While Lionel Messi wept tears from a broken heart and Diego Maradona was dragged angrily away from abusive fans following Argentina's crushing defeat to Germany earlier this week, Carlos Tevez, the team's tireless forward, revealed his thoughts on why la Albicelestes had failed so monumentally: a lack of teamwork.
Joachim Loew's youthful German side had picked their illustrious opponents apart at will, conclusively beating them 4-0 and becoming the first team to score four goals in three separate games at a World Cup since Brazil in 1970. Germany, much like the rest of the 31 national teams competing in this summer's showcase, had trained together for less than a month before the tournament got under way on June 11.
However, while supporters of Argentina - and England before them - were forced to watch in increasing horror as their squad of stars failed to align and were each dealt a pride-battering defeat, the Germans appeared as if they had been playing alongside each other all season. And perhaps that is because, for many of them, they have. All 23 players in Die Mannschaft's squad play their domestic football in Germany for one of eight top Bundesliga clubs, while more than a third of the 11 players who started against Argentina on Saturday are employed by Bayern Munich, the Champions League finalists.
Compare that to Maradona's Argentina, whose 23 players were pooled from 19 different clubs in eight different countries, and it is little wonder the South Americans lacked coherence against their European rivals while Germany showed fluidity and familiarity on the field. Spain, Germany's opponents in tonight's semi-final, are also benefiting from chemistry instilled by a certain domestic dominance in their squad.
Five of the 11 players who started La Roja's quarter-final against Paraguay play for Barcelona, while, like Loew, Vincente del Bosque, the Spanish coach, has compiled his 23-man squad from only eight different club sides. When the European champions scored the only goal of the game against their South American opponents on Saturday, it came moments after Del Bosque had introduced Pedro, the Barcelona forward who ensured more than half of the players representing his country on the field at Ellis Park also ply their trades at Camp Nou.
Pedro was instrumental in the attack that led to the goal and it was telling that only one of the five players involved - Cesc Fabregas - was not an employee of Barcelona. It is little wonder the Arsenal captain is believed to consider it may be beneficial to his future to chase a transfer back to the club where he started his career. Spain met Germany in the final of the European Championships two years ago, with La Roja emerging victorious courtesy of a Fernando Torres goal. But Pepe Reina, Torres's teammate at Liverpool, said the challenge his country face tomorrow is much tougher.
"[Germany are] probably the most complete team in the World Cup," said Reina, Spain's back-up goalkeeper. "A team that has changed since the 2008 final, with young and fresh faces. They are our most dangerous rival at the moment." Loew, having orchestrated the exit of Messi, the best player in the world, is similarly aware his side face a talented team that will pose a problem to his country's plans of World Cup success.
"Spain has not one Messi, but several Messis who can decide a game," said Loew. "For me, Spain are the favourites for the title." gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
