Kevin Whitcher
So, four quarter finals… watched from the armchair like the majority of those reading this, but with some kind of feeling for what it is like to be there.
Germany v France: This match exposed the reality that France haven’t actually played anyone of serious quality up to this point – Hounduras, Switzerland, Ecaudor and Nigeria. And as a consequence, have looked a lot better than maybe they are. Yes, they have some very decent players. But as a collective, not as good as Germany. They did attempt to exploit Germany’s high defensive line, but could not quite pull it off. At the key moments – and there were few - the composure required wasn’t there. Manuel Neuer is a very decent keeper and one wonders if the tactic of sweeper keeper might become a bit of a vogue after his impressive display in the role. It allows the German team to press effectively, condense the play and force their opponents into mistakes. It is very dependent on not allowing the opposition playmakers the time to pick out the pass that creates a one-on-one where Neuer is vulnerable, especially if he is rushing out of his area. On one level it is high risk football, but so far, the Germans have got away with it. I would be fascinated to see Argentina face Germany now. Messi can quite obviously pick a pass, and does not need much time to do it. I recall the 1986 final between the two sides. Lothar Matthaus man-marked Diego Maradona out of the game until the dying moments, with the score at 2-2. Maradona received the ball with his back to goal in the centre circle, swiveled and released Jorge Burruchaga to score the winner. Matthaus was just a yard off him, but it was enough. One moment of skill that decided the game. Back to 2014, and Germany were affected by a bug in the camp, which may have been the reason Klose got to start the game. It didn’t seem to affect their performance. Efficient is a cliché when talking about the Germans, and was used sure enough by the TV studio pundits. Maybe consistent is an alternative. Whichever way you look at it, they have made the last four of this competition on four consecutive occasions and plenty of times before that. There is something in their mentality that is able to make the difference in tight significant matches. Joachim Low for Arsenal anyone?
Brazil v Colombia: This was a far more open encounter, although the referee gets low marks for allowing open season on James Rodriguez, who was quite obviously targeted for specialist attention by the Brazilian midfield. You could sense the release of tension the opening goal brought even through the TV screen. It was exciting, but at times, a little scrappy. Colombia were a little too cautious initially and would have been better slugging it out from the first whistle. Fancied to cause an upset in some quarters, they certainly might have, but their defending let them down at the corner and there is not much you can say about David Luiz’ goal other than to take your hat off. Although Tiago Silva will miss the semi, in a strange kind of way, playing Dante against players he will be more familiar facing may be no bad thing. However, the suspicion is that without Neymar, whose back injury means he will miss the remainder of the tournament, the team do not have the flair required to overcome the Germans, even at home. Think Italy 1994 without Roberto Baggio. Or Argentina 1990 without Diego Maradona. Players so important to the team, they nursed them through the tournament when in truth they were injured. So it was with Neymar. But Zuniga’s challenge put paid to that. It was pre-meditated and cynical, and wasn’t even yellow carded. Another example of the referee having a poor match. No danger of him getting the final. Zuniga was described as ‘mental’ by an e-mailer who did not even see the game last night, an impression formed by earlier displays. The art of injuring your most dangerous opponent lives on. In the midst of a finals with a great deal to recommend it, as the stakes get higher, the dark arts are forming a black cloud on the horizon.
Argentina v Belgium: I have been trying to put my finger on who exactly Argentina manager Alex Sabella looks like all tournament, and watching this match it struck me. He looks like a devastated Thunderbird. Still, no need for any feelings of sadness on his part at the end of this match. Belgium, quietly fancied by many due to the wealth of top players are their disposal, were exposed a little like the French team the day before. The reality is that they had not really been tested by a top team in the tournament up to this point, a consequence of FIFA’s ridiculous seedings, that put Switzerland above the likes of Italy, France and Holland. Belgium were fairly underwhelming until they started taking a few risks in the second half. Argentina though, had the better chances and should have won by more. That they have only won their matches so far by one goal does not matter, they are in the last four. The only thing that I would say is that, on the evidence I have seen so far of this tournament, Messi and company have perhaps not met a top team yet either. Whether they will step up their game in the semis remains to be seen, but they need to. They have done what they need to up to this point, but aside from Messi’s skill and Mascherano’s ability to break up play, simply have not looked particularly good. Arguably, they are the worst team of the four semi-finalists, although a Neymar-less Brazil hardly convinces either. Still, it’s all about winning matches, so on that score, they are doing what’s required.
Holland v Costa Rica: Regarded as the most one-sided of the quarter finals, this turned out to be the only one that went to a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner. Granted, Costa Rica far exceeded expectations, and played with incredible organization and spirit. Their offside trap was surely the most effective in these finals. And yet, they offered so little going forward for the vast majority of the 120 minutes that you could only really love them on the principal of backing the underdog. In terms of entertainment, it was more about denial than creation. Real attack v defence stuff. Did I really want to see more of this in the semi-final? The answer was no, so I was willing Holland to go through, not least because I did stick a bet on a Germany v Holland final (at 15/2) before the last eight matches. The decision to sub the keeper for the penalty shoot out almost didn’t work for the pure reason that Van Gaal seemed to leave it so late to make the switch. I wondered if the ball would actually go out of play in time. I have to admit that the prospect of seeing Van Gaal at Manchester United makes for a far more interesting prospect than David Moyes. It might not do Arsenal any favours, but at least it should make for a more entertaining Premier League. What this game did show is that a concentrated gameplan can foil the Dutch, even if at times Costa Rica rode their luck.
What the four quarter finals did confirm is that as the stakes get higher, the number of goals per game is likely to dwindle. There were only five in four matches. With less margin for error, less of the adventurous attacking football of the group stages is there to enjoy, and yet, with the stakes so high, the tension itself can be entertaining. And there is generally a point after about 75 minutes when the games have opened up completely, although that didn’t really happen until later in the Holland game because neither team was ahead. We are left with a couple of mouth-watering semi-finals to look forward to. I will post some thoughts on those after they have both been played.
To wrap up today, another memory from the trip. Adam bought a hardback version of the current Panini sticker album out there from a bookstall in a Salvador shopping mall, which he was not aware was available anywhere outside Brazil. He is a member of some Panini WhatsApp group or something similar. Although I don’t collect the stickers myself, I fully understand that there are many adults who still collect the things come the World Cup edition every four years, a phenomenon we had to explain to Sanj. It was a chuckle to hear Adam state he would get real kudos amongst his fellow collectors for having got hold of a hardback edition.
