[relictele]

Germany are a sickening team. Now we face the specture of such a pile of old pooh getting to the final two World Cups running.

What have they done that is any different from Italy or other teams that typically squeak out close wins? Both Italy & Germany have won the World Cup multiple times and you can rest assured that (West) Germany were slated as boring, mechanical, cynical, negative, etc. during the Beckenbauer/Muller years...now they are remembered fondly along with other Cup-winning sides. Italy got their comeuppance in Korea in 2002 and I have never understood why such a talented country/team always plays such negative football. I'm not crazy about these kind of tactics on the game's biggest stage but the competition is so intense that this type of match often results. Argentina abandoned their high-flying style because they knew Germany would exploit it, i.e., Germany got to play their kind of game and Argentina are going home because of it.

[jjbrouwer]

'What have they done that is any different from Italy...?'

I hate Italy too.

[Aquinasfan]

(West) Germany were slated as boring, mechanical, cynical, negative, etc. during the Beckenbauer/Muller years...now they are remembered fondly along with other Cup-winning sides.

I remember them as boring, mechanical, cynical, negative 8-). The word I use is "technocratic." Very German.