Sabella tips Germany as favorite
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, July 11, 2014
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella concedes Germany could have an important edge in Sunday's World Cup final as battered Brazil prepares to salvage a morsel of pride in the third-place play-off.
Four-time Player of the Year Lionel Messi's side reached its first final in 24 years on Wednesday when goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved two shoot-out penalties against the Netherlands in Sao Paulo.
The sight of Messi leading La Albiceleste out at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana for Sunday's climax to one of the most thrilling World Cups ever staged has only compounded Brazil's woes after Tuesday's earth-shattering 1-7 thrashing by the Germans.
Sabella believes Germany's extra day of rest could offer the European three-time world champion a crucial advantage come kick-off.
"The match is extremely difficult and I repeat the fact they haven't played extra time and we've played two, and played one day after Germany," the Argentina coach said. "We'll see if it's a minor issue, the fact we played after and the Germany game was decided in the first 45 minutes, so they could ease off in the second half, whereas we had to spend all the effort, and every last drop of sweat to reach the World Cup final."
Monaco ‘keeper Romero blocked shots from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder to secure Argentina the shoot-out 4-2 after the gruelling clash finished goalless after extra-time. His penalty heroics set up a repeat of the 1990 final won by Germany and the 1986 final in Mexico City where a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina beat West Germany 3-2.
"Penalties are all about luck, that is the reality. I had confidence and thanks to God it turned out well," Romero said.
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal disclosed that inadvertently he had played a part in his team's downfall.
"I taught Romero how to stop penalties, so that hurts," said the Manchester United-bound boss in reference to the pair's time together at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
It was the second straight penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw for the Dutch. Against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, van Gaal brought on substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul in the last seconds of extra time to replace Jasper Cillessen and Krul saved two spot kicks.
This time, van Gaal had used up all three substitutions by the end of extra time and Cillessen had to face the shootout. The young Ajax goalkeeper collapsed onto his knees and sank onto his back when Maxi Rodriguez's powerful strike ended the shootout. Krul walked across the pitch to console him.
Two Dutch players refused to step up and take the first penalty, according to van Gaal.
"I asked two players ahead of Vlaar to take the first penalty," van Gaal told Dutch news agency ANP. "They refused. Vlaar in my view was our best player. Unfortunately he didn't score."
Van Gaal took aim at having to now pick up his players for tomorrow's third-place play-off in Brasilia.
"I think this match should never be played," he said. "It's unfair also because we have one less day to recover, so that's not fair play."
For Brazil, it offers the first tentative step along the road to recovering its shattered morale after Tuesday's wipe-out in Belo Horizonte ended the host's dreams of a sixth title on home soil.
A combative coach Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted on Wednesday: "Nobody will die (as a result of the loss). We will look to correct the path of our lives to deal with yesterday's tsunami."
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