Germany’s 4-0 win shook football world
Arguably the most shocking result of the 2010 World Cup was Germany’s 4-0 quarter-final annihilation of Argentina in Cape Town on July 3.
Joachim Loew’s team were ruthless in their demolition of Lionel Messi and Co, Miroslav Klose helping himself to a brace while Thomas Muller and Arne Friedrich also found the net.
That, though, was not how it was supposed to be.
Germany versus Argentina at the World Cup had always been one of the most fascinating clashes, generally a tightly contested affair.
And the thousands who packed the Cape Town Stadium that cold evening did so expecting an enthralling, edge-ofthe-seat affair in the mould of the 1986 and 1990 finales. After all, the Argentinians were coached by Diego Maradona whose magical skills were key to the South Americans’ 3-2 extra-time triumph over the Germans at Mexico 86. He later bawled his eyes out at Italia 90 when the Europeans avenged the defeat via an Andreas
Brehme penalty kick.
In Germany in
2006, the two countries had met at the quarter-final stage with the hosts sneaking through via a 4-2 penalty shootout win. In SA 10 years ago, Maradona provided entertainment from the sidelines just as he did when he was on the pitch. Resplendent in grey oversized suits, El Diego cajoled his team through the group stages and past the initial knockout stage with the same passion he had shown when he was a player. A rosary wrapped around his hand, he kissed each of his players as they lined up in the tunnel before they took on the ol’ enemy. He prowled the technical area like a madman. The fans of skilful play willed him and his team on, their desire to see Maradona and his heir apparent as the best footballer in the world, Messi, to World Cup glory immense. But the young German team would have none of that and inflicted a defeat so comprehensive they could so easily have been playing against a bunch of Sunday morning park footballers. Muller opened the scoring on two minutes with a glancing header from inside the box and Klose netted a second-half brace. Friedrich scored in between those strikes. It was a deflating defeat for Maradona and Messi. While the Germans were knocked out in the semis by eventual winners Spain, the defeat of Argentina gave an indication of things to come. Four years later in Brazil, they became world champs, beating Messi and Co once again in the final.
Here is Sunday World’s traditional 4-4-2 starting XI who will miss the remainder of the Coronavirus-ravaged league campaign.