Yahoo! Sports’ World Cup rankings
1. Germany (last ranking: 4): Germany’s four goals against Australia in its opening game could be put down to the weakness of the opposition and Tim Cahill’s harsh red card. The four the Germans managed to score in the round of 16 could be attributed to England being caught out as it threw men forward in desperation of goals.
But the four Loew’s men hammered home against Argentina cannot be marked down to anything other than sheer brilliance and clinical efficiency. The accuracy of the team’s passing and the collective determination to track back in numbers makes this not only the hardest-working team at the World Cup but also the most dangerous.
2. Netherlands (last ranking 5): When the Dutch went a goal down against Brazil in its quarterfinal Friday, many expected the game to become one-way traffic. It did, for the Netherlands. With a comeback of stunning resolve and magnificent execution, the team derided as the most disjointed in the tournament beat the odds and claimed a spot in the last four.
The Dutch’s overall level of talent has never been questioned, but their ability to cope under pressure has. Uruguay will come to fight on Tuesday and Bert van Marwijk’s side will need to show the stomach for a scrap.
3. Spain (last ranking 2): Saturday night could have turned very ugly, very quickly for Spain. Against a Paraguay team determined to impose itself physically, the European champions looked far from their awesome best and lacked their typically dynamic style.
What they did have though, was confidence, tenacity and a refusal to buckle. Even after the game turned wild with two missed penalties in the second half, Spain kept its head and had David Villa’s fifth goal of the tournament to thank for keeping its title hopes alive.
4. Uruguay (Last ranking 6): Hands up if you expected Uruguay to be in the semifinals? OK, you can tell the truth now. As South America’s fifth-best team coming into the tournament, Uruguay was seen as a team capable of making a run – just not this deep.
However, Diego Forlan’s golden run of form combined with fierce, committed defending – and a huge slice of luck in the quarterfinal against Ghana – has put this underdog team just two victories away from winning the World Cup.
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Having watched much of these teams' games....
GO TSCHERMANY!
(the way we write it in Spanish)... She knows all the rules, extra times, etc.. it's kinda funny but it's true!
:ymca:
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