Pre-match: PRE - WC 2018 Discussion, fanboying and schwere Angsting

Mexico will end the group stage with 1 or 0 points.

 

If we are playing a high line with Kroos and Khedira double 6, those two sides will rip us up on counters.

 

we usually screw it up in the 2nd game in the GS, which is Korea but they seem to be the weakest team of the group.

 

The second game is against Sweden - that's why we need to win the first game against Mexico. If not we have a problem...

 

We are playing Sweden in 2nd match

N with Kroos n Khedira as CMs, we can’t deal with quick counters

We can lose very heavily against England, Belgium n Senegal in quarter final

 

I say best time to play brazil is in the second round, they will be nervous having flopped in the last 3to 4 world cups

 

I agree, any major team we play we need a balanced team, a proper holding player behind kroos khedira, who are both not box to box

 

even then are Sweden really tough? A lot of worried people, if we can't even get 1st place in this group then we don't deserve it and so be it if it's Brazil in R16.

 

Yeah, I hate to sound cocky, but I'm not worried about the group stages either. Hell, I wouldn't mind starting Sule in place of Boa in that second match against the big & physical swedes to keep him fresh for the knockouts and am fine with Gomez getting the 2nd or 3rd match to keep Timo energized for a deep run.

As for that QFs: I'm worried about running into Colombia there, not England or Belgium.
-I know Belgium have the talent...which is why they'll probably top that group & end up on the other side of the bracket from us anyway...but we should shred them for 4+ goals and they seem to be better at battering inferior teams than doing anything against good teams :-/

-And if England don't screw up their group...which I'm actually expecting them to, just because it's the only way for them to under-achieve their miniscule expectations...I can't see them keeping up with Poland or Colombia (who I expect to top that group).

-Who are also very well organized in the back with that great young CB duo of Mina & Sanchez, and have a tremendous attack lead by Falcao & James. That said, I still think we'd be able to take advantage of their midfield behind James to keep him & the attackers too isolated to hurt us enough to win...though I do think they've got a goal or two in them against us.

-If it's poland then we're in for a battle, but one I feel good about us winning.

-And if Senegal tops that group then all bets could be off. Mane, Balde & Sarr is a ridiculous trio leading their attack, and they have a very tough deeper midfield + defense around Koulibaly. With our issues against african sides, that could potentially be a massive stumbling block.

 

They have a lot of quality attackers with pace. I doubt they go into the match with counter attacks in mind, but they will get plenty.

Our group is a cake walk guys. If we don’t finish with at least 7 points and 6 or more goals scored, I will be surprised.

You guys are seriously worried about a concacaf team? Really?

 

Honestly do any of you really think we score anything less than 3 on Mexico?

 

We haven't scored less than 4 in an opening WM match since the 90s, and though i find the way Osorio is trying to get the mexicans to play fascinating, they're definitely not the strongest team we've started a tourney against in that time.

I'm expecting 4-1 against Mexico, before we drop the second match to a big & physical team (as is tradition), and then wail on the Koreans for 4 or 5 goals in the third game to lock the group up.

 

I think that’s exactly how it will go. Then by the QF, Löw will switch to a 3 CB lineup and throw a huge curveball to our opponents.

 

Just did a bracket without the groupstage upsets that I expect...Morocco over Portugal and England to ******** it up...to try and see what the "toughest" field we could realistically face...aka no brazil shitting the bed in their group to face us in the round of 16. And what we're looking at for the round of 16 sans major upsets is:

Uruguay | Portugal
France | Croatia
Brazil | Mexico
Belgium | Senegal or Poland

Spain | Russia or Egypt
Argentina | Denmark or Peru
Germany | Switzerland or Serbia
Colombia | England

In which case I'd expect our path to be: Colombia in the QF; Spain or Messi in the SF; and Brazil, France, Uruguay, Croatia, Belgium or Portugal in the final

...though those european teams would really have to click during the tourney to make it that far. As I'm not sure that France won't continue to shoot themselves in the foot with their starting lineups; I worry Croatia will keep forcing Mandzo's corpse onto the pitch ahead of Kramaric & that they won't trust their young defenders enough; I just don't believe that Belgium is going to outscore what they leak; and I don't think the Portuguese coach has started trusting their exciting kids enough yet for them to be much better than they were at the Euros...which they absolutely didn't deserve to win.

 

God I hope you guys are right about Jogi switching to a back 3. I'm excited to see Mesut at the 10 behind a Reus - Werner - Müller front three, but I'd happily drop Reus or Müller for Süle in the knockouts...especially if it gave Jogi more courage to play Ilkay ahead of Sami.

 

Muller will not get dropped unless he plays catastrophically bad like Euros

By the way are you guys following ESPN? That Steve Nicolle guy said he will be utterly shocked if Brazil doesn't win the World Cup...living this hype about them like last World Cup...looks like our recent bad performances in friendlies have taken the limelight out if us which I won't mind

 

tbh that's what makes our bad form in friendlies worth the angst it cause in some of our supporters. It makes sure we always come into the tourney with our hype somewhat suppressed, with something to prove...or we at least leave the door open for some other favorite to take over the spotlight lol. And I like that spot for us.

As for Müller: I know. But if the proposed switch to a back 3 wouldn't come until the QFs anyway, then we'd have had 4 games in which to see if we got EM-Müller or if he's still got his WM-mojo. Which is why I wrote Reus or Müller...since it would also mean that Marco had had time to remind Jogi of his class. Especially if we are going to play with a shadow striker off of Werner with that back 3...as playing off a striker for BMG is still the best I've ever seen Reus play...

 

Can't wait...can't sleep...go Goretzka score the opener against Mexico!!

 

Although I dunno if I can agree with the bolded...I don't think he'll start, so I hope it doesn't take until a substitution for us to score the opener

 

As a matter of fact I expect a 1:0 or more likely: 0:0

 

“You should play in the front, you are a great striker” https://t.co/emr8l1yn3l

— Mats Hummels (@matshummels) June 11, 2018

 

One of the best set piece threats in the tourney...

 

If we are still playing 4-2-3-1 with Kroos and Khedira in midfield.........

we are extremely vulnerable to counters. and i think Sweden and South Korea are good counter teams.

We we are still playing that formation, i doubt we can get through the group stage

 

I think it already shows on Hector that he’s not used to fast paced football anymore, especially after his dreadful season with Cologne

He’s ruining his NT career with his decision