Warns teammates to expect a string of fouls as Germany camp draws attention to Brazil's ultra-physical approach
Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger thinks Brazil has crossed the line with some of its hard tackling ahead of the World Cup semifinals and is urging referees to keep a closer eye on the host team.
"I am all for a healthy hardness but some of Brazil's fouls were over the limit," Schweinsteiger said. "Brazilians are not only football magicians, hard tackling is part of their game — we have to be careful and so does the referee."
Brazil committed 31 fouls in its quarterfinal win over Colombia, which had 23. But it was one particular Colombian foul, by Juan Zuniga, which overshadowed the others because it took out Neymar with a fractured vertebra and knocked the Brazilian attacking talisman out of the tournament.
Brazil has committed 96 fouls in five games, significantly more than Germany's 57. Brazil players have received 10 yellow cards, six more than German players.
"Brazil is an outstanding team that plays at the limit of the allowed and will go over the limit if necessary," Germany assistant coach Hansi Flick told reporters on Sunday. He said the absence of the injured star could help galvanize the Brazil squad for Tuesday's match. "It's definitely a loss for Brazil, Neymar has lived up to expectations, but his absence can unite the team more and we expect a very strong opponent," Flick said.
Schweinsteiger agreed, saying "We’re all very sad that Neymar isn’t playing," but adding that Brazil's team will bind even more closely "and will try to win the title for Neymar."
The Bayern Munich midfielder thinks Brazil's coaching staff of chief luiz Felipe Scolari and his assistant Carlos Alberto Parreira is its biggest strength. "They are two coaches with a lot of experience who have both won the World Cup," he said. "They are clever coaches and you need intelligent coaches to win the title."
Scolari's job got a lot harder when Neymar was ruled out and captain Thiago Silva was suspended for a match after picking up picking up a second yellow card in the tournament. Flick said that all 22 remaining Germany players are fit and ready to play. Backup defender Shkodran Mustafi is out of the tournament with a torn leg muscle.
Bastian fit Bastian Schweinsteiger's fragile left knee has been a matter of concern for weeks and the reason the Germany midfielder started the World Cup on the bench. Now he's fit again just as the tournament gets into the decisive stage and Germany faces host Brazil in the semifinals.
Germany coach Joachim loew considers Schweinsteiger one of his key players, the man who controls the pace of his team's game and sets quick transitions in motion once he wins the ball.
But Schweinsteiger was on the bench when the tournament started because he was not yet fully fit after a lingering knee injury that forced him to miss of Germany's pre-World Cup training camp.
He has been in the starting line-up for the last three games, however, and said on Sunday that loew was right to give him time to get back in shape. "I feel very good now, I've played a lot of minutes at a high level and I can go now for more than 90 minutes, although of course I hope that it won't be necessary," Schweinsteiger said.
The Germany coach had promised before the World Cup that he’d take along only healthy players. But a slew of injuries to some key players, including Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira, gave him little choice but to hope that they would recover as the tournament goes on.
"Bastian and Sami didn’t have their rhythm at the start. It was important for both to be fit again," assistant coach Hansi Flick said. "We were hoping that they would get fit as the group stage progressed. We are not stubborn, we all work on a common plan and so far it has worked out sensationally." Schweinsteiger agreed, saying he did not mind sitting on the bench despite being one of the team's leaders.