LAST EIGHT of the World Cup? Exciting, isn\’t it ?
Germany-Argentina is a fascinating quarter-final because Argentina play a 3-4-1-2 system which is unique to them.
If both teams were playing 4-4-2, Germany would shade it on crowd support.
Ayala is the kingpin in a back three where Burdisso plays wide right and Gabriel Heinze plays wide left. So Ayala has no co-defender near him but is protected by anchorman Mascherano, who also has no colleague near him a lot of the time.
If both teams played 4-4-2, Mascherano would be biting the legs of Ballack.
However, Mascherano is an interceptor, not a marker. He cannot abandon his station to mark Ballack because that would expose Ayala.
So he might not make a tackle on Ballack in the whole game because the No.13 will be looking to pass the ball round Mascherano and shoot from distance before Cambiasso and Mascherano can get to him.
Ballack is due a goal and might get a header from a Bernd Schneider cross or free-kick, but I doubt if Schneider can escape Sorin and Heinze in open play.
Ayala is one of the greatest centrebacks of the last 15 years but is capable of crazy moments. Still, I believe in him.
MESSI and TEVEZ give Argentina the best bench in the World Cup.
Carlos Tevez is a very gutsy striker, very direct. Chunky, fast, always dribbling at the box, Tevez radiates an aura of menace while the apparently slow-dancing Messi radiates an aura of calm. Great players alway have time, and Lionel Messi is a great player, even now.
Against Mexico, Tevez came on for Crespo in 75 and Messi came on for Saviola in 84.
In the first half I thought : Nobody told me the Mexicans were this good !
Second half, Mexico slowed down, Cambiasso became visible, Argentina spread the ball back and sideways, mixing method and artistry, and Maxi Rodriquez volleyed an astounding goal in extra time.
Jurgen Klinsmann will be telling his boys, “Get tight on Riquelme, get in his face, make him turn away from our box. And when he turns away, don\’t switch off ! Because he can still kill us with a reverse ball behind the defence.â€
KLOSE and PODOLSKI are an efficient pair who persevere, who nag, who peck away at your defence.They play close to each other, 10-15 yards from each other, work for each other, make angles for each other, as Rudi Voller & Klinsmann did.
The Germans play a game of energy, a game of attrition and crosses, and their blitzkreig will start promptly at 4 o’clock, with bionic left back Philipp Lahm leading the charge.
With the raw players Klinsmann has, that is the only way to play.
HERNAN CRESPO has a different style and depends more on timing, composure and balance. You don’t see him for a while but he hovers, a mature predator who knows how to wait and watch.
I would never fancy Crespo on a cold February night at Bolton but he has spent a decade playing against better centrebacks than Metzelder and Mertesacker in Serie A.
Klose and Podolski go rat-tat-tat-tat-tat, like woodpeckers, while Crespo swoops like a falcon on his chance .
CLEARLY, the Germans could flood the box in three or four key moments, outnumber Ayala and Heinze in the goalmouth, and stab in a goal or two from Klose-range.
I wish Heinze was fitter and had 30 games under his belt, and I’m very worried that the officials will be biased in favour of the Germans, but my money is still on Ayala, Riquelme, and those cleverly varied ensemble attacks.
When Spain played France, youth lost to experience by 3-1 after scoring first.
Same again, I hope.
Argentina are by far the best team in this World Cup, so I\’d hate to see them go out today.