2014 FIFA World Cup™ Semi-Finals: Netherlands vs Argentina| Wednesday, Jul 9, 4:00 PMET

TBH, I dozed off during portions of the first half too. The game was just boring, plus Ive worked a lot this week. I said it to myself during the game "both these teams will get wrecked by Germany...I barely see team football in some of their games...and I always seen team football from Germany".

 

That's fine and probably all correct. But Argentina have la pulga, who has the chance on Sunday to become immortal. They haven't been to a final for 24 years. They're defending CONMEBOL's invincibility in South America. And winning the Cup in Brasil against the team that humiliated Brasil would be priceless to them (and insuportable for us). They'll also want revenge for Rudi Voller's dive in 1990. Those are all powerful incentives.

The final will be decided on the field. Teams grow for these occasions.

Rationally, I want to bring myself to support Germany--because of the class they showed in Brasil and in the wake of our demolition, because of our archrivalry with the Argies, and because they've played better football. Germany would be worthy champions. But curiously, my heart is with the hermanos on this one. Messi has to claim this one for the Americas.

 

50/50 is a good guess. There's a lot of Germans in Brazil no? You have to figure though that a ton of Argentines are going to show up. Argentina is nearby and there are a lot of Argentines living in Brazil. Do the Brazilians care enough to go to the game to boo Argentina? Would they even boo Argentina? It's possible some of them might hate Germany more at the moment considering what Germany did to them.

 

[PREFACE: This is a joke...don't get your panties in a knot]

 

Again with all this talk about South America and defending home soil. What good did that do Brazil? And Brazil had an unbeaten streak thats unheard of. Theres a lot more history in that unbeaten streak and them winning a 6th world cup over any "la pulga" talk.

Lets be real here. Germany have their own incentives. To join the club of 4 or more titles. And to also win their last two on Italian and Brazilian soil....soil of the only other nations with 4 or more cups.

Thats history as well.

PS - Hermanos? What are you drinking? I dont see camaraderie online amongest CONMEBOL nations. I actually see people wishing hate and losing onto the Argentines because of the CONMEBOL rivalry...and also because people dont respect their last World Cup victory because of cheating.

 

On the plus side at least that abject 0-0 won me some money. It's little consolation for being bored to tears then sleep but it will do.

 

Why? They destroyed a team built on the tactics he instilled while employed at Barcelona.

 

One would think that the Brazilians have stacked up on tickets for the final...I doubt there will be anything near to 50% Argentinians, even if many Brazilians sell their tickets.

 

He meant Barca is worse
The amount of "I know you are but what I am" responses is astonishing

The Dutch weren't pretty but they weren't dirty from my point of view. They played dirty in the 2010 final and vs Portugal in 2006 but not today

 

I wanted to put money on 0-0, but then the site was totally laggy and I forgot to come back before the game...damn.

 

I have no clue. I doubt the organizers know thar figure. I suspect tickets are changing hands as we speak.

We will see Sunday.

 

Congratulations Argentina.
Tactical game.
Van Gaal made one mistake, changing van Persie. Don't know if he was injured or something.
If he kept van Persie on the field Vlaar wouldn't have to take a penalty and Cillissen could be replaced by Krul. Cillissen was replaced in the earlier game because he never stopped one penalty in his professional career.

But I'm proud of my country, before the tournament we were saying it was the worst Dutch squad ever. The whole country expected only 3 matches on this World Cup.

 

I agree very much. This was a pretty clean game by both sides according to World Cup semifinal standards.

 

La pulga started off OK with 4 goals and an assist in 4 games... but the last two games he's been pretty much anonymous. Messi has hardly broken a sweat at this World Cup... Even in the games with his moments of brilliance he was practically anonymous.

And it must be said that Argentina had a cakewalk to the semifinals. An weakest group in which they still managed to struggle, then one of the weaker UEFA sides from the second weakest group that took them to extra time, after that probably the weakest group winner in Belgium (aside from Costa Rica). Argentina have yet to really have a good game (maybe minus the meaningless and entertaining Nigeria vs Argentina match).

And now this uninspired performance, where the only shining lights were the defensive players (Mascherano and Romero). Messi is in the final, but he hasn't exactly been tearing it up...

 

Sure, but if the Columbians watched yesterday's emasculating of the Brazilian myth they'd be wise to decline.

 

Yeah....exactly. Brazilians prolly got tickets in advance thinking they would have their nation in the final. Plus todays game had a lot of Dutch support. There will be Germans there and Brazilians supporting the German national team.

 

I don't think anybody in their right mind would seriously dispute that Germany looks a lot better than Argentina right now. But other than Germany, I can't think of anyone deserving to make the final more than the Argentina. Holland might have been the closest in that regard, but same as in their hard fought game against Argentina, while there wasn't much at the end to choose between the two teams, if someone had to come out the winner, Argentina were slightly more deserving.

 

The main problem is that Robben gets fouled a lot of times without the red acknowledging it. If the refs wouldn't be so blind he didn't have to dive all those times...

 

100% correct on both points .

 

No but entertainment can not be the concern of the teams on the pitch. When the stakes are highest the teams should not have entertaining as a concern. I do not fault Holland for their tactics. In fact, they were very successful. A team with Messi, Higuain etc... had very few offensive chances at all. I think the mistake was too often sending only Robben and Van Persie forward with practically no support.

 

Based on what? On struggling vs Bosnia and Iran? And then vs Switzerland? Take away the Nigeria game and they average a goal per game. And one of those goals was an own goal. Holland deserved it way more.

 

It is not about "deserving". Argentina sat on the game despite having the best player on the planet. It was up to the Dutch to crack the nut. We couldn't do it, so it came down to the lottery. Such is football.

 

It's all relative I guess , compared to UFC the Dutch weren't to bad I suppose

 

Thomas Mueller is Argentine?!?!?!?