Germany vs Spain: Three reasons why Germany will win
Germany is now the team to beat in this World Cup. Fresh off a 4-0 beatdown of Diego Maradona鈥檚 impressive Argentina team, they will be confident riding into Wednesday鈥檚 Spain vs Germany semifinal against a Spain team that has struggled to edge out its opponents.
Although Germany will miss scoring threat Thomas M眉ller because of a one-game suspension for accumulation of yellow cards, the team has plenty of offensive firepower to fill the void. Lukas Podolski, Mesut 脰zil, and, of course, Miroslav Klose will force Spain鈥檚 world-class goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, to play the game of his life if Spain is to have a chance.
Here are the top three reasons why Germany will beat Spain:
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1) Miroslav Klose
When it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net in the World Cup, there鈥檚 no one better than the 32-year-old Polish-born former carpenter, Miroslav Klose. Only Brazil鈥檚 Ronaldo, who no longer plays, has more career World Cup goals (15) than Klose (14). But Klose is guaranteed two more games (Wednesday鈥檚 Spain vs Germany semifinal and either the championship match or the third-place game) to boost his tally. In this World Cup, he has scored with his head, he鈥檚 scored on a volley, and even one sliding goal. Expect him to test Casillas early and often.
2) Organization
Germany鈥檚 soccer team has always been known for its superior organization. This World Cup is no different. German defenders don鈥檛 blow marking assignments. On the counterattack, players move quickly to space and use one-touch passing to blow by opposing defenses. And with tireless midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger distributing the ball, Spain will have trouble keeping up.
3) They strike early, score in bunches
When it comes to breaking down opponents, Germany certainly subscribes to 鈥渢he Powell Doctrine鈥� of overwhelming force. While other teams cautiously feel out an opponent with a slow start, Germany comes out swinging. They鈥檝e scored five first-half goals this tournament, two coming in the opening minutes of matches. And when they score once, they do everything they can to demoralize opponents by quickly adding to the tally. In each of their three goal fests of this World Cup (4-0 against Australia, 4-1 against England, and 4-0 against Argentina), they scored back-to-back goals, leaving their opponents stunned and blinking.
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IN PICTURES: Paul the octopus predicts World Cup outcomes
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