Nervous Germnay Exit World Cup

In their semifinals game, Spain swept aside Germany to book a place to their first Word Cup finals appearance. It was a dominating display from La Furia Roja, who once again got the best of their European opponents. Th game ended in very much the same way it had two years ago, at the European Championships, as Spain won the game thanks to a solitary goal from the unlikely Carles Puyol.

The biggest disappointment for the Germans will have to be their tentative approach to the game. The Germans seemed nervous. They also looked to have afforded too much respect to their opponents. In effect they failed to play with the same energy and abandon as they had in previous games. In fact this young German side seemed to have struggled to cope with the pressure of the situation. tactically speaking, Spain always had the edge over Germany. The Spanish midfield was always going to be too much for the Schweinsteiger and Khedira duo, and this is how it played out. Xavi had his best performance of the tournament, finding spaces in between the lines as Pedro, who had come in for the misfiring Torres, had a very positive impact on the game and gave a torrid time to Jerome Boateng. As a matter of fact, the Hamburg defender was the first to be substituted in the second half. David Villa was a little isolated and struggled to find spaces behind the ever vigilant Friedrich, but it was the constant pressure of the Spain midfield which did all the damage. In fact Germany created very little in the way of goal-scoring opportunities as they were pinned back for large spells and had to repel attack after attack throughout the game. The goal itself came late and from an unlikely corner-kick. Xavi delivered the cross and Puyol charged into the penalty box unmarked as he rose above everyone and pounced on the ball to deliver in a fearsome header past Neuer. A somewhat un-Spanish goal but one which proved decisive nonetheless.

All the questions will be how would the game have gone had the harshly suspended Thomas Muller played a part in this contest? I don't believe it would actually have made too much of a difference. The passing channels from Schweinsteiger to the front men were well cut out by Xabi Alonso and Busquets. The German midfielder struggled for space and time and failed to make any positive plays, usually forced to pass backwards. Even the marauding Lahm struggled, as he was pinned back in his own half and rarely made any runs upfield. As for Ozil, his inexperience seemed to have gotten the best of him as nerves affected his performance. His touch was poor and his passing errant, he did not seem to be on the same page as most of his teammates. All in all, Germany were soundly beaten by Spain but they will certainly look back at this game with some regrets for having failed to force the issue more and for affording too much respect to the Spanish.

The Germans ultimately fell prey to their own tactical setup. Germany is a team that has operated on the counter-attack throughout this tournament. Unfortunately, against Spain, this strategy failed as the the Spanish monopolized possession of the ball and rarely gave it away. The problem was that the Germans also lacked a plan B. It was not through lack of invention however that this was the case, but more so due to lack of resources. This was the glaring weakness in this German side as it simply lacks the personnel to change the way it plays. The loss of Ballack has in fact affected the tactical setup, as well as had the absences of Thomas Hitzlsperger and Kevin Kuranyi in the squad. Both these players could have allowed for a change of shape and focus in the squad's tactics. Of course in the end, it was more an issue of lacking experience than tactics that saw the Germans fall. In that regard the loss of Ballack and his non-replacement by the likes of Torsten Frings have been key factors in Germany's somewhat tame exit.

Dutch Delight as the Oranje Reach Finals

Holland reached their third World Cup final by beating Uruguay. The Oranje will certainly be hoping for a different script as they look to win their first World Cup in the country's history. This is a Holland team that has somewhat flown under the radar throughout this tournament however, not bringing too much attention towards itself as some other previous squads may have had.

Indeed coach Bert van Marwijk put together a very blue-collar squad for this World Cup. In effect, looking through the 23-man squad, the squad does not boast of the same star power as some other teams in previous tournaments. But it seems to have all gone right for Marwijk as the Oranje find themselves in this summer's finals. Actually the past underachievement of many Dutch squads before has been due to the number of high-profile players and big egoes in the dressing room. It was never an issue of lack of quality, but indeed of too much quality for the Dutch. The likes of Edgar Davids, Seedorf, Van Bommel, and Ruud van Nistelrooy have been the big personalities of past squads as well as the source of some dressing room unrest.

Marwijk's squad is different however. It contains many more workers than it does flair player. Still he included important impact players like Sneijder, Robben and van Persie. Like we have seen it with many teams in this tournament, this Dutch squad plays with two holding midfielders. This is a change from the expansive and free-flowing Totaalvoetbal (Total Football) the Oranje is known for, which is sacrificed for tactical discipline and defensive stability. To this effect Van Bommel and De Jong have been two of the most important players for Holland. After all Holland qualified from the group stages having conceded only a single goal.

Holland were the first team to qualify out of the group stages. They were neither flashy nor particularly dominant in their opening games. They seemed to play reserved and did not come up with particularly challenging opposition. Of course this all changed when the quarterfinal draw was made against Brazil. The Dutch beat their South American foes and largely dominated play in the second half. This was a significant moment as it begged the question if Holland would be able to kick into the next gear should they have come up against more testing opposition. Marwijk's men passed this test with flying colors.

As one might have expected, despite this new look Dutch squad, the likes of Sneijder and Robben are still the difference makers of this squad. Sneijder is the orchestrator and main danger-man. The play goes through him as he pulls all the strings from midfield and sets up the attack. Robben is very much the gamebreaker and Marwijk will consider himself a genius for having gambled on him. After all, Robben had injured himself mere days before Holland's opener. Marwijk decided to keep the Bayern Munchen winger however, and this decision has paid great dividends.

Marwijk's men have quietly snuck into the World Cup finals. Of course their first challenge came in the quarterfinals, when they faced Brazil. But the real test is after the quarterfinals and dealing with the added spotlight and pressure of expectations. After all, it would have been difficult to remain under the radar after defeating the five-time World Cup champions. But the Dutch dealt with the pressure and delivered an impressive performance to beat Uruguay in the semifinals. They have now reached the final frontier and will look to move one step better and lift the coveted World Cup trophy.

History Makers Spain Edge Past Paraguay

Spain have made it to their first World Cup semifinals in the country's history. A shocking statistic really, especially considering the talent that the Iberian nation has produced over the decades. In effect it has always come to as a surprise when we look back at Spain's inability to progress far in World Cup tournaments, and indeed to have never won a World Cup at all. Holland are always said to be the best nation to have never won the World Cup, especially after the near-misses of 1974 and 1978, but Spain must surely be put in that category as well.

It was not a particularly convincing performance which saw Spain overcome the stubborn Paraguay defense. In effect they did not sweep their South American opponents as many may have had predicted it. Of course Spain dominated most of the play and possession however, as Paraguay was content to just sit deep and absorb pressure, but they struggled to create too many clear-cut chances. Outstandingly, it was Paraguay who came close to breaking the deadlock in the final minutes of the first half, had Nelson Valdez's back-post cross been converted. Valdez was again the dangerous moments later as he latched on to a long cross, controlled, and smashed in a shot past Casillas. It was the linesman who would come to Spain's rescue however as the Paraguay striker was flagged offside. Spain came back in the first half and quickly made the change as the misfiring Torres was substituted by Fabregas. The real drama came at the hour mark as Paraguay was awarded a penalty when Pique pulled down Oscar Cardozo in the box after an ensuing corner-kick. Cardozo stepped up to take the penalty and fired low and hard. Casillas would pull Spain out of the fire this time around, as the Real Madrid stopper dove to his right to save and smother the shot. And mere seconds later it was David Villa who was taken down in the box by the then flawless Alcaraz. Xabi Alonso took responsibility and smashed in the penalty. The play was called back for encroaching however and Alonso was made to re-take the penalty. Villar came up with the save this time and the ensuing scramble gave way to a corner-kick, as Paraguay rushed to the ball to clear it. There was one piece of controversy as Fabregas seemed to have been pulled down by Villar after he had latched onto the rebound. The call was not given however and play resumed.

The Breakthrough would come at the 83rd minute of a very tense game. It was no surprise that David Villa would save Spain yet again as his solitary strike turned out to be the decisive one. It is unquestionable that David Villa has been the most important player for Spain. In fact, in terms of the national team, it has always been the case. Torres, for the most part, fails to come up with the goods at this stage. Doubtlessly Xavi is the engine which makes the whole operation run smoothly, but David Villa is incontestably the X factor of this team. This was his fifth goal of the tournament, and all his strikes have thus far proven decisive. Certainly Vincente Del Bosque will be hoping for more of the same from the Spain hitman.

Spain are thus poised to become heroes, should they overcome the impressive German unit in their semifinals clash. It will be a bit of a case of unknown territory for La Furia Roja, but they unquestionably possess all the weapons to reach the final of the World Cup. As we look at the squad on paper, player for player, it is self-evident that the Spanish are superior to the Germans. As such they come into this clash with the added burden of being the favorites to advance. Indeed this is a tag that the Spanish have tried very hard to rid themselves of, especially after their recent triumph at the European Championship. Tactically speaking, this Spanish team may hold much of the same personnel which featured at EURO '08, but it plays differently. Unlike the EURO '08 squad, Vincente Del Bosque plays with two holding midfielders: Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets. As a result the play does not go through Xavi as much since he does not play as centrally anymore. Consequently he does not orchestrate from the midfield as much and plays in a much more advanced position. This team, although it plays the same possession style of football, is much more forceful and direct. The only problem with this is that it plays narrow and usually tries to break through the middle. This lack of width has seen them struggle a lot during some of their games. Conversely, the additional holding midfielders offers extra cover to the back-line and allows Sergio Ramos and Capdevilla to bomb forward and join in on the attack.

It will surely be a gripping contest between these two teams. The impressive Spanish midfield will most likely get the best of the German midfield. Considering the pairing of Khedira and Schweinsteiger, Spain should be able to over-flood them and dominate midfield. however Germany is a team that has proven to operate very effectively on the counter. With the Marauding runs of Ramos and Capdevilla on the right and left flanks respectively, Spain could play right into the Germans' hands. The absence of the impressive Thomas Muller on the right hand side will be crucial for the Germans however. As such we might see the inclusion of either Cacau, Marin, or Trochowski. Trochowski, a very potent attacker and skillful player he might be, is unlikely to get the nod from Low due to his lack of pace. Marin possesses both the pace and dribbling ability but operates mostly on the left-hand side. By process of elimination, we are left with Cacau whose natural position is as a right-sided forward. His defensive ability is the only question mark however.

It will definitely be a game to be decided by the smallest of margins. Not necessarily referring to the score line but more so in terms of the defining moments of the games. The individual battles on offer are all tantalizing propositions as well: Xavi against Schweinsteiger, Villa against Lahm, Sergio Ramos against Podolski, Puyol against Klose. The winners of these key battles will most likely see their side going through to the finals.

Africa's Hopes Dashed As Ghana Bow Out

It was a truly emotional moment in South Africa as the Uruguay substitute striker Abreu cooly chipped in the winning penalty to seal his country's progress to the semifinals. It was indeed not the first time that the South Americans had torn all of Africa's hopes asunder. Their first victim was South Africa, and now it was Ghana's turn to fall.

It however seemed like Gyan would have made history as he stepped up to take the spot kick in the dying moments of extra time. It was the last kick of the game and Gyan could have entered in the annals of World Cup history as the one to have sent the first African team to the semifinals of a World Cup. The Rennes striker ultimately contrived to miss as he saw his shot crash against the crossbar. The ensuing penalty shootout did not prove any better for Ghana as captain John Mensah and substitute Adiyiah were both denied by Muslera. The game itself was a gripping contest. Ghana struggled in the opening minutes but quickly took control of the game as Muntari grabbed the opener. The Internazionale midfielder fired from a long, long way out. Muslera hopelessly scrambled across his line but could do nothing to reach Muntari's ferocious shot. It would all come undone in the second half however as Uruguay gained the ascendancy and Forlan fired in a vicious free-kick to equalize. The game proceeded with both teams creating lots of chances but ultimately failing to find the breakthrough. Ghana had the upper hand and pushed hard for the winner. After a goal line scramble in the dying minutes of extra time, which saw Adiyiah's header illegally blocked from going in by Luis Suarez's handball. The Ajax hitman was succinctly given his marching orders as Gyan lined up the penalty. The rest, as we say, is ancient history.

Ghana's great adventure thus ended at the quarterfinal stage. It is well known that football matches, especially in the World Cup, are decided on the smallest of margins. Ghana's, tragically, is a tale of inches. Indeed, a couple or so lower and Gyan would have smashed in the winning goal to secure his country's passage to the next stage. Bu the Black Stars should not despair. They fought bravely and were one of the sensations of the competition. The Black Stars put in magnificent performances throughout this tournament. What was most admirable about this Ghana side was the joy with which they played the game. Always with a smile on their faces, they played loose and without the weight of pressure, enjoying the moment and the occasion. It would be too easy to say that everyone loves a cinderella story. But such a statement would not do justice to the fantastic performances of this Ghana team, which represented so much more. The Black Stars very literally carried the hopes of the entire continent on their shoulders. Never did it seem too heavy a burden for them however, as they played valiantly and stood bravely before all opposition.

It was a heart-wrenching moment for Ghana, for Africa, and especially for Gyan. The striker could do nothing to hold back the tears after the final whistle was blown. After having been the hero for his country, being so decisive in every game before, he had now failed to send Ghana through. But Gyan fearlessly stepped up, mere moments later from his miss, to take the first penalty of the shootout. He struck it flawlessly, guiding the ball into the top-corner and out of Muslera's reach. Despite the disappointment, there are many positives to be taken. The biggest of which is that this is a very young squad. In fact Ghana were the youngest squad of the World Cup, with an average age of about 23 years old. It is a team full of talent and promise, and as such they should only progress further from here on out. All its squad members show much potential indeed. Kevin Prince Boateng was the standout player of the team for Ghana, while other such as Andre Ayew and of course Asamoah Gyan also shone for the Black Stars. The one fear would however be if this team were to disappear into anonymity as the talented Senegal side of 2002 had contrived to do. These young Black Stars should be able to avoid this fate however, and will surely push on to even more success. As for myself, I will anxiously be awaiting for Ghana 2014.