When the ball gets rolling on Friday at 17:00 local time at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, millions around the globe will take sides. The clsh between Argentina and Germany should be nothing short of a masterpiece as both sides battle for a semifinal ticket. Germany will step out in black shorts, white shirts and white socks, while Argentina will be dressed in blue shirts, black shorts and white socks. After the convincing last-16 ’2-0′ win over Sweden, there has been nothing but good vibes emanating from the German camp. The players have enjoyed spending some well-deserved time with their families and friends, while several squad members took up the offer of archery lessons for a bit of additional target practice. There are indications that Klinsman, the German coach may start with his current 11 from the last game. On the Argentine side, Jose Pekerman has also declined to confirm his starting XI ahead of the game, though he too is unlikely to make unforced changes to the side that saw off Mexico in their Round of 16 tie. Pekerman’s only doubts concern the right side of his defence and midfield. Although this will be both teams’ fifth encounter at a FIFA World Cup, it is the last two games – the Finals of Mexico 86 and Italia 90 – that cemented the fierce rivalry between the sides. In the first of these, the inspiration for the South Americans’ 3-2 win came from one Diego Maradona, who will doubtless settle for a repeat of that scoreline as he roars his compatriots on from the stands. Four years later, the Nationalmannschaft exacted immediate revenge, when Andreas Brehme’s 84th-minute penalty handed them a 1-0 victory and the world title in the decider in Rome. Two interesting facts add even more spice to tomorrow’s showdown. The first is that at Italia 90, the Albiceleste reached the Final after eliminating the hosts in the previous round. The second is that since Germany’s victory over the South Americans in that year’s decider, they have not beaten their old foes once.

Men to watch for: Ballack and Riquelme are both intelligent midfielders with great vision and shooting skills, although the pair have their differences. The German is more direct than the Argentine playmaker, who prefers to vary the tempo of the game and cut swathes through defences with his long and short-range passing. No one has any doubt that the effectiveness of both teams’ play, and thus the outcome of the game itself, will depend a great deal on how the pair perform. The second battle will be fought in front of goal and pits Klose, scorer of four goals already at Germany 2006, against Crespo, who has three strikes thus far. Both are leading candidates for the adidas Golden Shoe. The German sharpshooter has picked up where he left off four years ago in Korea/Japan and now has an impressive nine FIFA World Cup goals to his name. Not to be outdone, the Argentine front-runner has found the net in his last four FIFA World Cup games – his team’s final game of Korea/Japan 2002 against Sweden followed by his three appearances for the Albiceleste here in Germany: against Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro and Mexico (he did not play against the Netherlands). It seems almost certain that one of the lethal pair will have a say in the final outcome tomorrow. I say may the best man win.

Source:FIFA

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