Japan vs Spain & Costa Rica vs Germany - 7pm GMT

[Pukey]

Japan have had a few moments where a better pass or what have you would see them threaten. They need some luck but I don't think they're completely out of this at all. Do think a second Spain goal kills them though.

[CFuller]

1 minute ago, skybluedave said:

So are Spain on course to meet Brazil in quarters? I can't ever recall them playing eachother at a WC

If they both win their groups (or they both finish 2nd), then yes.

Last World Cup meeting in 1986.

[pearcey_90]

Raum  Jokes if Germany conceded then.

[DJ]

Rüdiger /o\

[Darius1998]

Germany nearly dug themselves a massive hole.

[GunmaN1905]

Rudiger with his usual shambles moment yet again, Neuer saves him.

Raum is also awful, Gosens is a few tiers above him even without minutes.

[HOORAY HENRIK]

Germany defending there 

Please get Muller off and the striker on ffs.

[Freakiie]

Could someone explain that linesman on Costa Rica's side the rules? Some horrid flagging from her so far.

[Darius1998]

Sule now.

[DJ]

Süle  

[JJ72]

Germany need to have a bloody rocket, they've fallen asleep

[GunmaN1905]

Now Sule misses a clean ball.

Honestly, Morocco isn't any worse than this Germany. Should be the most entertaining match of the first knockout round.

[Hanxvirenk208]

4 minutes ago, skybluedave said:

So are Spain on course to meet Brazil in quarters? I can't ever recall them playing eachother at a WC

I think they played once.  There was a "goal fantasma".

 

[Rob1981]

2 minutes ago, HOORAY HENRIK said:

Please get Muller off and the striker on ffs.

Bit mad that Müller has gone two WCs without scoring now and still got to 10 WC goals

[CFuller]

Muller hasn't scored at a major tournament since 2014. Yikes.

Fullkrug needs to come on for the second half. At least he's in some kind of form.

[Astafjevs]

Spain are dreadful when they play like this, with aimless possession. Gives 'tiki taka' a bad name. 

The one criticism I've got of Luis Enrique is that he gets his team playing like it's 2010. Meaningless possession just for the numbers. Even Guardiola has moved on from that for the most part

[DJ]

Neuer has never scored. To judge Müller on goal scoring alone is silly. 

[TM]

1 minute ago, GunmaN1905 said:

Now Sule misses a clean ball.

Honestly, Morocco isn't any worse than this Germany. Should be the most entertaining match of the first knockout round.

if it's Germany, I'd go for Morocco to win that game based on what we've seen so far

Musiala is a fantastic talent but he needs to learn to shoot at points, able to turn with lightning speed but seems to go too far with the ball.  They won't bring on Fullkrug to around 60-65 minutes but he's probably what they will need, especially if that defence do what they did in the last 5 minutes (apart from Neuer)

[Freakiie]

Müller has gotten abused as a false nine since 2016 basically, it has never worked out and yet Flick happily continues doing it.

[craigcwwe]

Always expect to see one or more of the other stadiums when they do the overhead shots.  

[GunmaN1905]

2 minutes ago, Freakiie said:

Müller has gotten abused as a false nine since 2016 basically, it has never worked out and yet Flick happily continues doing it.

Muller is the antithesis of false 9 role.

He was never a technical player or good with the ball in his feet for more than a couple of touches, he doesn't open space for others, he uses space others open.

That's why he excelled at scoring and assisting as the second option (idk which term to use in English ).

If he's the one who needs to create space, nothing happens.

[Rob1981]

ITV picking up where they left off before the game, immediately talking about England for no reason at all.

[Freakiie]

3 minutes ago, GunmaN1905 said:

Muller is the antithesis of false 9 role.

He was never a technical player or good with the ball in his feet for more than a couple of touches, he doesn't open space for others, he uses space others open.

That's why he excelled at scoring and assisting as the second option (idk which term to use in English ).

If he's the one who needs to create space, nothing happens.

Now if you could only explain that to Flick! Basically been the issue for Germany offensively for years, since Werner isn't a space creator either.

[skybluedave]

3 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

ITV picking up where they left off before the game, immediately talking about England for no reason at all.

That was Souness too 

[Hanxvirenk208]

7 minutes ago, Astafjevs said:

Spain are dreadful when they play like this, with aimless possession. Gives 'tiki taka' a bad name. 

The one criticism I've got of Luis Enrique is that he gets his team playing like it's 2010. Meaningless possession just for the numbers. Even Guardiola has moved on from that for the most part

Spain 539 passes, Japan 89 passes, at half time.

 

[pearcey_90]

10 minutes ago, Astafjevs said:

Spain are dreadful when they play like this, with aimless possession. Gives 'tiki taka' a bad name. 

The one criticism I've got of Luis Enrique is that he gets his team playing like it's 2010. Meaningless possession just for the numbers. Even Guardiola has moved on from that for the most part

To be fair, in International Football, I'd probably say it's the best way. 

Early goal, then just control the tempo of the game from there. No need to up the levels at all when the games are thick and fast and the latter stages will be more draining.

[thefmveteran86]

4 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

ITV picking up where they left off before the game, immediately talking about England for no reason at all.

Well it is an English broadcaster after all

[Rob1981]

Just now, skybluedave said:

That was Souness too 

Turned on ten minutes before kickoff. Two absolutely massive games where all four teams can still qualify. Instead Pougatch was chortling his way through a “Best ever England goals” feature.

[CFuller]

3 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

Turned on ten minutes before kickoff. Two absolutely massive games where all four teams can still qualify. Instead Pougatch was chortling his way through a “Best ever England goals” feature.

Looking forward to tomorrow night. "Cameroon need a win against Brazil... so let's remind everybody of what happened when they played England in 1990."

[pearcey_90]

Come on Japan, make this an exciting 2nd half  

[Darren Moores Mum]

Ohhhhhhh

[Pukey]

22 minutes ago, Pukey said:

Japan have had a few moments where a better pass or what have you would see them threaten. They need some luck but I don't think they're completely out of this at all. Do think a second Spain goal kills them though.

And there you go

[Coulthard's Jaw]

WOW WOW WOW

[GunmaN1905]

Golasooooooooooooooo

 

Who has less cards? Nvm, it's h2h after GD.

Should be h2h first, now Germany can run up the score with is horrible.

That was saveable.

Edited December 1, 2022 by GunmaN1905

[Darren Moores Mum]

Poor from the keeper

[skybluedave]

Don't tease me like this Japan

[Rob1981]

1 minute ago, GunmaN1905 said:

Who has less cards?

Won't come to that tonight because Japan beat Germany on h2h record

[av3ry]

Spain's goalkeeper has been desperate to let Japan score. I think they need a keeper who can play with the ball at his feet.

[Darren Moores Mum]

Omg

[av3ry]

Out?

[Darren Moores Mum]

Bugger. Disallowed.

[Astafjevs]

It's more Germany that are the issue. They're probably going to end their game winning 2-0 or 3-0. 1-1 won't be enough for them 

[GunmaN1905]

GOLASOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Almost.

Edited December 1, 2022 by GunmaN1905

[craigcwwe]

Christ, offside. Japan have come to life.

[georginho_juventusygr]

COME ON, JAPAN!!!

[Darren Moores Mum]

So close

[Hanxvirenk208]

Carvajal might join the party soon: he has been horrible lately.

[Coulthard's Jaw]

Spain ROCKING

[Pukey]

Looks a cracking decision from the linesman, just out

[GunmaN1905]

Anyhow, this is where GD being the decider is horrible.

It's just a 3 match table, Japan beat them h2h and now Germany can run up the GD against a team that's already out.

Ridiculous.