THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE QUARTER FINALS EVER!

Story by Patrick Kamanga

THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE QUARTER FINALS EVER


 

With eight teams qualifying for the quarter finals, the business end of the Brazil 2014 World cup finals just got hotter with one of toughest march ups ever witnessed in World cup history.

France vs. Germany

Brazil vs. Colombia

Costa Rica vs. Netherlands      

Argentina vs. Belgium

FRANCE vs. GERMANY

These two old rivals will open the quarter finals show. History is stark in Germany’s favour with two consecutive wins at the semi final stage of the 1982 and 1986 editions. They subsequently won their third world title on reaching their third consecutive finals in Italia 1990.

With that impeccable history come pedigree, a winning culture and a strong mentality. Besides history, the core of the Nationalmannschaft has been together since the qualifiers for the 2010 edition, with the foundation having been laid at the 2006 finals when Germany played host.

That said this particular German team has struggled against relative minors such as Ghana during the groups stage and Algeria in the round of 16 which dented some chinks on the juggernaut’s otherwise formidable armor.

The German machine has yet to produce “precision engineered football” but gave a glimpse of what they are capable of when they steamrolled Portugal on their first game.  Their attributes include physical strength, speed, precision in front of goal and most importantly mental fortitude making them favourites over their French counterparts.

Compared to French teams of yore, the present squad has been rather uncharacteristic. They were known to play the slow, fluid, Mediterranean style which the current squad doesn’t seem to espouse. The French are rebuilding after the capitulation that saw their entire camp divided along racial lines which led to an early flight home after three consecutive defeats in South Africa.

Even though Didier Deschamps' tactical adjustments ensured they prevailed over Nigeria in the round of 16, it’s their game in its entirety that was disappointing. They just didn’t impress and seemed to have set out to target and physically hurt the Nigerians.

The referee also seemed bent on letting them off after the numerous nasty tackles they committed throughout the game. Midfielder Blaise Matuidi was doubly lucky not to have received a straight red card getting away with a slap on the palm after a bone crushing tackle that saw Super Eagles midfielder Ogenyi Onazi stretchered off with a possible ankle fracture.

This incident came after a prolonged period of sustained dominance by Nigeria that had pinned down the Le Bleu and kept them on a back foot.

They didn’t seem to have any answers to the many questions asked of them and only ascended after that injury to a pivotal player in their opponents squad, when Deschamps made substitutions which subsequently that led to their two late goals. 
It will be interesting to see whether they will resort to this strong arm tactics or retain a semblance of discipline against the German machine.

The two teams’ paths to the quarters couldn’t have been any more contrasting and can also be used as a gauge of their potential with Germany having to navigate out of the tough “group of death” while France surmounted what seemed an easier group comprising of relative minors.

The German machine has the edge over the French and should win this one.

BRAZIL vs. COLOMBIA

Like the proverbial cat that has nine lives, the Selecao have taken survival to hitherto unseen heights! Their win over a much fancied Chile in the round of 16 via post match penalties can best be described as trumping a “get out of jail card” which bailed them out of what had increasingly looked like a possible calamitous lose to Chile.  The La Roja seemed the wittier, fresher, hungrier and more energetic of the two sides for most of that game.

For a nation known for producing phenomenal goal scorers, one glaring defect with this Brazilian squad that has confounded pundits has been the lack of a quality striker. One tactical change that Brazil’s coach should consider is playing Neymar as a pure number 9 then slot in Oscar in the deep pocket. Another player of note that would help Brazil’s course is Willian who can be the link man in midfield or out on either wings.

Against Colombia however the Brazilians will need more than their lucky streak to reach the semi finals. As hosts they carry the hopes of 300 million fanatical home fans and the pressure of expectation exerted on them has increasingly seemed to be taking its toll on this squad as the tournament progresses with their nerves near buckling. It will come down to how well they handle this pressure!

Coming from a nation better known for infamous drug lords, the illegal trade in narcotics and pop icon Shakira, the Los Cafeteros or Coffeemen as they are known to their fans will put a cherry on top of their latte’ with a win over Brazil.

If you think of Colombia as an improved version of Chile with a better defense, more options in midfield, with a contender for the golden boot award in their midst to crown it all, then you start to see the monumental task in Brazil’s hands.

For their enterprising prowess in midfield and precision in attack, this Colombian side is built from the ground up. Their defense is marshaled by Pablo Armero, Juan Zuniga, and A.C Milan’s Cristian Zapata, shored up by the solid reflexes of goalkeeper Ospina. They have their trump card in talisman James Rodriguez.

Being a South American derby, one thing that will not be in shorts supply is passion, so fans should expect an explosive game!

 

COSTA RICA vs. NETHERLANDS

Costa Rica has surprised many by progressing this far. They along with Colombia taste the rarefied air of the quarters for the first time ever and in all honesty their relative inexperience might be their bane at this level, so it will be interesting to see how they cope with the pressure of playing at this stage of the contest.

The Dutch are still holding the tag of “the greatest soccer playing nation never to have won the World cup” but this team has shown very strong signs that they are more than ready to dump that title and finally take their seat among the select few, the elite group of cup winners.

The Netherlands are a perfect blend of youth and experience who have grown in confidence from their shocking World cup opener where they shredded defending Champions Spain. They have proved their mantle in two particular games; against Australia and then Mexico where they battled from behind to win both games. These were true tests of character, which proved their mental strength and self belief.

In Coach Louis Van Gaal they have arguably the coach of the tournament, who has taken what seemed like an average team prior to the tournament’s commencement, tweaked and polished them into a well drilled unit that has withstood all conditions including adverse weather.

He has also shown a knack for changing and adjusting tactics, formations and players depending on the opponents, injuries or other variables and has been spot on thus far.

This has increasingly made the case for the Dutch as tournament favourites.

ARGENTINA vs. BELGIUM

This will be a battle between two very talented and attack oriented teams. Although Argentina has been largely unconvincing, it’s not been lost to most keen observers that on most games they’ve played teams have sat back packed busses in front of goal thus impeding their fluid, passing game and denied them space to operate.

That is a tactic that Belgium Coach Marc Wilmots is unlikely to employ considering the sortie of firepower at his disposal.

Wilmots like his Argentine counterpart Alejandro Sabela is spoilt for choice when it comes to offensive ammunition.  
 In Arnold Origi, Belgium has one player who may prove decisive in this important game. In the words of one connoisseur of the beautiful game, “Origi seems like a cross between George Weah and Patrick Kluivert”. His speed and creativity will keep the Argentine defense very busy, which has by large seemed average. 

Argentina has looked top heavy and having progressed from a relatively easier group, it will be interesting to see how their defense copes with the marauding nature of the Red Devils.

What the Albiceleste bring to the park at this level is experience. They have proven their mental strength severally by overcoming teams almost at the wire, scoring late against both Iran and Switzerland. In four times World Player of the Year winner Lionel Messi, they have a player who can change a game single handedly and it will therefore be interesting to see how the Belgians set out to stop him.

This one is too close to call!