70 years ago these two countries were at war, and today they do battle once again to decide who will progress to the Quarter Final stage of the 2010 World Cup. Whilst this is only a football match, the emotion and passion England vs. Germany games inspire amongst fans in both countries is almost unrivalled across Europe. Had England won their group, they would have been playing last night in Rustenberg against the final African side still standing, Ghana. However it wasn't to be, and fate has had it that England, who struggled through the group stages and flattered to decieve in their opening two games, should come up against the old enemy this early on. Whilst the media may be filled with meaningless talk of 'fighting on the beaches', 'beating the jerries once again' and past penalty shoot-outs that are almost entirely unrelated to today's game, genuine pundits and fans are merely anticipating an excellent game played in a highly-charged and competitive atmosphere. Not that it has been given too much consideration by many media outlets in this country, but the two teams are actually fairly well balanced, with Joachim Low's side possibly having the edge ever so slightly. Whilst the Germans are young, vibrant and certainly very talented, our boys have the experience, they've been here before, they've lost here before and they know what is required of them. For many England players this may well be their last ever chance to win a World Cup, and such a situation should spur them on to glory. Wayne Rooney, still England's star man despite his recent poor form and petulance after the Algeria game, needs to deliver and take the game by the scruff of the neck. Not since his two-goal salvo against Croatia in 2004 has Rooney performed to the level he is capable of for England in a major tournament, and without meaning to state the obvious, he will play on few bigger stages than this. As for England's selection choices, I would expect the same team that started and impressed against Slovenia to be picked for today's crunch clash. The pace of Matthew Upson and his superior fitness should lead Capello to prefer him against the more experienced Jamie Carragher, whilst Jermaine Defoe will surely keep his place after his crucial goal against Slovenia. In terms of England's strong and weak links, Steven Gerrard is a player England will look to for inspiration, whilst James Milner's excellent performance in the final Group C game means he will once again be expected to put in pin-point crosses from the right. Glen Johnson at right-back is certainly a worry, given his tendency to attack rather than defend and his not exceptional defensive ability. However besides him there are few obvious weak links in this England team.On to the Germans then. Star of the tournament Mesut Ozil will pose a significant threat to England, and Gareth Barry will need to have the game of his life to shackle the lively midfielder. The incredible goal-scoring records of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski lend the German attack a greater potency than most others at this tournament, whilst the young Thomas Muller impressed in the opening game. Defensively the Germans should be fairly strong, but Manuel Neuer appears to be a potential weak link for England to exploit, especially from corners where he struggles to claim the ball with the authoritativeness you would expect from a top international 'keeper. Philipp Lahm, in my opinion one of the best wing-backs in international football, is sound defensively and poses a huge threat going forward, whilst Bastian Schweingsteiger and Sami Khedira are also worth a mention. Overall Germany's side is very strong, but its inexperience could tell later on in the game, especially if it were to go to extra time. It seems to me that the German side is capable of flashes of brilliance, and extremely adept when the going is good, but when the tables turn do they have the mental resilience and experience of international football necessary to dig deep and produce a match-winning performance? Perhaps I am doing the Germans a disservice here, and they may well see off England with ease. However I don't think so. This game will be won by a single-goal margin, and the team that wins will be the one which is best able to handle the pressure, and control the game in midfield. England can do both of these things, and whereas in the last few games England were deeply impressive, they will have nowhere to hide after today. No more group games to rescue themselves, no excuses of injuries or fear. The pressure on them today will either inspire them to greatness, or lend to them a nervousness and a cautiousness that could cost Fabio Capello's boys. Whatever happens, there has never been a better time for England to come into form than this afternoon at 3pm.
The second game of the day may not be particularly important to many in this country, despite the excellent spectacle that it promises to be. England fans will either be drowning their sorrows or drinking pubs, bars and clubs dry across the country in a toast to their heroes. Yet in all the euphoria surrounding this afternoon's game, tonight's clash sees Argentina, arguably the side to have impressed the most during the group stages, take on Mexico, somewhat of a surprise package so far. Tonight's game at Soccer City will almost certainly see Diego Maradona's tactical naiviety and managerial credentials given a rigorous cross-examination. So far he has been able to get away with playing winger Jonas Gutierrez at right-back, but Mexico will provide a stern test of Maradona's credentials, and those of his side. Dos Santos, Torrado, Guardado and Vela are all very capable players, and the Mexicans appear to be adapt at keeping possession and dominating games on their terms. I would expect Lionel Messi, who has so far been hugely unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, to put in an excellent performance, but this game will not be a walk in the park for Argentina. Disregarding the problems currently afflicting the French, a 2-0 victory is certainly a credible advert for Mexico's right to occupy a place in the Round of 16. Lagging behind Argentina at 17th place in the FIFA rankings, Mexico are the underdogs. However Maradona hasn't been tested as yet, and may well need to make a number of big decisions to change the game. Whether he is capable of adapting to circumstance, and whether or not he is anything but merely a good friend to the Argentine players remains to be seen. Whatever happens, all we can hope is that Argentina are tested, Mexico play to their potential, and South America has another worthy side progressing to the Quarter Final stage of the 2010 World Cup.
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