Germany are
through to the semi-finals after producing another masterful performance
to beat Argentina 4-0 at Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium. Diego
Maradona’s Albiceleste came into this match with high hopes of
avenging their quarter-final defeat in 2006 but they ultimately had no
answer to a slick, powerful German side who will now face either Spain
or Paraguay in the last four.
Games as
eagerly-anticipated as this one often disappoint, but this particular
encounter took just three minutes to catch fire as Joachim Low's side
snatched an early advantage. Bastian Schweinsteiger provided the assist
with a superbly judged inswinging free-kick, and with Sergio Romero
caught in no man’s land, Thomas Muller applied the slightest of headed
touches to flick the ball into the net. It was Germany’s 200th FIFA
World Cup™ goal, their fastest in 32 years and the quickest so far at
South Africa 2010. The only downside for Low’s side was that it left
Argentina with 87 minutes to respond.
However,
it was the Germans who continued to carve out the better chances, with
Miroslav Klose - winning his 100th cap – firing wastefully over from the
edge of the box after some outstanding, unselfish set-up play from
Muller. Argentina attempted to grab a foothold, with Angel Di Maria and
Gonzalo Higuain creating decent shooting positions, but on each occasion
Manuel Neuer proved equal to their goal-bound efforts.
Nevertheless, as the match wore on, La
Albiceleste relied increasingly on speculative long-range efforts,
with the subdued Lionel Messi firing over just before the break and Di
Maria missing the left-hand post by a matter of inches with a
ferociously-struck 25-yard drive. Germany also remained a constant
threat on the break, and Podolski – who had earlier come close to
scoring himself – was to lead the counter-attack that provided Low’s
team with their all-important second goal.
With the second half reaching its midway point, the
Cologne forward broke clear on the left and, from a position where he
would have been forgiven for shooting, he instead squared intelligently
for Klose to tap home from inside the six yard box. The goal left
Argentina with little option but to throw men forward, and with Diego
Maradona’s side over-committed, Germany proceeded to pick them off on
the break.
Within six minutes of Klose
making it two, Arne Friedrich removed any lingering doubts over the
outcome with another close-range finish, profiting on this occasion from
a dazzling solo run from the excellent Schweinsteiger. There was even
time for Klose to rub salt into Argentinian wounds, side-footing home
Mesut Ozil's measured cross with a minute remaining to round off a
memorable German win. -source www.fifa.com
