Germany 4-0 Portugal: Five Talking Points

Germany recordedyet another 4-xresult in aWorld Cup as they beat Portugal 4-0 with surprising ease.Here are the five talking points from the match.

#1 Initial caution

It was surprising to see how tense and cagey both sides were initially. The humidity was probably a factor, as neither side wanted to run themselves out.

Consequently there was little attacking intent, and both seemed to be waiting for the other side to make mistakes. Ultimately, Die Mannschaft’s gifted front line – Mesut Ozil, Mario Gotze and Toni Kroos behind Thomas Muller – forced the first error, with right-back Joao Pereira hauling down Gotze in the box.

It was a deserved penalty, and once it became 1-0, with Germany playing a game of attrition, Portugal slipped far behind.

#2 Germany keep it narrow, Portugal fail to cope

Portugal are solid at the back and strong on the flanks, so Joachim Löw employed his creative forces in a focused manner – little width, but very direct. With Ozil, Muller and Gotze moving around the final third with impunity, their markers were pulled all over the place.

Pepe is Portugal’s finest defender, but his physical duel with Muller kept him busy in the centre, allowing Gotze and Ozil to run at the hapless Alves and Pereira at will. This frequent movement by the frontline helped create the first goal – Gotze is a natural false nine, and Pereira simply couldn’t handle his running.

For his part, Ozil stayed narrow on the right, dragging Coentrao inwards and ensuring the Real Madrid wing-back couldn’t link up very often with Ronaldo. Later, when Schurrle came on he provided fresh pace down the right, launching some quick counter-attacks, one of which led to the fourth goal.

Both Coentrao and Ronaldo increasingly stayed up the pitch, leaving space in behind for counter-attacks; Schurrle’s substitution was a direct response to Coentrao’s departure. He effectively had the run of the flank.

#3 Portugal surrender

Pepe’s dismissal in the 37th minute seemed to completely deflate Portugal. They were still up for the odd explosive run, but frankly didn’t seem to believe they could pull off a comeback. Languid movement, back-passes – their body language screamed for the full-time whistle.

To make matters worse, Pepe happens to be the best defender in a side that thrives on defensive solidity. Without his pace, Alves was less sure of moving upfield, and the midfield stayed back too; effectively ending their chances of equalizing.

They knew they had a mountain to climb, and that was not going to happen against one of the most organized sides in world football, packed with talented individuals. The reaction of the German bench to Pepe’s dismissal was illuminating: the players and staff rose as one, cheering and high-fiving each other. They knew the contest was dead – and, judging by Portugal’s slow tempo for the rest of the game, they weren’t the only ones.

Even before Muller’s second goal settled the result in half-time injury time, caution had given way to resignation, and Portugal were content to merely see out the match.

#4 Key Players - Muller and Ronaldo

Five years after he burst onto the scene under Louis van Gaal, Thomas Muller remains difficult to categorize. He’s not a playmaker, a midfield battler, a centre-forward or a winger – none of modern football’s conventions fit him.

His single greatest skill isn’t his dribbling, power or pace; it’s an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time, combined with a solid finish and a calm demeanour – neither of which ever seem to waver. He needed both to convert the penalty that put Germany ahead; and his darting runs into the box, timed to perfection with those of Ozil or Gotze, kept Pepe and Meireles busy throughout the first half.

At the other end of the pitch, Ronaldo cut an increasingly dejected figure. For the first 10 minutes he showed no signs of his tendonitis problem, launching into one of his trademark sprints in the 8th minute, although his shot was comfortably cleared. He kept trying to rally his deflated players as the ordeal wore on, unceasing in his runs and managing a couple of good chances, but there was little he could do.

#5 What this means for Portugal and Germany

An embarrassing result for Portugal, who will feel they are not 4 goals behind Germany. Yet they were so frequently blitzed in the first half that their confidence had visibly dropped. They arrived in Brazil insisting that they could win games without the talismanic Ronaldo. They have lost to a strong side with him, and qualification from Group G suddenly looks a lot harder.

Worse, Fabio Coentrao’s injury – diagnoses are yet to come in - could signal the loss of an important player. They need to play out of their skins against Ghana and USA, the captain in particular.

Like 2010, Germany have opened their campaign with a 4-0 win – and Portugal are undoubtedly tougher opponents than Australia. An efficient performance, if a little too easy. But similar starts have occurred in previous editions, with Germany flattering to deceive far too often. They must now avoid the complacency that naturally creeps in after such a win, and focus on their next opponents.

But worries about this young side have long centered around their ability to win dirty: after a decade of underachievement, can they grind out results in the big games?