They showed their credentials by demolishing Portugal 4-0 in their opening game but stumbled slightly against Ghana, drawing 2-2. They then dismissed the United States with a strong performance that still left some room for improvement, although Thomas Mueller showed again what a lethal striker he is. Algeria, masterminded by the wily French Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic and carrying the hopes of the Arab world with them, have impressed with their tenacity and ball skills. After losing their opening match to Belgium, they overwhelmed South Korea 4-2 in an epic match in Porto Alegre. In their crucial final group game, a headed goal by Islam Slimani brought them back from 1-0 down against Russia to secure a draw, sending them through to the last 16 and their fans — possibly the most devout in the tournament — into ecstasy. Algeria have beaten Germany in the World Cup before, defeating the then-West Germany 2-1 in Spain in 1982. But what followed was a travesty. After also defeating Chile, Algeria were on the cusp of qualifying for the knockouts. West Germany met Austria in the final group game with a narrow German victory enough for both teams to go through and see Algeria eliminated. After an early German goal, the two kicked the ball around aimlessly without trying to score again. The cynical display caused worldwide outrage and has gone down in the annals of soccer infamy as “the Shame of Gijon”. So the stage is set for a grand show in Porto Alegre’s Beira Rio stadium , with the winner’s reward a quarter-final against France or Nigeria. While satisfied with Germany’s performance against the United States, coach Joachim Loew signalled they needed to tighten up in several aspects of their play.