2014 World Cup Semi-Finals Thoughts

I was going to wait until Monday to do a big wrap-up on the Semi-Final and Final matches of the World Cup. But after the games we’ve just seen, I had to comment. So here are my thoughts:

Brazil v. Germany

This match-up between the favorite and second-favorite teams promised to be memorable. I said on Monday I thought Brazil would have a hard time without Neymar and Silva, and that would help Germany pull out a victory over the home team. But never in my wildest dreams did I think it would turn out the way it did. For those who don’t know, Germany beat Brazil 7-1. And that’s unheard of. Yes, there have been scores like this in the past at this stage in the competition (though not often), but not against the favorite team on home soil. When you consider five of those goals were scored within the first 20-30 minutes of the game, you just wonder what kind of alternate reality this is.

So what happened? First, Germany were on fire. They played a superb game of football. Immaculate passing, great defense (except for a 90th-minute lapse that allowed Brazil to score)–everything you could ask for from a world-class team. And second, Brazil were lost without Silva. Yes, Neymar being injured out of the game made things harder. But honestly, I don’t think they would have won even if Neymar had been fit to play. Silva is their captain and their defensive organizer, and clearly his absence on the field made far more of an impact that it ought to for a first class football team. Not to take away from the talent of the other Brazilian players, but I think it’s apparent that Brazil have been coasting on the skills of two players. That’s not the way to play world-class football, and Germany called them on it.

I will commend the Brazilians for their sportsmanship. Understandably, the stadium was eerily quiet during the second half, except for the cadre of German supporters who were trying to make up for the noise deficit. However, the Brazilians applauded the last couple of German goals–and one of them, number seven, was an exceptional display of control and precision shooting. And the players were ready with hugs and congratulatory words after the match. This was a very humiliating experience for Brazil, both the team and their supporters. It’s to their credit that, from what I hear, there was no fighting nor were there angry words against the victors. I don’t know if Silva will be allowed to play in the runner-up game, but even if he isn’t, I hope Brazil have learned from this, and can pull together a better performance on Saturday.

Argentina v. The Netherlands

What a complete contrast this game was! I said it would be hard to call, and I was right. I thought both teams looked dangerous, and while their strengths were different, they were evenly matched. Argentina played a very aggressive 90 minutes, with more shots on goal. But the Dutch defense held strong, and probably had the upper hand in terms of possession. The Dutch star Robben hardly got into the game until near the end, and the Dutch managed to contain the Argentine star Messi, who failed to be the game-changer he has been on so many other occasions. That the score was goalless at full-time was no surprise to anyone. Both teams missed some great opportunities to end the game in extra time. Barring a major mistake, or a stroke of genius, a penalty shoot-out seemed inevitable. And so it went, and the game came down to the team with the better goalie: Sergio Romero. But this is the kind of game we expect to see at this level of the competition. I think the contrast between these two semi-finals tells the story of this World Cup: excellent football, major upsets, and great sportsmanship.

The Finals

On Saturday, Brazil will face The Netherlands for third place. There’s no medal or award, it’s simply a matter of honor. I expect Brazil to play a much better game since they have a lot of face-saving to do. However, I think the Dutch will ultimately prevail. Argentina put them through their paces, so I think they’re more than ready to face Brazil, even if Silva’s playing.

Sunday’s game should be an amazing match, with Germany and Argentina facing off for the third time in a final. I think it’ll be close, but in the end I think Germany will win. Especially if they bring the quality of play we saw against Brazil. Granted, Argentina are a vastly superior team than Brazil, and Germany won’t have nearly as easy a time. But coming off of a 7-1 victory, German confidence is high. Given the amazing display of skill and talent we’ve seen from the German side throughout the competition, I think the win is theirs for the taking.

But those are just my thoughts. What do you think?