presence in Algeria’s box was hurting their chances of scoring a goal; as, once again, Coach Löw’s insistence on playing with a “striker-less” system back-fired.

Schürrle’s introduction (on for the rather ineffective Götze), right after the half-time break, completely changed the Germans’ game dynamic!

They looked much more compact in dealing with Algeria’s attacking attempts and were quickly able to find a proper balance to counter Algeria’s pace on the flanks.

It was a completely different second half from Germany’s point of view; clearly dominating play with their possession of the ball as they built attacks from the back slowly, using the full width of the pitch while they probed for spaces in between Algeria’s defensive lines.

However, they were still not a 100% stable in defense, with Neuer having to act, once more, as a sweeper to crucially cover-up for his team-mates’ inadequacies at the back.

Algeria were not playing with the same intensity from the first half so far; seemingly tactically regressing amidst some deep defending from the Germans.

More and more spaces started to open-up as Algeria began pressing forward and both teams went for a win!

That high tempo did not last for very long though; as the game slowly faded out. The Germans were creating numerous concrete chances in front of goal but ultimately lacked some clinical finishing. The Boateng-Mertesacker CB-pairing was enjoying a horrible day at the office; but, luckily for them, the Algerians were nowhere near precise enough with their passing, as fatigue began to kick-in.

Germany were the better team in the second half, with the substitution of Götze proving to be vital in terms of them having more width, balance and urgency in their play. However, they were not very lethal in front of goal, given all the chances they had, and should have considered themselves lucky to have even reached extra-time; as Neuer had to act as the hero for them on more than one occasion.

Algeria did not react well, tactically speaking, to Germany’s changes; but they were still dangerous on the break and via long balls, and should have taken the lead were it not for some poor finishing. They defended in a compact and well-organized manner; yet they somehow kept leaving holes in their defense, every now and then, amidst some lapses in concentration.

The first half of extra-time barely got a start before Germany were in front; Müller forcing his way into Algeria’s box down the left side and sending-in a low cross for Schürrle to back-heel it sideways for a 1-0 lead!

The rest of it saw the Germans withstand Algeria’s now increased pressure; but the Algerians themselves seemed short of attacking ideas as their energy levels began to drain at that point.

Furthermore, their inability to hold onto possession properly only made things worse for them; because they were unable to create any real chances from open play.

Meanwhile, Germany were slowing the game’s tempo every time they got hold of the ball in an attempt to force Algeria into “submission”.

The Algerians kept pressing and throwing bodies forward as the game came to an end; but, due to some timid finishing skills, they were unable to make the most of some really good chances they had, with exhaustion now fully taking over.

Two quick goals from either team amidst some sloppy (and tired) defending brought the game to an end; the Germans’ fitness and energy levels being, probably, the real reason why they were able to, eventually, overcome an overachieving, yet resilient, Algerian side.

It was a deserved win for Germany, all in all; for they showed real spirit and tactical (as well as technical) nous in coming back into the game and out-playing their opponents for the remainder of the game after a rather poor performance in the first half.

Algeria will probably feel undone by some heroic defensive skills from GK-turned-libero Manuel Neuer; but, truly, they only have themselves to blame as they should have pushed on with their intensity from the first half going into the second, and were too late in bringing on the needed substitutes!


Man of the match: Manuel Neuer: The true definition of a “modern day” goalkeeper. He was probably one of the best performers from the German team and, were it not for his brilliant all-round defensive display, Germany would have been on an early flight back home!