True but if it is Argentina vs Brazil it will have big rivals going up against each other in one of their home nations. Plus Brazil will want to go out with glory after that embarrassment.
No hindrances in front of the goal - is that why it's called "A Brazilian"?
On a more serious note, the Germans have won two matches in style, against Portugal and Brazil. The Portuguese got Pepe sent off early and the Brazilians for some reason decided to play without a defense or offense. Germany hasn't been all that convincing against more defensive teams; drawing against Ghana and struggling a bit against the USA and Algeria. They will be favorites against either Argentina or the Netherlands and I expect them to win but they won't take the final by 7-1. The Dutch in particular have a strong defensive and might even upset the Germans.
If Netherlands gets past Argentina, I can see them playing better than Germany... Brazil's collapse could have been vs anyone capable of getting that early goal, so the Germans will be overconfident. The Brazilians were overstressed to a ridiculous degree, and morale collapsed utterly. The loss of two key players erroded confidence I'd wager. Anyway! The Dutch have had to recover from setbacks, performed well under stress, and definately have more local support I'd wager. I think Germany will be too loose after a blowout like that, but I'd favour them over Argentina.
Netherlands has Van Persie, hopefully he'll be 100%. Should be a tight game! Oranje!
Well so far for my beloved Holland... They didn't really deserve it (Argentina didn't either though), nor screw up great chances, so I can live with the result. Brazil most likely to grab 3rd place as they have something to play for: their honor, in front of their home public. I hope Germany wins it now.
I hope Brazil wins 3rd, but... I'm kind of sensing a repeat of shell-shocked Spain vs. Chile. Even if Van Gaal doesn't play his best, which he probably won't since he hates 3rd place matches, it'll likely be enough.
Don't know who to root for in Germany vs. Argentina. I've been pro-Argentina the whole tournament, but they don't deserve it. And Germany's shown a lot of class and sportsmanship. Will probably just stick with Argentina because I'll be watching it with every Argentine in Manhattan anyway, but I'll be happy whatever happens. (As long as what happens isn't a repeat of Germany vs. Brazil.)
And...
Costa Rica beats Greece in a penalty kick-off. Holland beats Costa Rica in a penalty kick-off. Argentina beats Holland in a penalty kick off.
Would crack me up if Germany beats Argentina in one now.
Brazil-Netherlands: 0-2 (2). The bronze match is usually won by the team which best gets over losing the semi-final. The Netherlands had to play an extra half hour + penalty shootout but Brazil has to be more disappointed, not to mention disillusioned.
Germany-Argentina: 2-1 (1). No European team has ever won the World Cup in the Americas and Argentina has a better defense than Brazil - and a better offense as well! Still, the Germans look too strong for them. The worst danger to Germany is overconfidence. I hate to say it, since our southern neighbors will be intolerable for the next four years :-) but Germany takes the title.
Brazil 2 Netherlands 0 Van Gaal has already said he thinks 3rd place games are useless and wishes they didn't exist, while Brazil will be hungrier than a dieting Suarez to come out of the tournament with something. I don't know if players who have won as much as Robben will care for a bronze medal game.
Germany 2 Argentina 1 Zee Germans are zee best. Messi is also the best, but there is only so much he can do. Germany looks like they are on a mission and for me are clear favorites, but If Argentina does win then I don't think there is any denying that Messi is not *an* all time great but THE all time great. Best XI vs the best player. I don't mean to diminish the other four stars up front for them, but Di Maria "could be fit" for the final (means he wont), Aguero is also coming back from and injury and Higuain hasn't looked all that bright while Lavezzi is a hot/cold player. On the other hand Germany could field two competitive teams, and have been consistent in their performances. Argentina can have great days, but the Germans might even win while not being at their best, which is scary.
Netherlands 2 Brazil 1 Not sure whether the loss will Brazil gutted and ready to forget the Cup or make them hungry tbh. Playing it safe and going with the, imo, better side. I like these games actually, as the teams can freely play and are less likely to turn it into a boring tactical match ala Arg-Neth. In theory anyway.
Ger -2 Arg -1 Have to favor zee Germans, but Argentina is a very good side too. I give it 70:30 or thereabouts, but my hope is Messi has the game of his life and Argentina wins the most fun final ever.
(Assuming Messi, Di Maria, and Mascherano are all around and on form.)
Kind of irritated at all the people saying they can't do it, so I'm going to have a bit of faith that they'll finally bring all their weapons to bear at the same time. Germany's the better, more consistent team, but I think that a fully functioning Argentina could still take it. Especially if Germany underestimates them.
Also, the rule of this tournament seems to be that anything that can go wrong for Brazil will go wrong for Brazil.
Netherlands - 2, Brazil - 0.
Still sensing a Chile-Spain repeat, unfortunately.
So, guys, it was unthinkable. I'm still shocked, to be honest. One-fu**ing seven in the semifinal of the WC. One-fu**ing seven in front of the home crowd. One-fu**ing seven while being the absolute bookmakers' favourite before the start of the tournament. How has it become possible?
Your 59 comments here regarding only 2 games tell the whole story.
Regarding the second match... Well, the only feeling I have currently is the disappointment.
As you all know, I rooted for Argentina to come to the final even before the tournament. I didn't expect Holland to be so good that to come out of the group at the 1st place and then reach the semifinal. But I've fallen in love with Holland right with every minute of their games. And although I rooted for Argentina as a finalist, I dared to think that Holland will make it.
And in the 91st minute of that match my heart just stopped. WHY? HOW? NOOOO. After that missed chance by Robben I understood it would be Argentina. It's so hard to win to penalty shoot-out series in a row. What a disappointment! To be so close and yet so far...
@bengoshi, I'm glad to see some support for Oranje. For some reason many people seem to always expect topclass tikitaka total football from the Dutch, and anything that doesn't live up to that expectation is seized to overly criticize their performance. Take a look at The Guardian's World Cup pages and it turns out Dutch football is often considered "cynical" (for playing a counterattacking style in a 5-3-2 formation), and the team consists of "thugs" (De Jong 2010 vs Spain) and "divers" (Robben vs Mexico, where people comfortably forget that he was fouled many times up to the point where Moreno broke his own shin in the attempt to foul Robben). That doesn't do them justice imo. I for one was pleased and surprised to see Holland do well, with many youngsters from my favourite side (Feyenoord) proving their worth against some of the world's best players.
Brazil-Germany was a bizarre once in century game I think, and says nothing of what we can expect on Sunday. Argentina has shown to be remarkably sturdy defensively (even though the likes of Demichelis don't convince me really). I think it's going to be a close game and I really couldn't tell who'll win it.
@FinneousPJ, LOL, one or two Demiliches would surely help Argentina to the title. Come the think of it, Imprisonment would explain why poor old Van Persie was nowhere to be found...
Yeah, it would be a close match, not a cakewalk for Germany. Argentina has successfully prevented any team of playing their football in this competition: Switzerland, Belgium, Holland. They will try and do all their best to block Germany. But I still can't see how this current Germany lose. A draw - yes, but lose... no. And if it comes to penalties again, the curse of the second shoot-out will be casted.
I'm leaning more towards Germany 1:0 Argentina and Holland 2:1 Brasil, althouth it would mean pre-WC I went completely wrong with naming the winners of the last 2 matches in the tournament.
Yes, Brasil fans are enraged and demand a result. Yes, the match for the 3rd place maybe means little in football. But Van Gaal is Van Gaal and he would hardly except that his two LAST matches as a coach of the national team will be defeats. The main thing would be not to lose an early goal against Brasil.
Yeah well, I have one more prediction: Half the coaches, definitely including Scolari, will be sacked after the world cup for not delivering the results the national football associations (and fans!) expected. ;-)
Comments
On a more serious note, the Germans have won two matches in style, against Portugal and Brazil. The Portuguese got Pepe sent off early and the Brazilians for some reason decided to play without a defense or offense. Germany hasn't been all that convincing against more defensive teams; drawing against Ghana and struggling a bit against the USA and Algeria. They will be favorites against either Argentina or the Netherlands and I expect them to win but they won't take the final by 7-1. The Dutch in particular have a strong defensive and might even upset the Germans.
Netherlands has Van Persie, hopefully he'll be 100%. Should be a tight game! Oranje!
Don't know who to root for in Germany vs. Argentina. I've been pro-Argentina the whole tournament, but they don't deserve it. And Germany's shown a lot of class and sportsmanship. Will probably just stick with Argentina because I'll be watching it with every Argentine in Manhattan anyway, but I'll be happy whatever happens. (As long as what happens isn't a repeat of Germany vs. Brazil.)
And...
Costa Rica beats Greece in a penalty kick-off.
Holland beats Costa Rica in a penalty kick-off.
Argentina beats Holland in a penalty kick off.
Would crack me up if Germany beats Argentina in one now.
Brazil-Netherlands: 0-2 (2). The bronze match is usually won by the team which best gets over losing the semi-final. The Netherlands had to play an extra half hour + penalty shootout but Brazil has to be more disappointed, not to mention disillusioned.
Germany-Argentina: 2-1 (1). No European team has ever won the World Cup in the Americas and Argentina has a better defense than Brazil - and a better offense as well! Still, the Germans look too strong for them. The worst danger to Germany is overconfidence. I hate to say it, since our southern neighbors will be intolerable for the next four years :-) but Germany takes the title.
Van Gaal has already said he thinks 3rd place games are useless and wishes they didn't exist, while Brazil will be hungrier than a dieting Suarez to come out of the tournament with something. I don't know if players who have won as much as Robben will care for a bronze medal game.
Germany 2 Argentina 1
Zee Germans are zee best. Messi is also the best, but there is only so much he can do. Germany looks like they are on a mission and for me are clear favorites, but If Argentina does win then I don't think there is any denying that Messi is not *an* all time great but THE all time great.
Best XI vs the best player. I don't mean to diminish the other four stars up front for them, but Di Maria "could be fit" for the final (means he wont), Aguero is also coming back from and injury and Higuain hasn't looked all that bright while Lavezzi is a hot/cold player.
On the other hand Germany could field two competitive teams, and have been consistent in their performances. Argentina can have great days, but the Germans might even win while not being at their best, which is scary.
Not sure whether the loss will Brazil gutted and ready to forget the Cup or make them hungry tbh. Playing it safe and going with the, imo, better side. I like these games actually, as the teams can freely play and are less likely to turn it into a boring tactical match ala Arg-Neth. In theory anyway.
Ger -2 Arg -1
Have to favor zee Germans, but Argentina is a very good side too. I give it 70:30 or thereabouts, but my hope is Messi has the game of his life and Argentina wins the most fun final ever.
Netherlands 4, Brazil 1 (I have a feeling Brazil is going to be like the US in this years olympics when it came to mens hockey).
(Assuming Messi, Di Maria, and Mascherano are all around and on form.)
Kind of irritated at all the people saying they can't do it, so I'm going to have a bit of faith that they'll finally bring all their weapons to bear at the same time. Germany's the better, more consistent team, but I think that a fully functioning Argentina could still take it. Especially if Germany underestimates them.
Also, the rule of this tournament seems to be that anything that can go wrong for Brazil will go wrong for Brazil.
Netherlands - 2, Brazil - 0.
Still sensing a Chile-Spain repeat, unfortunately.
Your 59 comments here regarding only 2 games tell the whole story.
As you all know, I rooted for Argentina to come to the final even before the tournament. I didn't expect Holland to be so good that to come out of the group at the 1st place and then reach the semifinal. But I've fallen in love with Holland right with every minute of their games. And although I rooted for Argentina as a finalist, I dared to think that Holland will make it.
And in the 91st minute of that match my heart just stopped. WHY? HOW? NOOOO. After that missed chance by Robben I understood it would be Argentina. It's so hard to win to penalty shoot-out series in a row. What a disappointment! To be so close and yet so far...
Brazil-Germany was a bizarre once in century game I think, and says nothing of what we can expect on Sunday. Argentina has shown to be remarkably sturdy defensively (even though the likes of Demichelis don't convince me really). I think it's going to be a close game and I really couldn't tell who'll win it.
Come the think of it, Imprisonment would explain why poor old Van Persie was nowhere to be found...
I'm leaning more towards Germany 1:0 Argentina and Holland 2:1 Brasil, althouth it would mean pre-WC I went completely wrong with naming the winners of the last 2 matches in the tournament.
Yes, Brasil fans are enraged and demand a result. Yes, the match for the 3rd place maybe means little in football. But Van Gaal is Van Gaal and he would hardly except that his two LAST matches as a coach of the national team will be defeats. The main thing would be not to lose an early goal against Brasil.