Bab 308: Chapter 308: The Impact of Brazil's Defeat and the Start of Spain vs. Argentina!
Chapter 308: The Impact of Brazil's Defeat and the Start of Spain vs. Argentina!
German "Bild": A Crazy Victory! Facing the host of this World Cup, and a five-time champion, Brazil, Germany achieved a wild victory in the semifinals. This is a story we will tell our children and grandchildren for years to come. The Germans know how to rub it in; winning wasn't enough—they want to preserve this win and recount it endlessly to future generations. This is truly adding insult to injury!
ESPN: Where Did Brazil Go Wrong? The Brazil team, led by Scolari, suffered a record-breaking defeat and was knocked out. After the match, Scolari tried to explain the reasons behind this loss. The absence of Neymar and Thiago Silva is a plausible explanation. However, even without these two, a five-time champion Brazil should not lose by seven goals to Germany. The few answers from the Brazilian coach couldn't fully explain the crushing defeat, which will likely become a permanent shadow in the hearts of Brazilian fans.
BBC: Germany Eyes the World Cup Trophy! After Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Brazil, they were the first to advance to the finals, while their opponents suffered the worst loss in World Cup history. Anyone who watched this match will have to reassess Germany's strength. Whether it's Spain or Argentina facing them in the finals, it won't be an easy game. Perhaps our neighbors across the channel will lift their fourth World Cup trophy!
Even the usually proud English had to admit that Germany has gone further and been more successful in football. The strength of the Premier League hasn't translated into the English national team, which exited the World Cup without a single win, contrasting sharply with Germany's dominant march to the finals.
Sports Illustrated: Brazil's Dream Turns into a Nightmare! For Brazil, the semifinal match against Germany turned their World Cup dreams into a nightmare.
Spanish "AS": 7-1, Another Maracanazo! Brazil faced the most painful defeat in football history, with Germany scoring five goals in just 18 minutes of the first half. Kroos and Khedira put on an excellent performance, and Klose became the top scorer in World Cup history. The 7-1 thrashing of Brazil by Germany was so shocking that nearly all global news media covered it. Besides the aforementioned, Spain's "Mundo Deportivo," Britain's "Sky Sports," France's "L'Équipe," and Italy's "Gazzetta dello Sport" also extensively reported on the match.
Such a disastrous defeat, especially against a five-time champion like Brazil, is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Fans worldwide couldn't stop talking about it. After the match, social media and news comment sections were flooded with reactions from fans.
"Where are those who hyped the invincible Hulk? Come out and show yourselves!" "The invincible Hulk was invisible the entire match and was subbed off in the second half!" "Without Neymar, Brazil just can't do it!" "I think Thiago Silva's absence impacted Brazil more!" "Indeed, Brazil's defense looked like a mess; the Germans could score at will!" "How is it possible? David Luiz, Dante, Maicon, Marcelo—aren't they all top defenders? How did Germany run over them completely?"
Fans couldn't understand why Brazil's defenders performed so poorly. Unlike Costa Rica, whose players are mostly unknown and play in their domestic league, Brazil's defenders all play in the top European leagues and are well-known stars. Yet their performance was worse than Costa Rica's relatively unknown players.
"It seems we overestimated Brazil's strength due to the home-field advantage!" "Maybe, but we might have underestimated Germany's strength as well!" "Haha, I love this! My German team is invincible. Bring on the Spanish or Argentinians, let's see them try!" Stimulated by this match, German fans were ecstatic. Those who feared the reigning champion Spain now dismissed them. "Germany can beat Brazil by seven goals; can Spain do that?" Spain certainly couldn't!
The devastating score was a result of multiple factors. Even if Germany played Brazil again with the same lineup, they might not replicate such a score. Despite any real gap in strength, it certainly isn't a seven-goal difference. The extreme score was the result of various factors combined.
Brazil's thrashing brought global attention to the World Cup. Fans turned their attention to the other semifinal—Argentina vs. Spain! This match, featuring the strong reigning champions and a star-studded Argentina led by Messi, promised to be just as thrilling.
After Germany's stunning performance, fans hoped for another goal-packed spectacle in the other semifinal. Some even speculated if Spain or Argentina could thrash each other like Brazil was.
"Argentina's defense is strong, and they don't have any suspensions, so it's hard to break them down." "Could it be that Spain gets thrashed instead?" "Spain's defense isn't weak, and their midfield is tough to beat." "Germany could do it!" "Will Spain use counter-attacks in this match given Argentina's strong attack?" "After seeing Germany vs. Brazil, both teams might resort to defensive counter-attacks to avoid embarrassment."
Not only die-hard fans, but even casual viewers got drawn into the World Cup discussions. With everyone around talking about it, watching the games seemed essential to being part of the conversation. The showdown between the reigning champions and Argentina, featuring a clash between superstars Messi and Lin Huang, was eagerly awaited.
Before the match, the debate about who was better—Messi or Lin Huang—resurfaced. Initially, the debate involved Messi and Ronaldo, but with Ronaldo's Portugal exiting early, the spotlight shifted to Lin Huang, who had emerged as a formidable talent.
While fans and media buzzed with excitement, Messi and Lin Huang focused on their respective teams, more concerned about winning the match and advancing to the finals than individual rivalries.
At this point in the competition, nobody wants to fall in the semifinals; everyone hopes to advance to the final and lift their first-ever Hercules Cup. The difference is, Lin Quan is participating in the World Cup for the first time and hasn't yet experienced defeat. Meanwhile, Messi is in his third World Cup, having failed to win in his previous attempts. Therefore, Messi might have a stronger desire for the Cup.
Standing in the players' tunnel, the teams didn't greet each other. Despite being club teammates or even good friends off the pitch, in the World Cup arena, they are simply players for Argentina/Spain. However, during the pre-match handshake, Lin Quan still embraced a few of his club teammates.
"Lin, go easy on us during the match!" Saballeta joked as he hugged him, patting his back.
"I'll try!" Lin Quan knew it was a joke and responded with a smile.
Saballeta and Demichelis exchanged glances, both understanding the challenge. Having played with Lin Quan for a year at their club, they were well aware of his capabilities. If he really got serious, the two of them together wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Fortunately, Argentina's coach, Sabella, had prepared defensive tactics specifically to contain Lin Quan, hoping they would be effective during the match. Aguero, unfortunately, was playing a substitute role for Argentina. Originally, after Higuain had failed to score in several matches, Aguero had some opportunities. However, he didn't capitalize on them, and now that Higuain was back in form, Aguero was left out in the cold, benched by Sabella.
Lin Quan was puzzled—hadn't Sabella watched Aguero play for Manchester City? As his primary support striker, Aguero had performed excellently in both league and Champions League matches. Lin Quan's style resembled Messi's, and since Aguero had a good on-field chemistry with him, it stood to reason he would mesh well with Messi too, especially since they were close friends.
Choosing Higuain over Aguero was baffling. Higuain was like an upgraded version of Negredo who, although a good partner for Lin Quan, wasn't as dynamic as Aguero, who was quick and efficient in finishing, making him the perfect match for playmakers like Lin Quan and Messi.
After all the pre-match routines on July 10th at 7 PM, the World Cup semifinal between Argentina and Spain kicked off. Perhaps influenced by the previous match, both teams played cautiously. They had rarely met internationally, with their last encounter being a friendly in September 2010, where Argentina beat the then newly-crowned World Cup champions Spain 4-1. However, results from previous friendlies, especially one as old as four years ago, were not taken seriously. Both teams crafted their tactics based on each other's recent World Cup performances.
To avoid a collapse like Brazil's, securing their defenses early in the game to prevent early goals was crucial. Brazil's heavy loss was largely due to quick successive goals that destabilized the team. With Brazil's harsh lesson in mind, the remaining teams were cautious.
This conservative playstyle left some fans dissatisfied. "What's this, attack!" "I'm sick of Spain's backward passes!" "Why doesn't Argentina press more aggressively? They just watch the opponent pass the ball around!"
Spain's players wanted to attack, but Argentina's tight defense didn't give them much chance. Lin Quan attempted to break through but was immediately intercepted by Argentina's left-back Rojo and defensive midfielder Mascherano. After probing Argentina's defensive setup, Lin Quan opted to pass the ball back safely, avoiding unnecessary risks until they better understood Argentina's tactics.
Seeing Spain's cautious approach, Argentina's coach Sabella looked tense. He wanted to counter-attack but was concerned about appearances. However, considering Spain's possession-based style, they would inevitably push forward, allowing Argentina to then tighten their formation without criticism.
Yet, as the match progressed, Spain seemed in no rush to attack, and the intensity wasn't there. Were they holding back?
On the field, Messi was active. When Spain pressed, he and his teammates aggressively challenged the ball carriers. Messi rarely exerted himself this much at his club, saving energy for attacks. But at the World Cup, for victory, he willingly did the gritty work, although such pressing was hardly effective against Spain's master passers.
As Messi approached Xavi, the ball was passed to Iniesta. When Messi targeted Iniesta, the latter passed back to Lin Quan. Seeing Lin Quan receive the ball, Messi didn't hesitate and charged towards him. The crowd, witnessing their first direct confrontation at the World Cup, erupted in excitement.
(End of Chapter)
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