Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Germany Score Four Again
Argentina vs Germany
in Cape Town
Argentina started the game seeking revenge for the 2006 quarter-final defeat against Germany.
But it was Germany who took the lead inside three minutes; Bastian
Schweinsteiger's free-kick headed in by Thomas M�ller.
Argentina struggled to get back into the game due to Germany's
defensive discipline. Each time Argentina tried to ignite something, Germany smothered
their flame and broke out in numbers, with plenty of options.
Twenty minutes after their first goal, Germany should have doubled
their lead; if M�ller's pass to Klose wasn't lofted over the bar.
Germany let Argentina come at them, just like they did with England,
but then closed all the holes with doubled-up defence.
Argentina started to work a little harder for each other around the
half-hour mark and came closer to penetrating the German area; Gonzalo Higuain cutting
inside and forcing Manuel Neuer to save low at the near post.
Neuer then had a double fist clearance to keep Argentina out, as
half-time drew ever closer.
Philipp Lahm tried one more forage down the right for Germany but they
would have to be content with the one-goal lead at the end of the first forty-five
minutes.
Half-time: 0:1
Argentina looked positive at the start of the second-half, with some
ball dancing by Messi and a shot just wide from Di Maria.
Twice the ball fell out of Neuer's hands, but both times there was no
Argentina follow-up threats to trouble him.
Angela Merkel was all smiles in the 68th minute as Podolski and Klose
combined in a typical trademark move of theirs; Klose just getting into the right position
to tap the ball into an open goal.
Argentina couldn't reply, as a well-drilled German Mannschaft made it
all look so easy; because they played their football as a team game.
Bastian Schweinsteiger strolled through the Argentine defence on the
left, to set up Arne Friedrich for his first international goal; and Germany's third, with
over fifteen minutes still to play.
The icing on the cake came just before the final whistle, as Miroslav
Klose volleyed home to make it four to Germany, for the third time in this tournament, and
put himself on a total of 14 World Cup Finals goals; level with Gerd M�ller and just one
behind Ronaldo.
Germany progressed to the semi-finals for the eleventh time in the
last fifteen World Cups.
Final Score:
Argentina 0 Germany 4
 Goalscorers:
0:1 Thomas M�ller (3 mins)
0:2 Miroslav Klose (68 mins)
0:3 Arne Friedrich (74 mins)
0:4 Miroslav Klose (89 mins)
Man of The Match:
Miroslav Klose - Now sits just one goal behind Ronaldo's 15 World Cup Finals goals.
Teams
 Argentina:
22 Sergio Romero; 6 Gabriel Heinze, 4 Nicolas Burdisso, 2 Martin Demichelis, 15 Nicolas
Otamendi; 7 Angel Di Maria, 14 Javier Mascherano, 20 Maxi Rodr�guez; 9 Gonzalo Higuain,
10 Lionel Messi, 11 Carlos T�vez.
 Germany:
1 Manuel Neuer; 20 Jerome Boateng, 3 Arne Friedrich, 17 Per Mertesacker, 16 Philipp Lahm;
10 Lukas Podolski, 7 Bastian Schweinsteiger, 6 Sami Khedira, 13 Thomas M�ller; 11
Miroslav Klose, 8 Mesut �zil.
Referee:
Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
Substitutions:
70 Mins (Argentina) - 23 Javier Pastore on for 15 Nicolas Otamendi
72 Mins (Germany) - 2 Marcell Jansen on for 20 Jerome Boateng
75 Mins (Argentina) - 16 Sergio Aguero on for 7 Angel Di Maria
78 Mins (Germany) - 18 Toni Kroos on for 6 Sami Khedira
84 Mins (Germany) - 15 Piotr Trochowski on for 13 Thomas M�ller
 3 Yellow
Cards:
11 Mins - Nicol�s Otamendi (Argentina)
35 Mins - Thomas M�ller (Germany) - will miss next match.
80 Mins - Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
 0 Red Cards.
Previous Encounters:
Argentina and Germany met in the Berlin quarter-final at Germany 2006. The game ended 1:1aet and Germany went on to win the
penalty shootout (4:2).
After beating England in the Turin semi-final, West Germany went on to
beat Argentina (1:0) in the Final at Italy 1990;
gaining revenge for the Mexico 1986 Final where
Argentina won (3:2).
The two teams drew in a Birmingham group game at England 1966, and West Germany won (3:1) a Malm�
group game at Sweden 1958.
To the Semi-final in Durban.
2010 World Cup Finals - Knockout Stage.
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