The 2014 FIFA World Cup has made for great viewing and really should be regarded as the best of the century without a doubt. It has certainly been a large improvement on the 2010 edition.
In reality this improvement can be attributed to one main factor, that being the large number of teams that have played with attacking intentions.
Consequently, there has been a ridiculous amount of goals, especially in the group stages.
Furthermore, a large amount of games have been decided by one-goal margins. But rather than being the tense and lethargic affairs seen in South Africa, they have been attacking and entertaining matches between sides with pragmatic approaches.
Germany’s destructive exploitation of the invisible Selecao was a complete embodiment of such play. From the first minute the Germans took the game to Brazil through a combination of speed, technical skill and physicality.
Following the now-historic six-minute siege, they were able to book a date at the Maracana and send a nation into grievous mourning at a scale that they had only felt once before.
The world was treated, and has been treated by other teams, to a display of football of the most clinical nature. This World Cup has been the final stage in the ushering in of a new phase in the evolution of football.
What had been started with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund’s obliteration of the El Classico combatants in the 2012-13 Champions League, was finished by the Dutch last month. The tiki-taka of the Spanish had been replaced, and while its contribution to the game should not be forgotten, I for one am not at all disappointed to see its departure.
That brings us to the penultimate game of the tournament, to be played between two sides that seem to be playing this evolved form of the game.
Germany will enter as favourites, and rightly so given the tempo at which they played against the Brazilians. They will look to dictate play from the first whistle in Rio. Argentina thus have the onus of balancing attacking intent with defensive tactics, something that may prove difficult.
Brazil went nowhere near achieving this, their defence in tatters while they tried to play a mildly attacking game.
The Argentinian style of play against the Dutch, replicated against the Germans, will also end in their demise, as they got caught up in the negative tactics of the Dutch, resulting in them posing little attacking threat.
So far the only two teams who have found the balance have been Ghana and Algeria, with the latter particularly troubling the Germans with stoic defence and nimble counter attacks.
One would think this is the type of play that the Argentineans must replicate in order to win, anything else and they will meet the same fate as the Portuguese, French and worst of all Brazil.
Anyway, as for a prediction I am inclined to back the Germans, not just because of the Brazilian performance, but because of their entire tournament. They have exhibited in every game the physical and clinical play required to win big matches.
I’m tipping Germany to win 2-0.
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