World Cup Today: Germany doesn't make it easy for those who want it out
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Jun 23, 2018
France went out without winning a game in 2002. Same for Italy in 2010. Four years ago, Spain was eliminated after only two games.
WHAT A GAME
Catch the full highlights of Germany vs Sweden in our 90' in 90" pic.twitter.com/iY8F2EAejw
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2018
On Saturday night in Sochi, Germany was facing the same fate at halftime. Down 1-0 to
Sweden, Germany would have been eliminated if it did not at least gain a tie.
Germany quickly got a break when Marco Reus scored with a shot off his knee in the 48th minute to even
the score at 1-1. But then the second goal didn't come, and the Germans faced the prospect of a tie that would keep it alive but only barely.
A tie would have sent Mexico, a 2-1 winner
over South Korea, through to the round of 16, and put Sweden with four points in the driver's seat to join El Tri in the next round.
Nothing went right for the Germans ...
82nd minute: Defender Jerome Boateng was sent off for his second yellow card, leaving Germany with 10 players for the rest of the
game.
87th minute: Mario Gomez's close-range header was tipped over the goal spectacularly by Swedish keeper Robin
Olsen.
90th+2 minute: Julian Brandt rattled the post with a shot from distance.
Finally, in the fifth minute of
stoppage time, Germany scored. It was awarded a free kick on the side of the penalty area and Reus touched the ball for Toni Kroos, who fired a curling shot inside the far post.
“We did not take our chances," said Kroos, who had been guilty of giving up the ball on the play that led to Ola Toivonen's goal for Sweden in the first half. "We should have taken the
lead in the opening minutes and we failed to do that [but] there is joy now. I know a lot of people would have been happy for us to be eliminated but we will not make it that easy for them."
The 2-1 win left all four teams still alive for the top two spots -- even South Korea -- and Germany at least controlling its fate.
World Cup Trivia. If it beats South Korea by two or more goals, Germany is assured of advancing to the round of 16 and will keep its record intact of having never failed to get
out of the group stage at the World Cup.
The only time Germany failed to advance at least one round was in 1938 when the World Cup was strictly a knockout competition. It lost to
Switzerland, 4-2, in a replay in the first round after their first match ended in a 1-1 tie.
Germany lacks the finishing and efficacy this time around.
First of all , i'm glad Germany won for Sweden deserves to lose in my eyes, for any country that comes to play in the WC employing the "PARK THE BUS" as their main strategy should stay at home. Sweden wasn't the only team there are quite a few others who hope to win by a counter attack, or score on a dead ball play or off a foul around the penalty area. I'm afraid that as FIFA increases the pool of more teams we are going to see more of this type of defensive strategy come to the forefront by weak teams. I wish the pool would be cut back to 16 as it once was than we will enjoy the WC for then only good and strong teams will show up; I'm not interested in watching an upsets by little teams that don't have chance in the end,anyway ,and besides, it's garbage soccer.
Sweden, with big, burly man, hunkered down like little "wussies" in front of their goal, contribute nothing to the game except "frustration"and upon their ball possession they lose it in 3seconds.
Germany learned their lesson from their first game(Mexico), which is ,when the opponents play park the bus after scoring, make sure to have on the flank for crosses, right footed players on the right and vice versa. Germany didn't do that against Mexico , with leftfooted Ozil on the right.
You noticed against Sweden how much deeper the penetration on attack the Germans were able to go. Not only that, but employing that strategy gives you also more attacking to operate in.
Next Post.
Although Germany won, they have to be realistic about their soccer. Yes, they improved their game, TEAMWISE, meaning ball movement, player positioning, etc. Bayer was the perfect example for German soccer, beautiful attack ,great off the ball positioning and ball movement, all brought to you by Guardiola and van Gaal coaching/training. Here is the problem, Bayern employs foreign attackers, great individualists on the wing, Ribery(French),Robben, (Dutch) and centerforward Lewandowski(Poland). This is where the German problems lies, they don't produce great individualists, attackers. Beckenbauer ,lamented to this by saying 'we don't produce individualists like they have in Holland. You need individualist to break down defenses, especially when opponents play park the bus strategy. You need players that can make great CROSSES and able to PLACE those balls where they want and also able to BEAT a player 1v1 forcing the defense to adjust and thus create more space for attack and thereby creating 2v1 situation. The one other aspect is more/better SHOOTING from outside the penalty. These are the technical aspects that have been diminished over the years and should now be emphasized again, for these were simple ABCs 40/50 years ago. We need to bring back players who are more specialized again, for we have no players ,today, who are good at something, a la Messi, Ronaldo, except for running with foam on their mouth while introducing their latest haircut....
As seen in all the games, we need to go back to the specialists because it is those types of players the create space for others and opponent's defenses having to adjust....
If Germany wants to add to their game they need to introduce a new element ,as they did 10years
in their style of soccer, and this more individuality,which I would recommend for all countries....
Hi Frank: I applaud both your comments. I consider "parking the bus "and "bunkering" the literal bane to the sport. Like you I have followed the German team all my life starting with my attendance to the games in 1966 . Individual skills are lacking; 1v1 is almost non-existant! And you are spot-on reagrding the lack of and for better SHOOTING from outside the box. In both examples if done you open up the defense as they must address the danger. Without doing so, 10 defenders in the box will continue to frustrate.
Mike, the Germans definitely had some ball players.....Beckenbauer, Wolfgang Overath, Stan Libuda, Uwe Seeler, Gunther Netzer, Pierre Litbarski, Rudy Bommer....hey, remember Sigurvinson of Stuttgart....those were days Mike.