Netherlands’ forward Arjen Robben celebrates after defeating Costa Rica during the penalty shootout in their quarter-final at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador. (AFP)
All things considered, the Brazilian World Cup has gone pretty much according to plan: Well before the start, all four semi-finalists had been listed among the favourites to win the 2014 edition of football’s ultimate tournament.
The statistics certainly back it up.
Brazil have won more World Cups than anyone else, five, reaching the semi-finals on no less than 11 occasions. Their opponents in Belo Horizonte, Germany, have won three titles and have made it to the last four a record 13 times.
Even the other semi-final, between Argentina and the Netherlands, is anything but an anticlimax, with the South Americans having won the title twice, and both teams having competed for a spot in the final five times apiece.
In fact, this is the first time ever that all four semi-finalists have been former World Cup finalists. And none of them have lost a single match in Brazil, winning a staggering 18 and drawing just two between them.
But it is not just the numbers that confirm their status as the best of the tournament.
Brazil may not be the star-studded squad of 1970 (Pele and Rivelino), 1982 (Falcao and Zico) or 1994 (Romario and Bebeto), but with a 22-year-old masterclass known as Neymar, now out injured, and with the backing of a fanatical home crowd, they have rarely looked beatable.
Germany have once again lived up to their reputation as a solid, well-organized collective, even affording to keep joint World Cup all-time scorer Miroslav Klose on the bench for much of the time.
With an attacking lineup comprised of talented players like Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria and Ezequiel Lavezzi, not to mention a guy called Lionel Messi, Argentina could afford to leave Carlos Tevez at home and still win every match in Brazil.
And few had any doubts about the Netherlands of master tactician Louis Van Gaal after they demolished reigning champions Spain 5-1 in their opening game.
“This is incredibly strong compared with other teams (I have coached),” Van Gaal said after the team’s penalty shoot-out victory against Costa Rica.
“We have not played as well with ball possession, but when the opposition has the ball I think we are one of the best, if not the best,” he added.
The first of the two semi-finals will take place on Tuesday in Belo Horizonte, where Brazil take on Germany in a rare World Cup meeting - the sides have only met once before in the tournament.
Brazil will be without Neymar, who suffered a broken vertebra during the final minutes of their 2-1 victory over Colombia, and captain Thiago Silva, who is suspended.
The loss of Neymar will be particularly painful for the hosts.
But as midfielder Willian, his possible replacement, put it: “We are saddened at the loss, but it gives us greater strength to achieve our dream of reaching the final and winning the World Cup.”
German coach Joachim Loew, who faces no fitness problems with his squad, is nevertheless treading carefully, preferring to play the role of the underdog.
“Brazil without Neymar is much more difficult than with Neymar. I would have liked to have seen him included,” Loew told ARD television, suggesting the Selecao may be more unpredictable without their talismanic number 10.
Tomorrow’s semi-final, which will take place at the Arena de Sao Paulo, is similarly tantalising, pitting the 2010 finalists against Messi’s Argentina.
Coach Alejandro Sabella will have to do without the injured Di Maria, who has been the team’s best player alongside Messi, while Van Gaal has welcomed the return to training of Nigel de Jong, who had earlier been ruled out of the tournament due to a groin strain.
The AC Milan midfielder is however not expected to feature in tomorrow’s match. But arguably the tournament’s most in-form player, Arjen Robben, certainly will.