Game # 57 - QF1 France vs Germany
Jul. 6th, 2014 10:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catalyst2This was exactly the game that you might expect from these two teams - tight football, not too many errors and not too many opportunities for either side. The game had a surprisingly early goal - from Germany when Hummels headed in a Kroos cross off the underside of the cross bar (whoa, far too many "cross"-es in that last sentence). Germany took control after that but it was the German keeper Neuer that had to fend off a Valbuena shot to keep the score the same at half time.
France came out after the break and really took it to Germany but with no result. However, France was doing well defensively, repeatedly cutting out the final German ball. On the other hand, they weren't doing that well up the other end - and, on the rare occasions that they did, Neuer was having another one of days when he could do no wrong. In the dying moments, Neuer showed just how true that was when he kept out a close range Benzema shot that could have equalized the score.
Germany goes on the the semifinals yet again off a narrow 1-0 scoreline. France can go home at least partially redeemed after their miserable 2010 World Cup performance.
France came out after the break and really took it to Germany but with no result. However, France was doing well defensively, repeatedly cutting out the final German ball. On the other hand, they weren't doing that well up the other end - and, on the rare occasions that they did, Neuer was having another one of days when he could do no wrong. In the dying moments, Neuer showed just how true that was when he kept out a close range Benzema shot that could have equalized the score.
Germany goes on the the semifinals yet again off a narrow 1-0 scoreline. France can go home at least partially redeemed after their miserable 2010 World Cup performance.
