They have seen off old adversaries
England without even needing penalties, but Germany can now
look forward to an equally intense showdown with another old
foe in the shape of Argentina.
|Last Updated: Jun 30, 2010, 01:09 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Paris: They have seen off old adversaries
England without even needing penalties, but Germany can now
look forward to an equally intense showdown with another old
foe in the shape of Argentina.
Both nations have a rivalry going back decades with the
English, and the Argentinians, of course, will later hope to
duel with giant neighbours Brazil in the final.
Yet Saturday`s showdown, which will have millions glued
to television screens from Buenos Aires to Berlin, comes
wrapped in tournament history.
The Germans saw off the Albiceleste 3-1 in their first
meeting at the 1958 event, ahead of a goalless draw in 1966 on
their way to a final loss to England.
Franz Beckenbauer played in that match and had graduated
to the dugout when the Argentinians beat his German team 20
years later in a Mexico final that saw Diego Maradona inspire
his side to a thrilling 3-2 win.
Four years later and the boot was on the other foot as a
tough-tackling Argentina lost in the decider of the 1990
tournament to an Andreas Brehme penalty, leaving Maradona
fuming after a bad-tempered showdown.
In 2006, Juergen Klinsmann`s new-look German side slipped
through a quarter-final meeting on penalties after
over-cautious counterpart Jose Pekerman elected to leave
Lionel Messi on the bench.
With Messi now the fulcrum of a side that looks
unbeatable for pure fire-power, Maradona stands three games
away from emulating Beckenbauer as the only man to have
skippered and then coached a country to World Cup glory.
And el pibe de oro (the golden kid) is now bristling with
confidence as he looks to show the world that he is more than
just a dugout side-show.
"I feel like pulling on the jersey and playing myself,"
Maradona admitted after his charges beat Mexico 3-1 in the
round of 16.
"They said I had no idea about how to coach, but suddenly
I am winning matches and I am still the same guy."
Amid media speculation that he still does not know his
best line-up, Maradona says confidently: "We will send out the
best team to showcase our talents against Germany. We know
Germany are a different team to Mexico. They are stronger, but
we will field the right players to beat them."
Argentine daily Clarin says Argentina must now face
German "tanks", but in-form striker Carlos Tevez says the
South Americans do not fear Germany despite their three titles
and the fact they`ve not failed to reach the last eight since
1938.
"I was more afraid of Mexico -- they play better
football," he said. "(Germany) won their game and so reached
the quarters, but they are not better than Argentina."
German striker Miroslav Klose, who helped rip England
apart just as Maradona did in 1986, will win his 100th cap for
the Germans and is looking forward to boosting his
international goal tally, which now stands at 50.
And he begs to disagree with Tevez.
"Argentina are a class up from England, but we can hurt
them with our tactics and we have to believe in ourselves,"
says the 32-year-old, whose opening goal in the 4-1 win over
England was his 12th at the World Cup -- taking him level with
no less than Pele.
Maradona`s men endured a shambolic qualifying campaign,
not least when they went down 6-1 in Bolivia.
But after getting through more than 100 players in
Maradona`s 19-month tenure, the record books at the finals
show only two goals in the goals against column -- both
consolation strikes, for South Korea in the group and then
Mexico.
Ten goals scored in four games tell their own story,
while the health of the Argentine attack is demonstrated by
the fact that not one was netted by Senor Messi.
Bureau Report
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