Days 24 and 25: Ghana Ends African Dream

Quarter Final in Cape Town, Argentina versus Germany, surprisingly, much larger Argentinian presence in the stadium than German.



After the game, the stadium empties quickly, but the German fans just don't want to leave. They savour the moment of one of the great German performances, scarcely able to believe that a young German team plays in such a relaxed, free and expansive way - so unGerman. What happened to the days when Germany went up 1-0 then defended for 60 minutes? They have now scored four goals against Australia, England and Argentina.

Four great games over the last couple of days.

Holland beats Brazil and sends a nation into crisis, putting even more pressure on the host country in 2014. I said in my first blog that I don't know much about Brazil and I'm still wondering what all the fuss was about.

I watch Ghana play Uruguay in a Cape Town restaurant, and all South Africans are supporting Ghana as the African representative. The tension builds during the game as first Ghana score, then Uruguay equalises, extra time, and a last minute penalty to Ghana raises all hopes. And then everyone is devasted as Ghana misses, and goes on to lose the penalty shoot out. Yet if you'd told a South African a year earlier that they would want a rival like Ghana to win, they would not have believed you. This World Cup may not only help to unite blacks and whites in SA, but Africa as well.

Today, I go to Green Point Stadium to see my tip as winners, Argentina, playing Germany. I sit at a table with a Dutch guy who does not want to play Germany in the final, because Holland has a mental problem when they play the Germans (join the queue). And a German guy who spends the second half wondering how he'll arrange transport and tickets to Durban for the semi final.

During the game, I focus closely on the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, and try to work out what makes him special. I bought a Messi shirt last year so I would play better, and other people would think I am a good player because I wear a Messi shirt. At least, that was the theory.

But Germany is fantastic, fast and clinical on the break, and they win 4-0. Messi is surrounded each time he receives the ball, and as I watch him and ignore the game, he doesn't do much to fix things. He does not chase back or put in much effort (a bit like Steve Gerrard), but stays in a 25 yard area between half way and the penalty box, and his shooting is way off target. Criticising Messi is like suggesting the Mona Lisa is a poor painting or the Guggenheim Bilbao is not much of a building, but other than a couple of magic flicks, he is nowhere. I should have known, because the Messi shirt has the same effect on me.

So he joins the list of Ronaldo, Rooney and Torres (so far) as probably the four best players in the world in the previous six months doing little to enhance their reputations here. All among the favourites for Golden Boot, and one goal between the lot.

Spain squeeze past Paraguay 1-0, with David Villa suddenly the greatest player on earth. A week ago, South American teams were top of every group they were in, and experts were lamenting the demise of European football. Now, three of the semi finalist are from Europe.

On top of all this, what bamboozles me in that players who are footnotes in the English Premier League, trying to hold their positions at Wigan, Sunderland, Portsmouth and Newcastle, all clubs desperately struggling, are among the stars of the World Cup. And Manchester United rejects like Veron, Forlan, Pique, Heinze and (to some extent) Tevez have had better World Cups than current United players like Rooney and Evra. Last time I was at Old Trafford, Gerard Pique could not make the first team even when players were injured, now he's holding the Spanish defense together. I just can't work it out.