Santana: Messi looks like a plumber

Carlos Santana has a global music sensation, who has performed for almost half a century, the world delight crowds with his own brand of Latin-infused rock and spelling binding traveled guitar solos. Born in Mexico, before much of his life in the United States, the man is known as one of the greatest guitarists ever onstage before millions of football fans around the world before 2014 FIFA World Cup leaving final Brazil ™. Before his performance, he sat down with FIFA.com , football, to talk music and why he admires Lionel Messi.

FIFA.com: Are your earliest memories of football, what Carlos?
Carlos Santana: Oh, in Autlán, Jallisco, where I was born, there were two things that were important to me: football and Toros - Bull fight. It was the first time I saw so many people in the city, the four or five hours away from Guadalajara, so football and Los Toros were the first things I remember as large events myself, when I was a kid.

Have you been the World Cup enjoyed while you here in Brazil?
It is incredible to see the concentration and determination the passion. Something supernatural happens. It is wonderful to see, a global event with some many people emotionally invested. It is a beautiful thing to see people and unity. We want unity and harmony in this beautiful game and good luck.

Which player has attracted your attention?
At the moment I Messi has a mystique about him think he has the thing road [football]. I don't think he even really looks as a footballer he looks like a plumber to me! It is as much a compliment, because if he concentrated, I admire the gift he has. Because it is a God-given gift in the upper echelons of the greatest [players].

You were born in Mexico, but spent a large part of your life in the United States have. Who do you support when the two play?
I rather support much, while America Mexico, because it a new team and something new for them. I grew up mostly with tennis and basketball. Because of basketball and Arthur Ash tennis because Dr. J (Julius Irving). Now there are five teams, the I root: Mexico, Brazil, Cameroon, Spain and United States.

It for you at the final carry meaning?
It is a great pleasure. I am very grateful. I play soccer itself, but what we know is very powerful, because we learned an energy that we bring a long time ago by Woodstock, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon. We represent this energy. If we do not we play lip. It is not made of plastic or cute. It's not Hollywood. I'm from the ghetto, so when we play, feel a different kind of supernatural power. We're so many. Not only in Mexico, not just America, we represent the entire family on this planet.

With this passion that you show how played play at the Maracana compare with other places that you have?
It's like the Vatican of football. This is my third time to play and something happens here, where it seems like heaven and Earth [gather], with the energy inside.

Finally, who do you the final will win?
I think Germany will win. I would like to see Argentina win, because I live in America, but it's not going to happen. It is not impossible, but it is not likely. It is not impossible, because I because Messi love, but my German brethren - we are all family an additional element of clarity and concentration. , If they play really fast you must think more slowly, such as musicians, but if you play slow, you have to think really fast. You understand that. Also the way how you breathe, operated not by the terror, it is not fear, it is not debilitating or stiff. Like when a woman has a baby they change their breathing and relax. At an event like the World Cup, you have to learn to breathe properly, or you'll get tired very easily. I think, my German brethren, who understand that. When I saw what they were doing in Brazil, [I saw that] they were a team and they are not subject of a superstar to win. They are a collective. It is very difficult to beat a team with superstars - the team always wins. This is my perception.

Muller, Lahm focused on fulfilling their dream

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Thomas Muller may have a reputation as being one of the most light-hearted members of Joachim Low’s Germany side, but ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Final against Argentina, even his seemingly permanent smile was replaced by an expression of steely resolve.

While cities across his homeland prepare for the tens of thousands of fans expected to attend public viewing events on Sunday, the attacker is focused on preparing himself for the "biggest" of big games at the iconic Estadio Maracana.

“In terms of prestige and importance, the World Cup Final is the biggest game you can play in as a footballer,” Muller said. And having found the net five times already at Brazil 2014, his objective is clear: to help Germany win a fourth FIFA World Cup after triumphs in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

There is, he explained, no time for anything else. "Unfortunately we've not managed a sightseeing tour of Rio de Janeiro to get to know the magic of this city," he said, "So for me there's only one reason to come back to Rio: to win the Trophy.“

Potent mix
The current squad is well equipped to do so, even if it has a rather different complexion to fabled teams of the past. The Germany side that lost the 1986 Final to Argentina at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City were famed for their fighting spirit; the ensemble that exacted revenge on La Albiceleste four years later at Stadio Olimpico in Rome to lift the trophy for a third time were renowned for their dynamism, while the Germany team at South Africa 2010 stunned the football world with their attractive, attacking style.

Yet the modern Germany assembled by Low is a squad that appears to be more balanced than ever before, combining all of those standout qualities of previous generations into a group led by players who realise this could be their last chance at glory.

“Now we’re just a step away from making our dream come true and achieving our common aim,” said Philipp Lahm, winner of a UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup. “When you’re this close there’s only one thing you can do: stay fully focused and just concentrate on the task at hand. That’s what we’re going to do on Sunday in order to bring the trophy, which we’ve worked so hard to win and which we’ve all been waiting such a long time for, back to Germany.”

The country’s media have described the team as being just moments away from immortality, ready to end the years of yearning for glory at the Maracana, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck will be in the stands to witness the occasion. For the 30-year-old Lahm, who is set to earn his 113th  international cap in Rio de Janeiro, it is an opportunity to be mentioned in the same breath as national legends such as Fritz Walter, Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus. 

When you’re this close there’s only one thing you can do: stay fully focused and just concentrate on the task at hand

Germany defensive midfielder Philipp Lahm

“I’m certain that the team will mercilessly do what they need to do,” said general manager Oliver Bierhoff. “We’ve come so far and we don’t want to allow it to slip away now.”

Meanwhile, Low is satisfied that his charges have got the euphoria of their 7-1 dismantling of hosts Brazil in the semi-final out of their systems, and that Germany will be taking nothing for granted. “My feeling is that everyone has got their feet on the ground and are ready to take the last step,” Low said.

Striker Miroslav Klose, who was on the losing side in the 2002 title decider, commented that: “It will be a completely different football match. It’s the Final and of course I know exactly how horrible it feels to lose it.”

Teamwork the key
The 36-year-old veteran, who grabbed his 16th FIFA World Cup goal against Brazil to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, is expecting “a tense and heavily tactical” game. Fellow attacker Muller, 12 years Klose’s junior, agrees that another free-scoring display from Germany is highly unlikely.

“We need to build from the back,” said Muller, one of ten candidates to win the adidas Golden Ball at Brazil 2014. “The defenders need to play quick passes into midfield. We need to shift the ball from one side to the other frequently and we won’t have time to even take four touches of the ball at any moment. We need to find the spaces, make sure we bring the ball forward quickly and take one or two risks. We need to put Argentina’s defence under pressure.

As to the task of keeping Lionel Messi at bay, Muller said: “We know how to defend but it’s important to play as a team. Of course we need to be wary of Argentina’s talented individuals, but ultimately we need to defend against the whole Argentinian side, not just one player.”

That sense of maturity will serve Germany well on Sunday, but it is also the exact quality that has helped their South American opponents reach the Final too. The stage is therefore set for the tournament showpiece on what promises to be a magical night in Rio.

Calderon: Messi key to Final success

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The Final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ remains fresh in the memory for former Argentina player Gabriel Calderon, which is understandable given the significance of the game to him.

Victorious alongside Diego Maradona at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship and a World Cup debutant at Spain 1982, the ex-midfielder reached the pinnacle of his 18-year career in that Final 24 years ago, running out at Rome’s Estadio Olimpico in place of Jorge Burruchaga with 37 minutes remaining.

Now a vastly experienced coach, the 54-year-old Calderon is a member of the FIFA Technical Study Group, which is analysing the action on the pitch at Brazil 2014. Breaking off from those duties, he discussed his Italy 1990 Final memories with FIFA.com and looked forward to Sunday’s repeat meeting between Germany and Argentina.

FIFA.com: What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you look back on the Final of Italy 1990?
Gabriel Calderon: A lot of things all at once. There was the joy of beating Italy to reach the Final, and then the five days before it, which seemed to go on and on. Getting to sleep was not easy at all. I was so anxious waiting to know whether we'd be world champions or not.

What’s it like to play in a World Cup Final?
It’s big. A lot of things go through your mind, but it’s something you can’t really get your head around. At the time you just see a full stadium and your opponents facing you. It’s just another game to you. But a few years later you start to realise what it all meant.

What do you remember of the match itself?
That we didn’t have much left in the tank. We had four first-teamers out through suspension, Diego [Maradona] had an ankle that was giving him real problems and Burruchaga wasn’t in great shape either. They went into the game a lot stronger, but we put up a good fight against them all the same. It was a tough match and not a very good one. We didn’t let them play their game. We knew we were going to have the odd chance, and one came our way with the penalty on me that was never given. Then, five minutes later they were awarded a penalty. It was obviously going to end that way, with a free-kick, a corner or a penalty. And they got it.

How does that game compare to the Brazil 2014 Final?
So many years have gone by that it’s hard to compare the two. One similarity is that we also had the best player in the world back then, though Diego was really struggling with his injuries. He played because of his character, but physically he wasn’t on the same level as before. And while [Lionel] Messi’s not playing like a 'Playstation player', as I call him, he’s in pretty good shape and we’re not missing anyone, even if [Sergio] Aguero and [Angel] Di Maria are both carrying injuries. This Argentina side is in better shape than the 1990 one.

In those finals you usually came on from the bench. How do you rate Alejandro Sabella’s substitutes?
Argentina has a good bench. [Martin] Demichelis, [Lucas] Biglia and [Enzo] Perez proved that by coming on to do a good job against Switzerland. It also depends on how fit Aguero and Di Maria are. They’re both very important players. Having them fit and healthy can give you a lot of options up front.

Both sides feature players who appeared in Germany’s 4-0 defeat of Argentina in South Africa four years ago. Do you think we might see a repeat of a result like that here? 
Anything is possible in football, but if you ask me Argentina played a very open game that day, which played into Germany’s hands. They also got the early goal too. I can’t imagine this game panning out the same way. Argentina are playing very well as a unit and I can’t see them conceding a lot of goals.

Germany did put seven past Brazil in the semi-finals, however. Can a result like that affect the mindset of the Argentina players?
No, it can have the opposite effect. Argentinians are born competitors, as you’ve seen here. When they realised that Messi wasn't going to do it on their own, they changed. The team were aware of that and they’ve become more compact, which shows how professional they are. They’ve also got people up front who can cause you problems. The turning point came against Switzerland but they went out and did it again against Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany will have to work very, very hard to beat Argentina.

What will be the key to the game?
Messi’s contribution is going to be vital for Argentina. Germany are not an easy side to contain. After all, here they are playing like a South American team, but with the mindset and physical prowess of a German one. If we’re going to hurt them, we need Leo to be at his very best and for him to get help from everyone – from (Gonzalo) Higuain, Perez, Di Maria and everyone else. The key’s going to be Messi, though.

Are you a good spectator?
If I’m not directly involved in a game, then I’m usually pretty relaxed when I’m watching. I really suffered watching the last two games, though, and I guess I’ll be suffering even more watching the Final.

Do you have a prediction for us?
I’m terrible at predicting results, so I don’t I’m afraid. On paper Germany are going into the game the stronger of the two sides, but finals are always 50/50. Argentina will compete very well – that I am sure of.

Humble Sabella leads Argentina to the promised land

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Having travelled from Bramall Lane in Sheffield to a FIFA World Cup final in Brazil, Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella's path to the most important game in world football wasn't always paved with gold.

Sabella the player, much like the coach, was a modest professional and after an early breakthrough at River Plate found himself in the unusual surrounds for an Argentinian in the late 1970s of the English lower leagues, with Sheffield United.

Legend has it that the club had tried to sign a teenage Diego Maradona but found his asking price too high and opted for Sabella instead. While the 59-year-old might have been unable to emulate Maradona's genius on the field, he has done a better job of leading his country to the brink of a third World Cup triumph than Maradona managed four years ago.

Sabella's agent Eugenio Lopez confirmed on Friday that Sunday's final against Germany will almost certainly be his last game in charge of Argentina, no matter the outcome. His final task is to succeed where four years ago they failed in a 4-0 thrashing by the Germans in the quarter-finals in South Africa.

Buenos Aires sports daily Ole once described him as the antithesis to Maradona. An understated and humble coach with a meticulous eye for tactical details.

Instant success
After 15 years as assistant to Daniel Passarella in a variety of jobs including the Argentine and Uruguayan national teams, Sabella stepped out on his own two feet for the first time at Estudiantes in 2009 with almost instant success.

In his first year the club from La Plata won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 39 years in a not too dissimilar manner to the way La Albiceleste have battled their way to the World Cup final. Estudiantes conceded just two times in eight knockout round ties during their triumphant Libertadores campaign.

Far form the free-flowing attacking force in qualifying that Sabella claimed made him "close my eyes and pray" whenever they had to defend, Argentina have kept four clean sheets in six games on route to the final and have yet to concede at all in 330 minutes of football in the knockout phase.

At the start of the tournament he was looked upon as merely a facilitator for the squad's leading players, most notably Lionel Messi, after bowing to the demands of the four-time World Player of the Year to drop a 5-3-2 formation after just 45 minutes of the opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, he has still managed to impose the control that he craves. He has said he prefers smart, hard working players to those with more technical ability but little game intelligence. That has been shown in his preference for Lucas Biglia over Fernando Gago in the last two games and his decision to leave the creative talents of Ever Banega and Jose Sosa out of the 23-man squad altogether.

Those decisions weren't the ones that caused controversy in Argentina, though, as it was national hero Carlos Tevez's exclusion that dominated debate for months leading up to the World Cup. However, Sabella's fear that Tevez's inclusion would unbalance the dynamic within the squad has been vindicated.

Sabella has remained a figure of fun at times during the tournament after having water squirted on him dismissively by Ezequiel Lavezzi and comically stumbling in aghast after Gonzalo Higuain had struck the bar against Switzerland.

Yet, it is he who could have the last laugh should he overcome the odds one last time at the Maracana on Sunday. 

Van Gaal: We can still make history

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A Dutch dream disappeared into the cloudy skies of A Cidade da Garoa (The City of Drizzle) on Wednesday evening. Javier Mascherano‘s bewildering block in extra time, and Sergio Romero’s dexterity in the shootout, spared Argentina and prevented Netherlands reaching a fourth FIFA World Cup™ Final.

Louis van Gaal and his Oranje brigade can nevertheless achieve something the Johan Cruyff-inspired team of 1974, the machine Messrs Krol, Haan, Rep and Neeskens decorated four years later and Bert van Marwijk’s class of 2010 didn’t. They can, after all, become the first Dutch side to finish a FIFA World Cup undefeated – and that is something that the 62-year-old coach, in his last match at his country’s controls before assuming charge of Manchester United, is desperate to achieve against Brazil in the play-off for third place.

"It was very, very sad and a dream has been broken,” Van Gaal said. “It’s not going to come back because it was all about being number one. But there is still something for us to do. We can still write history because the Netherlands lost matches in 1974, 1978 and 2010.

“Slowly but surely we are realising that we have to go for it. A Dutch team has never returned home unbeaten and that is now our aim. It’s going to be part of my speech that it will be my last match and I hope the players want to give me a present in the form of a victory, so that we remain undefeated.”

“I hope I can prepare them to play a good match. It’s quite something to go seven matches unbeaten [in a World Cup].”

Many members of this young Netherlands squad will likely have the chance to play in the FIFA World Cup again. By contrast, its oldest member, 33-year-old Dirk Kuyt, will quit international football after the tournament. The striker-turned-midfielder-turned-full-back, who is fifth on Netherlands’ most-capped players list, is eager to erase the sorrow suffered in Brazil’s biggest city with satisfaction in its capital.

“In football there is always a next match,” Kuyt said. “We want to win here, return unbeaten and with a feeling that we have given everything here. We want to leave this tournament with a good feeling. We still won’t be satisfied but this is the way we have to look at things as top athletes. Third place will feel a lot better than fourth place.”

Lehmann: I'm sure Germany will win

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Between 1998 and 2008 Jens Lehmann earned a total of 61 caps for Germany, but one match in particular stands out above all others. At the quarter-final stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ on home soil, Lehmann became a national hero as Germany beat Argentina 4-2 on penalties after the game had finished 1-1.

The former Arsenal goalkeeper spoke to FIFA.com about his thoughts on that match, why he is especially pleased with the success of Germany’s current No1, Manuel Neuer, and why he believes his countrymen are clear favourites going into Sunday's FIFA World Cup Final in Brazil.

FIFA.com: What have your impressions been of the World Cup in Brazil?
Jens Lehmann: The impression I’ve had watching from Germany has been confirmed by phone calls I’ve had with people who are at the tournament: it’s one of the best World Cup’s there’s ever been. The locals are said to be very helpful and hospitable and I’m told the atmosphere both in and outside the stadiums is fantastic.

And in terms of the football being played?
There have been a lot of exciting games and that’s made it a good World Cup. That said, the difference between club football and international football has been clear to see again. Coaches get to prepare their team for the World Cup for a few weeks, but at club level the sides work together over the whole year. That’s why the standard of football being played is slightly lower, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing for the fans.

With that in mind, do you think it was wise of Germany coach Joachim Low to build his team around a core Bayern Munich contingent who are used to playing together?
Definitely. The Bayern players know exactly how their club-mates play out on the pitch and that makes things a lot easier, even for non-Bayern players like Sami Khedira. That’s a huge advantage for us. In recent tournaments Spain relied on a group of Barcelona players, with the club providing seven members [including David Villa] of the starting line-up in the 2010 Final.

What have you made of Germany’s performances in Brazil so far?
They’ve been very good. We’ve got the best team at this World Cup: we’re organised, compact and fantastic on the ball. You can tell that a lot of our boys, including some of the ones on the bench, are used to playing in the latter stages of the Champions League.

What are your thoughts on your successor in Germany’s goal, Manuel Neuer?
He’s had a perfect World Cup so far. He’s without doubt the best goalkeeper there is at the moment, and I’m especially pleased about one thing he does. Back when I was a player I think I was one of the first keepers to play in the style he’s been so successful with today. A lot of people called me crazy when I did it, which makes it all the nicer to see that I was actually on the right track.

Have you been able to make sense of what happened in the semi-final against Brazil?This might sound harsh but at the moment Brazil just aren’t good enough to reach the Final. The way Germany’s first goal was scored says it all really; a high ball came in from a corner and Thomas Muller was free to volley it in from knee-height. The subsequent goals came about because Brazil had a collective blackout and their heads weren’t in the right place. However, the main thing was the difference in quality between the teams. Even if Neymar and Thiago Silva had been playing it would only have reduced that gap a little bit.

Germany now face Argentina in the Final. What memories do you have of playing against the South Americans?
The first thing that springs to mind is of course the quarter-final at the 2006 World Cup. Before that game everyone demanded that we beat them because we hadn’t defeated a big team for a few years. Fortunately we managed to do that via spot kicks.

And after saving two penalties in that shoot-out you were the hero of the side. How many times have you been asked about that encounter since?
(Laughs) I’ve stopped counting. Sometimes I have the impression there are people who believe that was the only match I ever played. I knew back then that we had good penalty takers and I had the feeling that I would save at least two. Luckily enough, that turned out to be the case.

How would you assess the Argentinian team?
They’re a compact unit and are very strong at the back. It’s no coincidence that they’ve only conceded three goals throughout the whole tournament. They’ve also got fantastic players up front too, with Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Will that be enough for them to be able to beat Germany?
I don’t think so. Germany have got greater strength in depth and we’ve got more players who play at the highest level every year. You only need to look at the kind of big international games the Bayern players have been involved in over the last few years. That makes a huge difference because you gain a lot of experience from those sorts of encounters.

But Argentina have four-time FIFA World Player of the Year Messi in their ranks...
...and he’s more than capable of deciding matches on his own, but on Sunday I don’t think he’ll have it any easier than he did in the semi-final against the Netherlands - if anything it’ll be harder for him. Messi is outstanding but Germany have got a more complete attack and they’ll break down the Argentinian defence, although they might have to be patient.

So you think Germany will win the World Cup again for the first time in 24 years?
Yes, I’m sure of it, and at the moment I’m frantically searching for a flight to Brazil because I’d love to be there.

New CBF President backs Scolari

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Luiz Felipe Scolari looks set to keep his job despite Brazil's humbling in the World Cup semi-final against Germany. Brazil's 200-million strong population was hoping to cheer the country in the World Cup final this weekend, but must instead watch them fight for third place against the Netherlands.

Scolari's team bowed out of their own World Cup on Tuesday when they were demolished 7-1. But the president elect of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) believes 'Felipao' should remain in his post. "To me, he stays," Marco Polo Del Nero, told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper.

"What happened was a tactical error. That was the problem. But we all make mistakes. It can happen to anyone. The important thing is that he did a good job. The campaign and the preparations were good. A base exists."

Scolari will meet Del Nero and the current president of the CBF, Jose Maria Marin, following the match in Brasilia. Scolari said he had no idea whether the words of the president in waiting, who takes over next April, meant he would definitely stay on. "The first phase of my job finishes on Saturday," Scolari told a press conference in Brasilia on the eve of the match.

"After that I will prepare my report and then I will talk with the presidents. They will look at what was right and what was wrong in what I did, but I know in the last year and a half we had several good situations. We have to be ashamed of the 7-1. It was a catastrophe, but I have to ask the media - is everything bad because of one result?"