Germany managed to win another game in which the host of the World Cup showed us, one more time, how much can you do with luck on your side. Actually, I would have said the same if Argentina had won the match. The penalty shootout punishment had to fall on one team. And it proved to be Argentina. After having the game in hand, the South-Americans were practically slaughtered by their own coach. How can you take a footballer like Riquelme out, when you have a 1-0 advantage and the only way to make sure that you're going to win is play counterattack? Who better than the Villareal midfielder could have done that?

The match started off pretty boring. Actually, that's the way it started and the way it ended. Let's admit it, nobody was expecting something else. In this round of the competition, nobody is willing to take any chances. And it couldn't have happened any different now. The first half did not present itself with anything interesting from any of the two goalkeepers, making the fans regret they even came at the stadium. And the second half could have had the same history if Ayala hadn't score the 1-0 goal in the 48th minute. Riquelme crossed perfectly for Ayala, who scored from the center of the penalty area.

It was only 3 minutes into the second half and 90% of the Berlin Arena was speechless. What happened next was nothing to worry for the Argentine goalkeeper, Abbondanzieri. The South-Americans defended well. Still, they were unlucky when their goalie had to walk out the field after knocking with German striker Miroslav Klose. The Argentine substitute came in (Leonardo Franco), and you could see all over his face the fact that he was not going to have much luck further on. The Argentine coach lost his head completely and substituted the only two players capable of finishing it off for his side.

And then the 80th minute came. Miroslav Klose got the equalizer, after a wonderful offensive action started by German striker Michael Ballack. Everybody was expecting injury time. Nobody even thought of taking any unnecessary risks. The only worries in the stands came when Ballack got a little injured and the two teams started having some scoring chances in the last minutes of the match.

And there came the penalty shootout. Both teams have had 100% success in penalty shootouts in the history of the World Cup. And Germany was the one to keep it that way. Two poor shots from Ayala and Cambiasso gave Germany the tickets for the semifinals. Argentina started packing, while the ugly Germany can't wait to meet their next opponents.