Day 8: Japan vs Costa Rica | Belgium vs Morocco | Croatia vs Canada | Spain vs Germany

uamini

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
627
Location
Berlin
Supports
Herta BSC
If Germany loses this game against Spain and beat Costa Rica, will they then be 1st team ever to progress to knockout stages with just 3 points?
Italy became World Champions in 1982 after starting with 3 draws.
 

carvajal

Full Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2015
Messages
11,089
Location
Spain
Supports
Real Madrid
If the second half continues to be so physical, maybe I would use Llorente, or I would bring on Morata to fight a bit with the centre-backs, or Rodri in the middle and Pau at centre-back.
Nico Williams and Ferrán out
 

lex talionis

Full Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2017
Messages
13,976
Maybe I need new specs, but it looked to me like Rudiger was online with the arm of the Spanish defender.
 

RedDevilMachine

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
448
This is high quality football from both teams. End to end stuff. This made up for all the snoozefest so far. Spain always look like they are going to score but Germany is very dangerous on the counter.
 

George Owen

LEAVE THE SFW THREAD ALONE!!1!
Joined
May 7, 2010
Messages
15,876
Location
Gold Coast, Australia
I'm a bit late but well done to Croatia for beating Canada and I hope they'll do the same against Belgium. Canada are out now but hopefully Morroco pass the group and Belgium don't. They deserve it more so far anyways.

If Germany loses this game against Spain and beat Costa Rica, will they then be 1st team ever to progress to knockout stages with just 3 points?
Nope. Chile went through with 3 points (3 draws hahah) in France 98.
 

V.O.

Last Man Standing finalist 2019/20
Joined
Jan 12, 2019
Messages
8,006
Do Germany really not have a better RB than Kehrer? He's been a calamity all season long for West Ham and he'll eventually be the exact same for Germany
I'd be very tempted to put Kimmich there and have Gundogan and Goretzka as the two in midfield. Alves/Marcelo/Lahm and Kimmich himself have all shown us that you can still boss a game from fullback, and he's on another planet to their other options.
 

do.ob

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2010
Messages
15,626
Location
Germany
Supports
Borussia Dortmund
Why did Busquets, with all his experience, take the yellow card there? Plenty of team mates around him to defend..
 

2mufc0

Everything is fair game in capitalism!
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Messages
17,015
Supports
Dragon of Dojima
Why not play a proper defender at CB? Eric Garcia is on the bench.
 

therealtboy

New Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2013
Messages
783
Location
Dubai
Supports
Feyenoord
Gavi needs to stay at Barca because playing in England or any physical league wont work out for him. Unlike Pedri who knows how to ride tackles and take contact, Gavi just falls at the slightest. Tidy technical player but he doesn’t have the physical nous likes of Silva, Iniesta, Xavi and even Pedri have.
 

Liver_bird

Full Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
6,685
Location
England
Supports
Liverpool
As good as they are, Spain do miss a top class player in the forward areas. Could cost them later in the tournament.
 

the_cliff

Full Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
5,552
Germany need to get Musiala on the ball more. He's Germany's threat.

Since Gnabry got his contract at Bayern he's been meh.
 

marktan

Full Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
6,933
Germany's build up completely dies everytime it goes to the fullbacks. Don't think you can go very far in modern football without good fullbacks
 

Ronaldo's ego

Incorrectly predicted the 2020 US Election
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
7,742
Location
I'm better than Messi (even though I'm not)
Gavi needs to stay at Barca because playing in England or any physical league wont work out for him. Unlike Pedri who knows how to ride tackles and take contact, Gavi just falls at the slightest. Tidy technical player but he doesn’t have the physical nous likes of Silva, Iniesta, Xavi and even Pedri have.
He’s 18 years old.
 

therealtboy

New Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2013
Messages
783
Location
Dubai
Supports
Feyenoord
If the second half continues to be so physical, maybe I would use Llorente, or I would bring on Morata to fight a bit with the centre-backs, or Rodri in the middle and Pau at centre-back.
Nico Williams and Ferrán out
Morata has to play, Ferran will Higuain Spain out of a win here.
 

Red the Bear

Something less generic
Joined
Aug 26, 2021
Messages
9,127
Spain easily the superior side here, what a shame that their offensive line consists of coke heads.
 

Dazzmondo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
9,195
Another good half. I missed the Japan vs Costa Rica game so all the football I've seen today has been quality