As the World Cup progresses to its final match-ups, the cream has risen to the top. While most of the games have been nail biters, often going to extra time and even penalty kicks, the pedigreed teams have prevailed. Whether it be their workmanlike play and deep bench (Germany), or their offensive prowess from all team members (Brazil and its goal-scoring defenders), the remaining teams all have something special to offer and should lead up to a great finale for an already stellar World Cup. Let’s take a closer look at the remaining teams’ strengths and weaknesses and project where they might end up in the final matches of the 2014 World Cup.
4) Brazil
While advancing to the semi-final stage is quite an accomplishment for any team, Brazilians hold their team to a higher standard and nothing short of a World Cup win will be acceptable to the home fans. While not overpowering their opponents, they have been able to dominate most of the play using a style that is atypical of most teams by having players that can score goals from virtually any position. While much is made of Neymar and Hulk, Brazil’s two goals scored against Colombia were both scored by defenders Silva and Luiz.
This is a team with tradition and pride playing in front of its fans. A Seleção have won five World Cups, most recently in 2002, and are playing on home soil. It should be noted that they are the only national team to have played in every World Cup. The players themselves are immediately recognizable as among the best in the world, and their manager Luiz Felipe Scolari took over as manager for his second stint in 2012, having won the World Cup for Brazil in his first in 2002.
In past competitions, the defense for Brazil has been an issue, but their current defensive lineup seems to show marked improvement, and thus far has exceeded expectations. They will be further tested with their defensive guru and team captain Thiago Silva slated to miss their semi-final match against Germany with an accumulation of yellow cards. This is a team that has yet to reach their full potential, all the while advancing to the next Cup stage. If there has been a weakness, it has been the inability of their midfielders to deliver the ball to the forwards adequately, this denying goal scoring opportunities to players like Neymar and Hulk, and the other players tasked to score goals like Fred have been disappointing to this point.
Brazil has a difficult match on their hands on Tuesday against a tough German squad, especially with Neymar’s tournament-ending vertebrae injury. While Brazil has one of the deepest benches in the competition, losing their main offensive threat in Neymar as well as team captain and stalwart Silva may be too much for the Brazilians to overcome. Expect Germany to take advantage of these weaknesses and eliminate the host country from the final match.
3) Netherlands
While the Netherlands weren’t given their due going into this World Cup, their thrashing of former champions Spain set the table for their future matches. For some of the Dutch players, this will be their final chance for World Cup glory, and they are playing like a team on a mission. The Oranje have a potent strike force up top led by team captain Robin van Persie, and while much is made of midfielder Arjen Robben’s flopping antics, it would be a mistake to overlook his goal scoring abilities. The Dutch have quality at all positions, and to beat them an opposing team must simply outperform them, but it won’t be easy.
One possible weak spot is the injury to midfielder Nigel de Jong, a veteran for the Dutch who is somewhat of an enforcer on the pitch (hence his nickname “the lawnmower”). Look for Argentina to run on his replacement until the Dutch show they can protect that side. Another weakness progressing beyond Costa Rica is that the Dutch play well enough to win, but don’t seem to play for the win. They were somewhat fortunate that the referee opted not to award the Ticos a penalty kick, and there were two opportunities that could have found a Costa Rican on the spot. It would appear that the Oranje game plan will have to be more focused on taking the game to La Albiceleste rather than a more deliberative approach if they want to advance to the final match.
The Netherlands have vivid memories of losing to Spain in the finals of the last World Cup and expect to take the final step towards glory and the hoisting of the Cup. Look for Argentina to stand in the way of the Dutch dream, and send the Netherlands to the runner-up game played on Saturday.
2) Argentina
With a storied history that includes advancing to the finals of the World Cup four times (winning twice), Argentina is also one of only two countries that have won all three of the most important FIFA recognized events: the World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament (the other country is France). They are playing in their home continent and are supported by some of the most fervent fans on the planet.
Argentina’s manager, Alejandro Javier Sabella, is well aware of the expectations that his countrymen have of him. Any result less than his team hoisting the World Cup on July 13th will be regarded as a failure. The roster of La Albiceleste is laden with talent beginning with team captain Lionel Messi. While he has had phenomenal club success in Spain with Barcelona, his ultimate Argentinian legacy is inextricably linked with Diego Maradona, who played in four World Cups for Argentina, winning the Cup as team captain against West Germany in 1986. It is with this yardstick that most of his countrymen measure his success, and for them, nothing less than the Cup will suffice.
This is a team built around Messi and his offensive prowess, and he can be a primary attacker or can spearhead an attack. With so much importance placed on their offense, teams have toyed with a formula for beating Argentina (or at least keeping the game competitive), which generally involves a slower match tempo and often a bunker type defense while playing a solo striker. A major offensive weapon, Angel di Maria, will not be available for the next match with a thigh injury, but Messi is astute enough to find his replacement at the right times. It was felt that their goalkeeper (Sergio Romero) could be beaten, but he has answered his critics with excellent Cup performances thus far. Their defense has played respectably, not giving up any soft goals. Expect this team to defeat the Dutch in a squeaker and will be playing against Germany in the finals, setting up a rematch from their victory in 1986.
1) Germany
From their initial training to their first match, the concern for Nationalmannschaft was the extent of their injuries. From their goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to their other starters Philipp Lahm and his Bayern Munich teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger, all have played through some nagging injuries that have plagued them since the end of their club team campaigns. Potential team members that were unable to compete altogether include Marco Reus, Lars Bender, Mario Gomez and Marcel Schmelzer, all of whom were already chosen to Joachim Low’s provisional 30-man roster and were seen as a good bet to have made the final 23-man roster. While not overpowering any of their opponents, Low and company have found ways to advance to the semi-final stage.
This is nothing new for the Germans, since this is the fourth World Cup in a row that Germany has reached the semi-final stage of the tournament. This is a tribute to arguably the best manager in the Cup, Joachim Low. As a man who is well aware of his team’s strengths and weaknesses, his game plan is devised upon this awareness and changes based upon these match conditions. Up until now, the Germans have played well enough to win, but can they play well enough to advance?
Even with their next opponent being host country Brazil, this German team has a great shot at beating the South American powerhouse. The Germans will continue to rely heavily upon their advantage in the midfield, with the Brazilian style of attack somewhat neutralized by Neymar’s absence and their heart and soul team captain Thiago Silva serving a suspension. It is unlikely that Scolari will be able to provide an answer for these missing pieces to the Brazilian mosaic, and a disappointed Brazilian populace will be cheering their team on in the runner-up game on Saturday rather than the championship game on Sunday.
Honorable Mention: Costa Rica
Los Ticos have been great ambassadors of CONCACAF, playing top-flight teams and reaching the quarter-finals, losing to the Netherlands in penalty kicks after another bruising 120+ minute match. This team, from a country of roughly 4.5 million inhabitants with limited financial resources, has no organized professional league in their country, and most of their players ply their trade in the surrounding countries rather than overseas. They have achieved their best showing ever on the international stage, and have earned the respect and admiration of the football world.
