1. The goal gods were saving themselves?
The group stages saw a record number of goals scored. 136 in total at an
average of almost 3 per match. Owing to a number of factors; the oppressive
heat, nervousness, better defending, awful finishing, the continued presence of
Argentina in the tournament… said goals dried up like a desert as soon as we
entered the business end of the tournament. Excluding the “rout of Belo Horizonte” there have been a miserable 24 goals scored
in 13 knockout games. The bottom half of the draw has seen Holland and
Argentina play the last 450 minutes between them for a single, hit and hope
effort. A good job then for that semi-final
in Belo. Proving that in the desert, when it rains… it really does pour.
2. Brazil should be ashamed & embarrassed. But…
The score line is not as significant as people think. The crucial, take home factor here is that Brazil lost the match. Losing it 1-0 in the 119th minute, being beaten 4-3 in an end to end thriller or being routed 7-1 by vastly superior opposition all deliver different versions of despair. But they all have the same overriding feels of loss and disappointment. In the context of Brazil and the World Cup, yes this result was historic, but in terms of football in general over the past 4 years? Not really. Routs are becoming much more common place at the highest level as the semi-finals of the Champions League have shown of late. Such is the attacking talent that the top teams now possess, if they get 1 or 2 gone are the days when they sit back and protect the lead. Teams go for the jugular more than ever and if being hammered by a rival meant the end of your football pedigree, Arsenal would have long since collapsed and given up by now. At the end of the day, Brazil fans will easily forgive and forget this defeat should they go and win the thing in 4 years. Granted that seems unlikely with this current crop of players and one cannot use the above excuse to mask Brazil’s failings. They had been lucky to get this far and the performances of Luiz, Hulk, Fred and Marcello beggared belief in their collective ineptitude. Huge swaths of space were open for the entire German midfield to run into and it’s hard to think of a 5 minute period at this level where one team has collapsed so badly. Brazil still possess good players, many of which weren’t even included in Scolari’s faintly blinkered squad. But this match showed them up for what they were, a once great nation coasting on past glories and a wonderfully organised, attended and vibrant tournament. When your goals against column has to be written in brackets (seven), you know you’ve hit rock bottom.
The score line is not as significant as people think. The crucial, take home factor here is that Brazil lost the match. Losing it 1-0 in the 119th minute, being beaten 4-3 in an end to end thriller or being routed 7-1 by vastly superior opposition all deliver different versions of despair. But they all have the same overriding feels of loss and disappointment. In the context of Brazil and the World Cup, yes this result was historic, but in terms of football in general over the past 4 years? Not really. Routs are becoming much more common place at the highest level as the semi-finals of the Champions League have shown of late. Such is the attacking talent that the top teams now possess, if they get 1 or 2 gone are the days when they sit back and protect the lead. Teams go for the jugular more than ever and if being hammered by a rival meant the end of your football pedigree, Arsenal would have long since collapsed and given up by now. At the end of the day, Brazil fans will easily forgive and forget this defeat should they go and win the thing in 4 years. Granted that seems unlikely with this current crop of players and one cannot use the above excuse to mask Brazil’s failings. They had been lucky to get this far and the performances of Luiz, Hulk, Fred and Marcello beggared belief in their collective ineptitude. Huge swaths of space were open for the entire German midfield to run into and it’s hard to think of a 5 minute period at this level where one team has collapsed so badly. Brazil still possess good players, many of which weren’t even included in Scolari’s faintly blinkered squad. But this match showed them up for what they were, a once great nation coasting on past glories and a wonderfully organised, attended and vibrant tournament. When your goals against column has to be written in brackets (seven), you know you’ve hit rock bottom.
3. Germany now owe to us all to win.
Scoring seven goals against Brazil will ultimately count for nothing if Germany lose the final this Sunday. A victory for Argentina would surely see them crowned the most underwhelming victors in tournament history. Well organised, drilled and disciplined. They have essentially been Greece but with Lionel Messi. They deserve credit for not getting beaten, but none whatsoever for entertaining anybody. A similarly negative display in the final is almost a certainty and neutrals must be praying for an early goal to release the shackles a little. For the Germans, it’s hard to see beyond this being their moment. This wonderfully talented group of players have been around for three major tournaments now and come up short at each one. If they fail again against a team that they are better than in 10 out of 11 positions, they will forever be labelled as bottlers. That reputation, in its own way, will hurt just as much as the ones now being given to Brazil.
Scoring seven goals against Brazil will ultimately count for nothing if Germany lose the final this Sunday. A victory for Argentina would surely see them crowned the most underwhelming victors in tournament history. Well organised, drilled and disciplined. They have essentially been Greece but with Lionel Messi. They deserve credit for not getting beaten, but none whatsoever for entertaining anybody. A similarly negative display in the final is almost a certainty and neutrals must be praying for an early goal to release the shackles a little. For the Germans, it’s hard to see beyond this being their moment. This wonderfully talented group of players have been around for three major tournaments now and come up short at each one. If they fail again against a team that they are better than in 10 out of 11 positions, they will forever be labelled as bottlers. That reputation, in its own way, will hurt just as much as the ones now being given to Brazil.
4. The squad remains key to tournament longevity.
Playing so many games in so short a time, in high temperatures and oppressive humidity, is going to take its toll. It was little surprise then that teams who managed the conditions have also managed the tournament. Costa Rica looked dead on their feet in the knockout phase and were lucky to go as far as they ultimately did thanks to some outrageously errant finishing. Likewise France, who stormed their group but rested none of their key attackers or defenders and then looked jaded against the German machine. Belgium started the tournament tired and despite coming alive for the ridiculously entertaining USA match, then found themselves involved in one game too many against Argentina. Brazil, Argentina and Columbia have all managed the conditions well, as have the Dutch, by excellent use of rotation, drinks breaks and tactical switches. Germany of course took a different approach, score four goals in ten minutes and then take the rest of the semi-final off…
Playing so many games in so short a time, in high temperatures and oppressive humidity, is going to take its toll. It was little surprise then that teams who managed the conditions have also managed the tournament. Costa Rica looked dead on their feet in the knockout phase and were lucky to go as far as they ultimately did thanks to some outrageously errant finishing. Likewise France, who stormed their group but rested none of their key attackers or defenders and then looked jaded against the German machine. Belgium started the tournament tired and despite coming alive for the ridiculously entertaining USA match, then found themselves involved in one game too many against Argentina. Brazil, Argentina and Columbia have all managed the conditions well, as have the Dutch, by excellent use of rotation, drinks breaks and tactical switches. Germany of course took a different approach, score four goals in ten minutes and then take the rest of the semi-final off…
5. Let the shopping spree commence.
As ever following a World Cup, what tends to follow is a mad, frenzied bidding war for those players who hugely over achieved. It looks like being no different this time around with Costa Rican, Columbian and Mexican players all now being looked at in vastly more favourable lights than they were a month ago. This will almost certainly result in players who were massively pumped up for the occasion, producing pale shadows of these performances whilst playing for Sunderland on vastly inflated wages. Still, it’s always funny to point and laugh. So we’ve got that to look forward to.
As ever following a World Cup, what tends to follow is a mad, frenzied bidding war for those players who hugely over achieved. It looks like being no different this time around with Costa Rican, Columbian and Mexican players all now being looked at in vastly more favourable lights than they were a month ago. This will almost certainly result in players who were massively pumped up for the occasion, producing pale shadows of these performances whilst playing for Sunderland on vastly inflated wages. Still, it’s always funny to point and laugh. So we’ve got that to look forward to.
Hindu Monkey Team of the Tournament
Navas (Costa Rica)
Gonzalez – Vlaar – Hummels - Garay (Chile, Holland, Germany, Argentina)
Kroos - Mascherano - Rodriguez (Germany, Argentina, Columbia)
Robben -
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