Germany vs Algeria match report World Cup 2014: Result 2-1 - Joachim Low's team set up quarter-final with France after needing 120 minutes to battle through in Porto Alegre
Loading...
This wonderful World Cup is running out of superlatives if not goals. It took until extra-time for one to be scored during this intriguingly epic last-16 tie but that was no reflection of the brilliance of this encounter in which one of the tournament's favourites, Germany, were pushed all the way, had to strain every sinew to subdue Algeria. They were taken to the edge in doing so.
This was no plucky, backs-against-the-wall rearguard action that Germany faced. Algeria were as dangerous as they were courageous and it was hugely fitting that the final moments of this tie saw them swarming around the German goal in search of the equaliser that would have taken it to a penalty shoot-out. And they achieved that having gone two goals down in the final minute of extra-time.
The statistics will show how much Germany dominated possession, they will show they peppered the Algerian goal, with 24 attempts in normal time alone, and with goalkeeper Raïs M'Bolhi having to produce one of the most quixotically accomplished displays.
But it should not be forgotten that Germany's most impressive performer was their own goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, who brought a new definition to the role of the 'sweeper-keeper' as he had to hurtle out to subdue the Algerians and, in particular, their rapid, direct, hard-running striker Islam Slimani.
As accomplished and imposing as Neuer was they were also indebted to Andre Schürrle, who scored and helped create Mesut Özil's decisive goal, with the half-time introduction of the Chelsea forward finally giving Germany some impetus. Up until that point they had been sluggish and in danger of being overrun.
They appeared to believe they would progress to a quarter-final meeting at the Maracana on Friday against France by their mere presence. How wrong they were. There had been much talk of revenge in the run-up to this meeting with Algeria stoking the embers by recalling the so-called 'Disgrace of Gijón' when the then West Germany conspired with Austria to manufacture a result that kept those nations in the 1982 World Cup in Spain at the expense of the North Africans.
Algeria did not have their revenge but they achieved so much. There were tears at the end for their Bosnian coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, who had attempted to be stoic but could not control his emotions. So close his team and he had come to creating their own slice of history.
They wanted it so much – and that showed from the kick-off from when they smartly, diligently soaked up the inevitable German pressure and then attacked but they could not force the goal their play deserved.
Slimani ran on to a long clearance from Faouzi Ghoulam and beat Neuer to the ball but was driven so wide that his shot from the angle proved impossible; then Sofiane Feghouli easily beat Jerome Boateng but instead of squaring for the onrushing El Arbi Soudani he attempted to score from another tight angle. The ball sailed across the goal.
With Mats Hummels ill, Boateng had been pushed into central defence and his partnership with Per Mertesacker began to creak. Algeria had the ball in the net but Slimani's header was correctly ruled out for offside. Maybe Germany felt that was vindication for the high-defensive line they were playing but that tactic looked dangerous and Algeria were intent on attempting to exploit it with Soudani finding the overlapping Ghoulam only, again, for the chance to go begging as he lost composure and shot wildly across goal.
Toni Kroos was achieving some control for Germany in midfield and it was from his powerful drive, pushed out by M'Bolhi, that Mario Götze should have scored. Instead the goalkeeper smartly recovered to smother Götze's point-blank effort.
Götze was withdrawn. On came Schürrle and his directness made that difference. A goal-bound shot was deflected wide and then from the corner Shkodran Mustafi planted a header straight at M'Bolhi before Kroos again intervened to deliver an incisive pass into the feet of Bastian Schweinsteiger. He laid the ball off to Philipp Lahm whose snapshot was superbly tipped away by M'Bolhi.
But Algeria would not be intimidated. They kept their shape, they maintained their discipline and they continued to threaten with Neuer having to remain alert to deny Slimani on two occasions even if it was, inevitably, Germany who were racking up the better opportunities as, finally, Thomas Müller began to have some influence.
He, also, should have scored. Substitute Sami Khediri crossed and there was Müller, unmarked, with the goal beckoning. He strained his neck and headed powerfully but M'Bolhi incredibly beat it out. Still it fell to Schürrle only for Essaïd Belkalem to block on the line. From the corner Ghoulam scooped away Mertesacker's header – again off the goal-line. Müller cut inside Belkalem, the goal opened up once more, but he poked the ball wide. Schweinsteiger then headed straight at M'Bolhi and the tie went to extra-time.
Less than two minutes in and Germany struck. Müller pushed wide and crossed low and Schürrle ran in to finely improvise a finish, dragging the ball goalwards with his left leg as the cross ran behind him. Even then M'Bolhi got a hand to it but could not keep the ball out. Surely Algeria were beaten? But no. Mehdi Mostefa flashed a shot narrowly wide from a corner. However, they were then caught out on the break. Özil and Schürrle exchanged passes and eventually the latter stroked a low shot which was hacked off the line. The rebound fell to Özil and he steered it high into the net.
Algeria would still not give up. Soudani swung in a cross and substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou hurtled in at the far post to volley beyond Neuer.
Well, that was it. But no. Even then Slimani reached the ball in the area but could not find the power to beat Neuer, who gratefully clutched the header. Now it was over. Germany had won – but they were not the only victors.
- Germany v Algeria: Best images from Porto Alegre
- France 2 Nigeria 0: Match report from Recife
- Henry Winter: This is the best World Cup I've attended
- France have been reborn under Didier Deschamps
0 comments:
Post a Comment