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A Cup classic awaits
Germany-Argentina real doozy
Fri, June 30, 2006
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BERLIN -- The trouble with bulletin-board material at the World Cup is the good stuff can get lost in the translation.
Converting from Spanish to English then to German -- or whatever the sequence may be -- isn't the simplest way to get the message across.
We're guessing the host Germans got the drift, though, when informed of Argentina forward Carlos Tevez's challenge in advance of today's juicy quarter-final.
"They are hosts and they will have to show us what they've got," Tevez said.
"But the hosts are going to have to show more than they have done so far to beat us."
The opening match of the final eight shapes up as a classic, a battle between a pair of teams that twice have met in a World Cup final.
Bringing that history to the present, both the Germans and the Argentines arguably have been the most formidable teams over the past three weeks.
That, plus the home-field edge countered by Argentina's wealth of style, is why bookmakers have made this a toss-up.
As Tevez was ranting yesterday, Berlin was getting ready for what Germans hope will be a weekend-long celebration of a semi-final berth.
A crowd of 72,000 will be at the Olympic Stadium today with an estimated 500,000 more cramming into the fanfest area that starts at the historic Brandenburg Gate and stretches for a mile of mayhem on city streets.
Each of the 12 World Cup cities has its own charm, but Berlin is without doubt the pulse of this tournament.
That the heroic hosts are winning is good enough, but that they are doing so with style has buzzed up the festivities.
Indeed, if a more reasonable challenge issued by an Argentine player comes to pass today, it could be a memorable afternoon.
"Argentina doesn't know how to sit back," midfielder Javier Maschereno said.
"Let's hope that a great team like Germany will also come out and play the game."
The Germans did just that in their easy victory over Sweden in the Round of 16, sending wave after wave at their overmatched opponents.
Once thought of as a more defensive-minded team, the Germans have shown a scoring punch up front with the tandem of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, plus the captain, Michael Ballack, who has yet to score.
Responding to the attack mentality of their coach, Juergen Klinsmann, the Germans refuse to sit back and have won all four of their games.
Argentina counters with its South American flair, albeit a disciplined one under coach Jose Pekerman.
When they opened with a 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro, the Argentines were immediately upgraded to a favourite for the title, though they needed extra time to put aside Mexico.
Both teams have scored 10 goals through four games, tying them with Brazil for the tournament lead, further fuelling the optimism in both camps.
The Germans have gone from potential embarrassment to heroic hosts in the span of the three weeks it took to get to today.
And with that, they have not only raised the expectations of the nation, but of themselves.
Even Ballack, who publicly downgraded his team's chances prior to the tournament, has changed his tune.
"We want to be realistic, but why shouldn't beating Argentina be realistic?" said Ballack, who had several glorious chances against Sweden. "This is a match between two teams who have played convincing and entertaining football.
"The beauty of it is that whatever happens, it's going to be an exciting game."
NOT NERVOUS
One that probably wouldn't have looked out of place being played nine days later with the title on the line, either.
And just to confirm his team isn't in awe, Klose was game yesterday for doing his part to keep the translators busy.
"We're not particularly nervous about facing Argentina even though they are one of the favourites for the title," Klose said.
"Now that they have had the misfortune to come up against us, we hope we can send them home."
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