Few people would dispute the claim that while Argentina snuck into the final through an unlocked back window, Germany kicked in the front door.

Now Lionel Messi and Co. will have to be a lot more convincing than they were against the Netherlands if they are to avoid suffering a similar fate to their South American neighbors, Brazil.

The Germans are flying high and if Argentina cannot get a handle on the clever movement and precise passing of the Germans, they too could be in for a hiding.

In the third place game, a notoriously difficult one to predict, both teams will likely throw caution, and defense, to the wind (which shouldn’t be too hard for the host nation). Hopefully the result will be a high-scoring game of the most entertaining variety.

At PSP Predictions HQ, we are anticipating some last minute drama with leader, Kevin Kinkead, and current runner-up, Jonathan Tannenwald, selecting different teams in both matches insuring that by Sunday evening, there will be an outright victor.

Mike Servedio continues to hold off the field in third place, but Antoine Hoppenot, Jimmy McLaughlin and Dave Zeitlin are all just 1 point off of a place on the podium.

Union Clairvoyants

PSP Prognosticators

Media Oracles

Prediction Notes

• Third place matches are generally hard to predict, as mentioned above. Winning the non-existent bronze at a World Cup has almost no meaning for the teams in the tournament, it’s finals or bust. Thus, the third place match often comes to resemble an all-star game, i.e. lots of attack and incredibly little defending. After their semifinal performance, the question is, does Brazil have anything left in the tank or was there 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the Germans too much from which to recover?
• In the final, fans the world over will be treated to a true test of a single superstar versus a the best team in the tournament. Since Jogi Low slid Phillip Lahm back to defense and reintroduced the pair of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira, the German midfield has looked vastly improved. The German movement is light years ahead of what the Dutch brought to the table and if Argentina tries to take the tactic of man-marking them out of the game, the pace and precision of the German play could easily rip them open. For the South Americans, it will be important to maintain their defensive shape without chasing too desperately and once they have won the ball, hit back quickly on the counter through the attacking trio of Sergio Aguero (who should replace Gonzalo Higuain), Ezequiel Lavezzi and of course, Messi.