Match report: Argentina vs. Germany
It takes two to tango but only one team tangoed in Cape Town today and it wasn’t the Argentines.
Germany got off to a quick start when Lukas Podolski was fouled on the left wing in the 3rd minute. The free kick found the head of Thomas Muller who bagged his 4th goal of the tournament with a fine header.
Miroslav Klose was unhappy not to have doubled Germany’s lead when he shot over the bar from short range, but Klose’s disappointment wouldn’t last long.
In the 2nd half the Argentina squad demonstrated a more purposeful approach than they had before the break. But the Germans displayed admirable defensive discipline to prevent Messi, Tevez and Higuain from making inroads.
The Germans doubled their lead in style in the 68th minute when Muller, taken down from behind, still managed to push the ball to Podolski who fed Klose in the middle. Klose’s tap in was his 13th World Cup goal and it came in his 100th game for his country.
Five minutes later man-of-the-match Bastian Schweinsteiger carved the Argentine defense wide
open with a weaving run through the penalty box almost to the goal line, from where he pushed the ball back in front of goal. Friedrich got his foot to it for his first ever goal for Germany in 77 appearances.
The Argentines were a beaten team at this stage and looked it, but Germany had more in them. Mesut Ozil, who’d had a quiet game, received the ball on the left in a German counter attack and chipped it delightfully to Klose who made no mistake for his 14th World Cup goal. He is second only to Ronaldo of Brazil who had 15 in his career.
The 0-4 German victory was a simple case of Teutonic efficiency outclassing Argentine passion. The Germans are now through to the semi-finals where they’ll meet Spain, who beat Paraguay today. They’ll do so, however, without the services of young striker Thomas Muller, who was booked for a hand ball and is suspended for the next match. It was an unfair booking, and only serves to deprive us of another opportunity to see a fine young player develop.
Paul continues to predict accurately
Paul the octopus’s prediction of a German win over Argentina has come true. Paul has successfully predicted the winner in each of Germany’s World Cup 2010 matches, including Germany’s loss to Serbia.
Let’s hope his success doesn’t give him a big head.
Sneijder awarded goal
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The Netherlands’ equalizer yesterday against Brazil was the result of a glancing touch off the head of Brazil defender Felipe Melo as he attempted to defend Wesley Sneijder’s free kick. Melo was charged with an own goal initially, but now FIFA has reversed that decision and awarded the goal to Sneijder. Sneijder will now be credited with both of the Netherlands’ goals in their startling 2-1 victory over the Samba Kings.
At some level, Argentines must be breathing a sigh of relief
Argentina coach Diego Maradona had threatened to run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires if Argentina were to win the World Cup. Germany’s victory today, however, guarantees that innocent Argentines will be spared such a sight.
But surely red-blooded males of all nations must be mourning Paraguay’s loss to Spain. Amply-endowed Paraguayan model Larissa Riquelme had matched Maradona’s threat by promising a nude
run of her own were her country to win the World Cup. Boo Spain!
Match Report: Paraguay vs. Spain
Paraguay’s parsimonious defense had given up just one goal in their 2010 World Cup so far. True to form, the Paraguayan defense held solid through 82 minutes in their quarter final match against Spain today.
Spain turned the game on its ear in the 83rd minute, however, when Iniesta pushed the ball to substitute Pedro on the right. Pedro’s shot came off the far post, rebounding to Spanish marksman David Villa who’s own shot came off the post, too, but rebounded in for the only goal of the game.
Villa’s goal wasn’t the first time the ball had been in the net, however. Paraguay looked like they had taken a shock lead in the first half when Nelson Valdez controlled a cross from the right and spun and shot quickly beating Spain ‘keeper Iker Casillas.
1-0 Paraguay? No. Offside said the Guatemalan ref. It was a dodgy call!
The real drama, for both sides, erupted around the hour mark. Spanish defender Gerard Piquet dragged Paraguay’s Cardozo down in the box. Penalty kick. Cardozo took it but despite his penalty kick heroics against Japan earlier in the tournament, Cardozo’s spot kick was saved by Casillas.
Moments later the ref was blowing his whistle for a penalty again, this time at the other end of the pitch, where Spain’s David Villa was hauled down in the box.
Xabi Alonso took the penalty and his shot hit the back of the net with power and accuracy. 0-1 to Spain? No. The ref judged that the Spanish players had encroached in the box and made Alonso re-take the penalty.
This time Paraguay ’keeper Villar saved it. The rebound, however, was pounced on by Fabregas who himself was then brought to ground by the desperate ‘keeper. Another penalty to Spain? No.
Villa’s goal when it came allowed the Spanish to breath a little easier but still Paraguay pushed and only late heroics by Casillas, who was forced into a desperate save off Roque Santa Cruz in the dying moments, kept his team in the lead.
It was 0-1 Spain in the end. The best team had won, but the small nation of Paraguay had played well and it is a shame to see them go home.
Next Up: The semi-finals
Tuesday: Uruguay vs. Netherlands (Green Point Stadium, Cape Town)
Wednesday: Germany vs. Spain (Durban Stadium, Durban)
