What games we’ve had in this World Cup. They’ve been great, and the semifinals should be awesome.
And as great as Neymar had been, as big of loss as that was, I’m still picking Brazil. As a matter of fact, I’ll take a different approach: His injury could be a silver lining.
It’s horrible to see that, and you feel terrible for him. He was playing under immense pressure, and he was rising to the occasion. How often does that not happen? He was doing it with a little bit of a swagger and a smile and that haircut, and he was loving it.
There are so many different layers to analyze with these games. But for Germany-Brazil, I’m still favoring Brazil.
I love the way Germany plays, and the Bundesliga is my favorite league in the world, but they really haven’t shown it consistently in this tournament.
Brazil hasn’t either, but I’m of the belief that Neymar’s injury — while for world soccer and the country of Brazil it’s horrible, and you wouldn’t wish that on anybody — in some ways alleviates the remarkable pressure on the team since the beginning of the World Cup, resulting from the social unrest and the people of Brazil.
The weight on everybody on that Brazil team to win the World Cup was immense. In a reverse way, I think it lessens that pressure.
We’ve seen it before with teams overcoming the loss of a star player — Radamel Falcao with Colombia, Franck Ribery with France. I think this Brazil team will rise to the occasion.
Tactically it’s not the end of the world against Germany. Oscar hasn’t been playing, Hulk, Fred, whoever comes in can attack. Dante will be fine in the back. I think we’ll see a different Brazil squad without the pressure on it, but still with an entire country behind it. That will be a tough storm for Germany to weather.
Can they do it? Sure. The Germans are rock solid everywhere except the back four. They certainly have the talent. Over 90 minutes they’ve shown they can do it. But they haven’t been consistent. The only reason we’re not surprised they’re in the semifinals is because they’re Germany.
It should be a great, great game, one many of us would love to see in the final. But I do still give the edge to Brazil.
I’m on my way there right now, catching a flight. I wasn’t going to go to this World Cup, but I can’t miss it. I’ll be with Pele and his entourage. When the U.S. isn’t playing I’ve always followed Brazil and Germany because of my Cosmos relationships with Pele and Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto.
I spoke to Carlos Alberto about it Sunday. He’s pulling his hair out, saying, “I can’t believe we need a team psychologist coming in.” But I’m echoing what he told me. He felt if there is a silver lining to this dark cloud, maybe it’s the Brazilians being free to play up to their capabilities. You never want to lose your star player, but it almost gives them a bit of an edge.
I think it’ll be enough.