That Germany had lost their two previous encounters with Algeria was dismissed as something of an aberration in the build up to this game. After all, Germany’s international pedigree is well established: currently ranked second by FIFA, they are three times each World Cup and European Championships winners. Algeria? This was their first foray into the World Cup knock-out stage.
But this was no cake-walk for Germany, despite the fact that a brief glance at tonight’s match statistics might have made you think otherwise. The Germans enjoyed a full 61% of possession, racking up 14 shots on target to Algeria’s 3. And yet, for all their carefully controlled possession, Germany created little of danger within 30 yards of the Algerian goal, two banks of green keeping the fluid front three of Muller, Ozil, and Gotze at bay.
Indeed, it was Algeria who had the best chances in the opening 45 minutes, breaking at speed through Soudani and Simani up front. The former thought he had headed the Africans into the lead on 17 minutes, only for the linesman’s flag to rule him offside. Their rapidity and directness regularly exposed the key deficiency in Germany’s back-four: a lack of pace. From the 9th to the 90th minute Manuel Neuer was forced to race from his area to sweep up simple, long balls that caught Mertesacker and Boateng on the turn.
It wasn’t until the second half that Joachim Loew’s men started to create the sustained pressure and clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities that most had expected to see from the start. Phillip Lahm had a long range drive tipped wide on 55 minutes, while Muller should have won it for Germany in the 80th when he headed straight at M’Bohli from ten yards out. Though Algeria’s directness continued to pose problems, they came less and less frequently as Germany’s passing, possession-based game started to tell on African legs.
After 90 minutes of deadlock, the game entered Extra Time, and it only took two minutes before Andre Schurrle - a half-time substitute for Mario Gotze - scored the all-important breakthrough with a clever piece of improvisation to drag Muller’s low driven cross from behind him into the net. Schurrle that was that.
To their great credit, Algeria continued to pressed forward and pose Germany difficult questions. It wasn’t until the 29th minute of Extra Time that the Germans looked truly safe, as Ozil smashed home a deflected clearance into the net to make it 2-0.
And what did the men in green do? They went straight up the other end and scored, albeit too late, a goal that was no more than their efforts deserved: Djabou the man to get his name on the score sheet.
Germany can look forward to a quarter final against France on Independence Day in the Maracana. But now that six of the eight last-16 matches have been completed, the question is just who will win this World Cup? None of the fancied nations have to-date put in a convincing performance, each laboring to edge out “lesser” opposition. With Costa Rica and Colombia already in the quarter finals, perhaps 2014 will see a new name added to the World Cup winners’ roll call.
