[_____V_____]

And so, it's showtime.

We have now entered the Semi-Finals of WC 2014, and what an entertaining show it has been so far! No less than 159 goals have been scored till now (not counting penalty shootouts), which translates to an average of almost 3 goals per match! Colombia and Netherlands lead the team tally for most goals scored at 12 each, while Colombia's James Rodriguez, the newly shining star of soccer, leads the players tally with 6 goals.

Now, we have BRAZIL taking on GERMANY in the first semi-final, while NETHERLANDS go against ARGENTINA in the other. Despite the strong initial showing by all 4 teams, they have all gone off the boil quite a bit as the tournament progressed for them.

Still, Brazil upped their game quite a bit in their Round of 8 encounter, but have been dealt two crucial blows - Neymar has been ruled out of WC 2014 due to a vertebrae fracture, and their skipper Thiago Silva misses out on the semi-final due to twin yellow-card bookings. Quite simply put, Brazil look a pale shadow of their self without Neymar, and in the rest of the pack, none have been impressive so far - Fred, Hulk, Luiz and the rest simply haven't been up to par. Even the reserve bench doesn't look too impressive, with Willain the likely replacement for Neymar in the starting eleven against Germany. Chances of Brazil look slim.

Germany look the strongest of the 4 teams, IMO. The only team which could challenge them is the Netherlands, so let's hope we have that dynamite match for the Final. Lahm's men look eager and hungry, despite their lackluster wins in recent matches. In Muller, Ozil, Hummels and Schurrle, they have a formidable attacking bunch. Even the substitute bench comprising of Miroslav Klose & Mario Gotze looks strong. Germany also have one of the best keepers of the WC 2014 so far in Neuer, who has been very impressive in pressure-cooker situations.

Netherlands are like the cowboys of the Wild West - free-flowing, aggressive and dominating. In Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, they boast of a trio which can take any soccer team to pieces. Huntelaar and De Vrij have been doing their bit as well, while the surprise subsitution of Memphis Dupay in most matches has been a real masterstroke. They look very strong, and the best team to challenge Germany for the title.

Argentina has been disappointing in WC so far. Despite the towering presence of Leo Messi in their ranks, the other 10 players have found the going tough. True, they have sparkled in moments, on and off throughout the tournament, but as a team, they have yet to impress. Gonzalo Higuain found the net in the last match, so let's hope his spirits are high. Rojo has been another notable player for them, but Argentina will miss the services of Angelo Di Maria the most. The attacking midfielder pulled a muscle in the last match and is doubtful for this one. The reserve bench of Argentina is not too strong either. All in all, Argentina relies heavily on Messi-power. If Messi has an off day, I doubt Argentina would leave as the winner from that match.

Chances are that we might see a GERMANY - NETHERLANDS final, and what a match that would be! Every bit worthy of a WC 2014 final, considering the current form of all teams. Fans would want a Brazil - Argentina final, since it's the sentimental favorite, but as things stand now, it might turn out to be the most disappointing final in WC history.

Let's hope that the best two teams go through, and we have a couple of cracking Semi-Final matches from tonight. All the best to all 4 teams.