If there were people who tuned into last night’s semi-final expecting to see the sort of drama we witnessed between Brazil and Germany they would have been very disappointed.
Mind you, as far as semi-finals go, it wasn’t the worst. Both teams had spells where they threw players forward but the defences came out on top.
Messi, Robben and co. barely mustered a shot in anger between them and there were few clear-cut chances.
This was always likely to happen – and I couldn’t pick a winner before the game so perhaps it was apt that it went down to penalties.
A couple of poor kicks from the Dutch did for them. Tim Krul might have saved one or two of the Argentinian efforts but it looked to me as if the Argentines were the more confident side going into the shootout – as you would expect.
This time, there were to be no last-minute masterstrokes from Louis van Gaal, and indeed it was his opposite number Alejandro Sabella whose changes had more effect as substitutes Sergio Agüero and Maxi Rodríguez tucked away their kicks.
Discounting the fact that back then, they were West Germany, Sunday’s final will be the third final between Argentina and Germany. Argentina won 3-2 in 1986 and Germany won a dour, foul-filled affair in 1990 (the first final I remember).
Which sort of game will we get on Sunday? Whoever scores first, and when they score is likely to dictate that.