Brazil vs Germany Preview: An Unstoppable Force meets an Immovable Object

The only two teams to have played more than 100 matches in the World Cup clash with each other for, what is inexplicably, only the second time in the first of the two mouth-watering semi final match-ups of the 2014 FIFA World Cup here at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday. Brazil hold the edge over Germany in the head-to-head with 12 wins from 21 matches as opposed to only 4 defeats. The most famous win came in Yokohama 12 years ago, when a Ronaldo inspired Brazil beat the Oliver Kahn led Germans 2-0 to lift an unprecedented fifth World title.

12 years on, the pressure on both these giants has not eased one bit. While Brazil are claiming to right the wrong that was the 1950 World Cup, Germany have their own nerves to handle, with their treacherous record in the semi-finals of late. The much vaunted consistency of the Germans have led to precious little in the last decade with a collection of semi finals and finals but no trophies. This year Joachim Loew’s team have played with lesser of the traditional German ruthlessness and flair, adopting a more conservative approach which clearly has the mark of the methods of the manager at Germany’s premier football club. They have dominated possession and sought to squeeze the life out of the game by their passing, which is clearly reflected in the fact that Germany have completed a staggering 2938 passes in the competition, in excess of 500 more than their nearest rival and over a 1000 more than Brazil, who have played 1816. In their quarter final against France, they sat back after an early lead with some stoic defending and decisive goalkeeping from Manuel Neuer. France never looked like scoring.

Brazil on the other hand have massive problems of their own. The last thing you want to happen to a team facing Germany is to lose their best player. That is precisely the blow dealt to the Selecao, with Neymar being the victim of a terrible tackle from behind in their quarter final win over Columbia. However, there is a different perspective to that incident. Luis Felipe Scolari’s team are a dramatic departure from the Brazil that wowed the world with its brilliance en route to lifting the World Cup in 1970, or even the thrilling 1982 side, widely regarded as the best ever not to claim the trophy. No, the quarterfinal win over Colombia was a new benchmark for a Brazil team based on counter-attacking, tactical fouling and cynicism. There were plenty of signs of those tactics in last year’s Confederations Cup, but it has taken on a harsher tone as the stakes have gotten higher in this World Cup. 96 fouls and 10 bookings bear testimony. In both the Round of 16 match against Chile and then the quarterfinal against Colombia, Fernandinho set an early tone by leaving his mark on an opponent after the ball had gone. Throughout both games, the opposition team’s star man, Alexis Sanchez of Chile and James Rodríguez of Colombia, was the target for repeated fouling. People will have different opinions about the morality of such tactics, but there is no doubt that it smacks of hypocrisy when Brazil now complain about their star player being the target of roughhousing. Brazil have paid a huge price for a battle they began.

Not only will Brazil miss the services of their talismanic number 10, they will also be without key central defender and captain, Thiago Silva, who accumulated his second booking of the tournament in the quarter final. The odds are stacked heavily against the host nation, but it would be foolhardy to rule them out so early. Brazil will hope it is a match decided between the ears rather than with the feet. Far from the ruthless machines of decades past, this Germany team has often appeared to be lacking mental resolve when it matters most. Scolari, on the other hand, has infused this young Brazilian side with belief and knows a thing or two about how to beat Germany.

WATCH OUT FOR-

OSCAR: He may not have had a spectacular tournament, but to be fair to him, Scolari has played this attacking midfielder out of position in most cases to accommodate a free floating Neymar. Now, with Neymar missing, Oscar is expected to be reinstated to his favourite role, just behind the front three, and with the pace of the German centre backs, or the lack of it, this 22 year old may well be the inspiration on the pitch that Brazil need.

MANUEL NEUER: The best in the world for many, including German legend Oliver Kahn. Manuel Neuer is not only an exceptional goalkeeper but also more than capable of acting as the last defender to thwart promising opposition attacks. In the Round of 16 tie against Algeria, he made numerous runs out of his box to prevent Algeria from scoring, illustrating his sweeper skills. Add to that his brilliant track record in saving spot kicks and you know that beating the German defence is only half the job done if you want to score against the Germans.

PREDICTION
It will be a mountain to climb for a handicapped Brazil, but Germany are known to falter in the dying stages of a tournament. A close, very scrappy game is on the cards, and one would feel a solitary goal may be enough.
Brazil 0-1 Germany.