Germany vs France Old Competitors

0

FRA

GER

1

• 7/04 14:09
 
 
 

FT: France 0 – 1 Germany || THANK YOU FOR BEING OVER, GAME. Soccer has a wonderful way of messing with expectations. On paper, this game had it all: a Sweeper-Keeper, Tom Muller, the potential for a failed Tom Muller trick set piece, Pogba, Valbuena, etc. On the field, both sides were quite lethargic and lacking in quality in the final third. It’s hard to pick anyone who had a standout game—perhaps Sweeper-Keeper, for his timely interventions. But this game was a letdown for everyone interested in being entertained. That includes Griezmann.

Sadly, each game from here on out will include tears. Typically, the tears will come from players. But today, I’m crying, too. Because UGH, TERRIBLE GAME. Thankfully, we have Brazil-Colombia in two hours to save us. Hopefully. Neymar and James in a sea of fans in yellow shirts? Yes, please. In the meantime, say bye to Sweeper-Keeper. But someone keep an eye on him; there’s still a semifinal to play. Thanks for hanging out.

• 90:00+4
 
 
 

SWEEPER-KEEPER! Benzema plays a one-two at the top of the box and gets the ball on his left foot, with only Sweeper-Keeper to beat. Benzema’s shot hits the crossbar?!?!?! That’s what I thought, until the replay. That was Sweeper-Keeper’s palm. Sweeper-Keeper saves Germany!

• 90:00+1
 
 
 

I see what you’ve done, there, Fidel. And, yes, I agree. Please extend that sentiment to the Germans, too. Not even the introduction of Handsome Olivier Giroud can save this. 

• 7/04 13:49
 
 
 

No one is really impressed by anything. I feel you, French dudes. All that money sunk into those soccer hats for this. It really isn’t fair.

• 82:00
 
 
 

The Germans break the other way. It’s Ozil escaping with the ball down the left. At midfiield, Varane decides to play a terrible offside trap. It doesn’t work well, which doesn’t help curb the jailbreak. As Ozil reaches the box, he crosses. Tom Muller whiffs, and then Andre Schurrle is rejected by Lloris throwing his body toward the ball or “making himself big.” Otherwise, not very impressed with this game, to be honest.

• 81:00
 
 
 

A French free kick from the left channel by Valbuena ricochets off a few Germans and almost into Sweeper-Keeper’s goal. It’s like the Sweeper-Keeper aura won’t allow the French to score.

• 76:00
 
 
 

Germans playing with fire, here. I think I’m sensing a pulse to this game. Benzema with a great opportunity as he receives the ball in the German box, cuts the ball to his left foot—eliminating the extended Phil Lahm from the equation—and smashes the ball toward goal. Mats Hummels disagrees, though, and a last-minute, heroic slide—John Terry-style—prevents French people from celebrating. A shame, really, if you adore French people celebrating.

• 7/04 13:35
 
 
 

It’s hot out there. Notice how everyone is playing in the shade. Tactical geniuses will call this “keeping things compact” but I suspect that these guys are just trying to stay cool.

• 71:00
 
 
 

Yup, 85-year-old Miroslav Klose has left the game. Yes, he aged significantly since earlier in the live blog. He’s replaced by the much younger Andre Schurrle. France replaces Sakho with another center back, Laurent Koscielny. Must be injury-related. Otherwise, that’s a strange use of a substitution if you’re trying to chase a game. But stranger things have happened, I suppose. 

• 67:00
 
 
 

They let bears in the stadium. That can’t be safe. This bear must have some great connections.

• 7/04 13:25
 
 
 

This is an important goalkeeping lesson: Goalkeepers can basically punch anything and everything they want in the box with reckless abandon and the referee will award them a free kick, especially if they fall over after punching someone. Goalkeepers must be protected! Fine. But what about sweeper-keepers? I think that’s a fair question.

• 60:00
 
 
 

Yohan Cabaye whips in a cross from the right that finds Varane. Varane directs a powerful header toward goal but Sweeper-Keeper shifts to his left and prevents Varane from celebrating. Well, Varane could have celebrate if he wanted to, but that’d have been bizarre. I’m all for bizarre, though.

• 7/04 13:20
 
 
 

You would have the same look on your face if you thought you saw The Hoff. Also, did you listen to that Hasselhoff song at the beginning of the live blog.

A cool first and a historic triumph

The second day of Round of 16 action at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ served up another feast for spectators around the globe. After hosts Brazil squeezed into the quarter-finals following a penalty shoot-out in the opening match of the knockout stages, the games on day two were equally dramatic and likewise only decided late on. 

The Netherlands v Mexico opener was extended due to the introduction of unprecedented cooling breaks, and only went the way of the Dutch in added time, while the second fixture of the day was equally tense, even if goalscoring chances were harder to come by in a meeting that needed penalties to provide a winner. For the first time in World Cup history, two Round of 16 matches have been decided by spot-kicks, and this time it was Costa Rica who finally gained the upper hand over Greece. In doing so, not only did the Central Americans send another European team out of the competition, they also reached the last eight for the first time ever. FIFA.com rounds up the best of the day’s events.

ResultsNetherlands 2-1 Mexico (Budweiser Man of the Match: Guillermo Ochoa, MEX)
Costa Rica 1-1 Greece (5-3 on penalties) (Budweiser Man of the Match: Keylor Navas, CRC)

Memorable moments Historic breakWith the thermometer at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza showing 32 degrees Celsius and humidity levels at 68 per cent, history was made during the match between the Netherlands and Mexico as referee Pedro Proenca called a time out for a cooling break in the 32^nd minute. In none of the 20 previous finals had such a stoppage ever taken place. The players gratefully received drinks, ice and damp cloths to cool themselves down and it had a revitalising effect, as immediately afterwards Mexico increased the pressure and carved out some promising openings. The players were not the only ones taking precautions with the heat though, as messages on the big screens reminded fans to reapply sun cream throughout the proceedings. Proenca also stopped the game in the second half for a few minutes in order to give the protagonists another breather.

Game-changing SupersubKlaas-Jan Huntelaar may not have been on the pitch during the designated breaks but he made sure he was refreshed when taking to the field as a second-half substitute by dashing to the toilet shortly before being brought on. His introduction in place of Robin van Persie in the 76^th minute was pivotal as he proceeded to nod the ball down to Wesley Sneijder for the equaliser. Despite it being Huntelaar’s first outing at Brazil 2014, the Dutchman then showed no sign of nerves when he lashed in the match-winning penalty in the fourth minute of additional time - even though he was not the designated taker. “[Arjen] Robben was supposed to take it,” Huntelaar said afterwards. “But he asked me if I wanted to shoot and I said yes because I felt confident. And I scored.”

European bogey teamAfter sending both England and Italy home in the group stage, Costa Rica put their next European victims to the sword by defeating Greece. A cooling off period like in the day’s first game may have done Jorge Luis Pinto’s side good though, as they picked up five yellow cards, despite only collecting a total of two cautions in their first three matches. To make matters worse, Oscar Duarte became the first player in the country’s history to be sent off at a World Cup. Pinto will be relieved that neither of the two players on yellow cards going into the game were booked again, meaning they are available for the quarter-final where they will face their next European opponent: the Netherlands. Los Ticos showed remarkable composure during their penalty shoot-out, with all five takers leaving the goalkeeper little chance and finding the target with well-taken efforts.
The stat
145 - The number of goals scored at Brazil 2014 in the 52 games so far, equalling the total tournament tally at South Africa 2010. The current goalscoring record at a finals with 32 participating teams stands at 171 and was set at France 1998, which was the first tournament to host that many countries. That figure is in sight this year given the current average of 2.8 goals per game. Incidentally, the 25 goals scored by substitutes in Brazil is already a new record, surpassing the 23 netted at Germany 2006.

Next up
France - Nigeria, 30 June 2014, 13:00, Estadio Nacional, Brasilia
Germany - Algeria, 30 June 2014, 17:00, Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre 
(All times given are local)

Have your sayCan Los Ticos continue their form into the quarter-finals against the Netherlands and eliminate another European team?

Germany 2-1 Algeria ALL GOALS & HIGHLIGHTS 30-06-14 01-07-14 2014 FIFA World Cup

• ■FIFA 2014
• ■News
• ■Football
• ■Video Gallery

by ptvsports - Jul 1, 2014

0 4486

African bravery, European victories

THE DAY REPLAYED – African representatives Nigeria and Algeria turned in gallant fighting performances in Monday’s two Round-of-16 matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, giving France and Germany respectively stern tests without quite being able to finish the job off.

Both the Super Eagles and Les Fennecs showed plenty of courage and skill in thwarting their supposedly superior European opponents for longer than most people expected, and were indebted to some heroics from their goalkeepers along the way.

Try as they might, however, they could not prevent the French and Germans – both former world champions – from teeing up a quarter-final meeting at the Maracana on Friday.

Germany 2 – 1 Algeria – All Goals Highlights

Germany Vs Algeria 2-1 All Goals & Highlights 30/06/2014

Germany holds off Algeria in extra time, advances by

Nigeria’s standout performer against Les Bleus was Vincent Enyeama, who pulled off one outstanding stop after another only to flap at a corner and allow Paul Pogba to nod the French ahead 11 minutes from time.

Algeria’s hero between the posts was Rais M’Bohli, though that does not tell the whole story of a game in which Les Fennecs created the clearest chances in the first half, continued to pose a threat throughout and only succumbed after they had taken the Germans all the way to extra time.

After creating history by having two sides in the second round of the FIFA World Cup for the very first time, African football can take heart from the performances of their last two representatives on another memorable day at Brazil 2014.

Results
France 2-0 Nigeria (Budweiser Man of the Match: Paul Pogba, FRA)
Germany 2-1 Algeria (extra time) (Budweiser Man of the Match: Rais M’Bohli, ALG)

Memorable moments
Knockout kings
Germany and France have proud traditions when it comes to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. In downing the Algerians, Die Mannschaft won their eighth consecutive Round-of-16 tie, a run that began back at Mexico 1986. The French have an impressive record of their own to boast: on the last five occasions that they have reached the knockout phase (Sweden 1958, Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, France 1998 and Germany 2006) Les Bleus have always made it to the semi-finals at least.

A solid foundation
While the likes of Karim Benzema and Mathieu Valbuena are making quite a splash up front for France, their defence is also doing outstanding job, having now kept their opponents goalless in three of their four games at Brazil 2014, a record no other side in the competition is able to match.

Back-heel back story
In the build-up to the Germany-Algeria tie, much was said about Les Fennecs’ surprise 2-1 defeat of Germany FR at Spain 1982, a game in which the great Rabah Madjer scored the Africans’ opening goal. Yet when Monday’s sequel went into extra time, it threw up yet another reminder of the past, with Andre Schurrle’s opener for the Germans recalling Madjer’s famous back-heeled goal for Porto in the 1987 UEFA European Cup final against Bayern Munich. Whether Schurrle’s improvised finish was quite as intentional as Madjer’s sublime finish is a moot point, but given the link there was a certain irony about a German back-heel putting the Algerians on the road to elimination.

Another day, another extra 30 minutes
The Round of 16 has served up plenty of late excitement, with extra time having been played in three ties so far: Brazil-Chile on Saturday, Costa Rica-Greece on Sunday and Germany-Algeria on Monday. The record number of last-16 ties going to extra-time is four, at Italy 1990, a mark that could well be equalled or even bettered on Tuesday.

Home from home
At Switzerland 1954, Germany were indebted to heavy rain as they overcame Hungary in the Final, with no one faring better in the inclement conditions than their captain Fritz Walter. So good was the legendary forward in the wet that whenever the rain came down during a match it was known as “Fritz Walter weather”, and there was plenty of it about in Porto Alegre on Monday, much to the relief of the current Germany squad. Joachim Low’s side had another reason for feeling very much at home in the south of Brazil, a region that is home to the country’s largest German community. The capital of Rio Grande do Sul state laid on plenty of Teutonic refreshment and entertainment for fans making their way to the stadium, with big tankards of beer being served up and typically German music laid on. And waiting for them inside the stadium were Frida and Fritz, two appropriately named puppets who are the mascots of the annual Oktoberfest in Santa Maria, a city to the west of Porto Alegre.

Flag day
Nigeria and Algeria had more in common today than just their plucky exits. Both had first-half goals disallowed for offside, with Emmanuel Emenike having an 18th-minute strike chalked off against the French and Islam Slimani suffering the same fate 17 minutes into his side’s game against the Germans.

The stat
10 – the number of FIFA World Cup matches that Didier Deschamps has now gone unbeaten as both a player and coach. A world champion at France 1998, the Bleus coach’s overall tournament record reads eight wins, two draws and not a single defeat.

Up next
Argentina-Switzerland, 1 July 2014, 13:00, Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
Belgium-USA, 1 July 2014, 17:00, Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador
(All times local)

Have your say
Who are the favourites for the quarter-final between Germany and France at the Maracana?