match

World Cup match

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me

Germany 7, Brazil 1. ‘Nuff Said

By Mike Eckel   |

Brazil's Luiz Gustavo (l) and Germany's Sami Khedira, go for the ball during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Germany at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, July 8, 2014.

Football is conducive to superlatives: the greatest, the fastest, the most amazing, the most beautiful, the most watched, the most played.

How about the most agonizing? Most stunning? Most breathtaking, jaw-dropping, tongue-swallowing, humiliating?

Decades from now, historians of Jogo Bonito will turn back the pages and recall, heads shaking, what transpired on July 8, 2014, in the country that gave the world Pele and Ronaldinho and Neymar.

It was a moment unlike any other in the history of modern football. (not sure about ancient football, if there was such a thing). A nation hosting the world’s premier sporting event, hundreds of millions of its citizens harnessing their passions and channeling them to drive their team to claim The Trophy, The Championship, to bring The Glorious Laurels of Victory home after a dozen years of wandering in the wilderness.

For Brazil, losing by one goal, in the semifinal match of the tournament it was hosting, would have been emotional. Two goals, heart-wrenching. Three goals, inexplicable. Six goals?

Seven goals to one goal is an unspeakable result in football at any levels. It’s the kind of result that has elementary school coaches calling for a mercy rule.

Against Brazil? Germany scored more goals against Brazil than any other team in a World Cup match. Ever.

As good as Germany’s performance was, it was amplified many times over by how bad Brazil’s performance was.

In their quarterfinal match-up with Colombia, Brazil passed, shot, scored, headed and moved the ball like a pinball, in a relentless pace that gave full stage to the fitness and talent and skill of both teams. (As well as the brutal nature that such a game can play). Brazil was not invincible, as shown by Colombia’s tenacity, but it was still a superior side.

On Tuesday, Brazil stood, watched, hobbled, walked and choked as the Germans trampled them. Mueller, Klose, Koons, Kheidira, Schuerrle: their scoring prowess was unanswered, undefended, unstoppable. Klose now tops the tables of the most goals scored in the World Cup over all his tournament appearances.

The easy explanations are… well… easy. Brazil’s fleet-footed, walk-on-water striker Neymar was injured, nursing a broken verterbrae, an injury that could nearly end his career forever. Brazil’s captain, Thiago Silva, missed the match after getting multiple yellow cards. The team was psychologically damaged by their absence.

But really? Is an entire professional football squad so fragile and un-resilient that the loss of one or two formidable players results in complete collapse? This might be a question for the national coach: Luiz Scolari. If you don’t build a squad with depth and breadth, along with flash and sizzle and artistry and stamina, then you’ve failed as a manager.

Seven goals was the most ever scored in a World Cup semifinal. It was not the most scored in a World Cup match (that honor, according to FIFA, belongs to Hungary, which defeated El Salvador in 1982, 10-1). It was not even the largest differential in a World Cup match (that, according to FIFA, belongs to Hungary, twice, and Yugoslavia back when there was such a country when nine goals separated the victors from the losers).

But arguably, never before, have two football powerhouse, two giants in the sweep and the span of the game, met on the field of competition with one, ultimately, being so utterly tormented, driven to its knees, embarrassed. On its home turf, no less.

Tuesday is a day to remember. Or maybe, to borrow a literary reference from another time, another place, another event in history, A Night To Remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany (7-1) Brazil

Without Neymar & Silva, Can Brazil Win? (UPDATE: Blowout in Belo)

By Andrew Palczewski   |


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UPDATE: It turns out this match was a World Cup classic, but for all the wrong reasons for Brazil. Germany beats Brazil 7-1, scoring the most goals in a World Cup semifinal match ever, including four in under 30 minutes. Germany advances to the finals, where they will face either Argentina or the Netherlands.

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The Tweet above, from VOA’s Brian Allen, says it all: Brazil knows it’s on the brink of the World Cup final, and the excitement of being so close to not just winning, but winning on their home turf, is palpable.

But Brazil’s facing a few speed bumps on its road to the World Cup finals – specifically, the loss of Neymar to a back injury, and Thiago Silva’s suspension after two yellow cards in as many matches. And even if they can overcome these issues, they still have another major obstacle to face: Germany.

Needless to say, this should be a hard fought match, and potentially a World Cup classic in the making. The showdown gets underway at 4 PM ET (8 PM UTC) in Belo Horizonte.

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.

Netherlands (0 (4) - 0 (3)) Costa Rica

The Runner-Up vs. the Cinderella (UPDATE: Cinderella’s Story Ends)

By Andrew Palczewski   |


here

Can Costa Rica continue?

UPDATE: Costa Rica’s unexpected run at the World Cup is over after falling to the Netherlands on penalty kicks 4-3. Netherlands goes on to play Argentina on Wednesday in one of two semifinals.

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There’s a lot of pressure on both Netherlands and Costa Rica in their quarterfinal match (4 PM ET/8 PM UTC). Netherlands lost to Spain in the 2010 World Cup final; with the defending champions out in group play, could Netherlands make it back to the final…and win? Costa Rica is the Cinderella team of this year’s World Cup – emerging ahead of England and Italy in group play, they hope to keep their success going and earn a spot in the semifinals.

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.

Argentina (1-0) Belgium

Belgium’s Game Plan: Stop Messi (UPDATE: Messi & Argentina Win)

By Andrew Palczewski   |


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Lionel Messi: the key to Agentina's success.

UPDATE: The good news for the Belgians is that they kept Argentina’s Lionel Messi from scoring. The bad news is that they didn’t stop Gonzalo Higuain, whose goal just eight minutes into the match was enough for Argentina to win 1-0, and head to the semifinals to play the Netherlands on Wednesday.

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The quarterfinal match between Argentina and Belgium (12 PM ET/4 PM UTC) boils down to one word: Messi.

Belgium’s coach Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said that his team are not favorites against Argentina, but that “there is a lack of balance in their team,” referring to their reliance on Messi. Argentina admits that they perhaps lean on the star player a bit too much, but also acknowledge that he’s a huge asset, and a major part of their success so far. If Belgium can stop Messi, they’re through to the semifinals; if not, they’re on a flight home.

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.

Brazil (2-1) Colombia

Colombia Tries to Take Out Hometown Heroes (UPDATE: Colombia (& Neymar) Out)

By Andrew Palczewski   |


here

Colombia hopes to take down Brazil in Fortaleza.

UPDATE: The hometown heroes of Brazil are one step closer to winning the cup on their home turf, after beating Colombia 2-1 and securing a spot in Tuesday’s semifinal against Germany. But the big news for Brazil is two absences from their next match. After his second yellow card in as many matches, Brazil’s captain Thiago Silva is out of the semis. And Brazilian star Neymar is out for the rest of the World Cup after fracturing a vertebra in his back. We’ll find out Tuesday if these key absences will hurt Brazil’s game, but regardless, the Brazil/Germany match is sure to be an exciting one.

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Just like the first match between France and Germany, this Brazil/Colombia match (4 PM ET/8 PM UTC) is also a battle of neighboring nations. Brazil is hoping that playing on its home turf will keep visiting Colombia fans quiet. Colombia, meanwhile, hopes to finish the job Chile came so close to completing: knocking out the hometown favorites.

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.