One of the things I enjoy most during the World Cup is watching a team improve, mature, and gel during the course of the tournament. It seems the Germans keep getting better and better. I have never been a fan of the country’s tournament entries before, but I find this team quite a bit more enjoyable to watch than any of its predecessors. They seem to have no glaring weaknesses, are both solid and creating, and just as important, they give the impression that they’re just having fun out there.
As was the case with Mexico vs. France, the best team won, not the team with the best players. Of course Germany was better coached, but the players were more disciplined as well. Schweinsteiger has been brilliant and consistent, and like his team, seems to be improving with every game. In all the talk about disappointing stars, players scoring or not, I’d like to nominate him as the best player in tournament. Even had he not had a hand in the goals today, he was so defensively dominant and set the tempo so well that I’d vote him man of the match.