Yesterday's World Cup
This post was originally written in Chinese and published on Qzone.
Last night, the World Cup reached another semi-final: Germany vs. Spain.
I support Germany; I’ve been a fan of Germany since the start of the World Cup, no need to explain why.
Time flew to 2:30 AM, and with the deafening sound of my phone alarm, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and turned on the TV. It had already been playing for 7 minutes. The host said that Spain had 70% of the ball possession and completely controlled the situation.
Immediately, I started sweating, even though the indoor temperature was no more than 23°C. On the TV, on the field, the matadors in red jerseys were passing the ball methodically.
The first half ended, still 0:0. But Spain had the upper hand.
In the 68th minute of the match, Podolski received a pass from Kroos on the left wing and broke into the penalty area. The cross reached the far post, and Lahm, who had moved up, took a shot, but Casillas made a heroic save.
Let’s talk about this goal in detail. If, and I mean if, Müller had been on the field, and it was Müller who had moved up, would this goal not have gone in? Müller’s characteristics are so important in Germany’s tactical system. With Müller, wouldn’t those few counter-attacks have been successful?
Germany lost, they lost because Müller wasn’t there.
Müller may be young and lack experience, as shown by the two yellow cards he received before the semi-finals. In the next ten years, Müller will become a world-class star, a star that will sweep the world. (Stronger than so-and-so now, I won’t say who to avoid controversy. Facts speak louder than words. In his first World Cup, he scored 4 goals. Messi, Kaka, C. Ronaldo, and Rooney couldn’t do that.)
Tonight, I’m optimistic about the Netherlands. Sneijder’s passion and style of play will prove that he is the first Grand Slam winner in history!