World Cup Semifinal Predictions

So, here we go again!

There are only three matches left in the World Cup. A World Cup that started with 32 teams is now down to the final four. The true elites, which this tournament, happen to be the usual suspects. Traditional powerhouses.

And whether the host nation Brazil walks away with the right to wear a sixth star on their jerseys, or Germany earns the right to a fourth star, or Argentina gets their third star, or perhaps finally, Netherlands earns their first ever star, you know that, at this stage, every minute of play is magnified in importance, every mistake can prove fatal, every injury can prove debilitating.

In a World Cup that has not gone according to the script, and has been full of surprises, the final cast of four is likely not a surprise to anyone. If months you had to pick the final four teams to make it, these four teams were likely among the very favorites to be here.

But this is where it gets serious. Each of these teams gets to play two more games. But the difference is that the winners will get to play in the final, with a chance to be champions, while the losers only get to play in the consolation third place game.

The stakes could not get higher than this.

This is exciting! This is where this thing will be decided, where the cream rises to the top, and the best find a way to get the job done. It will likely require more than just hard play and avoiding mistakes. It will require taking a chance, the way Netherlands did some days ago with the goalie substitution that very well may have won the game for them to reach this point. Again, everything here is magnified in importance, both the good and the bad. Argentina won their last match by scoring the only goal of the game in the 8th minute, with neither team scoring again. Germany took a bit more time to score in beating France in the 13th minute, but again, neither team scored the rest of the way in that contest. An early goal can be the deciding factor. Take that early lead, and you have your opponents by the throat. On the flip side, find yourself with the early deficit, and that may be all she wrote.

One of these four teams will lift the trophy, and I'm going to bet that they will do so by taking chances.

With that in mind, it's time, once again, for me to take chances by making my predictions.

In the last round, I picked considerably less accurately than in the last four games of the quarterfinals (I was on vacation for the first four, so no predictions). I had France over Germany, and Colombia pulling off the upset over Brazil. Yes, my picks for Netherlands and Argentina panned out, but that's only fifty percent!

Overall, I picked Brazil and Spain in the final. Spain obviously was gone a long time ago (one of the first teams eliminated, in fact), but Brazil is still in it. And it seems fitting, somehow, to start with the host country, who plays later today.

So, here goes:

Brazil versus Germany

With the extensive list of accomplishments and victories that both of these nations have in World Cup history, you would think that they would have met one another many times, and would have gained a long and stories rivalry between one another.

But, in fact, these two teams met only once before in this tournament, and that was not all that long ago. It was back in 2002, for the final, and Brazil won that one, 2-0, to capture their fifth (and most recent) championship in Japan.

Now, here they are in Brazil, of all places. And in a sense, this is bigger, because this is to get to the final. Whoever wins stamps their ticket to the final, and a chance at the ultimate glory, while the loser has to prepare for the third place match, which is nowhere near the same thing.

My pick would be with Brazil, normally. But there are things about the way that they are playing right now that make me really, really nervous. Neymar's injury not being the least among them. Also, they have barely, barely hung on in the last two games, almost losing to Chile in the final seconds of overtime, and then barely hanging on after building a 2-0 lead against Colombia. They have not looked anywhere near as solid as I had expected in this tournament, and on some levels, they can feel lucky just to be here, to have reached this far.

Of course, this is not what the Brazilian fans want. They want the whole thing! Another championship!

Can they get it?

I think that they can. But here's the thing: obviously, every opponent gets tougher, the deeper you go. And they now have their toughest opponent yet.

Germany is a very opportunistic team. Tough to score on, and with a potentially lethal, well-orchestrated attack. They are traditionally a well-disciplined team, and this version is no different in that regard.

With Neymar, the task would be difficult enough. But Germany is not Chile or Colombia. Brazil likely cannot count on a German mistake early to take the quick lead.

And I see Germany playing a tough game. Not overwhelming the Brazilians, but more wearing them down. Taking some cautious chances, and breaking through at some point for a sneaky goal.

In a low-scoring contest, I see the Germans taking this one, and crushing the hopes of an entire nation in the process.

My prediction: Germany

Argentina versus Netherlands

These two teams, like the other two teams, met in the final of this tournament, although that was a long, long time ago. It was back when Argentina hosted the tournament, and they beat Netherlands then, to win their first ever World Cup championship. They won it again in 1986, and almost did so again in 1990.

Since then, Argentina has slowed down a bit, and not seemed to be quite as elite as many expected them to be.

Until now, anyway. This is the best side that Argentina has seen in a while, and they have an excellent chance here. On some levels, I think it can be argued that they maybe even should be the favorites here to win it, especially given Neymar's injury. Messi can be a magician on the field, and his magic can occur at any time, with or without warning.

That makes Argentina very dangerous, and they are the favorites to win this contest.

That is not to say that Netherlands is not dangerous themselves. Just ask Spain!

Remember, Netherlands just narrowly lost the final four years ago. Had they pulled it off, they would have been the defending champions here!

And they are also the highest scoring team, so you know that their attack is very solid and dangerous, and will test Argentina's defense.

The fact of the matter is that both of these teams are the only ones left that can boast a perfect, entirely unblemished record (remember, Brazil and Germany both had games in the round robin that they did not win), while Netherlands and Argentina have won all of their games, albeit narrowly at times.

If there is going to be a semifinal where some points are scored, I suspect that it is likely to be between Argentina and Netherlands, rather than Germany and Brazil. But that said, I would not be surprised with a 1-0 decision, or even a scoreless affair that goes into extra sessions, and even a penalty kick shootout!

This is a very unpredictable game, although my suspicions would be that Argentina is just too strong. Netherlands have had a good run, and do have a real chance in this game. But Argentina is too close, and they just seem to find a way to win in the end.

So does Netherlands, for that matter. After all, they were minutes away from losing to Mexico, before they tied it up, and then got lucky by benefiting from a bad call. They won the penalty kick shootout against Costa Rica after a scoreless draw.

But I see Argentina finding a way to get it done here, no matter what it takes. Whether they win by stunning Netherlands early and often, or by scoring only one goal, or even in penalty kicks. Argentina will likely do whatever they need to do to win, and earn a trip to the final, with a chance to win it all on their home continent.

My pick: Argentina