The group stages, second round, and quarterfinals have all concluded in one of the most exciting and high-scoring World Cups ever held, with the first semi-final match set to get underway today.
Which Of The Top 4 Quarterfinal FIFA Teams Made It Through To The Semis?
As has been the case through the tournament, I have been simulating the fixtures using FIFA 14's World Cup mode, which is updated to reflect the form and performances of each squad. I also ranked the top four remaining national sides (according to EA's ratings) during the quarterfinals, three of which have moved on to the semis.
Today's match features Brazil against Germany, two of the pre-tournament favorites. The simulation was definitive in its answer, predicting a 2-0 win for Germany over the host nation, which is missing key players Neymar and Thiago Silva. A lack of the young player's offense up front and the captain's defensive acumen at the back could very well lead to such a result in the real game, and perhaps played a role in declaring Germany the winner in the simulation.
Surface Mini Coming This Summer?
The scoring started early, with Mueller grabbing a goal off a rebound just 11 minutes into the first half. The second was also scored before halftime, with Toni Kroos thumping in a fantastic shot from outside the area with 42 minutes played. Neither side could grab a goal in the second half, meaning the hosts were eliminated from the tournament.
My simulation featured two AI-controlled sides on Legendary difficulty facing off against one another, using the squads expected to start the game. The depleted Brazil side, which hadn't been overly convincing in the first place, may very well come up short against a talented and solid Germany lineup in the real game later today--tune in at 4 p.m. ET to see if FIFA 14 gets it right. EA's own sim has been posted to ESPN's site, which you can watch the highlights of below (it has the same result as my own, for what it's worth).
