Group F (Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
This is the most entertaining group for me. Mexico Sweden and South Korea are on a relatively even playing field. Expect Germany to advance with 9 points but second place is anyone's guess.
Germany never progress with 9 points (only remember doing it in 2006), usually they'll play awesome in the first match, then play shit the next match and then barely win the next, always keeping their fans on their toes as to whether theyre playing well enough to win the damn thing.
I'am not convinced by the German selection this year. They will make this group ofcourse but I don't think they will make it to the final.
What‘s not to like? Even Reus is fit. *Hard jynx is in*
Another group of death really, Germany aside. I expect the Germans to smash all three of them, then the remaining teams to trade points left, right and centre.
Germany, 9pts; then perhaps Mexico just pipping Sweden for second.
Germany, 9pts; then perhaps Mexico just pipping Sweden for second.
Germany doesn't do well in the group stages and Löw will use some of those matches to try some experimental stuff, like Reus at #9, Draxler/Sane/Neuer in the starting XI, a 352 or smth like that. Points will be dropped.
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I have no gut feeling about how we will be doing. Will need to watch our first one or two matches before making any predictions ^^
We're not the same team as 2014. Some parts of the squad have improved, others have aged, with the resulting strength not yet clear.
Then we're still in the dark about our goalkeeper, and there's also question marks about Boateng, both of which could be huge blows, but don't necessarily have to turn out that way.
We're not the same team as 2014. Some parts of the squad have improved, others have aged, with the resulting strength not yet clear.
Then we're still in the dark about our goalkeeper, and there's also question marks about Boateng, both of which could be huge blows, but don't necessarily have to turn out that way.
I respect Neuer as much as anyone, but ter Stegen is as good as it gets for a number two.
Mexico followed closely by Germany (who I expect to get much stronger in the knockout phase).
Germany to blow everyone away, Sweden to sneak through
Germany and Mexico for me.
Haven't Mexico qualified for last 16 at last five world cups?
Sweden did brilliantly to qualify but don't see them getting out of this group.
Haven't Mexico qualified for last 16 at last five world cups?
Sweden did brilliantly to qualify but don't see them getting out of this group.
There are obviously players who aged but no player is in a bad/critical age. Neuer (32), Boateng (29), Hummels (29), Kroos (28), Khedira (31), Gündogan (27), Özil (29), Reus (28), Hector (27) and Müller (28) are the oldest players and except maybe Khedira they are all still within the "best years" of a footballer. Even Khedira managed to finally have a season without a major injury and is certainly in better shape than 2014 when he hardly played that season.
What we lost compared to the last world cup are Lahm, Schweinsteiger and Klose. Klose was still a good player for us in that tournament but I feel confident to say that for the first time we actually improved in that area with Werner and we also finally have Reus as an option (at least if he doesn't get injured till the WC...).
Losing Lahm certainly hurt but while Kimmich is no Lahm defensively he has become arguably the best attacking RB in world football this season and is still at least solid defensively. The only player I really miss is Schweinsteiger because he added a versatility/adaptibility that neither Khedira or Kroos add on their own.
I think we have this time actually a better mix of experience and youth and at least on paper a more balanced squad than 2014. Especially our attack wasn't even all that great in 2014 despite the results, Götze showed up in his WC final sub appearence but disappointed before and struggled overall. Özil was okay but often isolated and Klose was still good for us but his age did show. There is a reason why Podolski was still used in that WC and the same is true for Schürrle (and yeah he did work as impact sub i'll give him that).
So at least in regards to our attack I expect more from Müller, Reus, Werner, Özil, Draxler, Sane and Brandt than we had to offer 2014, even our FBs (Hector/Kimmich) are a lot more attacking than Höwedes/Lahm were.
That could lead to problems because I think our success 2014 was built on a very stable and mature defensive performance (best example was the game vs France) and the more attacking nature of the current team might not have that.
The Brazil match aside Germany had a match plan in 2014 that they cannot replicate in this year. The defense was very stable with the 4 defenders - and in front we had Müller who scored from nothing (none of his goals really was caused by a good assist), set-pieces, goals by assists from Müller and substitute Schürrle. With the four central defenders, Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Klose and Müller (not always on the pitch at the same time) we had a force in the box on both sides that did not make great football but was successful.
With the current team I do not see that. We have a very dominant team with a lot ball possession, but the midfield does not offer much defensive support and the fullbacks do not have their strengths in defense (if you do not see ball possession as a defensive good - as a Bayern supporter I know that the mistakes will always happen). And the big dominance in ball possession makes it difficult to create chances as the opponent always will have a lot players behind the ball. Do we have the right offensives for this system? Reus excels on the counter, Werner does.
The problem in knockout matches is always that you have to have the first goal - especially for teams that are set up like ours. Else it is getting far more difficult as the opponent never has to open up.
With the current team I do not see that. We have a very dominant team with a lot ball possession, but the midfield does not offer much defensive support and the fullbacks do not have their strengths in defense (if you do not see ball possession as a defensive good - as a Bayern supporter I know that the mistakes will always happen). And the big dominance in ball possession makes it difficult to create chances as the opponent always will have a lot players behind the ball. Do we have the right offensives for this system? Reus excels on the counter, Werner does.
The problem in knockout matches is always that you have to have the first goal - especially for teams that are set up like ours. Else it is getting far more difficult as the opponent never has to open up.
Would you guys start Neuer in goal or Ter Stegen? He's the captain but is it a risk to start a goalkeeper who hasn't played in 6-7 months?
Six. You have to go back to 1990 when they were banned. In '86 they also made it to quarters.
However, records are to be smashed. Maybe this is the cup where Mexico is eliminated in group stage. Or this is the cup where Germany doesn't smash the first game and lose the second. South Korea also have like 2-3 interesting players.
Wonder if anyone is offering odds on Löw scratching some body part and sniffing his fingers...
They've won every single group stage since 1986 but that was West Germany so technically Germany has won every single group. How is that not doing well?
Well because wining a group as top seed isn't really an achievement and lots of these group wins involved losses/draws and very narrow victories.
My guess is Ter Stegen as #1, Trapp as #2 and Neuer for moral support and to bring his experience as #3. He hasn't played a game in almost a year, he's not up to play a WC for us.
No Italy to knock them out, so Germany will probably win the whole thing
I think Neuer will get a lot of playtime in the friendlies and maybe some in the group stages and only then will Löw make up his mind for the knockout stages.
I have some sort of weird feeling that Sweden will top this group.
Germany has looked very anonymous the last couple of games I've watched them. Sweden plays more as a collective and have confidence in carving results out like against Italy.
Not convinced by the Wagner setup at all. Sané is the 'make it happen' guy, but the german team doesn't look as much as a unit the last times I've seen them play.
Germany has looked very anonymous the last couple of games I've watched them. Sweden plays more as a collective and have confidence in carving results out like against Italy.
Not convinced by the Wagner setup at all. Sané is the 'make it happen' guy, but the german team doesn't look as much as a unit the last times I've seen them play.
Good thing Wagner doesn't travel to Russia and Sane likely won't be starting then?
Say whaaaat, I must have missed something
Who will be on top for Germany then? Müller? Surely Sane will be starting though? Great season for City, been one of the most active players for Germany too.Edit: Looks like I've confused Werner with Wagner. Is he still going to be the main-centre forward?
Someone better knockout Spain before we get to face them then
With regards to the squad, compared to 2014, I agree with the sentiment that the one biggest player missing from the squad if Schweinsteiger. The midfield was the main reason we won in 2014 and Schweinsteiger was the key player in the knockout rounds, his all round ability to play as the defensive midfielder, rotate the ball while in possession and push forward when needed is not matched by anyone else in the team; Kroos can rotate the ball but is not defensively strong while Khedira can push forward but can't rotate the ball. Schweini was the cog around which the rest of the team run and now I think it will be upto Kroos to fulfill that role.
I would've liked to see Weigl there purely for tactical reasons because he hasn't had the best of seasons performance wise, Germany doesn't have a pure defensive midfielder so Weigl could've played with Kroos and Khedira and act like the cog around which Kroos and Khedira could move as well. Right now I think Low will settle for a midfield of Kroos-Khedira-Ozil, which I don't think is very defensively strong.
We have definitely improved in the wingback positions though, Howedes was no doubt great in 2014, acting as the defensive foil to Ozil on the left but Hector is more allround while Kimmich is in brilliant form, he'l definitely be a threat with Muller down the right.
I expect:Say whaaaat, I must have missed something
Edit: Looks like I've confused Werner with Wagner. Is he still going to be the main-centre forward?
GK - Kimmich, Boateng, Hummels, Hector - Kroos, Khedira - Müller, Özil, Reus - Werner
We're shit on paper but beat France and Italy. I don't have many hopes but shouldn't underestimate the teams spirit and teamwork i guess.
Don't worry, playing Germany second guarantees you some points.
Mexico are a good team and not to be underestimated. Really like their style of football aswell.
Werner probably will start as striker.Say whaaaat, I must have missed something
Edit: Looks like I've confused Werner with Wagner. Is he still going to be the main-centre forward?
Club and national team often are a different thing. Sane has 11 cups with 525 minutes - assisting only the fourth goal in a 5:1 against Azerbajan after we already were qualified. The best grade Kicker gave him until now was once a 3 - with a 5.5 in the last match against Brazil (best is 1, worst is 6).
I guess everybody expects the team do.op predicted and we all think that Reus will beat Draxler out of the starting formation were he was pretty much the starter in the last 2 years.
I cannot see Neuer going to the World Cup as no. 2 or mascot. If he goes he will be the no1.
So, in theory this was supposed to be one of Mexico’s greatest teams, ever, but unexpected turns have brought the team down.
This Mexico generation was the one who won the U-17 world cup (Carlos Vela, Giovani Dos Santos,etc). Age-speaking, they’re all in their prime, but, the routes they’ve decided to take (retiring early in the MLS) has brought their quality down.
Not to mention Chicharito being in bad form atm (sub for West Ham).
The only guys from the Mex squad who are truly ripping it atm are Hector Herrera at Porto and Hirving Lozano at PSV (one to watch out for).
The Mexico manager is also completely insane. I expect to lose to Germany and squeeze into second place. If Mexico qualifies to the round of 16 and faces Brazil, that would be our best bet. Mexico is one of the few teams that always gives Brazil a hard time.
This Mexico generation was the one who won the U-17 world cup (Carlos Vela, Giovani Dos Santos,etc). Age-speaking, they’re all in their prime, but, the routes they’ve decided to take (retiring early in the MLS) has brought their quality down.
Not to mention Chicharito being in bad form atm (sub for West Ham).
The only guys from the Mex squad who are truly ripping it atm are Hector Herrera at Porto and Hirving Lozano at PSV (one to watch out for).
The Mexico manager is also completely insane. I expect to lose to Germany and squeeze into second place. If Mexico qualifies to the round of 16 and faces Brazil, that would be our best bet. Mexico is one of the few teams that always gives Brazil a hard time.
Very few losses in all those games. Also a loss when you've already bagged 6 points (or 4 like it used to be) isn't an indictive of poor performance. Fact is Germany has done well in every single group stage they've participated in. Not doing great is not the same as not doing well. Progressing from the group is all that matters, winning the group is even better. How you do it doesn't really matter.
That's quite the interpretation from one sentence.
Drew against Ghana and beat USA 1-0. Became World champions. Finished 2nd in your group in '54 and '74 and you won it. Seems to me that when you don't win the group you're more likely to win the whole thing.
And you think beating the US 1-0 and drawing Ghana is doing well? Not even for England.
They won the group so they did well. You can't do better than that. You can play better but that's irrelevant to where you finish in the group. They also won the whole thing so how much did it matter that they didn't finish on 9 points?
It seems very entitled to me that Germany is supposed to beat everyone and preferably with ease and attraction.
Underwhelming is subjective. Winning the group is as good as it gets in the group stages.
It's just realistic to expect the difference of quality between squads to also show on the pitch. When you meet some top 20-30 team as a top 1-3 seed and the result is a 50/50 game, then you haven't done well, even though the outcome of the group might be optimal in the end - in 2010 we could've even gone out to the giants of Ghana and Australia if the former had clinical finishing. And FWIW the post you complain about was in response to someone who said Germany will breeze through group stages with 9 points.
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Looking forward to Son for S. Korea.