Germany handed Diego Maradona’s Argentina an absolute 4-0 football lesson, on the back of comical defending, clinical build-up play and finishing, and some tactical brilliance from the man on the side line – Joachim Low.
There was so much from Low that exposed Maradona.
We all saw the great man’s passion in games beforehand, but it wasn’t enough on this occasion.
The comprehensive tactical victory was stunning.
The first lesson was occurring in the opening three minutes. Low’s men came out firing, Maradona’s didn’t.
A good team will show you up if you aren’t up for the game from the opening whistle.
Thomas Muller’s opening header was poor, poor defending.
Muller was one of three Germans that had got on the goal side of their Argentine defenders, but he was in the prime position and a glancing header was good enough to score.
His marker, Nicolas Otamendi, was metres behind him.
It was horror defending so early in a World Cup quarter-final, unlike the compact Germany.
Low set his men to defend narrowly.
Much has been said about Maradona not being a huge fan of fullbacks, and it was exposed in a great fashion.
On a number of occasions in the first half, players had opened on to the flanks but went unused.
It was a fresh reminder of how Switzerland outdid Spain earlier in the tournament.
They were happy to allow Spain to cross, whom was Argentina going to cross to?
Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain or Lionel Messi? Not much to aim for with Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich in the middle.
The narrow defending, including the tremendous Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira, closed what some believe is a vulnerable centre of defence of Germany.
It also meant Messi was forced to retreat to halfway to gain possession, and wasn’t damaging in a crowded attacking third.
Schweinsteiger was allowed to pull all the strings in the middle – and he did with amazing success.
If Maradona wanted to allow Messi, Tevez and Higuain to not track back like other times this tournament, Argentina had to press and hard.
When they did, they regained possession, when they didn’t; it left five German midfielders in acres of space against only Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria and Maxi Rodriguez.
It was asking for trouble.
Muller, who will miss the semi final through suspension, and Lukas Podolski exposed 22-year-old Otamendi on the right of the Argentine defence.
The defending was a shambles for the most part, highlighted by Schweinsteiger’s run to set up Friedrich for the third.
The Germans were simply too quick – as expected – but also supremely clinical and efficient.
The players need to take responsibility too, but Low’s men exposed, and how, Maradona’s tactics.
Hats off.
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