'Abject failure' hanging over WC heavyweights

2 years ago 87

The World Cup represents antithetic things depending connected which federation you are; for immoderate a fearfulness of nonaccomplishment is astir greater than dreams of glory, portion for others simply winning a crippled is considered a success.

For the likes of Germany and Spain, it's surely the erstwhile - and Qatar represents a accidental for them some to re-gain their seats among the apical teams successful satellite football.

Football tin beryllium unforgiving with its cyclical nature, and some of these juggernauts were bundled retired successful the radical signifier conscionable 1 tourney aft lifting the trophy.

Both teams helped specify caller eras of football. Spain's suffocating possession-based shot was astatine the forefront of a tactical gyration successful the precocious 2000s and aboriginal 2010s, earlier Germany took implicit and won the 2014 World Cup with a superior of controlled performances (and 1 ruthless semi-final triumph implicit Brazil).

The absorption volition beryllium towards the top, but determination are nary casual games astatine a World Cup, and surely not successful a radical that features 2 different teams that person besides navigated their mode retired of the radical signifier successful caller tournaments.

Costa Rica made it to the past 8 successful 2014, lone falling connected penalties to the Netherlands, portion Japan person reached the knockouts successful 3 of the past six World Cups.

World Cup previews: All 32 squads | Group A | Group B| Group C| Group D

2018 represented a stark wake-up telephone for some Germany and Spain - it was the archetypal World Cup since 1962 wherever neither won a knockout game, and the archetypal clip ever that Germany were eliminated successful the radical stage.

If they're not careful, the different 2 teams successful this radical are much than susceptible of springing upsets - but assuming these matches play retired arsenic expected, it would beryllium foolish to constitute either erstwhile champion disconnected successful the knockout stages.

Both person deed the reset button, Hansi Flick losing conscionable 1 crippled successful 16 since taking implicit arsenic Germany manager successful 2021, portion Luis Enrique's most-recent reign with Spain has seen 4 losses successful 34 games, and a tally to the semi-finals astatine past year's Euros, which ended successful punishment shootout heartbreak.

Teams (FIFA World Ranking):

Spain (7)

Spain's last crippled of qualifying against Sweden served arsenic a de facto play-off match, with the Swedes capable to leapfrog their opponents into apical spot with a win. Instead, Spain came distant with a precocious Alvaro Morata extremity to assertion a 1-0 triumph and a spot astatine the World Cup.

Costa Rica (31)

The cardinal American federation secured their spot a time aft Australia did, beating New Zealand successful a abrupt decease play-off game, an aboriginal Joel Campbell extremity proving the difference.

Germany (11)

The Germans were arsenic ascendant arsenic you'd expect successful qualifying, winning 9 retired of their 10 games and finishing 9 points up of North Macedonia successful 2nd place.

Japan (24)

Japan's big triumph successful Sydney implicit Australia backmost successful March punched their summons to Qatar, yet finishing 2nd successful the radical down Saudi Arabia, with the Socceroos relegated to the play-offs.

Fixtures:

Germany vs Japan - Thursday November 24, 12am

Spain vs Costa Rica - Thursday November 24, 3am

Japan vs Costa Rica - Sunday November 27, 9pm

Spain vs Germany - Monday November 28, 6am

Japan vs Spain - Friday December 2, 6am

Costa Rica vs Germany - Friday December 2, 6am

Prediction:

There's not a atrocious fixture among these - evidently you've got 2 heavyweights, portion Japan ever clasp their ain astatine World Cups, and the astonishment packet successful Costa Rica.

Nobody successful Germany volition person forgotten the abject nonaccomplishment of 2018 successful the 5 years since, and they'll beryllium motivated to beryllium acold better.

1st: Germany

2nd: Spain

3rd: Japan

4th: Costa Rica

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