After weeks of having three televised games of international football a day, it almost feels unnatural when there are no World Cup games being played. Fortunately, the two semi-finals were both excellent, and although many of the 'bigger' European sides were eliminated in the group stages or last sixteen, the stage is set for either Holland or Spain to win the World Cup for the first time in history.
Here are my thoughts on the two semi-finals:
Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands
It’s funny how things can change so quickly in the world of football. Holland were the better team on the night, although they still never looked completely in control of things – a scenario which has plagued the Dutch throughout this tournament. Giovanni van Bronckhorst put his side ahead after eighteen minutes with an unstoppable 35 yard strike which will probably go down as the goal of the tournament (in case you missed it, you can see it again here). Uruguay looked a little flustered after that, and with Luis Suarez suspended, the burden was very much on Diego Forlan to take charge in front of goal for Uruguay – which of course isn’t a bad alternative. He did just that, four minutes before half time, with a wonderful strike which curled away from the Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. At this point in the game, the momentum seemed to have shifted towards Uruguay, and although the second half was ultimately less eventful to begin with, the game could have gone either way. Two second half goals by Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder eventually put the game to bed, despite an injury time strike from Maxi Pereira giving the Dutch bench a few nervous moments.
The thing that worries me about this Holland team is that they still haven’t played as well as they could, and should, have done in this World Cup. On the other side of the argument, Holland played as well as they could, and should, have done in this World Cup and reached the final. They still need to up their game and show more quality as a team. The defence is good, but they haven’t been tested by a team as strong in attack as Spain. Holland are clearly a good side, but they need to be better than that to win on Sunday. As for Uruguay, they have been a thoroughly enjoyable side to watch over the last few weeks. If Luis Suarez was available in this game, I think he could have made a real difference. I suspect he may be linked with a few Premier League clubs in July and August.
Germany 0-1 Spain
This one had a completely different preface than the first semi-final. In the last five games, Germany have probably been the best footballing side in the World Cup (despite a surprise 1-0 loss to Serbia in the group stages), scoring four goals three times. Spain, on the other hand, have probably been the most improved side in the tournament, after losing their opening group match to Switzerland. So something had to give. Carlos Puyol made sure it wasn’t his side. His bullet header in the 73rd minute ensured Spain made it to their second major final in three years, and denying Germany any revenge for defeating them in the Euro 2008 final.
I’d say that Spain have vastly improved since the beginning of the tournament, but that would be a huge understatement. When they played their opening game against Switzerland, they lacked creativity and the ability to break teams down. They struggled against a solid defence and even looked shaky at the back themselves. These are all things we don’t associate with Spain as a football team – especially when seven of the starting eleven play for Barcelona, and three more play for Real Madrid. Whatever Vicente del Bosque has told his team after that game, it certainly had a huge impact. This Spanish side has improved in every game played, and against Germany they were outstanding – especially in the second half. The defending is solid, the midfield is showing more ingenuity and David Villa is still a massive threat. This is all without Fernando Torres playing well. They will trouble Holland in every department this Sunday. As for Germany, they never really got going in this one. Did the loss of Thomas Müller hurt them that much? Key players like Bastian Schweinsteiger also didn’t play to their full potential. The midfield couldn't keep control of the ball for long enough. They kept it close until the second half, but Spain were always the better side. Being eliminated at this stage has to be a massive disappointment after playing so well in the last few games.
As the World Cup draws to an end, so does my World Cup blog. I’ll be writing about the final at the weekend, as well as the third place play-off, and looking back at some of the more memorable moments of this tournament. Here’s hoping for a great final, and of course, your thoughts and comments are appreciated.
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