Brazil and Germany will face off in a dream match Tuesday in the semifinals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with one side forced to dream on and the other to cry over its defeat.

The Germans are entering their fourth straight semifinals and are expected to progress to the final lest manager Joachim Low wants to lose his job. But the pressure is undoubtedly higher on the hosts, who must win while dealing with political turmoil, the loss of their captain and the loss of their star player.

The two nations have met only once in competitive play and that game was huge for both sides. Back in 2002, the superstar Brazilians led by current manager Luiz Felipe Scolari confronted a German side led by goalie Oliver Kahn during the World Cup Final. Scolari's troops, led by the two goals from Ronaldo, won 2-0 and lifted their fifth World Cup. Can they do it again? Or is it time for the Germans to get revenge?

Here is what each side must do to pull off the victory:

What Brazil Must Do


1. Supporting Cast Must Become Leading Actors

A common theme for the hosts thus far is that they have not shown the world the kind of soccer expected of them. "Jogo Bonito" or "the beautiful game" has not been on display at all. The team lacks offensive drive and is creaky at the back. In their latest game against Colombia, the team decided to try out a new tactic and adopt the "ugly game."

Why has Brazil lacked the beauty expected? Because the players have not lived up to top billing. With the exception of Neymar, who is injured, Brazil's top stars such as Oscar, Hulk, David Luiz, Marcelo and Thiago Silva have been a mixed bag. Oscar, in particular, must now lead the team as the new creative offensive force in the wake of Neymar's injury. Hulk, who is more of a physical force, will need to up that quality against a solid German side while the team's chose striker Fred must score a legitimate goal (his lone tally should have been called offside).

2. Play "the Ugly Game"

It was a woeful way to play against the creative force that was Colombia, but ultimately it worked. Los Cafeteros were overwhelmed by Brazil's physicality (and the referee's lack of assertion) and made mistake after mistake in the first half. The Germans can play more direct, but they are more likely to stick with "tiki tachen" for this one to tire out a weakened Brazilian side and limit the creativity of Oscar. If Brazil plays with the physical edge, then they will disrupt Germany's passing flow and force them into more mistakes.

3. Use the Flank Play as Much as Possible

Marcelo has had a woeful tournament, but he is capable of stepping up his play. When he is at his best, he is a dangerous offensive force that can create and score. On the other wing, Brazil's Maicon had a solid showing against Colombia and is a massive improvement over Dani Alves. Germany's back four have been creaky all tournament and they could be exploited by speed and width.

What Germany must do


1. Play Miroslav Klose

Germany has looked most dangerous when playing with the star striker.

Klose presses higher up the pitch, forcing central defenders to stay back and monitor him more closely. This would be especially effective against a defense that has already looked weak and will not have its top defender on hand. David Luiz is a strong offensive defender, but is far from ideal in his own half. Dante is the likely replacement for Silva, but he is also suspect. If Klose is in the game, then Luiz will not be allowed to make his constant risky runs up the pitch, as he will be forced to close down any space that Klose might have.

Obviously, Klose will also be motivated to score the goal that would make him the highest-scoring player in World Cup history. To pass Ronaldo against Brazil must give him even more motivation.

2. Do Not Play Tiki Tachen

Keeping the ball away from Brazil might seem like a sound option that could keep the crowd out of the game. But doing so still keeps Germany susceptible to high pressure up the pitch and could also allow the Brazilians the chance to throw a quick counter on them. Instead, the team should run right at Brazil and unsettle them as much as possible. When Colombia resorted to this strategy in the second half of the quarterfinals, Brazil almost wilted under the pressure. The hosts are simply not built to defend against quick attacks and without top defender Silva, they are even worse at it. Germany may still be susceptible defensively, but the team is superior in that department and has the better keeper.

3. Play Andre Schurrle or Mario Gotze instead of Mesut Ozil

Mesut Ozil is not having a great tournament, and at this point, it is hard to expect him to simply turn things around. Andre Schurrle has been impressive when called upon, as has been Gotze. Both players bring similar traits to the game as Ozil, but are doing it at a higher level and are also capable of doing it for longer periods of time.

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