Maradona thinks Klose/Mueller are Ballboys, gets crushed

Maradona: It actually wasn't your fault. Germany was just a lot better. But that's not to say that Argentina didn't have their chances. It was 1-0 for the majority of the game and with Messi and Co. on the pitch anything can happen. Regardless, they couldn't crack the German back line. Neuer made a few tidy saves, but nothing with that much venom. Argentina's offense is arguably the most potent in the world and they couldn't do it. This doesn't mean that Germany's defense is more skilled than Argentina's offense. It means that Germany played better together.

The first 20 minutes Germany were at the jugular. Maradona said... "this is going to be different (than 2006) because we are coming out to attack them and play in their faces. This is what has made them nervous.'' He was right but his script was flipped and if Germany executed better, it would have been 2-0 early. The entire first half Messi and Higuain barely touched the ball. The passing lanes to them were perpetually clogged and when they got the ball on foot, two German players converged. Their midfielders were dropping back and stifling the center of the field, badgering Argentina's front men. All game this activity led to turnovers in the midfield. And one of the common themes, an undying truth of World Cup success: defense leads to offense.

Germany had less possession and fewer shots but when they threatened, they scored. This means that Argentina was exposed on counter attacks or turnovers. Without their defense in position Germany walked the ball into the net for their final three goals. Defense leads to offense. Thomas Mueller scored a goal and was instrumental in their second. He was fouled at the top of the box but instead of writhing in his crocodile tears, he played the ball from the ground, freezing the defense and allowing Podolski to play a surgical ball to Klose. Goal, 2-0, game over. After calling Mueller a ballboy, I think Maradona now knows him as the guy who sent Argentina home.



And did Argentina not get the memo on Klose? Miroslav Klose? The man who now has two more World Cup goals than PELE? He waltzed, twice, into the back of the Argentine goal with the nonchalance and cunning of a true goal poacher. This man lives to score at the Cup. He barely played for Bayern Munich this year and now look at him: 4 goals in 4 matches. Is he simply just better than every other striker in the World Cup in the last 12 years, or are defenses not paying enough attention? This guy needs a statue, a bronze bust, some CREDIT at least.

Because Argentina's defense was flawed they didn't give themselves a chance. Once it was 2-0, poof!, the air went out. Keep it 1-0 with this array of attackers, and you always have a shot. But the players weren't coached to play defense as a team. He could've been paying attention to Germany's scouting report instead of trading barbs with German players in the media. Wait, maybe this was Maradona's fault after all…

"Ugly Game" works for the Dutch

Van Persie must have made Wesley Sneijder mad. His goal and "assist" (on the Felipe Melo own goal) gave the Dutch safe passage to the World Cup final. Sneijder and Van Persie even looked chummy after the game, patting one another on the bottoms, etc. I'm surprised they didn't exchange a bouquet of colorful tulips. I guess Bert Van Marwijk was right that it wouldn't effect the team and he did a fine job managing the spat between the two stars. I think maybe Van Persie was simply mad because he can't take a free kick without orbiting Jabulani into the South African cheapies. This in-fighting is something teams like France and England couldn't overcome. Well in England, they hate their entire country (Ashley Cole) and love each others girlfriends (John Terry), but that's another topic. Either way, the Dutch rarely had chances and are lucky to be advancing despite playing slightly better than Brazil in the second half.




The other key to Dutch victory was Arjen Robben. It wasn't his attacking down the wing or even distribution, but his cunning. He frustrated Brazil by simply holding the ball. Brazil was complaining about his flopping, his embellishment of any contact. I think the ref did a good enough job to maintain control and be fair, but this obviously got under Brazil's skin. Essentially, this was the final chapter in Brazil's self destruction, a desperate implosion of their defense (and offense). In the first half, Brazil was slicing apart the Dutch defense like a serrated knife through a blood orange. The Netherlands had a few half chances at best and were flailing around the pitch just to keep up. Brazil was playing to their potential and the Dutch were still acclimating to the sweaty pace.

Felipe Melo was credited with the first own goal, but this was a goalkeeping error. Maybe the drone of the vuvuzuelas caused deafness in the defense, but Julio Cesar should have been screaming for the ball. They both had a legitimate shot at the ball, but when they hit one another it was in the back of the net. But the the sense of guilt haunted Melo. When the pest (Robben) held the ball one too many times, Melo was fed up with the perceived gamesmanship. He fouled Robben (just a foul), fouled him again (yellow card), then stomped on Robben's leg (red card, bye).

At this point, Brazil still had a fighting chance in the game. The Dutch continued to look flawed when the South Americans surged forward. Kaka could have held the ball a bit more, finessed the attack. But they were floundering. They needed some of the U.S. teams "come from behind" spirit. And like the U.S. team, they shouldn't have had to play from behind. The difference in this scenario is that Brazil looked like they didn't know how to play from behind. They looked confounded all over the field. You could see it in their demeanor and when Melo took his petty kick at Robben, it was curtains. I actually feel bad for Dunga because this is exactly what he was warning the team, and the nation about. He wanted to build a solid defensive unit that didn't have to rely on outscoring opponents. But they fell asleep. Twice. Where was Lucio? He was advancing into the attack after they were down 2-1, but where was his leadership on the set play that put Holland ahead?



Brazil (the team and nation) need to realize what Dunga already knows: defense wins the World Cup. The Dutch did need some luck to win this game, but their back line held strong in the second half and pushed around the Brazilians enough to win the game. The Dutch's "Ugly Game" won this time, and maybe Brazil needs to make their game even less "Beautiful" to win a match like this.