It was supposed to be an unforgettable display of attacking soccer. And it was.
It was supposed to be an action-packed match with plenty of goals. And it was.
If the Germans were a fluid, energetic and selfless team, the Argetines were a disjointed and flat bunch that rarely found the rhythm in their attack that we saw earlier in the tournament.
Loew’s triumph over Maradona didn’t begin on Saturday. It took place over the course of the past year, when Loew was integrating youngsters and turning his team into a cohesive unit. Maradona spent last year steering Argentina through a perilous qualifying campaign, then never worked on improving the relationship between the defense, midfield and forwards. Rather than a unit, Argentina looked like three mini-teams incapable of working together.
Germany had no such problems. Not only did Germany play as a unit, it played and plays with a youthful energy and fearlessness born out of featuring four starters from Germany’s Under-21 European Championship team. That group, along with the 20-year-old Mueller, has overwhelmed opponents with its energy and versatility as Loew’s attacking philosophy has led Germany to three four-goal games, including consecutive four-goal games in the knockout rounds.
Germany’s toughest test awaits on Wednesday, against Spain in a rematch of the 2008 European Championship final. Spain won that match, 1-0, and most of its starters from that championship team are back. As much as it will be a similar Spain when the teams meet on Wednesday in Durban, we will see a much different Germany. A younger and more ruthless German team that fears no opponent and has is riding a wave of confidence after destroying England and Argentina by a combined score of 8-1.
There will be no more overlooking or underestimating of Germany now. Saturday’s win catapulted the Germans from talented young side to tournament favorites and calling them an underdog against anybody after their recent performances would be foolish.
As Argentina learned on Saturday, and England before that, this German team is good enough to not just beat teams, but also destroy them.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com.
