Germany V Algeria World Cup 2014

Germany V Algeria Fifa World Cup 2014

After match synopsis in red!!

Top bets on today’s game: Germany V Algeria

Really reckon we will see a top performance from Germany today. Cant see how Algeria will get anything from this game, will be doing well if they can even score a goal. Sadly, I predict that they might get a right old hammering.

T Muller a/t scorer 8/13
M Klose a/t scorer 11/10
B Schweinsteiger a/t 11/4

Unlucky as Muller and Schweinsteiger went close a good few times.

All odds with PP

Full betting previews, read here>

Beers: Round of 16 Beer World Cup:

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-last-16/

Who is set to win the battle of the beers? Unfortunately I couldnt source a beer from Algeria, so it will be Baltika No 6 Porter from Russia, from beer Group H, doing battle today, against Friedenfelser of Germany who topped their beer Group G. Who will quench the thirst, set the mood, get me in the right spirit? Click on picture for a preview of the beers.

Get the beer result after, much after!

Baltika 6 Porter V Friedenfelser Urtyp Hell: 1-2 to Friedenfelser in a very very close contest, that went to extra time. I really enjoyed both beers, both different but with their own unique good tastes and quality’s. The final decision was which beer I would drink in extra time, and I went with the German beer, just. Baltika Porter, surprised me, I wasn’t expecting a porter from Russia to be so delicious. Appearance good, black and decent creamy head, its a porter after all. Strong aroma of chocolate and roasted malts, enticing. For a porter it didn’t have a very bitter taste, it was more sweet than bitter, and this meant it was very easy to drink. The taste was of dark chocolate, coffee and roasted malt, not overwhelming and not strong. But despite how smooth it was, there was a kick to it, that 7%ABV is there and you will notice it! Friedenfelser’s Urtyp Hell, on the other hand, was a lovely tasting beer that I could have drank all night. Good appearance of a lovely golden yellow colour, with a decent frothy head. Good aromas of malts and grains with notes of grassy hops. But it has a winnable taste that I loved. The flavours were of a light sweetness, a grainy malt taste and a light hop note. It tasted very nice and smooth and the flavours were not overbearing, making this beer an excellent session beer, and one of the best that I have had in this Beer World Cup. The beer that I wanted to drink more of in extra time was Friedenfelser Urtyp Hell

PreGame:

Germany coach Joachim Low is getting a bit upset about all the media talk of that infamous 1982 game, “I find it irritating when I read that this is a match about vengeance. Why should players who weren’t even born then want revenge?”. Well then he should get his team to play with some fairness and honesty, then we, the sporting public, might be just a bit more willing to forgive and forget past German football transgressions. Lead by example, you silly c**t. Apologies, but Low needs to be brought down a peg or two. His head might burst its so far up his jacksey.

The Germans did just enough to beat the USA, a pretty efficient performance, if not very pretty on the eye, but with one foot in the next round they were always going to take it easy. It was a polished team effort, considering the horrendous conditions, with a torrential downpour causing havoc on the surface of the pitch, and making a good game seem impossible.

The German started off the game on fire, immediately disproving pregame theories of tactical plans for a draw between both German coaches. Germany on both wings were zipping in the crosses, and putting the USA in all sorts of intense pressure early on. Jerome Boateng was especially effective on the right wing, sending in at least half a dozen low crosses into the penalty box. Howard and, particularly Gonzalez in central defence, did just enough to hold out.

Thought Schweinsteiger made a real difference in that game for the German team. He provides a strong midfield steel to the team, and gets things moving along. Lahm was also good, I guess he plays better when Schweinsteiger is playing along side him.

The first half of that game fizzled out in the end, and the second half wasn’t much more of an improvement. Thomas Muller eventually got on the score sheet, getting his fourth goal of the tournament. As for the USA they offered very little, and had no chances at all in the game. The sad fact was that Neuer, in the German goals, hadn’t a shot to save all game. Have to give credit to the German midfield and defence for closing out the Americans all game.

Germany topped the group and play Algeria today, in a game where I cant honestly think they will have too many problems with. Back to front they have more than enough to beat Algeria comfortably.

Watch out for Thomas Muller and, if he plays, Miroslav Klose. If they play I can see both scoring. Muller seven and Klose one goal off the all time record. Expect a few today.

Algeria are unbeaten against Germany on two previous occasions, one of which is that game that we dare not mention. That game they won 2-1, beating the then reigning European Champions. Can history repeat itself?

Algeria pulled off the unthinkable and managed to get in the last 16 for the first time in their history. And they had to do it the hard way, by coming from behind to get the goal that they needed. Their performance in the three group games definitely means they deserved it. They have played some decent football and are fairly solid in defence.

Algeria kept pressing against the Russians, never giving up, and you could see that there was a goal coming their way. And it did. Islam Slimani got up highest to head a Brahimi free kick that the Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev completely missed.

Slimani, deserved a goal, as he showed great leadership on the pitch and was involved in much of Algeria’s forward play throughout the match. He put his country into the last 16 for the first time in their history, and today is his reward, a game against Germany, and revenge.

I wonder if Ramadan, the holy month in which Muslims fast during daylight, will affect the Algerian players? Not particularly au fait with the religious custom, I am not sure if the players are exempt from this or not. I wouldn’t like to be running around in that Brazilian heat with out the necessary calories and energy built up from a good hearthy diet, but if that’s what they believe so be it. Either way I wish them good look in a game that might prove a little beyond them today.

Germany are into the last eight of a World Cup for the 17th time in 18 World Cup appearances, an amazing statistic, but they had to work very hard this time as Algeria were no pushovers. In fact if Algeria just showed a little more composure in front of goals then the the final result would be all so different.

From the very start Algeria piled on the pressure and their game plan was very simple: run at the Germans, especially at their back four who appeared to be very slow to react to any sort of pressure. Algeria had two great chances inside the first ten minutes. Mertesacker stepped in with a late tackle to stop Slimani scoring from an excellent cross by Ghoulam. Then the best chance of the night when Feghouli, in a brilliant position, greedily took a shot on when a simple pass into the box would have definitely resulted in a goal as the Germans were well stretched. Poor from Feghouli, who hasn’t reproduced his Valencia form and is one of the few Algerians who haven’t impressed me in this tournament. More pressure came when Slimani’s diving header was correctly disallowed for offside, but it was close. Unlucky. Ghoulam then went on another one of his mazy runs, steamed through on the left and lashed a ball across the box, waiting for someone to tap it in.

This was all brilliant stuff from the Algerians. Relentless pressure on the German defence, and Slimani and Ghoula, were making mincemeat out of the German back four, with Boateng in particular suffering badly. Neuer had to be called into action to bail out his defence and was used brilliantly as a sweeper to mop up all the through balls that Algeria couldn’t latch onto. Schweinsteiger was also doing a lot of work for his team, while others went missing.

Just before the break, the Germans finally managed to exert some pressure of their own, and the Algerian goalie Rais Mbolhi had to make a great double save from Kroos and Gotze to keep the teams level at half time.

Germany immediately came out with much more rigour in the second half with a Lahm effort going close. Neuer was now not only acting as a goalkeeper and defender but also looking for assists as his long range pass expertly reached Schurrle on the edge of the box with the shot narrowly going wide with a deflection.

But Neuer was also called into action to do a bit of goalkeeping, brilliantly stopping a powerful Slimani strike from going in. This was a truly amazing piece of goalkeeping from Neuer. I half expected him to pop up for a corner and head a goal for Germany, he was doing so much work for his team. Bit disappointed he did not score a goal really, as he did everything else!

Muller had a decent game, but wonder if Klose was on would he have scored from Mullers chances? Muller headed a great chance straight at Mbolhi when the whole goal was to shot for, and he later fluffed a very good shot that could have hurt Algeria. Not criticising just wondering mind.

Just before the 90 minutes were up Schweinsteiger threatened with a header, but it had no power to trouble the goalkeeper. So the game headed into extra time, nil nil apiece.

Just soon after the start of extra time Germany finally scored when Schurrle finished from close range with an improvised finish. Did he mean it? Not sure but it looked brilliant. Well done to Schurrle who made a huge difference to his team when he came on, and got a goal that his performance so deserved.

Soon Germany got another goal, with Ozil powering in a second, to leave Algeria all to do in the dying few minutes of the game. They did manage to pull one back Djabou put one in the German net but there was no time left to find another goal. Algeria made their exit and Germany breathed a sigh of relief as the full time whistle was blown.

Was a classic game of football and fair dues to the Algerian football team for surprising everyone in actually giving Germany one hell of a good game. The Germans go on to play France in a mouth watering tie, while Algeria go home with their heads held high.

Finally would like to mention that I thought the Brazilian referee Meira Ricci had a very good game, calling most of the major decisions correctly and letting the game flow. Take a bow.

Music to get you in the mood

Sash! V Khaled