Liverpool does a Spurs: YNWA down White Hart Lane

Trust me,
they'll be fine.

Sell your incumbent superstar for a ridiculous amount of money to a Spanish giant, and use the funds to buy half a team of value-for-money upcoming talents which would improve the squad and be sold on for similarly huge fees down the line. Sounds like a plan? No, not Liverpool, we're talking about Tottenham Hotspur in August 2013. Their superstar was of course Gareth Bale, and the subsequent £110 million investment brought in Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela, Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiricheș and Etienne Capoue. Spurs fans experienced the equivalent of retail therapy, and had hoped that, if only by the sheer force of random probability, some or all of the new recruits would bring up their average. It was a promising average as well. With Bale in 2012-2013, Spurs finished 5th in the league, one point and one place off the final Champions League qualification spot taken by friendly neighbours Arsenal.
Forward one year, and we now know Spurs finish 6th in 2014, 2 places and 10 points away from the lucrative Champions League, with the freshly assembled ensemble making discordant transfer noises.
The great Michael Laudrup assessed in August 2013 that they had a strong squad as before, but one without a superstar. The implication was that a special team needed special players.
The parallels in plot would not be lost on Liverpool fans. Luiz Suarez was the inspiration that brought them within an improbable grasp of the Premier League title. His £75 million exit has helped fund the recruitment of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Emre Can. But, with their failure to rope in Alexis Sanchez, there is not a superstar in sight.
In his statements, Brendan Rodgers took care to point out that Liverpool improved Suarez, the implication being that superstars could yet spring from his current crop. As much as Rodgers' managerial talent has been hailed, the coming season poses the sternest test yet of his sorcery. Liverpool fans would be hoping for the unexpected, that its all part of The Plan. As things stand, however, it appears more than likely that You Never Walk Alone down White Hart Lane.  

Why the Singapore government hopes Germany doesn't win the World Cup

A boy finds his calling

Since Paul the Octopus shot to fame predicting 2006 World Cup results with some dubious success, there has been no shortage of seers and charlatans at each world cup having a go. Pundits reluctantly give their predictions knowing full well (or not) of the statistical uncertainty of a 7 game run. Turtles, elephants and arowanas have been deployed.
If Germany wins the World Cup, the most unwitting and unwilling prophet would surely be Singapore's National Council on Problem Gambling, NCPG in short. Since 2010, when the island nation allowed casinos onto its shores for the tourist dollar, the government has run various campaigns to warn locals against the social ills of gambling.
For the World Cup, a well publicized media campaign by the Council tells the sad tale of a boy who's had his savings taken by a father for football gambling. For the easily affected, the video does tug at the heart strings and ticks the boxes. Only problem is that the father in question had put it all on Germany to win the Cup. Sticking with its mission, the NCPG has continued to run the ad, even during half time of the Brazil Germany semifinal. The officials and public seem to have taken it in rightfully good humour. It spawned a viral tweet, "Always trust your father. #GER 7 : #BRA 1", and was even spoofed on the Jimmy Fallon show.
Through it all, the government spokesperson has stressed their social message and that, regardless of the eventual winner, the ads have helped publicize their 24/7 gambling helpline. Nevertheless, they might be secretly rooting for Argentina, lest the lines get flooded with enquiries for the next hot tip.

Holland vs Argentina: Messi and Robben outshone by Mascherano and defenses

Before the World Cup semifinal between Holland and Argentina, the common names being paraded as potential headlines were, in no particular order, Messi, Robben, Van Persie, Sneijder, Aguero, Higuain, and Di Maria by his absence. Even Tim Krul got afew mentions. Nobody talked about Vlaar, Di Vrij, Demichelis, Rojo or Mascherano. And even after millions watched the game and their heroics, these players may get few mentions. For defending is the art of letting nothing exciting happen, and the greatest success for a backline is a boring game (for their keeper at least).
The stellar attacking forces on show makes the defensive achievement of a goaless game even greater. Fans would undoubtedly be quick to lament the performances of Messi and Robben, the duel of mesmerizing dribbles that never appeared. Both sides defended deep and compacted their lines, making it clear to Messrs Messi and Robben that any mazzy run they attempt would have to begin from the halfway line. Only on one occasion did Robben get the ball behind the Argentine defence, courtesy of smart Sneijder backheel. The ensuing match saving tackle by Javier Mascherano is a textbook example of a midfielder tracking his man, no mean feat when that man is Robben at full pelt. For all the dreams and schemes of a star studded roster of creative players, it was tackles and covering - defensive discipline - which won the day.
One only has to look at the other semifinal to appreciate this quality. Unglamorous though it is, the triumph of both defenses should be celebrated.

Brazil vs Germany: Dante's Inferno - A defensive team that forgot defence

Neymar was supposed to be the major absentee for Brazil. But as the painful 30 opening minutes of the World Cup semi-final against Germany showed, if Brazil was a one man team, that man was Thiago Silva.

Without the captain and defensive marshal, Brazil gifted goals and allowed the Germans to play through them like traffic cones. Against Colombia in the previous round, Brazil benefited from an early Silva goal from a corner. They obliged to pass the gift on to Germany's Thomas Müller in identical fashion equally early on.  

If Brazil supporters had believed it was just a defensive lapse, the second goal would have made them realize that the fort would not hold. For the second goal, Germany waltzed through the heart of the Brazilian defense with unruffled ease, with nary a block or challenge. Miroslav Klose, who should not be allowed a sniff of goal in the box, was allowed two tries to score, and when he finally did to become the all time World Cup record goalscorer, the nearest defenders to him were fullbacks Marcelo and Maicon.  

Germany continued to be allowed to ping passes in their attacking third, a bizarre situation considering that Brazil fielded both Luiz Gustavo and Fernandinho in midfield, two strong advocates in the art of destruction. The back line could not have wished for a stronger shield. And yet they all stood off the Germans and allowed them time and space. Dante, getting his chance in the tournament in place of Silva, looked off the pace and indecisive. It did not improve in the second half, and Philipp Lahm was granted time in the box to pick out a pass to André Schürrle amid a mass of by-standing yellow shirts.

Scolari had fielded a line-up that went for safety, one that theoretically would have ensured compactness and solidity. Apparently the players did not know or failed to execute. Most unusually at such a level, it was a defensive team that did not defend. 

Brazil vs Germany Preview: Hulk's chance to be Brazil's Superhero

Every football fan on the planet knows what it means for Brazil to lose Neymar. And with the suspension of Thiago Silva, Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari may have also lost the option of a defensive-cum-setplay strategy often (rightly or wrongly) associated with Greece.
It is an opportunity for the supporting cast to step up to the role of national hero, and the players may be especially motivated by this. Here we shall run through a list of the possible saviours, in ascending order of probability:

1, The Number 9: Let's first get the strikers out of the way. Any striker can score a goal on their day, but Fred and Jo are not players that would inspire the team to victory. Someone else would have to do the heavy lifting.

2, Oscar: In terms of attacking talent, the next in line to Neymar would be Oscar. The Chelsea playmaker has a great work rate and ability. But since being Man of the Match on opening day, Oscar has shown signs that the efforts during the long and vigorous English league season has finally drained him, and he has not looked impressive since. Unlike dips in form, a loss of physical reserves is hard to replenish, especially towards the end of a gruelling tournament.    

3, Willian: a wild card, has hardly featured thus far, and possesses the pace to breach the German backline and get to the ball before Manuel Neuer.

4, Dani Alves: dropped in favor of Maicon in the quarterfinal against Colombia, Alves may have the key to Germany's defence. Scolari might have wanted the defensive experience of Maicon against the marauding Colombian wingbacks, but against Germany's left back Benedikt Höwedes, he might fancy it's Brazil's turn to have a go. In any case, with Neymar out, Brazil would need an injection of pace and unpredictability into the team, two qualities which Dani Alves has in abundance.

5, Hulk: in the previous games, with Neymar constantly harassed, Hulk had threatened to be the joker in the pack. He looked strong and fit, and more importantly confident enough to make things happen. But for more quality in the finishing his name would already be up in lights. As often seen in teams, the absence of a dominant talisman can free up the stage for a co-star to shine. Hulk looks ready, and all of Brazil would be hoping that a superhero takes to the green.  

Argentina vs Belgium: Messi walks towards his throne

By the standards witnessed during this tournament, the World Cup quarterfinal match between Argentina and Belgium was a slight disappointment. Once again the impressive roster of creative attacking talents on both sides did not muster the performance which their individual reputations promised. The Golden Generation of Belgium, while a definite improvement over its recent predecessors, has looked less sterling as a team alongside quality opponents. They looked to be worth their weight for a Quarterfinal place, but not more.

Meanwhile, coming into the game, it could be said that the stellar attacking lineup of Argentina had been even more underwhelming. With Sergio Agüero sidelined, and the loss of Ángel Di María after 30 minutes into the first half, this could have turned into a bad day at the office. Fortunately for Alejandro Sabella's men, the erstwhile lackadaisical Gonzalo Higuain scored an instinctive volley early in the game, and from there on Argentina had Belgium right where they wanted them. Perhaps more importantly for the Argentine players, it seemed to stem the niggling insecurity of being overly reliant on Lionel Messi. Finally, someone else had stepped up with a piece of match-winning skill. It obviously rejuvenated Higuain, and brought out a storming run in the second half which surprized everyone (including Vincent Kompany) and nearly produced one of the goals of the tournament.
With the supporting cast on song, and relieved of having to rush out a winning goal, Messi patrolled the middle of the park with an imperious swagger, alternately walking deep to pick up the ball, teasing opponents who fail to dislodge it off him, and spraying the occasional killer pass. If he had been off form in the past season with Barcelona, he is definitely back now. Things are shaping up ominously for Messi to finally cement his place in the pantheon of the Kings.

Holland vs Costa Rica: Louis Van Gaal hijacks the headlines

Up until the last minute of the match, the World Cup 2014 quarterfinal between Holland and Costa Rica had been a showcase of tactical and coaching excellence by the Costa Rican manager Jorge Luis Pinto. Against presumably more privileged opposition, they worked tirelessly to execute a strategy which not only held off Holland, but also carried an unexpected threat. The latter nearly brought them an improbable winning goal right at the end of extra time, after the Dutch replaced defender Bruno Martins Indi with striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

As it turned out, going into the penalty shootout, the talking point of the game became the decision of Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal to bring on substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul to replace Jasper Cillessen. Commentators and pundits saw it as a bold gamble, and now that the Dutch have won the shootout, hail it as a managerial masterstroke. 

The logic behind this change is hardly innovative, and is similar to the practice in American football of bringing on specialists for particular roles, e.g. field goal kickers. The truth is that it was not the big gamble as made out in the press. With the roulette nature of the penalty shootout, even had Tim Krul not made a single save, no one could reasonably have argued that keeping Cillesen on would have changed the outcome. Van Gaal would still have enhanced his reputation for making bold moves. And now that the shootout is in Holland's favour, Van Gaal would be credited for a substitution which won Holland the game. From a personal point of view, it was a no-lose situation for Louis Van Gaal.

It would be cynical to suggest that self-promotion and ego would have been a factor in Van Gaal's decision, however subconsciously. But the truth is that the match was all about the quality of Costa Rica and Jorge Luis Pinto, and Louis Van Gaal has managed to hijack the headlines. That, perhaps, is tactical brilliance afterall. 

Brazil vs Colombia: Neymar a victim of Brazil's own tactics

There is no justice in football, and the team that plays beautiful football does not win every time. Usually such commiserations are for Brazil, whenever they suffer a loss against lesser footballing nations (i.e. everybody else). But in the World Cup 2014 quarterfinal against Colombia, these would be the lament of Colombian supporters and neutrals alike. Perhaps for the first time in living memory, a Brazilian team was set up with focus firmly placed on stopping a flowing game, in a style often labelled 'Anti-football'.

Fernandinho was given the clear mission of stopping James Rodriguez, a job the Brazilian performed painfully well. Nevertheless, Rodriguez is in the form of his life, and no amount of suppression could mask his quality. The fact that he could only create one goal for Colombia must be seen as success for Brazil.
The Colombians dished it out too on Neymar, as all teams are unfortunately expected to do. On another day the offences on Neymar would have resulted in a Colombian sending off along the way and advantage for Brazil. But the consequence of Brazil's militant tactics meant that the referee was denied the use of yellow or red cards to control the game. Who do you book when everybody's at it, without reducing the game to a 9 vs 9 farce? It set the tone for a game in which eventually Neymar (and less directly Thiago Silva) were collateral damage.

That Brazil are doing this on home turf in front of an adoring crowd is remarkable, and while it is easy to condemn team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's desecration of samba soccer, one must also acknowledge his courage and pragmatism in adopting such tactics.

What matters is that Brazil won. The tarnish on the image of samba soccer is a small price to pay, and probably made up for by success. But the direct consequence of losing Neymar and Silva (the two players most important players in the team) would be felt in the next round against Germany.

Perhaps, to Colombians at least, there would be justice in football.