Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Why the last four matches should be amazing


While this tournament has seen its fair share of surprising results (Mexico drawing Brazil, Algeria and the USA getting through their groups, Costa Rica reaching the last eight for the first time ever), the final four have an incredible pedigree.
BRAZIL - 5-time champions (most in World Cup history) appearing in their 11th semifinal.  To impress the magnitude of that on you, this is only the 20th World Cup.  Brazil has won 1/4 of all the World Cups, and has been in the last four of more than half.   This is their first time in the semifinals since 2002 (when they won it all), which might not seem like a long absence (it is just two Cups), but for Brazil that is an eternity.
 
GERMANY - 3-time champions (3rd-most in World Cup history) appearing in their 13th semifinal, which gives them the record for the most top-four World Cup finishes.  This is their fourth straight semifinal, which is also a record.  However, despite all this recent success, Germany hasn't lifted the World Cup since 1990, and hasn't won any major title since the 1996 European Championship.  The German fans are desperate for that drought to end.

ARGENTINA - 2-time champions (tied with Uruguay for 4th-most in World Cup history) appearing in their 5th semifinal.  This is their first time in the last four since 1990 (the longest drought of this years semifinalists).  Interestingly, Argentina has never lost a semifinal in the World Cup.  They are seeking their first title since 1986.

NETHERLANDS - The only semifinalists yet to win the World Cup, this will be the 5th semifinal for the Dutch (who were runners-up in 2010).  While the Germans have lost more finals, no team has been to the final as many times as the Netherlands (three times) and never won it.  The Dutch, for their illustrious reputation as a soccer giant, have only ever won one major title, the 1988 European Championship.  Like their semifinal opponents Argentina, the Netherlands also has a fantastic record in World Cup semifinals, only losing one of their previous four (to Brazil in 1998).

Fantastic pedigrees like that should be enough to whet anyone's appetite for the last four.  But this year, we get even more: every single semifinal match and potential final/3rd-place game is oozing with history that should make these clashes sing.
 
SEMIFINALS

Netherlands-Argentina - A repeat of the 1978 World Cup final (Argentina's first title ever), and a rematch of the 1998 quarterfinal where Dennis Bergkamp scored arguably the best World Cup goal ever in the final minute to put the Netherlands through.  The last time they met in the World Cup was in the group stage of 2006, where they drew 0-0.

Germany-Brazil: - Two of the three most successful nations in World Cup history, and yet this is only the second time ever they've met in a World Cup.  The only other time was the 2002 final, a 2-0 win for Brazil.


POTENTIAL FINAL/THIRD-PLACE GAMES
Netherlands-Brazil - This match defined the 90s World Cups.  1994 quarterfinal (Brazil won), 1998 semifinal (Brazil won again).  Also, rematch of the 2010 quarterfinal where Netherlands knocked Brazil out 2-1.

Netherlands-Germany - Europe's biggest rivalry.  They hate each other.  Also, this is a rematch of the 1974 World Cup final and the Euro 1988 final (where Netherlands won their only ever major title).  And they played each other in the group stage of Euro 2012 (Germany won).

Germany-Argentina - Huge rivalry back in the day, and it remains potent even now.  1986 World Cup final (Argentina won).  1990 World Cup final (Germany won).  Also, Germany eliminated Argentina in the past two World Cups, both times in the quarterfinals.

Argentina-Brazil - Probably the biggest international rivalry in the world.  They hate each other so much.  A Brazilian that I met in South Africa four years ago was always ready to point out that he would never support Argentina as a neutral.  And when the Netherlands eliminated Brazil in the quarterfinals, the biggest celebrations in Cape Town didn't come from the cities sizable Dutch population, but from the elated Argentinians, who were dancing on tables in delight.  However, they haven't met in a World Cup since Argentina knocked Brazil out in the round of 16 in 1990.


Basically: This should be good.

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