In a repeat of the 2002 FIFA World Cup final in South Korea, Germany will play Brazil tomorrow (Tuesday) to book a place in the finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. While Hummels’ header empowered Germany to go past France 1-0 in their quarterfinals tie, Brazil had a comparatively rough day on the field as they rode home to a 2-1 victory against Columbia. David Luiz’s fabulous free kick in the 69th minute of the game virtually assured the host nation a place in the final four, but the match saw some last minute drama as James Rodriguez pulled one back for the Colombians with 10 minutes to spare.
Despite all the drama which unfolded on Saturday night, the world of football is about to witness a mouth watering clash between two of the most stellar soccer sides in World Cup history who have consistently proved their credentials on the grandest stage of them all. The penultimate question is: Can Germany bring Brazil’s 39 year old winning streak at home to an end with a victory over the host country in the semi-finals on Tuesday?
The answer to this query would have been dicier had Neymar not suffered from a fractured vertebra which has ruled him out of the remaining tournament. With Neymar not in a position to compete any further and Brazilian Captain Thiago Silva serving a one match suspension after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament against Colombia, Germany are better placed than ever before to dash Brazilian dreams of a fairy tale ending to a World Cup which has split people in the South American nation.
Also, the fact that Joachim Loew’s men had a smoother game against France in the quarter-finals would provide the Germans with a psychological edge over Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team who were involved in a rather “dirty game” against Columbia which was over-loaded with foul play.
