- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
I’ve written previously on The Roar about the promise of this golden generation of Germans, but for all the beauty of their forward flow against the Socceroos, Serbia and England, the biggest question ahead of their much anticipated quarter final with Argentina was how they would go without the ball?
Of course, that’s because Diego Maradona’s men were expected to test their defence like no team had hitherto done.
But Joachim Loew’s men never gave them a chance.
For all the symmetry of their transition into the forward third, the key to Germany’s comprehensive dissemination of Argentina was their work without the ball.
Compare this with Argentina’s shoddy, or non-existent, work in defensive transition, and there was only to be one winner here. That was evident even within the first five minutes.
Pressing high and all over the pitch, in perfect unison, the likes of Lionel Messi, Maxi Rodriguez, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel di Maria were never given an inch to play.
It was tight and uncompromising, physical but not dirty (14 fouls to Argentina’s 20) from Germany. And unlike Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura 24 hours earlier in the Holland victory over Brazil, Asia’s finest referee Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan), kept perfect control over proceedings.
Referees are often maligned, quickly criticised, but Irmatov’s work has been exemplary this tournament. It would be a fitting if the man who watched over the tournament’s first match in consummate fashion also presides over the final.
Whether the Germans are there depends on whether they can also suffocate and shatter the spirit of the Spaniards, as they did here. Certainly, on the evidence of the latter’s quarter final win over Paraguay, they have a great chance.
Paraguay proved, by pressing Spain high, putting them under the most intense pressure, that they are vulnerable.
With a bit more ruthlessness in the front third, Paraguay might have put Spain to bed before Andres Iniesta’s decisive drive through the midfield set up the winner.
One thing’s for sure, Spain didn’t enjoy Paraguay’s physicality, struggling to build from the back and through the midfield in the first period. Rarely have we seen this side so sloppy on the ball.
Vicente Del Bosque can be sure that the likes of Miroslav Klose, Lucas Podolski, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil will apply even more pressure and presence come Thursday morning (our time).
They can at least console themselves with the fact that Thomas Mueller, arguably the player of the tournament along with Schweinsteiger, won’t be there.
For me, it is a massive loss for Loew, and while live wire Piotr Trochowski will work the house down, dropping infield and linking, he won’t quite offer the penalty box threat that Mueller has. Nor will he provide the width.
But he will definitely contribute to their work without the ball.
Against Argentina, the in-sync pressing game allowed Germany to control most of the match. The statistics might have said that the Albicelestes had 54% of the possession and 20 shots to 18, but the reality is that Germany totally bossed proceedings.
Even when Argentina had a 20 minute period of dominance at the start of the second half, Germany proved they can repel. Even if it isn’t their preferred mode, the likes of Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm, Arne Friedrich and Jerome Boateng scrambled superbly, while Schweinsteiger and Khedira kept forcing Messi into cul-de-sacs.
Boateng’s defensive work, in particular, caught the eye, while Manuel Neuer’s confidence grows by the game.
This period of sustained absorption ultimately lead to the break-away second goal, which broke any Argentine hope.
Not that their manager helped in any way.
All tournament I’ve been wondering about the balance of Maradona’s midfield and attack, wondering what on earth both Angel di Maria and Maxi Rodriguez have been offering to this side.
Elsewhere there has been a glaring lack of integration from his fullbacks, a dearth of central midfielders, exacerbated by the omissions of Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti, and far too much reliance on Messi.
When Messi was having to drop so deep to pick up the ball in the first period, why wasn’t he switched out to the flank in order to find more space? When Higuain was struggling for a touch, why no Diego Milito?
For all his admirable man management work, Maradona’s lack of attention to detail cost Argentina in a big way. Loew toyed with him.
If Spain is to compete, Del Bosque must concentrate as much on their work without the ball as their work with it, otherwise they can expect a similar fate to Argentina.
Hitherto, their defensive work hasn’t been particularly flash, and an aggressive but fairly limited Paraguay even managed to expose them a few times. But they have managed to keep clean sheets throughout the knock-outs.
Like Argentina, Spain have looked imbalanced for large parts of the tournament, with both Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso in midfield, Iniesta playing high, and Fernando Torres struggling.
So far they have done enough to sneak through, often thanks to the glorious finishing of David Villa, but Del Bosque and his men must get everything right, before and during the game.
Foremost, they must compete physically with Schweinsteiger and Khedira, stopping Germany’s supply at the source, and then find a solution in the front third, where you sense Villa would be better utilised in the centre, away from Lahm.
It promises to be another classic, and if it produces anything like the football and drama we’ve seen throughout the quarter finals, one can barely wait.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.