True, I was exaggerating, since even Portugal beat Germany by 3-0 with a B team in Euro 2000. But that really was an exception. Since 2006, they have been outstanding. Usually, there was always a sufficiently strong team to beat them, like Italy and Spain, but this WC they have been the strongest team so far. I felt that even before the Brasil match.
Yes Ghana is number one As in the number of points they got is 1. They finished last in their group What can I say WC winner material And France indeed sucks which means Nigeria sucks more Got it. How could I be so blind. We are under CAF domination and I am blind to it. Talk about delusions of grandeour
But Brasil is still the team with more WCs, while Spain has 1. And Portugal has two semis. Common, there must be some explanation for why the best African teams consistently underperform. My explanation, and that of many, is that they lack the tactical maturity to excel. You seem not to accept this and always point to events like the Suarez hand in 2010. Are you really arguing that events like this are the only explanation for why African teams never reach the semis, or do you have any other better explanation? Because I cannot believe that "luck" alone is the cause of it.
They certainly dont look any better. Football is football. Its not that easy. The first half in the Algeria match was shit high ten from Germany. I think it was because of course Algeria defended good but also because Germany wanted a bigger opponent. No one wants Algeria in the eights final....and Brazil should've fought more. I don't know what Brazil did yesterday but it was shit high ten.
I think it's not fair to compare Portugal, Ghana, USA, Algeria, France and Brasil because of their games against Germany. But to make it more fair: 1. Portugal wasn't prepared well in the first game and the game history was going really bad to them. They had the first chance and maybe with more luck... 2. Ghana played against Germany on a day with lot of heat. Think for an African team is big advance. Khedira wasnt so good like he is now because of his long injury (missed half year and only played few games for Madrid before going to WC) 3. USA didnt want to score and to tell you the truth they dont have the quality, with running and fighting you can reach few things in football (like we did in past) but you also need quality and this I dont see in this team. 4. Algeria-Game: Germany really had a bad day. Missed Hummels because of flu before, how important he is we saw before and after. Wrong position for Lahm playing in DM and not right defender. Klose not playing, Khedira and Schweinsteiger still going to better level but didnt have 100% at this time. Algeria surprised Germany first half a little bit but in my opinion they didnt play well, only had to wait for mistake of Germany, they played very defensely. Every team would have problems but didnt mean that Algeria is good team. They did what they had to do, to have a little chance. 5. France was really strong but they didnt have so much creativity and we had again good goalkeeper this day with Manuel Neuer. 6. Brasil in contrast to all the other teams before didnt play defensely and that was their fault, this is the best which can happen to Germany, to this team. Also they missed organisation in this game and i think in the games before too. They dont have the quality players like before and they missed to big players only this game (well also with them they would have lost but not so high). But to tell you, Germany since finishing the first half against Algeria is going better and better every minute and if Ghana would play Germany now they would loose without any chance. Brasil also they dont have strong team like before they are stronger then Ghana, USA and Algeria.... And to tell you, the final will be again totally different game. I hope Germany will win but it will be difficult because nobody of these two teams will play like Brasil, they will take care of their defense.
do Africans really forget that the whole play that resulted in Suarez hand started with a clear DIVE by the Ghana player? From that dive, which was called a foul by the referee, came the freekick to the box that resulted in the hand.
Uruguay's entire gameplan was based on diving to win freekicks. They failed to convert any goal from it, but won 3-4 freekicks that way. Freekicks like those are a dime a dozen in modern games and the entire refocusing to that event is pretty hilarious, especially given the opponent feeded off of diving.
I don't think this game makes these other national teams look like better teams. What it does show is they played better tactictly. Maybe that means they were better coached. Interesting, the U.S. is coached by a former German star, someone who should know how to play against German football. Even as a fan of Brasilian football, the inherent weaknesses of this team were made painfully obvious here. It was difficult to watch a game like this at the World Cup. Honestly, Brasil did not have a difficult road to get here. The quality of their opponents and the way they defeated those opponents was not very impressive. Brasil has, imo, a very inexperienced team internationally. This is not like the Seleção's of the past. Not one of these guys is a superstar. All the hoopla about Neymar for example is unwarranted. While he is very good and I believe he will be a superstar, he has yet to demonstrate a superstar level on a higher level. He played fine for Barcelona this year, but he never was the guy who could win a big game for them. Frankly, I was disappointed with his season there. The defense, especially without Tiago Silva and Dani Alves, is weak. Anyone watching Chelsea at all this year knew that David Luiz, while good, is not great. Dante is a reserve for Bayern. Fernandinho is a reserve at Man City and Marcelo simply played the worst game I've ever seen from him. The midfielders whom will all probably improve and become much better are simply inexperienced. Oscar, for example, may become one of the greats, but he's still a kid. The only one with a lot of experience was Julio Cesar and he is over the hill. Hell, he plays in the MLS now (no offense, I am a San Jose Earthquakes fan). Germany played below their level in the other games and their opponents played solid defense. But the German defense never wavered and IMO Manuel Neuer is the best keeper in the world. I don't know if either Argentina or the Netherlands will be able to handle them. One thing is for sure though, whoever qualifies for the final will play as solid defense as they possibly can.
Algeria played three games in group. Made problems to all the three teams like they did to Germany too but do you really think they played quality football? I mean the weakest team in 1/8 final for me was Algerian side. They had good tactic, that I was telling you in my first post too, good team spirit, also giving all they had but do you really think they are good team?! If yes, we wouldnt talk about Germany beating Brasil we would talk about Algeria reaching 1/4-final or 1/8-final... - To compare two surprising teams (for me is Algeria)...Costa Rica (they played really good qualification but wasnt to expect that they finished first in the group and reached 1/4 final. Costa Rica had also like Algeria good tactics but Costa Rica has much more, they have few good players who impressed in this world cup and this is the difference....And I dont understand what is arrogant in telling that this game Germany didnt play well....more because I said the same to Portugal when they played against us....that Portugal had bad day and Germany had luck... Yes you are right, second half it was an open game. But why? Ghana saw that this day they have a chance to win against Germany and they knew they had to win so its normal to give all to score. Ghana has really good players that I dont denie but with this kind of quality players and athlets you have to reach more then they reached 2010 and 2014 and I can you tell why they dont reach more...because they dont take football serious, they arent a team, tactical they are miles behind the world class. Every world cup I hear since 1990, this time a Africa will have a runners-up, a team which will reach world cup final or win the world cup....since 1990 Im waiting for this but was the great success? Maybe one team reach the 1/4 final not more, until today no team of Africa was going to the last 4, Asia did....Is a structure problem there....and to tell you one thing more, we played two times in group stage against Ghana and two times Ghana didnt win because of bad luck or not using the goal chances but Germany is going better and better in tournament, from Ghana I didnt see that...maybe it was too heavy to say that we would beat them without any problem but Im sure we would beat them....other teams of this world cup maybe not but Ghana for sure...they have weakness in goal scoring, in finishing a game and dont concentrate and the things who are important........ But hey finally you gave me all arguments, Germany played against Ghana this world cup, Ghana is out in group stage, Germany in final...so you are right, Ghana is the best. A little story, we played in qualifiying for Euro 2012 against Belgium (think it was this Euro) and they already had the young players they have now. I was impressed of them and hoped not to play them at world cup. For this team I have respect. We beat Argentina 2006 and 2010 but do you really think I would like to play them again?! No, because they have the quality to beat us although this world cup they are really focused in Messi and didnt play so good. But in one game many things can happen. Costa Rica impressed me, Im happy the Netherlands had to play them and not Germany. Germany would had have the same problems maybe more problems. When I think in Ghana, I think they are good players, they can give us a hard game but they have problems and when we play what the team is able to play, we should be able to beat them...yes maybe we loose the third game in row against them, all is possible but Im more frighten to loose against the two other teams then Ghana.... And that you dont tell me that Im against African football or the people there....Cameroon 1990 impressed me, Nigeria 1994 impressed me....but they play one good tournament and what more?!
Excuses, excuses. There goes the heat argument again... Somehow heat didn't bother you when you thrashed Brasil or Portugal. I won't even start telling you about what several Ghanaian players went through in the preceding year and who was missing. Unfounded arrogance. You are denigrating your opponents by claiming that Germany played poorly, not that Algeria played well. Very typical eurocentric tradition of talking down to your opponents. In what surreal world did Ghana play defensive football vs Germany? Wow... absolutely off-key in that one. The above comment is as condescending as it is misguided. Ghana and Germany PLAYED an ACTUAL WORLD CUP game, where they faced off and fought it out to a draw. Claiming that 2 weeks later the same team would beat Ghana without a sweat is absolutely baseless and a sign of lack of class. Fact is you've faced Ghana twice in recent history and both times its been an extremely tough game for you. You barely beat Ghana in a must win game in 2010 in a match where Lahm should have been sent off for handballing on the line and Ghana was not granted a PK. Loew classless reaction in the 2014 game proved that he was frustrated and clueless as to what to do, as he was being outplayed by a supposedly 'inferior' Ghana squad.
Sorry but the temperature yesterday was 21 degrees and they told it was perfect climate to play. And also the summer in Portugal is much longer then in Germany, we also have days with high temperatures but not Portugal and not Germany are used to play with high humed. And like I told you, Portugal had a really bad day and bad luck at the beginning also they lost Pepe early in this game.
They played quality attacking football against South Korea and had a decent game vs Russia. Congrats. You struggled against the weakest 1/8 finalist. Does that mean Germany is vastly overrated? And Algeria didn't? Brahimi, Slimani or Ghoulam didn't impress you? Really? Wow. Tactically Ghana is an elite team. Despite not having elite players they have an elite World Class team. Why? Because they are a well tactically setup team. Anything else is conjecture and your condescending approach. Ghana with lesser players than Germany was evenly matched with you in that game (or actually slightly better). Ghana played a very tactical game vs Germany. So the question that comes to mind: If Ghana has inferior players, but play the better game in a very tactical game, then which side is actually 'miles behind the world class' as far as tactics are concerned? The logical conclusion would be.... Germany. Who is talking about Africa? What does 1990 have to do with Ghana since 2006? Really? You didn't see that in 2010? You mean... you didn't see Ghana struggle to beat Serbia, then struggle to draw Australia, then up their game vs Germany, then played better with each match in the 1/8 final and the 1/4 final? Well then... you obviously didn't watch Ghana play in 2010. I accept Germany is the team of the tournament. I don't accept your condescending view of the one team at this World Cup that OUTPLAYED you (even if it was marginal) by playing ATTACKING football. They scored two class goals against you and they are 'weak in goal scoring' That's rich. Only 9 teams scored more goals than Ghana in the group phase of this tournament. Yes, they might not be the BEST at it, but they are far from weak, especially given all four goals scored was class goals. The problem wasn't scoring - it was the individual lack of quality in players at the back. 5 of the 6 goals were conceeded from individual errors (four of which can be attributed to one player), not tactical mistakes or concentration lapses of the team.
Ghana actually did well against Germany. I don't agree with the title of the topic, they did perform well before the Ger-Bra match. Although tempting, I don't believe in a sudden improvement retrospectively. There is always a debate who gets credits for what. Did Germany have an off day or was Ghana just a bit more aggressively/powerful in the duals?. Maybe the style of playing suited Ghana (as opposed to Germany)? I think it is fair to credit Ghana for their effort against Germany. But from that point on I see Germany being the good old (but fresh playing) team that grows into the tournament and wins until a real challenge turns up. Ghana, a well as they did against Germany, has a very long way to go. I don't think we should make achievements bigger or prettier because one has played a finalist of the WC and did do well in that game.
We both know, when you talk about eurocentric tradition you mean Germany, so why you dont say Germany?! By this way, in contrast to maybe your country, we are realistic, we see our weakness and want to make it better next game. When we lost, for sure the other team was better but you have to ask were they better because they were strong or because of own weakness. Example? Spain was great against us in 2010, they earn to win. Italy 2012 won, they were better team but we played weak because of bad tactic and because Prandelli knew how to play against us. You see the difference?
No, I don't mean Germany. When I say eurocentric I mean eurocentric. Not all German fans are condescending. If I want to say something I say it.
It a fair argument. I also think the title is a bit overreaching. USA didn't really do very well vs Germany. Algeria fought valiantly, but it was obvious who the better side is. The Ghana - Germany game is unique in the fact that its the only Germany game that wasn't one-sided. It not a moral victory, its just something that Ghana can focus on to build on. There is no point in making this more this it was. It would have been big, if Ghana had finished Germany off when they could. But they didn't so its history. It is however a positive restart for the next generation of Ghanaian footballers. African teams have inferiority complexes. Nigeria of the 1990s didn't and didn't Cameroon of 1982 and 1990 or all the North African sides of the 1970s-1980s. Ghana has a quality team to compete with the best, but if they are to do that they need to start beating the best, not just playing like an equal with the best and then losing or drawing. Thats why I'm so mad at Ghana not taking there chance, because this team needed it as a breakthrough point, which would result in noone ever looking down on them. So far the mental issue is a big problem, as African teams fail to transfer their confidence from youth or Olympic level to international level football. Thats why they often fail. Cote d'Ivoire in 2006, 2010 and 2014 played like they were afraid to lose and they lost.
The Germany/Algeria game wasn't Germany sucking as much as Algeria tactically neutralizing Germany. The people who bring up the discrepancy in shots did not watch the match. This wasn't Belgium vs. USA. How many good chances did Germany have in regulation? I only saw one and that was Goetze in the end of the first half. Algeria's keeper did not have an amazing game, contrary to popular belief. Algeria put Germany in positions where they took easily saved shots. Michael Ballack himself said that Germany looked worse in those 90 minutes than any game in the past two years. And consider how 60% of Germany's shots (17 out of the 28) came in the last 40 minutes of the 120 minute match. That was because Algeria had switched from a 4-3-3 to an offensive 4-2-3-1 with the Taider/Brahimi substitute. People have incorrectly attributed this increase to Lahm's switch at RB. Lahm only made an impact on defense and shut down Algeria's left side better than Mustafi. I'm sorry but if Algeria played the whole game in the 4-3-3, neither team would've scored. Do people realize Algeria was playing with 4 second team players in their match and Germany still struggled? Really, congrats Germany. You struggled to create consistent chances against Algeria 3rd choice backup CB who can't go a game without allowing a penalty in the Championship. Never mind the fact over 2/3rds of Algeria's team were fasting. But yeah, Algeria must be the worst 1/8th team in the history of the World Cup.
Lets be blunt here. The only time Ghana played well was vs. Germany, and they earned a well deserved draw. The rest of the time they did not and that is why they earned 1 point and went home. This game also showed that the US playing Bunkerball was a smart move. I am getting really sick and tired of African teams fans insisting every time they loose it due to a ref, bad luck, or so on and not accepting that they have room to grow and be happy for the quality they have.
Ghana should have scored more....I remember one scene when they were running with 3 or 4 players against 2 german players in counter attack and they didnt score....what weak....with this number of chances they should have score more....Germany against Brasil had 8 really good chances and scored 7 yesterday....only Özil missed. I only talking about clear chances....Ghana would have scored maybe 4 of them?! In the game against Ghana in second half both teams lost tactical order. So Ghana and Germany played really enjoying football this game but tactical was desaster....loose of control never is good. And the comparism with Africa i made because you seems like the defender of African football with Algeria and Ghana in your favourites...and the history helps to understand actual and future time. In the game against Algeria for sure we had deserved to go home. But this world cup I didnt expect Germany going to 1/2-final or final because of the problems we had before so its nice surprise that reached. They are now playing on good level since the France game. Hopefully they do in final too
Please quote me where I blamed Ghana not making it out on the ref, bad luck or so on? Or Algeria for that matter? I blame Jordan Ayew for not finishing off Germany (or Badu and Wakaso for that matter). Not bad luck. I blame Boye and Dauda for the losses vs USA and Portugal. Not the ref. And its honest to say that injuries to key defenders, infighting and haggling over money definitely didn't help there cause. Your making a sick and tired argument against what exactly? About being sick and tired? Well, I'm sick and tired of people spurting out stereotypes and being condescending. The only game where an African team got royally skrewed was vs France, in what was the worst refereed game at this World Cup. But no one has mentioned Nigeria even once here.
Sure (there were actually 2 such breakaways and the fact they messed it up both times was telling - that said the people that messed up weren't the Ghana stalwarts like Andre Ayew or Gyan or Asamoah or Muntari, but World Cup debutants Badu and Wakaso). They should have scored more. They should have put the game to bed. But Germany is a machine. And they are deadly with finishing. Of course Ghana is nowhere as good at finishing (although Andre Ayew, Asamoah Gyan or a fit Majeed Waris are no slouches in that department). But being worse than the BEST doesn't exactly mean they at WEAK at finishing. Game like vs Egypt prove that Ghana's finishing has vastly improved. With the right mix of players they are actually deadly finishers. Muntari, Gyan, Andre Ayew, Asamoah, Waris have composure and finishing abilities. Jordan Ayew, Atsu, Wakaso, Badu - don't, at least not yet. It wasn't a tactical mess, but yes: Both sides opened up. And yes - the tactical setup become pretty lose. But if anything that shines a poor light on both teams, not just Ghana...
Well is not right, at the end of second half Germany has chances for a goal. The last 10 minutes maybe 5 chances... But yes, goalkeeper wasnt good, it were easy balls for him. I think it changed the game a lot that Lahm was going to the right because in the midfield Lahm isnt a player who changes the speed of a game. He is good in have control over the ball but he cant change the speed and for German team he is very important outside, not important left or right. Mustafi was weak and could only be bette other person but you see that the left side with Höwedes who is good center defender could be better also. But to change now would be bad because it would be a risk... And to play good in defense is easier to play good in offense....I remember a quote which was telling, today you need only understand a little bit of tactic and to practice defense two or three years and every team will have problems to score against you at this level....and in one game every team has a chance....
Zahzah, you one of the more realistic African posters, You are willing to admit that the best African teams have talent, but are still steps away from some of the top teams. Then again, Asia and North America are the same.