Germany Beats France to Advance to Fourth Straight World Cup Semifinal
Rio de Janeiro
For four weeks, the 2014 World Cup has defied everything we knew about major global soccer tournaments.
There
have been barely any blowouts. The soccer has been open and exciting
and the goals have flowed as freely as the caipirinhas on Copacabana
beach. But in a tournament full of surprises, here's one development
that will shock exactly no one: Germany is back in the World Cup
semifinals.
For the fourth successive World Cup
and the 13th in 20 appearances all-time, the Germans advanced to the
semifinals here Friday, beating France 1-0 on a scorching afternoon at
the Maracanã Stadium. The breakthrough for the Germans came just 12
minutes in. Toni Kroos whipped a free kick into the penalty box,
Mats Hummels
outmuscled Raphaël Varane to put his head on the cross and direct
it toward the right corner. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar
and fell into the net. Hugo Lloris, the French goalkeeper, barely moved.
From
then on, the outcome of the match seemed inevitable. Germany will now
face Brazil after becoming the first team in World Cup history to reach
four straight semifinals.
"We knew it would be very difficult, but we did not permit them many opportunities," said Germany head coach
Joachim Löw.
"We were trying to really push our opponent, always stepping on their toes from the back to the front."
French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris couldn't stop Mats Hummels's 13th-minute header, the only goal of the match.
Getty Images For Germany, this win was another
reminder that for all the speed and skill that runs through Löw's team,
although their strongest attribute may be their unrivaled big-game
experience.
With veteran striker
Miroslav Klose restored to his starting position, the German lineup that
took the field in Friday's quarterfinal had played a combined 120 games
in the tournament, making it the most experienced in World Cup history.
In the end, it was Germany's
tournament know-how that proved decisive. From the moment they took the
lead, the Germans gave a master class in how to manage a World Cup
knockout game. They slowed down the tempo, allowed France to see plenty
of the ball and were content to hang back and rely on counterattacks.
It
wasn't exhilarating, there were few clear chances and those that came
about fell mostly to France, notably in the final minute when
Karim Benzema
slammed a left-footed rocket straight at German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
But in the end, as usual, the Germans were celebrating a spot in the semifinals.
"Germany is accustomed to these matches, they are a very experienced team," said France coach
Didier Deschamps.
"There is not a massive gap between the two teams, but we were a little timid in the beginning. We were not efficient."
For
France, the loss marked a frustrating end to a promising campaign that
had restored the country's standing among soccer fans.
Just
four years ago, the French were the villains of world soccer. They
qualified for the 2010 World Cup on a controversial handball in a
playoff win over Ireland. Once they got to South Africa, the team
famously fell out with former coach Raymond Domenech, refused to train
and ultimately departed without winning a single game.
Here
in Brazil, Les Bleus repaired their reputation. With a wide-open brand
of soccer and a cast of speedy young players, France had dazzled fans,
fired in 10 goals in four games and looked capable of making a run at
the trophy.
Coming in, there was even hope was that Friday's quarterfinal would match the drama of the most famous World Cup meeting between
these European rivals. That game, a semifinal in the 1982 tournament,
featured six goals, a penalty shootout and some of the most sublime
attacking soccer in the tournament's history.
But
once Hummels scored to give Germany the lead, those hopes evaporated in
the Brazilian sun. The Germans packed the defensive third of the field,
allowing France to knock the ball around in the middle of the pitch but
giving up few scoring chances.
The plan
worked perfectly. Benzema saw an early shot blocked by Hummels and
Mathieu Valbuena and Blaise Matuidi both went close after halftime. But
France didn't seriously test Neuer until the final minute.
Benzema
broke through on the left and slammed a shot at goal, but Neuer got his
right hand on the ball. The rebound was cleared upfield and moments
later, the final whistle sounded to send Germany back to the final four.
"There is no system, no method," said
Hummels. "We are playing the kind of football that gives us a chance to
win. It was certainly not a walk in the park, but we solved it pretty
well."
No comments:
Post a Comment