(L-R) Argentina’s Javier Mascherano, Ezequiel Garay and Sergio Kun Aguero celebrate after their team won the penalty shoot-out of the FIFA World Cup 2014 semi-final against the Netherlands at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo on Wednesday. (EPA)
Argentina came to the World Cup in neighbouring Brazil as a top contender thanks to an awe-inspiring attacking line-up led by Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria. Now Messi has not found the net in three games and Di Maria is injured, but the Albiceleste are in the final thanks to a solid defensive line, penalty-killing goalkeeper Sergio Romero and the great team leader Javier Mascherano.
That adds insult to injury for tournament hosts Brazil, who first crashed 7-1 in the semis against Germany and who may now have to face their arch-rivals holding aloft the trophy in the iconic Maracana. “The nightmare continues,” Brazil’s O Dia paper said on its website while sports paper Lance told its readers that “we are all Germany” on Sunday.
However, Thomas Mueller, Miroslav Klose and company may also find it hard to break down the Argentina defence, even though they should be able to create more chances than the three meagre shots on target the Dutch managed in Wednesday’s semi-final.
Mascherano, Pablo Zabaleta, Ezeqiel Garay, Martin Demichelis and Marcos Rojo neutralised the threat of Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie, and Romero then saved penalties from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Snijder in a deciding shoot-out after Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, and Sergio Aguero later, were also kept at bay by the Dutch defence.
The first ever 0-0 after 120 minutes in a World Cup semi was as ugly as the rain streaming down the concrete buildings of the metropolis Sao Paulo on the night.
But it followed a pattern as Argentina are the minimalists of the World Cup. All three group games were won by a one-goal margin, 2-1 over Bosnia with the second from Messi, 1-0 against Greece in stoppage time from Messi, and 3-2 against Nigeria from Messi’s double. The four-time world footballer had done enough, as the 1-0 over Switzerland late in extra time from Di Maria, and the 1-0 over Belgium from Higuain’s early effort are their only two goals in the knock-out rounds.
But, true to the saying that “attack wins games and defence championships,” Argentina’s back line have kept a clean sheet in all three knock-out games.
“We didn’t create many chances which says something about Argentina,” Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal admitted.
Sabella said: “I am very pleased. This was a very hard and even match. The team is extraordinary.”
Barcelona’s Mascherano named the destructive tactics “intelligent” and like Sabella (“we will work very hard to win”) and the rest of the team now wants to take the last step as well. “We are all very proud of the team. This (the final) will be the most important match in our career. We need to improve, Germany have done very, very well so far,” Mascherano said.
Germany will need a lot of patience to unlock the defence and cannot expect a similar triumph as the 4-0 from the 2010 quarter-finals, but rather winning on penalties as in the 2006 quarters.
The two previous finals between the two were also close affairs, Argentina’s 3-2 in 1986 and Germany’s late 1-0 in 1990.
The latter tournament may be the Argentina blueprint for 2014.
While Argentina were favourites
- apart from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer - is not always rock solid which could be reason for optimism that Messi, Higuain or possibly even, if fit, Di Maria can deal a killer blow. Scoring a winner in a World Cup final would be the completion of Messi’s after years of underperforming for Argentina while on fire with Barcelona.
“We are in the final!” Messi said on Facebook after saying nothing in the mixed zone. “I am proud to be part of this team.”
