“On Monday, with his team already down 2-0 to Germany, Portugal’s Pepe let his anger get the better of him. After his hand struck Germany’s Thomas Muller in the face—sending the player to the ground, perhaps overdramatically—Pepe headbutted him for good measure. That earned Pepe a red card, ejecting him from the game and all but guaranteeing a loss. That’s an example of how anger can hurt your performance in an athletic competition. But does anger sometimes help, too?” New Republic
The Improbable Goal-Scoring Prowess of Germany’s Thomas Muller
“At the tender age of 24—an age when most players are just arriving on the international stage—Thomas Müller has won the Champions League, Best Young Player of World Cup 2010, the Bundesliga (three times), and the German Cup (three times). He has played in three Champions League finals, two European Championships, and has now scored eight goals (and counting) in two World Cups. After scoring a hat-trick in Germany’s resounding 4-0 victory against Portugal Monday night, the Bavarian is on track to become the first player ever to defend the Golden Boot, which he won in 2010. It’s been much publicized that Muller’s teammate, the 36-year-old Miroslav Klose, is on a quest to overhaul Ronaldo’s record World Cup tally of 15 goals. Maybe it isn’t Ronaldo that Klose should worry about, but Muller.” New Republic
World Cup Tactical Analysis: Germany 4-0 Portugal
“Controlling. Quick. Decisive. Dominant. Undisciplined. Slow. Sloppy. Subordinate. This game really was a tale of two sides: one prepared for the World Cup and one completely ill-prepared for the same occasion. It was utter euphoria for the Germans and utter embarrassment for the Portuguese. Thomas Müller registered a hat trick with Hummels grabbing the other of Germany’s four goals. Portugal never looked like they had even shown up to the game.” Outside of the Boot
Scissors Kick 