What to say about today’s game but WOW. Germany appear to have that perfect blend of discipline (which we knew they’d have) and swagger, making them a fantastic side to watch. Who would’ve thought going into this matchup that it’d be DFB Elf who’d provide all the flair in the final third? They consistently picked out the right passes while shutting down an Argentine offense who’ve caused havoc in opposing defenses throughout the tournament.
I’ve been consistently bored with German teams of the past, but this one has me actually looking forward to watching them play. Fantastic Cup. It’s a shame it’ll be over so soon.
A matchup of true heavyweights in this morning’s quarterfinal. There’s history between the sides—the 1986 final in Mexico where Maradona’s side put down the West Germans in a 3-2 display of beautiful attacking football comes immediately to mind. Never one to avoid the spotlight, the tournament’s most valuable quotable is stirring the pot before the match:
England and Germany have played one another for more than a century, but it was only after WWII that the tensions really showed. The origins of the bad blood do in fact reach back before the conflict, to the rise of the Nazi party and a friendly played in Berlin before 100,000 fans. The English squad were given commands to perform a Nazi salute before the game, which they did, at the time not particularly caring one way or another. Looking back, it’s a sure sore spot. By the by, that 1938 matchup ended in a win for the lions.
