‘France-Germany has always been very tense’
Loew downplays historic significance, says his players weren’t even born when teams met in 1982
PORTO ALEGRE: With France and Germany setting up a quarter-final at the Maracana on Friday, the only other box that needs to be ticked for this to be the Cup of Cups, as they say it here, is a BrazilArgentina, Messi-Neymar, f i nal. The l ocals t hough wouldn’t mind anyone else in the last round so long as Brazil win.
“It will be a classic,” said Ger many coach Joachim Loew after Monday’s laboured win on a cold, wet, blustery night here. “France versus Ger many has always been very dramatic and tense. France after 2010 and 2012 with (coach Didier) Deschamps have developed very well, they are strong and fighting, in midfield and defence. Up front they h ave ( K a r i m ) B e n z e m a and (Olivier) Giroud. So, Germany-France has always been played with a high tension.”
Loew then downplayed the historic significance of the match, saying his players weren’t even born when the teams met in the World Cup in Spain 1982. “I don’t know whether I really understood the question. I mean whethe r G e r m a n y - Au s t r i a , Ger many-France then has a certain role here. Over the last few years, we have played France in Paris, in Bremen. Those are elements that will flow into analysis. Not what happened 30 years ago,” he said.
But even if he doesn’t want to, references to the semifinal in Seville are likely to creep into conversations over the next three days. Former players may be asked to recollect the first shootout in World Cup history and where Harald ‘Toni’ Schumacher kicked Patrick Battiston so hard that Michel Platini had thought his teammate may have died.
It will also be remembered for the languid grace and genius Platini brought to a football field, for the goalscoring abilities of Karl Heinz Rummenigge which t ook t he match i nto t he shootout where Schumacher made two saves. And for West Germany being barracked for contriving with Austria to send Algeria home, the only time a team was eliminated after winning two group league games.
Monday evening was the first time they met since 1982 and if the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’ wasn’t avenged, it was because Manuel Neuer played more like Franz Beckenbauer ready to use his feet and head oftener than his hands.
“He had an extraordinary game,” said Loew. Germany rectified that in the second half and it wasn’t till deep into extra-time that Mehdi Mostefa broke through. By then Andre Schuerrle had scored with a trailing leg, his arrival changing the dynamics.
Loew has a mounting injury list in the defence to deal with. Matt Hummels was unavailable and Loew said Shkodran Mustafi was out of the tournament with a muscle injury.
Mustafi had to be pulled out leading to skipper Philipp Lahm getting back to his old position as right back. It also led to Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira playing together for the first time in Brazil. Both are coming back from injury and though Schweinsteiger had to be substituted, Loew said it was cramps.
The Germany coach said such struggles for victory are normal in tournaments like these referring to Brazil’s p ro bl e m s w i t h C h i l e t o embellish his point. “In 2006, we went out playing marvellously well. Now the important thing is that we are in the quarterfinals,” he said.
THAT VICTORY WAS DOWN TO SHEER WILLPOWER. WE GAVE AWAY LOT OF BALLS, MADE TOO MANY DEFENSIVE ERRORS AND ALLOWED THEM TO COUNTER-ATTACK US JOACHIM LOEW, Germany coach WE’RE PART OF ALGERIAN HISTORY, NO OTHER TEAM WENT SO FAR BEFORE AND WE SHOWED WE CAN PLAY ON AN EQUAL FOOTING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. WE REALLY WANT TO BUILD ON THIS RAIS M’BOHLI, Algeria goalkeeper