In a span of 12 years stretching from 2002 to 2014, Germany has met the Brazilians four times. Only once have the Germans claimed victory. Brazil has beaten them twice, with the remaining meeting ending in a draw. The Germans however claimed victory in their most recent meeting in 2011. Mario Götze announced himself to the world in that friendly; he was superb.
Germany took a 2-0 lead in the second half through Bastian Schweinsteiger and the aforementioned "German Messi". Robinho halved the deficit only to see Andre Schürrle add a third soon after. A Neymar goal in the dying seconds reduced the deficit but hid the true nature of the defeat. Brazil had been outplayed by a Germany side full of magic but not willing to defend with complete conviction.
In three years however, plenty has changed. The element of excitement in Germany's game is almost lost. It turns up from time to time but those moments are rare. Following a 4-4 draw against Sweden in a World Cup qualifier, Germany has become more pragmatic. Pragmatism has served them well so far. The shining star of the previous match against Brazil meanwhile is out of form and seemingly out of the first team as well. The Brazilian who scored his country's second goal on that day in 2011 is out of the tournament due to injury.
Now, more than 12 years after the two contested a final in the midst of Asia, the two are set to face very tough challenges. For Germany, this is the fourth consecutive semifinal in the World Cup and the fifth consecutive overall semifinal in a major tournament. None of those appearances yielded a trophy. The so-called golden generation's time is slipping away. If they do not correct past failings now, they will go down in history as the best of the bridesmaids. The moniker of "chokers" will never leave them.
Standing in their way is the host nation, a nation which is is upset over the loss of its biggest hope, Neymar. While Neymar's loss hurts the attacking department, the loss of Thiago Silva in the defensive department due to suspension hurts as well.
Germany meanwhile is coming into this match without any suspensions. Only Skhodran Mustafi is injured. It is really now or never for them. And this is exactly why, with a blend of pragmatism and flair, they have a better chance of overcoming their opponent and making the final than they did either in 2010 or 2006.
40 years ago today in Munich... #1974WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Cggi8QKZUQ
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) July 7, 2014
If Germany are present in Sunday's final, they might hope for a "grudge match" against the Dutch. While players of both sides are very friendly with each other, the rivalry is still the biggest one in German and Dutch football on the international level. However, the Dutch have a major hurdle to overcome in the form of Argentina.
In five meetings between the two sides, the Dutch have claimed three wins and Argentina one. The most recent meeting took place in the 2006 World Cup where the teams drew 0-0 against each other. This match is harder to break down than the other semifinal simply because both sides are missing one very important player.
Angel di Maria holds the Argentina team together. While Argentina played reasonably well without him against Belgium, his importance cannot be discounted. On the other hand, Nigel de Jong, a very important cog in Louis Van Gaal's team will also be absent.
Van Gaal has changed formations regularly in this tournament. He sets his team up according to the opposition. Alejandro Sabella has been tested less because of Argentina's involvement in a rather easy group in the group stages and because of the side's reliance on Lionel Messi. Nonetheless, he has shown he can adjust his team well too.
This match brings up another interesting battle too. The Dutch rely on Arjen Robben's speed and touch to get them through. He has arguably been the best player in the World Cup so far. He is coming into this World Cup on the back of his best season for Bayern. Messi on the other hand is coming off an average season at least by his ridiculously high standards. The Dutch defense will have to control Messi while the Argentine defense will have to guard Robben. Neither defenses are the most convincing.
The Dutch might hold the upper hand because Van Gaal is more flexible and more astute at this level than his counterpart, Sabella. He, unlike Marc Wilmots, knows what to change and does not simply change to add more forwards to the pitch in search of a goal. He is perhaps the only remaining coach who has the bravery to change goalkeepers for a penalty shootout.
While an all European final is not the most likely outcome, it is perhaps the slightly likelier outcome only because of the absence of Brazil's two highly important players and Van Gaal's guile.
Whether it is the final which will happen remains to be seen.
Watch the 2014 World Cup Semi-Final Argentina vs Netherlands
Don’t miss the highly anticipated match featuring South America's last hopefuls Argentina against Louis van Gaal's mighty Netherlands. Guided by captain Lionel Messi, the Argentines will do everything they possibly can to ensure they make the final which will be played at the Maracanã. The match kicks-off at 4pm EST / 1pm PST / 8pm GMT.
Check our complete and comprehensive global broadcast listings across all platforms (Internet, TV and Radio) Check Argentina vs Netherlands LIVE broadcast listings.
