You Can’t Beat A Good Punch Up
July 1, 2006 by admin
Filed under Past World Cups
What better way to end the epic quarter final clash between the two best performing teams at this year’s World Cup than with the Germans keeping up their fantastic penalty shootout record and a fullscale brawl erupting on the pitch!
The match itself did turn into something of a chess stalemate at times with both sides well marshalled defences cancelling out the attacking flair on the pitch but Jose Pekerman’s (the now-former coach of Argentina) decision to use his three subs and bring on defensive players like Cambiasso when only 1-0 up looks to have been the major tactical turning point. Sadly for him it let the Germans back into the game and left Argentina woefully short of options up front with Riquleme off the pitch and unable to bring wonderkid Messi on.
It was an interesting battle though but nothing like the 90 seconds of fisticuffs that began after the final penalty save by Jens Lehmann with Germans being punched and kicked to the ground and a particularly irate Gabriel Heinze having to be held off Germany’s assistant coach Oliver Bierhoff by around six players and officials. Amazing scenes and a fitting finale to Argentina’s latest World Cup bid, one thing you will always get with the Argies is fireworks and they didn’t disappoint us this time either.
just to add to the discussion:
http://soccerlens.com/germany-argentina-post-match-fight-video-analysis