FIFA World Cup Germany vs Algeria: It's David vs Golaith at Porto Alegre
Rio de Janeiro: Germany have lost only one of their seven World Cup meetings with an African team. The solitary reverse came at the hands of Algeria in 1982 before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Germany will face the north African team in the pre-quarter-final of the 2014 World Cup in Porto Alegre on Monday, hoping that another banana skin isn’t under their feet.
Despite beating the mighty West Germany in their maiden Cup match 32 years ago, Algeria failed to progress to the next round. The reason: the Germans colluded with Austria to contrive a result that took both of them to the second round at the expense of the Desert Foxes.
Germany, a powerhouse in world football, have moved on from the unedifying episode but the Algerians have apparently not. Algeria’s Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic has stoked the fire by saying his team would be out for revenge for the injustice of 1982.
It’s a line of thought that hasn’t gone down well with German boss Joachim Loew. According to him, the “irritating” revenge talk was a motivational tactic of someone in the Algerian camp. “Where is the question of revenge when most of my players weren’t even born in 1982?” he asked in a press conference.
Moving away from history, Algeria need a miracle to beat Germany. They are a limited side with unlimited enthusiasm. The Foxes were decidedly poor and unambitious in their opener against Belgium. A 4-2 win over South Korea revived their hopes and they hung on grimly for a 1-1 result with Russia that secured them a place in the second round for the first time in their history.
Man for man, Algeria, who have chosen their 23-member squad from 23 different clubs, stand very little chance against their opponents. Germany would be the last team in the tournament to be afflicted by complacency. They need a solid performance on Monday to click into top form.
After a brilliant start, the Germans weren’t as convincing subsequently in the group stage. Loew would be hoping that midfielders Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos raise their game to reach the level of Thomas Muller. Mario Goetze, too, has been playing below his potential.
Germany surely have a championship-winning team but they haven’t been playing like one. May be the cooler setting of Porto Alegre, which has substantial population of Brazilians of German origin, is the oil the Deutsche engine need to reach their peak performance.
Key Players
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany): The one club man is the spine of the German midfield. His ability to read the game and top-class technique make him the perfect link between defence and attack. He is not agoal-scoring machine but a pass master.
Position: Midfielder, Caps: 104, Goals: 23
Islam Slimani (Algeria): The striker, who headed the equaliser against Russia to send Algeria into the Round of 16, would be a threat. He would be tough on German defenders and Manuel Neuer must watch out for him.
Position: Striker, Caps: 23, Goals: 12
