Ironically last time two South American sides made it to the final of the World Cup, the illustrious tournament was held in Brazil back in 1950. However the format back then was very different from what it is now. Back in 1950, the winner of the competition was determined through a final group stage in which the final four competing teams had to go against one another to determine the eventual winner.
Ahead of the match, the hosts were one point ahead of Uruguay and needed to avoid defeat in order to claim the title. Unfortunately for them La Celeste registered a 2-1 win to win their second World Cup title. It was Uruguay who won the first ever all South American World Cup final as well when they recorded a 4-2 win over Argentina back in 1930.
Brazil and Argentina will now be hoping to pave the path for a very fiery encounter. The rivalry between the two nations which is often referred to as the "Battle of the South Americans” can be traced back to times when the game was hardly famous in either countries.
Historically relationships between the two nations have been very hostile and rivalry is found in almost every sport played between the two countries, however when it comes to football the enmity is even fiercer.
For the neutral this will be an icing on the cake and definitely a joy to watch, however what stands in their path are two very strong European sides who will do their very best to make it to the final themselves.
Germany on Friday became the only side to reach the semifinal stage of the competition for a fourth consecutive time. Whereas reaching the last four of the competition is definitely a feat to be proud of, Germany and their fans have been fed up of their team’s inability to finish the job which has led to nicknames such as ‘nearly men’ and ‘chokers’..jpg?q=75&w=634)
This means that Die Mannschaft will be very motivated to go all the way this time around and finish the job. Their task will be made easier with the hosts set to be without their influential captain Thiago Silva as well as their best player of the tournament Neymar.
The Netherlands-Argentina match on the other hand appears to be a very even encounter on paper, but whereas the Dutch have massively exceeded expectations, Argentina have produced a couple of below par performances. The Oranje prior to the beginning of the tournament were regarded a team which would fail to make much of an impression in the tournament. Argentina on the other hand who possess some of the biggest attacking talents were expected to take the world by storm.
However as things stand it is Holland who have produced far better performances whereas Argentina have struggled. Whereas both teams finished the group stages with maximum points, the Dutch passed every test with aplomb getting the better of the likes of Spain, Chile and Australia. Argentina on the other hand despite of being paired in an easy group comprising of the likes of Nigeria, Bosnia and Iran had a hard time.
Whereas an all South American final would be a fabulous encounter, the European teams competing might edge out as favorites. However this World Cup has produced many more upsets than expected and it will definitely not come as a surprise if we ultimately see Argentina and Brazil battling it out for the title at the Estádio Maracanã on the 13th of July.
Watch the 2014 World Cup Semi-Final Brazil vs Germany
Don’t miss the highly anticipated match featuring hosts Brazil against the mighty Germany. Brazil will do everything they possibly can to ensure they make the final which will be played in 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 Brazil vs Germany Live broadcast listings.
