World Cup 2022 - Team and Match Discussion

Its just week 1 cageyness. Next week some teams like Argentina are already in do or die games.

Yeah both of these teams will be confident they can beat Canada, Croatia will be thinking they can run up a bit of a score and that should be enough to get them through unless they get hammered by Belgium...So it's not worth the risk going all out to win today

One 0-0 draw in the entire 2018 World Cup

I'd say Canada could be handy enough based on their qualification campaign. Think Croatia would take a 1-0 against them.

What a stupid and soft way to concede a goal.

Playing like a team with no pressure or expectations on them, probably the first World Cup in decades where that’s been the case for Germany.

It’s only one half of football but they’ve got dark horse written all over them.

Really was a tremendous world cup when you look back at some of the high scoring games and the sensational comebacks/last minute goals.

This has been abysmal so far, hopefully we might see some better performances once we get past the cagey first round of games.

I was glued to that World Cup. Outside of France winning it was a great tournament for upsets and smaller nations.

My enjoyment was a bit hampered by living and working hospitality in London at the time though. I will forever owe a debt to the Croats.

Even with his indifferent form at Monaco, he’s still the best goalscorer in their WC squad though… seems a bit mad, given they’re not exactly stacked with accomplished forwards..

Should be 1-1. Good save from Neuer but the follow-up should have been buried instead of being blazed high and wide.

And now Japan are level. Nice move. Good save again from Neuer but no mistake this time with the follow-up finish.

If Germany lose this, they're in trouble. You don't want to be playing Spain knowing you probably need to win.

Now this is a proper World Cup match! Go on Japan! 😁

Another massive potential shock on the cards. Japan lead 2-1. They deserve it.

More than a few issues there, but expect far, far more from a keeper than the pathetic action from Neuer

What was he waiting on ?

Japan have been brilliant this half. Credit to their coach. He saw the problems and found a way to fix them. Hope they hold out. We might get a good bit of added time of course.

Rudiger meanwhile has been much worse this half. I remember he did a bit of showing off nonsense when he went for a sprint against one of the Japanese players. I think he got complacent.

Another huge shock confirmed. Japan beat Germany 2-1.

Germany can have no complaints, their only goal came from the penalty spot.

That was a mad 2nd half from the Japanese considering how dominant Germany were in the first half. They'll struggle without a striker though.

I wouldn't call it a huge shock. Japan are solid and Germany knew the had problems going in.

Asian football in general seems to be on the up, Saudi and Japan have some really technically brilliant footballers.

Depending on how things pan out in the Belgium group, Japan could end up doing very well if they finish second and Belgium do the same. Potentially they could face Croatia, Morocco or Canada in the last 16, and Uruguay in the quarters. Whoever tops Japan’s group will likely face Brazil in the quarters and that’s probably the end of the road for whoever that is.

I won’t be writing Costa Rica off either, while they clearly aren’t as good as the 2014 side that got as far as the quarters, Navas is still a world class keeper and that’s so often the difference between defeats and draws in international football. They could frustrate Spain if they can keep it goalless into the second half.

Spain going the strikerless route… feels like we might be heading for another game with ten thousand passes but no goals at the end of it.

Karma's a b1tch. Poor auld Didi was highly embarrassed for his fellow countryman

Alan Cawley