The World Cup is set to come to a close on July 13 when Germany take on Argentina for the right to call themselves world champions.
With Die Mannschaft looking to become the first European nation to win in South America and La Albiceleste looking to claim their third crown on the soil of hated rivals Brazil, here are three key matchups which may tip the balance for either side in a tournament where both have emerged from some nervy moments and landed them on the precipice of history.
Thomas Muller vs. Javier Mascherano
Muller has picked up where he left off in South Africa in 2010 when the Bayern Munich hit man made a grand entrance on the world’s biggest stage scoring five goals.
Muller has added another five to his record in Brazil while engineering the destruction of both Brazil and Portugal where Die Mannschaft destroyed two footballing powerhouses by a combined 11-1 scoreline. For all his mastery in front of goal, the most impressive parts of his game are his intelligence and his indefatigable work rate.
Muller’s goals are normally the result of being in the perfect spot at precisely the right moment. Muller couples his tactical acumen with tremendous fitness and determination which has seen the 24-year old cover the most ground in this World Cup (68.8 kilometers) making him doubly difficult to mark.
If Lionel Messi is Argentina’s brain then Javier Mascherano is surely its heart. While Messi continues to attract the attention, it is Mascherano who symbolizes Argentina’s resiliency.
The Barcelona man has played every single minute of the tournament, man-marking and tackling with precision all the while helping to direct the attack with intelligent passing to the Albiceleste wingers.
The 30-year old has strung together massive performances sitting in front of a stingy but creaky back line which has bent but rarely broken in this tournament and have not surrendered a goal in 330 minutes of play in the knockout competition, going to additional time twice.
Mascherano will need to channel the energy and spirit he displayed in the dying moments of regulation against the Netherlands where he denied Arjen Robben a golden chance in order to keep Muller from making his trademark runs and finding small pockets of space behind an expertly tuned German side.
Lionel Messi vs. Bastian Schweinsteiger
Germany have notfaced a classic number 10 in this tournament and the Argentine maestro is perhaps the epitome of a fantasista as he is arguably the best player in the world.
Rarely the charismatic or vocal leader, Messi has heretofore seemed uncomfortable carrying the Albiceleste torch and the stigmatizing comparisons to Diego Armando Maradona such correlations draw.
This summer Messi has seemed more relaxed and patient carrying the captain’s armband. Though he hasn’t scored in the knockout stage, the Barcelona lynchpin proved his patience and master class throughout the competition and has turned in several man-of-the-match performances while scoring four goals, ranking first in successful dribbles per match (6.5) and fourth in key passes per match (3.5).
More importantly, at critical moments he has appeared to embrace the responsibility and seized the moment as he did at the end of extra time against Switzerland when, after playing nearly 120 minutes in the stifling heat, Messi unleashed a beautiful pass to Angel Di Maria to send the Albiceleste to the semi-final.
Although Schweinsteiger often plays second fiddle to the more celebrated deep-lying playmakers of this era, the Bayern Munich midfield engine has long since been one of the best players and most respected players of his generation.
As youthful exuberance and effort give way to composure ad confidence, Schweinsteiger appears a more composed and expressive player as he’s matured relying less on his pace and determination and more on his long-range precision passing which quickly turns a successful challenge to a counter-attack opportunity.
Dubbed “the brain” of Die Mannschaft by coach Joachim Low, Schweinsteiger leads a ridiculously talented trio of midfielders which include Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos who have combined for a staggering pass completion rate of 91% at the tournament. However, it will be his marking and ability to contain Messi which will likely define the battle on Sunday.
Mats Hummels vs. Gonzalo Higuain
Hummels has barely set a wrong foot starting in Germany’s last two matches replacing Per Mertesacker and forming a partnership with Jerome Boateng.
The pair only conceded a meaningless late strike against Brazil and kept an in-form France side from ever finding any rhythm or seriously threatening Germany’s goal. The 25-year old Borussia Dortmund star is excellent in the air, as he proved in scoring the lone strike in their quarterfinal win against France, and he’ll need the skill to guard against free kick opportunities whipped in by Argentina’s number 10.
Hummels will have to maintain his tactical discipline as Higuain is a striker who excels at providing width by popping up at either touch line and creating space for his midfielders. Tactical discipline must be maintained in order to avoid being stretched out of position.
While the Napoli man has not been the goal-machine at this World Cup he was with the Partenopei last season, El Pipita’s work is certainly appreciated by coach Alejandro Sabella as he has started five of Argentina’s six matches and provided the target in a preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Higuain is very much a modern-day striker as he’s an excellent distributor and has the ability to unleash a deadly shot with either foot. His movement off the ball creates channels for Ezequiel Lavezzi, Messi and Sergio Aguero to run at defenses.
Higuain got the best of Hummels in the Champions League this year and El Pipita will need a return to the form he displayed for the first two-thirds of Napoli’s campaign in order to disrupt a Germany back line which has appeared mostly untroubled since their 2-2 draw against Ghana in the second group match.
