One game shocked the world, the other put them to sleep. Now there is only one game left that matters, and it is not the third place playoff. Germany and Argentina will contest the World Cup final, but before we focus on that, here are ten things that we learnt from the semi-finals.
Move over Ronaldo, Klose is in town – The real Ronaldo may have been doing some commentary work but you could have forgiven Brazil for wishing he was playing. he was there to see his record of 15 World Cup goals surpassed by German Miroslav Klose who may get to rack that tally up even higher with the final left to play.
Mullered – There is no other word for it. You could tell from the moment the ball hit the back of the net for the second goal, Luiz and co had lost it. At that minute, many wondered just how high the score was going to end up. Scolari’s men did not regroup and things went from bad to worse. Tears and boos were all that greeted the host nation come the final whistle and Germany did not make any bones about celebrating their deserved place in the final.
Wrong squad Scolari – The Brazil manager must have known at some point Thiago Silva would sit out a game through suspension or injury. Why then he chose to leave two of the Liga’s best defenders, Miranda and Filipe Luis, at home is a mystery to which only he knows the answer. Left back Filipe Luis would have done a far better job than Marcelo and Dante may as well not have bothered playing in place of Silva. This is before you even start with the inclusion of Jo….
Sorry no refunds – Sorry PSG, but Jose Mourinho is not interested in taking David Luiz back. How the Ligue 1 side must be regretting paying such a high amount for the defender now. Luiz is pretty on the eye going forward and may be a funny guy, but asking him to organise a pack of cards is a task. Getting a back four sorted? No chance.
Schurrle comes of age – The Chelsea attacker showed last season that the best was yet to come for him, and this seems to be the case with the national side too. Schurrle is growing into his role and has shown he can change things up and be an impact sub. Next season, it will be time for him to go from impact sub to main man.
Hands up Fred, you are the scapegoat – There had to be one, and the Brazilian people seem to be blaming Fred. Not that he doesn’t deserve a significant portion of the blame, being abject throughout, but at the end of the day, it was the manager who persisted with him. Other players also have a lot to answer for and he may have been the worst of the bunch, but not by a long way. The locals have also been pictured burning Neymar shirts – not the best way to end what they thought would be a World Cup of destiny.
Life is Krul – Holland and ‘tactical genius’ Louis van Gaal now face a third place playoff after losing on penalties to Argentina. Ironically, all the subs had been made by Van Gaal who chose not to leave one for Tim Krul, the previous round’s penalty hero, and it didn't work out. Jasper Cillessen, who has never saved a penalty in his entire career, failed to save any of the penalties and Holland managed to miss two of theirs.
Get your best penalty taker on first! – The mystery of why some teams chose to leave their best takers until the ‘all important’ fourth or indeed fifth penalty is still unsolved. In a best of five, surely it makes sense to have your best taker up first just to get you off to a good start? Ron Vlaar took Holland's first and missed. But you can't really blame Vlaar who was brave enough to step up after two unmamed players refused.
The game no one wants to play – The third place playoff is a game that no team wants to play, and it is hard to imagine Brazil being too enthusiastic to about having to play Holland when they wanted to be in the final. Not to mention the memories of their drubbing will still be fresh in their minds. The best they can hope for is a chance to restore a modicum of pride. Holland meanwhile have overachieved this competition and should hold their heads up high.
He will become the best player of all time – Should Lionel Messi lift the World Cup, he will have won every major trophy possible. It is hard then to imagine how he could not be considered the best ever. Yes, there are those in the Ronaldo camp but with this Portugal side he has no chance of such a feat. Not his fault, but as people have said, for Messi to be on the level of Pele and Maradona, he has to lift the World Cup. Now he can.
What did the World Cup semi-finals teach you? Let us know your in the comments below.
