1) Wanted: more Lahms
It was a game of three halves in Salvador. The first lasted seven minutes, that flirty little period before Germany scored when it looked as though Cristiano Ronaldo might have enough gas in his tank to exploit the space on Germany’s left flank. The second, the half hour before Pepe behaved like Pepe and was sent off for a wild reaction to Thomas Müller’s cunning theatrics. And the third the training exercise that was the final 50 minutes of the match. The first and the last of these shone a light one of the only reservations Joachim Löw will have after what was a comprehensive victory.
Germany have had two mild weaknesses in recent times: the defence and the defensive midfield. They have a solution to both of these weaknesses in the current squad. Unfortunately, though, the solution is the same in both cases’ and Philipp Lahm, the man who cannot play badly, cannot do so in two places at once. In Salvador Lahm played as a genuine holding midfielder, with Sami Khedira often charging forward and Toni Kroos having a superbly creative game. It is an area in which this German team has often looked a little lacking, while at the same time Lahm has been transformed at club level into one of Europe’s best defensive midfielders Problem surely solved, as demonstrated here by Lahm’s understated excellence behind that mobile front line.
Which is where the Lahm-shaped hole opens up at full-back. Germany simply don’t have two that look like they belong in a potentially World Cup-winning team. Jérôme Boateng was twice left stumbling in Ronaldo’s wake in those opening seven minutes, after which his afternoon became easier as Ronaldo roved into the centre and Portugal progressively deflated. And Germany are a slightly lop-sided team with such excellence in attack in front of a defence that lacks, not just the old hard-headed, vaguely murderous German resilience, but a pair of high class full-backs to complete the case as Copa Contenders. Oh, for two more Lahms. Maybe even three, with another to slot in next to Lahm in the midfield pivot. Although Löw can at least take comfort from the fact that, when it comes to less-than-perfect full-backs, Germany are hardly alone at this tournament. Barney Ronay
• Germany 4-0 Portugal – match report
• In pictures: the best images from Salvador
2) Portugal are in poor shape – and have nothing in reserve
Portugal are being talked about all over America, quite literally because the USA now fancy their chances against a side without Pepe, Fábio Coentrão and Hugo Almeida as well. The latter is a player most sides would not mind missing, but Coentrão – ruled out for 10 days – will be a big loss, especially if Ronaldo is unable to convince he has fully recovered from injury. Those two normally combine down the left to put much of the power into Portugal’s play, if both of them are injured the USA know there is not that much to fear from Nani, Éder and the rest.
Portugal were never likely to get their tournament off to a flying start with an opener against Germany, but a draw or even a narrow defeat would have provided a better platform for future success. Paulo Bento says it would be a mistake to overreact by making sweeping changes, but who is he trying to kid? Apart from William Carvalho, a defensive midfielder, Bento has not got any sweeping changes to make and he knows it. Portugal look in poor shape, and that was the case even before Pepe’s idiotic dismissal. Following this dismal opener, Bento will have his work cut out preventing the whole thing going pear-shaped. Paul Wilson
• Bento accuses referee of bias after defeat
3) The first dud of the World Cup
It is difficult to complain too much about the bore draw between Iran and Nigeria – the first of this excellent World Cup – given the drama and entertainment that preceded it. As much as we hoped that it could last for ever, that was never going to happen – and on the bright side, the incompetence on show in Curitiba simply made us appreciate what had gone before.
The crowd voiced its disapproval at the end of a match in which very little happened. It was not a huge surprise that these two sides cancelled each other out. While Nigeria made a fast start against nervous opposition, it was not long before they were banging their head against a brick wall. Iran sat back throughout, hoping to nick a goal on the break or from a set-piece, and Nigeria’s coach, Stephen Keshi, will not be happy with the way his forwards ran out of ideas so quickly. Too many attacks broke down because of a lack of care and Nigeria were let down by their anxiety and lack of patience. Against a deep defence, their movement was sluggish and there were too many inaccurate passes, hopeful shots and crosses from bad positions. They needed to move the ball with more pace. Yet while an unimaginative and fairly one-dimensional Nigeria attack was not suited to dealing with Iran’s diligence, perhaps their pace and trickery will be more of an asset when they face Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina, teams who will keep the ball while potentially leaving gaps to be exploited at the back. Jacob Steinberg
• Iran 0-0 Nigeria – match report
4) Klinsmann puts the united in USA
There was a lot of pressure on the USA coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, going into this match. His decision not to take Landon Donovan, arguably the USA’s most celebrated player, had made him a lightning rod for criticism. He’d also admitted that his team had no chance of winning the World Cup, a realistic assessment, but not one the Stateside media wanted to hear. So when Jozy Altidore’s hamstring twanged in the first half with USA 1-0 up, Donovan’s name buzzed around Twitter like a trapped bluebottle. There was a sense that critics wanted Klinsmann to be found out.
But Klinsmann’s USA squad is a tight-knit bunch these days – and well drilled too. There is an I in Klinsmann but not in his USA team. Michael Bradley, Kyle Beckerman and Jermaine Jones in midfield kept cool heads when Ghana applied the heat, skilfully closing down space and limiting their opponents creatively. And even in the second half, after Matt Besler had succumbed to injury and the defence was finally breached, they stuck at their task, chasing down lost causes and looking to one another collectively to get themselves out of a hole. Other, more talented teams, would love to bottle what Klinsmann has been brewing in his USA camp. Gregg Bakowski
• Ghana 1-2 Unites States – match report • Dream told Brooks he would score USA winner
5) Ghana should have put their faith in the Prince
Kevin Prince-Boateng has always been difficult to nail down. What is he? Midfielder? Winger? Forward? He’s been used in so many different positions at his many clubs in a nomadic career, that predicting where he will line up is folly. He believes he can be Ghana’s playmaker: “I hope I play behind the forwards,” he said before the World Cup. But a tendency to follow the sublime with the ridiculous throughout his career has led to a lack of trust among his coaches. This would appear to have extended to the Ghana set-up too. In a group containing Portugal and Germany, three points against USA was vital to gain the momentum needed to have any chance of escaping the group, but the Black Stars coach, James Kwesi Appiah, chose not to choose his most enigmatic talent from the start. Instead he went with a 4-4-2, making the job of the USA’s two banks of four all too easy. Not till Prince-Boateng came on with 30 minutes to go did the Black Stars find space between the lines, the Schalke player’s clever movement finally dragging a tiring defence out of shape. It’s no surprise their equaliser followed his introduction. He will probably start against Germany, but the damage done by his omission in this, the most difficult of groups, may already be too great. GB
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