Don't mention the four

Prior to Germany's tough loss to Spain in the semifinal match on Wednesday, the most intriguing matchup of the World Cup was the Germany-England game, writes Dr. Dan Hough, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Sussex (UK) and a frequent contributor to the Advisor. This year's matchup between old rivals was strangely lacking the standard media stereotypes and war-related insults, Dr. Hough states, and he examines whether this dtente of sorts is a notable sea-change or just a temporary admission of England's inferiority on the pitch.