Germany and Holland turn world upside down

The rule that Latin American World Cups cannot be won by European teams is under threat after stunning wins by Holland and Germany, whose imperious demolition of Portugal here in Salvador took them a leap closer to a first trophy since Euro 96, 18 years ago. This tournament could turn a few orthodoxies upside down. In Brazilian heat the southern European nations of Spain and Portugal have been smashed by the northern heavy­weights, Holland and Germany, who scored 5-1 and 4-0 victories. With their swarm of rotating midfielders, Joachim Löw’s Nationalmannschaft demoralised the world’s best footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, and took a decisive hold on Group G, where Ghana and Jürgen Klinsmann’s USA will now brace themselves for the games in Fortaleza and Recife. continue