July 6, 2010
World Cup 2010 - Germany and Spain play for a spot in the Final
By Stephen Lars
Spain has never made it so far in a World Cup tournament. The team was the No 1 favorite among the best sportsbook in the sports betting industry around the world. They were certainly somewhat of a disappointment at the beginning of the tournament, struggling in the group stage and losing to Switzerland.
And yet somehow, doing just what it takes and not much else, and with a squad full of talented star players that have yet (for the most part) to shine as they should, Spain is one step away from making its first appearance in a World Cup final.
But that small step includes defeating the German squad which, let’s face it, has been playing with much more enthusiasm and energy. A look at the 4-0 German annihilation of Argentina in the quarterfinals just simply proves how strong and well-organized Joachim Low’s team is. You take a look at the German’s previous games; you come to realize that their offensive strike is quite lethal. Argentina’s 4-0 upset was the third game in the tournament where the Germans scored over 4 goals.
To really get things into perspective you got to realize that they have only played 5 games so far. They defeated the Australian squad 4-0 in their tournament opener, and then just obliterated a senseless and leaderless English squad in the round of 16 by a notorious 4-1. Low’s men are fast, they are incredibly agile in the fast breaks and their counter attacks are lethal. They kept the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi under the radar for much of their quarterfinal game.
This time around, against the Spaniards, the team only needs to worry about David Villa. His teammate and striker, Fernando Torres has yet to prove the brilliance he showed over at Liverpool in the English Premiere League. He has been replaced on each of his games some 10 minutes into the second half. And that is usually when the Spanish team becomes livelier.
So really, if you take into account that David Villa, Barcelona’s most newly hired player, has scored 5 out of the 7 Spanish goals in the tournament, it is quite evident that much harm can be done to La Roja’s offensive end.
Joachim Low will now have to decide what to do with the absence of Thomas Muller. The player was suspended after a double booking and now will be missing this important game. Muller is Germany’s most prolific striker in the tournament. And he is going to be greatly missed in the offensive end. Still, they have the talents of no other then Miroslav Klose in the front. Klose has managed to score more goals in the World Cup then he did in the entire Bundesliga.
Last time around, back in the final game of the Euro Cup 2008, it was Fernando Torres who finished off the German hopes and scored for the 1-0 victory for their championship game. But neither Torres nor most of the players in the Spanish squad are in the same shape, spirit or mind set as their 2008 counterparts.
As of press time Germany and Spain are both at ML + 160 in the World Cup odds. The Draw, on the other hand, cashes in at Ml+220. Whoever wins will now face Netherlands in the final.
About the Author
Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on regular 2010 South Africa World Cup news, sports news and the sportsbetting industry for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.