FIFA World Cup 2010: Maradona’s tactical mistakes cost Argentina their semi-final berth against Germany in quarter-final
Argentina took on Germany in one of the most exciting world cup matches so far seen in the tournament. Argentina approached the game in their unchanged line up from the round of sixteen, tie against Mexico. Germany also retained all of their starting eleven players, who featured in England’s 4-1 defeat.
A lot of words were exchanged in the press conference between the two teams before the match took place on Saturday. Schweinsteiger, had come out before the match and said that the Argentinean players “tried to influence the referee through their on-field gestures.” While Maradona retorted that Schweinsteiger seemed nervous because Argentina “has the capacity to beat Germany in their own half”.
The match itself turned out pretty differently. Germans dominated during the match and came out eventual winners by 4 goals to nil. Argentina’s weakest link proved to be their midfield, which had only one recognizable central midfielder in the shape of Liverpool’s Mascherano.
Mascherano was aided by Maxi Rodriguez and Angel Di Maria on either side of him in the midfield. It was widely speculated before the match that these players namely Maria and Rodriguez will be replaced by Veron, Pastore or even Bollati. However, Maradona did not pay any attention to such talk and started with them.
Rodriguez and Maria, who both play as wingers for their respective clubs Liverpool and Benifica (Maria now has been transferred to Real Madrid), were completely out of place against the Germans. Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Ozil, Muller and Podolski dominated the midfield area in the match and thus were not only powerful in possession but were also ruthless on the counter attack.
Maria and Rodriguez’s lack of experience in their new roles cost Argentina, as not only did they look uncomfortable on the ball but they lacked the capacity to retain control of the ball for long periods, which is always an essential factor against teams like Germany who look to do the same every time they get an opportunity.
Such failures in the Argentinean midfield meant that the rest of the team had to do more than they were required to. Messi, world’s best player and Argentina’s best player coming into the tournament usually plays in a right forwards role for his club Barcelona. In the previous season with Barcelona, Messi scored an astonishing number of 47 goals for his club, which is a new club record at Barca. Messi was deployed in a number 10 role for Argentina during their world cup campaign. He played the role rather effectively against average oppositions such as Korea, Greece, Nigeria and Mexico but failed to impress against the Germans.
Maradona’s failure to realize the fact that to get the best out of one’s most promising player, that player in question has to be deployed in his most favoured position. That for Messi meant that he had to play closer to the goal to be more of a threat. It meant that Messi had to play the role he does for his club, as a right forward who excels at taking players on, drawing fouls and penetrating the penalty area.
Maradona installed Messi in a position where the primary job is to create chances for others rather than to score goals, something that Messi is not as good at. Maradona also failed to realize this mistake during the match, as Messi was magnificently man-marked by Khedira and Schweinsteiger. This meant that even if Messi got passed these two German midfielders, he would still have to deal with one of the two German centre backs. This compounded the problem for the World’s best player, not only was he playing in an unfamiliar position but he was also facing one of the best defences in the world.
Another problem that Maradona failed to address was the attacking capacity of German full backs. Boateng, who is not necessarily as ambitious while going forward as his captain Philip Lahm, was subdued during the match, whereas Lahm pushed forwards whenever he got the opportunity. Lahm gave Germany extraordinary width during their attacking play and was helped by the fact, that no one was even marking on him or tracking his runs. Tevez, who is thought of as the more defensively aware of the attacking players in the Argentinean side, failed to realize his responsibility to track Lahm.
All of these strategic blunders combined cost Argentina the doomed defeat they received. Heart broken fans all over the world and shattered dreams for the nation, who must wait another four years for any hope to lift the trophy. Maradona disheartened, as his hopes were crushed of being the great legend after Beckenbauer, to win the world cup as both a captain once and now coach for Argentina.
Germany totally demolished the Argentinean defence, scored a goal within the first 3 minutes of kick off, Argentina never looked assured after that. Proven goal scorers like Podolski and Klose were efficient in putting finishing touches on the chances that were manufactured by the Germans from the start.
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