TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014

A look back at five memorable WCup semi-final classics

RIO DE JANEIRO: With two potentially epic semi-finals struck again with Gerd Mueller putting them 2-1 Amoros hit the crossbar in stoppage time. Another iconic moment followed as German cap- in prospect this week between Brazil and Germany ahead to start a frantic burst of five goals in 17 min- Justice appeared to be done when Marius Tresor tain Lothar Matthaeus consoled a distraught Waddle and Argentina and the Netherlands, Reuters takes a utes. made it 2-2 before Gigi Riva put and struck to put France 3-1 ahead after after the game. look back at five classic World Cup semi-finals. the back in front later with a shot on the turn. 98, but with injured captain Karl-Heinz Rummenigge The other semi-final between hosts Italy and That lead only last six minutes before Mueller scored coming off the bench to lead the fightback, the Argentina also ended in a 1-1 draw and a 4-3 penalty Stockholm June 24 1958 BRAZIL 5 FRANCE 2 to make it 3-3. The Italians went straight up the other Germans pulled level with goals from Rummenigge shootout victory for the Argentines who lost 1-0 to the Pele, who was 17-years-old, had scored his first end with striking in the 111th minute to and Klaus Fischer before they won in the World Cup’s Germans in the final. World Cup goal in Brazil’s 1-0 win over Wales in the make it 4-3. first shootout. They then met Italy in the final, and, as quarter-finals but at a time when television was begin- One of the lasting memories of the game is Franz they had been in the 1970 semi, were beaten again, 3- Paris July 8 1998 FRANCE 2 CROATIA 1 ning to expand, his fame rapidly spread after his per- Beckenbauer playing with his arm across his chest in a 1 in Madrid. On a night of almost unbelievable tension France, formance in the semi-final against France. makeshift sling as he continued playing after dislocat- playing at home in their capital city, came from behind The stage was set for a classic after Vava put Brazil ing his shoulder. Italy returned to the Azteca a few Turin, July 4 1990 WEST GERMANY 1 ENGLAND 1 to reach the World Cup final for the first time. ahead in the second minute and Just Fontaine days later and lost 4-1 to Brazil in the final. West Germany won 4-3 on penalties. England Croatia, competing as an independent nation for equalised seven minutes later. Didi put Brazil back in reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1966 the first time and riding on an emotional wave of sup- front six minutes before halftime, then Pele took over. Seville, July 8 1982 WEST GERMANY 3 FRANCE 3 but Germany triumphed in a highly emotional and port from home, had impressed throughout the tour- He scored a 23-minute hat-trick with goals in the West Germany won 5-4 on penalties. Twelve years dramatic clash. nament and qualified for the last four in style beating 52nd, 64th and 75th minutes to secure Brazil’s place in after their defeat to Italy in the 1970 semis, West Andreas Brehme put Germany ahead after an hour Germany 3-0 in the quarter-finals. the final before Roger Piantoni scored a late consola- Germany triumphed in 1982 in one of the World Cup’s with a deflected free-kick before Gary Lineker France, as hosts had looked superb for most of the tion to make the score 5-2. most dramatic and controversial matches, featuring equalised 10 minutes from time. tournament too with wins over South Africa, Saudi Brazil won the World Cup against Sweden by the the infamous assault by German keeper Harald One of the more famous TV images of those finals, Arabia, Denmark and Paraguay before reaching the same scoreline with Pele scoring another two goals to Schumacher on Patrick Battiston. That incident was is a shot of Paul Gascoigne welling up in tears after a semis with a penalty shootout win over Italy. take his 1958 World Cup tally to six. crucial to the outcome, because although Battiston booking that would have kept him out of the final and But they fell behind to Croatia just after halftime was badly injured by Schumacher’s reckless flying the camera then focusing on Lineker, turning to the when Davor Suker scored, although the match turned Mexico City, June 17 1970 ITALY 4 WEST GERMANY 3 mid-air challenge and ended the day in hospital, the English bench, and mouthing “have a word with him” a minute later when defender Lilian Thuram equalised, One of the greatest World Cup matches of all time goalkeeper was not even yellow carded and kept his indicating they should try and keep Gascoigne calm before scoring what proved to be the winner 20 min- remembered mainly for the astonishing extra time place in goal for the penalty shootout which the for the remainder of the match. utes from time. period that settled it and put Italy into the final for the Germans won. France though, appeared to be head- Neither team scored again in extra time - though They were the only goals he scored in a 142-cap, first time since 1938. Roberto Boninsegna’s eighth ing for their first World Cup final when they led 3-1 both hit the woodwork - so the outcome was decided 14-year international career. The match was marred by minute goal looked like winning it for the Italians in after eight minutes of extra time. by penalties with both sides scoring their first three. the sending off of French defender Laurent Blanc 14 front of a 102,000 crowd at the Azteca Stadium but as Although Pierre Littbarski had given West Germany Stuart Pearce then missed for England, Olaf Thon minutes from time for elbowing Croatian Slaven Bilic injury time drew to an end German sweeper Karl- a 17th minute lead, that had been cancelled out by a scored for West Germany to make it 4-3 before Chris although TV replays proved that Bilic feigned the Heinz Schnellinger equalised. penalty soon after and the French, the Waddle famously sent his penalty into orbit to give the injury. That kept Blanc out of the final which France After four minutes of extra time West Germany better side, almost won the game when Manuel Germans victory. won with a 3-0 victory over Brazil. — Reuters Adidas Q&A of Brazil Cool Krul unapologetic defender Dani Alves about gamesmanship BRAZIL: Fans have become accustomed to seeing Dani Alves bomb down the right wing for Brazil in his eye-catching adidas RIO DE JANEIRO: Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul was Nitrocharge boots. A right-back by trade characterized by his fero- back defending himself on Sunday, less than 24 hours cious tackle, he has been equally comfortable taking players on and after making two stunning penalty saves against Costa putting in delicate crosses. And having been denied the services of Rica to book his team’s place in the World Cup semi-finals. Neymar and Captain Thiago Silva in their crucial semi-final against The towering Krul replaced first-choice keeper Jasper Germany, Brazil will now look to Alves to lead their country to its first Cillessen specifically for the shootout in Salvador after the final in twelve years. Adidas sat down with Alves and here’s what he teams finished extra time deadlocked at 0-0. had to say as he prepares for Brazil’s match against Germany on July The 26-year-old vindicated his coach’s unorthodox 9th. Follow @adidasfootball to be the first to see exclusive content substitution when he saved spot-kicks from Bryan Ruiz from Adidas in Brazil. and Michael Umana to give the Dutch a 4-3 shootout vic- You’ve had fierce competition for your place in the Brazil tory and a place in the semi-finals against Argentina. But defence over the years, has this driven you on? he also came under heavy criticism on social media for his There is always big competition for a place in the Brazil side, intimidating tactics against the Costa Rican penalty tak- always. I have always given my best for the selecao, but all the other ers, staring them down and yelling at them before they players do that too, we are all desperate to pull on the shirt. I think I took their shots. Asked whether he had overstepped the am having a good run of form now, though, and I would love it if I line of good sportsmanship, a defiant Krul said he had could start every game for my country in the World Cup. It would nothing to apologise for. mean so much to me. “I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong,” he told a You scored in the 2007 Copa America Final, and got the win- news conference at his team’s training ground in Rio on ner in the 2009 Confederations Cup semi final, too. Does that Sunday. “I didn’t shout anything nasty at them. I just told give you an appetite to do the same on the biggest stage? them that I knew where they were going. I’m trying obvi- Yes. I am not a player that is expected to score goals, so that side ously to get in their heads and it worked yesterday. doesn’t matter at all, but playing in those big games makes you look “It’s a way of trying to psyche them out. Obviously at the World Cup, which is so much bigger, and just daydream about they are under massive pressure, I’m under massive pres- what it would be like to win it. sure as well so I used everything in my power to make it What are Brazil’s chances of overall victory, do you think, happen and luckily enough, happy enough it happened.” and how much does home advantage count? Krul, who has saved just two of 20 penalties he faced We have to be favourites. The home side is always favourites and with his club side Newcastle, said the mind games had we had a great squad, a great coach. It is all coming together and begun even before he stood on the line to try and save the Brazilian people won’t forgive us if we don’t give a good account the first spot-kick. Costa Rica had made the quarter-finals of ourselves. for the first time by beating Greece on penalties but Krul Does that mean the pressure is on? I wouldn’t say that, quite the opposite in fact. Football brings said he knew they were rattled as soon as they saw him pressure but we are about going out there and expressing ourselves warming up. “I definitely think it had an impact, when I as a team, playing the game in the right way and doing it the started my warm-up their whole bench was confused,” he Brazilian way. The home fans will help us a lot, they are our 12th man. said. “If you see their manager’s face when I came on, he You may face your Barcelona team mate, Leo Messi, at some was looking over at our manager, his face was priceless. It point, which can’t be a pleasant thought... was definitely one of those fantastic moves.” That would be pretty incredible. It would be a massive match, Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal, a renowned master the biggest the continent could offer. He is an outstanding player, tactician, had been hatching the plan for some time. But and I face him a lot in training. So I would welcome the chance to he kept it such a secret that he did not even tell Cillessen face him in a big game like that. and only let Krul know about it on the bus to the stadium When Leo broke Barca’s scoring record, you had provided but told him to keep it under wraps. more assists than anyone else in the side... “The manager and the goalie coach told me before This is true, and I will tell Leo now that I won’t be helping him like the game that if we had a substitution left there was a that out in Brazil! In Brazil we have outstanding forwards and it is a possibility that they may use me in the penalty shootout,” big part of my game to provide crosses and passes for them to get Krul said. “So obviously for me the whole game I was chances from. So Leo will have to do without my help on that front, watching it with a different view because I knew the pos- although there are plenty of good players in the Argentina side who sibility was there. “We have a plan before every game and will be setting him up with chances. I’m sure of that. I have my own style and I think it works. I’m over the What does your coach, Phil Scolari, tell you to do before each moon that I saved two penalties.” match? Is his emphasis on attack or defence? We like to keep things defensively tight, and I think we are BIG SURPRISE changing the image of Brazil’s defenders. We have shown that Cillessen was initially disappointed at being hauled off defenders can be star players for Brazil as well as the forwards, who before the shootout after keeping a clean sheet but was are always more famous in the selecao shirt. So our first responsibili- among the first to congratulate his understudy when the ty is to keep things tight, but he also allows me to get forward when game ended. “I didn’t know anything about it beforehand I can. I do that for Barcelona and we see that it works, so I will be try- so for me it was a big surprise,” Cillessen said. “I wanted to ing to cause trouble down the flank when I can. play everything. I wanted to play the penalty shootout as You’ve redefined the idea of a full back, in many ways... well but the coach made a decision that Tim was better For Brazil and for Barca, in many ways, the focus is on attacking. I than me and I had to accept it.” can play as a winger but I’m more effective as an attacking full back, Krul accepted that Cillessen remained the team’s first- in the same way that Roberto Carlos was. I like to overlap and bomb choice and would not give away any more secrets about forward like him and hopefully it works. what the Dutch might have in store to stop Argentina Barca have won so much, and you are one of their most deco- captain Lionel Messi. rated players. How do you transfer that to the international scene? “They (Argentina) are a fantastic team. They are in the Barcelona have helped to redefine football in many ways, to take semi-finals so you have to be fantastic team to be there,” it back to its roots, its origins. They love playing football, and they Krul said. “But we are a fantastic team as well and I think want it to be fun, enjoyable, an expression of yourself. That’s how BRAZIL: This combination of file photos made yesterday of images from the 2014 FIFA World Cup football tourna- that we can be really confident with what we’ve shown I’ve always seen how the game should be played, so I fitted in to the ment in Brazil shows (top-left) Germany’s forward Thomas Mueller, (top-right) Brazil’s defender David Luiz cele- and the players we’ve got. “We’re re really fit, I think we’re team there very well. But now I see Brazil playing the game more brating at the end of the penalty shootout, (bottom-left) Netherlands’ forward Robin van Persie celebrating after fitter than most teams at the World Cup and we can be and more like that, too. We are relaxing, we are giving enjoyment scoring during a Group B football match between Spain and the Netherlands, (bottom-right) Argentina’s forward confident it should be a fantastic game. “Hopefully we back to the fans by enjoying the way we play ourselves and captain Lionel Messi celebrating after scoring during the Group F football match between Nigeria and won’t need to go to penalties against Argentina and we Brazil is a country where every kid plays football, what are will get the job done in 90 minutes.” — Reuters your memories of kicking one about as a kid? Argentina. Brazil will face Germany in their semi-final football match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament I grew up in Juazeiro, and every boy would play football there. I today. — AFP played non-stop with my neighbours. And my father was a huge football fan who would arrange games and eventually had his own team. I played for the team as a winger, but then I got moved back David Luiz: Maverick turned leader to right back, which is where I play now. That education made me the player I am today. BELO HORIZONTE: Frizzy locks flailing and today. On his 42nd cap Luiz will captain his teammate for commercial endorsements Scolari after a shaky period under Mano What do you think to the adidas Brazuca football, specially eyes bulging, David Luiz charged towards country, a role many believe he is naturally and his empassioned blaring of the nation- Menezes has been the partnership designed for a Brazil World Cup? the corner flag and karate-kicked it out the more suited to than the subdued Silva. al anthem has become legendary as a 200 between Luiz and Silva conceding an aver- I like it, it is a great football. It plays really well and it is very way after sending Brazil into the World Cup Amongst the tears and crashing of Brazilian million strong nation shuts down for every age of well under a goal a game. bright, it has the right personality for Brazil. The name is great, too. Brazuca means pride in the Brazilian way of life - which I have, very semi-finals with a stunning free-kick nerve against Chile in the last 16, Luiz was a Brazil match. More importantly, though, he Their familiarity may have gone, but in much - and it also means Brazilian. So I relate strongly to it. against Colombia. shining light. is not the figure of fun he was often unfairly Bayern Munich’s Dante, Luiz couldn’t have Hopefully it can bring Brazil a lot of good luck. I’m wishing that His celebration a caricature of his play- His first international goal had put his tarnished as in England. Since Luiz Felipe asked for a better replacement for Silva in strongly. ing syle, Luiz rarely does things the conven- country in front and whilst others, includ- Scolari returned to take the Brazil job 20 knowing how to handle the likes of Thomas How will you relax in between games? tional way. The most expensive defender ing Silva and centre-forward Jo shied away months ago they have not lost a game in Mueller and Mario Goetze. Luiz will have I like to listen to music. My favourite is Samba. I don’t get the ever having sealed a £50 million ($85 mil- when a penalty shootout was needed to which Luiz has played the full 90 minutes. good memories of Germany’s Bayern con- chance to listen to much Samba in the Barcelona dressing room, but lion) move from Chelsea to Paris Saint- decide Brazil’s fate, Luiz stepped up to Brazil will face the biggest test of that tingent too. in the Brazil one, we have it a lot. It’s very relaxing before games, and Germain last month, he played the majority hammer home the opening spot-kick. record yet, though, in the form of a German In the 2012 Champions League final he puts you in the right mood. of his final season in the Premier League in “I’m ready, I’m vice-captain. This group is team sick of being nearly men at interna- spearheaded an incredible defensive dis- You’re famous for busting out some dance moves when your midfield as Jose Mourinho didn’t trust him very easy to handle because everyone is tional tournaments. play from Chelsea in the absence of captain side wins. Have you got any special moves planned for the to defend and is his country’s second top humble and fun. We act as a family, a unit,” “They are a great team with a great phi- John Terry to deny the German giants from World Cup final, if you win that? scorer at the World Cup. he said when pressed on how his role will losophy of how to play football,” Luiz said of winning European club football’s biggest If Brazil can win the World Cup final, you would not be able to Now in the absence of injured star change without Neymar and Silva. Joachim Loew’s men. “They have a lot of prize in their own stadium. A similarly hero- stop me dancing for a couple of months straight, I don’t think. The Neymar and suspended captain Thiago With Neymar out of the tournament, great players, a great coach and it will be a ic effort will be needed to prevent the whole country would have the biggest carnival ever, you can’t imag- Silva, Luiz the maverick must become a Luiz has become Brazil’s face of the World great game. It is a World Cup semi-final.” Germans inflicting the same pain on Brazil ine it! leader against Germany in Belo Horizonte Cup. He already rivalled his poster boy The bedrock of that return to form under in Belo Horizonte. —AFP