Brazil 1-7 Germany: Nationalmannschaft Give The Selecao A Footballing Lesson (my article for Forza Italian Football)

Germany silenced their doubters by hammering Brazil 7-1 at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte to in the World Cup and reach their first final since 2002.

Die Nationalmannschaft humiliated the Selecao as Toni Kroos and Andre Schurrle both netted twice alongside goals for Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose and Sami Khedira, while Oscar netted a late consolation for the hosts. 

Luiz Felipe Scolari made three changes to the side that beat Colombia in the quarter-finals, Luis Gustavo returning from suspension at the expense of Paulinho while Dante replaced the suspended Thiago Silva in the heart of the defence.

Neymar’s much publicised injury meant Bernard started on right with Hulk moving left and David Luiz was given the captain’s armband. Meanwhile, Joachim Low retained the same side that beat France 1-0 five days ago.

The hosts started well putting pressure on the German midfield and leading in possession, but Germany took the lead through Muller on 11 minutes finding himself unmarked in the box to tap home a corner.

It was all downhill for Brazil from there as they looked completely clueless and disorganised, Klose initially bringing a low save from Brazilian custodian Julio Cesar but quickly latched on to the rebound to double the lead.

Moments later Germany scored again, regaining possession from kick-off, before Kroos found an largely unguarded goal to roll the ball into.

The capitulation continued Kroos adding his second to score the fourth and Khedira swiftly joined the party as he gave his side an insurmountable five goal lead inside the opening 30 minutes.

The hosts began the second half accelerating to get an early goal, but failed with the Germans standing firm, although Manuel Neuer made three important saves in succession to ensure they remained five goals ahead.

Eventually Germany added another as Schurrle tapped in a Muller pass with twenty minutes remaining and the Selecao having no answers to the German attack.

Schurrle then added his second and Germany’s seventh on the night when he his powerful shot beat Julio Cesar at his near post. Brazil tried a couple of long range shots with Marcelo shooting wide and Ramires failing to test the German goalkeeper.

Germany continued to rack up their passes incisively in the closing stages of the game, Ozil having a chance to add an eighth but dragged his effort wide. Seconds later Brazil broke and Oscar finally beat Neuer for a Brazilian consolation.

The final whistle was met with a lot of disappointment with the Brazilian supporters voicing their displeasure as the team suffered their heaviest defeat in World Cup history.

Germany will now face the winners of Argentina and Netherlands at the Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on July 13.

Portugal 2-1 Ghana: Seleccao’s Victory Not Enough To Ensure Qualification (my article for Forza Italian Football in 2014)

Portugal and Ghana were both eliminated from the World Cup with the Seleccao winning 2-1 in a pulsating match against the Black Stars in Brasilia. 

The Seleccao netted the opening goal thanks to an own goal from Ghana defender John Boye while the Black Stars reacted well as Asamoah Gyanscored the equalizer in the early stages of the second half to become the highest African goal scorer at the World Cup. Ghana’s hopes of advancing to the next round were crushed as Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 50th goal for Portugal to give his side a 2-1 win.

Paulo Bento’s side made five changes to the side that drew to the USA. William Carvalho came into the defensive midfield role while Miguel Veloso replaced the injured Andre Almeida as a left back. Pepe returned from suspension to retain his place in the starting line up at the expense of Ricardo Costa while Ruben Amorim replaced Raul Meireles.nEder featured instead of the injured Helder Postiga.

Kwasi Appiah made two changes to his starting line up from the game against Germany. With Sulley Muntari and Kevin Prince Boateng suspended indefinitely by the Ghana Football Association, Agyemang Badu and Abdul Waris replaced them in the starting line up.

The game began in a scrappy fashion with neither side able to take control of possession while committing too many fouls. Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo had a chance to open the scoring on two occasions in the first twenty minutes with one of them coming from an audacious clip that looped over the crossbar while the other came from a set piece parried away by the Ghana custodian, Fatau Dauda.

Ghana reacted to this threat imminently as Gyan forced a good save from the Portuguese keeper, Beto. The Black Stars could not capitalize on their many set pieces in the first half either. Midway through the first half, Ghana moved with a lot more intent than Portugal to score the opening goal. However, the Seleccao would take the lead at the expense of Boye as the defender’s poor clearance ballooned over his head into his own net.

Ronaldo brought out another save from the Ghana keeper towards the closing stages of the first half while Amorim went close to giving the Seleccao a two goal cushion with his shot hitting the side netting. The first half came to an end with Portugal leading by a solitary goal. Both the sides made no changes to their side at half time. Ghana started the second half promisingly and just as in the first half, looked comfortable in possession but without any penetration.

Just after Thomas Mueller had put Germany ahead against USA in the other group fixture, Ghana equalized in their game through Gyan as he met a cross from Kwadwo Asamoah. The African side continued to push for the lead but Waris headed wide with the goal at his mercy. The Seleccao made two changes during the second half with Silvestre Varela and Vieirinha replacing Moutinho and Eder. The Black Stars also made two changes by the same stage as Jordan Ayew and Afriyie Acquah came in at the expense of Waris and Mohammed Rabiu.

As both sides looked to take the lead, they also seemed vulnerable defensively. Late in the game, Ghana conceded a very poor goal as Dauda parried the ball into Ronaldo’s feet and the two time Ballon D’or winner tapped in to give Portugal the lead.

Wakaso Mubarak replaced Andre Ayew and he nearly equalized for Ghana within seconds after coming on, but the Rubin Kazan midfielder drilled his shot wide. Beto injured himself as he stretched to save Mubarak’s shot and he was replaced by Eduardo.

Ronaldo missed three goal scoring opportunities in the closing moments to give his side a hope to advance into the knock out stages before an enthralling game finally came to an end with Portugal ahead. However, both the sides were eliminated as Germany defeated USA by a margin of only one goal in Recife.

Portugal ended their World Cup in the third position in Group G with four points and Ghana finished with one point at the bottom of the group.

The Potential Biscotto Affair In Group G (my article for Forza Italian Football in 2014)

There have been widespread suggestions that Germany and the USAcould end their encounter at Recife in a draw intentionally that would be very beneficial for both these sides. This has led the Italian press to stress on the word “Biscotto“ .

Biscotto literally means cookies in Italian. In the world of football, the term biscotto is not as sweet as it seems in the outside world. In calcio, it indicates the conspiracy involving two sides that play in a way to bring a mutually favorable result.

The earliest incident of biscotto that is thought of  heads back all the way to the 1982World Cup in Spain. West Germany played Austria in the final game of Group 2 knowing fully well that a win for the Germans would send both the sides into the next round. Algeria had already won their last game against Chile before West Germany and Austria could face off in Gijon. This affair between the Germans and Austrians is widely known as “The Disgrace of Gijon“.

West Germany scored early through Hrubesch in the tenth minute and both the sides played without any agenda for the remainder of the game. Reports suggests that the German and the Austrian commentators covering the game gave suggestions to viewers to turn of their TV sets.  West Germany won the game 1-0 enabling them to top the group while also making sure of Austria’s progress into the next round. Since then FIFA made it mandatory for the final encounters in group stages to be kicked off at the same time.

The other famous incident that involved a biscotto occurred at Euro 2004 in Portugal. Italy were placed in Group C along with Bulgaria, Sweden and Denmark.  Denmark and Sweden had four points from their opening two games with both beating Bulgaria while drawing to Italy.

The Italians would eventually beat Bulgaria 2-1 but would bow out of the group stages due to a 2-2 draw involving Sweden and Denmark in Porto. Both the Scandinavian nations progressed into the quarterfinals with the Swedish topping the table while the Italians would crash out of the tournament; a biscotto leaving a particularly bad taste in Italian mouths.

The final encounter in Recife could be played out in a similar fashion. A draw for both Germany and the USA would send both of them through to the knockout stages while striking a dagger in the hearts of Portugal and Ghana. Not much motivation for the Germans and the Americans to accelerate for a victory. Players could be saved from suspensions and injuries as both the sides could concentrate on the larger picture by preparing for the next round of fixtures.

However, USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has denied any reports of both the sides arranging the result in a sense of mutual understanding before the game. Klinsmann also notable gave an example of beating Panama in their last World Cup qualifier game even though they did not have to. This ensured that Mexico would take part in the playoffs to participate in the World Cup.

Klinsmann faces an emotional encounter as he faces his nation and the side he coached at the 2006 World Cup. Germany boss Joachim Loew was his assistant eight years back and both of them will now face off in the last round of fixtures in Group G. Could Loew make a favor to his old master and good friend? Only time will tell the outcome of this match. Although, both the sides could push for the win but with lesser aspiration.

As things stand in Group G, Germany are on top of the table on goal difference with four points while the USA are in second place. Ghana are also ahead of Portugal on goal difference with one point as these two sides face off at Brasilia in a knockout match. Anything other than a draw between Germany and USA could bring about a scintillating ending within Group G.

Portugal Need More Than Ronaldo To Progress (my article for Forza Italian Football in 2014)

Portugal need more than Cristiano Ronaldo in order to go far in the World Cup. The Seleccao sit at the bottom ofGroup G and face USA in a potential knock out match after losing 4-0 to Germany in the first game.

July 2004 remains the only time Portugal reached the final of any major international competition. The European Championship in 2004 was hosted in Portugal and the most important game of the competition took place at Estadio da Luz, in Lisbon. Guided by Luiz Felipe Scolari, they came close to winning their first ever international trophy at the senior level but were shockingly defeated by Greece before they could get their hands on the prestigious cup.

Two years later, the same eleven that started in that final would go on to reach the semi finals of the World Cup in Germany. Only a Zinedine Zidane penalty would prevent them reaching their first ever World Cup final. Portugal’s efforts to secure fourth place would not go unnoticed as they would be awarded the title of most entertaining team in the tournament. The golden generation of  the Seleccao that had started the under 20 World Cup over a decade back was coming to an end as they would never replicate the same success.

Portugal entered Euro 2008 without the likes of Rui Costa, Luis Figo and Pauleta, who had retired in stages since the last European Championships. The Seleccao made seven changes in their starting line up with only four surviving from the gallant efforts in Germany. Portugal ultimately went out against the runners up of competition in the last eight with Scolari leaving for Chelsea while Ricardo did not participate for them again.

Ronaldo was then re-united with Carlos Queiroz as the former assistant manager of Manchester United became the head coach of the Portuguese national team. He entered the 2010 World Cup carrying the burden of the nation on his shoulders but scored only one goal as Portugal were eliminated by eventual winners Spain. With Deco retiring at the end of that World Cup and Ricardo Carvalho retiring in 2011, Ronaldo has been the lone survivor of the team that finished as runners to Greece in 2004.

Paulo Bento replaced Queiroz in 2010 and helped Portugal reach the semis of the most recent European Championship. Ronaldo was the joint leading goal scorer of that tournament and scored the same number of goals as the rest of the Portuguese team combined.  Apart from Ronaldo in the Euro 2012, no Portuguese player has been able to score in more than one game in a major tournament since the 2006 World Cup.

Coincidentally, apart from the same European Championship, no Portuguese player has been able to provide an assist in more than one game since the World Cup in Germany and as a result it comes as no surprise that the Seleccao have been unable to score in only two of their last seven World Cup games. They have also had one of their players sent off in both their last two World Cup games.

It is a good strategy to build the team around Ronaldo but he alone cannot help the Seleccao go far in this World Cup. It is wrong to compare Ronaldo’s level of competency for his national team to that of his club. He receives a lot of support from his Real Madrid teammates and duly produces the goods. However, the 5-0 drubbing against Barcelona in the recent past has shown that even for the Los Blancos without assistance he cannot bring out his top game.

It is fair to say that when Ronaldo has got the assistance from his team mates, he has delivered. His ability to attack and score is very unique while compared to any other player. He is the all time top goal scorer for the Portuguese national team. Since football is a sport with eleven men on either side, Portugal will need their whole team to contribute in order to achieve phenomenal success in a major tournament.

Greece in 2004 showed the world that a team did not primarily need stars among them to win a major tournament while Costa Rica to a smaller extent in this World Cup have indicated that they are not pushovers. Spain have shown in this tournament that without proper co-ordination or chemistry, star studded players cannot make much of a difference. England have always never had a deficit in firepower but have never managed to win anything concrete since the 1966 World Cup.

In conclusion, Portugal need to see commitment and dedication from their whole team. While Ronaldo has been struggling with injuries recently, the Seleccao need more effort from the rest of the team if they are to win their next two group games and enter the knockout stages.

Portugal’s Disciplinary Issue: A Recurring Problem (my article for Forza Italian Football in 2014)

In their opening group game against Germany in Salvador, 10 man Portugalwere humbled as the latter thrashed them 4-0 to snap up a huge victory.

The semi finalists of the last World Cupcould not dream of a better way to start their quest in the biggest tournament in the world of football.

Paulo Bento’s team entered the competition with a lot of promise but demonstrated none of it against Jochim Loew’s men. As it was, the Seleccao’s lack of discipline brought them down again.

Portugal’s problem of maintaining composure during the game has often been their Achilles heel in the recent past. In the round of sixteen match against the Netherlands in the 2006 World Cup, the Seleccao lost Deco and Costinha for their next game against England after they were both sent off. The ‘Battle of Nuremberg’, as it became known, set the World Cup record of cautioning players involving sixteen yellow cards and four red cards.

Fast forward four years, and Ricardo Costa would be sent off in Portugal’s 1-0 loss to eventual winners Spain. In  Euro 2012, Paulo Bento managed the Portuguese in his first international tournament. Portugal did impress in reaching the semi finals but also received twelve yellow cards on the way before being eliminated by Spain on penalties.

In the World Cup qualifying stages, only USA received more cards than Portugal, compared with Ghanaand Germany in Group G. However, the Americans played sixteen games to Portugal’s twelve in receiving just four more bookings than the Seleccao, a team they defeated in the 2002 World Cup.

Portugal’s average of 1.75 bookings per game in the qualifying stages is the highest of  all their opponents in Group G and they were unable to go even a single game without receiving a caution.

The Portuguese starting eleven against Germany shared forty cards between them at club level between them last season, with the defense alone contributing close to thirty cards. This is the highest among all the other teams in Group G and suggests the rashness of the individual Portuguese players, something Germany were was happy to exploit.

The ill-disciplined nature of the Portuguese team continued at this World Cup as well. Despite starting off the game against Germany well, it all started to go wrong for Portugal when Joao Pereira was given a yellow card for bringing Mario Goetze down in the penalty area, gifting the Germans a spot kick. After scoring the penalty for Germany, Thomas Mueller was in the spot light again as he was involved in a confrontation with Pepe that saw the latter sent off; his hot headed nature shining through as it has before for both club and country.

The Seleccao possess a lot of quality among their players and could yet progress into the knock out stages despite suffering such a heavy loss in the opening match. Once again they have to take a look at themselves and try to improve the temper of certain players.

Their lack of discipline during the game has heavily dented the progress of the Portuguese team in the recent past and already this campaign will see them miss Pepe as a result. With players leaving the field injured, hot-headedness and suspensions are problems Paulo Bento could well do without.

World Cup 2014 Preview: Portugal (my article for Forza Italian Football in 2014)

                                        

On the 4 July 2004 Portugal finished as runners of the European Championship. The Seleccao have not been able to achieve the same feat in any major international competition since losing to Greece 1-0  a decade ago.

The Portuguese national team is heading to Brazil ranked in the fourth position by FIFA and as the third highest ranked European nation.

The Navigators are set to feature alongside Germany, Ghana and USA in Group G.

Head Coach: Paulo Bento

Paulo Bento took over from Carlos Queiroz on September 2010 following Portugal’s exit from the last World Cup. Since then, Bento has won 24 games of his 42 games in charge, leading them to the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2012 and into this year’s big event. Bento signed a new contract in April 2014 keeping him in his current position as the head coach of Portugal till 2016.

Bento, a former player himself with Benfica and Sporting, is praised by many for his relentless attitude. His toughest challenge will be to assemble a competitive team with the possible absence of two time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo. He has relied on experience as Portugal are the fourth oldest side at the World Cup, with an average age of 28.6.

The former international is known for putting emphasis on the defense. Portugal conceded only four goals in Euro 2012 and 11 goals in 12 games en route to Brazil. Bento usually employs a 4-3-3 formation but due to Ronaldo’s fitness concerns, he has adopted an alternative 4-4-2 system. Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio is certain to play in goal while Pepe and Bruno Alves are also assured a starting spot at the heart of defense. However, Pepe’s fitness problems have led to the inclusion of Zenit’s Luis Neto at the center of defense. The sides will be covered by Valencia’s Joao Pereira and Real Madrid’sFabio Coentrao.

Dynamo Kyiv’s Miguel Veloso is expected to take up the role of a defensive midfielder but he faces competition from Sporting’s William Carvalho. Fenerbahce’s Raul Meireles is expected to provide balance and experience to this team while Monaco’s Joao Moutinho is the source of creativity in this team. Manchester United’s Nani will be likely to start on the right wing despite not appearing for most of the season while his former teammate and current Real Madrid goal machine Ronaldo will be starring on the left flank. Bento’s side will be spearheaded by one of  Helder Postiga, Hugo Almeida orEder.

Portugal finished second behind Russia in UEFA’s Qualification Group F, eventually having to face a playoff against Sweden before sealing their place at the World Cup. Since then, they have beaten Cameroon and Mexico while drawing to Greece in friendly fixtures prior to the tournament.

Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

The all time top scorer of Portugal scored the final goal in helping Real Madrid clinch their tenth European Cup when they defeated their rivals Atletico Madrid in final. Ronaldo has netted 49 times in 110 games for the Selecção. The former Manchester United man scored 17 goals in the Champions League and 31 in La Liga this season.

Despite playing at his peak, Ronaldo is evidently having concerns over his fitness. After missing two training sessions with a patellar tendinosis on his left leg, he was also absent for the two friendlies against Greece and Mexico.

While a Ghanaian witch doctor claims to have brought this on Ronaldo, he has returned to training but has been monitored with extreme caution. Bento has publicly admitted not having to rush his return but the progress of the Navigators in the World Cup will depend on the world’s best player.

Player to watch: Joao Moutinho

Moutinho made a €25 million switch to French side Monaco in the summer of 2013. Despite scoring only one goal, the former Sporting man provided eight assists to help Monaco finish runners to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 and thereby helping them to return to the Champions League.

Moutinho is one of the most experienced players for the Portuguese, featuring in over 60 games and scoring two goals. Moutinho is the creative head of this Portugal side and will look to help in the production of chances. He provided six assists in six games in the World Cup qualifying stages.

How Far Will They Get?

Portugal’s greatest feat in the World Cup came in 1966 when legendary striker Eusebio guided them to third place in the tournament hosted in England. Since then, the Seleccao managed to reached the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup before losing out to runners-up France. Paulo Bento is believed to have brought out the best out of Ronaldo while is also credited for grinding out results in games when they have looked unconvincing.

Having been drawn alongside Germany, Ghana and USA, Portugal are expected to progress past the group stages.

The Butterfly Effect (my article on SportsKeeda in 2012

It has been said something as small as the flutter of the butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon across the world

- Chaos Theory

Ever wondered about the large disastrous consequences of minute incidents? A single mistake that would leave a black mark on your life forever. In the field of football, small decisions that could change the fate of a team or a footballer.  Dreadful mistakes on and off the field that are pondered about and repented throughout the entire lifetime.

1. Buffon’s magnificent block

9th of July,  Berlin hosts the FIFA World Cup 2006. An all European final battled between Italy and France. This was the last professional game for the Maestro Zinedine Zidane. The game is locked at 1-1 and heads into extra time. In the 104th minute, Willy Sagnol’s cross is met by Zidane’s head.  The look on the face of the French supporters is truly unexplainable. Zidane powers the header into the net. France are the winners of the World Cup ’06.

Wait! Did that really occur? Willy Sagnol’s cross is met by Zidane’s head. Zidane powers his header only to see Buffon pull of a miraculous save. Moments later, a frustrated Zidane powers his head into Materazzi’s chest and is sent off controversially. With Zidane sent off, the game moves into a penalty shootout where the Italians are triumphant. The Italians become the ” Champions of the World ” . Zidane retires as a professional footballer and the French team fail to make it past the consequent EURO and World Cup group stages.

Still thinking about Buffon’s save? Materazzi’s theatrics?

Zidane had scored twice with his head to help France win the '98 World Cup. Only this time, Buffon was the smallest hurdle to the Maestro's second World Cup. A game changing save.

2.  Andres Escobar’s own goal

A glimpse into the past, the ’94 FIFA World Cup. Columbia found themselves in a group that contained Romania, Switzerland and the United States of America. Columbia had lost their inaugural game against Romania and had to win against the United States of America to keep their hopes alive to progress into the knockout stages. After an entertaining half an hour of football, the game was set to explode.

A low cross is drilled in from the left flank into the box. Andres Escobar tries to intercept it but fails. He sends the ball into his own net and the United States take the lead in the most bizarre fashion. The United States win 2-1 eventually with the own goal being the difference at the end of the game. Columbia as a result failed to progress past the group stages.

Known as the ” Gentleman of football ” , Escobar was hated by his countrymen and was held as the sole reason for Columbia’s exit. He returned back to his country, on one day decided to go out with his friends to a bar. Escobar was shot dead in the parking lot of the bar by a group of 3 men.

A life changing goal.

The men who shot Escobar have been reported to have said " Gracias por el auto gol en la propia puerta! " meaning " Thanks for the own goal ! "

3. Sir Alex Ferguson’s potential sacking

Sir Alex Fergusson was appointed as the manager of Manchester United in ’86. After 3 years of no success, Sir Alex invested a lot of money to bring in the likes of Paul Ince and Mike Phelan. The ’89-’90 season as Sir Alex describes as ” the darkest period he had ever suffered in the game ” went from bad to worse. Banners such as  ” Three years of excuses and it’s still crap..ta-ra Fergie. ”  were displayed following a winless run.

Manchester United came into the game against Nottingham Forest in the F.A. Cup 3rd round with a lot of pressure on Sir Alex. It is rumoured that if United don’t beat Nottingham Forest, he’ll be sacked.  United won the game courtesy a solitary goal from Mark Robins.  Since then, Sir Alex Ferguson has never looked back and has built an empire. In his 25 years on ongoing service, Manchester United have won 12 English Premier League Titles, 5 F.A.Cups, 4 League Cups, 10 F.A.Community trophy domestically and an astonishing couple of Champions League and Intercontinal Cup. They have literally knocked Liverpool off their perch.

It’s definitely hard to imagine United’s success had Sir Alex been sacked.

Mark Robins ensures Sir Alex gets to spend another day in office or rather 20 additional glorious years

4. John Terry‘s slip

An all English final in the Champions League. A tough contest between Manchester United and Chelsea. The pitch in Moscow had raised many eyebrows before the start of the final. The game started with United taking the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo, only for Lampard to equalise.

Following Drogba’s sending off, the game went into penalties. Soon after Cristiano Ronaldo’s decisive miss from the spot, the final was to be decided on the last spot kick with both the teams even. Chelsea’s glorious captain, John Terry came ahead to take this decisive spot kick. He sent Van Der Sar the opposite way only to see himself  shoot narrowly wide following a slip while taking a penalty.

Chelsea have never come this close, that would’ve surely sealed thier inaugural Champions League trophy. As for John Terry, he was involved in a serious of scandalous affairs and stripped off his captaincy for the England national team to become one of the hated personnels in England.

So close yet so far!

5. Lampard’s disallowed goal

Back into the future, England and Germany locked heads in the decisive round of 16 encounter in the ’10 World Cup. Germany displayed some beautiful counter- attacking football to reach the knock out stages while England sealed their spot on the final matchday.

Germany took a 2-0  lead through Miroslav Klose and Lucas Podolski. England showed a lot of grit and hit back with a header from Upson. Frank Lampard blasted the ball from outside the box to see his effort hit the post and rebound past the line. The official was never convinced that the ball crossed the line although the replays suggest that the ball had clearly crossed the line. Germany came back stronger in the second half to score a couple more and send England’s ” golden generation ” home.

What goes around comes around! West Germany were disallowed a similar sort of goal in the ’66 World Cup against England as the latter went on to win it.

As they say Karma's a bitch

Right from Roberto Baggio’s penalty miss in the ’94 World Cup to Diego Maradona’s ” Hand of God ”  in the ’86 World Cup, there have been drastic consequences.

Every moment, every decision, every mistake changes everything!