Analysis of the last Four teams in the World Cup 2010: Germany, Spain, Uruguay, Netherlands
Every football fan would say that the drama that has unfolded in the end at the FIFA World Cup 2010 has been well worth the four year wait. The saga now has left just 4 teams standing near the end of the tournament, and there are yet massive performances to unveil.
The Germans demolished the Argentineans 4-0, while Netherlands stunned Brazil with a 2-1 win. Spain thwarted Paraguay in a 1-0 thriller, and Uruguay defeated Ghana in one of the most controversial matches in history, with the match going to penalties.
Here is an analysis and predictions of the final matches that are about to happen.
Uruguay
The Uruguayans proved that they were going to do a lot more than just play in order to qualify for the next round. While their entrance into the semifinals is controversial, they did show their zeal for victory.
Luis Suarez became a national hero in the match when he started playing volleyball with the ball in an attempt to stop the ball from crossing across the line for the goal. FIFA was considering banning him for 5 matches, but the idea has been dropped.
After the handball, Ghana were awarded a penalty that Asamoah Gyan took and missed; the ball hit the top bar of the goal post and got deflected outwards.
Pros
So far, luck has definitely been on their side. Not only have they been able to win against mediocre teams; but the tougher opponents they have received have also been beaten by them without much trouble.
Their starring midfielders are also returning in the semifinals after recovering from injuries and though they will miss Suarez, Diego Forlan has been in top notch form, and is bound to make trouble for Netherlands.
Cons
In all the matches Uruguay have played, the combination between Suarez and Forlan has been essential for their victory. Now that Suarez is out, Netherlands have the chance to take advantage of the situation.
They can mark up Forlan with a defender which will greatly reduce the capability of the Uruguayans to play balls on the wings; a place that has heavily assisted them in their goals in this World Cup.
Spain
The Spain and Paraguay match was heading towards one of the most enjoyable penalty shootouts in World Cup history, but David Villa had other plans. He scored a late goal to bring Spain into the semifinals.
With a star studded line-up, the Spanish Armada will be a real tough wall to break against the German invasion.
Pros
The Spanish team has lost just two times in two years. They entered into the competition undefeated and in it, have lost just once, in an erratic match against Switzerland. Since the loss against the tough Swiss defence, they have brought up their game and are looking more and more deadly with each coming match.
Also, their star forward, David Villa, has become unstoppable. He has scored 5 goals so far, and has proved himself a worthy contender for the Golden Boot award.
Cons
However, they should not get over their heads as they have a serious flaw. In the match against Switzerland, and other group matches, they not only seemed to have a serious problem with counterattacks but also with an offensive Plan B.
Fernando Torres’ form has also been a disappointing factor for the Spanish team. He is still goal-less and has blamed his injury for his poor form. That might be true, as his finishing and sprints don’t seem like the way they once used to be.
Netherlands
The Dutch proved that they had ample quantities of calm vigour present in them to reach the semifinals. It was because of their resilience that they went ahead to the next stage, as they constantly tested the Brazilian defence and in the end were rewarded with a win that shocked countless Brazil fans everywhere.
Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben proved again to be a great threat, and Brazilian coach Dunga’s strategy of marking Robben failed dramatically, as Felipe Melo went off because of a red card when he assaulted him.
Pros
Defence is a key component for a victory. Fortunately for Netherlands, they happen to be one of the best defensive teams in South Africa. The fact that differentiates them from other teams is that Sneijder, Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie, along with all the defenders, fly in to recover and defend the ball and produce counterattacks.
Cons
While the Dutch have never won the World Cup, they have indeed been very close to winning it. They almost tasted victory in 1974 when they were defeated by Germany. What Uruguay and especially Forlan will looking to exploit from them will be to look for the slightest errors in the defence similar to the one when Robinho scored against them.
Forlan will not be having the assistance of Suarez, but there will be a couple of comebacks from midfielders; so the Dutch will have to keep a lookout for counterattacks and glitches in defence.
Germany
Nothing apart from appreciation for their game-play can be said. They have been a treat to watch in the tournament. If their victory against England wasn’t good enough, they went out and proved themselves better by thrashing Argentina 4-0.
Even critics have said that if Adolf Hitler had a general as brilliant as Joachim Loew in planning strategies and exploiting weaknesses, then he would have won his wars.
Pros
The German team has scored a total of 13 goals in the tournament, and while they have an invincible defence, their offence has proved their worth to the team. They are starting to make it a habit of scoring four goals and winning.
The Germans have an extremely strong midfield, and the special thing about their midfield is that in an instant they can turn a defensive game into full on offence. Their players like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira, Mesut Özil, Thomas Müller, Lukas Podolski, and Miroslav Klose don’t just bring on the offence, but are ready to defend at all times.
Cons
The way they are headed, very few things can trouble them, but they need to use the right strategy against the Spanish side. While they destroyed the English from the wings, and the Argentineans from inside the D, the question still remains with the La Furia, as they are overall a pretty dominating team.
The loss of Muller would be a great disadvantage for them, as he was a major goal scorer in the team; not only that, but their counterattacking strategy will also be marred. Luckily for them, they have enough depth to cover each others’ positions.
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