World Cup preview - Germany v Argentina

World Cup preview - Germany v Argentina
Germany meet Argentina in the World Cup's first quarter final in Berlin today in what promises to be the match of the tournament so far.
FIFA World Cup powerhouses Germany and Argentina are the best of enemies, their rich footballing histories punctuated by some classic and decisive encounters.
Friday's mouth-watering clash in Berlin promises to be no exception, as two of the most enterprising teams in the Germany showpiece come into direct opposition.

The story so far
After a convincing last-16 win over Sweden, there has been nothing but good vibes emanating from the German camp. The players have enjoyed spending some well-deserved time with their families and friends, while several squad members took up the offer of archery lessons for a bit of additional target practice. As for the team, all the indications are that coach Jurgen Klinsmann will start with the same 11 players who earned the hosts their place in the quarter-finals last Saturday.
As for Argentina, Jose Pekerman has also declined to confirm his starting XI ahead of the game, though he too is unlikely to make unforced changes to the side that saw off Mexico in their Round of 16 tie. Pekerman’s only doubts concern the right side of his defence and midfield. At the back, it is not yet clear whether Nicolas Burdisso, who started in the team’s first two games, will line up on Friday. If not, then either Lionel Scaloni, Fabricio Coloccini or Leandro Cufre will be ready to step in. As for midfield, Porto’s Luis Gonzalez looks likely to return on the right side, although it is conceivable he could yet lose out to the in-form Esteban Cambiasso.
Past meetings
Although this will be the teams’ fifth encounter at a FIFA World Cup, it is the last two games – the Finals of Mexico 86 and Italia 90 – that cemented the fierce rivalry between the sides. In the first of these, the inspiration for the South Americans’ 3-2 win came from one Diego Maradona, who will doubtless settle for a repeat of that scoreline as he roars his compatriots on from the stands. Four years later, the Nationalmannschaft exacted immediate revenge, when Andreas Brehme's 84th-minute penalty handed them a 1-0 victory and the world title in the decider in Rome.
Two interesting facts add even more spice to Friday’s showdown. The first is that at Italia 90, the Albiceleste reached the Final after eliminating the hosts in the previous round. The second is that since Germany’s victory over the South Americans in that year’s decider, they have not beaten their old foes once.

The duels

Not one, but two spring to mind for Friday’s showdown: Michael Ballack v Juan Riquelme and Miroslav Klose v Hernan Crespo.

Ballack and Riquelme are both intelligent midfielders with great vision and shooting skills, although the pair have their differences. The German is more direct than the Argentine playmaker, who prefers to vary the tempo of the game and cut swathes through defences with his long and short-range passing. No one has any doubt that the effectiveness of both teams’ play, and thus the outcome of the game itself, will depend a great deal on how the pair perform.
The second battle will be fought in front of goal and pits Klose, scorer of four goals already at Germany 2006, against Crespo, who has three strikes thus far. Both are leading candidates for the adidas Golden Shoe. The German sharpshooter has picked up where he left off four years ago in Korea/Japan and now has an impressive nine FIFA World Cup goals to his name. Not to be outdone, the Argentine front-runner has found the net in his last four FIFA World Cup games – his team’s final game of Korea/Japan 2002 against Sweden followed by his three appearances for the Albiceleste here in Germany: against Côte d'Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro and Mexico (he did not play against the Netherlands). It seems almost certain that one of the lethal pair will have a say in the final outcome tomorrow.

What they're saying

Miroslav Klose, Germany striker:

We’re not particularly nervous about facing Argentina, even though they’re a strong side and one of the favourites for the title. Now that they have had the misfortune to come up against us, we hope we can send them home.

Carlos Tevez, Argentina forward:

The key to beating Germany? Fight to the death. As well as that we have to play football and keep the ball on the ground, but first and foremost we have to fight.

Lehmann and Riquelme face to face again

Lehmann keeps dream alive

In Lehmann's case, he has already triumphed in one critical contest: the duel with his long-standing adversary Oliver Kahn for the Nationalmannschaft's number one jersey. Jurgen Klinsmann handed Lehmann a huge confidence boost in naming him as his first-choice keeper, and the experienced shot-stopper is determined to repay his coach’s faith.
It is so far, so good as well for Lehmann. Germany’s defence, often criticised in the run-up to the finals, has not shipped a single goal in their last three games, and Lehmann’s composure and authority have had much to do with that. However, as the 36-year-old admits, he is now looking for much more against Argentina: "It's true that Argentina are a dangerous outfit and probably the strongest we've seen in the tournament so far. They are on another level, but we have a lot of faith in ourselves."
At this stage in proceedings, as Lehmann freely admits, pressure becomes a telling factor and can be the difference between glory and despair. For all that, the keeper’s confidence in his team-mates is unwavering. “As the tournament progresses, it’s obvious that the pressure is going to increase," he said. "But we don’t feel it because we’re playing well. We’ve got what it takes to get through to the next round and we’ve got the whole country behind us. We can make a difference.”

Riquelme’s revival

Meanwhile, in the Argentinian camp, expectation is growing by the day. The gifted Riquelme is the standard-bearer for his team, the creative fulcrum around which the Albiceleste’s star-studded attack revolves and he is quite likely to take the spot-kick against his old adversary Lehmann should Argentina be awarded a penalty during the game.
The talented number ten has been quietly effective in the tournament so far, although a little way short of his brilliant best. Many pundits had him down as the player to watch, and while he has not disappointed, there can be no doubt that the Villarreal man has more to give. According to media reports, Jose Pekerman made clear to Riquelme just hours before the two-time champions’ Round of 16 clash with Mexico that his country now needs him more than ever.
For his part, just days after his 28th birthday, the former Boca Juniors player remains quietly content with his team’s performances. “The most important thing is that the team wins and that we play as we can. We’ve done it up to now, and we want to carry on like that. Personally speaking, every time I go out onto the pitch, I’m happy,” explained the midfield maestro.
What is certain, however, is that he will be determined to redress the balance after that critical penalty miss in Villarreal. As the shy and retiring Riquelme has shown on so many occasions, actions speak louder than words.