It should be a great final at the Maracana with South America against Europe in the 2014 World Cup Final. Germany's firepower was on full display against the host Brazilians, as their strikers Thomas Müller and Miroslav Klose, midfielders Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos were clinical in their finishing. Add to that the playmaking of Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger in midfield and the ability of Andre Schurrle off the bench, and the Argentinian defense will have their hands full. Luckily, they have to ability to do so, as the back four of Marcus Rojo, Martin Demichelis, Ezequiel Garay, and Pablo Zabaleta (and midfielder Javier Mascherano) shutout the potent Dutch for 120 minutes, with goalkeeper Sergio Romero serving as the hero in the penalty kick shootout. Argentina's offense runs through Lionel Messi, who will be trying to cement his legacy as the greatest player Argentinian football history by leading his team to the World Cup title. Although his impact on the game against the Netherlands was minimal, I think he'll get more time and space against the Germans. Even still, he'll need help from fellow forwards Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi, or Sergio Aguero, who may finally be available to play.
In the end, although Messi may be the best player on the field (and in the world), the overall German depth is just too strong, as they'll win their 4th World Cup title, which will be a sigh of relief to the Brazilians, who are hoping to avoid the trifecta of losing in the semifinal, losing in the 3rd place game, and watching their archrivals lift the World Cup trophy in their capital.
My Semifinal record: 2-0
No comments:
Post a Comment