Germany 2, Algeria 1: Dream quarterfinal set after German extra time win
Algeria failed to erase the ghost of 1982, but they can leave Brazil with their heads held high.
The Fennec Foxes gave Germany everything they could handle, but Die Mannschaft proved too powerful in the end. Two goals in extra time set up a quarterfinal blockbuster in Rio, where France and Germany do battle.
The Goals
GOAL! André Schürrle (GER) 92 min. After coming oh so close during 90 minutes of regular time, it took the Germans two minutes to break the deadlock in Porto Alegre. Thomas Muller races down the wing and plays a cross into the Algerian box. Schürrle gets his trailing leg on the ball and puts just enough on it to beat Rais M’Bolhi.
GOAL! Mesut Özil (GER) 102 min. He was having a mare out there, displaying the kind of lackadaisical play that drew criticism during his first season with Arsenal. In the end, Mesut Ozil came good, playing a give and go with substitute Christoph Kramer. Kramer’s shot deflected to Ozil, who hammered the shot home. All is forgiven.
GOAL! Abdelmoumene Djabou (GER) 120 + 1 min. They deserved this. Algeria was the better team in the first half and had a number of chances to open the scoring. They couldn’t, and as their fitness waned it appeared evident Germany would advance to the quarterfinal. At least the Algerians have one goal to show for their excellent effort.
The Man of the Match - Manuel Neuer
The goalkeeper was Germany’s best player. “He only made three saves” you’re saying, but Neuer did much more than simply play goal. His defense struggled with Algeria's pace, and were beat repeatedly. Per Mertesacker’s poor foot speed and Jerome Boateng’s bad positioning forced Neuer to be proactive in goal, rushing out to quell threat after threat. Neuer was superb, displaying the athleticism that cemented him as the best keeper in the world. M’Bolhi gets an honorable mention as well. Both keepers were terrific.
The Controversy
Prior to the match, much was made regarding which Muslim players would be observing Ramadan during the World Cup. With the 30-day dawn-to-dusk fast beginning on Sunday, Mesut Ozil and many of the Algerian players had decisions to make. Ozil decided not to fast. Algeria head coach Vahid Halilhodzic refused to disclose which of his players were observing Ramadan, leading many to speculate who would, and who wouldn’t. In the end it was a smart decision by Halilhodzic, who protected his players from criticism back home and elsewhere by keeping the matter private. Algeria was terrific in Porto Alegre on Monday. Whether they were fasting or not clearly didn’t matter.
What did Germany do to win?
Joachim Löw was forced to alter his lineup when Mats Hummels came down with the flu before the match. As a result, Shkodran Mustafi was inserted at right back and Jerome Boateng moved to center back. Germany’s backline had a rough day at the office, but looked much better when Philipp Lahm moved to right back when Mustafi left the game due to injury.
Offensively for the Germans it felt like a goal was coming in the last 30 minutes of regular time. Muller and Schürrle were nightmare to deal with for the Algerian defense and eventually the Foxes capitulated after holding up for so long.
The Takeaway
A Germany vs. France matchup in the quarterfinals felt inevitable when the tournament began. In a World Cup that’s been defined by the unpredictable, this result is a welcome dose of sanity.
Germany will be in trouble against France’s immensely talented wing players. It’s time to move Lahm to right back for good.
The 1,000 Words
Algeria gave German supporters quite the scare.
Stray Thoughts
The Algerian national anthem is an underrated gem. One of the breakout stars of the tournament.
Neuer made one of the best tackles of the World Cup, cutting off Islam Slimani with a goal saving tackle after the Algerian speedster sprinted past Per Mertesacker early in the first half.
Faouzu Ghoulam was excellent on the wing, carving up Shkodran Mustafi. Philipp Lahm is one of the best right backs in the world. Play him at his proper position, which Jogi Low did when Mustafi the game due to a leg injury in the 68th minute, and be done with it.
Neuer in general, was amazing. His pass to spring Andre Schurrle early in the second half was incredible and nearly led to the game’s opening goal.
Rais M’Bolhi was pretty damn good himself, making a number of key saves, including one on a wonderfully taken strike by Lahm 10 minutes into the second half. He did it again with 10 minutes remaining in regular time, stopping an excellent header by Muller.
Algeria is the third team wearing green kits to be knocked out in the round of 16. Curse.
Djabou’s goal was the latest ever in a World Cup match (120:51), breaking Alessandro Del Piero's record from 2006 (120:15), which also came against Germany.
Germany makes their ninth consecutive World Cup quarterfinal. That’s a lot.