Four Teams left!

Tuesday 8 July 

Brazil v Germany

Estadio Mineirao, Bela Horizonte

Wednesday 9 July 

Netherlands v Argentina

Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo

  Match Facts

 BRAZIL

• Brazil committed more fouls (31) against Colombia than they have in any other World Cup match since such data has been recorded (starting in 1966). 
•  
• Their only defeat in the last 26 games came against Switzerland last August (W19, D6, L1). 
•  
• They are unbeaten in 42 successive home matches, with their last defeat coming against Paraguay in August 2002. 
•  
• The Brazilians have reached the last four of the World Cup for the 11th time, although this will only be their eighth semi-final (because of different formats at earlier tournaments). 
•  
• The only semi-final they have lost was their first, against Italy in 1938. They have won five times and drawn once - with that draw followed by a penalty shootout win against the Dutch in 1998. 
•  
• Injured Brazilian striker Neymar has played a part in 50% of Brazil's 10 goals at this World Cup (four goals, one assist).

GERMANY

• Germany (including West Germany) have reached the last four for the 13th time at a World Cup, although this will be their 12th semi-final (they reached the 1974 final after coming through a second group stage). 
•  
• The Germans are the first country to reach four successive World Cup semi-finals. 
•  
• Their record in their 11 previous semi-finals is four wins, five defeats and two draws - both of which were followed by penalty shootouts which they won. 
•  
• Germany are unbeaten in their last 16 internationals (W11, D5), the best run of any side still involved at the World Cup. 
•  
• Germany (three) have kept more clean sheets at this World Cup than any other country. Only Ghana and Algeria have managed to breach the Germans defence so far.
•  
• Miroslav Klose could make his 23rd appearance in a World Cup match, a total bettered only by Lothar Matthaus (25). Paolo Maldini also played 23 games at the tournament. 

NETHERLANDS

• That the Dutch reached the World Cup final three times, but never won. Holland lost the World Cups in 1974 to West Germany, in 1978 to Argentina and in 2010 to Spain.
•  
• The Dutch won the European Cup in 1988. Goals of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten gave the Netherlands a 2-0 victory over USSR. Marco van Basten was the starplayer at that time.
•  
• That the biggest win ever was in 2011 against San Marino. After 90 minutes the score was 11-0. Other big wins were in 1912 against Finland and in 1972 against Norway. Both matches ended in a 9-0 win.
•  
• That the biggest loss ever was in 1912 against England. The final score was 12-2.
•  
• That the most yellow cards ever were drawn in the match between Holland and Portugal during the World Cup 2006: 12 yellow and 2 (4-times-yellow) red cards.
•  
• That the fastest penalty ever given on a World Cup was during the final between Holland and Germany in 1974. The Germans haven’t had any ball contact when the Dutch received a penalty in the first minute.
•  
• That the Dutch team participated in total 8 times at the Olympics of which seven times between 1908 and 1952. In this period they won three bronze medals.
•  
• Edwin van der Sar played the most matches for the Dutch team: 130.
•  
• Patrick Kluivert is the all-time top scorer of the Dutch national football team with 40 goals.
•  
• In the 1970s the Dutch team was famous for its precision passing and it earned them the nickname ‘Clockwork Orange’.
•  
• The Dutch invented “Total Football”. A tactical theory in which every player should be able on every position in the field: defender, midfielder or attacker. A defender can suddenly be an attacker, which creates great confusion for the opponent.
•  
• Orange fans have been nominated several times for the Fair Play Award.
•  
• The Dutch team has been in the top 10 of the FIFA World Ranking for years. In August 2011 Holland was even number one for a few weeks.

 ARGENTINA

• Has the following nickname: La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue)
•  
• Is the 6th country to win a World Cup
•  
• Has played 4 World Cup Finals in total, but only won 2 Finals
• 
  
• Lost the very first World Cup Final in 1930 against Uruguay (4-2)
•  
• Encountered rival Germany for the first time in the 1958 World Cup
•  
• Encountered rival England for the first time in the 1962 World Cup
•  
• Encountered rival Brazil for the first time in the 1974 World Cup
•  
• Played an infamous World Cup 1986 Quarter-Final match against England where Diego Maradona scored his famous goal with the hand, or as Maradona stated with La mano de Dios (the hand of God)
•  
• Player Diego Maradona also scored ‘The Goal of the Century’ which was scored a few minutes after the ‘hand of God’ goal
•  
• Goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea has the record of most penalty saves in a World Cup: 4 (1990)
•  
• Lost only 1 penalty shootout of in total 4 World Cup penalty shootouts which was in the 2006 World Cup Quarter-Final match against Germany